Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Final Central: Chicago Blackhawks man, Join the Hype Train!

     Ever since the Hawks won Game 5, the city has been salivating at the chance to win the Cup on home ice for the first time since 1938. Yeah, that's right. A National League Pennant has been raised in Chicago more recently than the Stanley Cup has been. Preparations for what might happen tonight are already underway. The Tribune Tower is decked out in a big Hawks banner:

     Nearby the Tribune Tower, the Official Blackhawks Store is doing land-office business, so much so that it might need to be renamed the Madhouse on Michigan. Meanwhile in Wrigleyville, the authorities are preparing right now. First off, the area already got a taste of Cup Fever on Saturday:

     Now combine that with what you may recall seeing back in 2013:

     And you've got something that the powers that be definitely don't want to happen again. To that end, there were reports of barricades going up all up and down Clark St. so that if the Hawks do win, the masses of liquored-up twentysomethings stay on the sidewalks. Finally, with the Hawks able to win it all tonight, there will be an additional guest at the United Center tonight. Earlier today, they were seen going through Security:

PUCK DROPS IN 7 HOURS

GO HAWKS

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