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Alas, the March of Time.
Many younger readers will not remember the classic scene from David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, where Alec Baldwin (now the butt of a lot of jokes) appears as a ruthless emissary of a real estate firm’s head office—sent out to shake up a world weary field sales operation.
In his speech, Baldwin browbeats (and summarily fires) Jack Lemmon as he pours himself a cup of coffee, with the admonition that is the title of this blog:
“Under Quenneville, the Blackhawks are 9-2 in close out games with both losses to Vancouver (game 5, 2010, game 7, 2011). They are 5-1 in close out games on the road.…
Tonight in St. Paul MN, the Hawks get yet another chance to go for the jugular. And possibly enjoy some coffee before facing the Kings or Ducks in what would be their third Western Conference Final in the last 5 years.
Chicago Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild 9PM Eastern TSN/CNBC/RDS2
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Chicago
Bickell Toews Hossa Sharp Handzus kane Saad Regin Versteeg Nordtrom Kruger Smith
Keith Seabrook Oduya Hjalmarsson Leddy Brookbank
Crawford
Minnesota
Niederreiter Koivu Coyle Parise Granlund Pominville Cooke Haula Fontaine Heatley Brodziak McCormick
Suter Brodin Scandella Spurgeon Prosser Stoner
Bryzgalov
I would not go as far as predicting a Hawk victory. The Wild are notoriously stingy at home, and they have their backs to the wall. That said, this is typically the point in a series where the Hawks will put the pedal to the metal and close the deal.
Should be another good one.
All for now,
JJ