OK, Wild fans, take it easy.
I’m not casting aspersions on anyone’s actual manhood. Rather just pointing out the obvious, the Blackhawks looked like men playing against boys in the 4-game sweep of a willing, but overmatched Minnesota Wild.
The Hawks had, from the opening horn of Game 1 to the relative melee at the end of Game 4, the Wild’s number up and down the ice.
The two clubs finished the regular season a couple of points apart. The gulf as far as playoff hockey might actually be wider than it was the previous two seasons.
What happened this year?
A few theories:
First, the Wild lost some juice in a pretty tough, competitive 6-game series against the Blues in Round 1. Thank you, Barrett Jackman. It must feel good to finally be useful in some way. Maybe there was a hidden injury here or there, you really have to wonder that about Ryan Suter, for example.
Second, a lot of things are aligning for the Hawks at the right time, after a regular season and first round of the playoffs where they were at times brilliant and at times, mediocre or just plain bad.
Third, the Wild are not what their press clippings read, and still need some help, especially at forward.
Sure, there were a couple of tense moments last night as the Wild pulled to within a goal late in the third, aided by two power plays and a pulled goalie. But for most of the night, the outcome really never appeared in doubt.
If I were married to June Cleaver, she might ask, “Ward, aren’t you being a little hard on the Wild?…
Maybe I am.
Hey, those guys in the Indianhead are just that good at this time of year.
5 Western Conference Final appearances in 7 seasons (to go with two Stanley Cups in that time). Were it not for the Kings two Cups, this morning we could be calling the Hawks the latest NHL Dynasty, and really the only one of the Cap Era.
Chicago is only half way to another Cup. But if we’re talking about that 6 weeks from now, then we are in “Dynasty Mode.…
But it’s never easy, is it? That 3-wheeled shopping cart overturned at the Hawks’ blueline in the third period will be missed. Michal Rozsival’s season (and Blackhawk career) is likely over with what looked to be a broken leg or ankle.
For all the heat he’s taken, the guy played solid, generally mistake free hockey in these playoffs, and provided a physical presence, chewing up 15-20 minutes a night on an already undermanned blueline.
The rostered candidates to fill those minutes? Kimmo Timonen, the 40 year old running on fumes, who Rozsival’s minutes were helping keep off the ice, AHL journeyman Kyle Cumiskey, the Bambi-like giveaway machine called David Rundblad.
I have heard from a quality source that there is next to no chance we will see Rundlbad.
Joel Quenneville has a history (parts of two seasons in Colorado) and some confidence level with Cumiskey.
It’s also my understanding that Rozsival’s injury allows a callup from Rockford. Interesting.
Rozsival and Brent Seabrook were the only right handed shots on the blueline thus far in the playoffs. Yes, Rundblad has a (good) right-handed shot, along with a predilection for absolutely back- and spirit-breaking defensive zone turnovers that lead to goals.
Which is why I really don’t think Quenneville will play him unless literally forced to.
That points to 2010 second-round draft pick Stephen Johns, who is big, mobile, mean, right-handed and thoroughly dominant at this point—in the AHL. Johns has never played in a regular season NHL game, much less the playoffs.
So my guess is Johns gets recalled, and Cumiskey gets the first shot to chew up 8-10 minutes a night, while Timonen’s minutes get bumped a bit as well.
Great to be a Hawk fan this morning, as we await either the Ducks or Flames in the WCF.
All for now,
JJ
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