TOP 5 BLACKHAWKS MOMENTS THIS SEASON (OPINION)
Full disclosure: I have only been a low-key Blackhawks fan since 2009.
I then moved to Michigan. Ok, now Detroit is my Second Home Team. Then, I moved to Wisconsin. Umwhere's my hockey team? Seriously - of all the states to not have a hockey team. Wisconsin? However, it was soon made very clear to me that when you live in Milwaukee, you root for the Blackhawks. Ok, cool. That was fine with me. My strongest allegiance was to the Penguins, anyway, so there was no real rivalry there. I never went to a game, until recently, but I enjoyed keep track of their progress, and was actually driving back to MI after they won the Stanley Cup, so I got to see the Chicago skyline lit up in Blackhawks colors, and «Go Hawks» written across buildings by window lights. It was awesome.
So, here is where my Top 5 Blackhawks Moments Begin:
1. FLEURY MOVES TO CHICAGO
Fast forward 11 years from that 2010 Stanley Cup, I'm living in Michigan, again, and my goalie gets traded in the most ridiculous trade ever to Chicago. All of a sudden, low-key becomes Super Fan, because I go where my goalie goes. Honestly, if it wasn't going to be Pittsburgh, I'm really glad he went to Chicago. I already liked the team, and the city is not that far from where I live. At the time, I wasn't too familiar with the team's stats, so I had to play catch-up over the summer. I also planned trips to see him in every game I could, because who knew if this was going to be his final season or not. In the end, I get that having him there didn't miraculously save the team, as no one should have expected it to, but I think it was important for him to be there for the time that he was. He was an inspiration to so many of the players, and coaches. Still is. I know he and Kevin Lankinen became good friends, and it always seems the second goalie plays better when Fleury is around. As bad as the season turned out to be, I think it could have been a lot worse, without him.
2. PAT FOLEY'S FINAL GAME
Again, even though I haven't been a Blackhawks fan my entire life, there was no denying the passion Pat Foley brought to his play-by-play. I swear, listening to one game called by him could turn anyone born and raised in Detroit into a true Chicago fan. And on his last night in the booth, it's like the game itself didn't want to let him go. The hockey gods wanted to give him a chance to call everything about the sport, one last time. There was a goal by the Captain, there were fights, there were penalties, there was a power play goal, the Hawks were leading, and then we had to go to OT, and then 3 rounds of a shoot out to get the Cat goal, a BIG SAVE by Lankinen, and an end to an 8 game losing streak - «HAWKS WIN! HAWKS WIN!»
3. BLACKHAWKS' FIRST WIN AGAINST VGK - 1/8/22
Not gonna lie - the first time Chicago faced Vegas, IN Vegas was a pretty big deal for me. I loved Vegas. Of course I was incredibly sad that the Penguins didn't protect my goalie, but at the same time, I felt ok. He was starting a brand new team. It was his. And the entire city agreed. That team, that city, meant everything to Fleury, and vice versa. So when the front office did what they did - well, it's hard to root for them, now. And I know it's not the players' fault, at all, but seeing Fleury face 31 shots, while Lehner only faced 21, and having the Hawks come out on top, 2-1 was just perfection. Especially since Vegas scored first, and theirs was the only goal in the first period, it was really nice to see Chicago rally for Fleury in the second, and score 2 to get the lead. And Flower took care of the rest.
4. KANER AND THE CAT
Honestly, these two were incredible this season. It truly seemed like either one or both of them was constantly getting a point for either a goal, an assist, both, or more. Their passing is an art form, and just absolutely mesmerizing to watch. Kane's stick handling skill is on another level, entirely. And their camaraderie just makes you feel better about rooting for this team, win or lose.
5. FLEURY'S 500TH WIN
He's been my goalie since 2003. I've seen him win, I've seen him lose. I've seen him struggle, and fight, and laugh, and cry. I've seen him flick people's ears, and give other players' sticks away. I've seen him built mini snow forts in front of his crease, and luck out with that million dollar smile and a giggle when he didn't get a penalty. I've grown up with him and his family, as they grew, themselves, and watched as they added goodness to my city. I cried when he left, but cheered for his new team, and had immense inner conflict whenever Vegas played Pittsburgh. I watched him break record after record, set new milestones at every turn. I watched as he flashed that leather, kicked out that shiny right pad, saw him roll and flip and dive across the crease for a superman save that's literally been immortalized in a statue. I watched as his life was turned upside-down when his pa passed away. And I watched him make him proud.
And finally, I got to see him play in person. After 18 years of following his career, I was there. And I saw Chicago go through its struggles, but I also got to see them win. And win. And win, with the Flower in their net. And one night in Montréal, so close to Fleury's home town, the arena filled with Canadiens fans and Fleury fans, alike, I saw the 500th Win. You would have thought the home team had just won the Stanley Cup with the kind of ovation he received. It was the final minute of the game, and the entire crowd was chanting the name of the opposing team's goalie. And not in a jeering tone, as many teams have heard, before, but in a loving, supportive, excited manner, because even though he wasn't on their team, they were on his. He will always be the «hometown hero» no matter where he goes. He hadn't even been in Chicago a year, and the celebration ceremony they put together for him was nothing short of phenomenal. He is beloved in every city he plays for, and even those he doesn't.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/d4IBD5qld_g
| POLL | ||
Did you have favorite moments this season? | ||
| Yes, there were some. | 86 | 33.6 % |
| No, the whole season was terrible. | 59 | 23 % |
| Yes, when I got cheese fries. | 67 | 26.2 % |
| I'm just looking forward to next season. | 44 | 17.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
