Flyers back for matinee vs. Hawks

DETROIT — While the Flyers might be coming to the United Center on Sunday with revenge on their minds, the Blackhawks got what they wanted last June when they beat Philadelphia for the Stanley Cup.

The two Stanley Cup finalists meet again Sunday at the United Center for the first time since Patrick Kane scored the biggest goal in Hawks history in overtime in Game 6.

The Hawks expect the Flyers to be ready to prove something.

“It was a great playoff series and when you do meet in a playoff series it kind of creates some intensity against one another and a rivalry as well,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “It should be a fun game for everybody.

“I’m sure there will be a little history going forward.”

The Flyers might have been caught looking ahead to the Hawks on Saturday when they lost 3-1 to last-place New Jersey.

“Yeah, I am personally thinking about it a lot,” Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen said of Sunday’s game. “It’s one of those games, you go to Chicago and play the Stanley Cup champions.”

These are basically the same Flyers that Hawks fans grew to hate last June.

“They pretty much have their same team back,” Kane said.

Goalie Michael Leighton is gone, waived and sent to the minors, and a few other spare parts are missing. The Flyers’ biggest additions are defenseman Andrej Meszaros, winger Nikolai Zherdev and rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Hawks, of course, underwent a radical turnover because of salary-cap reasons. Only 13 Hawks remain from the group that had their names inscribed on the Stanley Cup.

Babcock likes Hawks:

Even before his team lost 4-1 on Saturday afternoon, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock considers the Hawks a lock to make the playoffs in the scrambly Western Conference.

“They look to me like they’re going to be in the playoffs, and they’ll be a dangerous team because the heart of a champion doesn’t just disappear,” Babcock said.

The Red Wings are banged up and played Saturday without Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom, Brad Stuart, Mike Modano, Dan Cleary and Valtteri Filppula.

Rise and shine:

The 11:30 a.m. faceoff Sunday against the Flyers at the United Center is hardly an ordinary starting time for an NHL game.

“It’s a little different, something you’re not used to,” Patrick Kane said. “I’m sure it will present a challenge, but the UC should really be rocking. Hopefully we can get a win and the Bears can, too.”

For those Bears/Hawks fans arriving early to Soldier Field, the Hawks game will be streamed live by NBC.com.