Since 2013, it’s become routine that I write an article like this talking about how the Blackhawks are one loss away from elimination in the playoffs. I wish it were different. I wish the Blackhawks were up 2-1 or 3-0 as I type this. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
The Blackhawks are down 3-0 in this series against the Predators. It’s been frustrating. It’s been annoying. I am writing this just after 1:00 a.m. because I know I am not going to sleep much. This is what happens when I am pissed off.
The Blackhawks were up 2-0 in the 3rd of Game 3 when things just fell apart. Horrible bounces and inability to clear the puck gave the Predators two goals. That’s hockey. People want to talk about how other sports are random, hockey beats it all. This game is so fucked up and with all of the rule changes in the last decade, teams can come back in a hurry. That’s what happened in this game.
I am not going to go all meatball by saying the Blackhawks aren’t trying. No. These are the motherfucking Blackhawks that many of us loved since childhood. These are the mighty Blackhawks. This is the team that has spoiled us with three Stanley Cups since the start of this decade. They even had a chance for a fourth one in 2014. This team didn’t all of a sudden turn into a bunch of bums. It’s just how the game is played. The Blackhawks had a ton of breaks go their way in those Cup years. This year, it isn’t happening.
The last time the Blackhawks have been swept in a series was 15 years ago against the Joel Quenneville-coached Blues. Because this is hockey, the law of average says the Blackhawks will be swept again in due time and it just may be this Thursday.
One thing about these Blackhawk teams since the start of the decade: They don’t give up. In 2011, they were 3-0 to the Canucks and forced Game 7. Sure, it sucked that a shitty turnover in overtime lost that game. But they didn’t throw in the towel. 2014 was similar with them down 3-1 to the Kings in the Conference Final. Overtime got the best of them again, but as it went for 2011, they didn’t go down quietly. Let’s not forget 2013 when they were down 3-1 to the Red Wings. I didn’t declare the season over, but I didn’t feel all that great. They won three in a row and the series. We all know what happened after that.
Yeah, it sucks they keep getting down 3-0/3-1/3-2 in these series, but damn. I wish they would just sweep everybody en route to a Stanley Cup. That just doesn’t happen.
But, this one question remains:
Can Quenneville and his mighty Blackhawks pull off the biggest comeback of this decade by winning four in a row against the Predators?
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Matt Eberflus 
April 18, 2017 at 10:02 pm
Meanwhile, the Bulls won in a blow out at Boston tonight, going up 2-0 and making this the most bizarre NBA-NHL postseason in Chicago history.
Glass half full: THIS IS DA BULLS TEAM WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR…SORT OF.
April 18, 2017 at 10:08 pm
I’m so fucking stupid…
Glass half empty: Every game that this Bulls teams survives in the post season will end up validating whatever ridiculous team-building process is being used by GarPax. God forbid this becomes their business model: sign All Stars on the downward slope of their careers, half-ass the draft, pump up the championship hype and fill the United Center, then make the sellout crowds watch mediocre basketball, with the occasional upset of the Cavs or a Spurs or Warriors squad “resting” their players mixed in with a 20 point home loss to the Nets.
Wait until the last week of the regular season to make the playoffs as an 8th seed, then max out the revenue on a couple of home playoff games.
Dammit.
April 18, 2017 at 10:49 pm
Hey, my Ducks are up on the Flames 3-0 after being down 4-1 going into the third period. So, I’m good. And I never count out the Blackhawks. Hang in there, Fro.
April 21, 2017 at 2:28 am
God. Fucking. Dammit. Black. Hawks.
April 21, 2017 at 8:06 am
I didn’t follow the Blackhawks series closely…WTF happened?
April 21, 2017 at 4:13 pm
Genre,
Basically, they just flat-out sucked. Crawford did everything he could in those games to keep them in, but they couldn’t score or play defense. Some bad bounces happened in Game 3, but overall, they were just out-played.
I’ve heard a lot of talk on TV and radio about how this team is all of a sudden “finished” and that “the window has closed” on this core group to win another Cup. I am not much of an optimist in any aspect, but I think people are overreacting with this. Yes, they’ve played like shit the past three weeks going back to the regular season. Things just got screwed up at the wrong time.
To say that all of a sudden, they won’t contend anymore is crap. Toews and Dip Shit Kane are still under 30 years old. There are a ton of young forwards on the team that can play. Yes, they need to address the defense (this upcoming draft will be very important). I am not saying they are a piece or two away, but I think they still have another three or four years to contend.
April 21, 2017 at 8:26 pm
Fro is right, the Blackhawks are too young for the window to be closing.
April 21, 2017 at 10:20 pm
Damn….4 and out.
April 21, 2017 at 11:33 pm
Yeah. It wasn’t pretty at all.
I just don’t get how a team should make sweeping changes after they had the second most wins in franchise history and were first in the conference. Oh, and they still have two of the top ten players in the league. This draft is very important and maybe they can find a defenseman or two with great speed.
April 24, 2017 at 2:05 pm
Mike Kitchen FIRED, need a new special team coach who knows that PP is Power Play, not Passing Practice.
April 24, 2017 at 2:50 pm
I didn’t get this move. The Blackhawks didn’t lose the series because of not scoring on power plays. Yes, I am aware they had a couple in the first three games, but that had little to do with it. They couldn’t get the puck in the zone and kept having problems in the neutral zone. It almost seemed like they were making this move just to make a move.
Kitchen was part of the last two Cup teams. They seemed to have done fine then.