May 31--Cubs manager Joe Maddon has had a unique perspective when it comes to watching both the Blackhawks and the Lightning perform.
The former Tampa Bay Rays manager weighed in on the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals.
"I hate to say: 'may the best team win.' But I am going to say may the best team win. I watched the game (Saturday) between the Blackhawks and Ducks). Pretty incredible victory," said Maddon, who has exchanged text messages with Lightning coach Jon Cooper.
"You could see how (the Blackhawks) did break the will of the other team. That was my takeaway, the way the game began, where the Ducks had a chance to do something and did not and then here come the Blackhawks. It was pretty interesting to watch. Then to finish it off the way they did. I just think to be a hockey fan you have got to be into this thing."
Even as a baseball manager, Maddon could appreciate the skill the Blackhawks displayed in beating the Ducks in the Western Conference Finals.
"Their athleticism and their agility and just their stamina ... that's what really stands out to me," Maddon said. "Tough, too. There's toughness there and there is discipline there. It's a game I always wanted to play as a kid, but I never did. It is really interesting to watch. It may be the most entertaining game to watch in person, to actually go to the event."
