Five To Go

Well, it certainly hasn't been easy, and Games 1 and 3 could just as easily been lost as won, but the Blackhawks are up 3-0 on the San Jose Sharks in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals.  After coming home from the West Coast with two wins in their back pocket, the Hawks attempted to bring some of that road mojo back to the Windy City with them, staying at a downtown hotel after the morning skate to perhaps simulate a road atmosphere.  Maybe that was just what they needed to do, because they showed no sign of the passive play that lead to defeats at home in the first two rounds.  


Also helping them get off to a strong start was the waved-off goal that Joe Pavelski clearly kicked in upon further review.  The building got a little silent when they apparently scored, but momentum was back on our side once the ref waved it off after conferencing with Toronto.  I gotta believe that deflated the Sharks a little bit; I mean, you've just lost home ice advantage, you're down 2-0 in the series coming into a raucous United Center, the first item on the agenda is scoring first to take the crowd out of the equation, so you do, but it gets wiped out on replay.  That's gotta take something out of you.  The entire first period was featured great play on both sides, ultimately ending up scoreless thanks to the stellar goaltending in both creases.  


It once again took a 5-on-3 advantage for the Sharks to score on Antti Niemi, and Marleau did so with four minutes gone in the second.  This guy was brilliant again, scoring twice for the second straight game, and is really the only Shark playing well in the series.  If the rest of his linemates upped their level of play to where Marleau is, this series probably would have played out differently up to this point.  Unfortunately, the goal came with :01 remaining on the first infraction, so the Hawks had to kill thirty seconds or so of the remaining penalty.  I really was hoping this small piece of bad luck didn't come back to bite us, and the brilliant PK unit made certain that it wouldn't.  


Several minutes later, the game was tied on a goal beautifully set up by, who else, Jonathan Toews.  On a power play, he waited to the right of the goal, and flipped a pretty pass that somehow made its way through four or five sticks across the crease to Patrick Sharp, who made no mistake.  The assist by Toews extended his playoff points streak to 12, setting a new franchise record.  We're all running out of superlatives when talking about this guy.  May his great play continue.  Then, with seven minutes left in a pivotal tied game, he blocks a shot which caroms directly to a streaking Dave Bolland, who takes the breakaway and stuffs it juuuust past the pad of Evgeni Nabokov, who I must credit for playing his best game of the series (stopped 35 of 38 shots).  At this point, the building was rocking, the fans were in full party mode, and the Hawks seemed on their way to a victory.  But that Marleau guy just wouldn't be denied, stuffing home a rebound through a big scrum in front of Niemi with five minutes left in the game.  This goal was preceded by a bad icing taken by Patrick Kane, whose attempt at a home run pass failed, leaving his exhausted line out on the ice, which didn't help matters in front of Niemi at all.  


In fact, the Sharks dominated the third period, outshooting the Hawks 18-6, but Niemi came up big to send the game to an extra session.  (Side note: While the Hawks were only outshot 13 times in 82 games this year, the Sharks are doing so with regularity here.  In fact, they're outshooting us in the series by 20 or so overall.  Just goes to show how important Niemi has been for us)  However, we dominated the chances in the OT session, 11-5.  


The overtime was pretty damn tense, as the teams traded rushes back and forth and the goalies attempted to outdo one another with each save.  Nabokov in particular had a great stop of a deflected Kris Versteeg shot, barely reeling it in with his glove.  It took twelve minutes and change, but the Blackhawks finally sent the fans home happy when a great keep of the offensive zone by Brian Campbell lead to Bolland having the puck directly behind the Shark net and feeding Big Buff, who was 10 feet out, with a beautiful no-look pass.  Inexplicably, Byfuglien was left all alone directly in front of the net.  Nobody even saw him sneak in, let alone try and do something about it.  He took Bolland's feed and put it top shelf, rattling the water bottle before Nabokov even turned around to see where the puck was going, and the UC went beserk.  Buff is now tied for the team playoff goals lead, along with Kane and Sharp.  This guy truly is Mr. May - he's been a crucial part of the run this spring, starting in the Canucks series.  It's interesting to think about this question: What if Dustin didn't bust out? Who knows...keep it up, big boy.  

