ALL EVEN: Blackhawks 3, Predators 0
That's more like it.The Chicago Blackhawks simplified their game. They stopped overpassing, started hitting, put a couple energy guys in the lineup, and got the spark provided from a key player returning from an injury.
They also nutted up and won their biggest "must win" of the year, taking the game to the Nashville Predators, and coming away with a 3-0 shutout in Nashville.
Let's get to it:
THE GOOD:
The return of Brian Campbell. He didn't play a lot (14:04 in 17 shifts), but just having him out there gives the Hawks a puck carrier with enough speed to break up Nashville's trapping defense.
Brent Sopel. He kept throwing himself in front of the nuclear weapon that is Shea Weber's slap shot. I don't want to know how many welts he's going to have by the end of this series.
Net presence. The Hawks watched the film, saw Rinne doesn't function well with traffic in front of him. The Hawks' first two goals were the result of having a Hawks Team Photo in his face. They keep this up, and everything will be fine.
The penalty kill. They killed a 5-on-3 early, and a big kill with the Preds throwing 6 skaters late. They still haven't given up a power play goal in this series. They killed all 5 penalties tonight.
Jonathan Toews. He finally hit the back of the net, and he was huge on the PK. He stepped up his game, that's what a Captain does.
Patrick Sharp. Two very handsome goals.
THE BAD:
They took a couple dumb penalties. That's all I've got.
THE UGLY:
Barry Trotz. That guy is a stress test for my television.
The series is now a best-of-three, with the Hawks regaining the home ice advantage. Next game is Saturday afternoon in the United Center.
Posted by Forklift at 4/22/2010 9:41 PM 
Categories: Chicago Blackhawks, 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Tags: Chicago Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Nashville Predators Jonathan Toews Patrick Sharp Is A Very Handsome Man
Categories: Chicago Blackhawks, 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Tags: Chicago Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs Nashville Predators Jonathan Toews Patrick Sharp Is A Very Handsome Man
Yo Fork, don't forget Mister Zero--THE NIEMINATOR, yah.
Two shutouts in four games. What's his GAA now?
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1.50, by my calculation...does that make him the top goalie in the playoffs so far?
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I get 1.51, which would indeed seem to put him in first in GAA after Rinne falls to 1.79.
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Niemi had one of those games where the shutout was due more to what was going on in front of him - he didn't face all that many quality shots, save the kill late in the game.
Kind of like Rinne last game.
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Monsieur Forque, have you forgotten about the critical stops Handy Antti made, including the one on the Steve Sullivan breakaway?
10:54 of the second period to be exact.
A playoff shutout, sir, is no small accomplishment for a Blackhawks netminder, from any perspective.
Unless that is, you're Pierre McGuire.
PS first post season goose-egg for a Chicago 'tender since the days of Tony O.
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First? Was Esposito in net for Game 2?
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Indeed he was, Fork, indeed he was.
To be more precise: "the first Hawks goaltender since Tony Esposito in 1974 to record two shutouts in one postseason series. "
Voilà, mon ami.
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Fork,
Just admit that you are a "Huet lover" whatever the hell that might be and that the only thing that counts with the Blackhawks right now is that you if you were, truly, a "Niemi lover" you would, for seemingly mystifying reasons that woulld only make sense to yourself, oddly throw down a picture of yourself next to a Niemi jersey demonstrating YOUR "love" of NIEMI, capiche?
And then you'd go away.
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What if I were a "Niemi lover" who was still either afraid to commit or cheap, and took a picture of myself next to a Niemi T-shirt instead?
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Best effort of the series by far. They just need to make sure they don't take their foot off the gas Saturday.
Soupy has a couple of big ones.
I'm with Dave on Niemi. He has been very good the entire series save for one bad goal.
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Nice win last night boys. Thats the way to get it done. I hope we play with the desire tonight, like you guys did last night.
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Go get 'em. See you in the WCF.
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I think I actually want Detroit to win their series. I want to see all of these nonsense system teams out in the first round. I'm hoping the second round is all skill. That's what hockey needs after all. Perhaps we'd have it if not for over-expansion into the Nascar Belt and deserts of these fine United States.
Go Hawks.
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Eh Nascar and desert hockey is the only way some of us loyal hawks fans get to watch them play in person. The feeling that hockey should be kept only above the mason-dixon is ignorant and irritating as hell.
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I agree with Mr Hager's statement...the more hockey in more cities, the better for hockey fans everywhere. Hockey is for everyone.
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