Young Hawks skate on I began to watch Chicago Blackhawks game 6 match with Vancouver Canucks last night but what with my shoulders and back killing me after a massage by a Thai lady with hands that could crack walnuts (another story, another time) and the two-hour time difference I retired after the 1st quarter. I wish I hadn't.

It sounded a magnificent night at the noisy and intimidating United Center as the Hawks knocked Vancouver out of sight 7-5 to progress to the Conference Finals for the first time in 14 years. They will play either old enemies Detroit Red Wings or outsiders Anaheim Ducks. The winners of that series will go onto play in the Stanley Cup, something the once famous Blackhawks have not won for 48 years.

Chicago's team is made up of youth and exuberance and the excitement the team is exuding in the windy city is incomparable to the one that was mostly ignored and at best pitied a season or two back. One such youngster, Patrick Kane at just 20-years old scored a hatrick last night, a feat traditionally met with a barrage of hats being thrown onto the ice (see photo).

Kane, Jonathan Toews, who is 21 and 22-year old Kris Versteeg scored 6 of Hawks' 7 goals. The youngest team in the NHL have the city of big shoulders fully behind them.  ¶ 08:43