ONE GOAL!: No goals

You have to hand it to the Detroit Red Wings: they are doing everything right.

Not only did they shut down Hawks star Jonathan Toews yet again, but their physical harassment made him totally lose his cool. Three Toews penalties in the second period are anything but characteristic for Captain Serious. Granted, the one that hurt- a high-sticking call which appeared to me to be the best job of diving anybody has seen since the London Olympics- was somewhat questionable. But it set up a power play goal by Jakub Kindl that essentially cost the Hawks the game with one second left on the penalty.

"We'd like to keep him in the box," Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said of Toews. "He's not as good for them in the box."

The result: the Blackhawks- virtually unstoppable during the regular season- are one defeat from elimination in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Final score: Detroit 2, Hawks 0.

The second goal was an open-netter by former Hawk Dan Cleary as the clock wore down in the final period.

Other than Toews' lack of discipline, you can't fault the way the Hawks played. They had the better of the game most of the way, in fact. Each team had two shots get in back of the opposition goaltender prior to that open-netter. The Hawks rang two off the post, and another off the crossbar. The Wings hit the post twice- and the second time, Kindl's shot ricocheted between the post and Corey Crawford's outstretched leg with one second left on Toew's questionable high-sticking penalty.

The Hawks had not allowed a power play goal for the entire playoffs. Now they have to win three in a row; the next defeat sends them home for the summer.

This is a hell of a way to end what has been a magical season.  But again, you have to give the Wings credit. The way their kids are playing, I might have predicted their demise as a dominant NHL team too quickly. And they know how to win; the Hawks- Stanley Cup champs only four seasons ago- seem to have forgotten.

The Hawks were down three games to one in the Nashville series the year they won the Cup. They came from a three games to none deficit in a first-round series with Vancouver two seasons ago to force a Game Seven, only to lose in overtime. Coming back is not impossible.

But neitiher the 2010 Preds nor the 2011 Canucks are the talented, disciplined squad the Hawks are playing this year. Saying that it would be impossible for the Hawks to pull the series- and the season- out of the fire would be going too far.

But merely saying that at this point it seems unlikely wouldn't be going nearly far enough.

Game Five will be at home and on national television at seven Saturday night. If the Hawks somehow win that one, they would still have to beat Detroit at Joe Louis Arena in Game Six in order to force a decisive Game Seven at the UC.

And it looks like at least as much of a longshot as the Hawks losing three in a row looked only a few months ago.

Here are the so-called highlights. They are not for the weak of stomach:

Also sprach Coach Q:

ONE GOAL!: Gotta get those Wings tonight!

Let's hope Captain Serious and Kaner aren't whistling in the dark when they say that the Warriors of the Four Feathers are going into the game "happy and confident."

And let's hope even more that they still feel that way when we all go to bed tonight!

GO HAWKS!

Could a teleprompter keep Joe Biden tethered to reality?

Joe Biden says that "Barack is learning to speak without a teleprompter- and I'm learning to speak with one."

Gee. D'ya think that will help you remember which way you voted on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Joe?

Biden, for those who missed it, claimed during last year's vice-presidential debate to have voted against both of them. In fact, he voted FOR both of them.

HT: Drudge

You can't make this stuff up

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) blames Republicans for the Oklahoma City tornado.

Meanwhile, the creator of Comedy Central's The Daily Show has displayed both insensitivity to the people of Moore, Oklahoma and cluelessness about how serious the political abuse of the IRS is when she tweeted that the tornado unfairly targeted conservatives.

To be fairer than the tornado (or the IRS) was, she later abjectly apologized.

HT: Drudge

ONE GOAL!: Blackhawks down

The Blackhawks are a better hockey team than the Detroit Red Wings. Or at least they have more talent.

During the regular season the Hawks beat the Wings every time the two teams played. And in Game One of their Stanley Cup Conference Semi-Final, the warriors of the Four Feathers dominated the octopus boys.

But Game Two was a mirror image of the first, with Detroit doing the dominating. And last night, the Wings dominated again.

Detroit beat the Hawks 3-1 to take a two games to one lead in the best-of seven series.

Never during the regular season did the Hawks lose more than two games in a row. Never. They will come out smoking Thursday night in Detroit. They will have to. Another loss will put them one defeat from elimination.

There are lots of reasons why the Hawks are in trouble. First, the inability of Hawks star Jonathan Toews to get going in this year's playoffs has crippled them. Were it not for their depth, which has consistently gotten scoring from their second and third lines, the Hawks would be in even deeper trouble. And frankly, their defense- a strength throughout the regular season for the team which allowed the fewest goals of any in the NHL- has stunk the place up thus far in the Detroit series.

