Blackhawks Pass On Series Lead

Tommie Lee
May 22, 2015
2 min read

The Blackhawks passed on a series lead Thursday.

Literally.

In Game 3, on home ice, with a tied series and a chance to take the upper hand in the city of Chicago…the Blackhawks put on a passing clinic.

No one took the obvious shots. Of course, they looked pretty obvious from my loveseat, but I’m sure it’s a different story on the ice. Yeah, fine, whatever. They just passed the puck, back and forth, waiting for a golden opportunity to score with an engraved plaque declaring it so…and it never came.

All I know is this: The Blackhawks had 5 Power Plays…one of them 4 minutes long…and managed one shot on the PP. One.

ONE.

You might recognize that number. It’s likely the same number of home games left in this season if they put on another performance like that on Saturday.

Like a lot of Blackhawks diehards, I’m frustrated. I don’t understand why it was Versteeg Time instead of Teuvo Time. I don’t understand why the line shifting continues to look so random. I don’t understand why our defense is convinced that Crawford will just stop everything. He only has to let one more in than the underrated guy on the other end of the ice.

I know you’re in front of him on the ice, guys…but you might want to think about having his back.

Now, that being said, I think we can all agree that Mr. Showtime, Patrick Kane, lit a fire under our butts with his game-tying score with seven seconds to go in the first period. It was a backhander that defied logic, gravity, and a stingy goalie. It was the sort of backhand that would stymie Serena Williams on her best day. And as usual, Kaner made it look effortless.

I enjoy the fact that the team shifts lines around to confuse the enemy. However, when the Fourth Line has been performing so well, you probably should keep it in tact and reap the bennies. This season is in danger of ending far too quickly, with the sort of whimper we Blackhawks remember all too well from past seasons.

These cold streaks are happening in the wrong moments, and the clock is ticking down. Last period heroics are great, but only when they happen. Kane had a chance in the final seconds of Game 3 but found Andersen up for the challenge again. You have to grab the lead and keep it. This isn’t February.

Even with the two losses now in the series, Corey Crawford has shut down his doubters. He made 60 saves in Game 2, which was really more of a Game 2.995. He’s looked like he’s in his element and hasn’t made many mistakes.

To use the mountain climbing metaphor…we’re at the Hillary’s Step of the Cup Final, climbing our Everest. One wrong move and we’re down in the crevasse getting dragged out by Sherpas, our bodies broken, with another Stanley Cup to watch with bitter regret.

Go Hawks. For crying out loud GO.