Hawks Need To Find Their Calm Focus If They Want Wing Game 5. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Right now I feel like I’m forced into watching a soap opera.

Doctor: “Nurse, I’m calling their death at 10:59 p.m. May 23^rd.

Nurse: “But Dr. Bandwagon! They still have fight in them! Don’t give up yet!”

Doctor: “I’m sorry but I don’t see how they’ll pull through… Plus Dr. Fairweather and I have some baseball to watch.”

Nurse: “Then GO! I’ll stay here and put them on life support. I’ll get them through this!”

Half of the media has lost faith, and the other half clings to hope.  Game four definitely failed to live up to expectations, but it also didn’t make me believe that all hope is lost.  Undoubtedly the Hawks have an uphill battle from this point on, and this hill is tougher than the Aggro Crag.  We saw some good things, and some bad, so let’s break it down.

1) One positive that came from the game was that we saw we can trust the Hawks to not completely lose their cool.  Toews was the only one that you could shake your head at in wonder.  To be fair, we knew Toews was going to snap eventually; he’s getting interfered with 90% of time he’s on the ice.  So ignoring Toews and a Bickell penalty that was canceled out by Abdelkader, you have a pretty level headed game from the Hawks.  More importantly, we saw none in the third.  While it didn’t help us win, it did show that we learned not to play into their game within the game.

2) This isn’t going to be a surprise to anyone, but Q is getting outcoached.  His record when in the playoffs against Babcock is atrocious, and while composed, he seems like he’s losing control.  I don’t like how he handled Kane in the third, and I don’t like how he couldn’t keep the Hawks focused at the end.  The one thing that the Hawks always did all year was stay calm and keep the pressure on the opposing team when they were down in the third.  What we ended up with was panic and overall sloppy play when we needed to tighten up.  Q needs to reel his team in and keep them focused.

3) I really enjoy watching Leddy skate the puck in when he gets fed up with everyone else losing the puck at the blue line.  He is really starting to skate with confidence and I don’t mind him blowing by the team to get it deep, especially on the power play.  While he is a -5 in plus/minus, I don’t believe that reflects on his actual play.  If Stalberg could gain some more confidence, we would have two guys that can just skate right by everyone forcing Detroit to play a bit deeper in their zone.  Too bad no one seems to take advantage of those two assets.

4) Handzus hasn’t played bad, he’s just extremely slow.  He has had a few prime opportunities that just haven’t gone his way.  With that said, I think it’s time to dress someone younger and faster.  Pirri would be a prime choice if you wanted to fill the center role.  If you wanted Kruger to maintain the 4^th line center role, then bring up Morin or Smith.  I’m sure Ben Smith would love nothing more than to have the chance to light up Brendan Smith for a little payback.  Don’t let that mislead you, I don’t want him to take a run at him, I want him to blow by Brendan Smith and make him feel it on the scoreboard.  (EDIT: Ben Smith is showing up on the active roster on the Hawks site.)

5) Anyone else feeling like Bolland might not be back next year?  He took a dumb penalty in his first game back, and had a few scoring opportunities that he just couldn’t finish.  Other than that, what has he done?  Bolland just isn’t bringing that playoff jump, and he’s not lifting his line mates up like he has done in previous playoffs.  It’s unfortunate, because I really like him as a shut down defensive center.  With the cap crunch hitting everyone hard next year, I was kind of hoping Bolland would be a huge factor in this series.

Game five is on tonight, and a lot rests upon the Hawks’ shoulders.  I expect to see a whole new level of desperation from the Hawks, but they need to stay focused on their game.  Crisp passes, speed, and most importantly staying out of the box.  Let’s go Hawks.

