The Hawks were able to win their series against the Canucks, sure, but not before some strange fans channeled one of the greatest shows on TV (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) by bringing out their greenman costumes.  Love it.

h/t: 30fps

In case you missed it Wednesday night, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews got absolutely destroyed by Willie Mitchell. 

Tough break for Toews as Mitchell came out of the penalty box seconds before slamming the captain with a vicious, clean hit.  Kris Versteeg followed up by going after Mitchell, which normally would draw criticism from this hockey fan.  I’m getting sick of players starting fights after clean hits, but in this case we’re talking about your team leader getting trucked.  It’s not that Mitchell shouldn’t have hit Toews, it’s just that when someone hits your captain like that, you stand up. 

You’ll also notice the score when the hit took place, with the Hawks up two to one in the third.  Vancouver went on to win the game with the Hawks taking a few penalties after the big hit.  A theme last year was bouncing back and seeing how a young team would respond in tough situations.  The performances last year should give fans every reason to believe that the Blackhawks will be fine going forward. 

Nashville comes into the UC tomorrow night and it looks like Toews and Brent Seabrook, who also sustained an injury in the third period Wednesday, will both be good to go.  Goaltending may be a bit of an issue this year, but I think we’ll find out tomorrow night that character, focus, and resolve won’t be.

What an unbelievable game at the United Center last night.  After squandering a two goal lead and falling behind 5-4 with under eight minutes remaining, the Hawks rallied to win 7-5.  I’m a little short on time, so here are a few videos.

First, the anthem from last night:

Here are the highlights from a guy with a fairly annoying voice.

And the last couple minutes of the game with the Pat Foley and Eddie O call.

The Hawks will get the winner of the Detroit-Anaheim series, which the Wings lead 3-2 with game 6 in Anaheim tonight.  A Wings-Blackhawks series would obviously be amazing.  And might as well throw in a link to some Chelsea Dagger.  Congrats to the Blackhawks.

Great opportunity tonight for the underdog Blackhawks to close out the series against Vancouver and advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The Blackhawks won Game 5 in Vancouver by playing smart hockey and staying out of the penalty box, while the Canucks allowed the Hawks power play to give them a commanding lead in the series.  Dave Bolland took an amazing feed from Patrick Kane to net the game-winner with about five minutes to go, while on a man advantage.  Those crazy Canadians littered the ice with whatever they could find, pissed about the call.  Too bad, it’s 3-2.  Bullets.

• The Hawks have had a great formula for success so far in the playoffs, with great play from their stars combined with toughness and timely scoring from the bruisers.  Byfuglien had two goals last game and continues to punish the Canucks.
• Patrick Kane has been great since coming back from his injury in the first round.  He’s been scoring goals, making plays, and has been spectacular on the power play.
• The Hawks outshot the Canucks yet again in Game 5.  Only 21 shots from Vancouver last game, and if a similar number come at the Hawks net tonight, you have to think Khabibulin can give Chicago a great chance to close this thing out.
• I wouldn’t expect it to be any less physical tonight.  Vancouver will try and set a tone early, as that’s how they’ve enjoyed the most success thus far.  These two teams are just sick of each other really, which I suppose is bound to happen in a long series.
• The crowd will obviously be insane and should be a big bonus for the Hawks.  While they haven’t been dominant at home in the way they have won games, the Blackhawks have only dropped one home contest so far.

There really isn’t a whole lot else to say.  Win and they’re in the conference finals.  The game is at 8:00 CT on CSN.

That felt like one of the quickest hockey games I had ever watched.  One goal for Vancouver in the second period off a blocked shot provided the only scoring for the majority of the contest, but it seemed like time was running in that accelerated video game speed.

Part of that must have been the lack of scoring opportunities leading to fewer whistles than normal.  I definitely was shocked when I looked up to find only four minutes separating the Hawks from going back to Vancouver down 3-1 with their playoff lives in serious jeopardy.  Then predictions started coming true.

“I’m sensing a big game for Havlat tonight…and Havlat could be the guy to help them tie this series up.”

Boom, Havlat scored with about 2:45 to go, forcing overtime after it looked like the Hawks were dead.  Chicago had been relentless in their attack, but nothing was getting through to Luongo.  Then Andrew Ladd made a great pass on the boards to spring Havlat, who found twine to tie it.  Andrew Ladd you say?

