Hard Hawk Hockey

What Was That?

I’m not really sure what I was watching Sunday afternoon, but I can tell you this, I never want to see it again. Shades of Tyler Arnason, Kyle Calder, Sergei Krivokrasov and Craig Anderson seemed to be playing game 4 at the United Center. The game was awful from the beginning and progressively got worse as the afternoon got longer. Remember what I said about afternoon games in my previous post? I don’t like them, and apparently neither do the Hawks.

Not to point blame, but one has to be concerned with a few things. First of all the play of Cristobal Huet. He probably should have stopped 3 of the first 4 goals he gave up. He honestly didn’t look good on any of them. The Hawks needed him to step up and play big, yet he laid a real egg. I know that he hasn’t had any real action for a month and a half, but for godsakes at least look like you’re ready to play. If Khabibulin isn’t ready for game 5, I am not sure what’s going to happen, but I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.

Bryan Campbell. I don’t know, but I am not 100% sold on this guy, at least for the money he’s being paid. He looked ok in the Calgary series, got much better in the Vancouver series, but now looks like a complete jackass out there. What was he thinking when he went for the hit shortly after the Hawks scored to cut the lead to 3-1? Therefore because he missed his hit, the Wings came down and promptly scored to make it 4-1, and thereby killing any chance of a comeback. I think he’s trying to do too much and his high risk, high reward story is getting old, and think, we have how many more years of him?

Kris Versteeg! When Kris are you going to learn that when the defense is stacked at the blue line that you cannot carry the puck over, and that you must dump it into a corner? I must have seen this from him at least 10 times during these playoffs. I know that Coach Q has said something to him about it, but it must be stubborn youth because he’s not listening. As for the dumb penalties, well if the hawks weren’t short on forwards at that time, I am sure he would have been benched.

I’m not going to point any more fingers at any one in particular. There were alot of things that went wrong with game 4, and I am not sure if it’s possible to win 3 in a row against the defending Stanley Cup Champs. Possible, sure anything is possible, but with the injuries to Havlat, Khabibulin, and other stuff going on, I just don’t know if the Hawks can pull it off. In addition, the Wings were without 3 of their better players, including their best defenseman, and the Hawks still couldn’t overcome that.

By the time the game was over I was numb! I didn’t know how to feel. I had such a good feeling Sunday afternoon before gametime and had so much hope that I really thought that if the Hawks could tie the series at 2, then anything is possible. But maybe they aren’t there yet. Maybe this is another lesson that they have to learn and accept the fact that they are still a player or two away.

Coach Q blue his top at a phantom call that allowed the Wings to start the second period with a powerplay. Was it a good call on Matt Walker? I don’t know, but I watched the replay a few times and not sure what he really did that was any worse than whatever else was going on. So I know the coach has to keep his composure, but let’s face it, I don’t think too many other coaches would have let that slip either.

Finally the broadcast team that includes Pierre McGuire. I wish he would get his lips removed from the rear ends of the RedWings. He is so much in love with that team, I think he’s broadcasting the game with an erection! Sorry but I can’t resist. As one Hawk fan posted on their blog, “What would Pat Foley charge to come over to my house and broadcast the game?” The only good thing NBC did Sunday was show the National Anthem. Other than that, I swear I was watching the RedWings feed.
Which made it much harder to watch. I know the Hawks looked terrible, I know they lost their cool, and put themselves in a real hole for the rest of the series, but my goodness, let’s not be so dramatic.
I used to like Pierre, now, I don’t think I ever want to see his shinny head again.

Yes, words spoken by a sore loser, I know. I take losses hard. I love my Blackhawks, and wanted them so badly to do well in this series. It felt like old times again this year. Everything was going in the right direction and I know that if they lose this series it’s not the end of the world. I also know that they have gone farther than anyone expected. But they are here. They got here for a reason, and for that I want them to keep going.

Cinderella team? Possible, but the thought of potentially watching Pittsburgh and Detroit play for the cup makes me want to vomit! Two teams that I cannot stand (no offense to anyone) are about to ruin my playoff watching. Unless…, well I can still hope right?

Go Hawks!

Thanks for reading!