May 18, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (right) celebrates with center Patrick Sharp (left) after scoring a goal against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period of game two of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

• Babcock Has Out-Coached Quenneville So Far, But It Will Not Continue

Comparing Mike Babcock to Joel Quenneville is not easy. Both coaches are among the elite in the hockey world, and they both have years of success, and championships, under their belt. Babcock has out-coached Coach Q in games two, three, and four, matching lines, and squandering the Blackhawks top weapons with their Detroit equals. Henrik Zetterberg was on the ice for thirty-seven of Jonathan Toews‘ forty shifts in games Three and Four, holding him to no points and a -1 rating. Babcock could do this all day, but unfortunately, he will soon find out that his players cannot. The Red Wings are aging. They played 2 more games than the Blackhawks, and had to fight their own way out of Round One to get to this point in the first place, while Quenneville and the Blackhawks got rest, but stayed sharp. The conditioning of the young guns on the Hawks will pay dividends in this series, and this will start on Saturday night. Toews, Kane, Saad, Bickell, and company will be able to sustain a high intensity level for all 60 minutes, while Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Kronwall will all start to feel the effects of two long, drawn out series’, on top of an already tough season. Their coverage will start slipping, and the Blackhawks’ offense will get back to regular form. These players on the Red Wings will not be able to play that much ice time, and it will burn them in the end.

Starting lineup for Game Four, where they scored 0 goals:

29-19-88

10-26-81

20-65-25

16-36-67

Starting lineup for March 16th vs. Dallas, where they scored 8 goals:

20-19-81

10-36-88

25-65-29

67-16-52

Moral of the story: If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It. Those lines from the Dallas game went through minuscule changes during the season, and those included the games against these very own Red Wings. Now is not the time to turn away from the combinations that brought the President’s Trophy to Chicago, just because they are under pressure from a team. For the Hawks to be successful, they need to keep Toews and Kane on separate lines, and have trust in the top lines to wipe out the Red Wings power, and the bottom six to burn them with the depth that killed all the other teams the Blackhawks faced this season.

• Streaking Is In Their Blood

It’s true that the Blackhawks will have to win three straight games to punch their ticket to the Conference Finals. It seems daunting to any NHL club, but the Hawks might have an advantage. They did attain a 24 game point streak that got a little bit of publicity… inside that was an eleven game win streak. To put that in perspective, the Blackhawks only need 11 more wins to win the Stanley Cup. There were five times in this shortened season where the Blackhawks went streaking, earning 3 or more straight wins. With some help from the Blackhawk faithful at the United Center on Saturday, the Blackhawks could blow the doors off, and take this series and flip it on it’s head, and even continue that into the next round.

• The Stars Are Starting To Line Up

March 3, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) scores the game winning goal on Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard (35) during a shoot out at the Joe Louis Arena. Chicago won 2-1 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

As much as the Chicago Blackhawks have been frustrated by the Detroit Red Wings in the last two games of the Round 2 playoff series, their fans are probably more so. Throughout the regular season, fans were used to seeing production from all four lines with the biggest stars coming up big in the clutch. The last two games have hurt because the teamwork aspect is missing and a few Blackhawks stars have yet to put one in the net, but the only one to score in the Game 2 & 3 losses is one of their best stars who has a little bit of a reputation against the Red Wings goaltender.

Patrick Kane didn’t get a goal in the 5-game series against the Minnesota Wild but has been the only one to solve Jimmy Howard and keep the Blackhawks from being shut out in their 2 losses. Marian Hossa, Johnny Oduya, and Marcus Kruger all scored in Game 1 and Patrick Sharp had the empty netter, but Kane is building his resume of big goals against Howard. His first goal of the playoffs opened the scoring in Game 2 and gave the game a great start that the Blackhawks failed to capitalize on, and his goal in Game 3 began what was a stifled comeback attempt.

And then there was that game earlier in the year on March 3^rd when the Blackhawks trailed the Red Wings 1-0 until Kane tied it up on the powerplay then had the one and only spectacular goal in the ensuing shootout to win the game. Let’s take a moment to reflect.

Kane’s PPG to tie it

Kane’s shootout winner

Ah, good times!

