Inside the Wolves' den

Running with the Wolves: Part 2

2009-03-30T21:56:17Z

Editor's note: Here is Part 2 of Grant's behind-the-scenes video with the Wolves.

Running with the Wolves

2009-03-04T23:34:13Z

Note from the editor: Grant revealed yet another talent when we asked him to do a video of the Wolves behind the scenes.

]]> Not only is he a talented writer and hockey player, but he also put together an entertaining and enlightening video.

We're breaking it down into several episodes. This is the first and starts as the team bused to Milwaukee on Feb. 13.

Enjoy.

Steelers deliver another title, and a smile

2009-02-03T20:13:18Z

Okay....So here we go, Blog #2.

I want to start off by thanking all of you for your comments. I appreciate the feedback, both positive and negative, so again, thank you.

I will try my best to work on my word count here as much as possible, but I often get carried off topic, so no promises. But on another note, this is my blog, and if nothing else over this period of "blogging," maybe you can get to know me a little bit more, and my tangents may be the best way for that....

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Since I spoke to you last, we have had two weekends of games. The first trip we went up to Hamilton/Toronto for two games. It is always nice to head up to Canada because we have so many Canadians on our team and I know from speaking with them that their trips home are few and far between. Unfortunately though, we came back a little empty handed, 0 pts.

The first game against Hamilton, I thought we played pretty well and did a lot of things that could have won us the game, but obviously we didn't do enough. A couple letdowns early in the game and before we knew it we were fighting an uphill battle trying to get back, which has seemed to be a reccurring theme this season considering our opponent has been scoring the first goal quite often.

This is something we definitely need to work on because when we are down by a goal, sometimes we have to overextend ourselves offensively, veering away from our game plan, in order to tie the game back up.

The following night in Toronto, I didn't think we played our best. We were having trouble settling the puck in a lot of different areas and were not creating the scoring chances we needed in order to beat a team like Toronto on the road. On a more positive note, I think that we are a better team than both so come playoff time, assuming that everything goes as planned, we may very well see one of those teams again and I like our chances.

This past weekend, we won two out of three, losing the one game to Milwaukee in Milwaukee. I thought that we outplayed Milwaukee in that game, but because of a few unfortunate (for lack of a better word) goals, they got the two points.

As a team though, I think we are starting to find our identity, which is so important if we plan on finishing this season and beginning playoffs on a positive note. It has taken us a little longer this year to find this "team identity," but better late than never.

If I had to describe our "team identity," I would say that we are a team who is going to have to pride ourselves on the defensive aspect of the game, accepting the fact that we are going to be in a lot of close games and without hard work, a strong forecheck and a immaculate defensive zone, we will not fulfill our expectations. So those are all key points for us to concentrate on moving forward.

Off the Ice, we had a Super Bowl party on Sunday, and as expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers won their sixth championship. I only expect this because they are the second best franchise in sports, (haha), only to the Wolves. Or third to the Thrashers and Wolves for my Atlanta based audience, haha.

It was a great day for myself, friends and family, and everyone from Pittsburgh though. While the Penguins and Pirates have both had their moments, I think in the end, we are a football city. Everyone always follows the Steelers with a very keen eye and with the Rooney family as owners, the family atmosphere has trickled down throughout the city.

So Congrats to the Steelers, they have represented the Black, White and Gold very well. On a side note, and please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Pittsburgh is the only city where all of our major sports teams wear the same colors. So it is very appropriate to say that being from Pittsburgh, we all bleed Black, White and Gold.

Our party was definitely a success though. Everyone brought a dish to eat and we supplied the beverages. I think the wives and girlfriends made most of the food because they were nothing short of amazing, and if I know my teammates as well as I think I do, none of them were cooking these extravagant dishes.

Mike Hoffman and Jamie Rivers get the award for best dressed. Although I may have been a close second with my Troy Polamalu jersey, the two of them came in "nightgowns" that only the most extreme and egregious hockey mom could ever be caught wearing. These "nightgowns" were by no means average and were nothing short of ridiculous and to see those guys prancing around in them was very amusing. One of them had hockey sticks and pucks covering the entire nightgown from head to toe, so if you could imagine seeing Mike Hoffman squeezing into this, you can understand how humorous this really was.

We also were fortunate enough to meet the newest addition to the Brett Sterling household, Cooper, an English Bulldog I believe. After living with my parents' Miniature Doberman Pinscher, I have developed somewhat of disliking towards these animals we often call domesticated.

