vs. 
GAMETIME: 7pm Central
TV/RADIO: CSN, VS. (for those of you outside Chicago), CBC (For ChicoMaki), WGN RADIO 720
SONG FOR THE DEAD: Nucks Misconduct
For the five minutes after Game 4, I thought I would be relaxed when today rolled around. Yeah, so much for that. I know the Canucks look a broken team. I know they haven’t proven they can behave and just play the game for a long enough stretch. I know that the Hawks are oozing confidence and swagger right now. I know. But I wonder if the Hawks don’t think this series is over. It would be very unlike them, but they have thrown in clunkers due to complacency before. I know they’re 3-0 when they have a chance to put a team to the sword. But still the nerves are jangling.
That said, I think we can all agree that if the Hawks can jump out to an early lead, and really be all over the Canucks in the 1st (which they haven’t quite done yet this series), there’s every chance the mental midgets that comprise the that blue and green squad over there will fold up the tent and wait for the ride home. But I’ve said all series that I think this Canucks team is made of sterner stuff than past versions, which means at the very least they’re going to come out firing to start. McClure thinks that if they go down they’ll concentrate on exacting their pound of flesh, but I don’t see it. If they’re beaten, they’ll be beaten and move on with it, and I don’t think the Hawks would engage them anyway. I see the Canucks really trying to stick to terms here, they know what’s beaten them the past two and acting like galactic morons for a third straight game won’t change that.
All eyes will be on Sideshow Bob tonight. For the first time his coach has called him out. He knows what he’s going to see, and perhaps tonight is the night he stops bitching about it, takes a page from his counterpart across the ice and just goes about stopping the puck. But when has that ever happened.
The Hawks need this one tonight. End it now, don’t give them a sniff of oxygen. A loss here would make this series itchy indeed, and there’s no need for it. The Hawks could have this over in the first 20 minutes. Don’t wait for the Canucks to give it to you. Go out and take it, it’s yours.
To the cliffs!