CHICAGO, IL -- Well, they're finally here, boys and girls.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It feels like the season flew by, and I can't wait for the games to start on Wednesday! And, just like our Blackhawks, this isn't my first rodeo. Before this season, I really only watched hockey between the months of April and June, simply because no one (or, next to no one) in the South cares about hockey until then.
But, this season has been good to me. So good. I came in just as Kane's point streak tapered off (I think I saw maybe the last five or seven games of his streak), the awesome 12-game win streak, all of the injuries, the hat tricks, the travesty that was March, and the relatively good finish the boys had. I got to see Kane reach the Art Ross trophy for the first time ever, and the first time for an American player. That's pretty cool.
Needless to say, it's always good to be a Hawks fan. No matter what happens from here on out, we know our boys are one of the best teams in the league. They deserve the "hype" they receive--they aren't just a for-show kind of team. This is a well-oiled machine that operates on all cylinders (especially during the post-season), and if they don't make it all the way, they've got the next season to look forward to and fight harder for. I think they'll be a force to be reckoned with for a long time coming.
With all of that being said, I'm proud to be a Hawks fan. I'm so proud of this team that has done what seemed like the impossible and brought the Cup back to Chicago after 49 years--and three times at that. And, though they may or may not win it this year, I don't think they're stopping at three. Why would they? With the core group of guys they have signed for a while (Toews, Kane, Seabrook, Keith, Crawford), why not aim for the highest goal? Why not do it again?
They will. There's something just special about this team that I can't ever seem to place. It's something in the way they play, the way they never stop. Sure, they've got off-games, or injuries, or stupid penalties (*cough* too many men on the ice), but so does every other team in this league. These boys, though... They've got it. What 'it' is, I don't know, but they are remarkable. They've really proven a lot of people wrong this season. I think a lot of people--fans and sportswriters alike--thought they'd tank because they lost so many important players over the offseason (Sharp, Oduya, Saad, Raanta, etc.), but they definitely didn't do that.
It's funny that I'm writing all of this, because I originally made this post so I could be angry about the 9:30pm EST starts for two of the games. But, my pride in this team, this band of misfits, obviously took over.
And, you know what? I'm okay with that.
If you're curious/haven't seen the schedule for the Blackhawks yet, here's the first round schedule:
(And, I know it doesn't specify on this schedule, but Games 1, 2 + 4 are on NBCSN as well as CSN Chicago.)
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