Had So Much Fun at the UC Last Night…Right Up Until the Hawks Lost to the Rangers
Editor’s note: Luckily I taped this game so that I was able to rewind and play the goal in the first period that was at first credited to Kris Versteeg, but which was actually tipped in by Jonathan Toews. Seems Toews was too modest to tell Versteeg that Versteeg had the assist, not the goal.
Going to the United Center is always interesting. Getting there during rush hour (which if you’re not familiar with Chicago is from about 3:30-7:30 p.m. or later in bad weather), especially in weather below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, is a hassle. But once you’re there, it’s like magic. And, it was Patrick Sharp bobblehead night, which placated all the fancicles that streamed into the UC (including yours truly). They were nice bobbleheads too, not the cheap kind. Thanks to AT&T and the Blackhawks for those, because hey, who doesn’t love bobbleheads? And who doesn’t love taking in a game between Original Six teams?
And while I’m handing out thank yous, thanks to the kindly older gentleman who sat next to me for a period or two and painstakingly pointed out things I missed. Wish I’d gotten his name. Hope to see him at future games. These are the kinds of fans I love. Clearly he’d been watching the Hawks for a long time, decades probably, and was happy to impart some of his wisdom to the younger generations. Wish there were more like him.
I also wish the Hawks had not lost to the Rangers, but then, that goes without saying. Fans who’ve been coming to the UC for years can probably shrug off a loss like that. As a young fan, I take it harder. I went to the Billygoat Tavern up the street in hopes of commiserating with the rest of the Blackhawks fans. I bellied up to the bar, ordered an Old Style, and waited to join in the misery of others that I thought would keep me company. But I was shocked to find people laughing and having a good time like it was any other Friday night. My eyes were wide, shocked at the possibility of anyone being able to shrug off such a close game, inexplicably lost 3-2 in overtime. (Not to mention scoring only once with five, that’s five, 5-on-3s is just…well…painful.) It makes me feel as bummed as Jonathan Toews was in this interview from the Hawks/Predators game on January 10: