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. 

So you're saying there's a shot

Before this weekend started I wrote a post, Dud which basically suggested that the +Chicago Blackhawks season was finished. Their lackluster play, lack of emotion, uncharacteristic play from Jonathan Toews, and the complete domination from the Detroit Red Wings in this best of 7 series all pointed to the fact that the Blackhawks were out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

However, before Hawks fans and players shave their beards, the Hawks win back-to-back games, in deciding fashion, to pull themselves back into the series.

Game 5

Finally the Hawks Power Play woke up from it's slumber. Until a Duncan Keith redirect by Andrew Shaw snapped a streak of 15 straight unsuccessful Chicago Power Plays. This was an important goal as well, since Detroit's Daniel Cleary had tied the tilt up about halfway through the 2nd and just 4 minutes later, Shaw's redirect put the Hawks up for good.

Then, another collective sigh of relief when Toews notched his first goal of the playoffs at 15:47 in the second.

"It's nice to see one go in," Toews said. "You work so hard for so many games. Not only yourself, but your linemates -- the guys that are out there with you. It builds your confidence. I don't care who you are. When you see one fo in, you feel like you can do it again. That's the feeling not only with myself, but with our team right now."



Toews didn't tally another, but Shaw was able to find the back of the net. Viktor Stalberg took a blast from the high point which ricocheted off the boards which allowed Shaw to collect and put it in.

"He plays with that energy you appreciate," Joel Quenneville said. "He's a competitive kid. He finds that line. He's smart in a lot of ways. You love the tenacity that he brings, the willingness to travel to the front of the net and hang around and he's got a quick stick. He's got some offensive skills and he's got good instincts on both sides of the puck."

Another unsung hero for Chicago has been the elevated play of Bryan Bickell. Bickell has seemingly done all of the things you want from a role player. He is rough, gets in the dirty areas, hits and takes hits, and has come up with 4 rather large goals this post season. Bickell notched his 4th goal in the 1st period, when he and Kane traded shots off Detroit Goalie Jimmy Howard.

Game 6

This was a roller coaster type of game from the start.. With the Blackhawks coming out inspired, controlling the first 6 minutes or so of the contest, then Detroit coming back and putting it to the Hawks. You could cut the tension from all Hawks fans with a knife and feel the confidence rise and fall with every shift, faceoff, shot, and hit.

The scoring started again off a Blackhawk Power Play goal, this time by the man who scored the first PP goal of the series, Marian Hossa. The goal came after a cluster of Hawks players rushed the net, 9 seconds into their first Power Play of the game. As the puck trickled out to Hossa's awaiting stick, he punched it home just before the goal was raised off it's moorings.

The Power Play was made possible by a smart play. Having ice blocked off the Hawks chipped a puck towards their Blue Line. Michael Frolik (who added a penalty shot score and had a very productive game Monday night) skated towards the puck. Jakub Kindl, senses Frolik had a step and better angle on the puck, checks him into the boards and made no attempt at the puck.

The Wings got that goal back, late in the 1st period when Brendan Smith played the puck to middle ice where Drew Miller was able to put a shot on goal. Corey Crawford was able to turn away that shot, but Patrick Eaves sat waiting for the rebound. He slammed the puck home at 18:51 which tied the game at 1 a piece.

Into the 2nd period and things started to look like they were unraveling. Detroit had pulled ahead in just about every hustle play, and took a large advantage in faceoff draws. Then as Joakim Andersson takes, what should have been a harmless shot from the circle, it knuckles past goalie Corey Crawford and Detroit takes a 2-1 lead, and the air seemed to almost let of out the Chicago sail. Crawford's glove seemed to be suspect all night, missed a blast in the first that just barely missed net and sailed high, flailing a other shots traveling wide left on numerous other occasions. It seemed as though the weak goal allowed shook some of the confidence in Crow, as he looked shaky on other attempts, and even played a puck in a situation where other Hawk players were expecting him to ice it.



Into the 3rd period the Hawks trailed in the contest, 2-1. Then after a bad Red Wings turnover, and even worse blown coverage, Michael Handzus was left all alone in front of the net with only Howard to beat. Handzus flipped one stick side and tied the contest at all 2's.

Crash the net, crash the net, crash the net! After receiving a pass from Hossa, Toews tosses a shot towards the net where Bryan Bickell sat awaiting. He punched the puck past Smith and Howard to give the Hawks a 3-2 advantage. Again Bickell coming up huge in spots. He was in the dirty areas again all night, in front of the net, hitting Detroit skaters up and down the ice, and in front of the net where he was rewarded with the go ahead goal around 6 minutes into the 3rd period.

Remember when I said Michael Frolik had a good game? Well later in the 3rd Frolik had a great block on a shot near the Detroit Blue Line. As the puck ricocheted past the Detroit defenders Frolik had a  breakaway attempt. As Frolik was about to take his shot, Carlo Colaiacovo took a weak swipe at the hands of Frolik with his stick. The puck was dislodged, and a Penalty Shot was called. Some think that this shouldn't have been a penalty shot (myself included) but the resulting play was a thing of beauty to watch:

*This is Frolik's 2nd Penalty Shot goal, most by any player in NHL history

The Hawks gave up another goal later on after a one-time chance by Damien Brunner from Pavel Datsyuk. After a late rush from Detroit, with an empty net, and an almost costly icing by Johnny Oduya, the Hawks hung on and guaranteed themselves a game 7.

Game 7

Game 7 in hockey is the single most exciting event there is. By this point the bad blood has risen to an all-time high. The 2 teams know what the other will do, sometimes before they do it, and the exciting and sometimes weird play is what ends up winning the game and the series. Not only does this game have the playoff lives of these 2 teams, not only are they both Original 6 franchises, not only are the Hawks and Red Wings huge rivals, not only is this a game 7, this is also the last time the 2 teams will face off as Divisional foes. This game should be one for the record books. 

Some facts on Game 7's... 

• Out of the 145 Game 7's (there will be a 146th before the Chicago Detroit game Wednesday), the team trailing 3 games to 1 has won the game 24 times. 
• Detroit has won the most game 7's in NHL history (14, Chicago has won 5)
• Teams with the chance to close out a series at home in game 6 are 20-31 in game 7 on the road

In any case, this will be an instant classic, with heart ache for one franchise and complete exhilaration for another. 

Will the Hawks keep their tremendous season alive, or will Detroit upset another higher ranked team on an impressive playoff run? Tune in and be apart of the greatest sporting event in the world, game 7 playoff hockey.