One of the rarest sights on Chicago television occurred Tuesday night. The Blackhawks played a home hockey game, and you didn’t have to mortgage your home to see it.
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Courtesy of ESPN, and according to league rules, the local blackout was lifted for Game 3 of this Stanley Cup semifinal series against Detroit Red Wings.
Dollar Bill Wirtz, who owns the Hawks, opposes free home TV on the belief that “giving away” the product would offend ticket buyers who pay dearly to attend. He has his point, although some critics would argue that it’s atop Dollar Bill’s head.
Television is a tool of marketing, a philosophy the Hawks misconstrue to mean opening a souvenir shop on Michigan Avenue. T-shirts aren’t forever. But don’t call Wirtz cheap, because refusing to allow home TV is probably a bad business decision. He could sell those rights to somebody, and still sell tickets. He sold 22,709 Tuesday night.
Gary Suter, despite a broken right hand, returned to the Chicago lineup. Unfortunately, the early star of Tuesday night’s programming was referee Don Koharski. The Hawks and Red Wings played two tough yet clean games in Detroit. But instead of letting the teams play in Game 3, Koharski broke the flow with penalty calls. A different night, a different style.
Has anybody ever motioned to have the same referee handle an entire playoff series, start to finish? Lack of consistency is what vexes coaches and players most, so one zebra for a best-of-seven set might be the answer. Then again, maybe not. Koharski called 13 penalties in the first two periods, then disappeared in the third.
The Hawks began Tuesday night with great ambitions, and almost pulled off the mission implausible in Game 3. It is one thing to worry the Red Wings. It is quite another thing to bury them.
But, after Denis Savard redirected Chris Chelios’ power-play drive past goalie Mike Vernon, the Hawks had chances aplenty to pad their lead.
Dirk Graham fed Chelios, whom Vernon stoned. Then Murray Craven came in alone, only to be jostled at the last second by Nicklas Lidstrom from behind. Craven never did muster a shot of any consequence.
Then, Jeff Shantz surprised Vernon with a blast. Eric Daze waved at a rebound attempt, prompting a slash by Bob Errey. A lot of 19-year-old players would have retaliated. Daze just stood there and watched Errey head to the penalty box. Then there were the acts that were not punished. Shawn Burr stenciled Chelios onto a tire ad along the boards, and from behind. That’s a whistle in January.
Meanwhile, Bob Rouse exhaled on Craven, who tumbled to the ice in the prettiest dive you ever saw. Koharski bought it. Two minutes for holding.
You want knockouts? Graham put a big lick on Ray Sheppard, who went to the ice, got up, then fell. He was obviously without radar when helped to the bench. The first period had it all, including a tying goal by Keith Primeau off Lidstrom’s feed on a Detroit power play. The Red Wings had to consider themselves fortunate to be 1-1 after the first period.
Bernie Nicholls ended his 0-for-April and 0-for-May famine early in the second period on yet another Hawk power play, but Stu Grimson, the popular former Hawk, brought Detroit a 2-2 tie moments later. Then the irrepressible Paul Coffey scored with Detroit on a two-man advantage for a one goal advantage, 3-2, before Shantz’s quick blast made it 3-3.
Overtime followed, and at no extra charge.
As for Scotty Bowman’s TV plans, he will watch Wednesday night’s Stanley Cup semifinal from the Eastern Conference. Bowman, hockey’s greatest living coach and a baseball freak, thought about visiting Comiskey Park for the White Sox contest against Toronto.
But Bowman will view the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers instead. Bowman won’t say it, so we will. That’s called pre-scouting.