hokkeynutt

There’s really not much more that can be said about tonight’s Game 6. The Blackhawks enter a tough building where they won in last year’s WCF, but unfortunately have not done so in this year’s. That changes tonight! The pressure is on the Kings and if the beloved Blackhawks force a Game 7, lookout! Coach Q’s Game 5 adjustment of re-mixing his top 4 D, underscores the luxury he has… two top shutdown pairs. The Kings aren’t quite there. So if Q can roll two dangerous lines, as he did in Game 5, this will negate Sutter’s home ice last change advantage. I also expect Q to keep the line of Saad, Shaw and Kaner together. The other forward lines will probably be 1st line of Bicks, Captain, and Big Hoss; 3rd line of Sharpie, Backhandzus and Regin; and finally the 4th line of Bollig, Krugs and Smitty. With that said watch for Krugs and Smitty to be mixed in the upper lines as needed. So here are my keys for the Mighty Blackhawks to win this game: 1) Crow has to play better. Enough said. 2) “Kneel down to the Saad Father”, Can he play two games in row like he did in Game 5? Really it’s not a question, it is a MUST. 3) Kaner too had a really strong Game 5. The Kings will try to put bodies on Saad to stop him. If they do, guess what… Kaner must be the finisher. 4) Big Hoss and Sharpie need a breakout game from a points standpoint. If the Blackhawks are able to get any point production from these two, there will be a Game 7. 5) The Blackhawks must stay out of the penalty box and if given the opportunity to go on the Power Play, they must score. Since it is a “Feel Good Friday”, and I have confidence in my veins, I’m predicting another OT special… Blackhawks 3, Kings 2. Let’s hear your thoughts… Go Blackhawks

The Stanley Cup Finals are now a best of three and you have to like that two of three remaining games are at the Madhouse. Tonight, the fans at the Madhouse will definitely provide an extra boost to the boyz in the Indian Crest who are back home with some momentum. They not only won in dramatic fashion providing their fan base with numerous ups and downs Wednesday night in Game 4, but the Hawks could have won by a couple of goals had Crow played better. Game 4 showed the Hawks what they need to do to beat Boston: skate hard, forecheck, backcheck, send bodies to the front of the net and everyone must play big! I expect the Blackhawks to come out tonight as they did in Games 1 and 4 using their speed to open the ice and once in the Bruin zone the d-men pitch in at the opportune time. Crow will need to tighten up his glove side and has consistently rebounded all year long after bad games. I expect him to do the same tonight. Lastly, the boys in the red jersey will need to stay out of the sin bin has Blackhawk penalties kept Boston in Game 4. The success of the PK has allowed the Hawks to get away with that plenty of times this season, but both of Boston’s powerplay goals changed the complexion of the game. If the Mighty can replicate the essence of their Game 4 performance, stay out of the sin bin and Crawford can tighten it up, the beloved will be 1 victory from hoisting their second Stanley Cup in four years. Did you know? - In the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Mighty are 7-0 in games 5, 6 and 7’s. - The Blackhawk PK must improve as the Bruins are 4/13 on the power play. - Chara was on the ice for five of the Blackhawks goals in Game 4. - Sharpie’s powerplay goal was the Blackhawks first conversion in their last 24 opportunities on the man advantage. - Q has assured Leddy that he will see more ice time tonight. Tonight's expected Hawks lineup: Offense: Bicks Tazer Kaner Sharpie Bolland Big Hoss Saad Shaw Stalberg Zus Krugs Frolik Defense: Seabs Keith Hammer O-do-ya Rozsival Leddy Netminder: The Crow Lets go BLACKHAWKS! BRING US THE CUP!