At least Patrick Kane, one of the other Chicago stars, has come around. For the second game in a row, Kaner scored the Hawks' only goal.

Then, too, Wings goalie Jimmy Howard has been stellar. And the  Red Wings are a team with a great deal of pride. The series with the Hawks- the last such encounter between the arch-rivals, since Detroit is moving to the Eastern Conference next year- could potentially be a source of long lasting embarassment. The Hawks figured to win rather easily, and the Wings know it. Combine that with the habits of a team which has spent a long time at the top of the NHL heap and knows how to win, and you have a prescription for trouble for a Hawks team that perhaps has had it too easy for too long.

The Hawks have to get a grip- now. Granted, Game Five would be back in Chicago. But any way you slice it, the Hawks- who, as the team with the NHL's best record in the regular season, has theoretical home ice advantage throughout the playoffs- will have to win one game at Detroit in order to win the series.

This is the time for the Hawks to do what champions do, and win when they have to. Wednesday night, we'll find out whether the Hawks are the real deal, or simply another Chicago fizzle.

A cautionary tale

Yesterday at the library I came across a book called Zombie Illinois. It begins with the mayor of Chicago being eaten alive by zombies on live TV.

Just shows how quickly your allies can turn against you in Chicago politics. Zombies are one of Mayor Emanuel's core constituencies. The Regular Democratic Organization has always done well among the zombies, as well as among the dead generally.

Sounds like vindication to me

Mitt Romney and Jay Leno on Hillary Clinton, the scandal-ridden Obama administration, IRSgate, and Benghazi

I'm not a fan of Mr. Obama, either. In case you hadn't guessed.

HT: Drudge

Happy Birthday, Christian Church!

Acts 2

English Standard Version (ESV)


The Coming of the Holy Spirit

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested[a] on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Peter's Sermon at Pentecost

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.[b] 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:


17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants[c] and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[d] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,


“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,


“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

ONE GOAL!: Blackhawks take first of two loses to Wings

Hendrik Zutterberg and Pavel Datsuk may not be Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman, but they aren't chopped liver, either. And the Detroit Red Wings are still no pushovers in this, the sunset of their era as one of the NHL's top four or five teams.

They proved that Saturday afternoon as the Wings beat my Blackhawks 4-1 at the UC.

It was the same score as in Game One, except with the teams reversed. And it was a mirror image of the first game in another way, too: the winning team dominated the last two periods after an essentially even initial stanza.

Looking at the statistics, two things stand out. First, the Wings had 30 shots on goal to the Hawks' 20. And the Wings also dominated in the faceoff department. I think both of those things speak to what I think was the main dynamic in this game: the Wings wanted it more. They had something to prove, while the Hawks were probably just a tad overconfident, especially in their own building.

It should be noted that this is the first time this season Detroit has managed to beat the Hawks. I think it will happen once more before they're through. I still say it'll be the Hawks in six.

Tomorrow night in Detroit it will be the Hawks who will be motivated. I think it will probably be the best game of the series.

Lowlights:

Texas abortion investigation continues

More on the alleged "second Gosnell" case in Texas.

HT: Drudge
 

Another Gosnell- in Texas?

Kermit Gosnell may not be alone...

Wherever any living member of our species is denied legal personhood, Gosnell will always have kindred spirits.

And imitators.

HT: Drudge
 

ONE GOAL!: Blackhawks 4, Red Wings 1 in Game One

Daytwah put up a better fight than the score would indicate, but the inmates of the Madhouse on Madison were just too much.

The Hawks beat the Wings 4-1 last night in Game One of their best-of-seven Stanley Cup Western Conference Semi-Final last night at the United Center.

Game Two, which will also be at the UC, will begin Saturday at noon, and will be nationally broadcast on NBC.

Marian Hossa did score a goal, but Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane (who- believe it or not- is a finalist for the Lady Byng trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player!)remained in the background as the Hawks demonstrated their intimidating depth with goals by Johnny Oduya and Marcus Kruger making the difference. Patrick Sharp buried an empty-netter as the clock wound down.

Odyuh's clincher:

Corey Crawford continued to shine between the pipes. If this guy doesn't win the Vezina, there should be a special prosecutor appointed. We rock.

Poor Detroit...

The series begins at the UC at seven tonight.

Hawks in six.

