How Bout Them Hawks?

After going down 3 games to none quickly against the Vancouver Canucks, a team that in the previous two seasons the Blackhawks had forced out of the playoffs, things didn't look good for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.


After backing into the playoffs on the last day, many people were hesitant to pick the Hawks against the team that had the best regular season record this year in the NHL, even if the Hawks had dominated them in the past.

After all, this was a different Hawks team, after so many players were forced out due to salary cap issues, and it seemed that this was a different Canucks team as well, one that was finally going to live up to all of the promise.

After quickly handling the Hawks in the first three games, it appeared that everyone was right.

However, in Hockey more than any other sport, going down 3 games to none doesn't guarantee anything.

Just last season, the Philadelphia Flyers became the third NHL team to come from down 3 games to none to win the series, and they did it while trailing 3-0 in game 7!

Win the 4-3 overtime win tonight, after embarrassing Vancouver 7-2 in Game 4 and 5-0 in Game 5, the Hawks become only the 7th team ever to force a game seven in the NHL playoffs after training the series 3-0.

3 of those teams went on to win the series.

The Hawks seem poised to be the fourth.

After all, momentum has clearly shifted in their favor.

Before Game 6 tonight, the Hockey Night in Canada host joked, "Chicago leads the series, 2 games to 3."

Roberto Luongo won the Gold Medal in the Olympics last year as the starting goalie for Team Canada.  He is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy this year, given to the league's best goalie.  He is in the second year of a huge 12 year contract.  He is both the present and the future of the Canuck franchise.  He got pulled after giving up 6 goals in Game 4.  He got pulled after giving up 4 goals in Game 5.  He was benched in favor of a rookie goalie in Game 6, then had to come in when that goalie got injured, and Luongo gave up the game winner in overtime to rookie Ben Smith.

Luongo is one of the best goalies in the NHL, but the Blackhawks are clearly in his head, and if he starts Game 7, you have to wonder where he will be mentally.

Going with the rookie, Cory Schneider who might not be able to play after suffering from cramps in the third period tonight, probably won't instill the Canucks with a lot of confidence either.

Not only is it almost unfathomable that the Canucks have somehow blown the 3-0 series lead, but the way that they have done it has to be incredibly demoralizing.

They were embarrassed 7-2 in Game 4.

Then they were blown out again in Game 5, and, to add insult to injury, they were also shut out, 5-0.  In Vancouver.

They played arguably their best game of the series in Game 6, but proving how far momentum has shifted towards the side of the Blackhawks, they still lost 4-3, albeit in overtime.

They have done almost nothing in the last week to show that they have any chance of slowing down Chicago and finally winning this series.

However, the beautiful thing about Game 7s is that absolutely anything can happen.

Even if you were at one point down 3 games to none.

If you enjoy hockey at all, this game is shaping up to be a classic, can't miss game.

The Stanley Cup defending Champions back from the dead.

The President's Cup winning Vancouver Canucks trying to prove once and for all they can somehow beat the team that has sent them packing each of the last two seasons in the playoffs.

One team will move on.

One team will go home.

And as the NHL has been telling us for the last two weeks...

History Will Be Made.

GO HAWKS!!!!

And may my playoff beard last another round!