“And where has Andrew Ladd gone?  He has one point in nine games and that was a goal in a 5-1 win in the Calgary series.  He had one shot on goal in the first three games of this series after he had 13 last series.  Come on Ladd!”

Well, Ladd wasn’t satisfied with just making me stop talking bad about him, he had more work to do in OT.  Just about three minutes into the extra session Havlat threw the puck across the ice and Bolland drove it toward the net, where Ladd had the game winning tip-in for the goal.

What a gigantic win for the Blackhawks.  A loss would have sent them back to Canada down 3-1 with a series that would be all but over.  Now, no matter what happens up there, we’ll see one more game in the United Center this round.

The Blackhawks did give up the first goal again this game, but it was a different kind of deficit.  For nearly the entire game, the Hawks carried the play.  Vancouver limited Chicago’s chances, but seemed content to try and win this game 1-0.  It almost worked.

Game 5 is Saturday night at 9:30 CT in Vancouver.

Game 4 could have been a chance to put a choke hold on this series for the Blackhawks, but after a loss Tuesday the Hawks need a win to stay competitive.

After falling behind early, just like every other game this series, the Blackhawks couldn’t complete the comeback and now find themselves in a 2-1 hole going into Game 4.  The habit of falling behind early really can’t keep up if the Hawks want to hang around for another week or so.  It’s hard to say if they just aren’t prepared, they’re flustered under the pressure, or if it’s just Vancouver playing so well that has led to 3-0, 2-0, and 3-0 deficits in the first three games of the series.

These games seem to go much better with bullet previews, so….Bullets.

• If the Hawks were flat at the beginning of Game 3, it certainly was no fault of the United Center crowd.  It had to be deafening in there for the anthem.  Something tells me tonight will be no different, seeing as how this could be the last home game of the season if the guys don’t get their acts together.
• It sure would be nice for Khabibulin to really bring his A-game tonight.  He has given up a lot of goals this series and while they haven’t all been his fault, the Hawks might need the Wall to be in full effect tonight.
• Sami Salo might be back for Vancouver tonight.  He flew into Chicago yesterday apparently and participated in the team skate.
• Speaking of defenseman coming back, it’d be nice to have the real Duncan Keith back tonight.  He is seeming to have some trouble staying upright this series and the Hawks could really use the old Duncan back.
• And where has Andrew Ladd gone?  I know he isn’t one of the stars on this team and he provided a nice scoring boost this season, but he has done nothing in the playoffs.  He has one point in nine games and that was a goal in a 5-1 win in the Calgary series.  He had one shot on goal in the first three games of this series after he had 13 last series.  Come on Ladd!
• I’m sensing a big game for Havlat tonight.  In the Calgary series, Havlat was a guy you could tell had been involved in the playoffs before and stepped his game up accordingly.  Tonight the Blackhawks need that experience again and Havlat could be the guy to help them tie this series up.

Alright, that’s all I have for tonight’s game.  Let’s try not to fall behind by a few goals, eh?  Game is at 7:00 tonight on VS.  Oh, and what’s up with the “who cares” option on the Hawks poll Stormin’ Norman?  I know you created it right after the Bulls were eliminated, but really?  Could you ever imagine including the option on a Bulls poll?  Gah!

The Blackhawks have made it back stateside and will try to hold onto the home ice advantage they snuck over the border after a Game 2 comeback win. 

The Hawks certainly have the momentum after rattling off five straight goals after falling behind 2-0.  The Canucks added a late goal, but it was on a 5-on-3 when the refs got whistle-happy at the end of the game.  The Hawks have taken over the home ice advantage, meaning they can win the series as long as they win at home. 

That sounds great, but winning at home is anything but a given.  The Hawks have fallen behind in a lot of games so far in the playoffs, a habit that gets you in trouble no matter where you play.  A strong start tonight will be important to set the tone for the home swing. 

The other advantage the Hawks have is that they seem to be in Luongo’s head.  Byfuglien has been a beast so far in this series and has made a home for himself in front of the Vancouver net.  Big buff has also been seen jawing with Luongo several times during the series and the Vancouver net-minder seems a little rattled, despite his comments to the contrary.  Just the fact that he gave up as many goals in Game 2 as he did in the first round seems to indicate that something is wrong. 

