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In today’s watered-down version of the National Hockey League, it can be easy to forget that in 1966-67, there were only six teams fighting for the chance to raise the Stanley Cup to the rafters. In fact, there were only 28 teams in all of professional hockey, including the American, Western, and Central leagues. That means two full teams of NHL players today would have ...
Yes, I know this is a hockey site and that the title borders on sacrilege. But, stick with me here and you'll understand. Reason #1: When your team is eliminated from playoff contention, a little piece of you dies. For me being a Hawks fan, that happened sometime in December. Reason #2: Speaking of the Hawks, watching the games showcases just how far they are fro...
The Chicago Blackhawks had the NHL's fifth-worst record and only an 8% shot at drawing the 1st pick in the draft. I guess it was their lucky day. After grabbing Jonathan Toews last years draft, the Hawks get ready for a possible franchise changing decision in 2007. Unlike some past drafts many would argue that there is not a clear cut #1 pick this season. Many are tout...
For the past couple of weeks I have been enjoying the spectacle known as the NHL playoffs. As a Blues fan and only 24 years old, last year was the first time I have ever watched the post season without my team. The second time around has been a little easier since I know bright things are on the horizon. While our ownership has the people of St. Louis happy, the same can n...
Goalie220 writes...

Toews is NOT the answer!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
(Believe it or not, this is written as cautious optimism and is not meant as a rant. Read on.) Toews is not going to turn this team around and make them a playoff team. Toews is not going to make all of the disgruntled fans return. Toews is not going to make Chicago media realize that there is a sport called hockey. Toews is not going to save Chicago Blackhawks Hock...
SmokingChicken writes...

The Rumor Mill

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
My record third blog of the day. I'm sure some folks are getting tired of me, but c'est la vie, as my girlfriend would say. Manny Fernandez has made it public knowledge that he wants out of Minnesota. Manny said in the Pioneer Press that he wants out of the organization to be with "more supportive team-mates and coaches." I, for one, would've never expected that environ...
I know most of us Sabre fans are upset with the possibilities of losing both Drury and Briere, but I think we will see something happen on the Briere front before Friday. As for the draft and Drury, this is what I'd like to see if it becomes clear the Drury is not coming back (this probably won't happen, but it's fun to speculate). 1) Trade Kalinin and a forward (Kot...
jnamio writes...

Que Sera Sera

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have always looked at this time of the year with mixed emotions. While it is exciting as a hockey fan to see teams retool, rebuild, or reinvent themselves, it is also a time of frustration, anger, and sadness. I am frustrated that my Blackhawks may still suck for yet another season because the ownership is cheaper than my little Italian Grandfather. And that is damned...
ItsJacketsTime writes...

Central Preview (1 of 2)

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hola guys. Ice Melts at 32 F, or 0 C for those of you north of the border. And seeing as it got to 92 today, I should be thinking baseball. But with the Reds 40-55 and 13.5 games back, I'm just waiting for the next 78 days to pass, so that I can throw on that sweater and relax. Instead, I'm gonna take a stab at some Central Previews. I'll do another one in September, as...
Before I start, let me just say that last night I was so starved for hockey, I [img:right]http://nhldraftnet.aol.com/NHLDraftNet/file.php?ID=237[/img]watched The Mighty Ducks Two. For all of you movie buffs out there, its definitely not better the second time around. Emilio Estevez's struggle with fame and sponsorships was not a gripping tale. You're coaching pee wee hocke...
Who will wear the "C" in Chicago this season? It will probably be Havlat but can anyone name a team, a franchise, so lacking of captian material? I've always liked the team that had the classic born in Canada captain like Dirk Graham, Terry Ruskowski or Tom Lysiak. Those guys knew what it took. Who on the Hawks today can be counted on to say what needs to be sai...
Next, I looked at the Central Division [b]Columbus Blue Jackets[/b] Could this be the year the Columbus Blue Jackets make the playoffs... NO. However they will be better. Mainly because the Columbus Blue Jackets fired Doug MacLean and heired Scott Howson. Also the team got immediately better last year when they heired Ken Hitchcock. The Blue Jackets are stacked with ...
I heard the guys on XM talking about fantasy picks and top 5 best player lists and I was waiting for somebody to mention the obvious. Chris Pronger is the best player in the league right now. Our number obsessed world might not catch it because lots of the things that win games don't show up on the score sheet. It's no coincidence that St. Louis imploded after he ...
Have you looked a the scheudule for the first 10 games? Detroit twice, Colorado, Dalas, San Jose, Minnesota etc. It isn't until game 10 that the the Hawks get to face their equal in Columbus and Columbus has handled them the past couple of season's. Have you thought about the fact that there isn't a forward line returning from last season? There isn't even a pair of for...
Oh, my Red Wings! The lines seem to be starting to come together, and things are starting to click a little......but...... Granted, last night's shootout loss at Chicago followed the loss of Franzen and some shuffling of lines, but the Wings have always shuffled lines and often just because they could. What the Wings haven't always done is scrambled in their own...
The Sharks end their season opening 4 game road trip in Chicago tonight. San Jose is coming off an embarrassing loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. With a win tonight the Sharks can come home 2-1-1 and earning a point in 3 of the 4 road games. Not bad considering the team has looked like they have been going in and out of cruise control in all 3 games leading up to t...
The Blues finally put the POWER back into the power play last night against the 'hawks. PP goals from Kariya and Walt on sweet feeds from Stempy and Boyes and we're back in business! Prior to last night, the 'note had been scuffelling along at a 9.something % clip. 2 fer 20 something (research smesearch) and OH fer eleven since rook Erik Johnson scored the game winn...
Well...not quite the same verse (it would have to have been a shut out to do that) but it was close enough as Dan Ellis led the Preds to a 4-1 victory on the road tonight against the Edmonton Oilers. Once again Ellis made some huge saves at critical times...the toe save against Hemsky when the game was knotted at 1-1 was very big! Great play tonight from Arnott and Legw...
With Nashville and Chicago both looking for 3 straight wins Sunday evening at the United Center, one could only foresee a battle within the Central Division. Even though Chris Mason of the Nashville Predators has received his fair share of disbelief from the fans, he certainly showed his talent tonight against a young Chicago Blackhawks team. Mason finally snapped his ...
predjoe writes...

Back At .500

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Wow....a .500 record has never looked so good. After a six game losing streak that had many Preds fans on suicide watch the Preds have turned their season around. Sparked by the great goaltending by Dan Ellis the Preds are in the midst of a 3 game winning streak and have won 5 of their last six. So, what has happened that has caused this turn around. [b]Dan Ellis:[/b] T...
The Chicago Blackhawks have been up and down so far this season, but Denis Savard took action after Sunday's loss against the Predators. Savard stated that the team "needed to change something up". As a Hawks fan, you should know what needed changing after Wednesday's win against Columbus. Three separate Blackhawks defensemen put goals up on the board, none of which wer...
As a Chicago Blackhawk fan, I can tell you the excitement and anticipation I've experienced all day long, but I don't want to ramble on and on and on. Not only was Detroit on the schedule for today, Chicago fans experienced a change up if you will. Rocky Wirtz announced that 7 Blackhawks games would be broadcasted through CSN. The first of course, was televised today w...
Hockey fans like to think tradition is important in our sport. While other sports such as basketball and football cater to the flavor of the day, hockey is built on decades of tradition. We have our own terminologies, many of which have come under assault in recent years. The traditional hockey term of dressing rooms has been replaced by the unoriginal term locker rooms...
predjoe writes...

Blackhawks Come Calling

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]The Predators continue their run[/b] against Central division foes as the Chicago Blackhawks come calling tonight. These rejuvenated Hawks are not the same team that has been a cellar dweller for many years. This is a team with young and exciting talent (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews), veteran leadership (Robert Lang and Martin LaPointe) and a solid coach in Dennis Sa...
predjoe writes...