Shootouts don’t mean anything in the playoffs, but they give someone like Kane a chance to show off some moves that make him so tricky to goaltenders. So, just for old time’s sake, relive a moment in the final game of the 2011-2012 season.

Kane doesn’t “own” Howard by any means, but he does have a special ability when it comes to solving him and has picked up his personal game in the series lately. Get Kane the puck often and have him shoot as many times as possible, because Howard seems to have trouble with him! Something tells me Kane’s going to come up even bigger later in the series.

What do you think about Kane’s highlight goals against Howard?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

The C

May 20, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) reacts after game three of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

hicago Blackhawks are down 2-1 in the series against the Detroit Red Wings, and the reasons can be picked out and analyzed in detail. Bad penalties, fruitless power plays, and losing faceoffs, battles, and races for the puck are key themes in every Chicago loss. But one of the biggest factors is the team’s playoff mindset. They say all the right things and even won round 1 against the Minnesota Wild in 5 games, so how could they be so far behind the Red Wings in playoff mentality?

We all know that the playoffs get more and more intense as the series and rounds go on, and the Blackhawks’ first round was geared more towards exploiting the Wild’s goaltending issues rather than using the emotion of the series to amp up their play. The Blackhawks never really reached the playoff mentality in their series with Minnesota, and it took losing two games in a row to a playoff-focused Red Wings team and excellent goaltending of Jimmy Howard to work their way up to that determination and intensity.

After watching the Los Angeles Kings bulldoze their way through the playoffs all the way to the Stanley Cup last year, we new fans might think that’s how it’s always supposed to be for the champions. But looking back at the Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup run, it’s clear that the Blackhawks are a team that improves with hardship and opposition. There might need to be a prolonged moment when their run seems bleak, but if they come out of this series against the Red Wings, they will have what it takes to get through the rest of the playoffs and onto the Stanley Cup!

Do you think adversity is necessary for the Blackhawks to improve throughout the playoffs?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

Apr 9, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. The Blackhawks defeated the Wild 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Go right ahead and immediately chalk this up as another instance of over-speculation, and over-analysis due to the fallout of yet another disappointing and troubling Chicago Blackhawks loss to the Detroit Red Wings.  

For the record: I DO NOT think that Ray Emery will, nor should Ray Emery get the start in Game 4 of this series.  This is purely hypothetical, and a way to flush out some of the built up toxins that are ever so present following two consecutive performances from the Hawks, that could be considered of poor enough quality to drive a fan to a life of alcoholism.  Plus, I’m bored, and Game 4 is still another day away(thanks, lockout!) and these fumes of negativity need to be vented now.

No question, Corey Crawford has had a fantastic season, as well as a very good first round of the playoffs.  He hasn’t even played poorly in this series either.  The fact of the matter is, the Hawks haven’t played well in the past 2 games, at all!  It is not desperation time…yet, but with one more loss, it will be well beyond the point of desperation.  So let’s examine the idea of Emery placing Crawford, now, before the possibility of Hawks fans descending into a chaotic state of desperation.

Emery’s season was on-par and arguably better than Crawford’s season, this year.  In 21 games this season, Ray Emery had a win/loss record of 17-1(amazing!), a Goals Against Average of 1.94(Outstanding!), and .922 Save Percentage(Awesome!) along with 3 Shutouts(nice!).  Ray has done everything that could have possibly been asked of him this season, and then some!  The only reason he isn’t starting, is because Crawford had an equally(if not better) season than Emery, and has done nothing to cough up his starting job, this year.

Emery has had plenty of situation success to warrant the starting job, in this series.  Against Detroit, in his career, Ray Emery has a 3-0 record, a 1.85 Goals Against Average of 1.85, and a .943 Save Percentage.  On the road this season, Ray was 7-0 with a 1.64 GAA, a .938 Save%, and 2 shutouts.  In the playoffs, Emery’s numbers aren’t as sparkling, but he has a solid amount of experience in the post-season.  ”Razor”, in 36 career playoff starts has a record of 20-15(not awful), a 2.57 GAA(meh) and a .903 Save%(not good).  Overall though, looking at those split stats, Emery has done enough to have logically earned a start in this series.

