Pacers and Blackhawks

The only entertainment I get these days is from the Pacers and Blackhawks.  The Pacers have a team of guys without a superstar who have embraced the team concept and followed their coach's lead to achieve a 2-2 tie against King James and the Heat.  The Hawks were the best team in the NHL this shortened season, but had to fight back from a 3-1 deficit against the mighty Red Wings to earn a berth in the Western Conference Finals with a game 7 overtime victory.

I discovered Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane a few years back when they were a pair of 18-year-old rookies.  Working in Chicago, I picked up a ticket and went to see the Blackhawks one evening.  I saw those talented rookies play and thought they were going to be pretty good.  Sure enough, the two youngsters led their team to the Stanley Cup shortly after I became a fan. 

The Hawks were challenged by a hot Red Wing goaltender that they just couldn't seem to solve.  Jimmy Howard was turning away something like 40 Hawks shots each game as the Red Wings build their 3-1 series lead and threatened to end the Windy City's hopes for this year.  But somehow the chink in Howard's armor was discovered and the Blackhawks took 3 in a row to advance.

Brent Seabrook grabs the puck off a hard check from Dave Bolland and wrists it past Howard to pick up the Hawks overtime win.  Too bad I couldn't see it.

The games have been televised on an obscure sports channel, I think owned by NBC, that my Dish doesn't even offer.  So I have to catch up after the game ends by reading the stories on the internet and catching the highlights on SportsCenter.

What, doesn't the NHL want people to watch their playoffs on television?

It's still going to be fun to find out whether Indiana can take 2 of 3 and advance to the NBA Finals, and whether the Blackhawks can find a chink in Jonathan Quick's armor to move past the LA Kings in their Western Conference Final.