What were you doing in 2002? In April of that year, I was watching the Blackhawks take on the Blues in the postseason. I was also about to graduate 8th grade but that is not the subject of my blog. Yet that does show that 2002 is a long time ago for me, and it is also the last time Chicago has seen their NHL team in the postseason.
In that year, I did not have much faith in the team winning a series. I received some confidence after they won in St. Louis to take Game 1, but they did not win another game in the series after that. This season is a bit different, as players like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have helped lead a young squad to 104 points on the season and home-ice advantage in the first round. They have also taken all four games against Calgary this season and have outscored them 19 to 7 in the season sweep.
Yet something tells me that that last statistic is not necessarily a good thing, and essentially, it does not mean anything now that we have reached the playoffs. It's a whole new season as coaches and players let us know, and the regular season success doesn't mean much at all. The Hawks will have to stick with Calgary star Jerome Iginla and find a way to get the puck passed Miikka Kiprusoff.
Chicago goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is 22-5-2 all-time against the Flames including the 2004 Stanley Cup finals with the Lightning. Again, this stat does not mean a whole lot. All it says is the numbers are in favor of the Blackhawks, but unfortunately, you do not win games based on paper. The teams will decide it on the ice, beginning with tonight's game at the United Center.
So, get those playoff beards started, grab a seat, and enjoy playoff hockey. Chicago hopes they have more playoff games than they did in 2002.
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