Remember game 5 against the Detroit Scum when I commented, “Game 7 is tonight and a win is necessary to get it to another Game 7 and then another…” Blackhawk fans its “Gut Check” time again and tonight’s game 4 is simply do or die. No other way to put it. So while you digest that, here are a few observations from Monday’s embarrassment: Where was the net front presence for the Hawks, there was none until Q sent Bicks out after pulling Crow late in the third period? Where was “look at my cool mullet”, Kane, a $6.3 million player, other than missing a clear shot in the third period? Kaner did Tiki have another father/son talk with you? If not he needs to! How can a power play be that disorganized, chance after chance, game after game? Didn’t Q bring in “his guy” to solve the power play issues? My gosh I sound like a broken record when I say, “Q, the power play sucks!” Why are the Hawks getting there azz kicked in the faceoff dot? Stan isn’t the team built to be a puck possession team? (Oh yeah, all you did at the trade deadline was bring in Zus.) Stan, if players, including your $6.3 million a year Marketing Boy Wonders, aren't playing like with all the piss and vinegar, it's time for this organization to make some hard choices. One last point, are there too many passengers on this team (Stalberg, Zus, Bolland, to name a few)? A friend Efren, commented on his FB page, “I can't even listen to the Score Radio or Facebook page who feel the series is over at 2-1.” I don’t feel that the series is over but the good guys have not scored in over 122 minutes, a lil over two games and look like a clusterflop on the ice, disorganized with no sense of direction and Q I blame you and the players for this. Boston smells blood and heading into Game 4, the boyz in the Indian Crest need to play bigger and better, obviously. What I mean by my comment is that they don't necessarily have to be bigger, but they have to play to their size if they are bigger or play the game and get results like bigger players if they're small. Example of a player playing big: C/W Marcus Kruger, who at 175 pounds, rarely loses a board battle, blocks shots, absorbs checks and always goes to the front of the net. He has desire and the will. An example of a player who plays "small" 6'3", 210 pound winger Viktor “No Hands” Stalberg, who, for all his speed, rarely wins a battle physically or finishes any checks. (I guess he doesn’t want to break a nail.) The Hawks have to stop disappearing in physical games, stop giving up on pucks in the corners and stop wilting under a forecheck. If this does not change and certain players continue to play small, they must realize that they are putting a much larger burden on the rest the Hawks players. If you're not going to go to the front of the net, then your teammate's centering pass goes right to an opposing defenseman and very quickly the other way. If you're not going to win the puck on the wall... well than your linemate has to. If you're not going to take the hit to make a clearing pass, then the whole team has to expend more effort to get the puck out and on and on and on. Ok I vented! Tonight, I expect Q will use Kane, Tazer and Sharpie together on the same line. With the 'Hawks down 2-1 and struggling to score goals, there is no better time than tonight to see how this line produces against the Bruins. This will leave Big Hoss, to be on line 2 with Zus/Bolland and Bicks. For the 3rd line, I believe it could look like Saad, Shaw, and Stalberg and the 4th line Frolik, Zus and Krugs. The Blackhawks need to change their game and it better start tonight. They need to play harder, more physically and fearlessly. Can they do it with the roster they have? We’ll definitely find out tonight and for any remaining games in this series. Its Gut Chek time and remember Blackhawks, checking is allowed. Thanks for reading. Go Blackhawks!