The guy is still a top flight goalie in this league though, so it will be up to the Blackhawks to keep the traffic in front of him and to continue their balances scoring.  The Hawks keep getting goals from the role players, while a different star seems to step up when needed.  The first series featured a lot of scoring from Havlat and Toews, while Kane and Sharp have been great so far this round.  Dave Bolland has played great hockey in both rounds, while Keith and Seabrook continue to do their thing on the blue line. 

Khabibulin has been good, but not spectacular.  It’s been nice not to rely on Khabi to win games by himself, but the Hawks might need one of those performances later this round to push them to the conference finals. 

Adam Burish provided some intrigue with a quote regarding injured Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo: “We have to target some of the other D now,’ added Hawk winger Adam Burish. “Those other guys are going to have the bulls-eyes on their backs.”

Okay then.  Any worries that the nastiness would go away with the three days off can probably be put to rest.  One more note on that subject though: while there has been plenty of pushing and shoving after the whistle, Vancouver hasn’t been nearly as bad as I expected in terms of gooning it up.  If the Hawks get a lead tonight though, watch out.  I heard Bolland comment on how important it was for Chicago to stay away from all that and let Vancouver sit in the penalty box; we’ll see how well the Hawks follow his advice. 

So this is it, the Bulls season is over and the Hawks get the playoff spotlight for a while.  Game 3 is tonight on CSN at 7:00 CT.

For Chicago fans, a depressing loss by the Bulls Saturday night looked like it was going to lead to another loss by the Blackhawks.  Finding themselves in another early hole–down 2-0 after one–the Hawks stormed back to beat Vancouver 6-3 and tie up the series.

Just like in Game 1, when the Hawks fell behind they ended up carrying the play and peppering Luongo.  This time the Hawks finished the job.  Patrick Sharp scored two goals in about three minutes in the second period to tie the game up, then Dave Bolland scored a shorthanded goal with 3:10 left in the period to take the lead.

The Bolland goal was a thing of beauty.  Duncan Keith lobbed the puck from his own zone to Bolland who snagged it out of the air at the blue line and in one motion was skating in on Luongo unabated.  After a sweet move befitting a veteran of the playoffs, the youngster put in the go-ahead goal.  Chicago outshot Vancouver 13-5 in the crucial second period.

The Hawks came out firing in the third period with goals from Eager and Kane in the first six minutes to break the game open.  The Canucks would add a late goal on a 5-on-3 power play.

Frankly, this was the kind of game I expected.  Luongo was great in the first round, but he doesn’t get to play the St. Louis Blues all playoffs long.  The Hawks are going to put a lot more pressure on Luongo and they get scoring from everywhere.  I really think the Hawks are markedly better than the Canucks and if they can continue to bring the energy and focus every game, they’ll win this series.

The Blackhawks were dominant in even strength play Saturday.  All three of Vancouver’s tallies came on the power play.  A key for Chicago going forward will be to stay out of the penalty box, but if they’re going to score four even strength goals, I guess that it isn’t that big of a deal.

Today is an extra day of rest, so Game 3 will be tomorrow night at the United Center and starts at 7:00 CT.  The Hawks have to feel good about stealing home ice early in the series and have a great chance to put a strangle hold on it the next couple games in what is sure to be a rambunctious atmosphere on the West Side.

Hey, the Blackhawks played last night too and their game was fairly exciting.  The Blackhawks wish they could have played a few overtimes though, because that’s where it looked like the game was heading when Dave Bolland tied the game at three late in the third, but it wasn’t to be and the Hawks ended up on the wrong side of a 5-3 score.

After falling in a 3-0 hole going into the third period, Patrick Kane brought Chicago storming back.  It started when he roofed a shot a minute into the period, then followed up with a power play goal with just under 10 minutes to go.  When Dave Bolland put back a rebound with 5:29 remaining, it looked like the Blackhawks were going to steal Game 1.

The Hawks had all the momentum, aside from one quick flurry in front of Khabibulin, Chicago had all the late chances.  Then, with one botched play in the offensive zone the Canucks broke out in a 4-on-1 and after a great save by Khabibulin on the first shot, Sami Salo chipped in the game-winner.  How does a 4-on-1 even get started?  Ugh.

