Pride Parade

Okay  so this post has been sitting in my drafts  for a good month. As late as this is I couldn’t resist sharing this clip and reminiscing about the incredible Blackhawks parade I only wish I could have attended.

I remembered watching this last year on my couch  watching Conan’s “Chicago Week”. When the Kings won the Cup Conan compared their 2012 parade to ours in 2010. Check out the link, it’s classic. Little did he know we would be bringing the Cup back to the chi-city streets once again, with 2 million more fans ready to celebrate.

*A moment of silence for Corey Crawford’s mother for having to hear his speech at the parade.  #loveyoucrow

It Ends Tonight

Source: http://lcehockey.tumblr.com

Tonight is the climax of the NHL season. Though this season was short due to the lock-out, it was my first to ever follow beginning through end. Lucky for me it has been possibly the most riveting season to ever be a Blackhawks fan. I was able to witness the beautiful, history making 24 game streak without a regulation loss. I watched hours of overtime and I clogged up the dashboards of all of my followers on Twitter with anxious commentary. The Blackhawks have played one hell of a season. The chemistry and devotion visible on the ice has inspired me in so many ways. Anytime I feel tired or lazy, thinking of how many times those players have stood up after an injury or continued to play valiantly into triple OT, I force myself to reevaluate my dedication and inner strength. Tonight is the night that the Hawks have awaited, prayed for, and played for all year. Tonight they have the opportunity to hoist the cup and be inscribed once again into hockey history. I look forward to an intense and passionate game #6 and hope the Blackhawks continue to give it all they got.

According to NHLtonight’s tumblr account:

Patrice Bergeron has been listed as day-to-day.

The Blackhawks are optimistic that Jonathan Toews will play in game 6.

A recap of Boychucks blow to Toews, cause of his Upper Body Injury. Double click for GIF.

GIF via Twitter/@YahooPuckDaddy
Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/06/johnny-boychuk-levels-jonathan-toews-as-blackhawks-center-attempts-shot-gif/

Game #5 at the Madhouse on Madison

(Photo: Scott Stewart, USA TODAY Sports) (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2013/06/22/boston-bruins-chicago-blackhawks-game-5/2449573/)

An overwhelming win for the Blackhawks tonight at the Madhouse on Madison.

First Period:

The game started with much momentum and intensity. The playing was pretty even but the Blackhawks made it clear they were the home presence. The Bruins excel at interfering with passes between the hawks’ defense and offense in the neutral zone. Still, Sharp had several good chances on Rask and finally with 2 minutes and 33 seconds left Kaner scored with assists by Toews and Johnny Oduya. Within the last few minutes of the first period the Bruins had two men bleeding. Hossa accidentally lifted the puck up into the face of Nathan Horton on the Bruins bench causing a small gash on his left eye. As Seguin attempted to salvage a saved shot to goal he was trampled a bit by the Blackhawks defenders in our goal causing a nosebleed.

Second Period:

The Blackhawks starting out strong offensively. The Bruins felt threatened after an injured Bergeron left the ice and Chara hoped to enforce his dominance by shoving Bickell against the glass. Within the first minute of the second period a tripping penalty was called on Bruin Nathan Horton for tripping Handzus and a penalty called on Handzus for diving. An exciting bout of four on four hockey ensued. Once the penalties were served the B-Hawks kept the pressure in the Bruins zone until Kane scored once more and the madhouse truly went mad with cheers, Chelsea Dagger sung by thousands all hoping for the return of “Hat-Trick Kane”. The first power play occurred soon after when Seidenberg was sent to the box. No goals were made, as the Bruins did a great job defending their zone from another sharp shot by the Hawks’ front line. While the Blackhawks clearly owned the ice the majority of the period I did begin to sweat a bit within the last few seconds of this period after continuos shots on Crawford.

Third Period:

Bruins started this period with a strong offensive push in hopes to even the score. Crawford proved his skill which was put into question earlier this weekend with some magnificent saves…until Chara scored with sixteen minutes left in the game. WIth revamped energy the Bruins continued to hold good spacing but weren’t taking the offensive risks they had to in order to win. Michael Frolik and Patrick Kane put continuous pressure on Tuukka Rask this period with some really close shots. Toews sat on the bench after taking quite a few blows earlier in the game including a nasty one by Boychuck. Desperate to tie the game in the final minute, Claude Julien pulled Rask from the net to add to a final offensive battle. The empty net instead served to the Blackhawks advantage when Bolland scored with a far shot and thirteen seconds remaining.