"Calling all cars. Be on the look-out for a violent offender who's been missing for a week. He's 6'4 235 pounds. You can drive a squad car through the three-tooth-wide gap on his grill. He has chunks of flesh missing from his face and is sporting bruises and contusions about the head and neck. He's got a recent history of controlled violence, and excessive physicality If seen, approach him with caution as he may be agitated and upset. He's been slumping and isn't happy about it. He was recently demoted at his job, days after he single-handed whipped the ass off the City of Los Angeles. If you happen to see him, call for back-ups as he is in hot demand. Do not try to handle this hombre on your own. He has the ability to escape easily by dropping his shoulders and mowing over opposition. He was last seen in Chicago on June 8, just after Game 5 of the Blackhawks series win at the United Center". Challenges! Dating back three years to the 2010 Final against Philadelphia, the Hawks have lost the first game away from the United Center in six straight series. Overall in that time frame, the beloved have gone 7-10 on the road, 3-4 this post season. In order to win this series, the Mighty will now have to win at least one game on the road, with the first of potentially three games in Boston tonight. For the Boyz in the Indian Crest, it’s been confirmed that Stalberg will once again be in the lineup, this time on the fourth line with Krugs and Frolik. Stalberg obviously hasn’t produced much, but his speed is definitely a problem that the Bruins’ defensemen will have to account for, particularly if he gets his chances against the third pairing of Adam McQuaid and Torey Krug, who figure to be far more sheltered tonight and Wednesday with last change. Stalberg has a clear size advantage on Krug and a definite speed advantage on McQuaid, so forcing them to make decisions faster than they’d like could go a long way in jumpstarting his dormant game. The top three lines for the Hawks remain the same, and quite simply, the Hawks are going to need more out of Captain Tazer and Kane for the Blackhawks to be successful. Yes, Tazer has been dominating possession, but at a certain point he needs to put the biscuit in the basket. Additionally there is no other time like that tonight when it will be needed, the Blackhawks power play needs to produce. Because the Bruins cover the slot in front of Rask so well, more low-high plays need to be attempted, both at even strength and on the power play. It’s yielded three goals, so far (Saad, Oduya, and Shaw courtesy of Rozsival), and can yield more if it’s exploited properly. The key will be for Blackhawk forwards to engage along the boards and in the corners to occupy a defender, then kicking the puck high for a shot through traffic. Once the puck gets kicked out high, Keith, Seabs and Hammer must shoot fast and stop hitting the opposing player in the leg. Keith especially must not panic when being pressured. Poise and Control boyz! The Garden faithful will be at near psychotic levels of fervor at puck drop, and the Bruins are sure to feed off of that energy. They’ll come at Hawk defensemen looking to put them in the 15th row, and might just succeed more than a few times. With that said, the Hawks looked to me and many others like a team that was scared as the game went on Saturday. A couple of players started quitting on plays. That trend will continue because Boston will not let up, especially tonight at Home. If we can see it, the Bruins definitely can. In fact, they’ll dial it up even more tonight. The Hawks need an injection of nasty. So Bicks we need you now! Additionally, to offset the Bi's d-men physical attack, the Hawks puck support early must be impeccable, both from defensive partners and forwards. Giving the puck carrier a 15 foot target is far preferable than one 70 feet up ice with 4 other black sweaters in its path. Additionally, the Bruins forwards will be deep enough to give the Hawks space enough to at least hit their own blue line with speed exiting before hitting the neutral zone bog Julien is sure to employ. Ultimately, this series will come down to which takes its toll first: the Hawks making the Bruins skate, or the Bruins wearing the Hawks down physically. The Hawks must be more successful on their scoring chances and get someone in front of Rask. Doing so, may stop or slow the the oncoming tide of black and gold. Patience, smarts, and above all else speed are going to need to be on full display tonight if the beloved are going to get any closer to their goal. If there’s a textbook road game in this team’s capabilities, it better be tonight! Hawks let's break that Game 3 losing streak dating back to 2011. Go Blackhawks!

Duncs earned a 1 game suspension and even a hearing that neither Bolland or Matt Cooke got for their actions in earlier 2013 play off games. Obviously, there’s no consistency or even reason except for one to conclude that Brendan Shanahan is a freakin idiot! In my opinion Keith should have been fined. Additionally why wasn't Carter suspended for his swing to Dunc's upper back? If you were to go back a year you even have the Preds Shea Weber slamming the Red Wing's Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the glass and not being supsended. So what is the impact to the boyz in the Indian Crest in Game 4 tomorrow night? Obviously, Sheldon Brookbank will skate. How the defensive pairing are set up could be the challenge for Q. My guess is that Q could reunite Leddy and Seabrook, but that might be a lot to ask of Leddy. But with that said I look to Hammer will flip to the left side to play with Seabrook (they have before). That would at least keep Leddy-Rozisval and Oduya-Brookbank together and those are the pairs that have lined up for a lot of the season. Another thought is that Brookbank will see less than 5 minutes and everyone is going to skate with just about everyone. For one game, I think the Hawks can survive, we need Leddy to be on top of his game and Rozsival needs to step up. Regarding the inept power play, I expect Oduya will be added to the point its not like the power play can get any more useless. Where there is major impact is on the penalty kill where Duncs has the ability to chase down a lot of loose pucks and clear them. The key is the Blackhawks must stay out of the box and not fall for the bull$hit that Sharpie fell for in Game 3. Stay focused on the task at hand boyz.

