The Blackhawks (Finally) Win Game 7

Well, that was an interesting finish. It took a little bit longer than Chicago would have liked, but the Blackhawks will advance to play the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference finals.

The common refrain is that Chicago deserved to win after having a late go-ahead goal waved off for, let's call it, a questionable whistle. With 1:47 left in the third period of Game 7, Stephen Walkom called off-setting minor penalties while Niklas Hjalmarsson was in the process of winning the game.

Opinions vary on the merit of the call (they always do on calls like that), but one thing is indisputable: the penalties forced overtime and thank god Chicago won anyway. There is nothing worse than the discussion when a team loses while also being screwed by a questionable call.

Thanks to Brent Seabrook, we don't have to talk about whether referees should swallow the whistle or where to draw the line when allowing more physicality in the playoffs or whatever other unwinnable shade-of-gray argument you want to get into. Of course, if the Red Wings had won, they would have been just as entitled to it as Chicago. It's just that everyone outside of Detroit would have felt a little queasy about it all while Chicago would have been shitting and puking itself simultaneously.

So, no, Chicago did not deserve to win; we all deserved not to endure a week after Chicago lost like that.