Even after the goal the Hawks kept the pressure on with a couple of great chances to tie the game up.  Pahlsson was fantastic with the faceoffs, but when the puck got by Brian Campbell on the boards (a terrible play), Vancouver had another break that led to the empty netter to put the game away.

This is a tough, tough loss for the Blackhawks.  They made a great effort to come back and tie the game and looked poised to take the win either in the last few minutes of regulation or in OT.  Still, it’s only 1-0 and your job as the road team in these series is to steal one game on their ice.  The Hawks can take plenty of positives from Game 1 and build on that for Saturday’s game.

From what I saw, Keith and Seabrook did well on the Sedin line, though they did combine for one goal.  The key to the series was to make other guys beat you and last night it happened.  Goals from Kessler, Demitra, and Salo were the difference.

The series looks like it will give the physical brutality we thought it would too.  From the first couple minutes of the game when Ben Eager got slammed face first into the glass, the hits were a-plenty.  Look for more of that in the games to come.  Game 2 is Saturday and once again starts at 8PM CT.

Is it time for the second round already?  How was that reintroduction to playoff hockey, Chicago?  After an amazing first round victory against Calgary, the Blackhawks face their second straight opponent from north of the border.

Calgary and Vancouver took their battle for a division title down to the end of the regular season, and Chicago was barely ahead of them in final points, so this promises to be another highly competitive series.  Everything I have heard marks Vancouver as the favorite, but I’m really struggling to figure out how.  For me, it’s nearly impossible to call this series because I think Chicago has the better team, but Vancouver has home ice.

The teams split four games in the regular season and there is no love lost between the them.  You’ll see a lot of shoving after whistles and a lot of WD-40 in use for the hinges on the penalty box.  The team that keeps its cool the best will have a distinct advantage.  Speaking of advantage, the Blackhawks were great on the power play in the first round, while the Canucks excelled on the kill.  Something will have to give there.

Part of the reason for the success of Vancouver’s D was the netminder Roberto Luongo.  He was great in the sweep of St. Louis and has to worry Blackhawks fans with that “hot goaltender” phenomenon that can carry a team deep into the playoffs.  However, Chicago has a goaltender of its own on a pretty good streak.  Khabibulin was great in the first round and will be looking to carry the Hawks one step closer to the Stanley Cup Finals.

What’s the key to the series?  Slowing down the top line of Vancouver.  Alex Burrows and the Sedins form one of the best lines in the NHL and it will be up to Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith to hold them down.  The Hawks blueline duo did well against the Flames top line in the first round, but this is a different animal.  The Sedins are capable of holding the puck deep in the zone all by themselves, leaving Burrows free to get open.  They’re going to score, it’s just a matter of limiting the damage and making other people beat you.

Keith and Seabrook were fantastic in the first round though.  I especially thought Seabrook was one of the best players on the ice for either team a lot of the time.  Speaking of young guys needed to step up again…the offense.  While the Canucks get a ton of production from their top line, the Hawks get it from all over.  12 different players scored in the first round for Chicago and they’ll need more of the same this time around.  Dave Bolland deserves special mention for his play in the first round.  He just seemed a step faster than everyone else and made plays in all aspects of the game.

I also have to say that I really, really don’t like Vancouver.  Expect a lot of goonery in this series to the point that it will actually make you mad.  Cheap shots after the whistle, overreactions every time the Hawks get near Luongo, coupled with constant collisions with Khabibulin.  I really think the Blackhawks are better, but Vancouver plays a brand of hockey that can be very effective in the playoffs, with toughness and great goaltending.  It’s a tall task for these young Blackhawks, but they need to be able to keep their cool and let the Canucks sit in the penalty box.  More controlled physical play like we saw in the first round and I think the Hawks come out on top.  Hawks in six.

After refreshing ESPN’s hockey playoff schedule just over 30 times, I finally figured out that the Blackhawks will start their series with Vancouver on Thursday night in Canada.  The series will shift to Chicago for Game 3 on Tuesday, May 5th for the first second round playoff hockey game in the United Center since the days of Segas and Super Nintendos.  Honestly, Al Gore was just cracking this whole Internet thing the last time the Hawks were this deep in the playoffs.

