Western Conference Finals Game One: Hawks 2, Sharks 1 - Mel listens intently

So, I can’t add too much personal observation of this game, as about the first 45 minutes of it was listened to on the radio. Thankfully, the radio station came in pretty good – we were around Madison when the game finally started. I was rather perturbed as the station it was broadcast on is normally conservative talk radio crap (they sponsored Sarah Palin’s appearance here last week *violentretching*). The pregame didn’t start until about five to 2pm, so I had to keep flipping back and forth from my iPod as I didn’t want to listen to the blathering about Arizona’s “protection of America” laws that would have caused my poor head to explode from rage. Anyway.

So from the radio, it sounded like:

1. It was a very fast paced game – I though John Wiedemann was going to need an oxygen mask at some point
2. Most of the penalties the Hawks received were deserved.
3. Nemo made some incredible saves and Troy Murray thought Nabokov seemed a little shaky.

I’m sure the cars around us had a good laugh when Sharpie scored in the second as I was clapping and making wild hand gestures of happiness. Thankfully I was smart enough to do the first half of the driving so I wouldn’t careen off into a ditch from distractions during game time.

We got home in time to see Buff’s winner. And the hilarious Versteeg/Bolland penalty box mix-up. Even Amy, who is still learning the finer points of hockey, was like “Uh, why is Versteeg in the box? Did I miss something?”  The Sharks have no pot to pee in if they’re going to bitch about it – I find it hard to believe the Sharks played like angels and didn’t take any liberties with the Hawks for a full sixty minutes. Besides, if Jumbo Joe pots that goal in the last minute it would have been a moot point.

I’m glad our little “Question Mark” did so well for himself in that game that he got his very own “History Will Be Made” commercial. Which sets off the jinxing bells in my head, but it is an incredible save. I created this picture in his honor:

So, Game Two. Do the Sharks come out like their lives depend on it? Does the Hawks’ incredible playoff road record continue? I just know two things: 1) I will be much less stressed if we head home with a 2-0 lead in the series and 2) The 9pm CST start time is going to kill me tomorrow. Yay!