Corey Crawford, however, also has done exceptionally well, if not spectacular in some of the situations where the Hawks need high-quality hockey.  In his career against the Red Wings, Corey Crawford is an outstanding 11-2, with an excellent 1.82 GAA, as well as a marvelous .943 Save%.  Now, Corey’s career playoff stats tell an interesting story.  Lifetime, in the post-season, Crawford has had 22 starts, with a sub-par record of 10-11, a very good GAA of 2.19, and a wonderful Save% of .919%, as well as one shutout.

While Crawford has done nothing to really send himself to bench duty, there is something to be said about the fact that Crawford’s playoff record is below .500% along with some pretty solid playoff statistics(although some of the few goals he has allowed in the playoffs, especially last year against the Phoenix Coyotes, were very soft goals).  This indicates that the Blackhawks haven’t played very good hockey in front of Crawford, during the playoffs.  This has never been more noticeable  than in Game 2 and the second half of Game 3.  It could be a coincidence, but it is an interesting trend.

Again, I’m not saying that Emery should start in this series, and if it comes to that, the Hawks will most likely be in big trouble, but Emery has played well enough for the opportunity to start in this series.

Toews Is In Disbelief As Another Stupid Penalty Is Called, The Ref Is Just Happy To Be In The Spotlight. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports

After watching the Hawks shoot themselves in the foot in the third period of game three, I started to get this feeling of familiarity.  That’s when it hit me.  We are playing like the Canucks.  WOAH! Put down the pitchforks and hear me out.  Think back to the 08-09 and the 09-10 series against Vancouver.  Everyone was talking about how the Hawks had found a way to get the Nucks off their game, how we forced them into dumb penalties.  How the Nucks couldn’t string a set of passes together without trying to hit a Hawk in the process ‘cause the Hawks were driving them insane.  While I don’t think we were driving them that crazy, it can’t be denied we did bring out the worst in them.  In both of those series, we took fewer penalties than our opponent, and when we were on the PP we put a few pucks in the net.  Now back to present day where the Hawks have already taken three more penalties than the Wings (I’m ignoring Shaw’s 10 min misconduct).  Now, you can argue that despite the penalties, the Hawks aren’t really playing a different style of game.  But last time I checked, racing to the penalty box wasn’t the point of Hawks hockey.  We spent seven minutes of the third in the box, and when you are trying to claw your way back, that’s unacceptable.  There are a few other issues the Hawks need to fix, but relying on short-handed goals is not the strategy I would personally take.  On to the bullets!

• Handzus is O’Donnell slow, and when you’re playing center it shows a lot more.  Anyone thinking of giving Pirri a try for the fourth line center?  Or possibly bringing in Morin/Smith and leaving Kruger in his native center position?
• The refs have been borderline comical, but no one is really laughing.  This fact doesn’t excuse the complete lack of self-control of the Hawks players *cough*SHAW*cough*
• Speaking of refs… DROP THE @*#$ PUCK!  From what I’ve heard down in rumorville, the face off asshattery will be a topic of discussion between the NHL and the Ref’s union for next season.
• Crow has been looking solid since the Clutterbuck goal in game 1 of the Wild series.  Though, I was reading that Q was screaming at him on the bench, anyone catch that? Cuz I didn’t.
• If Stalberg’s hands were half as good as his feet, he would be one hell of a star!  Oh, but don’t worry Wings fans, they aren’t remotely close.  I like what Stalberg tries to do, because most of the time he creates some great opportunities and teams have to respect him and his speed.  Unfortunately the Hawks haven’t found a consistent use for his speed, and Stalberg doesn’t seem to have any answers either. But my god, can he skate.  When he isn’t launching himself headfirst into the boards, of course.
• Toews is getting worked over, and he hasn’t snapped yet.  Everyone can agree that the Wings can’t keep Toews in check forever.  Like in the Van series of 10-11, I expect Toews to wow us at a timely moment. Hopefully soon.  Hint hint.
•  One last thing, I’m already completely sick of Pierre. Please NBC, just stop the madness already!

