WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

On social media, Blackhawks fans make it sound like the Stanley Cup is a lost cause. After losing 2-0 on Monday, tonight they play Game 4 in Boston with the Bruins up 2 games to 1 in the Finals.

While fans are in a state of panic, Hawks players remain confident in Boston since they believe they can rebound and stay in this playoff series for the long haul.

What do the Blackhawks have to do to even up the series?

• Power outage. With scoring at a premium it would nice if they could solve their huge problem with the power play. They are 0-11 in this series and the Bruins have scored twice with the man advantage. Not that they can magically make it right (since it has been wrong all season), but at least get some shots in.
• Win a face off. The Hawks lost 40 of 56 chances overall in Monday’s game. Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was nearly perfect handling that chore on Monday. Dave Bolland and Mike Handzus (and to a lesser extent, Jonathan Toews) were completely handcuffed in face-offs.

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It's back to work for the Blackhawks tonight with the series in Boston tied at one game apiece. There's a feeling that the Bruins may have not only stolen the home ice advantage but also taken the momentum.  It was a bitter pill for the Hawks to swallow losing Game 2 in overtime at home. The Bruins clearly played better in the extra period.

So now the next two games will be Boston Monday and Wednesday night. The Blackhawks know the crowd will be as loud as the one the Bruins faced at the United Center.  

Chicago's Duncan Keith says it won't faze the team.

“We go into these games knowing that everybody in the building’s going to be against us,” Keith said. “I think we just try and block everything out.”

One matter the Hawks have to cure: scoring when they have the opportunity.

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Had enough rest after game one of the Stanley Cup Finals? Everyone has one more day before the Blackhawks and Bruins get back into action at the United Center. The teams will hold workouts and look to make any adjustments. This match-up could be one for the ages. The national and local television ratings are the highest in 16 years. It is great to still hear Eddie Olczyk, but it is a shame it is without Pat Foley.

I suggest listening to the game action on WGN Radio or WGN online. John Wiedeman and Troy Murray do a terrific job on the broadcast. John’s play by play is really astounding, crisp, accurate and very exciting, coupled with the former Hawks Murray, they are an underrated pair doing radio sports in Chicago. The Hawks own the attention in Chicago this weekend. Both the White Sox and Cubs are on the road. This has been an abysmal year on both sides of Chicago baseball.

Remember when the Bulls owned this month?

June use to be a great month for NBA Finals for Chicago. Twice on this day the Bulls won NBA Championships: beating Portland in 1992 and Utah in 1998.  

The game against the Trailblazers was one of the most unbelievable comebacks.

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Once the puck drops at the United Center, both the Blackhawks and Bruins can finally play a game instead of talking about everything under the sun.

Yesterday the NHL held its media day for the two teams and the players were questioned about everything. Most of the questions were about the goalie match-up, not facing each other during the regular season, winning the Cup in recent years and the style of play.

A couple of nuggets of knowledge that were unearthed:

A local TV news reporter asked players what their superstitions were before they play? Most players didn’t have anything colorful. Patrick Sharp said he kisses his little girl before he leaves his home.

Brent Seabrook will join Keith as a new father soon. Keith also let the world know that Patrick Kane has a girlfriend. 

Game time cannot come soon enough.

There was one item in the media room that impresses me anytime I see it: Lord Stanley’s Cup. It is still the coolest trophy symbolizing a championship.

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Have you caught the Blackhawks fever yet? Here are the symptoms:

• Twisted stomachs
• Lots of yelling
• Knowing the chorus to Chelsea Dagger
• Cheering at the top of your lungs as Jim Cornelison sings the National Anthem at the United Center

Being late to the party is just fine. But it's time to give your full attention to the Stanley Cup Finals as Chicago takes on the Boston Bruins.

A Stanley Cup for the history books

Everyone who knows a little bit about hockey knows that this is a very special pairing of teams from the “Original Six”.  For decades Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Montreal, Toronto and New York (Rangers) were the whole league. After the expansion in 1967, the NHL added more teams and diminished the spotlight on these six clubs. These teams do not have many meetings during the regular season. And not since 1979's Rangers vs. Canadians match up have two of the original teams met in a Stanley Cup Final.

That are good reasons this is a special match-up it is a way for history to be told and for history to be made.

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The Hawks did something last night that no other team was able to do this post season: win in Los Angeles. The 3-2 victory by the Blackhawks over the Kings gives them a decisive 3 game to 1 lead over the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

The Kings were able to grab the lead early in the first period when their high scoring defenseman Slava Voyva took advantage of a Hawk turnover and scored his seventh goal of the playoffs.

As the Blackhawks best defenseman Duncan Keith was suspended for his retaliation hit on Los Angeles' Jeff Carter, Nik Hjalmarsson was outstanding on the ice. He did all the little things to keep his team in the game. Hjalmarsson had two assists, one in the first period with Michael Frolik that allowed Bryan Bickell to knock in another playoff goal (his eighth). Bickell’s post season offensive output has been the most intriguing story this year.

In the second period, the Kings took a 2-1 advantage when Dustin Penner was able to poke the puck in on a Corey Crawford misplay. Later in the period, it was Hjalmarsson shooting the puck towards the net. Bickell re-directed it and Patrick Kane tipped it in to knot up the game at 2. It was Kane’s first goal of this series.

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With the latest NHL Championship banner hanging over their heads in Los Angeles, the Blackhawks knew they would have a fight on hand in Game 3. The Kings controlled most of the action and skated to a 3-1 win at the Staples Center. Now the Hawks lead in the series has been cut two games to one.

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick rebounded well after being pulled in Game 2, but the Hawks didn’t challenge him as much as they did at the United Center.

It didn’t take Los Angeles long to get on the scoreboard in the first period. Justin Williams was able to bounce the puck off Corey Crawford and it went over the Blackhawks goalie’s left shoulder.

The Kings were able to take a 2-0 lead over the Hawks in the second period. LA defenseman Slava Voynov broke his stick on his shot and scored his fifth goal of the playoffs.

The penalty kill was strong again for the Hawks and they really needed it in the second period after Duncan Keith nailed Kings Center Jeff Carter in the mouth with his stick. Keith was assessed two minor penalties and his teammates successfully killed off the four minutes of power play.

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