By no means do I see a purpose for my parents having this Min-Pin, nor any sort of coexistence between the two; the dog does whatever it wants, and my parents have no choice but to feeder towards its needs. Hopefully Brett's English Bulldog is different and they can live together in happiness, but I feel that most small dogs have developed Napoleon Complex, or Small Man Syndrome, where they feel that they run "everyone's show." Let's remember that in the end, THEY ARE DOGS; without them, we can survive, without us, they cannot. haha, I am joking around when I am writing all of this so I hope I didn't hit a soft spot with anyone. Cooper was actually a very friendly dog, very well behaved and a major hit at our party so I appreciate Brett and Lizzy bringing him over.

I know it's getting a little long, but I wanted to touch on a more philosophical point before I leave you. I am very appreciative of all of your comments, but one comment stuck out the most and I have been thinking about it quite a bit since I've read it. The comment came from Nikki the Red Head, speaking about a "choice to be happy."

Ever since I was a little kid, I have carried a smile on my face, but it wasn't until later in life that I realized this characteristic of mine. At one point in my college career, I was struggling, not only with my workload and hockey, but my life. I was often searching for my purpose and worrying so much about the future that I was missing the present. I was missing all of the small, everyday enjoyments that all of us experience, but often take for granted.

During this time, I spoke to someone, I can't even remember who, whether it be Lindsay or Lauren (my two sisters), my best friend or my dad. Whomever it was, I spoke to someone and they told me that my mom had asked them if I was ok. She was upset because she mentioned that she hadn't seen me smile in such a long time. She went on to tell them that for as long as she could remember, I had always had a smile on my face, and that she had no longer seen that smile. It was then that I realized, not only how much I really did smile, but also the problem. I was concentrating on all of the negative aspects of life. It wasn't that the positives weren't there, but I was not recognizing them when they arrived.

To somewhat wrap this up before it gets WAY to long, the moral of the story is, maybe Moms do "always know best" (My Mom's going to love reading this), but also that we all have a choice to make everyday when we awake, to be happy or sad.

We can all sit there and dwell on the negatives, for that's easy; we can go to work, complain and tell everyone about how "the world is out to get us." Or we can celebrate, enjoy and be thankful for the positives, but unfortunately, this often seems to be the road less traveled for many of us.

The decision is not mine, for I like to think that my decision has already been made, but yours. I'd like to say that we can either see the cup half full or half empty, but the truth is, it is so much more than that. In every situation in life, there is a positive and a negative. Try finding the positives in everything and it becomes easier and easier as time goes on.

Positive energy is the most important part of life and it's contagious. So if you can't find it for yourself, find it for your kids, your family, your friends; because you would not believe how many people in this world just want to see you happy and that could, in turn, be enough to make them happy.

Remember, "Reality is only a matter of perspective." So when you wake up tomorrow morning, see today as a gift, not a grind; and when you are leaving the house, forget your keys, forget your wallet, forget your purse, forget your phone, JUST DON"T FORGET YOUR SMILE!!

See you soon......

Line change for Wolves blog

2009-01-22T22:41:43Z

Hello! My name is Grant Lewis and I am a defenseman for the Chicago Wolves. I am your replacement blogger for the time being as my teammate Jamie Rivers recently had his fourth child and has been quite busy to say the least; so I want to start off my congratulating him and wishing him the best. Four children? At my age I don't know much about parenting or trying to keep an eye on four children, but I can imagine that is quite the job. So again, congratulations to Jamie and his wife.

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First a little about myself; I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. My parents still reside there and I try to make it back to see them as much as I can. I spent all of my childhood and was lucky enough to finish high school there as well. In my profession, that is unusual as many of my teammates were forced to move and leave their hometown in order to pursue their dreams of becoming a professional hockey player. Growing up, I spent most of my time on the ice playing for the Pittsburgh Hornets and my senior year of high school I played "Juniors" for the Pittsburgh Forge. After high school, I continued my education and hockey experiences playing for Dartmouth College. Dartmouth is located in Hanover, NH, so similar to many of you Chicagoans, I know what it is like to hibernate indoors throughout these cold winters. During my college career, I was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2004, and am currently playing for the Wolves, Atlanta's minor league affiliate.

Well, on Wednesday night, as many of you may or may not know, against the Toronto Marlies, we broke a seven game losing streak. We ended up beating them in a shootout so it was a little closer than we would have liked, but we were very happy to get those two points. Our conference and more specifically our division is always such a tight race, so although we are only half way through the season, these points are very important.

Playing for the Wolves has been a great experience for me so far. While most AHL affiliates are in existence to show young and developing players the ropes of professional hockey, the Wolves are much different. With the Wolves, you learn less about the differences between amateur and professional hockey, but more about "winning." For as long as the Wolves have been in existence, I know that we pride ourselves on "winning", not only individual games, but championships as well. We are coming off of a championship season and similar to every other season, the expectations are high, and with a solid returning core from last season, a few very skilled additions, and a highly touted new coaching staff, our expectations for this season should be nothing but the highest. Returning with our new coaches, Don Granato and Jason Christie, and our other assistant coach, Chicago's finest, Wendell Young. Wendell was a huge part in our success last year and has been a huge part of the Wolves success for years dating back to when he was a player himself.

