What To Watch For In Hawks-Kings Tonight (As A Rangers Fan)
Tonight’s a big game for Rangers fans. I feel better about our chances than most do, against either Western opponent, but we’ve all seen how formidable both squads can be. With that in mind, here are five things to keep an eye on in the game tonight if you’re a Rangers fan. (By the way, I say “we” sometimes when referring to the Rangers. I do it unconsciously. Sorry if it bothers you for some reason.)
-Is Marian Gaborik Still Running Hot? : It hurts a little (ok maybe a lot) to see Gabby playing lights-out all playoffs while Rick Nash spent the majority of them sitting with his thumb planted firmly in his ass. At his peak, Gaborik had 11 goals in 19 games this postseason and was a huge catalyst for the Kings offense. However, he had exactly zero points the first three games of this series before rallying back to score one the next two games with an assist in the second. Another zero point performance Friday does beg the question of whether he still has the hot hand however. Maybe tonight will give us answers.
-What Kind of Minutes Are The Main Guys on the Hawks Playing?: This Blackhawks team certainly has less depth than most Chicago teams in the past few years, but are still pretty damn deep for the most part. The past few games though, Q has relied on forwards like Hossa and Kane to put in nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game while poor Duncan Keith has played a Subban-esque 25. Whether Q will lean on his big guys to put up huge minutes like that going forward is an open question. Hopefully yes if you’re a Rangers fan.
How Fatigued Do Both Teams Look?: As a Rangers fan, all you wanted out of this series was for it to go seven games and maybe an overtime or two. We got that. The Blackhawks have more Olympic players than anyone in the NHL, and ones who played big minutes for their squads. The Kings will have gone 7 games every single series this postseason. More miles=more smiles for Rangers fans, and the level of fatigue of both teams after the game is something to keep an eye on, especially with the extra rest we’re getting. Here’s to a triple overtime game.
-Has Quick Looked Shaky/Inconsistent Lately?: Hey, it’s a fair question. No one is questioning the skill or playoff chops of Jonathan Quick… But 7 out of his past 11 games he has had a sub .900 save percentage. Obviously we’ve seen strokes of brilliance from his as well, but it’s worth watching for.
-Is Patrick Sharp Going To Break Out At The Exact Wrong Time For Us? I haven’t seen anyone as snake-bitten as Sharpie has lately since St. Louis first arrived in New York. Doesn’t change the fact he’s a lethal skater and one of the most dangerous players for Chicago when he’s playing well. I asked Chief to sum it up for us in 140 characters: “He’s always been a streaky scorer. Scores in bunches. Snake bitten right now, but more dangerous as of late. Work rate is still top notch.” If Sharp manages to find the back of the net this game and takes the momentum against the Blueshirts, it’ll take a herculean effort by the Rangers to win it all.
Who do I want to see win? Personally the Blackhawks, for two reasons. First, I go to school in the Midwest and a lot of my best friends there are from Chicago. The amount of hours I have heard about why Patrick Kane is the most electrifying player in NHL history, Jay Cutler is an underrated elite quarterback, and Derrick Rose when healthy is Christ Incarnate is enough to push anyone over the edge. To be able to end the Hawks dynasty run and dance on my friends graves will be a feeling of triumph I imagine only experienced before by the Navy Seal who shot Osama bin Laden.
Second, this Kings teams scares the shit out of me and the Hawks are simply a better matchup for us. Lundqvist is better than Quick, but playing Crawford gives us an ENORMOUS advantage between the pipes. The Rangers have done a great job lately of keying on certain players, and if we can do a reasonable impression of the way we handled Crosby/Malkin on Toews/Kane, I think we have an excellent chance. The Kings also roll four centers that could play in most teams starting six, and depth along with speed is the biggest thing the Rangers have going for them. So with all that being said, go Blackhawks I guess?
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