Yes, it's that time of the year again - the time when two teams in the world's top hockey league battle for the one of the most pretigious trophies in all of sport.

The Chicago Blackhawks will host the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday night in Game One of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, as two "Original 12" teams clash for the third-straight spring. Much like the last two years, when Pittsburgh and Detroit split a pair of championships, we will witness two great hockey cities displayed on the world stage.

Of course, both teams are game for the challenge. Chicago's second lengthy playoff run in as many seasons could be the ultimate culmination of a franchise renaissance that began when team president "Rocky" Wirtz took over for his late father William in 2007. Since then the Hawks, powered by captain Jonathan Toews, dynamic wings Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa, tireless workhorses Dave Bolland and Dustin Byfuglien, and adroit defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, have been the talk of Chicago. The Hawks' 12-4 run to their first Final since 1992 has had an aura of inevitability to it since they escaped a tough first-round battle with Nashville. 

The Flyers' path to their first Final in 13 years has been more halting than the Hawks' meteoric rise. A perennial contender for the past two decades (2006-07 being the lone low point), Philadelphia endured a coaching change and significant injuries to three (!) goaltenders to break through dramatically this postseason. A surprise ouster of New Jersey preceded Philadelphia's remarkable comeback from three games down against Boston in the second round. After that feat, wiping out the in-over-their-heads Canadiens seemed like an afterthought for the deep bunch that wears the pumpkin-hued jerseys. Young captain Mike Richards has blossomed with the arrival of warm weather, and the steady contributions of veterans like Chris Pronger, Danny Briere and Simon Gagne have helped carry the load.

In an interesting quirk, each franchise's most recent trip to the Final has ended in a demoralizing sweep authored by a powerful opponent. The Penguins grabbed their second-consecutive Cup in 1992 with a four-game flurry versus Chicago, then the Red Wings (who would go back-to-back the following season) dumped Philly in similar fashion in 1997. Of course we've come a long way from those days, but it's worth noting that these neither team has won a Stanley Cup Final game since 1987 (Flyers took Game Six versus Edmonton). Chicago's last Final triumph came in Game Five of its 1973 showdown with Montreal, 12 years after their last championship.

Adding Philadelphia's 35-year Cup drought to Chicago's dry spell, there have been 84 seasons of combined frustration building up in advance of this best-of-seven battle. Above all, the series should be a blast. The Hockey Evangelist reminds you to convince at least one of your non-hockey-watching friends to take in a game or two with you!

In honor of what should be an exciting Stanley Cup Final, this week's Phantoms Podcast details what was probably the Phantoms' most thrilling game of their first season. I'm talking about Youngtown's come-from-behind 7-6 overtime win over the Chicago Steel at Covelli Centre. 

Follow this link (http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/VsCmK) to gain access to the Phantoms Podcast "feed page," which is an archive of every podcast I will post online from now on. It is your gateway to on-demand audio, from game highlights to interviews and much more, all in the name of enriching your Youngstown Phantoms fan experience.

Of course, if you would like each new edition of the Phantoms Podcast delivered directly to your iPod or MP3 device, there's a method for doing that as well. Simply copy and paste the above link into your iTunes (or comparable software program) under the "Advanced" menu. Click on "Subscribe to Podcast" and paste the above link there. Now every time you update your podcast page, the newest Phantoms Podcast will be sent to your computer. Enjoy!

Stay tuned to the Voice of the Phantoms blog for future notices regarding upcoming Phantoms Podcasts!