vs 
Game Time: 8:30PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, SportsNet (Anglo), TVA3 (Franco), WGN-AM 720
Mall of America: Hockey Wilderness
And so it was fated to be, for the third year in a row, and the second in the West semifinals, that the Hawks and Wild would meet. And for the first time out of those three, there is a feeling across the hockey community that the Wild will be more than just a foil or a speedbump for the Hawks.
Hopefully the third installment of Hawks/Wild goes better than The Godfather Part III. And if it doesn’t everyone can still get drunk on Coppola’s signature label of wines.
Time to clean up the rest of this preview, with a brief glance at the special teams and then try and guess how it’s all going to go.
On the power play, the Wild have for years been terrible. That changed in the first round, and you can mostly pin that on the presence of Matt Dumba. The Wild went 4-for-12 in the series against St. Louis, which isn’t a lot of chances in a six-game series but certainly is enough power play goals. Dumba had one, and set up one or two more with the cannon he has from the point. It gives them a second point-man with a big shot, with the other being Jason Pominville, who they don’t always use on the point. With Neiderreiter, Vanek, Parise, and Koivu all bodies that can make plays around the net, and the problems the Hawks had with the Predators down low on the power play, this could become an issue.
When you think of someone born in 1838 who devoted his life to the wilderness.. you ought to picture someone with a big scraggly beard and disheveled hair. And that’s exactly what you get with John Muir. Born in Scotland, Muir moved to the States with his family at a young age. He took a botany class while attending the University of Wisconsin which quickly set him down a path devoted to studying, protecting and most of all, enjoying the outside world. Muir’s work petitioning Congress helped establish the national park bill in 1890 which protected not just Yosemite but all of the surrounding mountains and forests. This bill paved the way for our National Park System which maintains and protects some of the most beautiful land in our country. And thanks to McClure, I now know that he was also featured in early 1990’s computer games too.
Hey it’s May, figure it out: Blackhawks
TT will dress: CSN
He signed but will Q play him: ESPN Chicago
PP and PK work: Trib
Plan your next two weeks: PHT
Hart finalists: IEHN
Finishing off the other half of our preview of the Green Men from St. Paul, today we move to the forwards. There is a step up in class from Nashville for the Hawks in this one. While the Preds were certainly not bereft of talent and depth among their forwards, the Wild have a higher top end with theirs and probably more depth as well. Whereas the Preds didn’t really have a 4th line, the Wild most certainly do and it’s one that has driven the Hawks nuts for a few years now. While the Wild’s D cannot play at the same pace that the Preds’ defense could, their forwards probably aren’t going to find a pace they can’t handle.
The other change in gear for the Hawks is that the Wild are far better and deeper down the middle than the Predators were. That makes for a problem, but not one the Hawks can’t handle.
So let’s get to it.
In the spirit of Chicago/Minnesota synergy, today tribute is paid to Eli Caterer, guitarist of The Smoking Popes, and youngest of the Flying Caterer Brothers that form the band. The Popes are opening for Twin Cities icons The Replacements for their two night set at the Riv tonight and tomorrow.
Along with brothers Josh and Matt (and a rotating cast of drummers now currently featuring Mike Felumlee once of Squirtgun, Alkalkine Trio, and Duvall), the Lake In The Hills natives have been consistently putting out punk flavored power pop for nearly 25 years.
With the schedule for the second round now released league-wide, it’s now time to take a look at an overly familiar foe, the Minnesota Wild. Specifically starting with their out-of-nowhere Vezina finalist Devan Dubnyk (the second consecutive the Hawks will face) and the defensemen in front of him.
Though he very rarely dons a full beard, given that today is the release date for the first Blur album in 12 years (and more importantly their first album with Graham Coxon since 1999), today’s selection is mercurial Blur lead singer Damon Albarn.
Since 2003’s Think Tank, the most recent proper release from the Britpop icons, Albarn himself has kept busy with Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad, and The Queen, and releasing material under his own name. But while all unique in its own right none of it has truly measured up to Blur’s mid-to-late 90s output.
While mostly famous in this country for being a hockey arena anthem, the original intent of “Song 2” was basically a middle finger at the Pixies’ “Tame” in true wry British fashion. That it took on a life of its own in sporting arenas across the continent really only proved the band’s point. But past that track, success as eluded the band in America where chief rival Oasis was able to produce multiple radio hits here in the states. Much of that might likely be attributed to the antics of the Gallagher brothers, which no one in Blur had neither the time nor the inclination to keep up with. Albarn and his occasional beard were far more concerned with putting out a wide variety of different music spanning the last three decades.
