at 
Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, CBC (Anglo), TVA (Franco), WGN-AM 720
Raspberry Beret: Hockey Wilderness
With the series now shifting back to the Twin Cities for games 3 and 4, the expectation is that the momentum will naturally shift back to the Wild, given the Hawks’ abysmal record in game 3’s on the road under Joel Quenneville. The only victory in 10 tries has been Game 3 in 2010 in Vancouver, but that doesn’t mean that anything is a foregone conclusion tonight.
With today obviously being Cinco De Mayo, this space will be used to pay tribute once again to a fine Mexican export to the world of film, director/writer/auteur Guillermo Del Toro.
With a scraggly beard fitting enough for one of his fantastical characters, Del Toro was first introduced to American audiences with 1997’s Mimic, an ambitious if flawed horror/science fiction film that though it bombed at the box office, has since gained a cult following and was recut by Del Toro in 2011. His breakthrough came with his 2006 film Pan’s Labrynth, which won several Academy Awards for its elaborate set designs, production, and costumes, and was nominated for Best Foreign Language film.
Del Toro was even slated to take over the Hobbit/Tolkien franchise from Peter Jackson, but ultimately bowed out of the director’s chair due to the tremendous commitment those films would have required, but remained on as a producer. His most commercially successful film to date remains Pacific Rim, which Del Toro himself admitted is a big ridiculous spectacle, but undoubtedly fun as hell. There have been talks of a sequel that have yet to materialize, and his next project, Crimson Peak, is set to be released this coming October.
Game 3: Blackhawks
Stars shining: ESPN Chicago
So are the others: CSN
Road worries, nahh: Trib
Toews nominated for Messier: PHT
Unrelated but I’m proud of these boys: Minotauros
Editor’s Note: This ran in last night’s print edition.
Now in year seven of the Joel Quenneville era of Blackhawks Renaissance, the Hawks actually find themselves in slightly uncharted territory. Not only is this the first time that they have been past the first round for three straight years in the post-expansion era, but the Hawks are trying to eliminate the same team three straight years for the first time ever, with their most recent opportunity having been thwarted by Alex Burrows and Chris Campoli.
The Rockford IceHogs face a familiar opponent in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. After completing a sweep of Texas at the BMO this past Wednesday, the IceHogs will be facing off in Grand Rapids this Wednesday and Friday in the first two games of the Western Conference Semifinal.
The Griffins battled back from an 0-2 deficit against Toronto, winning three straight home games to advance to the second round. The best-of-seven series will feature a 2-3-2 format, meaning that Rockford plays host in Games 3, 4 and 5 should it go that far.
The way things have gone between the two teams this season, it should go at least that far. This really shapes up to be a high-octane series.
The joke is too easy that it doesn’t even need to be written.
Coming into this one, the main story was always going to be how Mike Yeo adjusted the way his troops went about playing this one, and would the d-men who all made mistakes in Game 1 leading to goals would tighten up or not. Yeo did change tack, and it was the Hawks’ d-men who certainly tightened up. Sadly for Minnehaha, Ryan Suter most certainly did not.
The Wild came into this one deciding to lean heavily on what they do best, and that is gobble up space in the neutral zone and keep things to the perimeter in their zone. While it wasn’t an out-and-out trap, it certainly was more conservative than they were in Game 1. On the surface, it makes total sense. As we said in the program tonight, when judging how things were going for each goalie in these playoffs, the Wild did seem more likely to win a 2-1 game than they do a 4-3 one.
vs
Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, CBC, Sportsnet360, TVA2 (Franco), WGN-AM 720
Twin/Tone Records: Hockey Wilderness
While it took a little bit of a roundabout way of getting there, the result in game one on Friday was the same as it has been for now three years and counting for the Hawks and Wild. And if this is going to be a series, the Wild are going to need to empty the tank this evening in hopes of returning to the Twin Cities with a split.
