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Game Time: 7:00 Central
TV/Radio: NBC (US),CBC (Canada), WGN720
Freedom of '76: Broad Street Hockey, Flyers Goal Scored By

It's finally here, an opportunity that many of us doubted we'd ever see as recently as four years ago, but with a win tonight, the Chicago Blackhawks can win the Stanley Cup.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Both recent and distant histories make it abundantly clear that tonight will be no easy task. The Hawks have not won the Stanley Cup in 49 years. The last time they were this close, they took a 3 games to 2 lead into the opponent's building with an opportunity to clinch in Game 6 in 1971 against the Montreal Canadiens, and the Hawks painfully lost both that game and the resultant Game 7 to give the Habs the Cup. A similar fate befell Scum just last year, unable to close out Sid, Geno, and the Pens in the Igloo, and then fell in Game 7 back at The Joe. Coming into tonight's game, the Hawks have lost 10 straight games in Philadelphia, their last victory coming in November of 1996. They will be facing a Flyers team that is 9-1 at home this post season, with a starting goalie in Michael Leighton who has yet to lose on home ice this post season. Furthermore, these Flyers have already won four games in which they could have been eliminated - all of them coming in successive fashion in their historic comeback against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which contained a game 7 three goal comeback from the Flyers as the cherry on top.

But no one will remember any of those things should the Hawks emerge from the Wachovia Center with Win 16.

Prior to Game 5 Joel Quenneville jumbled his lines, seperating the line of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Dustin Byfuglien, putting them now on three seperate lines in the hopes of getting at least one, maybe two of them away from being matched up against Chris Pronger, who to that point had rendered the trio for the most part ineffective. Quenneville succeeded not only in that goal, but in also making Pronger move far more in his defensive zone, something he had not had to do previously in punishing Buff around the net. The result was more than likely the worst game of the future Hall of Famer Pronger's career. Don't expect a repeat performance out of Philadelphia Dick Cheese tonight; he's far too big of a competitior and too great of a hockey player to give anything less than an exceptional performance tonight. Similarly, the Hawks will need to weather an early onslaught of the entire Flyer attack in the opening period, as they will be spurred on by an energetic and likely somewhat nervous (but no doubt smelly) crowd on hand. The line of Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, and Ville Leino has run wild all series long, and they will need to be contained. Briere cannot be allowed to set up shop behind the net where he likes to operate, as well as sneak out from behind for back-door plays, Harntell needs to be kept at a distance from Antti Niemi, and Leino needs to be kept from doing whatever the fuck it is he's been doing that's suddenly turned him into Pat Fucking LaFontaine. Hawk forwards will also need to front the Flyers point men better, as far too many shots were fired from the blue line and found their way to Flyer tape in Games 3 and 4.

For our Men of Four Feathers, while a repeat performance of Sunday is simple enough to ask for, doing so is the trick, isn't it? The Hawks got scoring from up and down the lineup, and they did so by pushing the pace, initiating contact with Flyers defensemen (specifically Pronger), and clean, controlled breakouts, and all of those things will need to be in place for a win this evening. On top of that, Niemi will need to be markedly better than he was on Sunday, as hell is assuredly coming to breakfast in the first 10 to 12 minutes of the first period. Scoring first is of paramount importance tonight to both take the crowd out of the game and to allow doubt to creep back into the minds of the Flyers, to however miniscule degree given their resilience to this point in the playoffs. Not far behind will be the special teams and face off battles, both of which the Hawks will need to improve upon from their last appearance at the Wachovia Center. There's not much left to say past that.

One win remaining. Let's go Hawks.

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Game Time: 7:00 Central
TV/Radio: NBC (from here on out), WGN720
Liberty Bells: Broad Street Hockey, Flyers Goal Scored By

So how many times since Friday night have you said or heard something along the lines of "It's not a series until the home team loses"?  Quite a few I'd imagine, I know I have.  But maybe like me, you're just sick of it at this point.  Now we're here at a best of 3 series with the Hawks obviously still holding the home ice advantage that has been oh so crucial in this series. 

Word out of the morning skate was Ladd was resting his shoulder but that he will play tonight after having a decent game Friday (from the little bit of the game I saw anyway).  The lines also didn't seem to change with Buff still staying up on the top line with Daydream Nation.  Jessie Rogers thinks that's all mind games though.  Sam made the call for Q to jumble things up and I can't say I disagree.  We know Q has no problem changing things up but the real question will be what moves he'll make.  Does he simply drop Byfuglien off the top line or does he split up Toews and Kane?  The Hawks need someway to get around Pronger and either of those scenarios could work. Buff is obviously losing the battle that everyone was hyping before the series and it's dragging Toews and Kane down with him (or Pronger could just be dominating them too).  One way or the other, Q will be trying to get them away from that gap-toothed behemoth. We likely won't see what Q's got up his sleeves until game time. 

