Blackhawks – Bruins : Intangibles Cup

We all know that the Stanley Cup Finals pitting the Boston Bruins vs the Chicago Blackhakws begin tomorrow. Everyone has their picks. Boston in 6, Chicago in 7, Gary Bettman putting down a decree declaring it a tie after 6 games that needs to be settled in a shootout. We all have opinions based on the on ice product. But, what about the other things? The intangibles? Our friends over at Movoto.com have put together a great list of comparisons between the two cities. It scrutinizes everything from Stanley Cup wins to crime rate.

Let’s start with on-the-ice comparisons. When it comes to Stanley Cup titles, Boston has Chicago beaten 6 to 4.

Chicago gets back at Boston when it comes to all-time head to head meetings. The Hawks have command of that one 265-235.

So, on-the-ice comparisons tie us up at 1.

How about  the off-the-ice  matchup?

Well, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 80.2 percent of Chicagoans, have at least earned a high school degree.  84.2 percent Bostonians on the other hand have at least a high school diploma.

Point Boston.

When it comes to unemployment, you are far more likely to find a job in Boston.  Times are tough in the Windy City, as 10.4% of the population is unemployed. In Beantown, only 6.4% of the city residents are jobless.

That now puts Boston up 3-1. Time seems to be running out for Chicago.

How about if you would like to go out, grab a few drinks and watch your team play? Well, you have a lot better chance of grabbing that brew in Chicago.  According to Yelp, Chicago has three times the amount of bars Boston does.

Put one on the board for the Windy City.

Now, let’s talk crime.  Both of these places are major cities, so you can’t expect the crime rate to be too incredibly low. Let’s be honest. Crime happens.

In Boston,  you can feel pretty safe for a big city. According to City-Data.com, which gives a crime index number, the y received a score of 383.3. Higher than the US average score of 307.5, but respectable.

In Chicago? Watch your back. The crime index number is a staggering 586.8. It’s not a complete surprise given what we have heard recently about the rise in violence and murder in Chicago. But, again it’s still a major city and the good people of the Windy City would probably tell you that there are only certain places within the city limits that you shouldn’t go.

So, after 6 comparisons, Boston holds on to a 4-2 lead.

Finally, we look at housing cost.  In which city are you more likely to be able to afford a home? Well, that distinction goes to Chicago. The median list price per square foot for a home in Chicago is $261 per square foot. The residents of Beantown are paying $441 per square foot. A difference of $150. That’s a nice chunk of change. So Chicago takes this one.

But, when all is said and done, Boston eeks this series out.  Based on all the factors on and off the ice, they take the Cup 4-3.

Check out a graphic representation of  this discussion below: