Niemi busy rewriting Chicago sports script
If Antti Niemi keeps it up, it will be so not Chicago sports.
Usually in the playoffs around here the reliable slump, the durable break and the remainder retreat.
Instead Niemi improbably became reliable, hasn't broken and enabled his Blackhawks teammates to advance to within 2 victories of winning the Stanley Cup.
The international man of mystery is quiet instead of boastful. Are we sure he belongs in this brag more-do less sports environment?
The Hawks credit Niemi for defeating the Flyers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals and expect him to continue his stingy goaltending in Game 3 Wednesday night at Philadelphia.
Here's a guy who came out of nowhere to lead a run through the playoffs after heralded Jay Cutler couldn't even get the Bears into the postseason and while Jake Peavy is starting to look like a right-handed Felix Heredia.
After Niemi the next windfall for Chicago could be Le-Bron James signing with the Bulls for the NBA minimum or Carlos Zambrano agreeing to be traded to the Taiyo Giants?
Seriously, we're used to sweet dreams turning into nightmares around here, yet Niemi is turning netmares into sweet dreams.
You know, maybe Scotty Bowman deserves an apology.
At the NHL trade deadline the Hawks' senior adviser for hockey operations was asked on a Toronto radio station whether the Hawks were looking to upgrade their goaltending.
"No," he responded. "The Blackhawks actually are laughing about it. They've got their goalies in place right now."
The last thing faithful followers of the Hawks wanted to hear was that Antti Niemi and Cristobal Huet would compete for the starting playoff job.
Fans and journalists scoffed at Scotty Bowman - father of Hawks general manager Stan Bowman - which was like poorhouse people scoffing at Warren Buffett's business decisions.
Bowman coached more Stanley Cup champions than anyone in history. Apparently he believes that if a goalie isn't top three in the NHL, the strategy should be to protect him with puck possession and great team defense.
The Hawks try to do that, but there is a flaw in Bowman's premise as it applies to them: Niemi is playing like a freakin' top-three NHL goalie!
Anyway, it's anybody's guess where Niemi came from. The Hawks insist it was Finland, but logic insists it was Planet Espo.
It's also anybody's guess where Niemi is headed, the Hall of Fame, a return trip to hockey oblivion or somewhere in between.
A guy named Timmy Smith once rushed for 204 yards to help the Redskins win a Super Bowl. Another guy named Larry Brown once intercepted two passes to help the Cowboys win a Super Bowl.
They soon were out of football and next year at this time the Hawks might be out of the playoffs because Niemi was solved for 6 goals a game.
Not that it matters. Now is what matters, and Niemi looks now like a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender.
Chicago sports normally aren't blessed with pleasant surprises; cursed by unpleasant shockers is more like it.
When a foreigner with an unfamiliar name arrives he's usually here to squelch aspiration.
How refreshing that at least up to this point Antti Niemi has been here to provide inspiration.
mimrem@dailyherald.com