Rigamarole - A Foot In The Crease - Episode 5.38

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There’s a saying that goes, “In order to have success, your best players have to be your best players.” Well there’s something about the Stanley Cup Playoffs that often finds a way to disprove that theory. So often – certainly far more than in any other sport – it’s the lesser lights, the muckers, the grinders, the guys who show up with their lunch pail ready to work that become the heroes at the biggest times.

Just think Max Talbot, not Sidney Crosby, was the slayer of the mighty Detroit Red Wings in game seven of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. Often it’s not for long, a single step up into the pantheon of the immortal but you only need to do it once. Rarely do these types of players ever reach such heights again in their careers but that’s alright, they’ve secured their places in history.

So far in this year’s Finals, the Chicago Blackhawks have managed their success on the backs of those types of players. The Dave Bollands, the Troy Brouwers, the Ben Eagers have all had their moments in the spotlight, all helping to propel the Blackhawks to an early two games to none lead. But that’s the thing with players from the supporting cast; they excel in the moment, in brief instances in time when the stars align allowing them to be heroes. In order for those moments to occur though, that is where teams need to rely on their best players and so far for the Blackhawks, they have been absent.

Dynamite through the first three rounds, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have gone cold. In fact worse than that, not only have they produced just a meager four points between the two of them, they have consistently been victimized by the Flyers’ offense, putting up a minus six and minus three rating respectively.

Back in Chicago for game five, it’s the Flyers with all the momentum. If the Blackhawks are going to get back to holding control of the series, it will have to be on the backs of Kane and Toews. But hey, all that was just rigamarole.