Gratuitous picture stream from Game 5

The United Center, before it fills with 22,000+ hockey-crazed fans and/or bandwagon fans. 

So peaceful...

Fans up at the bar on the SRO level. Yeah, that's pretty much about as good as you can see the ice from SRO in general. At least people standing up by the bars have the benefit of seeing the game on TVs so they can see what's going on down on the ice without binoculars. At the Round 2 season opener, I was seated only 2-3 rows in front of what you're looking at here. Center ice, but bring your binoculars.

Probably un-PC or something, but I love seeing fans with various headdresses. Unless I have to sit behind them, and then I think, OMG what were they thinking?!

On to the game warmup pictures...

Adam Burish

 

Patrick Sharp

Troy Brouwer

Left to right in this pic: Andrew Ladd (16), Brian Campbell (51), 

Troy Brouwer (22), and Kris Versteeg (32).

I support the Beardathon, and have fun with the whole idea of "playoff beards", but I always wonder who thought it was a great idea that when you are at your most stressful time of the season that hey, wouldn't it be a great idea to grow a hot, itchy beard - and then strap your chin strap or wear your mask over it? Probably a reason Luongo played better in game 5 was that he wasn't being irritated by his beard all night.

Andrew Ladd

 

I can never seem to capture Marian Hossa face-forward. Although, come to think of it, the same

goes for Patrick Kane. When I get home and look at my pictures, any time I capture either,

they are inevitably blurry/out of focus. Hmm.

Dave Bolland

Captain Awesome.

I mean, team Captain, Jonathan Toews

Dustin Byfuglien

To be honest, I had really hoped that when the starting lineup was introduced, and it contained BOTH Toews and Byfuglien, that people would throw hats on the ice. (Because obviously nobody did them the courtesy in Vancouver.) No such luck. But still, it would've been cool. And maybe inspired them to nail a trilogy.

Tomas Kopecky

Antti Niemi

Faceoff, some time in first period

Niemi makes a save