With the expectations set high, our recent losing streak was not a very pleasant time, not only for us as players, coaches and management, but also for our fans. But just like most Chicago fans, our fans have stayed extremely loyal through these rougher times, which we are all very thankful for.

Being a professional athlete is an interesting occupation to pursue. While most people look at professional athletes on a whole and think how lucky they have it to be playing a sport or game that they love for their living, it is not as easy as it sounds. Professional athletes are often considered living their lives "in the spotlight." This is true in many cases as you often hear and read about athletes in the newspaper, whether it be about performances on or off the rink, arena or field. So as an athlete I can tell you, life is good and I personally would not have it any other way, but at the same time, there are many ups and downs and I would like to spend a moment to talk about this. Adversity...a very touchy subject in this profession, but it is something that is very influential to every team. We have faced a lot of adversity over the last few weeks considering our losing streak. It has not been the most pleasant environment coming to the rink everyday with a locker room filled with negative energy and changing personnel. I guess this is the nature of professional sports along with life and businesses on a whole. I will touch on this more in a little. But adversity, all sports teams at every level face it. I believe that great teams are not defined by adversity or lack there of, but are defined in the team's response. With this being said, this next few games and continuing throughout the season, we will see how our team responds. Will we dwell on the lack of success which we have been having or will bounce back and continue the "winning" tradition of the Wolves? I guess only time will tell....

I think we all face adversity within our own individual careers and before I go, I want to touch quickly on my statement from before when I said, "I guess this is the nature of professional sports along with life and businesses on a whole." If you, or your teammate or fellow employee is not performing to his/her potential, they are replaced with someone who is. As uneasy as that may sound, it's the truth. When it comes to our jobs, everyone is replaceable. So my advice to you is work hard, whether it be a simple or complex task, do it to the best of your ability, but don't get caught up in it to the point where you can't enjoy other aspects of your life.

I want to leave you with this story. My sister sent this story to me a long time ago, but it has stuck with me and I want to now pass it along to you. I am not sure who wrote it or where it came from, but it is titled "Two Glasses of Wine". It speaks a lot about adversity and the tough times we all experience throughout a lifetime. I hope you enjoy it.

TWO GLASSES OF WINE

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full."

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you."

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend."

Remember, while you are replaceable when it comes to your job, you are nowhere near replaceable when it comes to your family and friends. Whatever your career may be, again, do it to the best of your ability, but as bad as your day of work may ever be, be thankful for the people who mean the most to you. When many of us face adversity in our life, we often want to crawl up into a ball and push everything and everyone else away, but we should be doing just the opposite. We must always embrace the people and things that matter most to us, especially during troubled times. For all of us, our time will eventually come to an end and I promise you that at that moment, when life seem to have passed us by, you will not reflect on those bad days at work, but more on the relationships you have made and the time spent with the people who you care about the most.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this first blog. I have never done this before and I know may have taken off on a bit of a tangent, but what can you do. Have a great weekend and if you have any questions or comments about anything, please feel free to write. I am interested in your perspective and your thoughts so that when I write my next blog, I will know in which direction I should head. Thank you very much for your time.

Giving thanks - for playing on the Wolves

2008-12-11T22:14:33Z

Hey everybody, a lot has happened since my last entry so... let's get down to business.

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My family came to see me for a week and let's just say it's never boring with the "Griswolds." I call my family this since I think we are a lot like the Griswold family in the National Lampoon Vacation movies.

We decided to stay at a hotel since the weather is a little colder out now and they have an indoor pool. The Rivers kids love the pool.

It also becomes a big part of letting them blow off some steam, because let me tell you that having my three kids in a hotel room for too long is like watching the annual running of the bulls. They are great kids but they have a lot of energy. I would also like to thank the cleaning crew that had to come in there every day, I am sure that when they first saw the room their instincts were to call the police and report a robbery. It was pretty upside-down in there.

The "Griswolds" were here for Thanksgiving as well, and that was nice since last year we had to spend it apart, as I was playing overseas in Russia.

The Wolves ownership had the most amazing dinner set up for us at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. There was more food than I have ever seen before at a Thanksgiving meal. It could have fed us for a month, although Mike "Don't Hassle the Hoff" Hoffman tried his best to eat it all.

