The last 7 months and 82 games have led to this. The Playoffs. The Blackhawks took to the road in game 1 to face the clearly paranoid fanbase and organization that we affectionately call the PERDS. While the PERDS had a better record, they ended the season blowing a division lead. So PERDS. Not only this, but the Blackhawks fanbase spent the first day of the Playoffs poking fun at the paranoid PERDS fanbase and organization.
The Blackhawks controlled the first few minutes of the series, but that changed when the PERDS took advantage of a terrible defensive period, and very sloppy Blackhawks play to take a 3-0 lead before the first break. It didn't hurt that they out shot the Blackhawk 12-6 either.
The second period was the polar opposite of the first period. The Blackhawks came out with a different goalie and a different attitude. They scored 3 goals, 2 of which were on the powerplay, and could have scored 2 more. The Hawks also out shot the PERDS 11-4. This was shaping up for a hell of an ending.
The third period was more calm and a more playoff-like atmosphere. Neither team scored and there were plenty of chances for the PERDS to win it, but they didn't close the deal. the PERDS out shot the Hawks 15-10 in the third period as well. Game 1 and what else? OVER TIME...
The first overtime was exactly what you expect from playoff hockey. End to end action, questionable calls and, best of all, no goals. The PERDS out shot the Blackhawks pretty significantly, 17-9, but they held tight.
The second overtime is where the magic happened. Whe the blackhawks came out and play wasn't slanted in the PERDS favor, we all thought that we might be onto something. And we were onto something. Just about 8 minutes into the period, an innocent shot eluded Rinne and the Blackhawks comeback was complete.
- It took the Blackhawks until the 22 minute mark of the game for anything positive. The Blackhawks used the open ice of a 4-on-4 stretch of play to catch the PERDS running around. Teravainen found a breaking Hjalmarsson, and hit him for a back door one timer.
- The Blackhawks were the lucky recipients of a 2 man advantage, shortly after they broke the shutout. The usually terrible powerplay turned actually turned into something, with Kane feeding Sharp for the goal.
- The comeback was complete with yet another Blackhawks powerplay. Jonathan Toews took the puck and just jammed it through Rinne and it was 3-3. WOW, so THIS is the playoffs.
- During a third period powerplay #LemontNativeScottDarling made a sensational post to post save. Might have been the save of the playoffs, already.
Scotty D was really phenomenal all night. There really isn't anything I can say that is remotely negative. 42 saves, in what was essentially a shutout for him against his former organization. All this said, enough with the "who will start game 2" stupid shit. Corey Crawford starts game 2. If that game starts with Darling in net, it still goes into the second at least 2-0. Darling held the game together after the ENTIRE Blackhawks team, from the Coach on down, shit the bed in the first period. Teams undecided on their goalies never win the Stanley Cup, so unless Crawford has at least one more bad showing, stick a fucking sock in it. - The game winner was nothing special. Blackhawks kept the puck deep after a PERDS icing call. Duncan Keith just let a shot go towards the net through a Jonny Toews screen, and Rinne missed it.
- Speaking of Keith, he led all players with 9 seconds short of 40 minutes. This cannot continue or they will simply be out of gas come the Conference Finals.
- The Blackhawks took some stupid penalties and also negated a powerplay early, which didn't help their early defensive woes.
- Rozsival and Timonen barely played in regulation. If they are going to rely on 4 defenders for the playoffs, they will not win a cup. PERIOD. 11:39 in a double overtime game, is almost useless. I don't a rats fat hairy ass what the meatballs think. No team in the modern era has ever gotten away with rolling 4 for the entire playoffs. Someone needs to sit Q down and get this situation UN-FUCKED, like quick.
- Duncan Keith got away with highway robbery late in the first OT. First of all, the puck bounced over Keith's stick because of the deplorably shitty Nashville ice, and then Beck got a step on him. Keith dragged Beck down with what should have been a penalty shot, and there was no call. The PERDS might have a legit complaint on that one.
- I picked Bickell in OT and that was a huge mistake. At least he was being physical, which is more than the Blackhawks got out of him in the regular season. If he doesn't get hot soon, it is going to be really hard to unload him.
- Somewhere along the line Hockey Star Mike Fisher was hurt. I'll be completely honest, I didn't even know he was in the lineup.
- The Blackhawks were curb stomped at the faceoff dots. 39%. With one of your better faceoff guys in the press box. #2CUPZ! Jonathan Toews won only 10 of 30.
- The PERDS had an early chance for a Mike Ribeiro breakaway when Hjalmarsson and Oduya got crossed up and almost collided, but the Hawks dodged a bullet.
- A few minutes after dodging the bullet, the PERDS took advantage of the three thousand year old statuesque relic, Michal Rozsival. Colin Wilson skated right around Rozsival, who was tripping over his own feet, and sniped Crawford. Why the HELL Rozsival is playing with Keith is beyond any rational explanation.
- Late in the first period, Corey Crawford got stuck behind the net in no-mans-land. Once he got surrounded, the chinese fire drill began. The puck ended up squirting to, of all people, VICTOR FUCKING STALBERG. He easily put it into the net, which had to be easy, because he is a terrible player.
- In the final minute of the first, the PERDS took a 3-0 lead on the powerplay, when Colin Wilson tipps a long Seth Jones shot past Crawford. What. The. Hell???? Joakim Nordstrom had a chance to clear the puck out of the zone, and failed. Seconds later, it's in the back of the net.
- When Scott Darling came out for the beginning of the second period and the meatball nation spontaneously orgasmed. Now the world of the cognizant is going to endure 48 hours of barely functional fucking morons asking, "Who will start game 2?" and when they hear the answer, "Corey Crawford", they will ask, "WHY?!?!". Because they are drooling idiots.
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Versteeg-Richards-Kane
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