| « Ready For Tip-Off | Offseason News » |
Blackhawks Tue Jan 20 2009
Havlat makes one fan happy
Although the Blackhawks were lackluster in a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild at the United Center last night, one fan walked away with a smile on his face and a million dollars richer (sadly, it wasn't me).
The Illinois Lottery recently began a promotion wherein one fan is selected for the "Million Dollar Minute." If the Hawks score at exactly the 10:00 mark of the 2nd period, the fan wins a million dollars, otherwise, the selected section of the arena gets a free scratch off ticket.
The odds seemed pretty good for the Illinois lottery, though I'm no math major to figure out the exact chance of this happening.
But lo and behold, in I think only the third time the promotion was trotted out, Martin Havlat took the puck in the slot and rifled a wrist shot past Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom at the 10:00 minute mark. It was the lone bright spot in a game where the Hawks found themselves stifled by Minnesota's defensive system and unable to get many scoring chances.
The Blackhawks have been in a bit of an offensive slump lately, as this was the fifth time in the last 7 games they were held to two goals or less, and their record is a rather pedestrian 5-4-1 since the Winter Classic. With an upcoming 8-game road trip starting next week, tomorrow's game against the Blues is an opportune time for the offense to heat back up before heading into this weekend's All Star break.
For the fan, who will be introduced before the start of the game tomorrow at the United Center, his luck already appears to be white hot.