This was absolutely the best team organized meal I have been to in 14 years of professional hockey. They didn't forget anything and what was really impressive was the set up for the kids. They had an enormous room for the kids to run, play and act wild. There was a great babysitter and my kids had a blast. They also had a great little buffet for the kids including hot dogs, which were not only popular with the kids, but also "The Hoff." I watched him crush one while on break from the main buffet. (Sorry buddy, I couldn't let you get away with it unnoticed) A great time was had by all and I'm looking forward to the next one.

While here in Chicago, my family got to see three games and although it's quite a chore for my wife, who is eight months pregnant, the kids really enjoy it. They get pretty pumped up, but not just to watch the game. They love Skates (of course) and especially like playing floor hockey in the Wives' Room with the other kids. I think that they play just as hard as we do on the ice.

However, the Rivers boys have trouble playing anything without full contact. This means "Mrs. Griswold" (my wife) must referee from the couch and make sure things don't get too crazy. I always come up after the game to see my kids red in the face and out of breath. I also get to see my wife red in the face and ready to go! One thing is for sure, it is never boring when the kids are around.

My wife and kids have since returned home and are getting ready for Christmas, which will be another action-packed fiesta. Until then, I will be doing my best to keep busy and win hockey games.

Road work for the Wolves

2008-11-20T20:51:22Z

Last weekend the team embarked on a four-day road trip where we played a pair of games. No one would think that is all that special, except we will be playing the next six games on the road. With that being said every game is going to be important.

]]> What was supposed to be just another ordinary flight to Providence on Thursday had veered itself a little off course. You see the plane experienced a "mechanical difficulty" so not only did we not take that plane to Providence, half the team which had already boarded had to get off the plane.

The airline told us that we had to go to a different gate and wait for a plane that would be coming in from somewhere else. This added time to a day that was about to see me shut it down (go to sleep) for a couple of hours.

We finally arrived in Providence and unfortunately it was raining, not exactly adding to this "great" day. The bus ride to the hotel was fairly uneventful, which was probably a good thing.

We arrived at the hotel and to my surprise we were staying at the Biltmore (not too shabby). The rooms are awesome. They have the bedroom separated from what we will call the living room and the bedroom is home to two king size beds. This is a first for me, having two king size beds in one room, and let me tell you that after 14 years of playing, I don't have too many firsts anymore.

They also had the biggest chair I have ever seen in my life in the corner. Which is probably pretty normal for my roommate Brian Sipotz (he is a large human) or doubles as a spare bed at Steve Martins house (not so large human).

Being that we are on the east coast, I had to find me some seafood, so McCormick and Schmicks got the call for dinner and I was joined by Grant Stevenson and Mike "don't hassel the hoff" Hoffman.

Friday morning the team went down to the rink and had a nice little trot around the track. (That's hockey lingo for morning skate) Everything felt good so hopefully that translates into a good game against Providence. After the skate we went back to the hotel and just like always we feast on pasta and chicken until our bellies are full, then waddle up to the room to get a much needed pre-game nap.

The game against the Bruins was a good one. We won 4-1 and for the most part stuck with the game plan and outworked them. After the game I met up with a good old friend of mine Brendan Walsh, who once played on the same team as me and now is a Boston police officer. Let me tell you, I always thought he would have something to do with the law, just not on this side of it (sorry Walshy). Anyway we met up for some food and good laughs. I had a great time, especially after a good win. It's always so much better when you win.

Saturday was a travel day. After a practice at Providence College, we bused over to Manchester. Once we got to the hotel, I took it pretty easy and went to bed early in preparation for Sunday's tilt.

There was no pre-game skate before Sunday's game against the Monarchs being that the game started at 4 on the east coast. We got off to a bit of a slow start and were quickly down 2-0 after the first period, but we battled back for the rest of the game and were rewarded with a shootout win after tying the game in the last 32 seconds. After the game the guys went and got something to eat and tried to get themselves mentally ready for the 5:45am bus that was awaiting us Monday morning.

The flight back to Chicago was a quiet one as most guys took that time get some more sleep. We have the rest of the day off and we will be right back at it on Tuesday as we have a full week of practice ahead of us before hitting the road again for two games next weekend against Rochester and Syracuse.

Final Word

2008-07-02T18:15:42Z

Coming back from Wilkes-Barre having lost 2 straight games, the team was disappointed, feeling we failed to play the way we had been successful.

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Coming back from Wilkes-Barre having lost 2 straight games, the team was disappointed, feeling we failed to play the way we had been successful.

We had gotten away from controlling the game physically, controlling our defensive zone, and staying away from bad penalties. Despite, having failed to finish off the series, everyone in the locker room knew that if we played our game we would win game six at home. And to be honest, a lot of guys were excited by the fact that we had a chance to win at home, in front of our fans, and in our building.

