On this episode of the Hawks Cast – Mac, Justyna and Brennan take a look at Game Three of the Stanley Cup Final. Are the Blackhawks beating themselves, or is Boston simply shutting down their offense? Later, the trio tries to figure out how to fix the power play and what type of effort the Hawks will need to turn this series around.

Follow on Twitter @Hawks_Cast

Last night’s game was painful for Blackhawks fans to watch.

This link sums it up:

Game 3’s performance by the Chicago Blackhawks was one the worst games I’ve seen this season.

The Bruins took it to the Blackhawks in every facet of the game. Faceoffs wins, forechecking, backchecking, special teams. You name it, the Bruins were better than the Blackhawks at it.

The Boston Bruins were the aggressor from the puck drop up until the final horn. Hell, I’d argue they’ve taken charge of the series ever since they withstood the 19-4 shots on goal advantage the Blackhawks had over them.

The last two games in the Stanley Cup Finals were winnable games for Chicago. I’m not going to say that the power play was the difference in winning and losing, but it is one the first place I would look to rectify moving forward.

At this point in time, I have to talk about the massive ineptitude that is the power play. The lack of scoring of special teams has frustrated fans, beat writers, the players as well as the coaching staff.  I thought they turned the corner during the Detroit series when the team scored a couple of goals via the power play.

What can be done? The team already has their best offensive players on the ice for the man advantage. Boston came into the series with a stout penalty-killing unit. Have the Blackhawks met their match? Thus far in the Stanley Cup Finals, it appears so.

Brandon Bollig was taken out of the lineup because of the lazy pass he made out of the Blackhawks zone. The pass led to a game-winning goal for Boston. Between games, Coach Joel Quenneville put Viktor Stalberg in the lineup. The last memory most Blackhawks fans may have of Stalberg’s Game 3  performance is the half-hazard attempt he made to stop Zdeno Chara from pummeling Bryan Bickell.

A few things need to happen for the Blackhawks to get back into this series: Get Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews involved. Next, the Blackhawks have to stop letting the Bruins dictate the pace. The Bruins took over this series. The Blackhawks cannot allow that to continue to happen. This series will be over sooner than later if some changes aren’t made.

Getting shut out had to be demoralizing to the Blackhawks. They have been through this before. Expect changes to be made.

The Blackhawks cannot come out the rest of the series and expect to win by doing more of the same. Something has got to give.

Follow on Twitter @EvanFMoore

Carlos Marmol

The Cubs have established that they’re not pretending to try to win anything this season, which is totally reasonable all things considered. In fact, the White Sox could take a few cues from Theo and Co. The Cubs need to try to get something for Marmol, and the only way they’re going to do that is if they let him play and someone sees something in him. He’s not very attractive on the bench. It’s also highly unlikely that benching him would do a whole lot for his confidence or performance, which are both seemingly at an all-time low. Sending him down to the minors could help, but ultimately he needs to prove he can pitch at the major league level to warrant a decent trade.

The players might be frustrated, but their opinions or emotions don’t matter. Everyone has that one coworker who doesn’t do shit, yet somehow he or she manages to keep their job. That’s life – your only job is to do your job! Sorry, the Thibs in me is coming out. Everyone could improve, and I’m sure they know that. I also don’t think Soriano meant anything by his comments; he didn’t say anything that wasn’t true (the Cubs do have Marmol’s back and he has lost confidence) and likely knows Marmol well enough to know how those words will affect him.

On another note (and this may mean nothing coming from a Cubs fan), there’s always a chance that Marmol could snap out of it. I realize it seems nearly impossible, but something’s gotta give eventually. Marmol is currently putting up similar numbers to his rookie season, when he posted a 6.08 ERA – identical to his current effort. He’s also giving up about the same number of hits per nine innings (8.4 to 2006’s 8.3) and walking a similar number of batters (7.1 to 2006’s 6.9). Marmol also currently averages almost four more strikeouts than he did as a rookie.

While these statistics shouldn’t hold much weight considering how inconsistent he’s been, Marmol did go on to post the best ERA (1.43) of his career the following season. He came in 26^th in MVP voting, and over the next few years managed to pitch consistently well. Obviously there’s no exact science to any of this, but the fact that Marmol has struggled before and pulled out of it is a good sign. All the Cubs can do is what their fans do best – wait and see if the situation improves.

Follow on Twitter @laurencomitor

Let’s not beat around the bush. Let’s take our Blackhawks fan glasses off for a minute and tell it like it is. If you want a recap where the writer pours Vaseline on your chest and tells you it gets better, find a different website.

If this were a fight, the Bruins would have been handed a 10-7 round on the score cards after the second period. Maybe it was worse, that may have been Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton type of brutality. The Blackhawks were on their heels and the Bruins were swinging for the fences.

At the end of those twenty minutes, it might only have been a 2-0 lead, but the Bruins felt miles ahead. Daniel Paille and Patrice Bergeron both tallied to make it a two goal advantage and it should have been more. That’s hockey. Just like period one of game two, the Hawks played better than a 1-0 lead indicated, but tonight it carried over for the Bruins.

Momentum can be overstated in sports, particularly hockey, but on some occasions it’s evident. Call it whatever you want, the Hawks were playing uphill in Boston tonight. The Bruins outclassed them for the entire game. It was only Corey Crawford who kept this game interesting after the first.

Let’s focus on the one positive for a moment, because that’s all you have on this night. Crawford was fantastic. The first period said 11-10 Boston on shots on goal, but the chances were not equal. The Bruins had scoring chance after scoring chance, but Crawford came up big on more than one on one battles.

That’s all you can point to Hawks fans. The night started with the news of Hossa being injured in warmups and it just got worse from there. Nobody outside of the most optimistic fans who was clinging on to it’s hockey crazy stuff can happen thought that third period was going to see a comeback. The Bruins were the better team tonight and have been for the majority of the series.

If it wasn’t on the shot chart, the dominance could be seen at the faceoff circle. In the end faceoffs were 40-16. Bergeron won 24 faceoffs to go along with his goal. It was embarrassing how badly, the Hawks were beaten.

Outside of the third period of game one and the first period of game two, the Hawks have been outplayed in every period through three games (plus the additional three periods of the opener) and the series changed tonight.

Let’s not even discuss the power play. There are no words to describe the atrocity, the man advantage has been the past two weeks.

The series isn’t over, but it changed tonight. The Bruins took control. They have been the better team through three games. Game four could turn out completely different, but there is little reason to believe it will. This series is a battle of imposing will, and the Bruins are imposing there the majority of the time. The speed advantage has been neutralized.

Game four is about as must win as a non must win game can be. A 3-1 one advantage would be crippling. Boston is not Detroit. The Blackhawks need to answer next game. The team that broke records this season needs to respond.

The Bruins have owned the majority of the series. Does Coach Q and company have an answer?

@MidwayPat

Chicago Blackhawks Skaters
No.	Player	Pos	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	S	Hits	BkS	GvA	TkA	FO%	TOI
2	D. Keith	D	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	1	0	0	-	26:21
4	N. Hjalmarsson	D	0	0	0	0	2	0	3	1	0	0	-	18:38
7	B. Seabrook	D	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	1	0	1	-	22:09
8	N. Leddy	D	0	0	0	-1	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	14:53
10	P. Sharp	L	0	0	0	-1	0	2	1	0	1	0	60%	17:12
16	M. Kruger	C	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	29%	13:08
19	J. Toews	C	0	0	0	0	0	5	1	0	0	0	42%	18:26
20	B. Saad	L	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0%	19:28
25	V. Stalberg	R	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	-	11:02
26	M. Handzus	C	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0%	11:51
27	J. Oduya	D	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	-	18:39
28	B. Smith	R	0	0	0	-1	0	1	0	2	1	0	0%	10:23
29	B. Bickell	L	0	0	0	0	2	3	3	0	0	0	-	11:43
32	M. Rozsival	D	0	0	0	-1	0	0	3	1	0	0	-	19:20
36	D. Bolland	C	0	0	0	-1	6	2	1	0	0	0	12%	12:29
65	A. Shaw	R	0	0	0	0	5	2	1	0	2	0	40%	16:04
67	M. Frolik	R	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	1	-	12:37
88	P. Kane	R	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	-	21:05

Chicago Blackhawks Goaltenders
No.	Player	EV	PP	SH	Saves – Shots	Sv%	PIM	TOI
30	R. Emery	0 – 0	0 – 0	0 – 0	0 – 0	-	0	0:00
50	C. Crawford (L) 13-7-2	23 – 24	9 – 10	1 – 1	33 – 35	.943	0	58:17

Boston Bruins Skaters
No.	Player	Pos	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	S	Hits	BkS	GvA	TkA	FO%	TOI
16	K. Daugavins	L	0	0	0	0	2	1	2	1	0	1	-	6:30
17	M. Lucic	L	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	0	1	0	0%	18:23
18	N. Horton	R	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	-	13:56
19	T. Seguin	C	0	1	1	1	0	3	2	1	1	1	-	15:10
20	D. Paille	L	1	0	1	1	0	1	1	0	0	2	-	14:11
21	A. Ference	D	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	1	0	0	-	22:05
22	S. Thornton	L	0	0	0	0	2	2	4	0	0	0	-	6:27
23	C. Kelly	C	0	1	1	1	0	2	1	1	0	0	73%	18:29
33	Z. Chara	D	0	1	1	0	4	1	3	1	1	0	-	25:47
37	P. Bergeron	C	1	0	1	0	0	7	0	1	0	0	86%	19:49
44	D. Seidenberg	D	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	6	2	0	-	25:04
46	D. Krejci	C	0	0	0	0	2	1	2	3	0	1	44%	18:43
47	T. Krug	D	0	0	0	1	0	2	1	1	0	1	-	11:45
49	R. Peverley	C	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	67%	11:37
54	A. McQuaid	D	0	0	0	1	2	0	1	0	1	0	-	11:11
55	J. Boychuk	D	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	-	19:59
63	B. Marchand	L	0	0	0	0	5	2	0	0	0	0	-	16:05
68	J. Jagr	R	0	1	1	0	0	4	0	0	2	0	-	16:38

Boston Bruins Goaltenders
No.	Player	EV	PP	SH	Saves – Shots	Sv%	PIM	TOI
35	A. Khudobin	0 – 0	0 – 0	0 – 0	0 – 0	-	0	0:00
40	T. Rask (W) 14-5-2	23 – 23	4 – 4	1 – 1	28 – 28	1.000	0	60:00

A lot of people assumed that Louisville would win over the prized transfer recruit, but it was Coach Beckman and new offensive coordinator Bill Cubit that convinced Lunt to come to Illinois.

“I like this offense,” Lunt said. “The quarterbacks get it out quickly. They go vertical. And they pass for a ton of yards. It’s a pass-happy offense.”

This system will do wonders for Lunt, but he can’t do it all by himself. Illinois does not have many skill players on the offensive side of the ball that are capable of playing up to the level that Lunt can. Lunt will definitely need some help, and it looks like he already has started to look for it as Lunt said one of first calls will be to WR Illini recruit Malik Turner.

Many might focus on or be excited by just the basic skill set and potential that Lunt has, but it’s also very important to remember just how much Lunt can possibly revitalize the Illinois football community.

Attendance has been very low as of late at Memorial Stadium, and you can’t really blame the fans for that. The team started of the 2011 season 6-0 and followed it with six straight losses before a sub-par bowl win over UCLA. Then going to last year; the whole season was a disaster. A 2-10 record with zero Big Ten wins.

And it wasn’t like the Illini were in very many games either. They were blown out in the majority of their losses besides a 20-17 home loss against a lowly Purdue team. What Lunt can do is bring an excitement back to the Illinois football fan base that hasn’t been there since the Rose Bowl run back in 2007 with Juice Williams.

Another way to look at it is seeing that Lunt is the first talented “pass first” quarterback that Illinois has had in a very long time. Nathan Scheelhaase and Williams both have struggled with their accuracy on throws, no matter the distance. They could always run, but when that was taken away, it was sometimes difficult to make any progress on offense.

Lunt will thrive in Cubit’s system that he is bringing over from Western Michigan. Cubit led the Broncos to three of their five bowl games in the team’s history.

It will be one season, however, until Lunt is able to play as he is ineligible due to NCAA regulations. But how can you not be excited to see this kid take the field come August of 2014. And look, he’s already used to throwing touchdowns in Memorial Stadium.

Follow on Twitter @MidwayKyle

Follow on Twitter @MidwayToday

Monday’s morning skate had Viktor Stalberg out with Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik on the fourth line. While it’s unfair to say Bollig was the reason the Hawks dropped game two in overtime, he was the direct cause of the game winning goal. It looked like a good case of tinkering by Joel Quennenville after game one, but the bruiser brought nothing to the table in the series’ second tilt. After collecting nine hits in game one and putting three shots on net, he had zeros across the board except for a -1 on the aforementioned game winner.

It was a case of fixing what wasn’t broken. Coach Q made an adjustment to counter Boston’s imposing physical lineup, but that’s not what the Blackhawks do. They skate around you, not through you. They dazzle you, they don’t destroy you. It was preemptive move that never needed to be made. Bollig isn’t going to be dropping the gloves in the finals. He isn’t stopping Zdeno Chara or Shawn Thornton from taking a run at one of the Blackhawks’ stars.

He was simply taking up a roster place that belonged to Stalberg. The idea of having enforcers is highly overrated especially on this Hawks roster.

The Swede may not have been lighting it up this postseason, but he is still a threat to do so. Bollig doesn’t threaten in anyway. Stalberg’s breakout speed is something that Boston always has to be aware of. Bollig plodding around doesn’t give the Bruins blueliners an extra thought. The Blackhawks got to where they are by playing their brand of hockey. The change to Bollig deviated from the plan.

I am not saying Stalberg is going to come out and score a pair of goals in game three, but he is capable and he is a better fit in the Hawks scheme. Coach Q is one of the best in business, but he over thought things here. Thankfully he has come to his senses and is dressing his best skaters tonight. One of the Blackhawks’ biggest assets is their depth of skill players and sitting Stalberg was counter productive.

Coach Q acknowledged, they needed his speed as reported by Mark Lazerus on twitter, “We need some speed from him, we need some energy.” while adding “Viktor, we’re just looking for more.” Stalberg admitted he was frustrated but also said the right things, “You’ve got to deserve your minutes, and apparently they didn’t feel like I did”.

As if this morning’s skate, it appears that is the only change in who dresses. Brandon Saad was skating with Johnny Toews and Marian Hossa while Bryan Bickell was on the third line. Chicago will look to erase a post season trend of six straight losses in the first road game of the series. The last time the Hawks pulled out a win was game three in San Jose during the 2010 Stanley Cup run.

After giving up home ice, the Hawks need to find a split in Boston to retake control. Whether they get it done, remains to be seen, but at least now they will be giving it a go with their best possible lineup.

@MidwayPat

In the first period of Game 2, we saw that team. The team that is evidently better than the Bruins. Outshooting the Bruins 19-4 and creating many opportunities to beat Tuukka Rask. Some will argue that the Blackhawks scored twice in the first period, but yet again, the Blackhawks had a goal ripped from their hands for the third time this postseason.

Regardless of whether or not that goal counted, the Blackhawks strayed away from their game. They had trouble possessing the puck in the 2nd and 3rd periods and couldn’t get shots on goal like they had in the first period, totaling only 15 shots for the remainder of the game – including overtime.

With the series tied at one game a piece, the Blackhawks have still not played their best hockey this series. We still haven’t seen Jonathan Toews explode offensively and it looks as if the Hawks aren’t using their depth as well as they could.

Toews does many things on the ice that don’t show up in the box score. He is a two-way forward whose presence is always felt on the ice. However, his goal production has been pretty bad this postseason and now is as good of a time as any to start lighting the lamp. The captain has one goal this postseason. He’s a marked man whenever he hits the ice but that really isn’t anything new since he became a superstar in the league. It’s time for him to start showing up on the box score.

All postseason long, and all season long for that matter, the Blackhawks have taken advantage of their superior depth. Right now it looks like the Bruins are only skating three lines. The Blackhawks must take advantage of that fourth line. That could be the difference-maker at the end of the series. It certainly was in one of the longest games in the Stanley Cup Finals in Game 1.

A big part of that depth that sets the Blackhawks apart from the Bruins and the rest of the NHL is the speed and skill they have on their third and fourth lines. Viktor Stalberg is a huge part of that depth. Not many teams have someone with his speed on their latter lines. In fact, I could safely say no one has that speed and skill on their fourth line. So why isn’t he playing? I have no idea. This could be a reason why I write for a website rather than coaching in the NHL.

I do know that Stalberg is a more productive offensive player and that the Blackhawks could use him. Brandon Bollig really doesn’t give you anything but a physical presence, which isn’t necessary in this series. The Hawks can’t trade punches with the Bruins. They will lose in that department nine times out of 10. Stalberg would give the Blackhawks just a tad more speed on top of the speed and skill they already possess.

This series has been exactly what the fans have wanted and expected. Two extremely evenly matched teams that will leave it all out on the ice. What else could you want from a Stanley Cup Final?

Follow on Twitter @MidwayMac

Game 1: Mississippi State vs No. 3 Oregon State

http://www.ncaa.com/video#!baseball/2013-06-15/cws-mississippi-st-outlasts-oregon-st

W: R. Mitchell

L: M. Boyd

SV: J. Holder

The opening game of the 2013 College World Series featured one of the three National Seeds to make it to Omaha; Oregon State. The Beavers scored two quick runs on a Michael Conforto RBI double followed by a Danny Hayes RBI single, making the score 2-0. The Mississippi State Bulldogs would answer back with a three-run third innings with RBIs from Sam Frost and Demarcus Henderson plus an Oregon State throwing error. Oregon State got runs in the fourth and fifth innings to regain the lead. Beavers’ starter Andrew Moore found himself in some trouble as he left the game in the eighth. Matt Boyd came on in relief, giving up one run on two hits and losing the lead (and eventually the game) for Oregon State. The Bulldogs’ Jonathan Holder came into the game to record the final five outs of the game.

Game 2: Indiana vs Louisville

http://www.ncaa.com/video#!baseball/2013-06-15/denatos-four-hitter-sends-iu-louisville

W: J. DeNato

L: C. Green

Game two saw a matchup between two of the surprise and “under the radar” teams of the this year’s CWS in Louisville and Indiana. For Indiana, it is their first ever appearance in the College World Series and Louisville’s second appearance. Indiana starting pitcher, Joey DeNato brought his “A” game as he threw a complete game, four-hitter with eight strikeouts in an Indiana victory. The only two runs for the Hoosiers came in the first and third innings. In the first, designated hitter Scott Donley singled to centerfield, allowing Kyle Schwarber to run from second. The second run of the game came after Louisville starter Chad Green had been pulled from the game. A RBI single to left field by Michael Basil scored Will Nolden to give the Hoosiers a second run. DeNato would not allow a base runner past second base after the third inning, putting the Hoosiers into the Winner’s bracket of Bracket One.

Game 3: NC State vs No. 1 North Carolina

http://www.ncaa.com/video#!baseball/2013-06-16/cws-nc-state-upends-top-seeded-unc

W: C. Rodon

L: K. Emanuel

 Many expected the rematch between NC State’s Carlos Rodon and North Carolina’s Kent Emanuel to be a pitchers’ duel. Emanuel would start after earning the save on Tuesday in the Chapel Hill Super Regional final. The ACC Pitcher of the Year has not been the same pitcher in the postseason as he had been all season. But it was Carlos Rodon who would be the dominate one. Rodon threw a complete-game five-hitter, allowing only one run (which was in the ninth inning). The Wolfpack offense backed up Rodon by knocking around the North Carolina pitching staff for eight runs. Highlighting the NC State attack was second baseman Logan Ratledge with 2 RBI, meanwhile six other players had an RBI each.

Game 4: UCLA vs No. 4 LSU 

http://www.ncaa.com/video#!baseball/2013-06-16/cws-ucla-upsets-lsu-opening-round

W: A. Plutko

L: A. Nola

SV: D. Berg

 Two of the hottest teams (of late) took the field for the night cap of Sunday’s action. Both UCLA and number four national seed, LSU rolled through their competition in the Regionals and Super Regionals. The UCLA Bruins are making their second consecutive appearance in Omaha and their experience showed in this game. The Bruins’ steered the game the way they’re use to playing with small ball and letting the other team make plays (or mistakes). After giving up a solo home run to the Tigers’ Mason Katz in the fourth, UCLA starter Adam Plutko and two Bruins’ reliefs would shut down the Tigers’ offense, giving UCLA a 2-1 victory. UCLA would tie the game up in the sixth thanks to a sacrifice fly by Eric Fila, allowing Brian Carroll to score. The Bruins added an insurance run in the eighth as Fila hit a ball to the Tigers’ freshman shortstop Alex Bregman, who made a throwing error allowing Fila to reach base and allowing Christoph Bono to score.

WHAT’S NEXT

Monday and Tuesday will have two games each day with one game on each day being an elimination game, ending two teams’ trip.

Game 5 (Elimination Game): Oregon State (0-1) vs Louisville (0-1)

Monday June 17– 2 p.m., ESPN2

Game 6: Mississippi State (1-0) vs Indiana (1-0)

Monday June 17 – 7 p.m., ESPN2

Game 7 (Elimination Game): North Carolina (0-1) vs LSU (0-1)

Tuesday June 18 – 2 p.m., ESPN

Game 8: NC State (1-0) vs UCLA (1-0)

Tuesday June 18 – 7 p.m., ESPN2

Follow on Twitter @Midwaymadness

It’s still only June, in case anyone forgot to check their calendar, but you can already feel what is headed in the Bears’ direction in 2013. Last season’s team was a halfway-adequate offense away from being legit contenders in the NFC; now the franchise has their offensive mastermind in Marc Trestman—along with added pieces like Jermon Bushrod, Kyle Long and Martellus Bennett.

That’s not to say that ESPN will headline Bears talk this summer before clips of Tom Brady and Tim Tebow playing catch. Or that any mention of the NFC North won’t first include kissing Aaron Rodgers’ platinum cleats, which he probably bought with his new $110 million extension.

What it does mean is that the pressure is on in Chicago—it did not leave when Lovie Smith cleaned out his office at Halas Hall. There is pressure to improve on last year’s 10-6 season. There is pressure to beat the Packers, and for Jay Cutler to go toe to toe with Rodgers (Bears are 1-8 against Green Bay since Cutler’s arrival in 2009). Even more importantly, there is pressure for Chicago to get one step closer to ending a 28-year Super Bowl ring drought.

The pressure is on for the entire team to get the job done, but some individuals will be sitting a little bit closer to the epicenter. Here are the five Bears who will be under the most pressure to perform this season.

5. D.J. Williams

You would think that pressure would be nothing for a ten-year veteran linebacker, who has put up 100-tackle seasons four times during his career. Lining up next to tackling machine Lance Briggs doesn’t seem too bad either.

But there will be a significant amount of pressure on incoming middle linebacker D.J. Williams, who appears to be the frontrunner to fill the enormous shoes left behind by Brian Urlacher. Despite Urlacher’s declining production and injury-ridden performances in recent seasons, fans have yet to become accustomed to seeing anyone other than No. 54 in the center of the Bears defense for the long term.

While Williams may not be the long term fix, his one-year, $900,000 contract will give him the first crack at the opportunity. Williams knows what it takes to get the job done in the NFL, having anchored Denver’s defense in years past. But Williams is still trying to regain his footing in the league after being suspended for nine games last season for performance-enhancing drug violations.

If he can return to form, Williams could be just what the Bears need for an easy transition into the post-Urlacher era. There is still much to prove, however, for a player who started just one game last season. Williams will need to get the job done in order to avoid joining Urlacher in retirement.

4. Henry Melton

Selected in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Henry Melton has been a steal for the Bears since his arrival in Chicago. Melton had a career year in 2012, posting 44 combined tackles, along with six sacks and two forced fumbles.

The five-year veteran was hoping that his expiring contract this offseason would lead to a long-term deal, but the Bears opted to use their franchise tag on him instead—guaranteeing him $8.45 million and one more season in a Bears uniform. According to Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune, Melton is still trying to negotiate a multi-year deal with the Bears.

Nevertheless, he has vowed to not allow the contract discussions to affect his play this season.

“I’m not going to really think too much about it,” Melton said. “It’s a decision that comes from within and upstairs if they want to keep me long term.”

Regardless, there is the possibility that nothing gets done before the season begins in September—leaving Melton to prove his worth one more time. His production on the field says that he is already deserving of a long-term commitment, but this is a “what have you done for me lately” business, plain and simple.

3. Jermon Bushrod

The Bears offensive line struggles have been well-documented and harshly felt in recent seasons, just ask Cutler. That is why the Bears forked over more than $35 million to left tackle Bushrod to fix an expensive leak on their quarterback’s blind side.

Bears fans wouldn’t think that it would take too much to improve upon what J’Marcus Webb brought to the field in the past, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy facing off with the likes of Jared Allen and Clay Matthews twice a year.

Bushrod joined Jake Long, Andy Levitre and others in an extremely talented free agent pool of offensive lineman. The Bears new tackle will need to show that he was the right man for the job, keeping Cutler upright in the pocket for more than three seconds on a given snap.

The more Bushrod can prevent Matthews from flexing his muscles at Cutler’s expense, the better.

2. Devin Hester

The days of Devin Hester being the most prolific returner in the NFL are over—at least that’s what the stats would lead you to believe. There is no denying Hester’s ridiculousness during his heyday, but No. 23 has struggled to be even a glimpse of his former self in recent seasons.

Hester took the league by storm during his first two seasons, totaling 11 returns combined (kick and punt) for touchdowns. In the five years since then, Hester has totaled just six for scores—none of which came in 2012.

Last year, there was speculation that the Bears could trade Hester to free up some cap space, but they decided to keep him, as he enters the final year of his contract in 2013. The failed experiment of Hester playing receiver is over, with Trestman stating that Hester will be used solely for returns.

Unless something changes, this could very well be the last season that Hester is seen in a Bears uniform. It will be up to him to determine his fate, and whether Soulja Boy will continue to be played on the speakers at Soldier Field.

1. Jay Cutler

Arguably, no one in the NFL is under more pressure to perform in 2013 than Cutler. Forget the fact that he said it would take three years to fully learn Trestman’s new offense—the Bears need to see results right away.

Don’t leave it up to Cutler, with his glaring confidence and highly criticized background, to care what anyone else thinks, but the fact is that he should care. He should care that the Bears are just 1-8 against Rodgers and the Packers since he was brought on. He should care that the front office has (finally) brought in the necessary pieces for him to make their investment worthwhile.

More importantly, he should care that he is playing in the final year of his contract with everything to prove. To his credit, the offensive struggles of the past cannot be pinned directly on him. Granted, it would help if he did his best to throw more touchdowns than picks in a game against Green Bay—something he has yet to do.

But the past is the past, and the reality is that the team is riding pretty heavily on his shoulders now. With Matt Forte in the backfield, Brandon Marshall on the outside, a new option at tight end and an upgraded offensive line, there is no more room for excuses—even if Cutler has been handed a new playbook four times in five years.

The time is now for Cutler and the Bears. Before he even takes the field this September, Cutler is already the most gifted quarterback the franchise has ever had. That said, he will need to be better than ever to solidify his spot as the team’s quarterback of the future.

Follow on Twitter @FeelDaPaign

The Sox are on the verge of being swept by the Houston Astros. The same Astros who are in the American League’s cellar with a 26-44 record. But now it looks like the Astros have a new buddy to join them down there with the Sox and their a 28-38 record going into Monday. In addition to that, the Sox have lost their last four games, lost 12 out of their last 13, and to add even more insult to injury, the team has fallen to 10 games under .500 for the first time since May 10^th of the 2011 season.

Now, South Side fans have been used to going through some ugly stretches before, but this is getting beyond ridiculous. The Sox aren’t waiting for any savior to return from the injured list… and DeWayne Wise doesn’t count. They also don’t have a young gun waiting in the wings to come up and replace one of the aging veterans clogging up the base paths. And it sure doesn’t seem like GM Rick Hahn, or Kenny Williams for that matter, have anything up their sleeves in terms of a blockbuster deal. Perhaps it’s time to start the fire sale. Williams has always been one who believes in his team, but this current roster has zero depth and it may just be time to blow the whole thing up and get some prospects to a depleted farm system that didn’t seem to find too much help in this month’s draft.

Offensive production of any sort has just been horrible for the Pale Hose the past month or so. And it’s not that they’re losing games by getting pummeled; the pitching is actually keeping the team in games. But there’s no clutch hitting and there’s no run support for the pitchers keeping them in games. In the past thirty games, supposed heavy hitters like Adam Dunn and Dayan Viciedo have .205 and .180 batting averages respectively… well as about as respective as you can get with horrendous averages like that. And that’s of course coming after Dunn’s recent 4-4 game in the dense fog at U.S. Cellular Field this past week.

As for the whole team, the Sox rank twelfth in the American League for average with runners in scoring position with a dismal .243. It’s sad when the starting pitching has been decent and the offense can’t get the wins that guys like Chris Sale certainly deserve. So I guess if I had to look for a silver lining on this year so far, it would be that. But the overcast skies caused by the abysmal offensive and defensive efforts this team has put forth makes it extremely hard to see.

Follow on Twitter @Midwaymadness

Keep turnovers below 13: The Spurs turnovers (an average of 18 in both losses) have been the bane of the Spurs’ existence throughout this series. When the Spurs turn the ball over at the rate they have, the Heat will and have dominated them in the paint and in transition. The Heat are beatable in the half court, but nearly unbeatable in the full-court. Keeping turnovers to a manageable amount will allow the Spurs to dictate the pace and set their half-court defense.

Tim Duncan must dominate the paint: Duncan did score 20 points in game 4 but a five rebound performance will not cut it. Duncan averaged 14 boards in both Spurs wins, while only 8 in the losses. Duncan must notch 20 and 14 if the Spurs will have a chance in game 5. A locked in Duncan in the paint and on the boards will limit Miami’s second-chance and transition opportunities; both of which killed the Spurs in games 2 and 4.

Ginóbili needs to produce: Manu was MIA in game 5 as he scored a measly 5 points on 1 of 5 shooting and had a -22 +/- while on the floor. While its true that Ginobili is well past his prime and may be washed-up, if he can give the Spurs between 10 and 15 points that will suffice. Plus, a double-digit game 5 can take pressure off Danny Green and Gary Neal off the bench.

Spurs shooters must regain form: As seen in the Spurs 36-point romp in game 3, the Spurs have lethal shooting from beyond the arc. While it will be a challenge to replicate their 16 three-pointer show from last Tuesday (where Green and Neal combined for 13 treys and 51 points), the Spurs must hit between 9 and 12 triples to keep LeBron James and Dwyane Wade at bay. This will also hinge on the play of Tim Duncan in the paint which would free up the Spurs’ shooters.

Tiago Splitter should not be on the floor: Splitter was a disaster in game 5 with just 4 points (all from the charity stripe) and backcourt violation on the opening tip. He also taken out of game after 47 seconds. Not to mention, he was a defensive liability in the paint as well. His size may be a benefit to the Spurs, but Popovich must consider dropping his already limited minutes considerably.

Follow on Twitter @Danescalona77

During the weekend, there were reports saying that the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers were working out a package for Coach Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett in exchange for Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan.

But now those talks may have ended.

It has been reported by LA Times Clippers beat writer Brad Turner, the team will move on and attempt to sway former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins or Pacers assistant Brian Shaw.

Clippers moving forward without Doc Rivers, now prepared to offer job to Brian Shaw or Lionel Hollins next week, sources

— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) June 15, 2013

Nothing is wrong with going after either of those two candidates. But to give up on signing Rivers — mainly due to not wanting to part ways with Blesdoe — is something that I’m not sure not sure it’s worth.

Don’t get me wrong, Blesdoe is a good young talent. A productive role player that made an impact back when the Clippers had their 17-game win streak. It’s that sometimes, you have to be willing to take that risk.

Unless there is something I don’t know about, as in Rivers wouldn’t be there long-term, I could understand.

But knowing how Rivers has been called “a leader of men” – most notably by ESPN NBA Analyst Stephen A. Smith – it would be a team like the Clippers that could use said leadership. Leadership as in teaching them how to play the right way. Playing in a half-court set instead of relying on dunks to get the team going. In short, how to have success in playoff style basketball.

Whether Chris Paul re-signs or not, Rivers would be one of the better coaches to whip the Clippers in shape.

Not to mention, combine that with the passion of Garnett, and they would be a whole different team. A team that would be taken more serious than a Vinny Del Negro led team.

Of course, maybe turning down the offer has more to it. Who I am to say that’s not possible?

Follow on Twitter @MidwayLC

Tuukka Rask Gloves Nick Leddy

Patrick Sharp Draws First Blood

Milan Lucic Crushes Andrew Shaw

Lucic Levels Johnny Oduya

Chris Kelly Ties Off Rebound Goal

Brad Marchand Hits Post

Corey Crawford Glove Stop In Third

Jaromir Jagr’s Almost Game Winner

And…Daniel Paille’s Game Winner

After two straight overtime games, the Bruins accomplished what they had set out to do and that was to steal one game away from the Hawks in Chicago. But should the series be tied 1-1 heading to Boston? Probably not. Boston fans will argue that the Bruins had many opportunities to seal the deal in game one, but they didn’t. The Blackhawks on the other hand should have won game two in regulation.

The Hawks dominated the first period of play, outshooting the Bruins 19-4. They also failed to convert on a power play in the first period, which is nothing new. At a certain point, you have to wonder when the Blackhawks will finally take advantage of the extra man. The Hawks were 0-3 on the night, continuing the power play woes. If they convert one of those powerplays, the game doesn’t go into overtime and the Blackhawks are sitting pretty heading to Boston. On top of that, the Blackhawks scored a second goal in the first period and for the second time this season the officials got it wrong calling it a no goal. After a closer look it was evident that the “no goal” call was indeed a goal.

After two games, we have learned a lot about both teams. We have learned that when the Blackhawks don’t stick to their game they make foolish mistakes. We saw this in game one when they tried to play a more physical brand of hockey and it ended up putting them in a two-goal hole that they somehow climbed out of.

We now know that the Bruins are as deep as any team the Blackhawks have faced this season. They are also probably more physical than any team the Hawks have faced this season as well. This bodes for an amazing series, which is what we are getting.

The Blackhawks need to make some serious adjustments heading into game three. One of those adjustments should be scratching Brandon Bollig from the lineup to make room for Viktor Stalberg. Bollig’s poor effort on the final play is pretty much why the Bruins scored. Bollig couldn’t get control of the puck and failed to clear the puck from the zone. Bollig basically went all Chris Campoli on that last play. I am not blaming the entire loss on Bollig. The Blackhawks slowly gave control of the game over to the Bruins in the third period and in overtime. Bolligs play was just the icing on the cake.

The Blackhawks need to play the rest of the series how they played the first period in game one: pepper Tuukka Rask with an obscene amount of shots and pick up the rebounds. Rask is playing great right now and it is unlikely that the Hawks beat him on the first chance. I know I am going against what I have preached all year, which is quality shots over quantity, but this is a very different situation with Rask being the wall that he is right now.

Fear not Blackhawks fans, this is going to be a long series and will most certainly go seven games. The Blackhawks must steal a game in Boston or will find themselves in a situation similar to the Red Wings series, and the outcome might not be the same.

Follow on Twitter @Midwaymac

Once again, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins needed an extra periods to settle on a clear cut winner. The Bruins won game two in extra time off a goal from Daniel Paille.

The Chicago Blackhawks had several opportunities to put the game away for good with a flurry of shots on goal in the first period.  The Blackhawks outshot the Bruins 19-4 in the first period.

The Blackhawks continue to struggle on the power play by going 0 -3.

Chicago got on the board first in the first period with a wrist shot from Patrick Sharp. He was assisted by Patrick Kane and Michal Handzus.

The Bruins evened things up when Chris Kelly hit a wrist shot past Corey Crawford after an initial shot attempt. He was assisted by Daniel Paille.

Daniel Paille scored the game winner in overtime. He was assisted by Tyler Seguin and Adam McQuaid.

Duncan Keith led all skaters in ice time with 32 minutes.

Chicago had 34 shots on goal while Boston had 28 in the same category.

Corey Crawford has 26 saves for the Blackhawks

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 33 stops for the visitors.

Expect a continuation in physical play from both teams throughout the Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams will not back down from the other.

Game three is scheduled for Monday in Boston.

Follow me on Twitter @evanfmoore

BOSTON BRUINS GOALTENDERS
NO.	PLAYER	SAVES – SHOTS	SV%	PIM	TOI
35	A. KHUDOBIN	0 – 0	.000		0:00
40	T. RASK	33 – 34	.971		73:48

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS SKATERS
NO.	PLAYER	POS	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	S	HITS	BKS	GVA	TKA	FO%	TOI
2	D. KEITH	D	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	3	1	-	32:09
4	N. HJALMARSSON	D	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	-	30:19
7	B. SEABROOK	D	0	0	0	-1	0	1	6	1	0	0	-	25:12
8	N. LEDDY	D	0	0	0	-1	0	2	1	0	0	1	-	14:26
10	P. SHARP	L	1	0	1	0	0	7	0	0	2	0	33%	16:24
16	M. KRUGER	C	0	0	0	-1	0	0	0	1	0	0	43%	14:59
19	J. TOEWS	C	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	1	1	2	45%	26:18
20	B. SAAD	L	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	1	100%	22:16
26	M. HANDZUS	C	0	1	1	0	0	0	2	1	1	0	58%	15:24
27	J. ODUYA	D	0	0	0	0	2	1	2	1	1	1	-	26:39
29	B. BICKELL	L	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	1	0	1	-	19:14
32	M. ROZSIVAL	D	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	2	0	1	-	16:43
36	D. BOLLAND	C	0	0	0	0	2	1	4	0	2	1	33%	19:39
52	B. BOLLIG	L	0	0	0	-1	0	0	0	0	2	0	-	8:42
65	A. SHAW	R	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	2	1	4	-	20:47
67	M. FROLIK	R	0	0	0	-1	0	4	1	1	0	1	0%	13:09
81	M. HOSSA	R	0	0	0	0	0	7	2	0	0	3	-	23:39
88	P. KANE	R	0	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	-	19:01

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS GOALTENDERS
NO.	PLAYER	SAVES – SHOTS	SV%	PIM	TOI
30	R. EMERY	0 – 0	.000		0:00
50	C. CRAWFORD	26 – 28	.929		73:48

Patrick Sharp scored the first goal of the game for the Blackhawks with his best impression of a turn around jump shot.

The Bruins responded later in the second period. 

It was announced Friday afternoon that Jonathan Toews was voted the winner of the Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the forwards who demonstrates the most skill defensively. Chicago’s captain took 44 faceoffs on Wednesday night. Last year’s winner of the Selke, Patrice Bergeron, was at the dot 41 times and won 66 percent of his draws.

Three Boston defenseman – Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference and Zdeno Chara – logged more than 45 minutes each. Duncan Keith led the Blackhawks in time on ice, coming within 1:20 of 50 minutes played. The overwhelming majority of the game was close. Boston had a two goal lead for just 248 seconds.

With that in mind, you have to imagine the coaches will keep their lineups almost identical to that of the first game. One player who needs to play better than he did on Wednesday night is Michal Rozsival. Before his shot from the point was deflected into the net for the game-winner, he had a pretty lousy game. He is a player that cannot creep out of position for several reasons.

The most obvious is that he just doesn’t have the recovery speed to get back to where he needs to be. Another is the fact that he is paired with Nick Leddy along the blue line. Leddy has matured a lot in the past couple years. He feels confident enough to take the puck from one end of the ice to the other without hesitation. He is an offensive minded player who will take chances and jump into the play. Rozsival needs to keep that in mind and make sure he’s ready to defend a rush in the other direction.

Boston’s passing was very impressive. They were tape-to-tape essentially all game long. They also had more than a handful of home run passes that were executed to perfection. The Blackhawks as a group need to do a much better job of controlling the neutral zone and defending the stretch pass. Chicago also had 18 giveaways. That’s awfully charitable for a team that loves to possess the puck.

Corey Crawford bailed his team out time and time again throughout the course of the game. He was left out to dry on each of the goals scored by the Bruins. The first score of the game, which came courtesy of Milan Lucic, was made possible by a pair of mistakes by Chicago defenseman. Niklas Hjalmarsson went for a big hit on David Kerjci rather than just playing the puck. Johnny Oduya then decided to help out behind the goal line even though, there wasn’t any need for it. That left Lucic open in front of the net for an easy score.

Lucic’s line has been outstanding all postseason long. Nathan Horton, Krejci and Lucic have combined for 57 points in the playoffs. All signs are pointing to Horton being a game-time decision. If he can’t go, expect Tyler Seguin to replace him like he did in the last two overtimes of the game. If the Blackhawks can do a better job of contacting that line, Boston will have a real tough time keeping up with them.

Follow on Twitter: @MidwayJoe

You’re probably not going to like what I have to say. It isn’t that I don’t have room in my heart for sympathy. Or even empathy, if you’d rather. That being said, I’m sometimes too skeptical of people’s intentions.

When we first saw a retort to the “Boston Strong” slogan, it was during the opening round of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal between Boston and Toronto. A guy, probably liked by his friends, had a sign with him that read “Toronto Stronger” with an accompanying…for lack of better knowledge, I’ll call it a “Remembrance Ribbon”.

Clearly, this was an intentional jab at a mindless devastation that happened not even a month before. Affecting hundreds, if not thousands of people given the vast number of physical and mental injuries and obviously those who lost their lives, the public was not in favor at all and the guy became the internet’s focal point.

Fast forward to Friday when news broke about a Chicago-based company selling t-shirts with two of the Chicago Blackhawks’ uniform logos and the words “Chicago Stronger” or simply “Stronger”. The lack of “Remembrance Ribbon” doesn’t make the correlation any less. And if you’re going to be offended for one, you’ll probably be offended by the other.

Personally, I’m not.

I won’t defend a person trying to make money off of a product like that, nor will I damn them. Is it in poor taste? I’d say yes. Simply put, without the attack, there’s no one hurt, and without anyone hurt, there’s no healing process with the tagline.

I guess my issue is with the tagline itself. Not for people coming together and unifying in the face of hatred. I have no problem with that.

Why does there have to be a market for healing? Undoubtedly, the majority, if not 100 percent of proceeds from “Boston Strong” merch probably went to charities and the like to help with assistance. And if you want your donation to come (and go) with the return of an item – be it a t-shirt or a bracelet or a water bottle, hey, why not?

That being said (and this is where I flip into all opinion), when it becomes adopted as a slogan of team pride, for instance the “Boston Strong” shirts with the Bruins’ logo, or the BoSox iconic red B, I think then we’ve entered into the grey area of “forgetting what it’s about”.

When you reach that grey area, I think you’ve abandoned any right to get offended. Any reason, even. The whole point of  coming together was to spit in the face of adversity and show the bad people that we (yes, we, because America) can never be broken in spirit. Yet, when it comes to something as trivial as a sports engagement (for which you’ve adopted said slogan to represent your team), there are hurt feelings and apologies demanded.

Their words. Not ours. But, they’re not “wrong”

Maybe that’s what I’m mad at. I’ve never been one for apologies. Frankly, I’ve never needed them. Growing up I learned early that you don’t speak just to talk. You speak when you have something to say. If that mantra is followed, inevitably you’ve chosen your words. When you do that, you’ll never speak out of turn or say something you didn’t mean. And if you mean it, you don’t apologize. So when I see the website pulled (not technically an apology…) their shirt, I guess that offends me. Because it insinuates that we’re stupid and that their line of thinking must’ve been:

“This is the greatest shirt ever. Everyone will love this. We expect no backlash whatsoever…”

They knew what they were doing. They knew before the backlash got too huge, people (idiots, yes) would know that they wouldn’t be available long so they better hurry up and buy one. If you doubt me, remember what I just said the next time you see a Kosuke Fukudome “Horry Cow” shirt.

Yeah. Remember those? Still getting worn.  If you want another idea of how easily things like this get overused and beat into the ground, look at how anytime there’s a scandal it’s “_____gate”. How about our love for gossip? “Bennifer”,“Kimye” “Brangelina”.

Frankly, it’s disappointing that we need to have slogans or a hashtag in order to heal.

I’m just indifferent. Not soul-less. If I thought this was a slight against the victims, I’d be mad as hell. If it claimed to be a charity but kept the money for profit? I’d be fuming.  But it can’t be a slight against the victims because the slogan itself isn’t about the victims anymore. It’s being used right along the same sense as “Commit to the Indian”, “Bear Down”, “Make an Impact”, or “Committed”.

That’s the real outrage here. That, and it’s taking the attention away from the game on the ice.

Follow Brennan Barry on Twitter @midway_brennan

After 112:08 minutes of hockey, the Blackhawks went through cycles of good, bad and ugly play. Thankfully, the good was just good enough to earn them win number one, despite the Bruins throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them.

The Good:

Corey Crawford – NBC’s pregame crew had nothing but praises for Tuukka Rask. Crawford was a mere afterthought, getting nothing but a “he’s just as good” comment only because his stats were nearly identical to Rask’s, who shutout the Penguins in his two previous starts.

After Wednesday night’s performance, however, Crawford is no longer “just as good, “ or lukewarm. Crawford is the best goaltender in the league, and the frontrunner for the Conn Smythe Trophy. He resurrected the Blackhawks from a near death experience against the Red Wings, and a very hot Jimmy Howard. He upstaged last year’s Conn Smythe winner, and one of the hottest goaltenders in the league, Jonathan Quick, in the Conference Finals. And now, he outlasted Rask it what seemed to be a game with no end, making a total of 51 stops, 35 consecutive after allowing the Bruins final goal early in the third period.

The Bottom Six – The Blackhawks depth has been a huge factor in getting them this far. While the top two lines, made up of the Blackhawks core, spent majority of the game fighting for possession of the puck against Milan Lucic and company, the bottom six skaters simply dominated the play. Whenever lines three and four hit the ice, there was sustained and consistent pressure on Tuukka Rask. So much so, in fact, that Zdeno Chara was sent out to try to contain Andrew Shaw’s line.

While rookie, Brandon Saad, opened Hawks scoring while skating with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa, the remaining three goals, including the OT winner, came at the hands of the bottom six.

Their hard work and efficiency create scoring opportunities, mismatches, and a huge conundrum for Bruins coach, Claude Julien.

The Bad:

Brandon Bollig dressed in favor of Viktor Stalberg for one reason: the Blackhawks wanted to increase their “tough” factor for game one. The Hawks certainly came out of the gates with something to prove. The hits were huge and plentiful, and the “non-physical” Hawks ended up outhitting the Bruins 61-59, delivering 13 hits in the opening frame alone.

That’s all fine and dandy, until going for the hit means you’re no longer going for the puck. The first period got the Blackhawks a little off balance. While the pace of the game was in the Hawks favor, the Bruins took advantage of the Hawks’ attempts to intimidate them.  The “hitting game” is definitely the Bruins game, and the Hawks are going to have a tougher time playing that style in this series.  Although the effort was impressive, the Hawks would be better off dictating the game by doing what they do best: controlling the puck.

“But mom! If I don’t hit him first he’s going to hit me!” – well, that kinds of attitude is going to get you nowhere but out of position. Just ask Niklas Hjalmarsson where he was during Milan Lucic’s first goal.

The Ugly:

The Blackhawks Power Play was by far the ugliest thing about game one.  When the Blackhawks have a man advantage they become almost unwatchable. From sloppy zone entry, to dump and chase, to passing the puck around the perimeter without ever getting a shot on goal is unacceptable.

I’m not suggesting the Blackhawks should have gone 3/3 on Wednesday night, I’m merely suggesting they move around a little, make the defense work, and shoot the puck on net, especially during a 5 on 3. The squandered opportunities with a man advantage may end up costing the Hawks a game or two in this series.

If the Power Play continues to be absolutely useless, the Blackhawks Penalty Kill will have to remain flawless. The Hawks have only given up three PP goals during the playoffs. One of them was a Patrice Bergeron slap shot in the third period, giving the Bruins a two-goal lead at the time.

Heading into game two on Saturday, the Blackhawks need to stick to their game, keep firing on all four lines, and improve the horribly broken PP.

Despite being down two goals twice if the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Blackhawks managed to dig deep, and muster out a victory. That’s just the way this team plays, when their backs are against the wall, they always find another gear, another level and another goal. Their resilience is undeniable.

I’m guessing the Bruins know they’re not in Pittsburgh anymore.

Follow on Twitter @MidwayJustyna

Follow on Twitter @Midwaymadness

All season long, all I heard from fans and even media members was talk of who would start in goal for the Blackhawks come playoff time. No one had any faith in Corey Crawford, who had been splitting time with Ray Emery this season. The tandem was so good that they shared the Jennings trophy this season.

I understood the argument from the standpoint of wanting Emery in because he is a good goalie and had playoff experience. What I didn’t understand was fans and media members not trusting Crawford in a playoff run.

Corey Crawford is 28 years old. In NHL goaltender years, that isn’t very young. However, with the way the Blackhawks raised Crawford he is still a young pup in the goalie world. 2013 was his third full season, if you can call it that, as it was a shortened season due to the lockout. Looking at his stat line in his first two seasons, nothing should jump out at you to say that he wasn’t a good goaltender or didn’t have the potential to improve.

Many young goalies struggle. It is very rare in the sport of hockey for a goalie to come right out of the AHL and dominate. Even the great Ed Belfour struggled at times and had many ups and downs.

Here we are in the Stanley Cup Finals, leading the Bruins 1-0 heading into game 2 and it is safe to say that the Blackhawks won Game 1 because Crawford was a manimal in every overtime period. Yes, I meant to say manimal. Just watch these highlights and come up with another adjective to describe him.

It was the Corey Crawford show in Game 1 as it has been most of the playoffs. As you can find me saying anywhere on Midwaymadness.com, the goalie is only as good as the defense in front of him. Crawford threw that out the window in Game 1. He bailed out his team several times as they have done the same for him early in his career.

Crawford has grown up before our eyes this season, but this postseason he has become a legend before our eyes. I think it is safe to say that Crawford is not only the Blackhawks goalie for years to come, but he is an elite goaltender. Barring some freak incident or accident, Crawford is the lead man to be tending goal for team Canada.

The Blackhawks were patient with Crawford. They raised him the right way giving him time to build his confidence. Now what we have is a very special goaltender in his prime for years to come. If Crawford keeps up his magnificent play, he will be hoisting the Conn Smythe trophy along with the Stanley Cup in a week or so.

Follow on Twitter @MidwayMac

I listen to a lot of sports radio, so I know that diehard hockey fans are incredibly knowledgeable and proud. Some are also not so keen on welcoming people like me. So I guess this is a sort of justification/observations of a recent fandom. That’s what I’m calling it.

Over the past three years, I’ve grown to appreciate hockey – partly because of my chosen profession, but mostly because that’s the natural result of watching hockey on a consistent basis. I’m still learning some of the more technical rules, but you really don’t need to know too much to get into it. One of my roommates, who has probably never watched an entire game of hockey in her life (or any sport, for that matter), watched Wednesday’s game. When she told me how awesome it was, her eyes lit up as she described her emotion when the Blackhawks were inches away from losing the game.

It’s a unifying experience, much different than any other sport. It may be Canada’s game, but within a few sittings, you can end up loving it as much as you feel you’re supposed to love America’s pastime. It has everything an athletic competition should – intensity, drama and an exquisite display of skill. And what separates it from other sports is the constant action – no excessive fouling, timeouts or commercials. I used to think hockey wasn’t as exciting because despite all the action, it’s possible that only one goal could be scored in an entire game. But the beauty of it is that you don’t know when that goal (or goals) will be scored. You can be on the edge of your seat the entire 60 minutes (or 112 minutes, eight seconds on Wednesday). There are so many close calls and almost-goals. The anticipation is worse, and the jubilation better, than almost anything.

Watching the playoffs, you also learn to appreciate the athletes, and the physical toll their bodies take throughout. A team could potentially play 28 playoff games to win the Stanley Cup – an outrageous number in addition to the regular season. While the same is true in basketball and baseball, the NHL playoffs have a much different vibe. With the former two, the intensity often comes more from exterior factors (fans, media, the league, oddball fashion choices) rather than the games themselves. Of course there are close, exciting games, but nothing like the thrill of hockey, where the lead is never safe. Also, the Stanley Cup is hands down the coolest trophy, with even cooler tradition to boot.

As a relatively new Blackhawks fan, I can say that I always will be (just ask the Cubs). What they’ve given us the past couple years is the closest thing we’ve had to Michael Jordan’s Bulls, and it’s wonderful. While their future remains to be seen, this Blackhawks team has given us so many of those “where were you when ____ happened?” moments that are the reason we watch sports. And also, we owe them big time for holding us off on the Cubs and Sox for as long as possible – their luster will likely last until Bears training camp.

So Blackhawks diehards, open those hardened hearts. We’re learning. And we’re not going anywhere.

Follow on Twitter @laurencomitor

Believe it or not, the last couple of weeks have been exceptional for the Cubs minor league affiliates – at least as far as their top prospects go.

While Ian Stewart was busy making an ass of himself on social media, shortstop prospect Javier Baez was sending balls over the fence like it was going out of style, cranking out four homers in a single game earlier this week. Here’s my full, kinda-bi-weekly rundown of how the Cubs’ top prospects are faring down on the farm.

Javier Baez
Hey, did you know Baez hit four homers in a single game back on June 10? If not, you didn’t read my intro. In which case, shame on you. Anyway, Baez has been on a nice little tear the last 28 days, putting up a slash line of .359 AVG/.439 OBP/.707 SLG with 7 HR and 22 RBI and dragging his line on the season up to .288/.342/.559 with 13 HR and 44 RBI.

Obviously, this is good news. But not just because he’s hitting well. It’s good news because he’s rapidly approaching the point at which you can start legitimately asking if it’s time to move him up a level. For now, I think it’s a safe bet that he stays put.

That said, if in three or four more weeks we’re seeing the same production with a season stat line that makes its way into the .310/.360/.550 range – which he is relatively quickly approaching – there will be serious talks about moving him up to AA. Of course, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have exercised caution in the past with moving players up too quickly (remember all the discussions last year about promoting Anthony Rizzo?), but if he continues putting up the ridiculous numbers he has over the past month, it will be hard not to consider the fact that he’s probably playing below his level.

Jorge Soler
Despite a rough last week (5 hits in 24 plate appearances), Soler is having a nice little month of his own. Over the last 28 days, Soler has posted a .306/.352/.449 stat line with 3 HR and 18 RBI. Clearly, his numbers aren’t as eye-popping as are Baez’s, but after a similarly bad start, his numbers are also on the way up.

Thanks to his recent success, he’s dragged his numbers back up to a much-more-respectable .280/.343/.469 with 8 HR and 34 RBI. For Soler, unlike his Daytona teammate Baez, I think there’s still some work to be done at the high-A level. His numbers are good – not great – and he’s still going through patchy slumps; the last week included.

Personally, until he puts together a solid month of ball in which he shows legitimate mastery of his level, I don’t think he should go anywhere. And while we’re all hoping he’ll rapidly ascend through the minors, don’t forget that he’s still a little young for his level. In fact, to this point, he’s faced a whopping one pitcher (3 plate appearances) who’s younger than him. One. The remaining 231 plate appearances have been against pitchers born before him.

Albert Almora
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you want to see this kid play in Kane County, you damn well better buy your ticket soon. After 18 games and 82 plate appearances, Almora’s numbers haven’t come down to earth at all.

So far this season, Almora’s batting a ridiculous .413/.451/.547 with a homer and 8 RBI. And while that sounds good, this sounds better: Through 18 games, he’s collected a total of 31 hits. In other words, he’s averaging nearly two hits (1.7, actually) per game.

In fact, the only two games this year in which he hasn’t gotten a hit were his injury-shortened affair on Memorial Day, when he had only one at-bat, and his first day back from that injury. Plain and simple, this kid is playing below his talent level and, as soon as Hoyer and Epstein are comfortable with the fact that they’re not rocketing him through the system too quickly, he’ll be on to High-A Daytona.

Keep your eye on this kid, folks. He’s pretty good at playing baseball.

Daniel Vogelbach
Vogelbach’s had a rough go of it this year.

While, in my last report, I talked about how he was finally heating up, the up-tick didn’t seem to last. Over the last 28 days he’s batting a meager .253/.327/.505 with 6 HR and 21 RBI. Clearly, the power is still there, but the peripherals are not. He’s stuck out 25 times in his 110 plate appearances over that stretch, which raises a bit of a red flag.

To me, after rocketing through the first couple of levels of the Cubs’ minor league system, it looks like Vogelbach has finally met his match. That’s not to say he’ll never advance beyond Single-A, because he will. But, for now, it looks like he’s found the league that matches his talent level.

Don’t look for him to leave Kane County anytime in the immediate future.

Josh Vitters
Vitters continues to struggle through an injury-plagued season. As it stands, he hasn’t played a game since May 24 as he tried to recover from a strained right quad. Eventually he will get back on the field and, when he does, it will be interesting to see if the Cubs’ selection of third baseman Kris Bryant in the first round of the MLB draft sparks a fire under his backside.

Prior to his injury, he had just successfully pulled himself out of a three-game o-fer streak, collecting three hits – including a homer – and three walks in the last two games he played.

Junior Lake
Boy, am I glad to have this young man back out on the field. After missing the first two months of the season on the disabled list with an oblique strain, the Cubs’ No. 9-ranked prospect is doing his best Almora impression and coming out of the gates swinging.

Through eight games, Lake is batting .433/.500/.600 with 13 hits in only 34 plate appearances – five of them doubles. Not only that, but he’s collected at least one hit in seven of his first eight games, while collecting a walk in the only game he’s gone hitless in thus far. Still, there’s clearly a long way to go yet before we can say Lake is ready to get some time in the big leagues; but that might actually have more to do with his defense than his offense.

It’s interesting to note that Lake, a shortstop by trade, has played all but one of his seven games at third base this season (and his only game not at third came in right field). To me, that says more about the Cubs’ plans for him than anything. To this point in his minor league career, he’s played only 64 games at third base – this season’s starts included – compared to more than 400 at shortstop.

That tells me that the Cubs are beginning to look at Lake as a legitimate big-league candidate and are beginning to prepare him for that role. For now, the Cubs seem perfectly happy with Lake’s friend Starlin Castro at short, which means if Lake is to join the big league squad, he needs a new position. Likely third.

So far, his experience at third seems to have been kind of been sub par, having already committed six errors in only eight games. Granted, errors are a terrible way to judge a defender, but thanks to a lack of in-depth minor league stats, that’s about all we’ve got to go on. And six errors in eight games doesn’t exactly spell major-league-ready fielder to me.

That’s why I say his eventual promotion to the majors has a lot more to do with his defense than his offense. Yes, it will be important for him to hit at a high level if he’s to advance, but it will be more important that he shows he can play a decent third base.

Follow me on Twitter @MidwayJME

The Bulls are coming off a season of overachievement. The word has been used to a fault, but it’s true.

Seeing what they were able to accomplish gives Bulls fans the utmost confidence that when the team is completely healthy, the sky’s the limit.

And now here’s an opportunity to get better.

For a team like Chicago, there aren’t a plethora of positions that need to be filled. There’s no drama in which area the Bulls should focus on. In years past, shooting guard was the topic of discussion. But with the emergence of Jimmy Butler, it appears Chicago has found one.

So that boils down to searching for a big.

Chicago is surprisingly thin there on the depth chart, especially for a team that was top 10 in rebounding.

Joakim Noah’s with Chicago for the future. It can be argued whether or not Taj Gibson is a big, but he should be with the Bulls for the long haul. Carlos Boozer and Nazr Mohammed aren’t long term options. It’s imperative to think now before it’s too late.

The two most favorable options are Kansas C Jeff Withey and Louisville C Gorgui Dieng.

Withey is a 7-footer, who throughout March Madness was considered the best player in the tournament. Withey is known as defensive-minded, and quite the shot blocker after posting 3.9 blocks last season. Dieng is coming off winning a national championship, where in the title game, he made his presence known on the offensive glass, grabbing five offensive rebounds. He and Chane Behanan turned out to be the difference as there was a +7 Louisville advantage on offensive boards. For what its worth, the final score was Cardinals 82-76.

Looking at both these players, they possess a quality skill that would give Chicago reason to select them, whether it ranges from defense, rebounding or both. Either or, Coach Tom Thibodeau will be jubilant (on the inside).

When glancing at this year’s Mock Draft, DraftExpress has Dieng going to the Bulls, while Withey slips to No. 29 for Oklahoma City.

Who the Bulls should take? I’d be out of my boundaries to say so.

I’ve watched Dieng on the big stage, and I liked what I saw. Haven’t seen much of Withey to judge whether he should be taken over another.

Regardless, the Bulls have a better chance at drafting Withey because he’s considered a late-first-round pick. Or maybe the Bulls have plans to move up for a better player, because there have been rumors. But maybe that’s all it is.

Follow on Twitter @MidwayLC

Omaha, Nebraska is the place to be starting this weekend for college baseball fanatics as eight teams will play in the College World Series. Two four-team brackets will be played out within the next 10 or so days to determine the 2013 Division One National Champion. For only the third time since 1999, when the National Seeding format was put in place, only three National Seeds will be in Omaha.

BRACKET ONE

Game 1: No. 2 Oregon State vs Mississippi State

Saturday June 15 – 2:00 p.m., ESPN2

Oregon State (50-11)

Head Coach: Pat Casey (19^th year)

Conference: Pac – 12

Road to Omaha: Won Corvallis Regional (3-0) and Corvallis Super Regional (2-1, over Kansas State)

Previous CWS appearances: 4 (last in 2007 – National Champions)

Best CWS Finish: National Champions (2006 & 2007)

Key Players: 2B – Andy Peterson, OF – Michael Conforto, OF – Dylan Davis, RHP – Andrew Moore and LHP – Matt Boyd

Mississippi State (48-18)

Head Coach: John Cohen (5^th year)

Conference: SEC

Road to Omaha: Won Starkville Regional (3-1) and Charlottesville Super Regional (2-0, over No. 6 Virginia)

Previous CWS appearances: 8 (last in 2007 – tied for 8^th place)

Best CWS Finish: 3^rd place (1985)

Key Players: SS – Adam Frazier, INF/DH – Alex Detz, OF – Hunter Renfroe, LHP – Chad Girodo and RHP – Jonathan Holder  

Pitching Probables:

Oregon State – Andrew Moore (14-1, 1.36)

Mississippi State – Kendall Graveman (7-5, 3.14)

This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. Oregon State comes to Omaha with one of the strongest starting staff that consists of Andrew Moore, Matt Boyd, and Ben Wetzler. The trio has combined for 33 wins this season with Moore contributing 14 wins (including nine consecutive victories). Mississippi State enters with one of the best hitting teams in the nation led by Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier. The Bulldogs will need to jump on the Beavers’ early and often if they hope to have a chance. PREDICTION: Oregon State

Game 2: Louisville vs Indiana

Saturday June 15 – 7:00 p.m., ESPN

Louisville (51-12)

Head Coach: Dan McDonnell (7^th year)

Conference: Big East

Road to Omaha: Won Louisville Regional (3-0) and Nashville Super Regional (2-0, over #2 Vanderbilt)

Previous CWS appearance: 1 (last in 2007 – 5^th place)

Best CWS Finish: 5^th place (2007)

Key Players: 3B – Ty Young, OF – Coco Johnson, RHP – Jeff Thompson, RHP – Chad Green and RHP – Nick Burdi

Indiana (48-18)

Head Coach: Tracy Smith (8^th year)

Conference: Big Ten

Road to Omaha: Won Bloomington Regional (3-0) and Tallahassee Super Regional (2-0, over No. 7 Florida State)

Previous CWS appearance: None – first appearance in CWS

Best CWS Finish: None

Key Players: C – Kyle Schwarber, INF – Scott Donley, 3B – Dustin DeMuth and RHP – Aaron Slegers

Pitching Probables:

Louisville – Chad Green (10-3, 2.29)

Indiana – Aaron Siegers (9-1, 2.13)

The Midwest’s best two teams this season match up with each other in their opening game of the College World Series. Indiana and Louisville have not been given the respect they are due all season long because they are Midwest teams. This will be their fourth meeting this season with Indiana taking two of three so far. The Hoosiers have blown through their competition so far in the NCAA tournament, playing the minimum five games. Louisville surprised many by sweeping Vanderbilt at home in the Supers. One of the Cardinals’ strong points is their pitching staff which features closer Nick Burdi. PREDICTION: Indiana

BRACKET TWO

Game 3: No. 1 North Carolina vs NC State

Sunday June 16 – 2:00 p.m., ESPN2

North Carolina (57-10)

Head Coach: Mike Fox (15^th year)

Conference: ACC

Road to Omaha: Won Chapel Hill Regional (3-1) & Chapel Hill Super Regional (2-1, over South Carolina)

Previous CWS appearance: 10 (last in 2011 – tied for 5^th place)

Best CWS Finish: National Runner-up (2006 & 2007)

Key Players: 1B – Cody Stubbs, 3B – Colin Moran, OF – Skye Bolt, LHP – Kent Emanuel and RHP – Trent Thornton

NC State (49-14)

Head Coach: Elliott Avent (17^th year)

Conference: ACC

Road to Omaha: Won Raleigh Regional (3-0) & Raleigh Super Regional (2-0, over Rice)

Previous CWS appearance: 1 (last in 1968 – 3^rd place)

Best CWS Finish: 3^rd place (1968)

Key Players: SS – Trea Turner, OF – Jake Fincher, OF – Bryan Adametz, LHP – Carlos Rodon and RHP – Ethan Ogburn

Pitching Probables:

UNC – Kent Emanuel (11-3, 2.93)

NC State – Carlos Rodon (9-2, 3.19)

The last time these two ACC powers met was just a few short weeks ago in the ACC tournament. The Heels and Wolfpack were playing for a chance to play in the ACC title game and ended up playing in an 18 inning marathon with the Heels winning 2-1. The two teams split their only series in the regular season this season. North Carolina has not look as dominate in the NCAA tournament as they had been all season long. On the other hand, NC State has been one of the hottest teams, going 10-1 in their last 11 games (only loss to UNC as mentioned before). PREDICTION: North Carolina

Game 4: No. 4 LSU vs UCLA

Sunday June 16 – 7:00 p.m., ESPN2

LSU (57-9)

Head Coach: Paul Mainieri (7^th year)

Conference: SEC

Road to Omaha: Won Baton Rouge Regional (3-0) and Baton Rouge Super Regional (2-0, over Oklahoma)

Previous CWS appearance: 15 (last in 2009 – National Champions)

Best CWS Finish: National Champions (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000 & 2009)

Key Players: 1B – Mason Katz, 2B – JaCoby Jones, SS – Alex Bregman, RHP – Aaron Nola and RHP Ryan Eades

UCLA (44-17)

Head Coach: John Savage (9^th year)

Conference: Pac – 12

Road to Omaha: Won Los Angeles Regional (3-0) and Fullerton Super Regional (2-0, over No. 5 Cal State Fullerton)

Previous CWS appearance: 4 (last in 2012 – tied for 5^th place)

Best CWS Finish: National Runner-up (2010)

Key Players: 1B – Pat Gallagher, 3B – Kevin Kramer, RHP – Nick Vander Tuig, RHP – David Berg and RHP – Adam Plutko

Pitching Probables:

LSU – Aaron Nola (12-0, 1.68)

UCLA – Adam Plutko (8-3, 2.35)

Both teams will have long layoffs since winning their respective Super Regionals last Saturday. It should be an interesting contrast of playing styles as LSU is heavy on both offense and pitching meanwhile UCLA is pitching heavy and weak on offense. UCLA ranks near the bottom of every offense category. The Bruins will need some timely hitting to get past the Tigers in their opening game in Omaha. LSU has been on a roll, winning their last eight games. PREDICTION: LSU

Andrew Shaw redirects a shot from Michal Rozsival to end the triple overtime thriller in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Two members of the National Hockey League’s Original Six franchises squared off in game one of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in the 5th longest game in Stanley Cup Finals history, 4-3.

Boston got on the board first in the opening period with a goal from forward Milan Lucic. He was assisted by Nathan Horton and David Krejci.

Lucic scored again but this time in the second period  to put the Bruins up 2-0 with a wristshot. He was assisted by David Krejci.

The Blackhawks got on the board in the second period when Calder Trophy finalist Brandon Saad wristshot. He was assisted by Marian Hossa.

The Bruins added a power play goal in the third period off of a slapshot from Selke Trophy finalist Patrice Bergeron. He was assisted by Tyler Seguin and Milan Lucic.

The Blackahawks cut the lead to one with a Dave Bolland slapshot. It was his first goal of the playoffs. He was assisted by Andrew Shaw.

Later in the third period, defenseman Johnny Oduya hit a slapshot off of the skate of Patrice Bergeron that got past Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask. He was assisted Micheal Frolik and Marcus Kruger.

The game finally ended it triple overtime with a goal from Andrew Shaw. He was assisted by Dave Bolland and Michal Rozsival.

Once again, the Blackhawks squandered three power play opportinites by going 0 -3. Each man advantage opportunity, the team was only able get one shot on goal.

Duncan Keith continues to lead all skaters in ice time with 48 minutes.

Chicago had 61 shots on goal while Boston had 54  in the same category.

Corey Crawford has 51 saves for the home team

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 58 saves.

Expect a continuation in physical play from both teams throughout the Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams will not back down from the other. If game one is any indication this should be one of the more exciting Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory.

Game two is scheduled for Saturday at the United Center.

Follow me on Twitter @evanfmoore

BOSTON BRUINS SKATERS
NO.	PLAYER	POS	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	S	HITS	BKS	GVA	TKA	FO%	TOI
16	K. DAUGAVINS	L	0	0	0	0	0	3	2	1	0	0	-	15:09
17	M. LUCIC	L	2	1	3	1	0	4	4	1	0	5	0%	38:14
18	N. HORTON	R	0	1	1	1	2	0	1	1	0	0	-	22:28
19	T. SEGUIN	C	0	1	1	-1	0	7	3	0	0	1	-	29:08
20	D. PAILLE	L	0	0	0	-1	0	2	4	0	0	1	-	20:14
21	A. FERENCE	D	0	0	0	-1	0	4	10	8	0	0	-	45:01
22	S. THORNTON	L	0	0	0	-1	0	3	2	0	0	0	-	9:55
23	C. KELLY	C	0	0	0	-2	0	0	1	2	1	2	32%	27:24
33	Z. CHARA	D	0	0	0	1	2	1	3	3	1	1	-	45:05
37	P. BERGERON	C	1	0	1	0	0	5	0	5	0	2	66%	33:40
44	D. SEIDENBERG	D	0	0	0	1	0	1	7	9	0	0	-	47:55
46	D. KREJCI	C	0	2	2	1	0	5	2	1	0	1	44%	38:23
47	T. KRUG	D	0	0	0	-1	0	2	2	3	1	0	-	19:13
49	R. PEVERLEY	C	0	0	0	-1	0	3	1	2	0	0	57%	28:20
54	A. MCQUAID	D	0	0	0	-2	0	1	6	2	1	0	-	22:06
55	J. BOYCHUK	D	0	0	0	0	0	7	8	1	0	0	-	41:37
63	B. MARCHAND	L	0	0	0	0	0	4	3	0	0	0	-	33:38
68	J. JAGR	R	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	3	-	33:48

BOSTON BRUINS GOALTENDERS
NO.	PLAYER	SAVES – SHOTS	SV%	PIM	TOI
35	A. KHUDOBIN	0 – 0	.000		0:00
40	T. RASK	58 – 61	.951	0	111:02

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS SKATERS
NO.	PLAYER	POS	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	S	HITS	BKS	GVA	TKA	FO%	TOI
2	D. KEITH	D	0	0	0	1	0	5	1	1	2	2	-	48:04
4	N. HJALMARSSON	D	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	1	1	-	39:38
7	B. SEABROOK	D	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	3	3	2	-	38:54
8	N. LEDDY	D	0	0	0	1	0	2	3	0	2	0	-	25:55
10	P. SHARP	L	0	0	0	-1	0	7	4	0	0	2	80%	32:23
16	M. KRUGER	C	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	2	0	1	54%	20:00
19	J. TOEWS	C	0	0	0	0	0	5	1	1	0	0	52%	36:24
20	B. SAAD	L	1	0	1	2	0	9	2	0	2	2	50%	31:15
26	M. HANDZUS	C	0	0	0	-1	0	1	3	0	3	1	50%	29:04
27	J. ODUYA	D	1	0	1	0	0	2	5	7	1	1	-	37:20
29	B. BICKELL	L	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	0	0	0	-	27:55
32	M. ROZSIVAL	D	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	1	0	-	29:47
36	D. BOLLAND	C	1	0	1	1	0	3	3	0	1	2	31%	27:52
52	B. BOLLIG	L	0	0	0	0	0	3	9	0	0	0	-	14:24
65	A. SHAW	R	0	1	1	1	0	2	9	0	0	1	100%	23:40
67	M. FROLIK	R	0	1	1	1	2	2	1	1	0	1	0%	18:33
81	M. HOSSA	R	0	1	1	0	0	10	3	1	0	4	-	34:18
88	P. KANE	R	0	0	0	-1	0	7	1	1	1	4	0%	37:31

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS GOALTENDERS
NO.	PLAYER	SAVES – SHOTS	SV%	PIM	TOI
30	R. EMERY	0 – 0	.000		0:00
50	C. CRAWFORD	51 – 54	.944	0	111:02

Dave Bolland puts one past Tuukka Rask to bring the Blackhawks within one against the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Johnny Oduya ties it up minutes later. 

Brandon Saad scores his first playoff goal to bring the Blackhawks within one goal in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Milan Lucic scored the only goal in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals giving the Bruins a 1-0 lead over the Blackhawks. 

Number Five: City camaraderie following the Boston Marathon bombing

While this moment has nothing to do with direct competition between both cities, the outpouring of support from Chicago sports fans, notably the Chicago Tribune, in the chaotic aftermath of the bombings in Boston was truly inspiring. Both cities may revel in beating the other, but it was refreshing to see the fans of Boston and Chicago put team city and team loyalty aside to honor the victims of the attack.

Number Four: 2005 ALDS

The White Sox sweep of the defending champion Red Sox would prove to be the first stop en route to the team’s first World Series title in 88 years. This series is most noted, in the minds of most fans of the Southsiders, for Orlando Hernandez’s clutch pitching to get out of a no outs, bases loaded jam to preserve the series for the White Sox.

Number Three: Super Bowl XX

While the Bears’ Super Bowl XX win over the Patriots was a blowout before halftime, this game was the closing statement to the Bears’ dominant 1985 season. The game was emblematic of their season as the defense annihilated the Patriots’ offense from start to finish. Plus, who can forget William “The Fridge” Perry’s touchdown run and thunderous spike in the end zone.

Number Two: Michael Jordan’s 63-point game vs. Celtics in 1986

In the canon of Michael Jordan’s greatest moments, his 63-point masterpiece against the Larry Bird-led Celtics at the Boston Garden may be his greatest. In a season where he missed 64 games due to broken hand, Jordan returned in the playoffs to score the most points in playoff game, a record that remains unbroken. While the Bulls lost the game, and subsequently would be swept, this game remains the point in Jordan’s career when he announced he was a forced to be reckoned with in his illustrious NBA career.

Number One: 2009 Bulls vs. Celtics Playoff Series

Bulls and Celtics fans will always remember this series as likely the best playoff series in NBA history. In a series marked by four overtime games —including an epic triple overtime game six that featured a thunderous Joakim Noah dunk over Paul Pierce — this first round playoff easily is the most memorable Boston vs. Chicago moment. Though the Celtics would go on to defeat the Bulls in seven games, the series proved to be a coming out party for Derrick Rose in his rookie season, especially his 36-point performance in game 1.

Follow on Twitter @MidwayToday

I’d be telling lies if I said previews were my favorite thing in the world. I’d also be lying if I said I knew enough about the Boston Bruins that would qualify for a reasonable sample for comparison…. I know they’re good. So are the Blackhawks.

…Follow on Twitter @midway_brennan.

_______________________________

…Okay, so there’s more to it than that. We’ll just have to get creative; with the clock ticking down towards game-time, I think it’s also important to put aside the typical. Recognize where the Blackhawks are and all that they accomplished to not only get themselves in line for a championship, but for bringing all of us along for the ride.

On yesterday’s Hawks Cast, I made mention of how I’m not sure if I can handle the inevitable ups and downs of another Finals. You think the playoffs are tough on the players? Talk about grueling for us fans, eh?

Once the show was done, Justyna and I inevitably continued talking about the upcoming series and what our gut-feeling actually is. Between sobs and sniffles, I was able to utter a phrase not said by me since first watching BASEketball “I just don’t want them to lose”.

I know. I’m a selfish softie.

The bright side? I know the Hawks are good enough to beat Boston. I don’t think the question ever really could be about which team is better at the forward positions, blue lines, goaltending, or head coach. The styles of the two teams are so different – yet both inherently skilled – it’s almost a dream matchup. I’ve heard tell this could end up being one of the greatest Finals of all time. I’m not inclined to disagree.

It’d be one thing if on paper (internet) one team clearly over-matched the other. Like, for instance Boston vs. Toronto in the quarterfinal. Remember that series? Or maybe its momentum and getting an opponent’s back against the wall – like the Red Wings did against the Hawks in the semis….oh.

Why try and make a script when likely it won’t get followed. Steven Spielberg could create an epic vision for a movie, but if it’s starring Seth Rogen you know that shit is going to get ad-libbed.

Preview? Let’s talk about what we know.

A dream Original Six finals – the first since 1979 –  the NHL and the majority of its fans get two of the best (if not the) in the league. Both teams, having faced some variation of adversity in the road to the finals have their skates on the gas pedal and could claim momentum. Game 7 victories like Boston over Toronto are the kind of wins you look back on as the “watershed moment” for your championship celebrations/post-game interviews. Definitively, the series comeback over Detroit would be the moment most recalled for Pierre’s hard hitting “When did you know…?” inquiry.

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are apparently getting hot at the right time. Brandon Saad looks more comfortable on the 3^rd line and Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp haven’t been exactly MIA. Oh, and Bryan Bickell seemingly will do anything to be able to drink whiskey out of Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Chicago went through two of the game’s best goaltenders – Jimmy Howard and Jonathan Quick – while Corey Crawford continues to break through the anonymity and questions about his performance. Just to clarify, anonymity isn’t related to Antti Niemi.

Was Tuukka Rask any less of a question mark for Boston prior to the start of the season? The most of his career had been to serve as backup to Tim Thomas. Even with the shortened season, it’s still only the 2^nd most games he’s appeared in.

Boston’s road to the finals had its fair share of speed bumps. Toronto gave them a scare and the latter rounds were against two teams annually in the playoffs. I won’t say they had it easy against New York and Pittsburgh…but I won’t say going a combined 8-1 was pure dominance either.

The Blackhawks’ four line depth. The Bruins physical forwards. The Blackhawks’ fantastic penalty kill. Zdeno Chara.

It’s point/counter-point up and down and back again. This is why I was so shocked that NHL.com and NHL Network so readily chose Boston over the Hawks. The only thing I feel confident in saying is that we’re in for an amazing series.

That and it isn’t because of the wind.

All week I have found myself saying “Not so fast, my friend” in my Lee Corso voice. Here are five things the Blackhawks must do to take care of business and bring home the Stanley Cup.

Possess the Puck

The Blackhawks are at their best when they control the puck for the majority of the game. They are so good at playing keep-away that it seems like they cannot be beat. However, at times, we have seen that ability go out the window. In Games 2-4 against the Red Wings, the Hawks seemed unable to hang on to the puck to get anything going. The Bruins will try to disrupt any type of rhythm the Blackhawks try to establish early and it is important for the Hawks to stay within themselves and play their puck possession game. On top of all that, and this should go without saying, but they must have clean powerplays.

Fire At Tuukka!

All playoffs long I have been preaching quality over quantity in the shots on goal department. This is the ultimate flip-flop. The Bruins defense is so good and Tuukka Rask has been so hot that the likelyhood of the Blackhawks scoring on the first shot is slim. Sure, they could sneak one in this series but the key will be to pepper Rask with shots and try to knock a rebound in the net. The Bruins are going to make it very difficult for the Hawks to possess the puck and take quality shots. When they can get a solid shot off it is important to pick up the trash. Look for Dave Bolland and Bryan Bickell to have some nice goals off of rebounds. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jonathan Toews scored some ugly goals this series as well.

Play Your Game

The Bruins play a physical brand of hockey. The national media and some local members of the media are acting like the Hawks haven’t seen this before. HELLO?! The Hawks just played the Kings, who happened to be leading the NHL Playoffs in hits. As long as the Blackhawks play their game and don’t get caught up in a checking war, which they would lose, they will be just fine. If they stick to their speed game, no one in  the NHL can beat them.

Stay True On D

Corey Crawford has been fantastic, and in no way am I trying to take anything away from him, but a goaltender is only as good as the defenders in front of him. The Blackhawks defense has been spectacular at times this postseason, and with the Bruins ability to score, the defense needs to be great. Crawford will do his job but the defenders need to make sure Crawford sees pucks coming at him and make sure that there are no garbage goals because the Bruins are camping out in front of the net. Pick up the trash on defense and Craw will dominate and will likely be hoisting the Conn Smythe trophy in about a week.

Rock The UC

This should be assumed, but it’s not. As we have pointed out before, the United Center can die out at times. The fans can be caught looking at their phones when the “action is slower” and just not paying attention. Argue with me if you want, but the facts are facts. Ticket prices are sky-high and the people that can afford these games just started watching hockey. That’s great, welcome to the sport, but do me a favor and get loud and proud. When the Bruins went to double-overtime with the Penguins it looked like every Bruins fan was on their feet. When the Blackhawks went into overtime with the Kings you could hear a pin drop at times. UNACCEPTABLE! Chicago has home ice advantage, so lets make sure the Bruins know that.

If the Blackhawks stay true to their game they could win this series in 6 games. I personally think this is going to be a bloodbath and will go 7 games. Don’t take this article as me taking the Bruins lightly. This will be one hell of a series and one that will be remembered for years.

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A second Stanley Cup would put the Blackhawks one step closer to a dynasty, especially after going 49 years between titles. But this isn’t a shock to Blackhawks fans. The way the team was built, this was to be expected for years to come.  The Blackhawks are fulfilling expectations.

However, this is why the Blackhawks hoisting another Stanley Cup is bigger for the Windy City, because Chicago hasn’t been meeting the requirements as a sports city since the new millennium. And by requirements, I mean championships.

Look at the markets Chicago competes with: Boston, Los Angeles and New York. Those are markets to which Chicago has found themselves closely knit in regards to total championships won.

Recently though, haven’t we all heard more news about those three markets winning the big dance?

New York has the Giants and Yankees. Those teams have won three championships in the last four seasons combined. Los Angeles dominated the 2000s of the NBA, winning half of the championships of the last decade. On the other hand, nobody has been able to hold Boston’s jock strap. Boston managed to win a championship in every major sport but hockey — Bruins won at the start of the next decade — last decade. It’s become a norm for them. Boston has won half as many titles (six) in one decade than Chicago has in the last 50 years (10). Not to mention, isn’t it ironic the Boston Bruins are the team the Blackhawks have to beat? In short, Beantown has their stuff together.

Where’s Chicago’s reign of terror this millennium?

Boston has seven titles. Los Angeles has six. New York has four. Chicago has two. The Windy City is in last place.

Chicago needs to pick up the slack. Because by those numbers, that doesn’t bring much credibility as a sports city (currently). Miami, Baltimore, Tampa and Anaheim have won two titles this millennium. What’s worse is those areas aren’t considered major sport cities.

It can be noted that Chicago — especially with the Bulls and Blackhawks — have spent much of this millennium building to where they are now. Despite this, Chicago has had chances with the Bears and Cubs to cash in, but to no avail.

The bright side is if Chicago wants to climb up the ladder, it can start with the Blackhawks capturing the Stanley Cup. A Blackhawks title would not only help for this millennium, but it’ll give Chicago fans more bragging rights since the Jordan days. Because unlike the White Sox, the Blackhawks couldn’t be mentioned as a fluke championship winning team. One isn’t enough to prove legitimacy anymore.

If the Blackhawks fail, they’ll have many more opportunities. Then again, the Bulls have a bright future as championship contenders. Those two teams will be responsible for the next line of titles. Barring another management screw-up, there should be no excuse Chicago can’t return to the level that its rivals are on.

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With Jay Cutler’s contract set to expire after this season, his window to prove his elite status is closing. He’s shown his talent, but has been unable to perform at a consistently high level, and the pressure is on once and for all. The Bears decided not to give Cutler an extension in order to see what he can do, and rightfully so. They’ve given him the tools, now it’s time for the results.

The Bears have put together a solid team, and Cutler said it’s the “most competitive locker room I’ve been in talent-wise, speed-wise,” according to ESPNChicago.com. However, the quarterback also said that “it’s a three-year process to learn an offense. It’s hard to go out there Year 1 and blow the doors off. But we’re gonna do the best we can with the time allowed, and we’ll see where we’re at.”

Well, Jay, if your “best,” isn’t good enough, you might be seeing yourself out the door. It’s unfortunate that the timing has worked out this way, because it’s kind of a lot to ask of a team to make a Super Bowl run with a entirely new coaching staff and without its defensive nucleus.

But what it comes down to is that the Bears have the talent. The focus will be on the offense now that Brian Urlacher is gone, and Cutler will have to shoulder even more of the spotlight, especially now that he has an improved offensive line and a capable tight end in Martellus Bennett. If it doesn’t work out, the situation is new enough that replacing Cutler wouldn’t uproot the entire team. While it would be silly to kick Cutler to the curb unless the Bears have a viable option who they think could do a better job, the Bears played it safe in not extending Cutler’s contract. And as we’ve seen, Emery isn’t a fan of giving third chances.

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On Monday night, Ian Stewart was on Twitter – as he often is – and was taking questions from some of his fans. Which, by the way, I think is awesome. It’s a nice thing I see a lot of players do these days, blocking out an hour or so of their time to respond to fan questions.

It gives the fans a better sense of who their favorite players are as individuals and – I’m sure – gives the players something to do on their bus/plane rides.

Unfortunately, Stewart decided that Twitter was as good a place as any to vent his frustrations with the Chicago Cubs organization, going on a long (by Twitter standards) rant about his current predicament with the organization. Some of his gems are as follows:

“@IAN_STEWART_2sc: Probably never RT @WesJameson11: “@IAN_STEWART_2sc good game tonight bro!! Any word when your heading back to Chicago?”
“@IAN_STEWART_2sc: I said that because the Cubs are done with me. There going to let me Rott in AAA all season and then non tender me after.”
“@IAN_STEWART_2sc: @justinjabs I meant they might as Well release since I have no shot of a call up….let me Sign elsewhere”
“@IAN_STEWART_2sc: @heitkamp2827 I think dale Doesn’t like me and He’s Running the show”
“@IAN_STEWART_2sc: @awaskow42 I honestly believe if Valbuena were to get hurt cubs wouldn’t call me Back up just MHO”

Then, my favorite, in response to someone who asked why he didn’t just quit:

“@IAN_STEWART_2sc: @believesumner why would I quit? I’m making 2 mill in AAA like u would give that up by quitting”

Sigh.

Well, if Stewart needs a little help figuring out why the Cubs are letting him “Rott” in AAA, let me try to help. And here’s a hint; it’s not because Dale Sveum is a big meanie.

So far, through 39 games and 129 plate appearances, Stewart is batting .164 AVG/.279 OBP/.345 SLG with 4 HR, 16 BB and 43 K. So, that means that Stewart is striking out in exactly a third, or 33.3 percent, of his at bats. In AAA. That’s really bad.

It’s also important to note that three of those four homers came in the first game of a double-header on June 8. Meaning that, outside of one game this season, Stewart has only mustered one homer in 125 plate appearances.

Furthermore, every single active position player on the current big league roster, except Scott Hairston, is currently sporting a higher batting average at the big league level than is Stewart at AAA. Hell, there are currently four pitchers with higher batting averages than Stewart.

Same goes for on-base percentage; every single position player, except Hairston, on the big league roster is sporting a higher OBP than Stewart. And, again, I have to reiterate, he’s in AAA.

But, when an attentive fan mentioned his lack of success at the plate, Stewart had a retort:

“@IAN_STEWART_2sc: @JustinSchmitt09 true I do play once or Twice a week though….hard to get anything going”

That’s actually a good point. Except that it’s total bullshit.

Working backwards, Stewart played every day between June 7-10 (including both games of a double-header), he played every day between May 29-June 4, every day between May 21-27, both May 17 and 18, May 14, and every day between May 9-12.

So, actually, since May 9 Stewart has missed a whopping seven days – or, I guess, one week’s worth of games.

Sorry, Stewart, it’s not that Sveum doesn’t like you or that you’re not getting enough of an opportunity to play. It’s because, despite getting ample opportunity to prove your worth, you’re playing like a AA player who’s getting his first look at AAA pitching. And even if it’s true that Sveum doesn’t like you, the attitude you displayed in your little hissy fit last night might give you a little insight as to why that might be.

I mean, I get it. He was signed to be a member of the big league team and I’m sure it’s beyond frustrating to not be there. But this is also a business, and if someone’s not producing at the AAA level – particularly someone who hasn’t played at the major league level since early last year – they’re not going to get the chance to produce at the big league level.

As General Manager Jed Hoyer said on Tuesday in response to Stewart’s tweets, what he did was unprofessional. Personally, I’d go further than that. It’s childish.

I fully expect the Cubs to discipline Stewart and, as far as I’m concerned, they should be harsh about it. Suspend him or cut him.

As you know, I’m all for giving players second chances after they blow up as the result of a bad game or play (see: Carlos Zambrano, Milton Bradley, Jorge Soler). I get it, your emotions are running high.

But one thing I have a hard time forgiving is a pro ball player who goes directly to the fans to complain about his organization not giving him a chance at the big league level while he’s putting up an average lower than his own body weight. Then to turn around and say he’s hitting poorly because he’s only playing “once or twice a week” when, in all reality, he’s played all but seven days over the last month-plus? And, on top of that, to tell fans that he’s not going to quit because he just likes making the money?

That’s unacceptable behavior from a 13-year-old little-leaguer, but for a 28-year-old “professional” it’s worthy of him losing his job.

UPDATE 3 p.m.: In the interest of fairness, Stewart has since apologized for his comments and said he let his frustrations get the best of him.

It’s great that he apologized and I applaud him for doing it; but I stand by my article. What he did was unacceptable. It’s fine to be frustrated and it’s fine to vent those frustrations; but not to the masses. Those type of actions will get you fired – or at least disciplined – at any job.

UPDATE 7 p.m.: According to multiple published sources, the Cubs have suspended Stewart for a yet-to-be-disclosed number of games without pay and, according to those same reports, are likely to part ways with Stewart in the near future.

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Chapel Hill Super Regional

No. 1 North Carolina over South Carolina

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game one looked like it would be a high scoring affair when both Carolina teams started the game scoring two runs in the first. South Carolina would add a run in the second and third innings, to take the lead. Tar Heels’ ace Kent Emmanuel would last only 2.1 innings after allowing four runs on seven hits. The Heels used four pitchers in relief that would not give up another run until the eighth which would tie the game at 5-5. Freshman All-American Skye Bolt would drive home the winning run on a single to right field in the bottom of the ninth.

North Carolina’s offense was nowhere to be found in game two as South Carolina starter Jordan Montgomery shutout the Heels, going the complete game. Montgomery gave up only four hits and did not allow a runner past second base. The Gamecocks three-four hitters (Joey Pankake and LB Dantzler) accounted for 2 RBI each in the game two victory for the Gamecocks.

Weather would affect Monday’s scheduled game 3 elimination game as it would be pushed to Tuesday afternoon. With the last spot in the College World Series on the line, both teams would play with “all hands on deck.” The Gamecocks’ Tanner English drove in an RBI in the second which was then countered by the Heels’ Brian Holberton’s two-run homer in the next half inning. South Carolina caught a break when Heels’ center fielder Chaz Frank dropped a fly ball that would have ended the inning in the fifth, allowed two runs to score. English would add another RBI hit in the sixth, putting the score at 4-2 South Carolina. North Carolina rallied in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs, once again giving the Heels the lead. Saturday’s starter, Kent Emmanuel, came in the game to record the final two outs, sending the Heels back to the College World Series.

Raleigh Super Regional

NC State over Rice

Game 1

Game 2 – 17 innings

Game one of the Raleigh Super Regional was originally schedule to be played on Friday but was pushed back to Saturday thanks to the effects of Tropical Storm Andrea. The game remained tied heading into the ninth as the Owls tacked on a third run, taking the lead. NC State would eventually win the game thanks to a two-run ninth inning.

It took 17 innings to decide a winner in game two. The 17 inning affair is the longest Super Regional game ever. Rice took a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning when the NC State offense woke up, exploding for three runs to send the game into extras. The Wolfpack used 9 pitchers including starter Ethan Ogburn, who pitched the last five innings of the game. It will be NC State’s second ever appearance in the College World Series (first in 1968).

Fullerton Super Regional

UCLA over No. 5 Cal State Fullerton

Game 1 – 10 innings

Game 2

The Bruins used the same game plan that got them to Omaha last year: Small Ball. Three sacrifice bunts help set up three Bruins runs. The Titans were able to tie the game up in the bottom half of the eighth, thanks to a two-run inning, sending the game into extra innings. UCLA scored two runs in the tenth from four straight hits and closer David Berg completed his third inning of work in the bottom of the tenth to secure the Bruins victory.

Fullerton’s freshman starter, Thomas Eshelman, went eight innings but did not get any help from the Titans offense. Eshelman gave up three runs in the first inning and would shut the Bruins down from there. The Titans offense had 11 hits but left 12 runners on base. The Bruins are making back-to-back appearances in the College World Series for the first time in school history.

Baton Rouge Super Regional

No. 4 LSU over Oklahoma

Game 1

Game 2

LSU’s Aaron Nola proved why he is one of the premier pitchers in college baseball, throwing a 2 hit, shutout against Oklahoma in Game 1. Nola’s counterpart, Oklahoma’s Jonathan Gray, slowed down the Tigers’ offense for seven innings until LSU got to Gray with a two run eighth inning which would be the only two runs of the game.