What do you think Hawks fans?  Is it time for some call ups?  Toews going to explode come game four?  Let us know your opinion!

May 20, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) reacts after game three of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the final tally, there were a few positives that the Blackhawks and their fans could take from the game. The Blackhawks’ shot totals finished in the forties, and for the majority of the game, they controlled the flow thanks to their stellar penalty kill, and frequent minor penalties by the Red Wings. With Game Two behind them, the Blackhawks certainly took a step in the right direction on Monday, but a few bad bounces kept the win away from them. However, there are a few areas that need to be addressed in order to turn the tide in the series.

• Play Angry, Play Smart

May 18, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) reaches for the puck between Detroit Red Wings right wing Daniel Cleary (11) and defenseman Niklas Kronwall (55) in the third period of game two of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. The Red Wings won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

It was only Game 2 of the second round playoff series between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, and it is only the second loss of the post season for the Blackhawks. By the way many fans reacted to the Game 2 loss, one would think their team should be in desperation mode, fighting just to stay in the series. But it’s still just Game 2 with at least 3 more to go (but probably 4 or 5), so why are fans taking the loss so hard? Three reasons.

1. Losses were not a normal occurrence in the regular season. The Blackhawks lost 12 times in the regular season and only 7 of those in regulation. They were even able to win a couple of games that they probably shouldn’t have because someone always stepped up to be the hero and steal the game, whether it was Marian Hossa, Ray Emery, or the 3rd line. But in the playoffs, one poorly played game could be a momentum changer. It’s happened many times, and Blackhawks fans may be overreacting thinking that this will be their team’s fate after losing to a great effort by the Red Wings.
2. The loss was on home ice. The Blackhawks worked hard in the regular season to gain home ice advantage, but it doesn’t mean much if they don’t make it count. Now they have to take a game in Detroit, at the Joe Louis Arena, while dodging octopi and what not. But the Blackhawks are no strangers to winning in Detroit and have fans that will pack the Joe as much as possible to, at the very least, take complete home ice advantage away from the Red Wings.
3. The Blackhawks played terribly and lost pretty decisively, 4-1. It is hard to look around at the other playoff series in the league and say that the Blackhawks have matched the intensity of those teams. Joel Quenneville knows that his team needs to take their game to another level if they want to make it through this series alone, never mind through the Kings and Penguins – or, you know, whoever. In their latest game, it was never more obvious that the Blackhawks have yet to reach that level already in the second round of the playoffs. The good news is that they can still raise their game, and if they do, they’ll be exhausting to their opponents all the way to the Cup. If they don’t, it will be a year that was more disappointing than the last because that word “potential” looms even larger.

While these three reasons are legitimate concerns, there is no need to overreact because all of them can be overcome by the team that was the most consistent in goaltending, depth, and coaching for the past 5 months. It might take going down a game or two to Detroit to awaken the post season version of the Blackhawks’ game. That’s terrifying for fans now but incredible later. And we should expect the incredible by now.

Do you think Blackhawks fans should be worried?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

May 18, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) in the third period of game two of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center. The Red Wings won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

In the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, Jonathan Toews didn’t have anything nice to say about the officiating crew.  According to Toews, the Red Wings got away with several hooks, grabs, and clutches against Hawks players throughout game 2, and were never called for several of them, and the Hawks were seemingly called for every one of those gestures throughout the game.  Toews said that the calls from the referees were not going “both ways”.

