Emma: Rivalry With Red Wings Lacking For Blackhawks
CHICAGO (CBS) -- With one Brent Seabrook shot, a storied rivalry seemed to reach extinction. For the time being, it seemed to be the final chapter of an Original Six story.
Game 7 of the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals saw the Blackhawks overcome a 3-1 series deficit to beat the rival Red Wings in overtime -- the final meeting between the two as division foes -- as Seabrook blasted a puck past Jimmy Howard to move Chicago closer to its fifth Stanley Cup.
Chicago sent the Red Wings into the offseason. The following season, Detroit moved to the Eastern Conference.
This was the last meeting for two storied hockey franchises as division rivals. While sellout crowds at United Center still taunt the Red Wings with chants -- every game; even when they're not in town -- these battles aren't the same on the ice.
"The rivalry is always going to be there, but it's different when you're in different conferences," said Blackhawks winger Kris Versteeg.
The Blackhawks and Red Wings are set to square off Wednesday, just one of two meetings. Detroit earned a 4-1 victory over Chicago in November. This time, they face off at United Center.
While the rivalry doesn't bring the same meetings, its intensity is still strong in Chicago.
"It's special whenever we play them, whether it's preseason, playoffs or tomorrow night," said Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp. "The crowd really gets into it.
"It will be jam packed, the crowd will be rowdy and it will be an exciting atmosphere."
Chicago currently carries 74 points, good for fourth in the Western Conference and second in the Central. Detroit is close behind with 72 points, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference.
The Red Wings have rebounded from a down year -- at least by Detroit standards -- last season, building a team mixed with veteran leadership and talented youth. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are still the faces of that franchise, but Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist are part of its future.
For now, the Blackhawks are looking ahead to Wednesday as a daunting test.
"It's going to be a tough challenge," said Blackhawks center Brad Richards. "It's one of the better teams in the league, in how well they play as a team."
Added Chicago coach Joel Quenneville: "Good team. They play a really strong team game."
Bad blood won't be flowing between the Blackhawks and Red Wings as it used to, at least on the ice, but the fans will certainly feel it.
The players are just focused on getting an important win and fighting for playoff seedings.
"They play hard every night," said Versteeg. "We're going to have to play our game and hopefully we can get two points."
Moments like that Seabrook shot won't be forgotten when the Blackhawks fans welcome -- to put it kindly -- their neighbors from Detroit back to United Center. It's a rivalry that still lives in the stands.
Perhaps another playoff matchup could rekindle the fire, say, in the Stanley Cup Final.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.