Fortitude

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b][i]Fortitude:[/b] mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously.[/i] [b]That is exactly what the Preds showed last night[/b]. After a solid first period that found the Preds leading 1-0, the Preds were out played by the Blackhawks in the second. While some may say that this was a horribly played period by the Preds ...
This fact is proven with the Blackhawks beating the Red Wings for yet a fourth time already this season, keep in mind the Wings only have five regulation losses, with the other coming against another central division team, the Blues. The Central Division is home to the best team in the Western Conference, the Red Wings, and no other division currently has every single t...
I was very impressed and excited for the Blues beating a tough Buffalo team on the road. They have played well at home but they were under .500 on the road and this was a big road win and a comeback win at that. Being down 2-0, the Blues could have packed it in, but this team has such confidence and fight in them that they rallied with three goals of their own before Bu...
I'm both surprised and disappointed to hear the doom-and-gloom scenarios scuttling through the cyber-community of Blackhawks hockey after their no-show in St. Louis Saturday night. Have expectations really grown that exponentially in the past 2 months? Yes, it was a divisional match-up, yes, second place was on the line, yes, the Hawks were the only team not to show up e...
BuffaloMat writes...

Kane or Toews for the Calder

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I was sitting back watching the Blackhawks last night and decided to do my daily statistical update for my own personal knowledge. For the first time this year I decided to look and see who is leading this years rookie class in the NHL and low and behold Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are standing above all other rookies in points this year thus far. I'm sure ...
It's too bad the United Center was only at 60% capacity Wednesday evening, because the Chicago Blackhawks finally snapped a four game losing streak when they beat the L.A. Kings 6-3 on home ice. Many Blackhawks fans believed this game was a "must win" simply because of the competition not only in the Central Division, but the Western Conference as a whole. Fall behind t...
It was an exciting weekend for fans throughout the NHL, but Chicago die-hards are feeling mixed emotions. Not only have we dropped 6 out of 7 games in December, our record doesn't appear to be improving. That is of course unless immediate changes are put into place by Head Coach Denis Savard. Of course, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have stolen the spotlight in their ...
predjoe writes...

Pathetic

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Pathetic. [/b]That's the best way to describe the effort put forth by the Preds in a 5-2 loss against the Blackhawks. It all started last night with lackadaisical goaltending from Chris Mason who gave up two goals on two shots before being pulled. Dan Ellis could do no better giving Chicago their third goal on only their fourth shot. I knew then it was going to be a...
All is well and looking up in Blackhawk Nation. Or is it? Certainly, the ascension of Rocky Wirtz, the hiring of John McDonough and the better than expected performances of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Sharp have given new life to this long-dormant (some would say 'decaying') franchise. And it's relatively safe to predict the next 15 years...
predjoe writes...

I'm Not Alone...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]I guess I'm not alone[/b] in my feeling today of not wanting to blog about last nights 5-2 loss at the hands of the Blackhawks. I checked out the HB home page and absent were the updates from Paul and Brandon...I guess they don't feel like blogging about last night either. [b]Who can blame them really?[/b] There was little good in last nights game. Dan Ellis proved ...
Was it when Bob Pulford sent Ed Belfour out of town for Ulf Dahlen, Michal Sykora and Chris Terreri? Or when Pulford "unloaded" Jeremy Roenick on Phoenix for Alex Zhamnov, Mike Mills (not the bass player from R.E.M.) and a draft pick who turned into the immortal Ty Jones? Or was it just one (or all) of the many re-emergences of Pulford from the shadows of the Blackha...
John Jaeckel writes...

The Bowman Connection

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
During the 90's, Scotty Bowman, Barry Smith and the rest of the Detroit Red Wings were the nemeses of a crumbling Blackhawk organization. Some 15 years later, it can be argued the Scotty Bowman, himself, is a small part of the Blackhawks' rebirth. How so? Well, a few years back the Blackhawks hired Bowman's son, Stan, to their front office. A graduate of Notre Dame...
John Jaeckel writes...

Reality Bites

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Kudos to the young L.A. Kings. They came in to a sold out United Center last night with the worst record in the NHL, and earned two hard points against a hot team. That said, last night provided a sobering reminder to Blackhawk fans; this is still a work in progress. This morning, the Hawks sit in 9th place in the Western conference with 41 points. They are about to ...
John Jaeckel writes...

The Bottom Of The Well

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Add Jonathan Toews name to the Blackhawks sick bay, out probably from 2-4 weeks with a knee sprain (early diagnosis) suffered early in last night's 9-2 humiliation at the hands of the resurgent L.A. Kings. He joins Marty Havlat, Jason Williams, Brent Sopel, Jim Wisniewski and Dave Bolland. Sopel, Havlat and Williams should all be back within the next 10 days; but the cloc...
Watching Adam Burish throw himself in front of yet annother 90+ MPH slapshot last night, go to war again for a teammate when he pummeled Keith Ballard, recalling that he organized the Hawks home victory salute to the fans . . . just seeing his enthusiasm and energy . . . I ask you, how do you spell captain? B-U-R-I-S-H. Sure, he's just holding the job for Toews unti...
John Jaeckel writes...

The Fields of Bannockburn

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Anticipating tomorrow night's game against the Red Wings at the United Center, I'm reminded of the final lines from the epic 1995 film, Braveheart: "Patriots of Scotland, starving and outnumbered, charged the fields of Bannockburn. They fought like warrior poets. They fought like scotsmen . . . and won their freedom." I'm officially setting aside my cynicism and real...
As a continuation of my Braveheart theme vis a vis the Hawks' tilt with Detroit last night, the title is my way of saying: right metaphor, wrong battle. Like the Scots at Falkirk (not Bannockburn), the Hawks fought valiantly, but were outnumbered, and in the end succumbed to a superior foe. Hats off to the Wings. They came out fast and focused and put the Hawks in an im...
There were really two events last night at the Bell Centre: the classy tribute to the Canadiens-Blackhawks rivalry, and the game between the two clubs. Have to say I had a few goosebumps seeing a lot of the old greats, and honestly the Habs have been my second favorite team for decades. I was never a great, or a very good, hockey player. But as good as I was, part of it...
As the Hawks' losing string reached seven last night, it's my hope that expectations within Blackhawk Nation are getting a bit more realistic. Yes, there have been moments where this team has been 100% healthy that it's looked like a playoff team. And though the injuries have been ridiculous and crippling of late, they haven't been throughout the season. And injuries d...
Not really. Well, maybe. Yes, yesterday, Dale Tallon continued his stockpiling of draft picks in exchange for the Hawks' wretched refuse, picking up a 7th round pick from Florida for Magnus Johansson. Last night I watched tape of the Hawks' AHL farm team, the Western Division leading Rockford Ice Hogs, playing the Lake Erie Monsters. The Hogs' talent has basicall...
-The MLSE Board is meeting in the wake of a 5-2 loss by the Leafs, with the agenda looking like change. General Manager John Ferguson jr and Head Coach Paul Maurice may both be dumped. It's staggering to see the Leafs playing so poorly. I have to agree with the multitude of Leaf fans that have started calling for the napalm and dynamite. The Leafs have ability and can ...
Lots to talk about in the wake of last night's 5-2 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Wild, and not much of it good. Before I dive in to the vitriol, allow me to offer my season-long caveat: this team is on an upward trend long-term, in spite of its recent poor play. Probably about one third of the current roster is composed of guys who should be playing in the AHL, whi...
Evidently, Cam Barker got his wake up call prior to last night's 3-2 shootout win over Nashville. He skated hard, hit people and looked like a totally different player than he did in his sleepwalk versus Minnesota the other night. The Hawks are still underproducing in key areas, most notably the power play, but played well enough to beat the Predators. The tradewinds ar...
Acekicker123 writes...

Tarnstrom to the Hawks

Posted Monday | Comments 0
My "sources" tell me Tarnstrom is close to being dealt to the Hawks (A5) =D
John Jaeckel writes...

