Hot Stuff

We are just hours away from the second Game 7 in the last 2 days, and third Game 7 of these playoffs. Tonight the Detroit Red Wings look to continue their memorable run, and knock off another higher seeded team and the Chicago Blackhawks look to continue to prove their regular season was no fluke. This will prove to be a highly contested match-up, like any hockey series is concerned, but after hitting the same guy for 6 games, after watching someone get away with something for 6 games, the pushing the pulling the hitting all of the physicality that hockey brings, and add to it, the biggest rivalry in hockey! This will truly be an event to watch. 

Throw out the records, throw out whatever happened up to this point, throw out the...ah... Rolling Stones?!?

Yeah, last night the Rolling Stones played at the United Center, which would typically pose a threat to stadium conditions, but we'll see your Rolling Stones concert and raise you humidity. 

Humidity wreaks havoc on an ice rink. From bubbles to warps to chips to melting... You will see the puck do some things tonight that are not typical. Every wrap around the boards tonight ill become, interesting. Every innocent dump in becomes, advantageous. Every Blue Line to Blue Line pass becomes, curious. You just might see some things tonight that will cause you to think the pucks have a contact high from the special herb being passed around the stadium last night. 

You can go 59:50 without a crazy event taking place, but be sure that at some point tonight the puck is going to do something we don't typically see it do. See the Blackhawks Cup run in 2010. On multiple occasions, especially on the Power Play, you would see the puck take a hop over an awaiting defenseman's stick. With the speed on both sides (Hawks and Red Wings) if we see a jumping puck we could be in store for some interesting break-away opportunities. 

We have seen games like this before, myself I personally look back to the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. That series went 7 games, and in game 7 there were many "occurrences" with a bouncing puck that shouldn't, with an odd ricochet off the boards, with a shot taken but the puck wasn't there. The home team did end up winning that tilt, which proves well for the Hawks tonight, but in Game 7's anything can happen. 

One area where I think bad ice conditions can really change the outcome of the game is, clearing the puck. If the ice is chippy the puck could have the tendency of jumping up on end. When a player clears a puck, and if it is on end, that puck could come off the stick differently and could jump over the boards resulting in a penalty. In what should be a tightly contested match-up, neither team can afford to give up cheap Power Play opportunities. Especially in a game which otherwise should see little calls as I expect the refs to allow the 2 teams to play. 

We are just hours away from the greatest event in sport, Game 7, Hawks - Red Wings. Damn this will be good.