The Unsung Hero

First and foremost, I have to say that I'm grateful that I was able to leave Carbondale on Saturday afternoon and returned to the DeKalb area where I was immediately greeted to Game 5 of the Blackhawks-Canucks series. Thankfully everyone in Carbondale appears to be holding up, save for the fact that there might not be power for about a week or so. But Carbondale still might have a more powerful offense than the Chicago White Sox. Too soon?

Regardless, Game 5 featured another gigantic game from Dustin Byfuglien. Big Buff tallied two goals, including a game-tying goal that gave the Hawks a huge boost heading into the 3rd period. His numbers might not scream how great he's been in the playoffs (3 goals and 3 assists), but every Blackhawks fan out there knows how great he's been in the postseason. His aggressiveness has been key as he helped draw the penalty that eventually led to a tie game. I'd go as far as saying he's been the Hawks best player in the playoffs. In a couple of series' where stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have been virtually non-existant at times, he has been anything but. He has been a big part of the reason why this team has responded well in times of adversity in the playoffs. It's going to take another good game from number 33 tonight if the Hawks want to close out the Canucks and advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The Blackhawks need to be the aggressor early on, much like they were Saturday night. Even though the Canucks came back from the early 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead on Saturday, they do tend to get out of their element when playing from behind. That sounds obvious but Vancouver's philosophy is to get a lead and hold on for dear life.

If you're one of the fortunate people headed to the United Center tonight, keep in mind the game is an 8:05 central start tonight. Standing room only tickets are only going for $55 on StubHub so if you want to experience one of the loudest crowds in recent Chicago memory, there's always that option. It's going to be a fun night and hopefully it results in the Blackhawks heading to the NHL's version of the Final Four.