What’s The Difference? – Hawks 5, Preds 4 (OT)

Holy fuck.

Ok, so, by now, we’ve all seen what happened, and honestly, at this point, given that I was down at the United Center at 11:00, it’d be a futile enterprise to try to recall everything that happened, so here are your recap “thoughts”…

• From a skater standpoint, you really can’t ask for a better effort, top to bottom. The Hawks only allowed a total of 21 shots, and only 4 in each of the first two periods. Nashville again had to throw everything they had during the third and held the shot advantage there, but the majority of times, numbers like that will result in W’s. That said, blowing a two goal lead in a pivotal game 5 is fucking inexcusable
• Brent Seabrook’s physical presence has been something to behold here in the playoffs. His hit on Martin Erat was sure to make every Hawk fan sport a shit-eating grin.
• So speaking of Martin Erat, given his status as one of the most irritating Hawk-killers known to man, you knew his two-goal game was coming. And the Hawks still came out ahead in the inevitable “Martin Erat Game”
• Also, every goal except the first one and Joel Ward’s shorty is on Antti Niemi. On that play, Kane should have protected the puck better at the blue line, and Duncan Keith needed to cut the passing lane down better by going to his belly earlier which left Niemi with no chance. But the two Erat goals are ones Niemi has to have. Relating to the above point, the Hawks also managed to win the inevitable “Goalie Poops His Pants Game”.
• That being said, Niemi made a huge save into his belly early in the OT PK on Erat that likely kept the game alive.
• Oh yeah, the PK is still the fucking balls.
• Speaking of balls, I don’t know how Patrick Kane walks with nuts that big. The kid’s a killer, plain and simple.
• Hossa needed to be penalized for the hit at the end of regulation, and the major wasn’t the right call. A major implies intent to injure, and the replays showed that Hossa barely hit Hamhuis (who had Kane contained on the play) with zero intent. The histrionics calling for his suspension or that he should have been tossed for that are simply unfounded. The best possible call was made given how the refs saw it in real time.
• Do the columns asking Marian Hossa to be a factor stop now at least for a little bit?
• Lastly, Killion and I got to meet a reader in the jubilation clusterfuck after the game in Eric Thude, whose brother Bryan is currently stationed in Afghanistan with the 1st Marine 3/7 unit and is an avid reader, and I can speak for the other two writers of this site when I say thank you for your readership and your service. Stay safe.