I would like to take a moment to commend the San Jose Sharks for putting up a strong fight, like the players said yesterday it was four really fast, high tempo games and the sharks should not be ashamed by that. The sharks fought and fought but in the end the better club rose to the challenge and swept them in 4. This series like in the Nashville one I feel the hawks pulled out all the stops and played some of the best hockey I have ever seen them play. San Jose forced them to be aggressive on the puck, to strengthen their puck control game and be smart defensively.
Game 4..left me completely speechless
First period was dominated in play and all areas of the game in the first period and hawks fans everywhere were on the edge on their seats nervous then Andrew ladd goes down and heads right to the dressing room and doesn't return to the game. Then the period ends and the blackhawks have the opportunity to refocus themselves in the dressing room before the second. In the second period, hawks on the power play and while skate up ice to get a pass, Duncan Keith takes one in the teeth and loses a total of seven teeth, thus, resulting in the odd man rush for the sharks and they make it 2-0.
Scared, the hawks face a game without one of their best defensemen and defensive forward, never fear Duncs would return and fight like a warrior. Then outcomes the line of Vertsteeg, and big buff with Seabrook up in the play and suddenly with a flurry of chances seabs knocks one home, and the untied center goes nuts but wait.... refs whistles no goal.. oh no could this really be happening?? They go to video review and it is obviously a goal, and hawks knock the lead in half and go down 2-1. Now here are the hawks we know.. they gain their confidence and the next 6 shifts were pressure one by one and pushed the sharks back and thus causing them to take penalties.
Of course big moments created by big players, dave bolland comes in with Big ben eager and duncs. After great battling by eags in the offensive zone he feeds it to bolland and lights the lamp on nabokov tying the game up. This is a game folks. As the hawks go to the dressing room, ready to fight and win this thing, while i am sure the sharks are left shaking their heads wondering how it is tied after 2.
At the start of the third the hawks come out flying and continue to plummet Nabokov with shots and pressure. But, not so fast, the sharks with goos pressure and cycle throw it at the net and luckily it goes off the cross bar and in the blue paint and steady Niemi lays it down. With seven minutes left Big buff gets into position in front of the net and pops one in on Nabokov and takes the lead 3-2. With the lead for the first time the blackhawks play their game in the third and Versteeg backhands the insurance marker on the empty net to seal the victory.
The United Center went crazy. I thought the roof was gonna come off because of how loud it was in there. The blackhawks have brought hockey back to Chicago. Led by Captain Serious, the blackhawks accepted the Jack Campbell Trophy but as hockey superstition would up hold, they did not touch it.
To show you just how focused the hawks are on the game at hand and taking it one game at a time, this is what the "C" had to say about the trophy.
Actually, I shouldn't even tell you this, but right before the game today I hadn't even thought of it and Sharpie (Patrick Sharp) is the one who came up to me and said, 'Do you have any plans for after the game?' I thought he meant for dinner, but he said, 'Are you picking it up? Are you touching it?' I was like, 'Oh.' I had thought about it a long time ago and I just think maybe to some people it looks like it's a lack of confidence to not touch it or it's a superstitious thing, but I think it shows more confidence. To us, it's a made-up trophy for winning the Western Conference. You know, big deal, it's not what we're after. We're here to win the Stanley Cup. That celebration with the fans and us getting these hats, that's enough for us. We're going to keep going. We're not satisfied yet. (NHL.com)
And Blackhawks fans we are going to the SCF for the first time since 1992!!
Yours truly,
HawkeyGirl
