The Western Conference Champions are 4 wins away from bringing The Stanley Cup back to sweet home Chicago.

Quick, what were you doing in June of ’92? If you were like me, you were rocking Z Cavaricci jeans thinking about Kelly Kapowski. (I would have owned Bayside High, but that’s a different discussion) Besides wearing those hideous jeans, trying to look cool, I was in sports heaven. That spring, the Bulls and Blackhawks both made their sports Finals. I was 12 years old in ’92, so my memory of that spring is pretty vivid. I remember how crazy this town was and the significance of both teams playing for the championship. I’m reminded of that spring because The Chicago Blackhawks are back in The Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 18 years. I know what you’re saying if you are at or around my age….”Damn, I’m old.” In sweeping the number 1 seed San Jose Sharks, the Hawks are 4 wins away from realizing Rocky Wirtz’s goal of bringing a Stanley Cup Championship back to Chicago for the first time since 1961. 4 more fellas….

I’ve come to believe in this Hawks team more than any team I root for. I have confidence they are going to win those 4 remaining games. It’s not because I’m a die-hard loyalist, but because they are simply better than every team in the NHL. They’ve proven that throughout this season and through the playoffs. It doesn’t hurt to have the hottest goalie on the planet right now, either. Antti Niemi keeps getting better. He was the Hawks biggest question mark going into the playoffs, but he has gone from untested potential liability to franchise goaltender in a matter of weeks. Wherever Christobal Huet is hiding, please keep him there. His services will not be needed for the last 2 years of his asinine salary. Niemi is becoming a star during this playoff run. He stopped 129 out of the 136 shots he faced against the Sharks. Would Huet have been able to do that? Not a chance. He wouldn’t be able to if he was allowed to play with a bat to hit guys in front of the net with.

Kudos also go out to Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews. Keith took a shot square in the teeth in the 2nd period from close range. Having had more dental work than most of northern California, I know the pain one goes through when having their chompers worked on. Seeing Keith writhe in pain after losing 7 teeth made me cringe more than watching Lindsay Lohan act. No worries, though, the Hawks best defenseman missed a total of 7 minutes before returning to action. 7 MINUTES. Most athletes would have missed a week. Manny Ramirez sits out games with a sore toe. Keith shook off the incredible pain and came back to assist on Dave Bolland’s goal at the end of the 2nd period. “I had about 70 needles in my mouth and jaw,” Keith said. “It sounds gross. But it happens all the time to guys.” It may happen to a lot of hockey players, but not many players would miss only 7 minutes of ice time. Former Hawk Eric Daze would have been taken off on a stretcher if that happened to him. Keith’s grit and determination are symbolic of this Hawks team. They are playing like a team of destiny.

Whether divine intervention plays a part in this is up for debate, but what’s not is the play of the Blackhawks captain. Jonathan Toews has not only become the Hawks best player in these playoffs, he’s become the 3rd best player in the game behind Sidney Crosby and hockey Drago, Alex Ovechkin. That’s how good he is becoming. Hockey Steve Sanders, as I’ve called him, was team Canada’s best player at the winter Olympics, and he has become the unquestioned leader of the best team in hockey. He has recorded a point in 13 straight playoff games. When the Hawks beat the Flyers (and they will), Toews will be deserving to hoist the cup first. The good news for Hawks fans is their captain is only 22 years old. Translation: He will hoist the cup quite a few times before his stellar career concludes.

Mr. Clutch Dustin Byfuglien scores his 3rd game winnier of the Western Conference Finals. The Kane-Toews-Byfuglien line has become the NHL's Big 3. Beware Flyers...

I also can’t leave out Dustin Byfuglien–aka Big Game Buff. Big Buff was Mr. Clutch in this series, scoring 3 game winning goals. The Kane-Toews-Byfuglien line has become the best in hockey. The Hawks depth has been something to admire throughout this playoff run. It could still come down to the best players having to play at the top of their game (Paging Marion Hossa!!), but the fact that some of their role players have stepped up the way they have adds to the Hawks brilliance. The way the Hawks stymied Joe Thornton (0 goals, 1 point, -5 rating), Joe Pavelski (2 assists, -1 rating), and Dany Heatley (2 assists, -4 rating) further shows the Hawks stellar defensive play. Translation: This is the deepest team in the sport, in addition to being it’s most talented. This team will win the 4 remaining games they need to hoist the cup.

What I loved about the Hawks clinching performance was their subdued celebration. “It’s not what we want to win,” Toews said. “They gave us hats tonight, so we’ll go home with those and we’ll be happy about that. We’re after something bigger and better.” I love where this team’s focus is right now. It would be easy for such a young team to let their guard down and start to believe the hype about how great they are. Whether it’s the mustache (Coach Q) reminding them there’s more work to do, or them following Toews’ lead, or the fact they’ve grown up from last year, I love the fact they know there is more work to be done.

Side Note: I hope all Hawks fans don’t buy any Western Conference Champions gear. Save your money. Wait for them to win 4 more games and get the gear you will cherish for a lifetime. Those Division Champion and Western Conference Champions gear will do nothing but collect dust after the Hawks finish this run off. Nothing bothers me more than celebrating anything but a world championship. Only 1 thing matters, unless of course your a Cubs fan. Then you have to celebrate Division Championships and meaningless wild card berths because let’s face it, that’s all you can and will be able to celebrate.

Now that you’ve had some time to think about it, what were you doing in June of ’92? Besides watching the 8th seeded Hawks make a miraculous run to the Finals, I was doing the following…..

– Watching Michael Jordan dismantle Clyde Drexler in the ’92 NBA Finals. Before that series started, there were debates on who was the better player. That debate ended in the 1st half of Game 1.

– I was enjoying Will Smith become a star as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air–one of my favorite TV shows of all-time. I still watch reruns, and when the Hawks win the cup, I’ll be doing the Carlton dance for days.

– I was enjoying “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s 2nd run as WWE Champion. Savage was always one of my favorite wrestlers growing up, and when he won his 2nd title, he became an all-time great.

– I had retired from hockey and focused on basketball. By the spring of ’92, I was working on my jumper getting ready for 7th grade tryouts.

– I was a few months away from making fun of my uncle (Big Lou) for hopping on the Cowboys bandwagon during their SuperBowl run. Yes, I still give him the business for that.

– I remember thinking that if Mike Tyson’s rape trial had taken place anywhere but Indiana, he would have gotten off and we would have seen Tyson-Holyfield a lot sooner than ’96. One of my biggest sports regrets is that fight not happening in the fall of ’91. Damn you, Mike.

What else was going on? Well, the Cosby Show was ending, and Johnny Carson retired from The Tonight Show. I know what you’re thinking– we’ve been exposed to a sh*t load of Jay Leno the past 18 years. It’s been a long time coming Hawks fans, but you only have a few games left before you can celebrate. We only got to celebrate 1 title in ’92, but we can make up for that once the Hawks dispatch the Flyers in 5 or 6 games. Hawks fans deserve this moment, and with 4 more wins, 49 years of frustration will be erased and forgotten….4-ever. 4 more wins Hawks fans….