March 23, 2020: Game One Blues

If you’ve been following along, and if your memory is as good as or better than mine, you will remember that Game 1 at the UC was not our strongest thus far in these 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Hawks dropped Game 1 to the Preds; we dropped Game 1 to the Canucks. Yes, we won both of those series… thankfully, but it’s like playing with fire giving up home ice advantage right out of the gate. In the Western Conference Finals, there was no Game 1 at the UC; the Blackhawks went on the road and took the first one in San Jose. How would the Blackhawks fare with the game one blues against the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final?

Well, first off… I kind of chuckled at the title… “Blues”… and was thinking they still don’t have a Stanley Cup championship, but then I remembered, that yes, the finally did get one; I remember I didn’t mind because I certainly didn’t want a Boston team winning another one. Anyways, back to this Philadelphia team… it was about as exciting a Game 1 as you could ask for as a Blackhawks fan. Waiting 28 years for another shot at the Cup, I know I was more excited for this game than any other Blackhawks game in my life up until that point, and maybe even since then. As I’ve talked about at length, the last time around, I was very unfamiliar with the Blackhawks; in 1992, it was still fun, but I didn’t know that team like I did this one. I didn’t get to watch almost every single game back in 1991-1992, like I did during this 2009-2010 season. Yes, the Blackhawks were front and center; let the Finals begin.

It was a shootout. 1-0 Flyers, 1-1, 2-1 Hawks, 2-2, 3-2 Flyers, 3-3, 4-3 Flyers, 4-4, 5-4 Hawks, 5-5, and finally 6-5 Hawks. Fun stuff eh? Yeah, the rollercoaster ride had begun, and we had our seat belts buckled. Looking at the list of goal scorers for the Blackhawks that day, Brouwer (2), Bolland (SH), Sharp, Versteeg, and Kopecky gave you an important reminder why this Blackhawks team was so good; its depth! We’ve talked about many of the players along the way, but honestly, just about every single member of this team contributed; I’m sure this is a common trait among championship teams. From the 1st line to the 4th line, the Blackhawks brought it each and every game. If one line was doing better than another, they’d get some more ice time. Coach Q never hesitated mixing up the lines either if something wasn’t working; I miss Coach Q.

I miss this Blackhawks team too. They were able to play any type of game. You want to go up and down the ice, they could outscore you. You want to play a close, defensive battle, they had the defense, the 2 way players, and the goaltender to do it. This team even mixed it up too; they delivered hits and defended our young star players. They didn’t give a crap. They were talented and they knew it. Heard many stories about how they would “party” as a team off the ice too. And now, they had a 1-0 lead in the Stanley Cup finals; 3 games away from glory. Next up… Game 2 back at the UC.