Salo ruptured a testicle. Too soon for a joke?

well, the Canucks. As much as I was blasting the Hawks in the immediate aftermath of the loss, I began to notice that not many of the stats in BC were much in our favor, yet we won. We were outshot (weren’t we?), outhit (for whatever that stat is worth), and outdone at the faceoff dot. We also took penalties in games 3 & 4 and even got scored on.

The difference tonight was the way the Nucks played. Even if the Hawks didn’t come out as on fire as I would have liked, I didn’t think they looked like game 1 either. The Nucks were the better team on the ice tonight. The Hawks need to make some adjustments and add some energy and I think it will turn out well on Tuesday. But Nucks had a good game and played well. Kudos to them. Now, please eliminate them already!

Before the game, I tried posting a message on the pre-game thread (that didn’t take) about how nervous i was going into this game — MUCH more than any other game this series. I just had a bad feeling about it. So at least that’s over with.

But the way I see it, the Hawks were actually doing me a favor, so I could be back in Chicago for at least one game in this series, instead have to watch with a few drunk, old-men, Vancouver fans a few thousands miles away from home.

Which means someone needs to plan an informal meet-up for Tuesday’s game. I can’t b/c I’ll be traveling all day tomorrow, but someone GET ON IT.

God help us all if it goes to 7.

I feel the same, I can’t help it.

Or did Hjalmarsson look terrible?

Virgil Livers was injured during the game.

Late in the 4th quarter, they announced he had a ruptured testicle.

The bar went silent… the expression on everyone’s face…

You would think we were watching “Brian’s Song”…

Those guys did not play well and a few others also. Niemi looked tired, that second goal he was slow getting to. Is going to his left with the pads that much more difficult than going to his right? First goal should not have happened but it was just one of those things.

Hossa played like crap, stupid penalties and not much else. Versteeg was back to his normal game giving up the puck as if it were a hand grenade. I don’t think he can make more than 2 or 3 moves without losing the puck! And the way he passes blindly is ridiculous. Bring back Brouwer and sit Eager, he brings nothing but a big body and not much skill.

This was a team loss regardless. The Hawks had their moments but it was one and done in the shot department, missed the net way too much and were also trying to be too cute in the passing game. Niemi needs to be better to start the game regardless, he’s played well but we need better, not Huet though please, just a better game from Niemi. I hope he’s not worn out but it’s quite possible he is.

Only a statistic. Like always winning elimination games. The Hawks continue to show a bi-polar attitude. Ledge lingerers after losses, tempters of the gods after wins. Expect a solid effort Tuesday. Should come out flying. See how Lou handles the pressure.

Hawks could have played better.

It is the playoffs and they are not laying ST. Louis or Columbus. These are the best teams in the league. They will not lay down, ever. You have to bring the game every minute, or you will get beaten.

Niemi was not ready. Kane was not ready. Madden, Ladd, etc.

Eager and Burish on the ice at the same time is like giving the other team 6-9 minutes of power play. Does Burish actually do anything resembling hockey? Does Eager ever not fumble the puck< except when in the box?

Please let our boy Troy play. Get either Burish or Eager off the ice and move Kopecky to 4th line.

Finally, 1st shot low, and reap the benefits.

Buff was shooting a puck, he didn’t come up high. Why would that be a penalty?

I do think we can get this back on Tuesday. Maybe, I hope.

Is the team’s bipolar contagious?

Yes, he is. Get Kopecky off that line.

Not the worst game I’ve seen from the Hawks, even though the score looked like it most of the way through. There were too many times where the Hawks had good looks and went blocker side instead of glove side.

Although Luongo did look good tonight, and he definitely had better positioning, I thought he did give up some juicy rebounds. Unlike in the last couple of games where the rebounds ended up on Buff’s Toews’s stick, the rebounds all flew through traffic to the sideboards.

I don’t know if the Canucks can continue to lift sticks and be that settled back in Vancouver. They looked like they took a deep breath before they did anythign on the road, and any extra adrenaline would have cost them a mistake.

but i just can’t read Nucks Misconduct anymore.

what is it with the entire Vancouver media that turns everything into a story of how unjust the game was when they lose and how they have overcome the most brutal adversity when they win?

the focus over there is on how we’re “bush-league” and how we re a dirty team. fine. even in the game wrap here, Dirt said it was a dick move by Bolland, whereas, nothing was mentioned over there when the Canucks committed a cornucopia of bullshit moves in game 4.

I’m fine with owning up when we do stupid shit, but there’s something just infinitely annoying about those kids. I hope we steamroll them in game 6.

sorry, but it’s frustrating.

Here.

-I don’t remember everything about last year’s game 3 against the Nucks, but from what I do remember, this game was pretty similar. Vancouver played a tight game, buried the few good chances that they had, and didn’t let the Hawks get into the game until it was late in the 3rd period. Same final score, 3-1.

-Why O why does Buff only “bring it” in Vancouver. He got the loudest ovation from the home crowd that he’s gotten all year, maybe in his Hawk career, and he laid an egg in this game. He wasn’t alone, but still.

-I’m a big time Hoss-apologist, but please, stay out of the box and bury a couple chances in Game 6.

