GAME DAY: SCP '09, FRIDAY MAY 22, WEST CONFERENCE FINAL--DETROIT AT CHICAGO, 800PM ET/7PM CHICAGO

And they both worked .

Why didn't they work that first time?

Aha! I got it. When you insert the smilies they are inserted with a space on either side. The "Times Editing Style Guide" that's imprinted on my brain tells me to remove that space before the sentence-ending period. And that's what killed the smilie. No space, no smilie.

Look, first two smilies, side-by-side, with a space between them:

:^: :^: .

And now, the same two smilies but with the space before the period removed:
:^: :^:.

The first of the pair is fine, but the second one is replaced with its character-code or whatever it's called.

Funny thing is, the smilies are all there as I'm typing this, but they "disappear" in the "Preview".

Mystery solved.

Three keys to Hawks-Wings Game 3

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES/May 22, 2009, ADAM L. JAHNS ajahns@suntimes.com

1. Feed off the frenzy

The energy at the United Center during the postseason has been staggering. The roars during the national anthem have been deafening. The chants have been in unison, and the goal celebrations have been wild. All that should triple now that the Red Wings are in town. The Blackhawks need to feed off that energy as they've done all postseason. The Hawks are 5-1 at home during the playoffs, and they outscored Calgary and Vancouver 21-14 on home ice. One Hawk who has enjoyed more success at home is winger Martin Havlat, who has nine points in six games at the UC.

2. No more blue-line blunders

Three goals by Detroit can be directly attributed to mistakes by three Hawks defensemen. In Game 1, Brent Seabrook whiffed on a pass, and Dan Cleary scored on a breakaway. Duncan Keith later was pickpocketed by Johan Franzen en route to another score. The biggest was Brian Campbell's turnover in overtime of Game 2 that led to Mikael Samuelsson's game-winner. The tough part is that it came right after a Hawks scoring chance. Seabrook, Keith and Campbell aren't alone in the mistake department, but they're the Hawks' best defensemen. Detroit is a formidable enough opponent without their help.

3. Stay in front of Osgood

Game 2 was a better game because the Hawks put more pressure on the Wings. They had more shots on goal, more power-play chances and forced the Wings to block more shots than in Game 1. Still, the Hawks had only two goals to show for it because goalie Chris Osgood has been better than good in the playoffs. The veteran has a .925 save percentage and 2.04 goals-against average this postseason. To break through, the Hawks need a parking lot of players in front of Osgood, not just traffic. It's no surprise that three of the Hawks' four goals against Detroit came when someone was positioned in front of or near Osgood.

---

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:It's a must win for the Hawks. No doubt about it.

Break out the cliches!

Must win.
Have to bring it tonight.
One game at a time (or is that only when you're down 0-3?)
Give it 110%.
Leave it all out on the ice.
Our best players must be our best players.

HA HA!

This game is the series.
Check your ego at the door.
Play through the pain.

Ol' time hockey. Eddie Shore.

Back to basics.

Reggie Dunlop:
That's great. Why should she care what anyone thinks about her? Shes
just scrappin' Hey, how does Braden treat her? Is he nice to her?

Denis Lemieux:
Oh yeah, he love her. He tell me 'I love her.'


Reggie Dunlop:
Well, maybe Braden's a faggot, you ever think of that?


Denis Lemieux:
No way, he got a big Wang, like horse.

The Guy With The Mustache wrote:Reggie Dunlop:
That's great. Why should she care what anyone thinks about her? Shes
just scrappin' Hey, how does Braden treat her? Is he nice to her?

Denis Lemieux:
Oh yeah, he love her. He tell me 'I love her.'


Reggie Dunlop:
Well, maybe Braden's a faggot, you ever think of that?


Denis Lemieux:
No way, he got a big Wang, like horse.

He did not say Wang!

Oh, Denis, you should feel shame.

Some more goalie humour. A little long, but still fun.

Reggie Dunlop:
Oh you cheap son of a Wing Dang Doodle. Are you crazy? Those guys are retards!


McGrath:
I got a good deal on those boys. The scouts said they showed a lot of promise.


Reggie Dunlop:
They brought their Diddle' TOYS with 'em!


McGrath:
Well, I'd rather have em playin with their toys than playin with themselves


Reggie Dunlop:
They're too dumb to play with themselves. Boy, every piece of garbage that comes into the market and you gotta buy it!


McGrath:
Reg, Reg, that reminds me. I was coachin' in Omaha in 1948 and Eddie
Shore sends me this guy who was a terrible masturbator, you know,
couldn't control himself. Why, he would get deliberate penalties so he
could get over in the penalty box all by himself and damned if he
wouldn't... you know...

