Watching the Western Conference Finals, I often find myself lustily cheering for the Wings and wistfully thinking at the same time, "If only the Canucks had done that!"

Have to admit though, I started out not so much a Wings fan as a Hawks hater.

Why do I hate the Hawks?

Canucks were eliminated by them in the 2nd round, but that's not it. Sometimes you get beaten by a better team, but the Canucks beat themselves. The Hawks may have a lot of talent, but I don't see them as a team of character.

1. Dustin Byfuglien

I'm disgusted by the way Byfuglien intentionally hits/ crashes again and again into the opposing teams' goalies when they are on their knees. To me that's just gutless.

2. Joel Quenneville

I hate the smug sneer on Quenneville's face when they stole Game 4 from the Canucks. Like a vulture, he smelled blood and went in for the kill. Now facing a much better and stronger opponent, how he whined about "the worst call in the history of sports", saying the refs "ruined a good hockey game". He absolutely deserved the $10,000 fine!

What Can the Canucks Learn from the Wings?

If the Canucks still aspire to win the Stanley Cup, they should try to learn as much as possible from the defending champions.

1. The Depth

Both offense and defense. Case in point: in Game 4, they were missing their captain Lidstrom, one of the best defensemen in NHL, their top scorer in Datsyuk, and even their starter goalie in the 3rd period, and still routed the Hawks 6-1. How many games can the Canucks win without Luongo, one of the Sedins or Salo?

2. The Composure

Remember how the Hawks scored against Luongo and the Canucks in bunches and got the momentum? Not against the Wings. Case in point: In Game 3, the Hawks were up 3-0 into the second period because of multiple penalties against the Wings, but the Wings gave them a dose of their own medicine and scored 3 runs in less  than 5 minutes to tie the game. The Wings lost that game in OT after Lidstrom broke his stick. But that game might well be the defining game of the series. The Hawks know they have to play "perfect game" to beat the Wings, but of course, they can't.

3. The Coaching

Babcock has been to the Stanley Cup Finals twice, and won the Cup last year, aftter making the Conference Finals the year before, whereas Vigneault never made it past the second round. While they both acknowledged the Hawks' talent, Vigneault went into a defensive shell and lost the defining Game 4, whereas Babcock had his team match the Hawks speed for speed, skill for skill, and didn't give the Hawks any space. He set his best defenseman Lidstrom on Kane. The results? Kane had 6 goals and 8 points in 6 games against the Canucks, but no goal and only 1 point in 4 games against the Wings.

Will the Wings Win the Stanley Cup?

I'm looking forward to the Penguins-Wings Finals. The Wings have been through two physical series against the Ducks and the Hawks. Their star players have some lingering injuries. The Penguines have their star players all playing at their top level at the moment. It should be a fun series to watch. It's a tough choice. But if I have to choose, I'd go with the Wings.