How Do Both Teams Respond To The Momentum Of The Blackhawks?

Added on Apr 25, 2011 by J Merrill in

NHL

The United Center got really quiet when the first Vancouver Goal found the back of the net, but the place erupted when Ben Smith put the last one went in in overtime to extend the series to 7 games. This Chicago Blackhawks team became the 7th team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 deficit, and of the previous 6, only three of them went on to win game seven and advance. The one thing everyone knew going into this season was that the Blackhawks had a ton of heart, and it was no surprise to a lot of Chicagoans that they came back to win game 6.

Now that we know Cory Schneider will not be starting in game 7 and that Ray Luongo will have the goaltending details, we are going to see which team is going to overcome the immense pressure. The oddest thing about game 6, was that Vancouver looked great as a team, almost like they did in the first two games. Vancouver looked like the quicker team in the first two games, and in the first period in game 6, but the Hawks found a way to win the game and respond every time the Canucks went ahead.

The bad news for Canucks is that the Hawks have momentum, and they know how to beat them. After responding to every goal last night and winning every “must win” game but one in the last 5 weeks you can’t deny the amount of mettle the Hawks have and the momentum they have shown. They have shown they know how to beat Ray Luongo, and now its just a matter of doing it. If the Hawks can pass cleanly in game 7, I really think they can steal this series from the Canucks on their ice.

The good news for the Canucks, is that the same goalie the Hawks ran a goal train on, is the same goalie that has shut them out. As recently as last week. Thats the kind of hockey they need to play to get ahead on the Hawks early. I think if they let Chicago hang around in this game, they always have the chance to become explosive and get goals. If they can get their crowd behind them, and get a comfortable lead on them early, defensively they should be able to handle everything Chicago can bring.

If the Canucks play with the same quickness and aggressiveness as they did in games 1 and 2 they can advance. If the Hawks can force them to play their type of Hockey for 60 minutes they can advance. However, both teams are playing for a lot besides gaining a pass in the next round. This would be the third time in a row that the Canucks were sent home by Chicago, and this time its in front of their fans. For Chicago, they fought so hard to get into the playoffs, and were able to do what many said couldn’t be done after games one and two. To have that snatched away, no matter the venue, is impossible for the Hawks to even imagine. Especially for the defending Stanley Cup Champions. This could very well end up being the best game of the series, and the best game of the playoffs so far.