Post Bar Post Game

What to say, what to say…  I don’t even know.  Niklas Hjalmarsson, you picked the absolute worst time to have your first ever sub-par game as a Blackhawk.  I can’t honestly think of anything you’ve ever done wrong until tonight when you assisted on 2 Flyers goals.  As for you Duncan Keith, I never thought I’d see you get absolutely burned at a pivotal point in the game.   When Niemi got pulled I was having flashbacks to Vancouver when Zach Parise tied it with 20 or so seconds left to play.  Unfortunately for me and the rest of the Hawks bandwagon Jeff Carter didn’t have any plans for going to overtime. 

Here are my thoughts from Game 4, take them for what they’re worth:

1.        Wow Hawks, the first 40 minutes made me feel like I was watching Games 1-3 of a Cub’s opening first round series.  How can you look so flat and uninspired when a whole city’s hopes and dreams are on your shoulders?

2.       Really refs?  I’m about done complaining about officiating, but how the hell can Ladd draw an interference call 2 minutes in when Buff has been laying on his face numerous times with no whistles being blown.  Also, how is it possible for the refs to call anyone for a slash when Pronger has committed the same infraction at least 10 times with nothing being called?

3.       Dunc and Hammer, c’mon guys, you are the last one’s we worried about until you played a major role in 3 Flyers goals tonight.

4.       Hey Buff, it’s nice to know you’re alive.  Your effort in the third period was greater than your effort in the previous 11 periods combined.  Throw that body, no one can stop you but yourself.  Yes Pronger, not even you stand a chance if Buff is on his game.  Hopefully the fire Buff showed in the third will carry over to a solid performance on Sunday.

I honestly thought after Game 3 the Hawks had accepted Philly as a worthy adversary…I guessed wrong.  Hopefully now the Hawks realize what’s at stake and decide to show up on Sunday.  Nothing can stop the Hawks but themselves, but as we saw tonight, they are perfectly capable of playing themselves out of hockey games.