Another Pivotal Game 5-Familiar?

I do not know how I can follow up with all these thank-you notes from Luis, but I will try. I will also note that I am with Mr. Medina on his appreciation for the media servies staff!!! And now, time for my blog...

In the first series with Calgary, the Chicago Blackhawks faced an important Game 5 with the series knotted up at two. Now, we reach that same situation in the second round, but the Hawks have to play in Canada instead of the Windy City.

Yet, they should be confident in themselves somewhat, not because of how they played the first 57 minutes of Game 4, but because of the next six minutes including OT. Not much was going right for the Hawks offensively, but as Vancouver was playing a defensive-minded game, the Hawks finally exposed that defense. Vancouver had just 15 shots on the night, and eventually, a good offensive team like the Hawks are going to start pushing. They did and earned a 2-1 overtime win.

This got the fans going as well, and the same type of crowd for the other team should be expected in Vancouver. The Blackhawks surely need to get an early lead in this game, something that has not happened yet. Chicago keeps falling behind, and while they have the talent to come back and have showed that, they cannot keep digging themselves the early hole.

Coach Joel Quenneville should have the Hawks ready and so should Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. It will be a fight, and I guess it will not be as easy for Chicago as their 5-1 Game 5 win was in round one.

So, get ready for exciting playoff hockey, because also this weekend, the Red Wings and Ducks will meet for a game 5 in motown. There were also be more of the Ovechkin-Crosby rivalry in the Washington-Pittsburgh series and those pesky Hurricanes will look to knock off Eastern Conference Champion.

You have to love playoff hockey, and if you do, the name Eddie Olczyk will forever be in your mind. Not only he is the lead color analyst for the Hawks, but he does other games on NBC and Versus as well. The guy is a hockey guru, and he is one of the many reasons to like the postseason.

And the Blackhawks are right in the middle of it. It should be a fun weekend in the NHL.