I throw out regular season and use the eye test when considering playoff matchups.
SJ is looking scary good tight now, and Niemi can win a series by himself. LA is... well, LA. They got hot and won the cup last year after probably losing every regular season head to head against playoff teams last year. They just shut down a very good ST. Louis team four straight games. As a Hawks fan I'd MUCH rather have those two teams slug it out in a death match and have the Hawks play a finesse team like DET, whom they can actually out hit. Detroit did win, but face it : the games the Ducks did actually turn it on the Wings looked overmatched. The Ducks are just a strange, strange team that seemed to wilt in game 7. The Hawks won't do that.
I don't understand anybody who would rather have a different playoff outcome so far than what has happened. The Ducks, Blues, and Nucks are OUT, baby.
That's fantastic for the Hawks chances to reach the final.