Games 4 and 5 had been very different than the first three, not just because we lost either. A lot more special teams, a lot of penalty kill for our team especially. What that meant, was that we were not able to roll all four lines, getting everyone into the game, and wearing the other team down. That is one of our team’s biggest strengths, we can tire teams out, each of our lines being able to score, and over the course of the game, teams cannot keep up the pace consistently. By being in the box, it took that advantage away from us, and we were never able to establish any real flow or consistent pressure in our offensive zone. What was the most frustrating was that we felt like we gave the Penguins hope that they could come back after being down 3 games to nothing. Any time you give a team hope like that, it becomes dangerous. They have nothing to lose, every game they will take chances that they normally would not because they know they have
to win, that there is no tomorrow. It was that feeling that our team needed to have. In sports, it is tough to keep that mentality all the time. The best teams, the best athletes, have that urgency all the time, and I think we might have let that slip a little in game 4 and 5.

Coming back to Allstate for practice on Monday and Tuesday morning, I could tell everyone on the team had a renewed focus. I think another day off for travel on Sunday helped us to forget about the last two nights. That is something Coach Anderson constantly talks about in playoffs, forgetting the last game. When you win, forget it, because you have to go out and win another the next day. And more importantly, forget the losses; you do not have time to dwell on what you did wrong, or feel down about yourself. You concentrate on the good things we did in the game, and go about the next game as if nothing happened. When we showed up for the game Tuesday night, everyone was excited and determined to finish it off in game six. Coach Anderson talked about a sign we have in the entrance to our locker room; a picture of the ’02 championship team hopping over the bench after they won their Calder Cup. He talked about that feeling, and how we should look
at that photo before we headed out on the ice. And know that if we won, we would replace that photo on the wall.

Game six was probably one of the quickest games I was ever apart of. The clock always seemed to be running out of time quicker than normal. The place was rocking, the best crowd of the year at Allstate. We were controlling the game, getting our offensive chances, and we could tell on the bench that we were wearing them down. After our first goal by Nathan Oystrick, the bench was pumped, but everyone was telling each other to keep it going, do not let up. I think at that moment everyone knew we were going to win the game no matter what happened. The second period was frustrating only because they scored two goals to tie the game. But both goals we felt were lucky. The first goal hit me in the back of my neck, before flying 4 feet in the air, landing behind Pavelec in the goal crease. No one on our team knew where it was before their forward knocked it in. In the locker room after the second period, the score all tied up, it was real calm. I
think the guys were just anxious the get out and finish it. We knew we were going to get that game; we were controlling the game so well, we felt if we got just one goal, we could control the game till the end.

That is exactly what we did, after we scored the third goal, it was auto-pilot. Chip the puck in, get it deep, fore-check, get the puck, and get it back in deep. All the guys were on the same page, you didn’t even have to say anything, we were just playing smart hockey. Jason Krog scored the forth goal on a breakaway with about four minutes left. We knew it was ours, there was no way were going to let them back in the game, we were working too hard, playing too smart. The crowd was going crazy, throwing their hats on the ice. That was the first time I realized that Krog had scored three goals for the hat-trick that night. I turned to my partner Boris and asked him, and he didn’t realize it either. That was how focused we were on what we were doing. The defense was so focused on controlling our defensive zone; we had no idea who was scoring the goals for us that night. After Sterling scored the fifth goal, it was pandemonium, the bench
jumping up and down, celebrating the entire last minute. Jumping over the boards to celebrate our Calder Cup championship was incredible, we were all hugging and screaming, everyone celebrating our hard work and a lot of relief that it was over.

The best part was celebrating with our fans. They were so loud, all year giving us a huge home ice advantage. We took the cup, paraded around the rink, showing it off to the crowd. When I raised it above my head I was so excited, the crowd was just a big blur. One of the reasons I came back to Chicago was to win a Calder Cup championship. Two years of hard work, the ups and downs of a season, all seemed so insignificant. For every guy in that locker room it meant something different. A lot of guys in our locker room hadn’t won a championship in a long time, for me, not since high school, ten years ago. In a lot of ways we were proving to ourselves we were champions. And now after having won the Calder Cup, no one can take that away from us.

It's ours!!!!

2008-06-11T14:47:12Z

A blogger - and champion!

Here we go

2008-06-04T21:10:26Z

Heading out to our last road trip of the year.

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The first two games of the finals were pretty exhausting. Lots of physical play, speed up and down the ice, and back and forth hockey. Fortunate to get two wins at home that I think everyone felt were must win games, due to the new series schedule, playing our next three games on the road in Wilkes-Barre.

We had done a lot of video analysis with our coaching staff after game one, the whole team feeling we didn't play our best. Taking a positive in the fact that despite our less than stellar game, we were able to come out with a win in game one. We worked at fixing a lot of defensive systems, our forecheck, and our neutral zone play. Going into game two, you could tell the difference immediately, everyone being very conscious of the defensive assignments, only allowing 23 shots in three periods.

