Young Hawks Can Handle the Heat
April 28th, 2009 by Peter Maher
By beating the Flames 4-1 Monday to clinch the series, I must admit the youthful Chicago Blackhawks proved me wrong.
It was Feb. 5 just after the Hawks had beaten the Flames 5-2 in the 52nd reg-season game for both that I made an assessment.
“This is a team you wouldn’t mind playing in […]
History isn’t on the Flames sides.
Injuries have hit more Flames than Blackhawks.
So as the Flames face elimination Monday their greatest advantage may be the hometown crowd.
Home ice advantage has prevailed in all 5 games to date in this series. Eventually, if the Flames are to advance beyond the round one for the first […]
Quick Hit Was All Hawks Needed
April 26th, 2009 by Peter Maher
In Reader’s Digest terms, Game 5 was a one-minute and 49-second game.
The records show the Flames and Blackhawks played the required 60 minutes.
All that was really required was the 1:49 sequence midway in the 1st period. The Hawks scored 3 goals and coasted the rest of the way as the 22,500 Chicago fans roared […]
Injured Players Ready as Abnormal Series Resumes
April 25th, 2009 by Peter Maher
This Flame-Blackhawk series has gone against the grain in many ways as Game 5 awaits on Saturday with Bourque, Conroy and Langkow back in the Flame line-up.
About the only thing normal is that the home team has won all 4 games and even that is a bit unusual considering that none of the […]
Negative becomes Positive in Big Win
April 23rd, 2009 by Peter Maher
As the Flames finished the regular-season with a shorthanded line-up due to Salary Cap issues and injuries, there were more than a few disgrunted fans.
All’s well that ends well. Wednesday the Flames were reduced to playing 9 forwards just like old days (a week-and-half ago) and Coach Mike Keenan felt being familiar with playing short-staffed […]
Words Replaced by Action Now
April 22nd, 2009 by Peter Maher
Its Earth Day and tonight it’ll be more player friendly, at least, verbally, as the Flames and Blackhawks clash in Game 4.
An edict from the NHL office will tone down the trash talking and “face-wash” activity after the whistle, but don’t look for the intensity level to be anything less than we saw […]
Flames
April 21st, 2009 by Peter Maher
“The all-important first goal” isn’t so important in this Flame-Blackhawk series.
Monday night for the 3rd time in 3 games, team scoring first lost. This time it was the Flames yielding the first goal, just 2:03 into the first period. Less than 5 minutes later, Eric Nystrom tied it for the Flames. The first of […]
Will 10th Time be the Flames Charm?
April 20th, 2009 by Peter Maher
Teams have comeback frrom being down 2-0 in a playoff series, but the Flames have never done so as they await Monday’s Game 3 at the Saddledome.
Nine times the Flames have gotten off to 0-2 starts in playoff series, losing all 9.
There’s always a first time and now the Flames look to […]
Home Ice Advantage Now Vital
April 19th, 2009 by Peter Maher
Its said that home ice advantage is worth a goal-a-game. The Blackhawks got that edge in front of their wild, maddening red-towel waiving Chicago crowd with a pair of 3-2 wins.
Now its imperative the “C” of Red provide the Flames with the same spark on Monday and Wednesday.
The one big factor favoring the […]
Crowd Help Hawks’ Havlat on OTG; Will Cammy Be Suspend?
April 16th, 2009 by Peter Maher
For 5 years now I’ve contended that if the red light had gone and Flames had staged a celebration when Martin Gelinas scored in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final in 2004 the frenzy among the “C” of Red in Saddledome would have seen the goal count.
Thursday evening, here in Chicago, the towel waving […]