A Road Map To The Cup

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Lost in the recent gush of love and goodwill for new Hawks owner Rocky Wirtz and team president John McDonough is an undeniable, hard fact: If the Blackhawks fail to win a Stanley Cup in the next five years, a lot of people are going to be very disappointed. With the Bulls stuck below .500 and baby-sitting Joakim Noah, the Blackhawk franchise has the opportunity to d...
Like Frankenstein's Monster, I was nearly driven off the chicagoblackhawks.com message boards the other day by an angry mob of villagers wielding pitchforks, for daring to say that the Hawks had no chance of making the playoffs. "This is a fan board. Why are you here?" One poster reasoned. I am a fan. But I am also a journalist, and therefore I need to make objective...
John Jaeckel writes...

Sav-oir Faire

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
(All, I am no longer HB28, but my real name. Nice to meet you) I just got done responding on Al Cimaglia's blog with regard to Denis Savard's system. Make no mistake, Savard-Bashers. He has a system. He has a vision. And it's working. As a Hawk fan, it's very easy to be cynical about any member of the front office or staff who comes from within the ranks. For year...
Heading into tonight's game against the Blackhawks, the Sharks have put in a string of poor efforts. On a homestand that is very important in the middle of the season, the Sharks shave stubmled out of the gates. Hopefully tonight they can put it all together tonight and put in a good 60 minute effort. There have been many things missing from the Sharks' game so far on this...
John Jaeckel writes...

Water will find it's level

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
One thing that struck me during the first period of last night's Hawks-Sharks tilt, is that whether or not Al Cimaglia, myself or anyone else thinks the Hawks are a playoff team, the Hawks themselves think they are a playoff team. That matters. And that is a credit to the youthful exuberance of the players, along with Denis Savard and his staff. The Hawks came out flyin...
CBJ09 writes...

20-Minute Special

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Every coach uses their favorite phrase: "We need to compete for sixty minutes." It is so often overused that it becomes overlooked. You hear the coachspeak and instinctively turn the other cheek. I'm guilty of it, thank god for a digital recorder. The Blue Jackets celebrated their long-awaited return to Dallas (turns on sarcasm detector) on Tuesday night, looking for an...
In a previous blog, I stated that playing San Jose was a better measure of the Hawks' playoff-worthiness than the Hawks' previous four opponents. And in some ways, so is Columbus, who the Hawks face off against tonight at the U.C. With San Jose, it was more a question of: if the Hawks win, then yes, they should be considered a serious playoff contender. But if they ...
CBJ09 writes...

Solid Road Trip

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Finishing with 3 wins and 2 losses. Could have been two wins, with three losses. Or four wins and one loss. But, we finished 3-2. Winning two in a row, and both could have just as easily been losses. Ugly games.. you gotta win them. Unless you don’t wanna make the playoffs. If you don’t wanna make the playoffs, lose the ugly games, I don’t care. The Jackets are ma...
John Jaeckel writes...

Who cut the cheese?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
OK, maybe not in the best taste as far as a headline. But it is time to "clear the air" on a range of subjects and misperceptions surrounding the Blackhawks. [b]"Tallon should be fired. He isn't acquiring the players we need to compete."[/b] FACT: There are roughly 25 teams in both conferences "in the hunt" for playoff spots right now. Most of them, by the way, are m...
John Jaeckel writes...

Subtle Seismic Shifts

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It's definitely seemed quiet in Blackhawk Nation of late. After Wednesday's pathetic 6-3 loss to an even more-injured (than the Hawks) Avalanche club, the Blackhawks have settled in Silicon Valley for tonight's tilt against the Sharks and another two day rest following that. But some things have changed. The scathing remarks from Denis Savard have become quite positi...
John Jaeckel writes...

Barker?!

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
In last night's 3-2 shootout loss to San Jose, Denis Savard made a real head-scratcher of a decision, sending out Cam Barker as the Hawks' shooter on a do or die try in the shootout. If he made it, the Hawks' stayed alive for another round; if he didn't, they lost. And he was sent out ahead of Tuomo Ruutu, Martin St. Pierre and Yanic Perreault. He didn't make it. An...
The Calgary Flames lost 3-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, as Nikolai Khabibulin continued his dominance of Calgary with his 19th career win over the Flames. The Flames outshot Chicago 12-6 in the third period, but were unable to tie the game despite several close chances. With the loss, the Flames miss out on an opportunity to take the Northwest divisional lead, as Mi...
John Jaeckel writes...

As The Indianhead Turns

Posted Friday | Comments 0
With last night's 3-1 victory over Calgary, one streak ends, and another is probably beginning. Other than a rash of injuries to key players and the emergence of Pat Kane and Jonathan Toews, that's been the story of the Hawks' season thus far: back-to-back-to-back winning and losing streaks of 4-6 games. Those are the hallmarks of a very young team, and a .500 team, bot...
I had to rub my eyes when I read Tim Sassone's column at 1:30 this morning. Was it a dream? Was I hallucinating? Had I had one too many glasses of Barolo earlier in the evening? The Blackhawks are serious contenders to sign Peter Forsberg. Checking elsewhere, I read more. Yes, the Hawks have made a strong, multi-year offer for the 34 year-old, oft-injured superstar c...
Daniel Cleary was a first round pick in 1997 by the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks would only see 41 games from Cleary before bailing on him in a worthless trade to the Oilers. The Oilers didn’t benefit much from Cleary either as he played four seasons with the Oilers producing 35 points on season but otherwise wasn’t affective. Cleary would play one more season for a W...
John Jaeckel writes...

"Stop It Right There!!!"

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
If last night provided a snapshot of the Hawks' lineup the rest of this season and next (with a few tweaks), then Hawk fans have a lot to look forward to: three scoring lines and a really active, dominant defense. Yes, Columbus came out flat. And they were also without their standout goaltender, Pascal Leclaire. But all games, and all teams, are in some ways measuring s...
predjoe writes...

Hawks In Town for V-Day Date

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]The high octane Chicago Blackhawks[/b] come calling tonight to the Sommet Center fresh off a 7-2 thrashing of the Bluejackets last night. One can only hope that they used up their allotment last night. Led by a core of youngsters that will make this team dangerous for years to come the Blackhawks have fallen out of contention and appear to be destined to be a .500 ho...
predjoe writes...

Cliches Abound

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Man...I could think of a many headlines to describe last nights game[/b]. I could go for the obvious and make reference to a St. Valentines Day Massacre. Maybe the Preds had a Red Wing hangover following their emotional win on Tuesday. I could go subtle and talk about how the Preds 'Do Little' after a brilliant rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by Melinda Doolittle ...
John Jaeckel writes...

Quietly, A Star Is Born

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
While most likely out of playoff contention, the Blackhawks appear nonetheless to be on their way to a successful season (as compared with the previous decade and a half of futility) in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. The Hawks will probably finish over .500. They're 4-1 vs. Detroit this season. Their line-up is studded with young players who are emerging as N...
(Hold your salvos, let me explain first, not trying to pick any fights here) I started this discussion on Al Cimaglia's blog a couple of days ago, and received a few insults from a guy named "Steve" over it. And yes, a few others on the blog, chimed in that I was being overly optimistic. "Steve" challenged me to blog this subject. So I am. And I can't wait to start read...
Apparently, if one believes the rumors flying around HB these days, the Hawks are considering dealing RW Martin Havlat, perhaps to the Canadiens. I believe there could be something to this rumor. First, though incredibly skilled and one of the best forwards in the game when healthy, at $6 mil. per, Havlat has been a part-time player for the Hawks due to injuries. Fu...
John Jaeckel writes...

There Will Be Blood

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Actually, there will be "deals" between now and February 26. And there will be red all over some of them, as in Chicago road red. Look for the Hawks to make some moves beyond the typical "trade Zyuzin, Perreault and a box of tape to Carolina for a conditional late round pick in 2012 and the rights to Wayne van Dorp." Look for the Hawks to potentially make some big mo...
John Jaeckel writes...