At home Q is going to get the match-ups he wants which will help since the Flyers were able to take advantage of the quick changes the Hawks made.  There's no need to go into how important the game is going to be, it's the season and it's likely the series.  Toews and the rest of the Hawks have been saying the right things to the press, now it's time for them to get out there and show it on the ice.

Lets Go Hawks

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GAMETIME: 7pm Central

TV/RADIO: NBC (sucks), CBC (doesn't), WGN 720 AM (meh)

Philly Station: Broad Street Hockey

Wow, actually writing a preview for a Stanley Cup Final game.  Exciting, no?  You ready?  No?  Well, too bad.  It's here, and we'll get through it together. 

Look, we've broken this down for the past week, so there's not much left to say here.  The particulars; Andrew Ladd is out for tonight, Tomo Kop is in, and it looks like Sharp and The Slovaks will be playing tonight, with Brouwer sliding down to Ladd's spot.  That's fine, Brouwer can perform in that role, and might even benefit from playing with a playmaker like Versteeg.  Philly has no new injury concerns.

We don't know who Q will match up who with, so we'll find out together.  Both of these teams have had a little trouble with starting games.  With the absolute bonkers atmosphere that the UC should be tonight, I can't see how the Hawks don't come out firing, but I've said that before.  Watch out for the 2nd, the Flyers have been absolute nails in that period, where their speed wreaks havoc on teams caught in long changes.  But they haven't dealt with speed like the Hawks. 

You know what?  Enough talk.  Let's just do this...

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Hey, I called Shane O'Brien "Drinky" McGoo, not "Dinky".  If you're going to completely miss the point of what we do, the least you could do is quote me right.  Ok, Mr. Mcintyre?  Thanks much.  And judging by your comments, I'm sorry our blog gets more readers than all your journalism degrees can manage.  I'd say more, but my mommy just finished making brownies and I have to go upstairs now!!!!

Anyway, tonight is all about what kind of killer instinct the Hawks have.  I can't escape the feeling that Scum of Yore (I think they're opening for Sharp and the Slovaks at Empty Bottle in July) would win this type of game 5-1 and the series would be over.  If the Hawks think that's what they are now, and they and we do, then you go out and put a boot firmly on jugular of your opponent tonight.  Score three unanswered in the first and give the Canucks ample reason to unravel.  Take the crowd out of it as soon as you can, making them throw garbage on the ice in the 1st (yeah, we're childish.  Whatever dude), so that they are out of ammo by the 3rd.  That's what I'd like to see.

But I don't know how likely that is.  This series is still very much up in the air, and if not for some heroic saves by Antti Niemi in Games 2 and 3, the Canucks could be going for a sweep tonight.  That said, if Luongo wasn't standing on his head in the 1st of Game 1, the Hawks could be doing the same.  What that adds up to is that this series is pretty nip and tuck (hey, look Mr. McIntyre, I just used a total cliche!  I'm ready to write for a big boy paper now!). 

We'll learn a lot about the Canucks tonight, too.  One, do they have something contained in their scrotum?  Vancouver teams in past years most certainly did not, but I think this one might.  Second, even though they have to ratchet up the intensity, can they do it in the right ways?  Or will there be more punching Dave Bolland in the back of the head?  Will their zealous-ness in crashing Antti Niemi's crease lead to them getting called for all the interference calls they've been bleeding out of their vaginas  for the Hawks to receive (quick side note: the spellcheck on our site here does not recognize "vaginas".  Is it possible it can't conceive of more than one at a time?  We need to work on this thing's imagination and fantasies, SB Nation!)?  Or will they direct their anger and desperation in all the right ways -- a forecheck that makes Hawks d-men turnover the puck, which we've seen plenty of?  Getting in Niemi's face and screening him?  Winning the battles along the boards that the Hawks simply dominated in periods 2 and 3 last time and won the game?  Honestly, I don't know.  I'll find out with all of you.

There are some lineup changes for the Nucks.  Burrows is going to skate with Thing 1 and Thing 2, either to get him going or to get the twins going.  Not sure which.  You decide.  Michael Grabner is going to be on the 2nd line with Kesler and Raymond, two Canucks who have nothing to apologize for so far this series, either to us or their fans.  Mikael Samuelsson has been dropped to the 3rd line, where he can have a front row seat in watching Sharp and the Slovaks cockslap Kyle Wellwood and Jannik Hanssen.  Rypien and Pavol Demitra, who apparently is still alive, have been scratched.

Come on down to the Bottom Lounge and join us for all the fun (1375. W. Lake).  There'll be drink specials, giveaways, tunes, swearing, and more!  Be there or be stupid, and as usual, McClure will be both.