ONE GOAL! The world (and my frown) turned upside down
Well, actually it was a little more than just the one slapshot.
Twenty-four hours ago, it looked like the Blackhawks could never beat Boston at home (they would have had to do it once to win the Stanley Cup, since Boston had beaten them once at home and stolen home-ice advantage). And in this year's playoffs, nobody- but nobody- beat the Bruins at home.
It looked like the Hawks could never compete with Boston in winning faceoffs.
It looked like the Hawks' power play could never get on the board,.
It looked like their big guns- Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa- just couldn't score.
It looked like Boston goalie Tuukkla Rask was Superman- and the Hawks' Corey Crawford was, at best, Green Lantern.
It looked like the Hawks were going back to Chicago Saturday trailing Boston three games to one- only one game from elimination, and still having to play one game in Boston. The Trib said they were "in denial" about the multiple things they were doing wrong. Pessimism reigned supreme- and with good reason. Boston had whipped the Hawks so thoroughly in Game Three that this bit of...er, enthusiasm from a Boston fan seemed quite appropriate:
(Picture removed in a fit of good taste). Well, suffice it to say that the picture stated that the Bruins OWNED the Blackhawks, using an adverb generally acceptable on TV these days but still unacceptable in polite company.
I myself was preparing myself for the kind of disappointment after a magical season that Chicago sports fans- and Hawks fans of a certain age in particular- know so well.
But the Hawks ended up last night winning only one fewer faceoffs than the Bruins.
The power play scored.
Toews and Kane each scored, and Hossa had an assist.
And then, in overtime...
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