The view on tonight's game from John Jaeckel at Versus.com:

Why the Blackhawks Will Win Game 3

Home ice. They played well enough to win Game 2 and this is a must win. In Game 2, the Hawks rediscovered the style of play that helped them beat Calgary and Vancouver: an intense fore-check, big hits and sustained pressure in the opponents' end. Done in by two bad turnovers in the last contest, the Hawks are not likely to repeat those mistakes in a crucial Game 3.

Why the Red Wings Will Lose Game 3

They looked tired in Game 2. They've been through a gruelling series with Anaheim, and are facing a still very energetic, physical Hawks team on the road in a tough building. Plus, some observers thought the Wings got away with a fair amount on hooking and holding in Game 2. If that was the case, they will likely not get those breaks in the United Center.

Inside the Blackhawks for Game 3

Inside their Heads
The Hawks feel they could have won a critical Game 2 in Detroit. While that is disappointing, they seem to realize that what got them into position to win was a style of play that they know they can duplicate and even improve upon at home. And, although a loss would put them down 3-0, they don't seem to be panicked either.

Inside the Blackhawk Positives
As predicted, Joel Quenneville split up Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in Game 2, going early and throughout the game to a muscle line of Toews, Dustin Byfuglien and Troy Brouwer. This line was very effective. Aside from his overtime turnover, Brian Campbell was again outstanding, along with partner Nik Hjalmarsson. While 190 pound Darren Helm led Detroit with 8 hits, 15-20 of the Hawks 37 hits were delivered by Byfuglien, Brouwer and Ben Eager, each averaging 230 pounds. If the Hawks can force a longer series, the effect of these hits might be seen in a slower, banged up Wings team.

Inside their Adjustments
Simple. Defensemen need to take the easy play at the point and get the puck deep, as opposed to trying tricky, cross-ice passes. The latter led to two Detroit goals in Game 2. Pushing the puck deep, and getting it on net as much as possible has paid dividends for the Hawks throughout the playoffs and in Game 2.

Inside the Trends
The Hawks improved slightly in the faceoff dot in Game 2, winning 46% of their draws. They must improve this number in Game 3. The Hawks' offensive pressure enabled 37 shots on goal in Game 2, including a playoff record versus the Wings in the first period.

Inside their Words
"We all thought we played a lot better in the second game . . . so that's what we wanted. We didn't get the results we wanted, but we did what we wanted. I don't think we have to calm down the team. We have a good feeling; we know we're down 2-0 and have a little bit of a hill to climb, but it's not over yet. We all know that." -- Blackhawk C, Sammy Pahlsson

Pahlsson reflects the belief among the Hawks that they re-found their style of play in Game 2.

Inside the Trainer's Room
Limited speed and aggression by D Duncan Keith suggests the Hawks' top defenseman is nursing some sort of injury. Keith also did not skate in practices between Games 1 and 2. Though Marty Havlat was limping after Game 1, he skated reasonably well in Game 2. Patrick Sharp showed no lasting effects from a head impact caused by a body slam from the Wings Justin Abdelkader.

Inside the Hawks’ Bench
Quenneville seems to have impressed upon the Hawks that they needed to revert to their more physical style for game 2. In most respects, it worked. If anything, the failure of two "finesse" plays in that game only reinforces his message. Quenneville must ensure the Hawks play aggressively, but simply, and know that they cannot afford to go down 3-0.

John Jaeckel/Versus.com May 22 2009

IMHO key players to watch:

Chicago: Dave Bolland--one of the best young two way players in the game. He can kill you on the PK with unexpected goals.

Detroit: Valtteri Filppula--like Bolland, an underrated two way forward and a dangerous scorer.

Enjoy the game, everyone.

:##:

Detroit wins 3-2

Is that a prediction or did you use the FFW button on your PVR?

I predict the Hawks win. Datsyuk is out and the coach doesn't like Chelios. Recipe for a loss, for sure.

The Hawks will need to eliminate their costly turnovers and have a solid game from Bulin if they want to win.

wprager wrote:Is that a prediction or did you use the FFW button on your PVR?

I predict the Hawks win. Datsyuk is out and the coach doesn't like Chelios. Recipe for a loss, for sure.

I can't believe JR is stirring that crap up.

wprager wrote:Is that a prediction or did you use the FFW button on your PVR?

I predict the Hawks win. Datsyuk is out and the coach doesn't like Chelios. Recipe for a loss, for sure.

We'll find out


BTW, interesting fact, 3/4 teams in the finals have a Sault Ste. Marie born person on their team.

Carolina has Ron Francis and Paul Maurice
Pittsburgh has Tyler Kennedy
Detroit has an equipment manager.

Last year, all 4 did.

Dallas with Turco, and Philly with Carter(he's not born in the Sault, but he told us he'd bring it here.)

Hawks take a 1-0 lead!