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The title of yesterday’s blog was Coffee Is For Closers—a reference to a scene from David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross.
This morning, the Hawks are enjoying their well-earned coffee, having closed out the game, but ultimately outmatched Minnesota Wild in six games—capped by an overtime series winner from who else—Captain Drama Himself— Patrick Kane.
Kane played last night with a special intensity. But the true star of the game had to be goalie Corey Crawford.
Crawford is proving his doubters (including yours truly) wrong. He has laid the Ghosts of 2012 to rest. And he is, in fact, one of the best goalies in the National Hockey League.
Because winning talks. And winning in high pressure situations speaks volumes. Yes, Crawford had, as my buddy Wiz likes to say, a horseshoe in his pads last night. More than once, a goal was saved by a bad bounce or the iron ping of the post. But Crawford also made some huge saves when he had to, under control in his crease all night and tracking the puck like a laser.
Other Hawks who I thought played very well:
Niklas Hjalmarsson, Sheldon Brookbank (who saved maybe two goals with outstanding stick plays), Brent Seabrook (what a stud), Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Peter Regin (per usual, in the play when it counted and playing way bigger than his size), Marcus Kruger and Ben Smith.
The Hawks played last night like they smelled blood in the water—and had absolutely zero interest in a game 7 tomorrow night at the UC.
From a broader perspective, this will be the Hawks’ third appearance in the Western Conference Finals in the last 5 years. And while there’s been some debate about which Hawk team (2010, 2013 or this one) is the best, one thing is clear: this is now a team and an organization that knows how to win, and win when it counts.
Enjoy it, Hawk Fans.
JJ