Schedule released for Western Conference Semifinals
The Blackhawks will begin the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday night at the United Center. The Hawks will take on the three-seeded Vancouver Canucks.
Game 1: #3 Canucks at #2 Blackhawks
Saturday, May 1st, 7:00 CT
Game 2: #3 Canucks at #2 Blackhawks
Monday, May 3rd, 8:00 CT.
Game 3: #2 Blackhawks at #3 Canucks
Wednesday, May 3rd, 8:30 CT.
Game 4: #2 Blackhawks at #3 Canucks
Friday, May 7th, 8:30 CT.
Game 5 (IF NECESSARY): #3 Canucks at #2 Blackhawks
Sunday, May 9th, Time not announced
Game 6 (IF NECESSARY): #2 Blackhawks at #3 Canucks
Tuesday, May 11th, Time not announced
Game 7 (IF NECESSARY): #3 Canucks at #2 Blackhawks
Thursday, May 13th, Time not announced
If you’re looking for tickets for any of the games, you can purchase tickets using of ticket sponsors. Use the following link to find tickets: http://tinyurl.com/29y2wrn. Followers of Blackhawks Flock on Facebook and Twitter (@RSHawksFlock) can receive a major discount on ticket prices.
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Moving On
For the second year in a row, the Blackhawks are advancing on to the Western Conference Semifinals.
The Hawks defeated the two-seeded Nashville Predators, 5-3, to advance on in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and end the season for the pesky Preds.
The Blackhawks came out of the fast paced first period with the lead, and then rookie goalie Anti Niemi settled in.
Duncan Keith scored first on a long slap shot, to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. As they did all series long, Nashville battled back, and tied the game at one, courtesy of a Shea Weber goal.
Midway through the first period, the Patrick’s each tallied a goal (Kane first, then Sharp), and the Blackhawks held a comfortable 3-1 lead. But once again, the Preds tied it.
With 31 second remaining in the first period, Jonathon Toews gave the Hawks a 4-3 lead with a power play goal, and the period ended with the same score.
Going into the first intermission, things did not feel safe for the Blackhawks. Niemi seemed rattled, and the Hawks defense was not playing well. Whatever Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said in the locker room, it worked.
Niemi gave up three goals on nine shots in the first period, but he stopped all 19 shots he faced the remainder of the game. The defense got it together, and gave the Finnish rookie all the help he needed.
The Blackhawks penalty kill unit came through in the third period, as they killed off three Nashville power plays. Niemi and the defense were strong when it mattered the most, and helped the Hawks advance on to the next round.
John Madden added one final goal in the last few seconds of the game, which locked up the win and the series for the Blackhawks.
The Hawks will face the Vancouver Canucks in the second round, the very same team that they defeated in last year’s conference semis. The schedule for the series has not been released yet.
Check out BlackhawksFlock.com for all of the informtion on the rest of the playoffs. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@RSHawksFlock and @ChrisEmma51) for all of the Blackhawks coverage and more. Also, be sure to follow Blackhawks Flock on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Blackhawks-Flock/378185320032?ref=ts
Those people who follow on twitter and facebook will enter themselves in a contest to win Blackhawks prizes.
Game 6 Preview
There was so much drama and excitement on Saturday. The Blackhawks tied the game on a Patrick Kane shorthanded goal with 13.6 remaining in regulation, and then Marian Hossa knocked in the game winning goal in overtime.
The Blackhawks left more than 22,000 fans in attendance on their feet. The Madhouse on Madison was filled with excitement from the ice level to the rafters. One would have thought the Blackhawks had just won the Stanley Cup. Instead, the win gave them a 3-2 edge in a first round series.
Regardless, Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville had a tough task ahead of him. Quenneville has to take his team off of their emotional high, and get them ready for a Game 6 that could lock up a series win.
News: Riding high off their big victory, the Blackhawks received more good news on their off day on Sunday. The NHL decided they would not suspend Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa, who injured Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis on a check into the boards.
The hit drew comparisons to the hit by Alexander Ovechkin on the Blackhawks’ own Brian Campbell. That hit drew Ovechkin a three-game suspension, and put Campbell out for a month.
The referees gave Hossa a five minute penalty during the game on Saturday, but the league decided that the on Hamhuis did not warrant a suspension of any kind. The Blackhawks’ hero from Game 5 will be in uniform for Game 6.
Chicago’s keys of the game: If the Blackhawks want to win the game, and win the series, they need to control the tempo of the game throughout the entire game.