Nobody Beats The Wiz

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The inspiration for this blog came during the third period of last night's 6-3 loss to the Ducks. A fairly major scrum developed when Todd Bertuzzi (more on him in a minute) bull-dozed Patrick Lalime (most likely accidentally), a number of bodies dove in, the most obvious being Dustin Byfuglien, followed by the referees and linesmen. When the guys in the striped shirts ...
The NY papers are breaking news today that Sean Avery contract talks have been called off ! Are you kidding me? Those of you who still think Sean is the most overrated,worthless,blah blah, in the league can line up and watch you favorite team start bidding the summer. If you still don't think he's good, look at the Rangers record with or without Avery. The deadline mov...
RC writes...

It had to happen sooner or later.

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, the Ducks ran into the law of averages tonight, and it looked a heck of a lot like the Chicago Blackhawks. Coming in on a 6 game winning streak, and not having lost in Chicago since the early Stone Age, things looked good for the Ducks to tie the franchise record for wins in a row. Of course, as they say, that's why they play the game. The Ducks flat out looked ...
It's great to see Hull, Mikita, Koroll, Esposito, et al returning to the fold and rejoining the rising tide of Blackhawk Nation. And in that spirit, there's another old-time Blackhawk who needs to be invited back to the U.C.. He was with the Hawks for eight seasons and three playoff runs. He played on a line with Coach Denis Savard. He scored the last goal ever score...
CBJ09 writes...

When the Lights Turn On

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]In yet another Jekyll and Hyde performance [/b]this afternoon, the Blue Jackets offense did the damage in a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Not a misprint. The NHL's worst offensive team exploded for five goals and broke a listless streak (0-31) on the power play with Jason Chimera's game winner with 3:44 left. Nikolai Zherdev fired a one-timer through the legs...
Last night's 6-3 Hawk victory in Columbus was gratifying for a few reasons: snapping a 4-game losing streak, keeping the club's faint playoff hopes alive and icing an intriguing new set of lines. First of all, no surprise, neither Nikolai Khabibulin nor Marty Havlat were in the line-up. More on that in a moment. Last night's first three lines were: Ladd-Toews-Byfu...
CBJ09 writes...

Secondary Scoring Shows Up

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Every now and then, the Blue Jackets decide that their coach knows a thing or two.[/b] When they listen, good things tend to follow. Tonight was no exception. From the drop of the puck, the Blue Jackets played with an intensity that reminded fans of the team they watched early this season, one that forechecked aggressively and played collective defense in front of t...
steve from chicago writes...

Bill Wirt$ is alive!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
How else can anyone explain the resent egregious ticket price increase? Some tickets almost doubled. This is a team that has two top nine forwards in Kane and Toews. This is a team that has one defenseman, Keith, who would beat out any of the defensemen left in the playoffs tonight. This is a franchise that has missed the playoffs 9 out of 10 years and could ea...
CAPMESS11 writes...

AVERY STILL NOT SIGNED

Posted Monday | Comments 0
This is a follow up to an early blog this season. I am still waiting to see if any fans are ready to put together the petition to bring back #16. If Sather lets Sean Avery walk, Aves will have no problem getting big market clubs to take him on. Toronto- The hometown kid can not only replace #16 but put on Tuckers jersey as well. Avery could provide the leafs with...
jammer21 writes...

The Central Division

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Today, I picked up the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and saw a story about the competition in Rams training camp for the 3rd string quarterback position. So, I decided it was time to start writing about hockey, because I’m already sick of football and baseball. Since the Post-Dispatch isn’t going to satisfy my hockey craving, I’ve taken matters into my own hands. Today, bo...
Just my .02 While rumors swirl in Ottawa about what moving Andrej Meszaros and (possibly others) might mean in terms of future additions to the Sens roster, let's not forget the trade that never was of this past summer: Nikolai Khabibulin to the Sens for something . . . like Chris Neil. For the Hawks, it's a salary dump (needed to get under the cap) and loosens up a ...
Last night, Hawk Nation endured the spectacle of the Red Wings and Def Leppard cavorting with the Cup. Today is a new day, last season is now officially declared over, it is time to drop the puck. Here come the 2009 Hawks. Here's hoping "One Goal" doesn't become a snarky Comcast Sports Night tag line for our offense. So...from the perspective of a season-ticket ho...
predjoe writes...

Gutsy...Arnott Update

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]Arnott Update: [/b]The Predators are reporting that Jason Arnott has fractured one of the fingers on his right hand. He is expected to miss at least the next three games. Preds did not release which finger it was...odd...does it matter? Not good news for the Preds but it could have been worse. Let's hope that the timeline of three games is true. [b]With a sol...
[b]Global Markets Down[/b] [img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/primerate1.jpg?t=1227324887[/img] I'm sure you've read the papers and heard the nightly news. On Wall Street, the Dow hits it lowest levels in 5 1/2 years. On Main Street, U.S. jobless claims hit a 16 year high. From the Great Wall to the Champs d'Elysee, global recession fears send Asi...
Ninety percent of my fellow red-and-black bleeders, I think, would agree with that. Still, there's this bizarre contingent growing in ChiTown that insists on acting like Paris Hilton on a date to Old Country Buffet. They kept lobbying for home games on TV, now they want more games on WGN and the blackout lifted on Centre Ice. For years, they pined for the return of Pat ...
True, the Blackhawks still have one game left, this afternoon against the Kings. Regardless of the outcome, this will have been the most successful "Circus Trip" in years. Here's your fun fact for the day: If the Hawks win this afternoon, they will have exceeded the points they picked up during the last two "Circus Trips" - combined! Here's how it's played out: 2005...
First, I apologize for the lateness of this short but important blog. Yesterday, I went straight from work to United Centre, and this is the first chance I've had to get in front of a computer. Anyway... If you're a season-ticket holder planning to stay at the Hilton for the convention this summer, you DO NOT have to wait until 9:00 this morning to reserve your room...
Happy Holidays to all of my fellow HockeyHeads out there... I Wish the best to all into the New Year which, for the NHL, begins at the corner of Clark and Addison for the 2nd Annual Winter Classic--which seems like an oxymoron, but I digress. In a very short time, the W.C. has unquestionably become one of the too few highlights for the NHL (regular season) that really ...
This was a disgraceful, very disgraceful effort that all Flyers fans had to watch tonight. It was a total disgrace. The Flyers lost 5-1 to the Blackhawks tonight. The Flyers had absolutely no jump tonight, the Flyers were in their own zone way too much tonight. The Flyers got into Chicago a little bit later than expected because of airplane problems, but that is not an exc...
Most of the time, third uniforms are a failure - in all sports. Lot's of teams will go with a color combo - usually to black - to look tough, one supposes. Or, they go with colors that are non-traditional for the team. Or, they find some "designer" to "update" the look. Unfortunately, on the whole, one gets the impression that the creation of a third look is only d...
[b][u]UPDATED[/u] --- Ouch! Just as everyone was healthly and really clicking, we have just found out that Brad Richards broke his wrist last night and will miss 6 - 8 weeks. He will most certainly be missed . . . but maybe not as much as it would appear. I'll grant you that he is highly skilled and a necessary piece of the puzzle, but he is not centering the top line a...
John Jaeckel writes...