Potpourii

Abortionist Dr. Kermit Gosnell has agreed to give up his right to appeal his murder conviction in order to avoid the death penalty. The Philadelphia...er.... physician will be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Detroit's Democratic mayor, Dave Bing, is giving up. He'll retire from office when his present term ends.

Seems like an extreme reaction to the Wings drawing the Blackhawks in the second round of the playoffs, but I guess I can understand his despair at the prospect.

Actually, Detroit's fiscal woes are probably responsible. On the other hand, Michigan's Republican governor, Rick Snyder, has announced that the hitherto strapped state will show a $483 million surplus.

Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner is "definitely" running for New York mayor. At least we can trust him to engage in full disclosure.

And David Axelrod, the Karl Rove of the current administration, whines that the government is "too vast" for President Obama to control.

Two things: first, Republicans have been saying for quite a while that the government is too big, but Mr. Obama has always insisted otherwise. And secondly, didn't Mitt Romney try to tell us last year that Mr. Obama wasn't up to the job? We would probably be better off if we'd have believed him then instead of having Mr. Obama's chief political operative admit it now that it's too late to do anything about it.

HT: Drudge

A primer on marriage revisionism and common sense

Here's a good, short course on the drive toward the oxymoronic fad called same-sex "marriage" from the people at the Manhattan Declaration, of which yours truly is a signatory:

HUZZAH! Jack is back! Fox announces return of '24!'

Jack Bauer may be coming in from the cold.

Fox  has announced that a limited new 12 "hour" season of '24' will be broadcast beginning in May of 2014.

The series, which ended with renegade Federal agent Jack Bauer a wanted fugitive after using...er, rather extreme tactics to expose a conspiracy involving the White House to cover up Russian involvement in the murder of a charismatic, peace-seeking Islamic statesman, had a large and extremely devoted following throughout its eight year run.

The cancellation of Kieffer Sutherland's current series, 'Touch," makes him available to reprise the role of Bauer. Plans to produce a full-length theatrical film using the characters from the series had come to nothing.

I am one of many who regarded '24' as one of the finest series in television history.Each episode encompassed a 24-hour period in the life of the tormented and morally conflicted Bauer, who lost his wife during the series' first season, and thereafter found himself over and doing whatever was necessary to protect the safety of the United States from a variety of threats by terrorists and others.  On occasion, that included torture, a fact which was unpopular among many liberals despite the fact that many of them were loyal fans. Bill Clinton was a confirmed Jack Bauer addict, and leftist actress and commentator Janeanne Garafolo was actually a series regular fpr a while.

This is one Jack Bauer addict who can hardly wait. If only we could have gotten him to Benghazi....

GOSNELL FOUND GUILTY!

Abortionist Kermit Gosnell, who snipped the spinal cords of viable babies and told jokes while doing it, has been convicted by a Philadelphia jury of three counts of first-degree murder.

He is eligible for the death penalty.

The national media pretty much ignored Gosnell's trial until Lutheran journalist Mollie Ziegler Hemingway challenged a Washington Post reporter on the subject via Twitter. Even now, the case isn't getting the coverage it should. Political correctness and simple bias trumps the journalistic instincts of the media once again.

Gosnell's house of horrors is, of course, the tip of the iceberg. If not for the geography of the child (outside the mother's body), Gosnell's murders would have been perfectly legal.

And similar crimes as morally- if not legally- repugnant are going on all over America. I can't help but reflect upon Jefferson's comment with regard to slavery: "I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just."

But at least one serial killer of the helpless has been taken off the streets.

ONE GOAL!: Hawks face Day-twah next

I got my wish. The Blackhawks' second-round playoff opponent will be their arch-rivals, soon to be moved to another division: the Detroit Red Wings.

The Hawks should win in six. But never count out the Wings, an opponent who has earned the respect as well as the distain of Chicago fans over the years. The Montreal Canadians- the New York Yankees of hockey- have won 24 Stanley Cups; Detroit is tied with Toronto for second place, with eleven (the Hawks have won four).

Detroit's last Cup was in 2008. The Hawks' was in 2010.

The Hawks, who won the President's Trophy (best regular-season record) and set an all-time record for the best start in NHL history this year (24 games in a row before their first regulation loss), will be favored- and rightly so. But never count out the Wings. It should be a great series.

I'm happy with the matchup, not only because it pits a pair of arch-rivals against each other but because I think the Hawks would have had a tougher time with the San Jose Sharks, who will now draw the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. And the Wing's 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks last night means that the Blackhawks won't have to face the Ducks- the one team in the league that has had their number this year- down the road.

