Western Conference Finals: Game Three Wings vs. Hawks

Red Wings lead the series 2-1

By Lisa Ovens

Since Jan Snyder is brilliantly recapping the Pens/ Canes Eastern Conference Final games for Lisa's Hockey Lounge at h&hh.com, I figured I'd offer up some Western Conference Finals game three chat, because

a) I live in the West

b) one of the WCF teams knocked out my home team in round two and this is my opportunity to slightly dis them... and

c) I get to use this really crazy picture of Scott Stevens!

The Kronwall Hit on Havlat...What would Scott Stevens Say???

"Well, it's not figure skating. No one gets a free ride out there. Just ask Paul Kariya...and Eric Lindros...and Koslov...and, oh, Ron Francis...and that other guy. Yeah...that was My NHL."

Okay, Scott Stevens didn't say that. I just embellished some quotes of his. But couldn't you imagine Stevens being a go to guy on hits these days? Maybe he'd say stuff like..."skating with his head down...one Mississippi...ooh it's a cleansie!!"

Yeah, Scott Stevens calling a hit a cleansie, Ha!

The first period Kronwall hit resulting in five and a game misconduct that ended Martin Havlat's evening in the wooziest of ways was just one tidbit of many from game three of the Wings/ B.Hawks series. The Blackhawks had a whopping 11 minutes of powerplay in the first period which translated into a whopping two goals for the young, fresh faced team.

NBA legend Michael Jordan was seen moving and shaking with Bobby Hull. Also seen was Chicago back up goal tender Cristobal Huet and a dressed "back up" back up goaltender Corey Crawford to start the third, as number one net minder, Nikolai Khabibulin didn't return because his "Bulin Wall" status became questionable, or one of the bricks is damaged, or both.

The Blackhawks loss control of the game and blew a 3 goal lead. The Red Wings fought back and forced the game to a 3-3 tie. One reason for the comeback? Adam Burish had words for Nik Lidstrom with five minutes left in the second period. yes, that's correct... words for Lidstrom. Of all people to "chat" at. Thanks to the CBC for pointing that out to me. The Wings Niklas Lidstrom is so smooth, so stealth, so classy of a player, you sometimes don't realize he's there, yet important things get done. Burish yapped at him, and during the next play Lidstrom scores. Man, he's the coolest. I heard Lidstrom once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels. (That's a joke. It's a spoof of the latest "Most interesting man in the world" Dos Equis beer commercial).

And speaking of the CBC, I am glad to watch a game with the Hockey Night in Canada gang for a change. I have a threshhold when it comes to TSN's playoff coverage, and this past week I reached it. That's another column.

So the sold out standing room only crowd at United Center (which for a little while was the "Quiet Center") were treated to a third intermission, and an overtime period that was abruptly ended by their very own Patrick Sharp who potted the OT winner: final score 4-3. Those Blackhawks, they're writing the book on over time period efficiency.

Soon we will learn details about fallen B. Hawk, Martin Havlat, and the situation with Nikolai Khabibulin. And maybe we'll learn more about the Red Wing's Pavel Datsyuk and his aching foot.

What we do know now is game four is set for Sunday, May 24th at 12 noon pst (nooner hockey games, can anyone get used to this, really?) and the Blackhawks are all excited thinking this like a really big series now, and in the other corner the Red Wings, well, it's business as usual for the defending Stanley Cup campions.

Tough Day at the Office: Round Two Game Five: Nucks/B.hawks

By Lisa Ovens


Blackhawks lead the series 3-2

Oh to be a hockey fan in Vancouver during the playoffs! The roller coaster ride continues after the 4-2 loss last night. It was very apparent to me Canucks fans were still harboring some anger after the overtime loss in game four, and many of them were present in the crowd at GM Place. I’ll get to that stuff in a moment.

There were a few things I liked about the game: the anthem singing was fantastic, and set a very positive tone for the first period. Rick Rypien delivered some heavy hits when he activated his “hit switch”. I felt Mats Sundin played a very good game, and to see him score such a beautiful goal in the second period was a very sweet moment. The fans erupted after that one, and I know Sundin critics must have smiled and high fived anyone available during the celebration. If there’s one moment Mats could use to up his game to another level for next time, that goal surely must be it. He could call it the “I still got it” goal. Seize it Mats, take it and run with it as best as you can.

Now, onto the not so good...Alex Burrows paid some attention to B.Hawks goal tender, Nikolai Khabibulin, but chirping at him is not the kind of attention I’d like to see. The Canucks can beat this guy, but they have to take the shots to do it. I believe it was Wayne Gretzky who said “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” The shots on goal were 31-21 in favor of the B.Hawks. Khabibulin isn’t the better goaltender in this series, and the Canucks should be throwing everything, including the kitchen sink at him.

Kevin Bieksa, our delightfully, hot headed, pineapple juice drinking defenseman, needs to tone it down sometimes and last night he had me on my feet yelling “BACK OFF BIEKSA!!!” during the after whistle scrums. We just don’t know where the whistles are going to be next time around so he needs to reel himself in and channel the heat elsewhere, like ooh I don’t know, scoring a few goals because he was the Canucks highest scoring defensemen during the regular season, and they need scoring to win this series.

The ice. I bring this up because I saw lots of slips and falls last night, and I think they ought to check the ice, especially the ice in the Canucks offensive zone, to the right of the B.Hawks bench. (In other words I am looking to see a game seven, folks ;o) I called Pittsburgh Penguins correspondent, Jan Snyder to get her take on ice issues and she said, “Yes, the ice at this time of year...they are saying the ice in Washington is slushy, the ice in Pittsburgh is sticky.” In which I responded with “Then I guess our ice in Vancouver is too slippery – hahaha!!”

The good old hockey game. Perhaps it was a mixture of referee confusion and the Canucks mistakes, but the crowd in GM Place did not hide their feelings during the second and third periods. Is this a case of “we’ve heard far too much good call, bad call, and no call critiques in the sports media that we’ll snap at anything the moment confusion sets in”?

What I mean by confusion is the where are the whistles confusion, and if whistles have been firmly placed in the zebras’ pockets, will they stay there, or will they suddenly re-appear in the last ten minutes of the game?

The collective behavior of 18,630 people in one of these types of games, is an experience, and to quote Seinfeld’s George Costanza's line “The Sea was Angry that day my friends.” But instead of “an old man trying to send back soup in a deli”, one guy chucked a cup of beer onto the ice. And then another guy throws one and another and so on and so on. This is what happens when the passion for the team and the game can truly get the better of people. To say this city is desparate for a championship is an understatement.

The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty to bring to the table every night under the watchful eyes of the legendary Scotty Bowman. But on Monday night for Game Six, the Canucks are going to bring a new attitude: they’re on the road, they are healthier than the Calgary Flames were, and they’ve got nothing to lose. And if they play their cards right, the Canucks will be another win closer to the Western Conference Final.