Watch Chicago This Week

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The big question in Chicago this week will not be the ongoing goalie Soap Opera (now starring a new player, unorthodox Finnish import, Antti Niemi). It won't be the running debate between Hawk fans as to whether 2005 first round pick Jack Skille is the second coming of Bobby Hull or Ken Yaremchuk. It won't even be rumored minor deals for the likes of Dominic Moore, N...
It seems we have discussed dirty hits and suspension at nauseum, I can't remember a playoffs that didn't involve Marchment with this much publicity about nothing. Mike Cammalleri did not get suspended, partly because he was already punished with a roughing penalty!! Listen, there is a penalty you receive in the N.H.L. for punching a guy in the face and Cammalleri served hi...
Last night the Brandon Wheat Kings gave a valiant effort but eventually lost a hard fought effort to the Calgary Hitmen (who are sailing through the W.H.L. playoffs) and are now one game away from being eliminated by the Hitmen. Keith Aulie is their captain, has a goal in this series and is one of Calgary's top defense prospects. At 6'6" and 220 lbs this isn't your normal ...
Lets see, where do I begin. Lets start with Devils/Canes series. Can game 6 possibly be better than the first 5? The answer is yes, but we'll see tonight. We have had everything in this one so far, great goalies, scoring chances, organized hockey, and everything you wanted out of 2 loud arenas. Looks like the captain is in tonight, Holik "The Caveman" out. Chicago/Calgar...
Like everyone else, I’ll give my predictions for this upcoming 2nd playoff round of the greatest sport on planet earth. Let me get one thing off my chest before we start. Goalies will make and break everyone of these matchups, and are MY key to who I think wins each series. [i][b]Pens vs Caps: [/b][/i] Everyone sees Ovechkin and thinks this one is gonna be close. I...
Versus dropped the ball last night missing the National Anthem in Chicago. They interview Sharp before the game and he says he can't wait for the anthem, then they don't show it. Get with it Versus. I mean, its no Wayne Messmer from '91 All Star Game, (see below) but still, they should have showed it. MB Wayne Messmer = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpxVE_kQXg
MichaelBernard writes...

Round 2 > Round 3

Posted Friday | Comments 0
I was wrong on my Boston in 4 predicition, but who wouldn't have thought the B's were gonna roll through Carolina after their dismantling of Montreal like they did. Down 3-1 in the series, I thought for sure Boston was done. When Boston tied it up 2-2 in game 7 that changed my mind a bit. Then came overtime. What pure domination Carolina showed through the first 10 minutes...
Momadukes writes...

Buffalo

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is the first time I am posting a blog so forgive me if I offend anyone. First and foremost I am a rabid Sabres fan. I get anxious every summer waiting for Hockey to start again. I have been to HSBC to watch the the pre-season practices all the way to playoff games. Sadly those days are gone. Now the closest I can get is TV or WGR Radio online. BTW- WGR is the best...
Yet again we find ourselves four days beyond the start of the NHL Free Agency period, and yet again Sabres fans find themselves with very little encouragement to purchase tickets for the next season. The story in previous years was that the Sabres need to not only make it to the playoffs, but also go multiple rounds for it to be possible to break even or potentially pro...
The ongoing issue pertaining to the Blackhawks and the delivery of RFA tenders has certainly piqued the interest of many, me included. However my interest doesn’t stem from my desire to necessarily add any of these RFA’s to my team; my interest is solely in the precedent that this decision will set. I can virtually assure you that this issue will rear its head again ei...
Although I did enjoy watching the Blackhawks have a great run this year, especially considering I am a huge fan of Patrick Kane, I was still keeping a close eye on the RFA situation that has been playing out over the past several days in hopes that it could benefit the Islanders. I am sure many of you have been doing the same as well. Yes, call me selfish all you want for ...
A few years ago Darcy Regier faced some important decisions when addressing his pending unrestricted free agents. The first test was Drury and Briere then a season later it was Brian Campbell. The final test came when he matched the Edmonton Oilers offer sheet for Vanek. Looking at back at all the scenerio's Darcy paid the one guy that was worth the money he signed ...
Hockey is a business, you hear it all the time and it is true at least at the professional level. As team President, John McDonough is directly responsible to Rocky Wirtz. He oversees the administrative side of the Hawks. Wirtz is the Chairman of the Board, the man with the money as it were. Wirtz delegates the responsibility of running the organization to McD and becau...
Rumor has it, The Vancouver Canucks are in trade talks with the Chicago Blackhawks. Newly appointed GM Bowman is looking to make a few changes, and free up some highly needed cap space. Speculating what might be sent in return for these two, To Hawks, Cory Schneider Rick Rypien 1st round pick 2010 To Canucks, Barker Byfuglien Why the canucks would do ...
I'm sure many of you would agree with me? Dale Tallon took the Hawks from one of the worst teams in the league, to one of the best. He completely re-built the Hawks the professional way, and deserves full credit for it. However, the only thing he got was a stab in the back. I understand that John McDonough believes Bowman is the man for the job, but statistics don't lie, t...
Rumors persist that Burke has offers for other Dmen not named Kaberle coming in. It would seem wise to retain Kaberle at his cap hit and given the lackluster offensive abilities of Toronto's truculent defense. The key is to turn a 4-10 defenceman with other parts into a "top 6" forward Given Chicago's cap situation and the recent firing of Tallon regarding that cap ...
Greetings fellow Hawks Fans! I apologize for the length of this blog in advance as it is directed mainly towards fans who may not know what's been going on with the cap situation. Feel free to read or not to read. And that wasn't a question. I write to you this morning to express my shared excitement for one awesome hockey club out of the windy city. Not only should fan...
The Blues and defenseman Steve Wagner have come to terms on a one-year contract. The new deal is a two-way contract, which means he'll earn $575,000 in the NHL with the Blues, or $75,000 in the AHL with Peoria. The 25-year old defenseman will most likely begin the season in Peoria. At times, though, he has shown flashes of being a capable defenseman at the NHL level....
leafsprospect writes...

The Death of a Prospect?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Not unlike Arthur Miller's famous 1949 script, "The Death of a Salesman", many an NHL prospect has failed to taste success and so falls by the wayside! The summer month of August certainly drains the life out of most talk hockey! Come September we will be gearing up for prospect tourneys, training camps, and pre-season! An earlier start to the regular season du...
mslepp writes...

Week 2 Power Rankings: Top Ten

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
What do you we know so far? Well, safe to say most of us are wondering if some of these teams are contenders or pretenders. The Atlantic Division is going to be TOUGH. Injuries are taking their toll around the league, and Toronto has lost 6 straight; believe me, all of Canada knows the Leafs have lost 6 straight. Should I say it again? The Leafs have lost 6 straight. ...
Newman writes...

Thursday Night Massacre

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well the Flames came out looking good against the Hawks tonight…no, let me start again. The Flames special teams were outstanding tonight…wait, lets try it one more time. The Flames stunk up the Saddledome in one of the most humiliating losses on home ice in recent memory. There, that sums it up better. In a game that was reasonably close through half the game, tu...
Any misconceptions “pundits” had about the Flames being a legitimate contender the last few weeks were proven to be so tonight. The bane of their existence, the Chicago Blackhawks, issued a beating that exposed every one of the Flames’ glaring weaknesses, swept under the rug by miracle wins the last few weeks. At a point in the season where the Flames have turned aro...
Newman writes...

Welcome to 9th Place!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well, despite a stronger effort the Flames lost for the 6th straight time and the 8th time in 9 outings. This was also the 3rd straight loss to the Blackhawks this season and 7th straight, not including the post season. That was the Flames 5th straight loss at home to boot; the last win coming on January 2nd against the Toronto Marlies. To think, this team should have come...
Jedobbs writes...

Chicago Goalie Decision Looming

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As Antti Niemi turned aside all shooters to take an overtime victory over Dallas, dominoes began to fall. Those dominoes included the trade of Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen to those same Stars. So what's next? Quite possibly the removal of long time Stars netminder Marty Turco or last years Vezina winner Tim Thomas, and the Blackhawks may be the ones listening. The fact i...
Newman writes...

Flames fall to Nemesis

Posted Monday | Comments 0
According to Dictionary.com a ‘nemesis’ is defined as an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome. Well, the Blackhawks are, by definition, the nemesis of the Calgary Flames. A team they have not beaten, in the regular season, since the 2007-08 campaign. A team that ousted the Flames in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year, and...
schaef617 writes...