OH-EM-GEE, Jonathan Quick is human after all. The reigning Conn Smythe winner allowed more than three goals for the first time in 35 playoff games as the boyz in the Indian Crest jumped out to a 4-0 lead at the Madhouse Sunday night. In all the visions I’ve had of this series in my own mind, not one of them contained Jonathan Quick getting pulled from a game. Sutter had seen enough and he was pulled after 30 minutes of play in an effort to spark his team which did not help but to possibly save Quick's confidence. Blackhawk fans the 2013 Western Conference Final is far from over but with that said, the Mighty have a 2-0 series lead. It feels good now, but there’s such a long way to go and there is no time for complacency. Sooo, to tonight's game 3… . The Blackhawks better expect the Kings to be coming out onight like a California wildfire Tuesday. The Kings have been here before as they trailed the St Louis 2-0 before disposing the Blues. Look for the Kings to be energized by their fans and hitting everything in sight wearing a white jersey. If the Hawks can weather it for the first 10 minutes of period 1, I believe they can be victorious again, the key is to try to avoid getting down a goal or two in the first, maybe even grab one themselves, and continue to outskate the Kings, beating them to pucks and forcing them to chase. The odds favor the Kings tonight as they are 7-0 at the Staples Center this postseason and they have a 14-0 run dating back through the late regular season. The boyz in the Indian Crest would love nothing else than to put a 1 in that loss column, and extend their Western Conference Final series lead to 3-0. If the Mighty take this game, obviously it would be huge in terms of taking a stranglehold on the series. Tonight's expected Lines: Big Hoss - Captain Serious - Bicks Kaner - Zus - Sharpie Stalberg - Shawzie - Saad Frolik - Bollie - Krugs D-Men Duncs - Sea Biscuit Hammer - O-do-ya Rozsival - Ledpipe Netminder: The Crow A few last comments… - Kudos go out to Crow who stood up for his Captain when the Kings Kyle Clifford took exception to land few cheap shots on the Captain's chin. Q's assessment of Crow in that situation… "Spontaneous combustion. Sometimes you can't forecast or predict that stuff" - Mike Richards appears to still have concussion-like symptoms that were a result of an uncoordinated hit by Bolland in Game 1 and is questionable Thanks for reading. GO BLACKHAWKS

Let the Madhouse begin rockin! As you are fully aware, the Mighty Blackhawks survived a real threat from the Red Wings, winning in seven games Wednesday night… the Kings also won in seven over the Sharks in a series that didn’t seem as close as it was. Kings netminder, Jonathan Quick is on a roll, simply said, he is hot right now with a 94.8% save percentage and a playoff leading 1.54 goals against average. He is really making a case for a second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy (The Crow is 2nd in the playoffs with a 1.84 gaa). Quick could be the difference maker in this series as L.A. has not given up more than three goals in a playoff game in over 30 games. The Kings are deep, especially upfront and their forecheck is going to give the Blackhawks problems at some point in the series to Blackhawks D-men. (The Wild and the Red Wings tried the same strategy. It can work at times, but the Hawks beat the forecheck with speed and transition.) For us Blackhawk fans, we are still waiting for the big guns to get hot and start putting the biscuit in the basket. If they do, this series could be over quick (no pun intended). Lets just state the fact that the Kings are going to get more hits in this series, but that will be in large part because the Hawks are going to possess the puck more. A lot more or so I expect. The boyz in the Indian Crest have speed that comes at you like a dragster in the quarter mile: Kane, Toews, Hossa, Sharp, Stalberg, Frolik, Keith, Leddy and O-du-ya. Pick your poison on any of four lines. Obviously, both teams will have matchup problems and in my opinon with Robyn Regehr, Matt Greene and Rob Scuderi on the back end, Darryl Sutter is going to have more of them. If the Kings end up chasing the Blackhawk forwards around the rink, look out, they become out of position, they're going to get tired, get frustrated, stop moving their feet at times and this results in the Kings taking penalties. So what does this all mean? To win this series the Blackhawks must: - Win game 1 - Score on the power play (the power play iimproved the last 3 games of the Dead Wings series) - If Crow gives up a bad goal, he must rebound as he did in Game 6 against the Dead Wings - Penalty Kills must continue to remain red hot - if there’s a team that’s worse on faceoffs than the Hawks, it’s the Kings so boyz win at the dot Today's expected lineup: Big Hoss - Captain Serious - Bicks Kaner - Zus - Sharpie Stalberg - Shawzie - Lesnar's Beyotch (Saad) Frolik - Bollie - Krugs On D: Duncs - Sea Biscuit Hammer - O-do-ya Rozsival - Ledpipe Sportsfans this is going to be a great series of which I expect some bumps in the road for the Blackhawks. With that said, Blackhawks win the series in 7 games. Go get em boys! I know you can do it! Go Blackhawks!

