Grinding Kings vs. gritty Blackhawks

Q. A final thought on that Game 7?

A. I liked the way the Blackhawks didn’t let that non-goal bother them. It was frustrating, but they kept their focus in overtime.

It was hard-fought battle between two good teams with players who have been on the big stage before.

Just a great hockey battle between two great franchises.

Q. What should fans expect to see from L.A.?

A. I think maybe one thing that catches people off-guard is that the Kings have skill and they can create opportunities. On the flip side, you look at the Blackhawks and they’re a grittier team than a lot of teams give them credit for — you kind of saw that in the series against the Red Wings.

Everyone says it’s the physical, grinding play for the L.A. Kings and it’s the skate-and-tempo game for the Blackhawks, and which style is going to win?

I think there’s more skill in the L.A. lineup than people give them credit for, and more grit in the Blackhawks lineup than people give them credit for.

Q. Things aren’t going to get easier for Jonathan Toews, are they?

A. Any time I was in the playoffs and the other team had a dominant player, the focus was on him.

For example, when I played against Wayne Gretzky, I was basically told — to the best of my ability — go out there and shut Gretzky down, make it as hard as possible for him, cut out his time and space.

I’m sure Jonathan expects it and knows the further we move along here the harder it’s going to get.

Q. Coming off that emotional Game 7, is it letdown time for the Hawks?

A. Any time in this season when you thought there was a possibility for an emotional letdown, the Blackhawks have really responded well.

I think in that last series a real good example of not being prepared was Game 2 at the United Center — after getting a little bit of a sense of false security after Game 1.

I just think the magnitude of this game and where it’s at right now — and the media hype from every hockey outlet around the world ... I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.

ŸTroy Murray is in his 13th year as a member of the Blackhawks broadcast team and his eighth year as the color analyst for the team’s radio broadcasts. The Selke Award winner was a five-time 20-goal scorer and a veteran of 15 years in the NHL, playing in 915 career games.