Two. I’m not panicking. The Blackhawks lost in overtime. I was more worried when they didn’t show up at all in games against Nashville and Detroit. Besides, this wasn’t going to be a sweep – the Flyers have heart (which the Sharks do not). So, let’s go Hawks tonight, and make this series 3-1 and finish them off at home Sunday night.
And I don’t care about pucks (and neither should the Blackhawks in my opinion – they shouldn’t be collecting souvenirs until the series is over), but Chris Pronger IS an asshole; always has been.

I have long said that baseball umpires, NBA refs, and NHL officials have far too much power (more on that below), but it is another callow, stupid move when the powers-that-be refuse to do the right thing.
As many of you know, umpire Jim Joyce ruled Cleveland’s Jason Donald safe at first base, in a game against Detroit earlier this week. The call would have been the final out in Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga’s perfect game, the second this season and the 27th all time. Joyce did the right thing, admitting that he blew the call, personally apologizing to Galarraga and hugging him after the game.
Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski had said the team wouldn’t ask MLB to overturn the call, even though the mistake denied Galarraga the first perfect game in Tigers history.
There was quite a hue and cry from all quarters to have Commissioner Bud Selig use his “good of the game clause” to overturn the ruling. The argument (that I agree with) is that the umpire admitted making a mistake, which is unusual in itself. Second, it was the final out of the game and the next man made an out. If it were the first out, or in the fifth inning, where anything could have happened, I wouldn’t overturn. But it was the final out of the game; what’s the harm?
Well, Selig, the idiot, is not going to change the ruling. Selig said that baseball will consider expanded video replay and umpiring, but didn’t specifically address umpire Jim Joyce’s bad call. And a baseball official familiar with the decision confirmed to The Associated Press (and quoted on SI.com) that the call was not being reversed. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that element was not included in Selig’s statement.
Once again, Bud Selig is showing that he is the worst chief executive in baseball since Kinnesaw “Mountain” Landis. He presided over the game during the steroid era, hiding his head in the sand. He talks about the sanctity of the game while making the All Star Game count towards home field advantage during the World Series. The former used car salesman now will refuse to do the right thing, even though the umpire, the players, and the fans all think he should give Galarraga the perfect game.
It may be this young man’s chance at history, but Selig won’t give it to him. Because, like Mr. Potter in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Selig is “a warped, frustrated old man.”

There has been some discussion on ESPN and elsewhere about the number of ejections MLB umpires have issued on players and managers recently. I don’t know the figures, but I’d bet there probably the same number of ejections now as any other year, but perhaps there’s more scrutiny.
However, I was surprised at what White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said after he and pitcher Mark Buerhle were tossed in a game last week (and that’s saying something to be surprised at something Ozzie says).
Both Chicago newspapers quoted Guillen calling umpire Joe West a f______ a______; and he went further saying that no one pays to see (West) umpire and that he just wants attention for himself and a country and western CD that West has released.
For decades, I have said exact what Guillen said – that no one pays to see an umpire, referee, official do their job. In fact, the less seen, the better the umpire is. What was going through Jim Joyce’s mind when he ended Armando Galarraga’s perfect game?
I have seen interviews with umpires and NBA and NHL officials where they said that they were in charge and anyone who disagreed would get extra calls against them. Who made them gods on the field, ice, etc.?
I thought that a lot of bluster had left umpires when the owners crushed the union and started using technology to standardize the strike zone and also graded the umpires. I guess I was wrong.

Two. The family and I were in the Wisconsin Dells over the long weekend, and The Indignant Wife got us a table at dinner where I could watch Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. Every other minute, it seemed like someone scored. Back and forth the two teams went until the teams buckled down in the 3rd Period and the Hawks won.
Then, last night, a game more resembling Stanley Cup finals hockey: tough, tightly checked, few scores. Then in a .28 span of the second period, Hossa scored (maybe getting the Finals jinx off his back) and Ben Eager powered one past Leighton and Hawks are up 2-0. Flyers are a veteran and proud unit and pelted Niemi, but he came up big in the big situation, giving up only a power play goal in the period.
So, the Blackhawks are up 2-0 and as we all know, the series is far from over. These Flyers battled back from 3-0 down against Boston. However, the Hawks are not the Bruins. They are younger; they are much deeper. And, they may be getting in Philly’s collective heads a little. The Flyers tried to go end-to-end with the Hawks and got outscored. This surprised me, because the team that gave the Hawks the hardest time were the Nashville Predators – to played a defensive style and almost knocked them off. That the Flyers didn’t play that style surprised me.
Then, they came back for Game 2 with a tougher style of play, which is what I expected. But again, the Hawks countered, with more hits in the 1st period than the Flyers, and this was Philly’s strategy. A tight checking game ensued and the Hawks still prevailed. Plus, the Blackhawks superstar forwards: Kane and Toews don’t have a point yet. The Hawks are winning without their top weapons coming through. What happens when they do?
So, game 3 is tomorrow night, and the Blackhawks still have a seven game winning road streak going. The Flyers came back from 3-0, but lightning can’t strike twice, especially for the same team in the same playoff run. But the Hawks seem to concentrate better on the road. If this continues and the Flyers can’t get a win tomorrow; it may be over Friday night. Then, let the celebrating begin!

Four. The Sharks have shown their playoff mettle yet again, not just in getting swept in the Conference Finals by the Blackhawks, but getting but 3 shots on goal in the third period with the scored tied at 2 coming into that do-or-die period. Now, we prepare to face the winner of the Eastern Conference, and the Blackhawks cannot afford to be overconfident or believe the fans or media.
Whoever comes out of the East will, of course, be a number 7 or 8 seed and heavy underdogs. But the Canadians knocked off a number 1 seed (Wash.) and the defending Stanley Cup champions (Pitts.) each on the road. But it appears that the Flyers, up 3-games-to-1 are the odds on favorites to advance, and they got by the number 2 seed, the Devils (another choke job in NJ), and of course, their historic series victory over Boston, after being behind 3-0 (maybe the biggest choke in recent NHL history).
I hope the Flyers finish off the Habs today, so that both teams will have approximately the same amount of rest (rust), because the Finals would then start Saturday at the United Center.
So, Blackhawk boys, enjoy today and tomorrow and then bear down, because the hardest act is yet to play.

I have to pass on the best comment on a blog about the Blackhawks victory (thanks to Phil Rothman for passing it along):

“My wife is going to leave me for Buff (Dustin Byfuglien)… and I’m okay with it.”

People who are connected with me through Facebook may have seen an online argument with some Tea Party guys. I have to learn not to get into an argument with idiots, morons, and racists.