And just like that, the series is 3 games to none.  That kind of a comeback has only happened three times ever, and it's already happened once this year, so I like our odds.  Big game tomorrow - I'd love to see some killer instinct, weather the inevitable storm the Sharks will produce in the first 10 minutes or so, and advance on to (take a breath, niiiiice and easy) the Stanley Cup Finals.  And now for the gun fight:

• Hossa Watch, Day Sixty-Three (think Brian Fantana-style); obviously, he hasn't gone that long without scoring, but it's been quite a while (Game 4 against Vancouver, if memory serves).  He made his presence felt, and had a couple of absolutely golden chances, but he just seems to be fighting the puck and himself a bit right now.  I still stand by my prediction of him busting out soon - just wait and see.
• I keep hearing from all the NHL experts, online and on TV, about how great a series Joe Thornton is having.  I'm sorry, I know I'm no expert or anything, but he just isn't cutting it in my opinion.  All I've seen from him is a blatant slash of Dave Bolland off a faceoff (Bolland has completely gotten the better of him this series), taking a run at Adam Burish from across the ice, and blowing several golden opportunities.  All this from a guy who's supposed to set the offensive tone for his team.  I believe he's even pointless, or damn close to it.  Maybe it's because of how bad he's played in the past come April and May, but there's no way he gets a free pass here.  Thoughts?
• I loved the way the fourth line of the Hawks played - they were a high energy bunch, forechecking with abandon, delivering big hits all over the place, and Ben Eager even hit a post! Centering it all, John Madden is showing us why he was such a valuable acquisition last summer.  Experience of his caliber doesn't just come around all that often, and I have to believe his wisdom is coming in handy in the locker room and on the bench.  He's not playing too badly, either
• Antti Niemi, the resident Fin, played spectacularly again - he finished stopping 44 of 46 shots, the second time this series he's stopped 44.  Hard to believe that the goaltending was the biggest question all season, huh?

We took their best shot, and absorbed it with a gritty effort.  The same kind of showing will be necessary to finish them off tomorrow afternoon at the UC.  Boot's on the throat - time to finish the job.  It ends tomorrow.

As for the Cubs, they've had an up and down time since we last spoke, with two one-run losses and one one-run win.  As I've said before, they've been terrible in close games thus far in 2010, and that must change for them to contend in the Central.  Case in point: on Thursday, they battled back against a great Phillies team to tie the game three separate times, including Fukudome hitting a homer off a lefty (??) with the count 1-2 against him (?!??).  So we're down 5-4 going to the ninth, thanks to the phenomenal relief pitching of John Grabow (he's been so godawful this year, put him on the DL with a phantom strain of something).  Soriano, as he's been doing so much of lately, starts a rally with a single, then goes to third when Colvin singles behind him.  So, first and third, down a run, nobody out.  Feeling pretty good about our chances.  Starlin Castro battles hard, but strikes out.  Bummer, but still in decent shape.  Aramis Ramirez, he of the .166 BA, is next.  Also battles, but strikes out on one of the worst pitch selection/swing combos I've ever seen from him since he got here in 2003.  And then, Geo Soto pops out to Ryan Howard in foul territory behind first base.  So, to recap: tying run is on third, there's nobody freakin' out, and we fail to do so much as put the ball in play.  Unbelievable.  But it really kinda is, sadly.  

But they came back in Texas with a nice win today against the Rangers, with Randy Wells going strong into the ninth after a rough start, and Soriano and Castro providing the offense early on.  Game goes into extras, and we take the lead on three straight pinch-hits by lefties off the bench.  Colvin, Fukudome, and Fontenot double, single, and single respectively, to take the lead in the 10th.  Little Mike's was especially clutch, coming on an 0-2 count.  Marmol comes in, does his customary thing and walks the first guy, not even coming close the the zone.  Out comes KoYie Hill and Lawrence the immortal pitching coach, and all of a sudden Marmol's got his unhittable stuff back and harnessed.  I don't get it with him; is there like a switch in his head that is subconsciously switched? He'd never give up runs if he had good command.  Oh well...we'll take the W.

Oh, and the Bears are at it again at Halas here in Lake Forest.  God I can't wait for September.

This duo is going to decide where this season ends up - should be fun to watch if nothing else.

68 days to Bourbonnais

38 days til LeBronapalooza starts

Namaste, and good luck to all you out there