After two games, we are definitely getting a better sense of what Wilkes-Barre can do, how they play, and what types of players they are. Apparently they are getting to know us a little better too, and I think personalities are starting to rub against each other on the ice. Game two was much more physical, a lot more jawing at one another, and altercations after the whistle.

I was completely exhausted after the game, my partner Boris and I logged a lot of ice time, a few minutes more than usual, and I know I felt it after the game. We had been out on the ice a little longer than usual due to some long penalty kills, and playing with only four defensmen at the start of the second period due to Oystrick's fight and Kulda having to get his skated sharpened. After one particularly long shift I went off the ice feeling pretty worn out and took a seat on the bench, waiting for the play to start up, only to find out Boris was still on the ice, waiting for me to come out for the faceoff. So out again I went, glad I at least had a few seconds to rest my legs.

Tonight I am packing up for the road trip to Wilkes-Barre, and plan on watching the Stanley Cup Game 5. Most of the time I don't really care who wins as long as it's a good game, and so far all the games have been pretty exciting to watch, so I hope tonight's it the same. Cheering for Pittsburgh just so that I can watch a Game 6, I know it's a little selfish, but I can't help it, it is the best time of year to watch hockey. Its also the best time to still be playing. During the last time out with a couple of minutes to go in the game, I thought to myself, 'this is awesome'. We were protecting a lead with minutes to go, exhausted, the stadium totally out of control. It is this kind of hockey you always dream of playing.

On to the finals

2008-05-28T21:19:02Z

On to the finals. Game 5 was really exciting. Even though we got down early, one goal deflecting off my own foot passed our goalie Ondrej Pavelec, we never stopped playing hard.

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After we got two goals on the power play within 16 seconds of one another, the Allstate was going crazy, so loud, that there was a sense on our bench that we knew we were going to win the game no matter what. We killed off a huge five minute penalty, everyone on the bench was into it, the crowd was going crazy, and we knew it was a matter of time.

Special teams are huge during the playoffs, they can change the momentum of a game and totally dominate a team. I think special teams was a huge factor against Toronto. Our power play had a few huge games, and when a team is always having to kill off penalties, it wears them down and doesn't create a whole lot of offensive momentum. On the other had, like in Game 5, if our team kills off a five minute power play, or penalties late in a close game, we can totally take the momentum away from a team, and it give our team a lot of confidence. So i have to give a lot of credit to the guys up front who do our penalty killing along with the defense. Colin Stuart, Kevin Doell, Joe Crabb, Matt Anderson, Steve Martins, Jordan Lavallee, all did an incredible job, and i know it will give a confidence boost to our PK units going into the final round against Wilkes Barre.

The celebration after Game 5 gave everyone a little taste of what it will feel like to win. The bench, the crowd, everyone was going crazy, and i think it is going to make everyone pretty hungry to go out and beat the Penguins in the Calder Cup finals. In the locker room, guys were talking about not being satisfied. I think everyone in sports knows that in order to be the best, you cannot accept second place. This is the attitude we have talked about in our locker room all year. About how the goal is not to do well, but to win the championship. I think we all went into the weekend pretty excited, anxious about moving on and starting the finals.

We didn't find out who we were playing until Saturday night, Wilkes-Barre had beaten Portland in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. Since we had a little break between series it was really nice to get a few days off to relax, recover, and rest before Game 1 on Thursday. Most of the guys didn't do too much, watching the start of the Stanley Cup Finals, going out to dinner and enjoying the Memorial Day weather.

Monday was back to work. After a few days off, I felt pretty awful on the ice. When your body is used to being punished everyday, when it finally relaxes, it goes into overdrive. I was glad to hear from some of the other guys on the ice that they were pretty sore and tired too. I didn't want to be the only one feeling tired after 18 playoff games. Needless to say, I felt a lot better Tuesday, and the team went about the business of getting our systems together for Wilkes-Barre. Coach Anderson likes to go over all our systems when we have a few days off from games, reviewing our forecheck, face-off plays, re-groups, breakouts, and anything new the coaching staff might think we will use against an upcoming opponent. Practice was pretty upbeat, everyone excited about the upcoming finals. We even had a little fun when Haydar came on the ice a little late due to an interview. We all slapped our sticks against the ice, giving him a round of applause for 'finally' getting on the ice for practice, only a half minute late.

Tonight will be a team dinner at our favorite pre-game Italian restaurant in Rosemont, before a night of relaxing on the couch, and an early bed time. As much as making the finals is a relief, we all know we don't want to come up short. Not having played Wilkes-Barre all year, we don't know to much about what type of team they are. One of the things we always talk about in our locker room is not worrying about what the other team is doing, to go out and play the way we are supposed to play. If we do that, I think we are going to do pretty well.