I am still a bit numb from watching the last minutes of the Game 7 and the OT, wow what a finish! With the beloved Blackhawks sending the Red Wings to the links and the Eastern Conference, one must ask themselves, does this series victory erase all the past nightmares from previous series lost to the Scum? No, of course not. However its sweet to know that the end of the Hawks - Wings Western Conference rivalry will forever be known as Seventh Heaven as Brent Freaking Seabrook buried a shot over Howards glove after being partially deflected by Kronwall. Not only was Howard Bickell'D in the series, he was Kronwall'D too! There’s no other way to say it. Did I think it would happen? No. Not after being down 3-1 in the series and not after referee Steve Walkom waved off the orginal Game 7 winning goal scored by Hammer. Oh by the way…for those of you that did not know this, a bouquet of roses was delivered to the Blackhawk dressing room late Wednesday night. It was addressed to Seabs, with a note that read: "Mr. Seabrook, thanks for bailing my dumb ass out. Best Regards and Good Luck , Steve Walkom." Let me get this off my chest now... If anyone can tell me what Brandon Saad did to earn a coincidental minor to cancel out Hammer's winner, I’m right here, come get me! The includes you Steve Walkom! It doesn't matter what the rule book says about the appropriateness of whistling the play dead on co-incidental minors. The issue I have is your (Walkom's) arm should have gone up for a Detroit minor: no whistle (it was stuck in your ass), good goal, game and series over. I mean getting thrown into the bench? Getting punched from members on the Scum's bench? Then getting thrown to the ice like Brock Lesnar's girlfriend? I mean WTH? Next up for the boyz in the Indian Crest are the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions, the LA Kings. My immediate reaction is to pick the Mighty Blackhawks in 7 games. Get the ice packs ready as Clubber Lang and I expect a lot of "pain" in this series (that’s more physical for all you young hockey players). Today's morning skate had the following lines: Big Hoss - Captain Serious - Bicks Kaner - Zus - Sharpie Stalberg - Shawzie - Lesnar's Beyotch (Saad) Frolik - Bollie - Krugs Lastly, Stanley Cup Playoff tix went on sale at noon today and were sold out in 3 minutes! Enjoy the game(s) for those of you that scored tix. More to come. Thanks for reading. GO BLACKHAWKS

Wow what a let down! <This is along read sorry I babble on here> We may want to hold off a bit on those “DE-TROIT SUCKS!” chants during Game 5 at the Madhouse tomorrow. Blackhawk fans begged, we pleaded, we hoped for the classic Chicago-Detroit playoff meeting before the Wings dart off to the Eastern Conference next season. Not just because of nostalgia, but because the Blackhawks were far and away the better team in terms of talent and overall depth. But something happened along the way. The Blackhawks failed to win in the Motor City and there are numerous reasons why. The Captain is so frustrated its painful to watch. Zetterberg is making his life a living hell, and Tazer is wilting. Give Zetterberg credit, he deserves it, he got under Tazers skin that he took three consecutive penalties. Other evidence of Tazer wilting is on the 2-on-1 in the third period where he attempted to pass it off rather than taking the clear path to the net, deke and fire the puck past Howard like he normally would. It really is a sad thing to watch, and he knows he needs to step up his game if the Hawks are going to have any chance in hell of coming back in this series. Additionally, after reviewing the stats from last night, I’m in shock that Nick Leddy played only 8:38. I mean Q what the hell is going on? Sea Biscuit played just over 12 minutes and the Rat (Bolland) played less than 13 minutes. Did anyone see Big Hoss on the ice last night? I don’t know if the minutes will look like that in Game 5, but the one thing I don’t understand is trading Leddy’s PP time for Rozsival. Rozsival… YOU SUCK! How bout that Blackhawk power play??? Who's to blame for this crap? The players? Hey Blackhawks if there’s no cute play or smart way to set up upon entering the zone, chip the puck deep, skate and go get it. For the last 3 years or so, the Hawks have continually struggled when an opponent stacks their blueline or forces them to the perimeter. The Pens have 6-7 different power play schemes why don't the Blackhawks? Q? Q? Q? How many do the Blakchawks have? By the way Q, what planet are you on? I never bought into the power play troubles were on Haviland who was fired at the end of last season he was a Tallon guy, its that simple. Not sure how much Kompon has to do with this mess but Q controls everything. He has stated such. The Hawks got a power play with 4:45 left in the game. They had problems getting the puck in the zone and couldn't even get a damn shot on goal. Haviland was Q's scapegoat last year, what's his excuse now? Is it Duncs? He is a great defenseman five on five or killing penalties, but he is completely inept on the point on the power play. He can’t hit the broad side of a barn with his shot and is shaky when defenders attack him at the point, when this is happens he makes bad puck decisions and chokes up the puck like a baby choking up a baby jar of prunes. And yes Keith's diaper is purple too after he chokes up the puck. Hey Q, the power play has almost zero net front presence, remember a guy called Big Buff? I had no problem with the acquisition of Handzus. None what so ever at the time but I wanted more at the trade deadline… a second line center, another physical winger etc. But to think Handzus could possibly fill the gaping hole on the 2nd line that’s been there for 3+ years, or skate more than 8-10 minutes a game in any role was foolish and arrogant on Stan's part. Worse still, to think an aging Zus was all the roster needed for the postseason was complete stupidity. One has to wonder if Stan has any new twists to his now annual “we underachieved in the playoffs” speech. Because barring a significant change in attitude, fortune and results tomorrow night, Bowman will be giving that speech on Monday as the boyz in the Indian Crest clear out their lockers. Could it be his last time of giving that speech? Wait and see because maybe the fingers will point to Coach Q and his coaching staff again, holding them accountable as well. Who knows. For the Blackhawks, Game 7 is Saturday and a win is necessary to get it to another Game 7 and then another. I suppose some will Scott your just frustrated, and some may say keep calm and believe in the Mighty Blackhawks. For some reason I am really struggling with that right now. Thanks for reading.

