Tuesdays With Hildy: Sunburn and SCF goaltending both suck.

Backup-cum-starters.

… that the series is going to come down to Quenneville’s ability to manage his manpower properly to use the surfeit of talent he’s been given this year. I don’t see a lot of on-ice leadership with the Blackhawks, just a lot of lines filled with people who work well together but need to rely on the coach to coordinate with other lines and defense pairings. Hartnell might have a little on-ice management and Pronger seems to be able to work the referee crew well. When everyone listens to Quenneville and stays in time with his direction, the lines and defense pairs do well. When someone misses a step, that’s when you see all the orange sweaters swarming Antti Niemi like angry union bees and getting him to miss the high shots from outside. The Canucks did pretty well with similar tactics, but lost when Luongo decided to go from frenetic defense to frantic defense. So, I say it’ll come down to Quenneville being able to manage his lines and pairings that will win the Blackhawks the Cup.

I think only one coach in Chicago is allowed to win his sport’s championship, and he must have a mustache.

Mike Ditka? Won the 1985-1986 season Super Bowl, his mustache leading the way.

Phil Whatshisface from the Bulls? Mustache + Jordan + Pippen = six NBA championships in the 1990s.

Ozzie Guillen? Mustache. 2005 World Series.

So, Quenneville may not win this one because Guillen’s facial hair currently holds the sports-winning power of Chicago.

Dave Wannstedt tried to seize the power of Ditka’s Mustache through growing a mustache to trick the power into thinking he was Mike Ditka, and failed because Ditka had transferred it through time to the Chicago Bulls’ head coach. Then through a use of Zen and lucrative Nike contracts, he managed to keep it around for six years, taking two years off so no one would suspect anything. Then he shot it into the future, where the power landed on Ozzie Guillen’s upper lip shortly after the Cardinals got swept by the Red Sox. After that, no one has seen the sports-winning power originally found in Mike Ditka’s mustache anywhere near Ozzie Guillen. Could it have landed on Joel Quenneville during his stay in St. Louis, nudging him towards United Center and the Blackhawks? Or could it be laying in wait for Lou Pinella to go mad and grow a ‘stache of his own, and is using Quenneville to show the “One mustachioed winning coach in Chicago per decade” rule’s existence?

Truly, it boggles the mind.

Also, the Hartnell and Pronger comments I made up there? Those were to show what I noticed in the game as examples of guys who are doing a little leaderhip for the Flyers on the ice. I didn’t make that clear enough. The Blackhawks should have someone on the ice to relay and reinforce Quenneville’s directions or provide leadership in case something doesn’t work out right.

then Philly has a chance. Otherwise . . .

where’s that Goddamned meteor when I need it?