On the road again

2008-05-19T17:57:28Z

Heading to Toronto ....

]]> On the road. Really our first road trip of the playoffs. We haven't had to do any major traveling in the first to rounds playing in Milwaukee and Rockford. Winning our first two games at home puts us in great position in this series. That being said, I think everyone is conscious that we had the same lead over Rockford last series, coming back and winning that series in Game 7. So this road trip is going to be a real test, to see if we can really take control of this series, play a simple and smart couple of games on the road.

It was nice to have a afternoon game on Sunday, helped to have our evening after the game before we left on the road on Monday after practice. A handful of us went our to eat downtown at a neighborhood Italian wine bar. Crabb, Doell, and Desbiens, live right down the street. Motzko, Sterling, and I met up for a relaxing steak and pasta dinner, and wind down after the game. The mustaches have been making quite an impression on people around town. More than once, someone came up to our table to ask if we had lost a bet, or if we were all in a club of some sort. While we have been getting a lot of strange looks lately, there are also a lot of fans that come up and congratulate us on the win, wishing us good luck in Toronto.

We had a light practice Monday morning. A lot of guys are pretty sore after Sunday's game, and it was tough to get motivated to practice. But after a quick skate your legs always feel better. All the guys get excited to play in Toronto, just because it is always so big into hockey. A lot of guys like Haydar, Little, Gherson, Deveaux, and Lehman are from around there or played junior hockey nearby. So they always have a lot of friends and family at the game. With the addition of our own Chicago fans who are making the trip up to Canada, we are hoping to have a good little cheering section at the Ricoh Coliseum.

No time to rest

2008-05-15T21:37:23Z

Making it passed Rockford in Round 2 was a real tough test for our team.

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I don't think we played our best hockey, but we managed to find a game plan that won us games. Sometimes that kind of adversity helps a team. In our case I think coming back and winning the last two games to win the series gave our team a huge confidence boost. Not only did it show us that even when we are down, and off of our game, we can find a way to win a game; but also that we need to play simple, smart, tough hockey. If we don't stick to our game plan, we will lose games, which is what I think happened to us in the middle part of the Rockford series.

Everyone on the team was pretty exhausted after the game Tuesday, it was a total team effort. The locker room was pretty raucous, lots of congratulations all around. It is a odd feeling to go home after a game like that. The quiet is a bit eerie after being all pumped up from the game. It had been such a great game, the crowd was so into it; when the final seconds ticked off it was so loud on the ice, the fans were great, going crazy!!! We loved seeing all the fake mustaches in the stands as well. They seem to be working for us so far, so we plan on sporting them all the way till the end.

Wednesday was nice day off. Especially with the next round starting on Friday, and playing every other day, there won't be much time for recovery over the next two weeks. I slept in, went out for a good breakfast, and a walk around the neighborhood, before ordering pizza and watching the Dallas-Detroit game on TV. Even managed to watch a movie, Tombstone, which I have never seen for some reason. I started laughing when I saw all the actors on the screen sporting the 'cowboy' mustache. I am hoping some of the guys on the team will end up looking like Wyatt Earp before we get done with the postseason.

Back to work today. Whenever you don't skate for a day, you never feel great the next day back. This morning was no different, and I think everyone felt the same way, trying to get the legs going again before Toronto tomorrow night. Like the other two series, we had a meeting going over the Marlies' tendencies and game plan. Watching videos of our previous games against them this year helps to try and see what will work over the next 7 games. This round will be a little different. We haven't had to travel much at all this playoffs, so this will be a change having to fly in between games. Tonight might be the last night I get to relax, so I plan on having a good steak dinner before watching one of my favorite TV shows, "The Office",and the Penguins-Flyers game, before heading off to bed early.

Game 7: Moustache Rally

2008-05-12T19:35:07Z

Joel Kwiatkowski

]]> Game 7. After a few up and down games, we were able to put together a tough road win in Rockford to force a Game 7 back in Chicago tomorrow night. After Game 5, with our backs against the wall, we had a team meeting talking about keeping our game simple and playing with desperation. Some of the guys on the team felt we needed to loosen up a bit after our game 5 loss, and mandated the shaving of our playoff beards into mustaches, calling game six a 'mustache rally'!!! So out we went in Game 6 with mustaches up and down the bench. I won't say I was gung-ho about the idea, but I am not going to complain, we won, and that is all that matters.

Game 7's are always the most exciting, nerve wracking contests, no matter what sport. You know that you are either going on to the next round, or starting your summer break. I have only played in one other game seven in my career, two years ago when I was in Iowa against Milwaukee. Being the underdogs in that series and coming from a 2 game deficit, you never think about losing in Game 7. Darren Haydar was on Milwaukee that year, and if you talk to him, he acts like they had the series won all along, I think it was a little closer. Although they did win Game 7 pretty convincingly.