My Second Round Picks

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Here are my picks for the second round, which kicks off tonight in Pittsburgh. The fourth seeded Penguins will host eight seeded Montreal. Boston, the six seed, and Philadelphia, the seven seed, will meet in the other Eastern Conference duel. Out west, the top seeded Sharks will host the Detroit Red Wings, and the Canucks (3 seed) will travel to Chicago to face the Blackha...
(2) Chicago vs. (3) Vancouver [b]Prediction: Canucks in 7[/b] [i]Synopsis[/i]: Game 1 was an absolute blowout for the Canucks, but the youth and talent of Chicago will definitely be able to mount a comeback in the series. Roberto Luongo struggled early in the playoffs, but now looks like he is back to gold-medal form. What a season it would be for Roberto to win the ...
History has been made in the 2010 Playoffs, and we might not have seen it all yet. The East has had its share of surprises and has been nothing short of terrific hockey. Whether it’s the third ever 3-0 series comeback by the Flyers, or the surprising Canadiens - eliminating both the President’s Trophy winning Capitals and defending Stanley Cup Champion, Penguins,...
The Winter Classic has been played in the NHL on January 1st of each of the last three seasons. It's a showcase game, designed to spotlight the sport on New Year's Day. Whether its focus is on star players, historical rivalries, or both, the Classic has, thus far, been a huge success for the NHL. In its short history, the Classic has produced an exciting hockey event......
sirwin31 writes...

The Chicago Blackhawks

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks. The Chicago Blackhawks are a team two games away from winning the Stanley Cup. I don’t think it is a big surprise that they are in this position. They were supposed to do that. Many pundits picked them to hoist the cup this year after showing a promising and educational jaunt through the playoffs last year. And if they capture the Cup, then thi...
Rob McGowan writes...

Time To Play Catch Up

Posted Monday | Comments 2
Hey everyone, remember me? Yes, it has been almost a month since I've posted a blog. I got very busy with finals around the end of May. But I will also admit that I have been enjoying some time off to myself to relax a little after completing my first semester of Graduate school. For those interested, I got a 4.0. It has been relatively quiet in Islander country lately...
By mid-afternoon yesterday, I had a savvy blog constructed for my inaugural post here on HockeyBuzz. It was all about the Hawks' cap plight, and included the pros and cons of the players whose names have been tossed around in all of the trade commotion. It was a well thought-out, snappy piece of writing. I even incorporated Bluto Blutarsky quotes. Solid gold. Then ...
[img]http://www.itsallaboutlappy.com/2008_09pics/blackhawks10_5.jpg[/img] The Edmonton Oilers mad a solid depth move last night by acquiring Centre Colin Fraser from the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick, 151 Overall. Fraser, who played junior hockey with Brent Sutter’s Red Deer Rebels, was the Hawks’ fourth-line centre much of this past s...
imgross.org writes...

So Long, Brent Sopel

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The offseason in sports is normally a bittersweet time for us fans. A lot of energy is expended looking at rumor websites, watching highlights, and contemplating the needs of their beloved team for an upcoming season. If your team happens to have won a championship (as the Chicago Blackhawks did this year) an offseason may be filled with higher highs than a fan could hav...
savvy8teen writes...

Hjalmarsson stays a Hawk

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Hawks kept one of their best up and coming Defenseman today as they matched the San Jose Sharks offer sheet to Niklas Hjalmarsson, a 4 year, $14 million contract. Some say they overpaid to keep the 23 year old but he has the potential to be better. The problem is that of the cap hit this will cause on the Blackhawks and what happens with contract talks with Antii Nie...
FredoXV writes...

The Hjalmarsson Blowback

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
At approximately 3:30 p.m Eastern Time yesterday, the first real pangs of worry hit me like a freight train. While many fair-weather Hawks fans and career Hawks haters alike have been overreacting to Stan Bowman’s off-season moves in one way or another, I have generally remained calm this summer. To this point, sacrificing second and third-tier scoring and role guys ...
Cecil09 writes...

Time to Antti Up

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With rumors surrounding the Chicago organization is ready to sign Marty Turco to a 1 yr 1.5 mil contract if they decide they can't/won't afford to keep Antti Niemi, all Hawks fans will be watching this situation closely over the next 24 hours. Niemi was awarded a 1 yr, 2.75 mil contract in arbitration and with the Hawks tight cap situation, more moves will likely be in ord...
Today another piece of the puzzle that formed the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks has left the nest. Today, Blackhawks GM, Stan Bowman, decided to use his right to walk away from awarding the 1 year, $2.75million contract set by an arbitrator to Antti Niemi. On the flipside, the Blackhawks have also come to terms with ex-Dallas Star goalie, Marty Turco. T...
As the systemic dismantling of this summer’s Stanley Cup champions continues in earnest, league watchers are crying foul. Where detractors of the current, hard revenue based cap once denounced the communistic, unilateral sharing of league revenue as the prime illustration of illogic in the CBA (alongside the long-long term contract loopholes), Monday’s exit of Antti Ni...
Things are starting to take shape, Chicago. Earlier this morning, numerous media outlets reported that Jordan Hendry has re-signed with the Chicago Blackhawks for one year and $600K. Hendry saw ample time in the 2009-10 regular season and 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Interestingly enough, CapGeek is also currently showing that veteran defenseman Nick Boynton is sign...
[img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/11/05/alg_brodeur.jpg[/img] Let’s break out the Delorean, dust her off, and put the pedal to the stainless steel floor. We’re cruising at 88 MPH and about to take a little trip back in time to … 2003? Yeah. We’ll go to 2003. When 2003 began, Eminem was on top of the charts with “Lose Yourself”. Eminem would go on...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Stan Bowman (GM), Joel Quenneville (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 52W 22L 8OTL 112PTS [b]Place:[/b] 1st Central, 2nd West, 3rd NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Patrick Kane – 82GP 30G 58A 88P [b]Captains:[/b] Jonathan Toews (C), Patrick Sharp (A), Duncan Keith (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES[/b] [b]OUT:[/b] Brent Sopel (Dealt to Atlanta) Ben Ea...
Announced today, the Chicago Blackhawks have assigned five more youngsters to AHL affiliate Rockford, cutting the current active roster down to 26 players. Players sent to Rockford are as follows: Igor Makarov, Brian Connelly, Brandon Pirri, Ben Smith, and off-season (quasi)fan-favorite Kyle Beach. The only mild surprise in this group is Makarov, who generated some in...
The Red Wings pulled another one out tonight, almost in spite of themselves. Taking three penalties late in the third period proved that the Wings have a decent penalty kill, but it's best not to try to give games away. Detroit's boys escaped with another two points against a Central Division rival that may prove critical down the stretch, but it wasn't pretty. The Re...
Ryane Clowe led the Sharks to victory in a rare low scoring affair Saturday night against the Blackhawks in San Jose. The Sharks showed some character in this one, battling through the last two periods after giving up a soft goal to the Hawks late in the first. The first period contained the only two regulation goals, the first coming at 9:16 by Ryane Clowe for the Shar...
The Sharks powered past a 2nd period breakdown to beat the Chicago Blackhawks for the third time in three tries this season. It's refreshing to see the team pull together late instead of bowing to defeat, and as a reward they gather an important two points that put them in 5th place in the West as they head to Los Angeles to play the weary Kings for the second time this we...
icehogsfan26 writes...

Hawks Final Stretch

Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the move of Skill, Jessiman, and Pacan to Florida for Frolik and Salak the hawks look to be in a bit better shape. With the addition of Frolik Sharp can go back to his natural position at the wing and Frolik will take over as our second line center. One issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of production from Marian Hossa. He looks tentative during game ...
Newman writes...

Flames hit a Speed Bump

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames hit a speed bump Wednesday night as they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks. Come on over to the Sports Roundup to read more: http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/calgary-flames-hit-speed-bump-in-chi.html#more Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman www.thesportsroundup.com www.thecheckingline.com
After another dominating effort on Wednesday night against Calgary, it became even clearer that Toews should not only be a finalist for the Hart Memorial trophy, rewarded annually to the league's Most Valuable Player, but he should be taking the hardware home. Had Crosby not gone down with a concussion, this conversation may not be happening, as he was going to run away...
It took until March for everything to feel quasi-stable in my hockey universe, but I can’t complain. As of today, the Blackhawks sit in fourth place in the embattled Western Conference, and despite the logjam, one would be hard-pressed to argue against their chances of making it to the dance. They are playing great hockey right now and showing glimpses of that four-li...
electric81 writes...

