Mike North of "Monsters in the Morning" on Comcast SportsNet and I caught up Monday outside of City Hall.
He was on his way to talk to Da Mayor, I was on my way to talk to him about the Blackhawks chances in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"Of course the 'Hawks are going to pull it out," he exclaimed with characteristic enthusiasm.
North predicts a quick series, and perhaps a trip to the finals. After two games in Calgary:
"So they come back and they win here. It's not big deal. The Flames are done. They had to steal one of those games in Chicago, they didn't get it done so it looks like the Hawks are sweeping there or the Hawks are coming home and winning one more here."
To what does "Pappy" attribute their success?
"Quenneville has done a wonderful job," North told me. "He instituted different things, he started holding people more accountable, they were a young team. Last year they finished 17 points better than the year before so they were getting more and more experience- now they're getting even more experience and they're playing like they're going to win every game."
Sounds good to Hawks fans- but North says it's going to take more work to get more believers on board.
"They've got work to do," he says of the team.
Fans are cautiously optimistic.
"They've been burned before. People have been burned before in this town but so far, so good."