Game two featured another great pitching matchup between LSU’s Ryan Eades and Oklahoma’s Dillon Overton. The Sooners were able to get an early lead on Eades as center fielder Max White singled into right field, allowing Craig Aikin to score. The LSU bullpen would allow only two hits in five innings in relief. The Tigers’ offense would manage to score at least a run in all but three innings including a six run ninth inning.

Nashville Super Regional

Louisville over No. 2 Vanderbilt

Game 1

Game 2

The number two national seed, Vanderbilt, was in control of game one for seven innings until Louisville’s produced some runs by some unexpected names.  First baseman Zak Wasserman and pinch hitter Matt Helms each had two RBI for the Cardinals as they stole game one of the Nashville Super Regional. The Commodores ace Kevin Ziomek went 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits.

Game two was a nail bitter for both teams as it came down to the final inning for Louisville to close the door on the Commodores. The Cardinals were able to get on the board first, with a two-run second inning. Vanderbilt countered with a Zander Wiel solo home run in the sixth. With two outs, the Commodores managed to get three consecutive hits off of Cardinals’ closer Nick Burdi and relief pitcher Cody Ege. Ege would strikeout Mike Yastrzemski to end the game and sending the Cardinals to their first CWS since 2007.

Tallahassee Super Regional

Indiana over No. 7 Florida State

Game 1

Game 2

The first three innings looked like game one would be a pitcher’s duel. The fourth inning started the offense exploded as the Hoosiers and Seminoles traded runs (in what seemed like every inning). Indiana scored four in their half of the fourth and the ‘Noles matched that in their half. Florida State took the lead in the fifth with a RBI single by first baseman John Nogowski. The two teams traded runs in the sixth but then the Hoosiers put up another four spot in the seventh, finally taking the lead, thanks to two Seminole errors. Indiana would add another run in the eighth but it was Florida State who made the game interesting by scoring two in the eighth and another in the ninth. Hoosiers relief pitcher, Will Coursen-Carr came in and got the final three outs for the Indiana victory.

The Hoosier offense came to play in game two after putting up 10 runs in game one. Indiana scored four runs in the first inning, taking the early lead. Florida State would once again battle with Indiana, putting up two multi-run innings in the second and fifth innings. The Hoosiers would counter with their own multi-run innings in the fifth and eighth innings and turn the game over to closer, Ryan Halstead. Halstead gave up one run in the ninth before clinching the Hoosiers’ first ever trip to Omaha. Indiana becomes the first Big Ten team since Michigan in 1984 to reach the CWS.

Charlottesville Regional

Mississippi State over No. 6 Virginia

Game 1

Game 2

In game one, Mississippi State’s offense produced 11 runs on 20 hits. Leadoff hitter, Adam Frazier led the way going 6-for-6, matching a school record with six hits in a game, and had 3 RBI. Star outfielder, Hunter Renfroe, contributed by going 4-for-5 with 3 RBI of his own. Virginia’s Mike Papi homered and drove in two in the losing effort.

Game two was started on Sunday evening and concluded on Monday afternoon after rain caused the game to be stopped in the bottom of the seventh with Mississippi State leading 5-3. When the game resumed, the Bulldogs added another run in the bottom of the seventh. Virginia would attempt to make their comeback in the ninth but fell one run short.

Corvallis Regional

No. 2 Oregon State over Kansas State

Game 1 – 10 innings

Game 2

Game 3

Oregon State’s Matt Boyd went seven strong innings allowing only one run on five hits. The Beavers’ Michael Conforto’s two-run home run in the fourth inning gave Oregon State the lead which they would hold on until the ninth. In the ninth, Kansas State’s Tanner Witt singled to centerfield, scoring Ross Kivett and breaking the tie. The momentum was then on the Wildcats’ side as they scored four runs in the tenth to win game one.

Game two matched up two freshman pitchers – Oregon State’s Andrew Moore and Kansas State’s Blake McFadden. McFadden was knocked around early as the Beavers scored five runs in the first. McFadden would not make it out of the inning, going only 0.2 innings. Oregon State would add two-two run innings in the second and third and adding one run innings in the fifth, seventh and ninth. The Beavers’ Michael Conforto and Dylan Davis both homered in the victory, sending the series to game three.

With a trip to Omaha on the line, game three was a tightly contested affair. Oregon State jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth but Kansas State would not go down quietly. The Wildcats rallied to score in the sixth and two runs in the eighth. Kansas State had a chance to try the game in the bottom half of the ninth but failed to advance the tying run past first base.

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“The Bruins are a big, physical team! The Blackhawks haven’t seen anything like this before! Chara is a giant! Milan Lucic eats glass for breakfast! Brad Marchand is the Incredible Hulk! I heard David Krejci could literally fly! Tuukka Rask is made of rubber and has X-Ray vision…. AND THEY SWEPT THE PENGUINS!”

Despite popular belief, the Boston Bruins are in fact human, and do not posses any unearthly super powers, besides playing hockey really, really well (I kind of consider that a super power), which the Blackhawks are perfectly capable of doing just as well, if not with more grace and finesse.

The Bruins are a physical team. This is true. But if you define “physical” by merely counting the number of hits per game, you have a very narrow definition of the word. The Los Angeles Kings were ranked number one in the postseason with 755 hits. That’s 184 more hits than the number two ranked Bruins. The Blackhawks beat the Kings in five games in the Western Conference Finals.

Sure, the Kings weren’t at 100%, but the Hawks beat them in the regular season as well. They have also won games against St. Louis, Phoenix, Dallas, Columbus and pretty much any team in the west that ranks higher than them in the hits category because, well, the Blackhawks rank dead last.

As a puck possession team, the “hits” statistic is generally skewed due to the amount of time the Blackhawks spend on offense. Sure, we all love it when Bryan Bickell or Niklas Hjalmarsson nail someone right into the boards, and while hits are integral in order to stay competitive in a hockey game, the Blackhawks are more interested in chasing, getting, and maneuvering the puck. The hitting aspect of their game is secondary to the skating, passing and scoring. What makes the Blackhawks physical isn’t their ability to hit the opponent; it’s their ability to skate through the hits they receive. The Hawks are regularly skating with guys on their backs without flinching, or losing possession of the puck. If you ask me, that’s pretty physical. Plus, I can’t speak from personal experience, but I’m pretty sure a hit from Lucic can’t be any more devastating than a hit from Dustin Brown, or Cal Clutterbuck, or David Backes etc.

Speaking of physical, Brad Marchand could possibly be concentrated evil in the form of a tiny man. The President called him a “Little Ball of Hate,” I don’t make these things up. But the Blackhawks have dealt with pests of his caliber before. Prior to Justin Williams of the Kings, there was Justin Abdelkader of the Detroit Red Wings. Abdelkader did not make life easy for Jonathan Toews and the Blackhawks top line. In fact, he was really good at making things difficult. However, the Blackhawks (eventually) rose above the cheap shots and the theatrics, and rallied to a game seven victory.  Besides, the Blackhawks have their own expert(s) in agitation: Andrew Shaw and Dave Bolland, although Bolland is currently a sleeper cell.

As far as goaltending goes, Rask and Corey Crawford are neck and neck in stats. Rask has a .943 Sv% with a 1.75 GAA, while Crow has a .935 sV% with a 1.74 GAA. This series could really come down to who is superior in net. If you’re worried that Crawford has given up one or two “soft” goals this postseason, at least he didn’t do this:

Lastly, I feel the need to shatter the mystique that surrounded the 2013 Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins are not the Blackhawks and vice versa. You want to compare Sidney Crosby to Jonathan Toews or Evgeni Malkin to Marian Hossa? Go ahead, but to compare the Blackhawks exceptional defense and goaltending to whatever was going on behind Pittsburgh’s blue line is simply offensive.

Let’s just put it this way, the New York Rangers fired head coach John Tortorella after his team lost the semifinals to Boston. Now, the Penguins head coach, Dan Bylsma, is on the hot seat for losing control of his players in an epic collapse in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bruins did not break these teams, and these coaches aren’t being fired because they lost a couple of hockey games. These coaches are losing their jobs because their teams played poorly. And by poorly, I mean awful. I think at one point Sidney Crosby had 5 giveaways in a single period, and Brad Richards and his $60M contract were a healthy scratch. It’s safe to say these teams imploded from within, while Boston pushed the bulldozer.

Neither Mike Yeo, nor Mike Babcock, not even Darryl Sutter faced any criticism from the media or within their respective organizations after losing to the Blackhawks. Why? Because despite giving their best effort, despite putting it all out there, they still lost, and there is no shame in that.

Now, I am not saying it’s going to be easy. These are the Stanley Cup Finals. Anyone expecting a cakewalk on either side of this thing is a fool. I’m simply saying the Blackhawks aren’t some clown shoes that stumbled into the playoffs by accident. They deserve to be there just as much as the Bruins. And they have just as much of a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup.

So, are you still scared of the big, bad Bruins?

*The Jennings Trophy is awarded to the goaltenders on the team with the fewest goals allowed in the regular season.

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Hector Santiago has had his role jumbled around a few times, but it seems pretty clear, he deserves to be on the hill every fifth day. After Sunday’s outing of six innings and one earned run, Santiago has now started six games and has not allowed more than three earned in any of them.

He has struck out 52 batters in 52 innings and opposing batters are hitting .216 when he is starting. Jake Peavy is going to be out about six weeks, maybe longer with a rib fracture. During his absence, pitching coach Don Cooper has confirmed, Santiago will take the right hander’s place.

The only area the lefty has struggled so far is getting deep into games. Santiago has gone seven full innings just once and hasn’t made it six in three starts. It’s a minor complaint really for a guy who’s role was to be out of the bullpen coming out of Spring Training. He hasn’t been fully stretched out, but over the next two months, he should be.

The argument against Santiago when Peavy returns would be that the Sox could have a rotation of four left handed starters. Ideally, three would be the max, but getting your five starters the ball is more important than having rotational balance. The problem Santiago will have is Dylan Axelrod and Jose Quintana have done nothing to earn a demotion to the bullpen.

They both have sub four ERA’s and while neither looks like they will over power you, they get the job done. Axelrod has given up more three runs just once in his last ten starts. He is third on the staff with his 3.73 ERA and while he seemingly always makes me nervous, he has been consistent. Quintana has seen his jump from 2.78 to 3.95 over his last ten starts, but there isn’t a rotation in baseball that wouldn’t take a sub four ERA from their fifth man.

It appears to me that the battle would be between Quintana and Santiago for the last spot, but the former would have to give it up for a change to occur when Peavy returns. The White Sox have maintained the sixth best ERA in the American League and Santiago is going to have to leave them no choice over the next six weeks if he wants a permanent spot in the starting five. It’s a don’t rock the boat situation.

Personally, I hate that kind of mentality. If Santiago still has an ERA in the 3′s when Peavy gets back, you find a spot for him in the rotation. I always side with the pitcher with better stuff and Santiago definitely has better stuff than Quintana and Axelrod. Despite pitching 18 innings less than both Axelrod and Quintana he has racked up more strikeouts. The more bats you miss the better success you are going to have. Santiago’s upside is just so much higher and if he earns it over the next month plus, he needs to stay in the rotation. Whether it is a six man or somebody gets their feelings hurt, the live arm wins.

To his credit, Santiago just takes the ball whenever asked. If he is needed to throw 100 pitches on short rest after not starting in a month, he gets it done. He has been the unsung hero for the Sox in 2013. I hope he takes this opportunity and runs with it because the potential for Santiago is so much higher than Axelrod and Quintana.

As for the lefty dominated rotation,The Sox started four against Oakland, marking the the first time the Sox started all southpaws throughout a four-game series since 1980. It sure as hell wasn’t the starters fault the Sox only could manage a split in the four gamer. They were up to the challenge, giving up only 12 runs in four days, but the bats came up short again.

@MidwayPat

In the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals, the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Boston Bruins the winners of Prince of Wales trophy given to Eastern Conference Champion.

The Bruins are a big and physical team. Even their offensively gifted players are physical as well. There is a reason why they came from behind against the Maple Leafs.

Also, if you happened to catch the complete dismantling of the Pittsburgh Penguins on the days between Blackhawks games, it was something to behold.

The Blackhawks didn’t see the Bruins this season due to the lockout. They were one of the three teams I was a little worried about during the playoffs along with the Blues and the Ducks.

Lets take a look at five of their players you might not be too familiar with:

Brad Marchand

Brad Marchand is a man of many nicknames. The little of ball of hate, a weapon of mass distraction and the aptly named Nose Faced Killah, a take from Wu-Tang Clan member, Ghostface Killah due to the size of his nose.  He’s basically Boston’s version of Andrew Shaw. He plays the game with no fear while frustrating his opponents along the way. Blackhawks fans will get to know Marchand sooner than later due to his style of play.

Patrice Bergeron

Bergeron is Boston’s best all-around player. He’s their answer to Jonathan Toews. Both players are finalists for the Selke award. The award is given annually “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.” Also, they were teammates on Canada’s 2010 Gold medal winning  hockey team in Vancouver. The fans will be treated to having two of the game’s best forward on the game’s highest stage.

Milan Lucic  

Milan Lucic is a big man who is Boston’s most physical player. The Blackhawks will have to find a way to deal the 6’4’’, 200 lb forward. He is definitely one of those offensively gifted forwards that can get physical if need be. Lucic had no problem letting Penguins forward Jarome Iginla know that he picked the wrong team to go to before he was traded from Calgary. Expect Lucic to spearhead Boston’s physical play.

Tuukka Rask  

After sitting behind Tim Thomas during Boston’s Stanley Cup run two seasons ago, Tuukka Rask has come into his own as a steady netminder for the Eastern Conference Champions.  Rask has posted numbers that have made Boston fans forget about how things ended with Thomas. Even though Rask is tied with Blackhawks netminder Corey Crawford in wins, he has slightly better numbers in terms of shutouts and save percentage.

Zdeno Chara

Chara is the Bruins captain. He stands at 6’9’’. Possibly an even 7’0’’ on skates. He is a tough and rugged competitor who wears anyone out who steps into his zone. His steady and cerebral approach to the game has paced Boston during their recent run through the playoffs.  Expect for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp to get up close and personal with Chara.

Follow on Twitter @EvanFmoore

On Sunday, the Bears parted ways with former first round pick Gabe Carimi, sending him to Tampa Bay for a sixth round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Carimi, a standout at Wisconsin, was selected 29th overall in the 2011 draft, and was expected to be the answer to the Bears’ protection issues at tackle. But injuries plagued him as a rookie, as Carimi stared just two games at right tackle that season. Even when he was healthy, Carimi faced his share of growing pains and could not solidify a starting spot—losing his hold on the right guard position to Jonathan Scott after the first 10 games of last season.

This offseason, the addition of Kyle Long and Pro Bowl tackle Jermon Bushrod put Carimi’s future with the team in jeopardy—in addition to the fact that he decided to skip out on the Bears’ OTAs for his own personal workouts.

Carimi’s exit further speaks to former GM Jerry Angelo’s debacles in the first round. The former draft pick out of Wisconsin joins the rest of Angelo’s first round picks: Marc Columbo, Michael Haynes, Tommie Harris, Cedric Benson, Greg Olsen and Chris Williams, who are no longer with the team.

Follow on Twitter @FeelDaPaign

I know, not the way you expected a Chicago Cubs 2013 MLB Draft article to start, but bear with me. Not only did I find a few gray hairs this week, but this marks the second straight draft in which I’m older than every single player the Cubs selected. That’s weird.

But, putting aside my own personal crises and other things you couldn’t possibly care less about, let’s take a look at how things went for the Cubs in the 2013 MLB draft while we were all busy watching the Blackhawks clinch the Western Conference title.

As you already know, the Cubs selected third baseman Kris Bryant with their No. 2 overall pick. While most experts and media types following the lead-up to the draft felt the Cubs were all but sure to take one of the two best hurlers available, Stanford’s Mark Appel or Oklahoma’s Jonathan Gray, the Cubs went a different route.