A few weeks ago, I posted that Game 4 of the Hawks-Wild series was a test of the Blackhawks playoff potential. Anything less than a win on the Wild’s home ice, after dropping Game 3 there, could be seen as a sign that the Hawks really aren’t constructed for playoff hockey. The Hawks passed that test against an inexperienced and severely outmanned foe. Tonight, another Game 4 test awaits the boyz in the Indian Crest at Joe Louis Arena, against a much tougher foe, physically and mentally… the hated Detroit Red Wings (Scum). And make no mistake, the Hawks playoff life depends on winning this game. The Blackhawks can recall both positive and negative memories of this very situation in past recent playoff runs. During their 2010 Stanley Cup march, the Blackhawks faced a 2-1 deficit in their opening round series against the Nashville Predators. Facing a hostile crowd in Game 4 at the Bridgestone Arena in the "Music City", the Mighty Blackhawks responded with a 3-0 victory and eventually went on to win that series in six games. However, last spring during their opening round playoff series versus the Phoenix Coyotes, the Blackhawks fell 3-2 to the Coyotes in overtime of Game 4 at the Madhouse and eventually fell in six games to Phoenix. The extra day of practice and rest has allowed both clubs to soak in the significance of Game 4. Word out of the Blackhawks camp over the past two days has continued to focus on disrupting Jimmy Howard's ability to clearly see pucks. Coach Q will shuffle his lines by moving Sharpie up to play alongside Captain Scoreless and Big Hoss, in an attempt to spark the struggling Captain, who has a meager 3 assists through his first 8 playoff games this spring. The time is now for the Captain to step up! Additionally the entire team need to step up! one more point I'd like to make hey Sea Biscuit get into the game dammit! Lastly, if Shaw hadn’t been acting like a reckless, irresponsible a-hole throughout this whole series, the tying goal would have stood and the ref wouldn’t have waived it off. I’m fully convinced that Shaw’s out-of-control antics to that point combined with how close he was to Howard had the ref calling a close play against Shaw rather than looking at it with an open mind. I mean, did you see how quickly the ref waived that goal off?! That was a call against Shaw, plain and simple. No excuse! It was assumed Shaw screwed with Howard because he’s been skating around the ice at 10,000 mph trying to decapitate people. Shaw has 18 penalty minutes through the first three games and has officially gone from an annoying virus that you want on your team to a detriment. Q needs to put at stop to this **** now, and fast. It’s the playoffs. Get some control. Now to tonight's Blackhawks lineup: Sharpie - Tazer - Big Hoss Kaner - Bollie - Saad Bicks - Shawzie - Stalberg Frolik - Krugs - Zus Defense: Duncs & Hammer Sea Biscuit & Ledpipe O-do-ya Rozsival & O-do-ya Netminder: The Crow GO BLACKHAWKS!

UPDATE*** Hadszus in CarBomb out of the lineup tonight.