The Canucks are coming off a sweep of the St. Louis Blues and should be well rested.  The Hawks managed to win in Calgary to keep their first round series to six games, but it was a very physical affair, raising concerns about rest with only a few days off.

The Blackhawks won the first two games against the Nucks in the regular season, but were blown out in the final two.  The last meeting was a 4-0 Vancouver win in Chicago that involved a few scraps, including one where Duncan Keith had his hair pulled by a Canuck.

I’ll get some keys to Game 1 up tomorrow, but for now just get ready for another set of late games when the Hawks are on the road.  Here’s the clip from the last meeting of the regular season.  Should be a fun season between these hair pulling sissies and the Blackhawks.

*May be pronounced “Schmucks” according to AJF

The Blackhawks squandered a lead and wasted a good first period last night and fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 at the United Center.  The Hawks still get one point for the loss, putting them at 100 for the season; four ahead of Calgary and Vancouver in the quest for home ice in the first round.

All three teams have two games left, but the Hawks have a much tougher task than their Canadian counterparts.  Chicago ends the season with a home and home against Detroit, while Calgary and Vancouver play teams that will be staying home for the playoffs.

The good news for Chicago is that things have to go perfectly for both of those teams for the Hawks to have to go on the road next week.  As long as they finish ahead of either Calgary or Vancouver, the Hawks will host the lower seeded of those two in the first round.  That means that both Calgary and Vancouver will have to win their remaining games, while the Hawks will have to lose both to the Wings in regulation.

While Chicago hasn’t beaten Detroit yet this season, the first two of the four meetings ended in shootouts.  The Hawks just need to push one of the two games to overtime to secure home ice.

Last night’s game was a disappointing loss, because the Hawks had the lead and played some good hockey.  Khabibulin played well again and made one amazing save in the third period on what looked like a sure goal.  Dave Bolland also should have been awarded a penalty shot in the last minute of OT when he got behind the Blue Jacket defense and was dragged down right in front of the net.  The penalty was called, but a minor penalty was awarded instead of the shot.  Maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference, since the Hawks were 0 for 3 in the shootout anyway, including the last miss by Bolland.

Here are the games to watch the rest of the week (all times central):

• Hawks- Saturday at Detroit, 2PM; Sunday vs Detroit, 1PM.
• Canucks- Tonight vs L.A., 9PM; Saturday at Colorado, 2PM.
• Flames- Friday at Edmonton, 8PM; Saturday vs Edmonton, 9PM.

So no matter what, the Hawks will have a chance to make their own bed on Sunday afternoon against Detroit on NBC.  Remember, the Hawks just need one point to clinch, and can also do so if Calgary or Vancouver fails to win any one of their games.  One last note: if the Hawks don’t get a point and the other teams both get the max of four, the Hawks will not get home ice based on the first tiebreaker of most wins.

The Blackhawks fell behind 1-0 in the first period last night in Nashville, but it didn’t take them long into the second period to turn the game around.  Just 12 seconds into the period, Jonathan Toews scored on a break to tie it up, and Dustin Byfuglien gave the Hawks the lead with a goal of his own 38 seconds later. Patrick Kane added another in the same period and when Martin Havlat hit an empty netter late in the third, the Blackhawks secured a 4-2 win.

That’s four wins in a row for Chicago during a streak in which they clinched a playoff berth.  With a win tonight against Columbus the Blackhawks can secure home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.  They’re in great position to accomplish that anyway, being up three points on both Calgary and Vancouver with two games each left for the teams chasing the Hawks, who have three games left.

All the Hawks need to do is finished ahead of one of these teams for home ice advantage, but to guarantee it, they need 101 points, meaning one win, or two overtime losses in their last three to clinch.  The most Calgary and Vancouver can end up with is 100, but things won’t look good in the win category (first tiebreaker) for Chicago if all three teams tie there.

Bottom line is it’s important to win tonight because the last two for Chicago are against the Wings, while Calgary and Vancouver have all their remaining games against teams that will miss the playoffs.  Don’t be surprised if those Canadian teams end up with 100 points each, so Chicago better end up with 101.  Big game tonight then at 7:30 in the United Center.