The Predators will be fired up, and their fans will be loud. The energy and excitement will be on the side of the home team.
The only way the Hawks can silent the hostile crowd is by striking first. Both the Predators’ fans and the team will come out with the belief that they are going to win the game and stun everybody. That belief and confidence will quickly go away if their Preds face an early depict. The Blackhawks need to take momentum of the game, and not let up.
Another key to the game is for the Blackhawks to create second chance opportunities. Pekka Rinne. Rinne has been good at covering up the puck, and holding the Blackhawks to one shot per scoring chance.
The Blackhawks need to create second chance opportunities, and take advantage of it. If the puck is loose in front of the net, the Blackhawks will put it in the net.
Nashville’s keys of the game: Going into Game 6, Nashville has one factor on their side: home-ice advantage. The Predators need to take full advantage of that.
Bridgestone Arena will be packed to the rafters, and each Nashville fan will believe that his team can win. Their fans will even get a rally towel. If the Predators want to win the game, and bring the series to a Game 7, they have to take advantage of the energy.
Chicago’s key player: The Predators will be fired up and the crowd will be loud. The only guy who can silence Nashville is Blackhawks goalie Anti Niemi. Niemi has to be automatic. Niemi needs to respond after a shaky Game 5, and shut down the Predators offense. If Niemi can contain them, I like the Blackhawks’ odds.
Nashville’s key player: Jason Arnott scored 19 goals, and had 27 assists during the course of the regular season. So far in the series, Arnott had zero goals and zero assists.
Nashville needs their playmaker to wake up. Arnott is a key member of the Predators, and if Nashville wants to win, they’re going to need everything they can get. Arnott needs to return to old form before it’s too late.
Prediction: Blackhawks: 1, Predators: 0, Anti Niemi will respond exactly the way the Blackhawks hope he can. Niemi will be virtually standing on his head, but I predict he will make every save.
Pekka Rinne will be nearly as good, but the Blackhawks will take advantage of a Nashville mistake.
In the end, the Blackhawks will advance on to the second round, and end the Predators’ season.
Miracle on Madison
If you happen to live in Nashville, you may have missed the last few minutes of the game due to tornado warning coverage on NBC. At that point Nashville led the Blackhawks 4-3, after scoring three unanswered goals. The Blackhawks pulled a dramatic comeback, and defeated the Nashville Predators in overtime, 5-4.
Everything favored the Predators in the final minute of the game. Marian Hossa pushed Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis into the boards. Hossa was given a five minutes major, and put Nashville on a power play.
The Blackhawks pulled the goalie with less than 30 seconds remaining, which evened up the attack. With 14 seconds to go, Jonathan Toews ripped a shot toward the net, and Patrick Kane put the rebound in the net, and tied the game at four.
Against all odds, Patrick Kane lifted the more than 22,000 people in attendance, and sent the game to overtime.
The Blackhawks brought the game to overtime, but still had to kill off Marian Hossa’s five minute penalty.
Rookie goalie Anti Niemi struggled throughout regulation, but he came through when it was needed the most. Niemi stopped five shots in overtime, including a few incredible efforts, and helped his team kill off the penalty.
Marian Hossa emerged from the penalty box just over four minutes into the overtime session, and Hossa redeemed himself. Hossa put the loose puck into the net, and won the game in overtime.
The Blackhawks seemed to be in control in the second period, as they held a 3-1 lead. Goals from Andrew Ladd, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Tomas Kopecky helped give the Hawks their two-goal lead.
The Predators responded quickly. Joel Ward’s wrist shot gave started their comeback, and then Martin Erat scored twice in the third period, to give Nashville a 4-3 lead. After that, the Blackhawks began their incredible comeback.
Pekka Rinne seemed to be in a zone late in the third period. Rinne denied every Blackhawks attempt for the first 19:46 of the period, but the Blackhawks star power came through when desperately needed.
First, it was Patrick Kane with his backhanded beauty to tie the game. The mullet headed forward scored his third goal of the series when it was needed the most.
Then it was Marian Hossa who came through in overtime. Hossa was brought to Chicago for these situations. The Blackhawks were hoping he could be clutch in the playoffs. Hossa had been silenced for the first four games of the series, and was a nonfactor for most of regulation during Saturday’s game, but when needed the most, Hossa came through.
The Blackhawks win gives them a 3-2 series lead, which is the first time they have held a lead in this first round series. The series returns to Nashville for Game 6. A Blackhawks win will win the series, and push them into the Western Conference Semifinals.