As I wrote before the draft, if the Astros were to select Mark Appel – likely the best player available – with their No. 1 overall pick, I wasn’t so sure that the Cubs would automatically fall back on Gray. As I also wrote before the draft, Gray had a number of red flags in his scouting report; likely the biggest of which being that he was described as a “thrower” as opposed to a pitcher.

And while his ability to touch 100 MPH on occasion with his fastball was impressive, the lack of mastery of his secondary pitches caused me – and, apparently, some in the Cubs organization – concern.

And while that would have been fine under normal circumstances, the Cubs apparently just couldn’t bring themselves to select Gray while there was a highly polished college slugger still on the board in Bryant.

You can read a full breakdown of his scouting report in my draft-day article.

So, what does Bryant’s selection mean for the current top third base prospect Josh Vitters? Well, it could mean everything or – potentially – nothing. Helpful, I know.

Bryant, by all accounts, has the capability to be an absolute stud offensively, and because he’s so polished, he’ll likely start out his minor league career at a relatively advanced level; my guess would be High-A Daytona, but that’s just speculation. In all actuality, it could be as low as Low-A Boise or as high as AA Tennessee.

And for Vitters, this could pose an issue. Bryant is so far advanced that he’s expected to progress relatively quickly through the minor league system. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all shocked – assuming Bryant hits well in the minors for what’s left of this season, after he signs – if Bryant makes his way to AAA at some point next season.

What might Bryant’s being drafted mean for Vitters?

That said, it’s also not an entirely sure thing that Bryant will even play third base. While he’s clearly confident at the position – hence some of his quotes from draft night – he’s also just not that good of a fielder.

His scouting report says he may be better suited for the outfield; in which case, that likely puts a little more pressure on Brett Jackson, who already has Albert Almora and Jorge Soler fast-approaching in his rear-view mirror.  If Bryant turns out to be as talented as scouts think he will be, Jackson might not have a position to call home very soon.

But that, of course, will just have to wait to be discovered until Bryant actually takes the field, whenever that happens.

After Bryant, the Cubs continued the trend of drafting predominately college talent, a trend I’m happy to see. While drafting players straight out of high school certainly allows them to get professional instruction from a younger age and – potentially – allows them to reach the bigs at an earlier age, they’re also notoriously risky.

Not to mention the fact that they often take longer to traverse the minors than most fans would like (Vitters, drafted out of high school, is a prime example).

In fact, the Cubs didn’t select a single high school prospect until their ninth-round pick of centerfielder Charcer Burks from Texas’s William B. Travis High School.

Other picks of note include the Cubs’ second-round selection, Mizzou southpaw Rob Zastryzny. Zastryzny has a good fastball that sits right around 90 MPH most of the time, but scouting reports boast of his ability to add and subtract velocity with ease, giving him a range of about 86-95 MPH with late action.

His best secondary pitch, the reports say, is his change-up, which reportedly shows flashes of being a “plus” pitch. His breaking balls, a curve and a slider, need some work. He reportedly has good command already, but will need to refine it before he makes it to the big leagues.

In the 15^th round, the Cubs selected Bryant’s teammate from the University of San Diego, Michael Wagner. Wagner doesn’t project as a top-of-the-rotation starter, but his scouting report says he has a “quality” arsenal of pitches and a “polished” delivery. He likely won’t be a star, but he’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Jacob Hannemann was the Cubs’ third-round pick, a centerfielder from Brigham Young University. Also a defensive back for the Cougars football team, Hannemann has reportedly made the decision to give up football and go for broke with the Cubs organization, and with a third-round selection, who could blame him?

As a player, he’s still very raw, though he projects to be a good hitter for average with above-average speed. At this point, though, he’s listed as more of an “athlete” than a baseball player, so ample time in the minors will likely be necessary.

Overall, the Cubs selected 19 pitchers (16 right-handers and 3 left-handers), seven infielders, eight outfielders and six catchers. By level, the Cubs selected 22 college players, seven junior college players and 11 high school players.

You can view the full draft list below. But, overall, I think Cubs fans have to be happy about how things turned out this year. Though the team didn’t walk away with Mark Appel, they did walk away with the best power hitter in the draft.

They also picked up a strong crop of college prospects, including one of the better left-handed starters available. The trick now is to sign the draft class – particularly Bryant – so we can get them on the field and start seeing what they can do.

Rd. (pick No.)      Player                       Pos.            School                                                     Birthday            B     T      Ht.       Wt.

1 (2)                    Kris Bryant                         3B                University of San Diego (CA)                   1/4/92                 R      R      6-5       215

2 (41)                  Rob Zastryzny                    LHP             University of Missouri (MO)                     3/26/92               R      L      6-3       205

3 (75)                  Jacob Hannemann             CF                Brigham Young University (UT)                4/29/91               L      L      6-1       195

4 (108)                Tyler Skulina                       RHP             Kent State University (OH)                       9/18/91               R      R      6-5       235

5 (138)                Trey Masek                         RHP             Texas Tech University (TX)                        1/9/92                 R      R      6-1       185

6 (168)                Scott Frazier                       RHP             Pepperdine University (CA)                      12/3/91               R      R      6-7       215

7 (198)                David Garner                      RHP             Michigan State University (MI)                 9/21/92               R      R      5-11     180

8 (228)                Sam Wilson                        LHP             Lamar Community College (CO)               7/30/91               L      L      6-1       205

9 (258)                Charcer Burks                     CF                William B Travis High School (TX)            3/9/95                 R      R      6-0       170

10 (288)              Zachary Godley                  RHP             University of Tennessee (TN)                   4/21/90               R      R      6-3       235 

11 (318)              Jordan Hankins                  C                  Austin Peay State University (TN)            2/18/92               L      R      5-10     195

12 (348)              Trevor Clifton                     RHP             Heritage High School (TN)                        5/11/95               R      R      6-4       170

13 (378)              Trevor Graham                   RHP             Franklin Pierce University (NH)                11/21/91             R      R      6-3       220

14 (408)              Daniel Poncedeleon           RHP             University of Houston (TX)                       1/16/92               R      R      6-4       200

15 (438)              Michael Wagner                 RHP             University of San Diego (CA)                   10/3/91               R      R      6-4       200

16 (468)              Cael Brockmeyer                C                  Cal State – Bakersfield (CA)                     10/8/91               R      R      6-5       235

17 (498)              Kelvin Freeman                  1B                North Carolina A&T State Uni. (NC)          1/25/91               R      R      6-4       235

18 (528)              Giuseppe Papaccio            SS                Seton Hall University (NJ)                        6/8/91                 R      R      6-1       185

19 (558)              Will Remillard                     C                  Coastal Carolina (SC)                                9/18/92               R      R      6-1       195

20 (588)              Zak Blair                             2B                Mercyhurst College (PA)                           12/19/89             L      R      5-10     190

21 (618)              Joshua McCauley               RHP             Shepherd College (WV)                             9/24/89               R      R      6-4       220

22 (648)              Kevin Brown                       LF                Bryant University (RI)                               10/30/90             L      R      6-0       195

23 (678)              Tyler Ihrig                           LHP             Marin Community College (CA)                9/17/91               L      L      6-0       185

24 (708)              Tyler Alamo                        C                  Cypress High School (CA)                        5/2/95                 R      R      6-4       200

25 (738)              Marcus Doi                         OF               Mid-Pacific Institute (HI)                           1/29/95               R      R      5-11     185

26 (768)              Carlos Pena                        C                  Southwest Miami High School (FL)          7/8/94                 R      R      6-0       180

27 (798)              Tyler Sciacca                       2B                Villanova University (PA)                          11/2/90               R      R      5-10     175

28 (828)              Brad Renner                       RHP             Florida State College (FL)                         5/15/91               R      R      6-6       220

29 (858)              John Garcia                        CF                Denbigh High School (VA)                        12/11/95             R      R      6-1       190

30 (888)              Zak Hermans                      RHP             Princeton University (NJ)                          6/21/91               R      R      6-2       190

31 (918)              Sean Johnson                     RHP             Iowa Western Community College (IA)   7/6/94                 R      R      6-7       190

32 (948)              Keaton Leach                     RHP             Glendale College (CA)                               4/14/95               R      R      6-2       180

33 (978)              Chris Madera                      CF                Northwest Florida State College (FL)      8/23/92               R      R      5-11     185

34 (1008)            Jake Thompson                 RHP             Siuslaw High School (OR)                         9/22/94               R      R      6-1       200

35 (1038)            Ramsey Romano                SS                Valhalla High School (CA)                         5/10/95               R      R      6-3       185

36 (1068)            Derek Campbell                 SS                University of California (CA)                    6/28/91               R      R      6-0       175

37 (1098)            Jeremy Martinez                 C                  Mater Dei High School (CA)                      12/29/94             R      R      5-11     190

38 (1128)            Zack Brown                         RHP             Seymour High School (IN)                        12/15/94             R      R      6-1       180

39 (1158)            Josh Greene                       CF                Forest High School (FL)                            8/25/95               L      L      5-9       160

40 (1188)           Patrick Riley                       LF            Delgado College (LA)                                      8/25/92               L        L     6-2     200

Follow me on Twitter @MidwayJME

Where does the track and field standout rank among the best current Illini over the last year?

Brandon Paul led the Illini in points per game in the 2012-13 season and was consistently the team’s most dynamic scorer over four years. Illini baseball’s Justin Parr ranks highly in Illini sports in 2013 as the senior concluded his career with a school-record 33-game hitting streak and being drafted by the Phillies. Thomas Pieters, the native of Belgium and mens golf standout, ranks among the best collegiate golfers in the nation following an NCAA individual championship in 2012.

While these three Illini standouts are successful in their own right, none of them come close to the vast catalog of accolades belonging to Spencer.

Spencer’s current accolades, nine-time Big Ten champion, three-time All-American and two-time All-Big Ten, rank her the most decorated active Illini athlete in mens and womens sports. No current Illini athlete can match the dominance she enjoys in the 400-meters. Just concluding her best and most dominant season yet, it is mind-boggling to think that Spencer just finished her sophomore year and still has two more seasons to add to her already-expansive trove of titles and triumphs. Oh, and did I mention that in 2012 she won the 400-meter and 1600-meter relay titles at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona?

What sets Spencer apart from the rest of her Illinois athletic counterparts are her professional and Olympic prospects. While Paul, Parr and Pieters certainly have professional prospects, their career prospects are not as exciting and promising as Spencer’s. There is no guarantee that Paul will be drafted in the upcoming NBA draft or that Parr will pan out in the big leagues or that Pieters will find success in the PGA. On the other hand, Spencer has the inside track and a prime opportunity to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

When it’s all said and done, Spencer might just find herself in the pantheon of all-time Illini greats.

Patrick Kane scores the game winning goal against the Los Angeles Kings in overtime. It also happened to be his third goal of the night sending the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Here is all three of his goals.

The Blackhawks ended the Stanley Cup reign of the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 tonight in front of a loud and rowdy United Center crowd.

The Blackhawks will face the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals. This will be the first meeting of two Original Six teams in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1979.

Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith made up for his game four suspension in the best way possible. Keith helped the Blackhawks get on the board first with a slapshot that got under the pads on Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. He was assisted by Michal Rozsival.

Over two minutes later, Patrick Kane scored his second goal as in as many games with a wrist shot. He was assisted by Jonathan Toews and Bryan Bickell.

The Kings scored to cut the Blackhawks lead in half in the second period with a shorthanded goal from Dustin King. He was assisted by Justin Williams and Jonathan Quick.

Kings forward Anze Kopitar tied up the game in the third period with a power play goal. He was assisted by Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.

Patrick Kane scored again in the third period to put the Blackhawks ahead. He was assisted by Bryan Bickell.

The Kings showed late in the third period that they are the defending champions for a reason. Mike Richards, who missed the last three games, scored off of a deflection. He was assisted by Anze Kopitar and Slava Voynov.

Patrick Kane made it a night to remember by scoring his third goal of the game in double overtime off of a beautiful pass from Jonathan Toews.

Corey Crawford made 33 saves on 36 shots.

Jonathan Quick made 31 saves on 35 shots

Duncan Keith once again led all players in ice time with 40 minutes.

Expect a physical affair from the Boston Bruins. There is something to be said about the way that dispatched an offensively gifted team in the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Stanley Cup Finals will begin Wednesday night in Chicago.

Follow me on Twitter @evanfmoore 

LOS ANGELES KINGS SKATERS
NO.	PLAYER	POS	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	S	HITS	BKS	GVA	TKA	FO%	TOI
2	M. GREENE	D	0	0	0	1	2	0	10	3	2	0	-	24:07
6	J. MUZZIN	D	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0	0	0	-	22:41
7	R. SCUDERI	D	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	0	0	0	-	36:34
8	D. DOUGHTY	D	0	0	0	-1	0	3	6	1	2	0	-	35:46
10	M. RICHARDS	C	1	1	2	1	0	1	2	0	0	2	50%	26:04
11	A. KOPITAR	C	1	1	2	-1	0	4	4	1	0	0	64%	25:31
13	K. CLIFFORD	L	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	0	1	-	17:47
14	J. WILLIAMS	R	0	1	1	-1	0	6	1	0	1	0	-	26:37
22	T. LEWIS	C	0	0	0	-1	0	2	5	2	0	2	-	21:09
23	D. BROWN	R	0	0	0	-2	0	2	3	0	0	0	-	25:33
25	D. PENNER	L	0	0	0	0	2	2	3	2	0	0	-	23:18
26	S. VOYNOV	D	0	1	1	0	0	3	2	6	2	2	-	33:13
28	J. STOLL	C	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	57%	22:05
44	R. REGEHR	D	0	0	0	-3	0	0	6	2	0	0	-	30:09
71	J. NOLAN	C	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	-	17:37
73	T. TOFFOLI	C	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	2	0	0	-	16:32
74	D. KING	L	1	0	1	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	-	21:52
77	J. CARTER	C	0	1	1	1	0	4	0	0	1	0	55%	27:55

LOS ANGELES KINGS GOALTENDERS
NO.	PLAYER	SAVES – SHOTS	SV%	PIM	TOI
32	J. QUICK	31 – 34	.912	0	91:34
45	J. BERNIER	0 – 0	.000		0:00

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS SKATERS
NO.	PLAYER	POS	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	S	HITS	BKS	GVA	TKA	FO%	TOI
2	D. KEITH	D	1	0	1	1	0	4	0	1	1	1	-	40:12
4	N. HJALMARSSON	D	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	4	1	1	-	32:36
7	B. SEABROOK	D	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	2	0	0	-	34:40
8	N. LEDDY	D	0	0	0	-1	0	2	0	0	0	0	-	19:11
10	P. SHARP	L	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	50%	22:32
16	M. KRUGER	C	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	33%	23:23
19	J. TOEWS	C	0	1	1	1	2	5	0	1	0	3	50%	29:07
20	B. SAAD	L	0	0	0	-1	0	3	3	1	1	0	-	19:03
25	V. STALBERG	R	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	1	0	0	-	14:57
26	M. HANDZUS	C	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	35%	21:03
27	J. ODUYA	D	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	4	1	0	-	32:17
29	B. BICKELL	L	0	2	2	0	2	3	8	0	0	1	-	26:09
32	M. ROZSIVAL	D	0	1	1	1	0	0	3	2	1	0	-	23:17
36	D. BOLLAND	C	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	45%	24:38
65	A. SHAW	R	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0	0	0	55%	17:23
67	M. FROLIK	R	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	2	0	2	0%	23:51
81	M. HOSSA	R	0	0	0	1	0	2	2	0	0	4	-	22:37
88	P. KANE	R	3	0	2	0	0	5	1	1	0	1	0%	28:40

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS GOALTENDERS
NO.	PLAYER	SAVES – SHOTS	SV%	PIM	TOI
30	R. EMERY	0 – 0	.000		0:00
50	C. CRAWFORD	33 – 36	.917	0	91:40

Mike Richards tied the game up with this heartbreaking goal with 9 seconds left against the Blackhawks in the Western Conference

Finals.