Sporty Peachy: Chicago Blackhawks Capture Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals Over the Philadelphia Flyers; Coach Joel Quenneville Orchestrates a Commanding Victory
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a religious experience for Peachy Deegan. Truly the most wonderful time of the year (well, maybe equal with St. Patrick's Day), the Stanley Cup Playoffs epitomize the joy of being alive and show everyone that the good news in the world is indeed highlighted in the sports section of the newspaper, or more appropriately, the website. The only thing that Peachy can remember before about hockey attending hockey games herself is her family leaving her behind as a 3/4 year old as they took the route up 91 north when the Hartford Civic Center roof collapsed. When she was 5 she attended her first NHL game and she hasn't been the same since. With the Civic Center roof repaired, Peachy with her family spent the bulk of her childhood at hockey games cheering for the Whalers.
Although the beloved New York Rangers are not in the playoffs, we have learned over the years to appreciate the sport itself and not just the one team in blindless loyalty. As time has gone on, our original team was sold to North Carolina and of course we are loyal to the Rangers of course, doubly because their farm team is in Hartford. Especially since the mantra of Whom You Know is excellence appreciated, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are clearly the best there is. And the best right now are the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers. If you aren't on those teams right now, you are on the golf course!
We told you in Game One of the Western Conference Finals that Chicago would win:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2010/05/sporty-peachy-game-one-western.html
They did.
If you go far enough back in the Hartford Courant archives, you will find a few articles written to the Editor of the Sports Section of why Joel Quenneville is the best coach around written by yours truly. We must admit, we say this with prior life experience: we knew he would be fabulous because he was one of the best as a defenseman in Hartford from the 1983-84 season, and as he put the "D" in Defense then he now puts the "Q" in quality as a coach. Possibly famous at the time for his striking resemblance to Magnum PI/Tom Selleck, Quenneville was a dominant force in both leadership and hockey skill in Hartford for many years and was an influence on Peachy's childhood. Quenneville won the Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Avalanche in 1996.
The fire that has been shown in the sheer determination of these players from the drop of the puck during the first period trumps any Superbowl or World Series we have ever seen: Americans please note the sport of hockey is far underrated in our country! In Connecticut when Peachy was growing up, there was not a professional MLB, NFL or NBA team, but there were the Hartford Whalers and if you went to those games you will understand! In fact, Howard Baldwin is in the process of resurrecting the franchise, which we will of course keep you apprised of in our Take a Trip to Connecticut column. Take a look at the popular facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/WhalerNation?ref=ts
In tonight's matchup, both the Flyers and the Blackhawks came to play in a big way. Facing off in Chicago's United Center on Madison Street (not to be confused with our Madison Avenue, which also was quite hopping today), it was the epitome of offensive intensity from the drop of the puck. Neck and neck throughout much of the game, the offense of both teams thoroughly challenged the respective defensive units. With Captain Mike Richards of Philadelphia leading the way along powerhouse Chris Pronger, they Flyers were dominant forces throughout much of the game, but not enough of it.
We believe, though we did watch recreationally and did not keep official stats, that the Flyers did not have a penalty during the game. If they had won, it would have been the first time since 1953 that a team won without a penalty. However, the penalty killing of the Blackhawks was brilliant and we must say we think this is a credit to their coach.
The most beautiful part of the game was executed with 8:10 to go in the 1st when on a breakaway, Dave Bolland scored for Chicago inbetween the Philadelphia goaltender's legs in a shorthanded situation. To us, this is more beautiful than Central Park on a day where there isn't a cloud in the sky, more beautiful than the most coveted dresses at Bergdorf Goodman for all the "it" girls, more beautiful than the Dow exceeding record highs...this is a Stanley Cup high. (In pottery class many years ago, Peachy made the Stanley Cup when the other students were making bowls and vases.)
Early on in the second when the game was tied at 3, it was clear that this was not to be a game of goaltending but to be a game of snipers that could put the puck in the net. In our opinion, the turning point came when Chicago was up 5-4 and the Philadelphia goalie was pulled, or it could have been when Chicago captured the lead which would be the final score of 6-5 with 11:35 to go in the third when patience with the puck paid off for the Blackhawks.
Our only complaints about the game would be that NBC used no women commentators (We will volunteer!) - men do work in women-dominated industries; just think of all of the men who influence the Beauty and Fashion industries! Also, we would have liked to have seen Lee DeWyze, current American Idol hailing from Chicago singing the National Anthem, but perhaps at another game of the series. All in all, we are SO HAPPY that Chicago won and we hate to say it, but we did tell you they were the best! Whom You Know is about the Best of Manhattan, but we are starting to think that Chicago is our kind of town...isn't that what Sinatra said!
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It's not Who You Know, it's Whom You Know, and Peachy first met Joel Q. as a kid, and he is a class act through and through. We can speak to his successes for over 25 years. This is of course in red, a Blackhawks color.