The most important part of a Game 7, is the mental attitude. Even though you know that it may be your last game, you have to approach it like every other game, not try to do too much, and just play to our own team's strengths. Taking everything you have learned from playing the last 6 games, using it to your advantage, and at the same time know, that everything that happened in those games doesn't matter. Always believing you are going to be the team coming to the rink the next day to practice for the next round! Everyone is excited to be back in our home rink, with our fans, in our building. We had a great team effort to win Game 6, and I think everyone is really geared up to play tomorrow night, knowing that we if we play smart hockey we will win Game 7 and put ourselves into the conference finals. And of course we have our mustaches, so we have that going for us too!

The Rockford Files

2008-05-07T09:38:25Z

The Rockford series is in full swing, and it is nice to be back in the playoff mode after a few days off after the round one against Milwaukee.

]]> Winning our first two games at home was a huge boost to morale, and we knew that going to Rockford was going to be tough, especially with the IceHogs' backs against the wall.

Wednesday we play Game 4 once again in Rockford, and we have gone over the film and discussed some things we did well and not so well in Game 3.

Having the extra day between games 3 and 4 really felt like a big break, a nice day off with some nice Chicago weather really gave everyone a chance to get away and recuperate for the day. A lot of the guys got outside and enjoyed the weather. It was such a nice day, I started the grilling season, got some chicken and potatoes and sat on the deck, ate dinner and enjoying the evening. A lot of the guys were talking about the Dallas-San Jose game that went to quadruple overtime on Sunday night. I
was able to catch the end of the game after we got back from Rockford on Sunday. I have to admit though, I was pretty tired, and even though I tried, I didn't make the fourth overtime. I fell asleep in the third, but it was a great game.

I think that is one of the most exciting parts of playoff hockey. We had a couple of overtime games against Milwaukee, but nothing like that. To have to play the equivalent of two plus games, playing sudden-death OT, has to be one of the most exciting moments in sports. Overtime games are always the most exciting to play in too, especially when you have come from behind to tie it up, forcing overtime.

After a game like that you are so spent, so tired, it is almost a release. I never forget that feeling, it is one of those moments in hockey where you realize how much fun you having, and how lucky you are to be play hockey for a living. All that being said, I hope we don't have any quadruple overtime games, I hope we win all our games in regulation. I don't think my body, or my heart for that matter, could take it.

Getting ready for the IceHogs

2008-04-28T21:13:53Z

Wrapping up Round 1 by winning game 6 in Milwaukee was a relief, especially since we felt we should have been able to close out the series earlier.

]]> Milwaukee is a good team, they played tough defense, and their goaltender really played great.

We had lost Game 1 in overtime, giving up a lead late in the game. One of the things we talked about throughout the series was learning from game to game. In playoffs it is important to take what you learn in the first couple of games and apply them, hopefully carrying them on to other rounds. I think our team defense really improved as the series went on, understanding what kind of effort it was going to take to win each game.

Rockford is going to be a very tough opponent, and hopefully we have realized the effort it is going to take from each guy on the bench to win.

What I always love about playoffs is how different guys end up being the hero every night. It is not always your leading scorers or the power plays. Game 6 against Milwaukee is a great example. I don't want to take anything away from our forwards, because they played great, especially defensively. Not only were all three goals scored by d-men, Arturs Kulda and Boris Valabik (2), but the fact that it was Kulda's first professional goal after only being on the team a couple of weeks, and that defensive specialist Valabik scored two goals after only scoring one during the year, shows how guys step up and become the unsuspected hero. And it isn't just on our team, it is like that all over the league. One night our goalie Pavelec will win the game for us when we might be outplayed, one night the power play will score 3 goals, and on another night our penalty kill will score a shorthanded goal like Doell's in game 3 to tie up the game, sending it to overtime, setting up Haydar's OT game winner. That is what I love about playoffs, it is not always who you think it is going to be.

After coming back to Chicago and having Sunday off, resting from the hectic schedule of games, practices, and travel between home and Milwaukee, today was a day to get start to get back in game shape. Some of the guys skated, a large portion of the guys just working out, riding the bike, rehabbing injuries, and rest up from last week. Tonight our team is heading out for a team dinner to kick off Round 2 against Rockford. Tomorrow at the rink, it starts all over again, practice, video, and scouting reports all over again, this time all geared toward Rockford. All the guys talked about the game we have had against Rockford this year, and I don't think anyone believes this is going to be an easy series. The important thing right now is to rest and start to focus on game 1 Thursday night against the Ice Hogs.