Well DougieFresh got his graduation (from UW Whitewater) gift this past Sunday, a Red Wing victory. Sorry Lil Bud, but tonight the Mighty Blackhawks get back in the Win Column. First, I missed some of Game 2 due to DougieFresh's graduation. Although the Red Wings gave him a present Saturday, I must give credit to the Red Wings. From what little bit of the game I saw, they showed up with intensity and brought their legs. The Blackhawks appeared as if they weren't ready or at least weren't ready for what the Wings threw at them in the second and third periods. In my opinion, the boyz in the Indian Crest could have used more speed, piss and vinegar and a little less waiting for a pretty play to develop. When you review the game stats, half of Blackhawk's shots came from the line of Tazer, Big Hoss and Saad. This would certainly indicates not all of the Hawk's put in a strong performance. Yes, the Red Wings played a major part in that and as a result, I expect Q to have the boyz ready tonight to bring the home ice advantage back to the Madhouse. Now that the series has become a best-of-five and both teams have exhibited some of their best hockey of the season, let alone the playoffs, I expect tonight's game to be even better coming down to the Blackhawks power play. That unit needs to respond at some point in this series and tonight will be the night. Oh yeah, welcome back to the lineup Stalberg, hopefully your benching has fired you up. Also, I expect Bollie to be placed back on the second line with Sharpie and Kaner, both who are fast players and need someone with speed to keep up with them instead of having Zus trailing every sequence. The way to beat Detroit is with speed and pace and the last time I checked that is not one of Handzus’s strengths. The real Red Wings are now in the series. Now the Hawks need to adjust and step up. I assure you Q will make the adjustments and the boyz in the Indian Crest will be ready. Expected lines for tonight's Game 3 are: Saad - Tazer - Big Hoss Kaner - Bollie - Sharpie Bicks - Shawzie - Stalberg Frolik-Krugs-CarBomb Defense: Duncs & Hammer Sea Biscuit & Ledpipe O-do-ya Rozsival & O-do-ya Netminder: The Crow A few additional comments… - Captain Serious is in an eight-game playoff slump that dates to last year. He has just three goals combined in three postseasons since scoring seven goals to help the Blackhawks win the Cup in 2010. GO BLACKHAWKS!

We all knew earlier this week that Stalberg wasn't skating with his usual line mates at practice and as a result, I thought Coach Q was looking to get his attention, including his teammates. In some ways it appeared Q was looking to manufacture some drama. He knew the boyz in the Indian Crest would need a better effort to start the series against Detroit and wanted the team to focused, at least that is what I thought. That was until a story was reported yesterday that Coach Q and Stalberg had some words. The first indication of a confrontation in Game 5 concerning Stalberg's role etc. came from the Tribune's Chris Kuc and two other reporters who reported that Stalberg basically talked back to his head coach late in the 3rd period in a way no player should. When looking back, Stalberg's ice time in Game 5 against Minnehaha did not reflect a coach who was dissatisfied with his effort. Stalberg actually played a little longer that game than Bicks who had a great series, as did the entire third line. So it seemed like there was more to Stalberg's situation than could be blamed on a poor performance. Supposedly at some point on the bench late in Game 5 Stalberg snapped at Q, which is wrong on every level. Q can't lose the respect of his entire team and Stalberg's actions (or least as reported) forced Q to make a difficult decision. If the Hawks lost last night against the Wings many would have blamed Q. If Q had done nothing, he could have lost the respect of the entire team and there is no way he could take that chance, so in the end Stalberg was benched. He also did not skate in last night's warm-ups. A tough choice no doubt for Q but a head coach has to be in charge. As it stands Stalberg will have to wait until Q feels he has been punished enough. Maybe Stalberg dresses on Saturday, maybe not. I do know the Hawks would be a stronger group with Stalberg in the lineup as I would like to see him shadow Pavel Datsyuk versus Hadzus which as we all know is not an easy task. I am certain Q knows this but at the same time he also realizes respect is a must. BTW, Coach Q has denied anything happened between him and Stalberg in this morning's media session.