Now THAT'S a Hockey Game!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Let’s start by saying that I really enjoy watching the Red Wings and Blackhawks square up. It seems that there’s a different kind of energy between the two that is brought out only when these Original Six foes square off, even from Playoff hockey. I’m not saying it’s better, it’s [i]different[/i]. It’s one of a kind. Couple that with Nick Lidstrom’s signa...
This installment of the Vancouver Canucks is an absolute joke. Not because they haven't been able to close out the Hawks. Not because they have been completely outclassed losing Game 4, 7-2. Not because they were completely outclassed in Game 5, losing 5-0. And not because they can't handle the pressure. No, none of the above is the reason this Canucks team is...
PickDaddy writes...

Canucks Full Marks for Win

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Congrats to the Canucks for their win. Well deserved. A few high level comments on the game: 1) Why did the Canucks change their style in the 3rd? They started to hang back and let Chicago gain the offensive zone. Chicago could not get into the Canucks zone the first 2 periods. Then in the 3rd Vancouver started to hang back and defend the lead and Chicago started to ca...
This is interesting new territory for me, personally. I’ve never before come out of a Blackhawks playoff series loss with any feeling of accomplishment. Usually, there is just emptiness, angst and the early symptoms of summertime boredom, which is certain to be in full throw in mid-July. All of those feelings are certainly present. However this morning, and even la...
icedog97 writes...

Success and Failure

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Most people will look back at the 2010-11 Penguins season and think the season was a success. Given the well documented injuries to Crosby, Malkin and other important players on this team (Staal missing the first ½ of the season) I would have to agree that finishing the regular season with one of the highest point totals in the team’s history was a true success. I do...
icedog97 writes...

Jaromir Jagr

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Whenever I hear someone mention the name Jaromir Jagr with regard to the Penguins, one of two images pops into my head: Most of the time it's the 1992 Stanley Cup Final game 1 goal he scored against the Chicago Blackhawks. The one where he weaved his way through players from the half wall to the net and scored on Eddie Belfour. [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha...
acmidd28 writes...

Can Leadership Tame Carcillo?

Posted Wednesday | Comments 1
So if anyone was wondering what Chicago is getting in Dan Carcillo, he did not hesitate to let people know in his press conference. While some thought it was funny, some it made nervous and others thought “this is the kind of guy they need,” it certainly got the attention of hockey fans around the league. Forget the fact that he had no idea that Raffi Torres and ...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 6 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Chicago Blackhawks Preview. Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team. [b] Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please....
I'm new here...JUST registered. I've always had this thought...not sure if it's new or not, and I have no idea how a person would go about getting an idea like this to the league, but.... I always felt that a player who just won the Stanley Cup should be recognized for it for the whole year. I know they all get rings, but I mean [u]on the ice[/u]. So...let's take ...
Before the anxiety and paranoia sets in that the Hawks season is officially doomed, please let's try to be a little more rational about analyzing tonight's loss by the Hawks at the hands of the Pens, 4-1. Yes, there were some unfortunate plays here and there, especially on the defensive side of things, but let's remember that this is still the preseason. Guys like McLea...
Pittsburgh area native Brandon Saad will be playing in his 3rd straight Hawks preseason game tonight against Washington at the UC and Andrew Brunette also makes his debut as a Hawk tonight. Chicago's number one netminder, Corey Crawford, will take his place between the pipes for the Hawks tonight for the first time this preseason. Click here to read more of my Haw...
Friday night's Hawks' victory over the Washington Capitals provided a thrilling show for nearly 20,000 Chicagoans at the UC. Hawks received goals from Viktor Stalberg (2) and the gamewinner from youngster Brandon Saad (plus 1 assist). Jonathan Toews finished the game with two assists. Hawks matchup against Red Wings at The Joe with a slightly different roster makeup tha...
The recent hubub surrounding Blackhawks' star right winger, Patrick Kane, has nothing to do with indulging in the fruits of Chicago's night life, nor does it concern Kane's encounters with any Buffalo cab drivers. This Patrick Kane tale mostly has to do with the recent Hawks experiment of placing him at Center ice. Click here for my piece on Kane's potential move to C...
NJxDevils writes...

Smith VS Smith and Vice Versa

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It's been rainy and thundery in Jersey today and it was rainy and thundery for Ben Smith of the Chicago Blackhawks. In yesterdays pre-season bout between the Hawks and the Red Wings, second year player Ben Smith tied up the game at 3 a piece but did not get to see the end of the game after he was hit in the head by Brendan Smith's shoulder. Ben made a nice dipsy doodle ...
I'm going to take a more straightfoward and simplistic approach to my reaction from last night's Hawks' victory over a mostly AHL roster of Red Wings players. Ultimately, because Chicago came away with a win, there were obvious positives. The biggest questions from last night surround Patrick Kane's effectiveness at Center and the defensive breakdowns that led to three Red...
Last year, the Chicago Blackhawks lost a grind-it-out battle against the Colorado Avalanche in OT from Paul Stastny's game winning goal in their season opener in Colorado. This year, the Blackhawks hope to avoid a similar fate tonight when they face off against Mike RiBeiro and the Dallas Stars. Highlights from last year's Blackhawks Season Opener: http://www.youtub...
After a nine-day wait to begin the regular season, the Jets looked sloppy and out of sync with each other in a 5-1 loss to the Habs on Sunday. Now that all the hooplah surrounding the return of the team has subsided somewhat, the team is leaving on its first road trip of the season. Time for this team to spend some time together and do a little bonding. I suspect a li...
On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks sent arguably their top organizational prospect in Brandon Saad (sorry Kyle Beach) back to his OHL team, the Saginaw Spirit. Though Saad registered no points in his two games with the Blackhawks in the early regular season, he did play well during the preseason against several division rivals, which included getting time on a line wit...
RickDixon writes...

Jets/Blackhawks Gameday

Posted Thursday | Comments 1
So there will be a few things I will be looking for in tonight's matchup against the Blackhawks. - Does the team show more energy than they had in their season opener ? - Will any of the lines show any chemistry at all, and if not can head coach Claude Noel do enough mixing and matching to get anyone going ? - How well will Mark Scheifele deal with being in a h...
RickDixon writes...

Blackhawks down Jets 4-3

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Okay.........so I was off on the score by one goal.........so sue me. All-in-all the game was pretty much what I expected it to be. The Jets were pretty much dominated throughout the game and the score really doesn't reflect that. The Jets have a really bad habit of giving the puck up in the worst possible areas of the ice. They remind me way to much of what Ales Hem...
The Hawks are well on their way towards being a great regular season team provided they can pick up a few of the missing pieces before reaching the mid-season mark. Patrick Kane continues to be an offensive force with 6 pts in 4 games playing at Center, winning 56.5% of his faceoffs, and he has not hurt his team defensively. Corey Crawford has also played well thus f...
After the completion of a home and home with surprising Western Conference foe, Colorado, the Blackhawks came away with 3 out of 4 possible points. Hawks are now a commendable 4-1-2 on the season, good for 5th in the West. Chicago also boasts a goal differential of +6, which is tied for 2nd in the West, as well. Make no mistake, Blackhawks should come poised to jump rig...
Blackhawks fans will remember one thing from last game against the Anaheim Ducks: That Patrick Kane Spin-O-Rama pass. The Chicago Blackhawks came away with a 3-2 SO victory over the Anaheim Ducks at the United Center on Tuesday night. After going down 1-0 and then 2-1, it was amazing to see the Hawks battle back to tie the game and keep themselves in the battle for...
When your team only manages 2 goals from its bottom six forwards against a conference rival with the second best power play in the NHL, you're generally not giving yourself a good chance to win. The Blackhawks did just that (and then some) in "aiding" the Vancouver Canucks to a dominating 6-2 win over Chicago Sunday night at the United Center. Yuck. Click here to r...
Ok Hawks fans, thats what the doctor ordered! The Hawks pretty much dominated the Jackets from the drop of the puck. Thats twice now this season that the Hawks have lost a game 3-0 (Canes and Blues) prior to playing the Boo Jackets and went into Columbus and whipped the Jackets apart. Although this game was not perfect, it was nice to watch. Observations: Coach Q...
Well, I missed the live broadcast of the Hawks game last night and had to settle watching it on DVR. No problem, right? The Mighty Blackhawks were trying to give themselves a bit of a cushion in the standings and succeeded before heading out for their annual circus road trip that start Wednesday in Canucklehead land. A quick recap of the game against the Oilers, the...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Hawks wave Olesz

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Hawks placed Rostislav Olesz on waivers today. NHL teams have 24 hours to claim Olesz and if he isn't picked up by another team could be headed to Rockford of the AHL. Olesz was aquired when the Hawks traded Campbell and his $7 million-plus salary per season to Florida. If Olesz heads to Rockford, the Hawks would still be on the hook for his salary of $3.4 million, ...
HokkeyNutt writes...