-I can’t make a post without ripping steeg….it’s just my job……That icing was outrageously bad, like, maybe he thought he was on the kill bad. As has been mentioned, the steeg-bollie-ladd line was terrible last night. If those three don’t play better in Game 6, we’re in trouble.

-For all you believers in momentum, I’d be alot more comfortable with the direction this series is headed if we would’ve lost game 4 and won game 5 than what actually happened.

-Let’s break their hearts in BC.

fail to muster up a good effort? On the road it’s a totally different story, so I expect to see the Hawks playing their best on Tuesday or whenever.

hit almost all the points I had in mind. I’ll just add two things:

- nice coaching job by AV, especially right after I said they should consider making a change in the offseason. The Nucks played a smart defensive game that the Hawks were never able to adjust to, keeping 5 guys behind the puck whenever possible and switching up the d-zone responsibility. Not sure if this was the plan all along, or whether the early lead afforded them the opportunity, but it clearly worked to the Vancouver coaching staff’s favor.

- how could the Hawks not adjust? The adjustment they needed to make was to get the puck to the net and crash, since the ice surface was shit and the Canucks were hellbent on preventing any highlight reel goals. So the same Blackhawks team that scored all 5 goals in blue collar fashion in game 3 never seemed to recognize the fact that the same strategy would be absolutely necessary. You can’t blame the Hawks coaching staff for that, they were lamenting the “pretty play” during the second intermission interview with Foley and Edzo. It was just painful to watch everyone except the guys in the red sweaters figure it out.

…did Sharp have a chance to pound him into the boards with a legit hit just seconds before he scored?

Did I imagine this?

Damn! Take the high-road with that douche and he pots an empty-netter.

I’m absolutely shocked the nucks fans aren’t crying that Keith intentionally injured Salo. I cant go over to NM anymore. They win and still with the whining.

because I did not want to be reminded of it……….again.

I know I was very pessimistic about the rest of the series. I’m a Cubs fan, I remember 1984 and 2003 where the Cubs needed only 1 win in three to get to the World Series, and I felt the same was happening here.

But, the 2009-2010 Chicago Blackhawks are NOT the 1984 or 2003 Chicago Cubs

This team is full of grit, determination, and confidence that lacked on those teams. This team has fought this fight before, and knows what it takes to win.

So what do we have to look forward to?
I expect the Hawks to come out, like they have fire coming out of their assess.
I expect the Hawks to have more Rubber on Luongo, we will never have to worry about him pro-creating again
I expect the Hawks to take the ice, and make the Canucks be stupid in trying to take it back.
I do not expect the Hawks to play desperate, but force the Canucks to do so.

Game 6 is there for the Hawks to win or lose, not the Canucks. If the Hawks want it, they can take it, the Canucks can not take it away from them. I think tomorrow we see the Hawks we are used to, and they move on leaving no doubt they are the better team.

GAME 5 was nothing short of witnessing an abortion on skates. It was painfully bad that totally pissed me off, but what can you do there’s always tomorrow and tomorrow it is.

- John Madden has been M.I.A. for too long now and has never shown to be much of anything useful to this team. Leadership? Haven’t seen much it, if at all. Penalty Killing? Meh, sometimes great (Game 5 in OT) sometimes dreadful (Game 4 the other night). Defensively responsible? -2 during the regular season (only Buff was worse at a -7) and a -4 in the playoffs. Fraser over Madden for Game 6 perhaps?

- Antti Niemi has to be better than his 2.71 GAA has shown. He hasn’t been very good since Game 4 of the Nashville series as he’s allowed 23 GA in the last 7 games. Not to reassuring is it? Game 6 has to be his “bounce back game” or the ’Hawks may find themselves in a Game 7 with a possible goaltending dilemma at the worst time of the year.

- The Bolland-Versteeg-Ladd line was atrocious last night after 3 games of shear brilliance. One dumbfucking play after another that led to the first goal and the second goal as well. Must have left their brains in Vancouver.

- WE WILL WIN GAME 6!!!

The Habs beat Sid tonight, and the B’s finish off the Bullies.

I’ve only see a trend where when Nemo plays a terrible game, he comes back and plays tough as nails. And if you don’t think he played bad last night, just look at the first two goals. He missed a routine glove save, and couldn’t get his glove down for a shot that never left the ice.
Never easy to win on the road, especially after a loss. But I’m lookin at the Hawks road record this post season, and well, I kinda like it. 4-1 ain’t so bad, and 2-0 against the Nucks sounds pretty nifty too. Momentum is key, but it isn’t everything. They won a Game 6 against Nashville last round, and they played us real hard.
If the boys come out and play their game, they win Game 6. Recent history proves that.

and im not going to review a few thousand posts

Is the consensus here that the Hawks totally sucked last night? Honestly, three glaring issues i saw: The faceoff fucking sucked, Stoopid penalties, some bad passing in the defensive zone. Gotta give Borat credit, he didnt give up many rebounds, and the nucks did keep themselves out of the box. I didnt think it was terrible, they put a lot of pucks on net, moved the puck well on the PP etc, to me it seemed like there are a few things that need improvement, but otherwise it was kind of a “shit happens” game. Lu was good, and honestly after two, i thought the score could have gone either way if he wasnt so sharp last night.

Habs score in the first two minutes.

cheer after a goal against the same way the Habs fans do? we Chicago fans are so damn anal retentive about our teams blowing it.