I disagree with Micheline Maynard, however, about the status of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane with reference to the many legendary players from both teams. Toews and Kane have certainly already attained the stature of some of the greats she names at equivalent points in their careers. While the Wings lack similar stars, they still are a team with character, skill and tradition that knows how to win.

I discovered late in the Minnesota series that if I put my clock radio on the windowsill next to my bed I could pick up WGN and the play-by-play.

I plan to go to bed early quite often the next week or so. With an air horn and a couple of beers.

GO HAWKS!

A lady who should make most Christian conservatives ashamed of themselves

Sometimes conservatives seem to miss the point. Not as often as liberals do. But sometimes.

And sometimes they don't. This Christian lady shames us all.

Or she should.

There are some pretty significant differences between Christianity and Islam. One of them is that if an American set off a bomb in, say, Iran, I doubt that anybody would feel compelled as a matter of religious obligation to offer him their burial plot.

I wonder why so many Christians follow the Koran rather than the Sermon on the Mount when it comes to situations like this.

Well.... not really. I know why I do so much of the time .

It's my fallen nature.

HT: Drudge

Ex-Clinton aide fears Democratic Party in decline

Doug Sosnik, the political director in the Clinton White House, sees the Democratic party headed for a nosedive once Barack Obama is no longer leading it.

And his arguments are persuasive.

Maybe there's hope for America after all.

Meanwhile, the IRS has admitted inappropriately targeting conservative groups for special attention during the 2012 campaign .

But it's sorry.

HT: Drudge

Blackhawks oust Wild, 5-1; Wings or Sharks are next

The Minnesota Wild are officially tamed.

Marian Hossa scored twice and Marcus Kruger, Patrick Sharp, and and Andrew Shaw once each as the Warriors of the Four Feathers beat Minnesota 5-1 at the United Center last night, ousting them from the playoffs.

Corey Crawford continued his spectacular goaltending, and Hawks fans continue to have reason for optimism. But it gets harder from here on out. The Hawks will play either the Detroit Red Wings or the San Jose Sharks next. Both teams are dangerous- though because of the historic rivalry between the teams and also because I think San Jose would be  a tougher opponent, I'm hoping it's Detroit.

There are only two teams I'm truly afraid of, though. Anaheim- who I have a hunch we'll end up playing in the Conference Finals- have had the Hawks' number all year. And Pittsburg, of course, is the only other NHL team this season in Chicago's class.

In any case, there's plenty of fun ahead as my Blackhawks gun for their second Stanley Cup in four years. The last time they won a series, btw, they went on to win it all.

Here are some scenes from the UC last night- including the most civilized custom in all of sports: the handshake line, when the players from both teams exchange congratulations after the final buzzer of the deciding game.

GO HAWKS!

Once in a while...

...even HuffPo runs something that generates hope rather than despair.

HT: AOL

Jesus wept

Here's the story of a congregation savaged by the power-hungry nomenclatura of an apostate denomination, the "Evangelical" "Lutheran" "Church" in America:



More here.

Gosnell is the tip of the iceberg

If you want to know what Roe v. Wade has really done to us as a nation, check this out.

HT: Drudge

Redford will narrate pro-Rahm propaganda piece

The Clinton News Network has commissioned a documentary series on Chicago and Mayor Rahm !@#$%">!@#$% Emanuel staring Robert Redford, whose inclination seems to be to make it a puff piece.

No information yet on whether the cameraman will be instructed to avoid showing Da Mare's jack boots.

ONE GOAL: Patrick's Sharp, Crow is stellar- and the Hawks lead the Wild, 3 games to 1

I have to admit that I'm not looking forward to the Series Two, no matter who the Blackhawks end up playing. Anaheim, St. Louis, Detroit and Los Angeles are all considerably better teams than the Minnesota Wild, and I regard the Ducks and the Blues in particular as real threats to pull an upset.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, the Hawks have to close out Minnesota at the UC tomorrow night. Then the time will come to worry about the Blues or Kings.

Stupid penalties kept the Hawks shorthanded throughout much of last night's game, but the penalty killing unit rose to the occasion. Goalie Corey Crawford shut the Wild out, and Patrick Sharp scored two goals (the first, below). Brian Bickel scored the other.

Final: Chicago 3, Minnesota 0.



As Barry Melrose commented Sunday, the Hawks and the Penguins are in a class by themselves. But that's not to say that there aren't teams that are close. While I think it will be the Hawks and the Pens in the Finals, any of the Western Conference teams we're apt to face from here on out could pull an upset. I'm cautiously optimistic at this point. But the emphasis is on the word "cautiously."

GO HAWKS!