I know we only post a video in a wrap for a very certain occasion, but this felt apt. Whereas the Wild caused a few half-heart flutters in Game 1, this one very much felt like a boat race. Once Michael Frolik — and perhaps from here on out he should be referred to by his full name, “Playoff Dynamo Michael Frolik” — put the Hawks ahead in the first, there was never a moment where it felt like the Wild would catch them. And that’s how it played out.
I know we only post a video in a wrap for a very certain occasion, but this felt apt. Whereas the Wild caused a few half-heart flutters in Game 1, this one very much felt like a boat race. Once Michael Frolik — and perhaps from here on out he should be referred to by his full name, “Playoff Dynamo Michael Frolik” — put the Hawks ahead in the first, there was never a moment where it felt like the Wild would catch them. And that’s how it played out.
It’s playoff tradition around these parts. For those who may be new to our little thing here, John Druce was a middling third liner for the Caps in the ’89-’90 season. But then the playoffs hit, and Druce from out of nowhere came up with 14 goals in 15 playoff games after scoring only 8 in 45 regular season games.
So who do you think is going to emerge from the dark and be the talk of the town?
It’s playoff tradition around these parts. For those who may be new to our little thing here, John Druce was a middling third liner for the Caps in the ’89-’90 season. But then the playoffs hit, and Druce from out of nowhere came up with 14 goals in 15 playoff games after scoring only 8 in 45 regular season games.
So who do you think is going to emerge from the dark and be the talk of the town?
Well that wasn’t exactly what we expected, was it? Even in our preview of the game, we imagined that the Predators would come out hard to try and fight for their playoff dreams and the Hawks would have to fight them off desperately in the first. If the Hawks survived that barrage, they would have to make sure they drew first blood and then held on tight to survive the third, where all too often they seem to take their foot off the gas.
Instead, the Predators came out weak in the first and were thoroughly outplayed by the Hawks. The Hawks outshot the Preds 17-7 in the period but of course one sloppy pass led to a turnover and a tie game after one. The second was more of the same, as the Hawks outshot the Preds and carried the play but again found themselves in an even game after 40. The third seemed to be heading down a familiar road before Saad and Toews found the net to take the win. Patrick Kane adds to his point total to ice it and the Blackhawks find themselves the first team to secure a spot in the post-season for the year. Not a bad way to end the week.
Stop me if you heard this before: The Blackhawks and Red Wings played a Sunday matinee at Joe Louis Arena that ended in a shootout.
In the last four seasons, it seems like the two teams have engaged in roughly 33 games that followed the script from today. One team controls the tempo, then the other team. By the end of regulation, one of the teams scores a late goal to send the game to overtime and in the overtime, both teams have opportunities for the winner.
In other words, today’s game was no different than any of the previous years between the Hawks and Wings. Except for that whole winning streak the Hawks have going. So let’s get to it.
