15: Blackhawks
View from the enemy: TT
Let’s not get stupid: PHT
Kane picks up where he left off: ST
Vermette sat: Trib
88 delivers off the ice too: CSN
Meanwhile Vancouver lost again: PD
Oh right, the Hawks don’t know how to ease themselves into the playoffs in the shallow end, as this marks the 4th straight year the Hawks have gone to OT in R1G1, and the second straight year it’s been a mult-OT game. Why do things easy? Isn’t this more fun?
Rarely will you see a playoff game swing from one side to the other so violently so quickly. The Preds, at least about halfway through the 1st, took this one over and put up three. The Hawks tightened everything up in the 2nd and were all over Nashville in the 2nd. The Preds were slightly better in the 3rd and first OT, and the Hawks waited them out.
Of course, after we said this was two disciplined teams with anemic power plays, this turned out to be a game of indiscipline and special teams, which the Hawks actually won. Perhaps the excitement gets to the players too. And the ice didn’t help, but the Hawks should be used to that.
Still, you can’t be blowing three-goal leads at home, can you? Let’s try and clean this one up, if we can.
Oh right, the Hawks don’t know how to ease themselves into the playoffs in the shallow end, as this marks the 4th straight year the Hawks have gone to OT in R1G1, and the second straight year it’s been a mult-OT game. Why do things easy? Isn’t this more fun?
Rarely will you see a playoff game swing from one side to the other so violently so quickly. The Preds, at least about halfway through the 1st, took this one over and put up three. The Hawks tightened everything up in the 2nd and were all over Nashville in the 2nd. The Preds were slightly better in the 3rd and first OT, and the Hawks waited them out.
Of course, after we said this was two disciplined teams with anemic power plays, this turned out to be a game of indiscipline and special teams, which the Hawks actually won. Perhaps the excitement gets to the players too. And the ice didn’t help, but the Hawks should be used to that.
Still, you can’t be blowing three-goal leads at home, can you? Let’s try and clean this one up, if we can.
at 
Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, NBCSN (US), SN360 (Canada), WGN-AM 720
Yellow Ice: On The Forecheck
And so it begins. In all reality, tonight is the first night of the last ride of these Chicago Blackhawks as they are presently constituted. With another salary cap doomsday looming along with diminishing production from some veterans, it’s the general consensus that a retooling is nigh. And the Hawks at current are sixteen wins away from making a definitive statement of this era of the National Hockey League before many will part ways. But it has to start with one.
So we’re almost through the set up, and then McClure will be along in a bit to get you ready for Game 1. There’s not much more to discuss, but let’s clean up the rest.
Special Teams – This probably should be the big worry for Hawks fans, because the Hawks’ PK hasn’t been very good lately, but luckily the Preds’ power play has fallen off a cliff from previous seasons and ranks 25th in the league. If the Predators don’t get a fair share of power play goals, it’s hard to see how they can consistently win the battle at even-strength at even-strength.
On paper, it should be a good unit though. You know all about Shea Weber’s elephant gun from the point, and no forward is going to be aching to get in front of that. If you cheat out at that too much, you would think Ribeiro would have enough space to find Neal on the other side for one-timers through the slot or Wilson or Smith in front. But it just hasn’t worked out that way.
And we’re off to another playoff run – hopefully a long one. As is our tradition, we’ll be posting daily inspirations to motivate you to put the razors and trimmers away. It’s also with a still saddened heart that we kick off this year’s festival of facial hair with the departed Robin Williams. Through most of his life, Williams didn’t have a beard but with a man as hairy as this, it probably only took him a few hours to grow the one in this picture. Williams won his only oscar while playing the bearded Dr. Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting but also sported a beard in the underrated The Fisher King. If you have time/money – it’s well worth a listen to hear Williams’ interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. It’s a beautiful insight into the mind and struggles of one of the greats.
Moving outward from Nashville’s formidable back end, it’s now time to take a look at their reimagined forward group, which boast more speed and skill than it ever did under Barry Trotz. And under Peter Laviolette, that speed is now finally afforded a bit of offensive creativity as opposed to simply using it for the purposes of constricting the opposition.