Most Blackhawks fans who had a preference, got what they wanted… the 2nd round opponent: The Detroit Red Wings (Scum). The Blackhawks and Red Wings have met in the Stanley Cup playoffs 15 times, dating back to 1934. The beloved own an 8-7 advantage in the previous series. As many of you know already, this will be the final season the Blackhawks and Red Wings meet in the playoffs as Western Conference foes as the Red Wings will move to the Eastern Conference next season. This season, the boyz in the Indian Crest won all four games against the Red Wings. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in OT at the Madhouse on January 27, won 2-1 in a shootout in Scumville on March 3, hammered the Scum 7-1 in Scumville and won 3-2 in a shootout at the Madhouse on April 12. Over the past two seasons the Mighty are 7-0-2 versus the Wings over the last two seasons. So to Game 1 at the Madhouse… I have waited for this series since 2010 as kicking the Scums azz in the playoffs that year would have made winning the Cup even better. Well that day is here and I expect the beloved to win this series in 6 games. Fans of the Scum can make all of the arguments they want that Zetterberg and Datsyuk are the equals to Kaner and Captain Serious, but Johan Franzen and Valteri Filippula are not Big Hoss or Sharpie and I repeat are not! Also consider the Mighty Blackhawks depth. The Scum can point to their youth, Nyquist, Eaves, Abdelkader, Brunner and Smith. But the boyz in the Indian Crest can point to Duncs, Sea Biscuit, Ledpipe, Hammer and O-do-ya! Also one must consider the depth of the Blackhawks and the speed and forechecking ability of the 3rd and 4th lines. The Scum may win 2, maybe 3 games in this series, but ultimately, they will lose because the Hawks will roll 4 competent, if not dangerous lines and have the NHL's deepest defense. Expected lines for tonight are: Saad - Tazer - Big Hoss Kaner - Zus - Sharpie Bicks - Rat - Shawzer Frolik-Krugs-CarBomb Defense: Duncs & Hammer Sea Biscuit & O-do-ya Rozsival & Ledpipe Netminder: The Crow A few additional comments… - The Crow has stopped 121 shots and allowed five goals in the four games against the Red Wings this season and had a 1.19 gaa. - As previously mentioned, Stalberg sits tonight… Only 1 assist in 5 games against Minneehaha - Top 10 Things You Need To Know About This Series 10. Detroit sucks. 9. Detroit sucks. 8. Detroit sucks. 7. Detroit sucks. 6. Detroit sucks. 5. Detroit sucks. 4. Detroit sucks. 3. Detroit sucks. 2. Detroit sucks. 1. Detroit sucks. GO BLACKHAWKS!

A few points on game 4… Tuesday night in Minnehaha, the beloved Blackhawks played one of the best defensive games to date. When the Mighty are at their best, they are not necessarily a speed and finesse team or a physical team but a very, very, good defensive. Yes they got caught a few times pinching in the offensive zone but for the most part the Blackhawks executed one of their best defensive efforts, limiting the Wild to 25 shots, including 26 shots blocked shots and making it relatively easy for the Crow get the shutout. Tonight, the Wild come to the Madhouse in desparation mode and I expect that tonight's game will be the Blackhawks biggest challenge of the series. The boyz in the Indian Crest better be prepared to weather an early storm as I expect the Wild to once again come out with everything that is left in their tank and get physical early similar to the opening minutes of Game 3. In still unknow as to who the Wild goalie will be… Yesterday coach Mike Yeo said, "We like to keep the other team guessing and we're not only not going to tell them who our starting goalie is, we won't tell them who our backup goalie is to really leave them in the dark." What a freakin of a joke Mike! There's a good chance that you and the rest of the Wild are equally in the dark about who their goalie will be tonight! All things considered, they would prefer it not be Kuemper. The Blackhawks will need to go out and play the type of game that got the them to where they are now, D-Fence, high energy, speed, and all four lines must contribute. Expected lines for Game 5 are: Saad-Tazer-Big Hoss Kaner-Zus-Sharpie Bicks-Shawzer-Stalberg Frolik-Krugs-CarBomb Defense: Duncs & Hammer Seabs & O-do-ya Rozsival & Ledpipe Netminder: The Crow A few additional comments… - Attention Captain Serious… Bicks has 3 playoff goals this year already. Anytime you’re ready buddy… we're waiting. - In Game 4, the Blackhawks first two goals came off turnovers from … you guessed it the $198 million dollar men… Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Money well spent! NAWT! - The Blackhawk power play is only 1-11 in this series... Hello boyz!!! Start shooting on the power play and stop trying to set up the pretty and magical play! Oh Yeah, will be watching this one from the Madhouse tonight! GO BLACKHAWKS!