During game 2, the Blackhawks were charged with 5 minor penalties, while the Red Wings were called for 3.  Other teams throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs have also complained about the quality of the officiating.  It’s easy to forget that hockey is a fast game, and calls will always be missed, but often times referees will make-up for it, and hand out a softer penalty to the opponent of the team who, was on the wrong end of a missed call.  When several penalties go uncalled for, and are not made up, it can be the most infuriating thing for a player, especially one on the losing end of the game.  Toews was obviously frustrated by the loss, and feels had some of the infractions from Detroit had been penalized, the game may have played out differently.  We’ll never know for sure.

It’s easy to see why Toews was upset, the team he is captaining in the playoffs, lost a home game that they were expected to win, and could have put the Hawks in a very comfortable position for the rest of the series.  More Power Plays for the Hawks would have most likely changed the final outcome of the game.  We also have to remember that no matter what, the referees are humans, and with that human element comes human mistakes.  Those mistakes will always be there, but maybe not always as seemingly one-sided looking, but sometimes that happens.

The frustrating loss, and the non-calls on several Detroit penalties may alter the complexion and outlook on this series for the Blackhawks.  They will undoubtedly be more charged up, and more angry to start game 3.  It will surely be interesting, so stay tuned.

Bickell Feels The Sting Of Defeat After Hawks Decide Not To Show Up For The Third Period. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

I think we can all agree that Saturday’s game against Detroit was extremely disappointing.  The Hawks looked to take a step forward and took two steps back in the process.  The effort was lackluster, the fans were left disappointed, and to make it worse, they gave Detroit hope.  After game one, I went over what the Hawks needed to improve upon, and they seemed to flat out miss on all points in game two.  So let’s add a few more to the list.

5) The Killer instinct wasn’t there in game two.  The Wings have had some bad third periods throughout the season, during the Ducks series, and even in game one against the Hawks.  And yet, the Hawks did not ramp up their game in the third.  Being down by one goal going into the third is not unfamiliar to the Hawks, and we didn’t see Chicago’s calm yet pressured approach.  Instead we saw…

4) More Undisciplined Penalties.   Unsurprisingly, if you want to get back into a game, the best way is to have possession of the puck, not by being shorthanded.  I don’t care if some of the penalties were extremely soft, you can’t give the refs a reason to call anything.  Bolland’s roughing penalty was useless and a detriment to a possible comeback.  The PK is mind bogglingly good, but the extra and unneeded fatigue can add up and will start to wear down the players that will be needed most.  And I’m sure the Hawks wouldn’t mind blocking a few less shots.

3) The other end of the special teams spectrum is the power play.  I know I just complained about it, but the Hawks are too good not to be producing.  This game could look completely different if our superstars could just connect on a couple of passes and shoot… I know I’m over simplifying it, but maybe they need to study Pittsburgh’s power play a bit.

2) Cheating up in our own zone was a major factor in game two.  Multiple times the Hawks just stood at the boards and waited for the puck to come to them instead of taking two steps to meet the puck.  On numerous occasions, Wings players just skated in front of a Hawk and intercepted the pass.  After it happened about 12 times, you would think the Hawks would do something different, but no.  The Hawks just were not getting it done in their own zone, which translates to a whole lot of missed opportunities in the Wing’s zone.

1) Player management is going to be key in the effort to right the ship.  Carcillo and Mayers were fighting before game one.  Stalberg and Q are having a dispute that no one wants to talk about.  What is going on in the locker room?  I have full faith in Toews as a leader, and I have some faith in Q, but those two can’t control everything.  Q needs to drop the Carcillo experiment and bring back Stalberg’s wheels.  The Cup is on the line, and that should be the only thing that matters.  When we won the cup, Kopecky was sat until the Philly series, and when he came back, he made his presence felt.  Hopefully everyone can take a step back with this loss and realize what’s at stake.

I admit that some of this is rehash from my last article, but it remains relevant and a sore spot in the Hawks’ game.  Was there something I didn’t touch upon? What do you think the Hawks need to do to win game three?