How bout them Blackhawks...

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Call it revenge, call it payback beyotch, I don't care, you pick. The Hawks were able to avenge their 6-2 loss to the Canucklheads ten days ago, as they came into Vancouver and beat the em last night 5-1. The Hawks played a very disciplined game, got timely scoring and strong goaltending to skate to victory over the Canucks in front of a stunned, towel waving, early leav...
Last night's 5-1 Blackhawks' victory over rival Vancouver was the perfect example of how a successful powerplay can seriously steal the momentum for your team. The Blackhawks did a great job of exposing the Canucks lack of offensive depth last night at Rogers Arena. Click here for my thoughts on last night's Blackhawks victory over Vancouver - http://thecheckingli...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Hawks To Recall Ben Smith

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Rostislav Olesz has cleared waivers on and has been sent to Rockford. In his place, the Hawks have recalled Ben Smith from Rockford. Smith had 10 points (six goals, four assists) in nine games with the IceHogs this year. As you know, obviously Olesz was a non-factor for the Hawks roster this year. Smith’s contributions at the end of last year during the playoffs ag...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Time to Douse the Flames

Posted Friday | Comments 0
There was a little shuffling of the deck in the Blackhawks lineup these last few days. Everyone saw this coming a mile away, but overpaid and under-talented winger Rostislav Olesz and his $3 million salary was placed on waivers, and then sent to Rockford. Ben Smith joined the team on Thursday and is expected to play on Friday, mainly because…Frolik is injured. Seabs miss...
The Flames torched the Hawks last night and ended the Hawks four game winning streak last night so what does this mean? The Hawks get a chance to start a new one tonight in Edmonton against an Oilers team that has lost four straight. Games like last night's seems to be demonstrate the need for more heart, energy, piss and vinegar on the roster than that which was added in...
Captain Serious, a.k.a. Jonathan Toews, gets paid the big bucks for many reasons. He scores goals, he sets up plays, he digs out the puck in corners in order to set up said plays and he shuts down some of the most lethal opposing offensive threats in the NHL. Of course, you already knew that. Good players in the NHL can provide offense for their teams throughout th...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Glad to be Home

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I did not provide a recap on the Circus Trip so here a quick one...As I previously wrote, I had set the goal for the Hawks to take 7 of 12 points and they came home with 6 points. I can live with that. The Circus Trip started great with an a$$ whooping of the Canuckleheads. Next came the "Alberta Swing" where the Hawks looked like they’d never played hockey before. Th...
Still think Chicago should make that bid for Bobby Ryan? Right. Be sure to check out TCL's newest Blackhawks' writer Maggie Avila's game recap from last night here - http://thecheckingline.com/blog/maggie-avila/chicago-blackhawks/chicago-blackhawks-home-sick-or-sick-home Here's a brief goal analysis of last night's joke of a 60 minute effort by your Chicago ...
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to rebound tonight from their previous 4-1 trouncing by the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes when they get ready to face the struggling New York Islanders at the United Center. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. Corey Crawford, who is expected to get the start tonight, has somewhat unfortunate statistics i...
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue their winning ways tonight when they matchup with the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks are coming off of an exciting 5-4 shootout win against the struggling New York Islanders last night and look to build on that success. This will be the second matchup of the season for these two teams, with the Blues ta...
For the Hawks, I hope they are not singing the blues as the Hawks head to St. Louis to take on the Blues. But first, a quick look at last night’s game against the Islanders. The Hawks escaped with a 5-4 SO win. Let me repeat the word “escaped.” Captain Serious continues to be a leader on this team and stepped up and scored the game winner in the shoot out as the ...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Payback?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Less then a week ago the Yotes came into town and gave the Hawks who were returning home for the first time after a two week road trip a 4-1 a$$ whoopin. After chewing up and spitting out the Hawks, the Yotes went up to Winnipeg and lost 1-0 then went home and lost to the Flyers 4-2. Hmm. makes you wonder doesn't it? Look for Corey Crawford to start tonight but he mus...
This story is becoming more and more familiar. Despite rallying to erase a 3-0 deficit to tie the game late in the second period, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to finish off a hard-working Phoenix Coyotes club in the shootout, losing 4-3. Both Oliver Ekman-Larsson and former Blackhawk Radim Vrbata scored for Phoenix in the shootout, while red-hot Blackhawks ...
Thats a big question. Think about it for a moment... The beloved Hawks are not as good as their record. Let me repeat that, the beloved Hawks are not as good as their record. I know, I know some of you may be upset at this realization but unfortunately its true. (Move to "Tonight's Game" below if you are afraid to read the next paragraph and face reality). If you...
Last night was one of the few games of late this season when Blackhawks' team captain Jonathan Toews was not responsible for carrying his team on his shoulder in an effort to come away with two points. Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa both had a goal and 2 assists a piece en route to a 3-2 overtime win for Chicago over the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum. Ray...
I asked the yesterday, "Which Hawks teams show up tonight?" and the question was answered as I hoped. The Hawks had solid effort last night against the Islanders from the Razor last night and Hossa and Sharpie provided the offense in a Hawks 3-2 victory. It was nice to see the Hawks score first and play well except for a few minor spots during the game that I will touch on...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Hawks, Lets Get Wild!

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Tonight the beloved Hawks take on the Western Conference leading Minnesota Wild in St. Paul. The Hawks come into tonight's game with a record of 4-0-1 in their last five games and are 6-1-1 in their last eight. The Wild, a team that has greatly exceeded all expectations to date, has gone 7-3-0 in their last ten games losing Tuesday night after winning seven straight cont...
The magical mits of Patrick Kane provided the insurance tally to Jonathan Toews' game winning shoot out goal in capturing two points for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Minnesota Wild last night. Kane put on a clinic with his dazzling puck dance, sending Niklas Backstrom into a spiral of confusion, as he put away the game winning goal to give Chicago the 4-3 victor...
mcefalu writes...

Hawks Host Grounded Ducks

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks get set to square off for the third time this season against their distant neighbors from the west coast when they host the Anaheim Ducks tonight at the United Center. The last meeting between the Blackhawks and the Ducks saw Hawks' captain Jonathan Toews carry his team to a rallying 6-5 win with his 5 point effort. Anaheim will look to avoid the ...
Having taken points from each of their last seven games, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue that success against a recently surging Calgary Flames club tonight at the United Center. The Chicago Blackhawks come into this game with an impressive 20-8-4 overall record and 8-1-1 in their last ten games. The Calgary Flames, however, hold a mediocre 14-14-4 overall ...
mcefalu writes...

Welcome Back, Defense

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It appears that the Chicago Blackhawks defensive issues are no longer much of an issue at all. The Chicago Blackhawks used a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center to maintain first place in the NHL with 50 points. Red-hot Viktor Stalberg scored two goals, Dave Bolland and Marian Hossa posted two points apiece and the Blackhawks won their sec...
It was the kind of game Blackhawks fans knew they could win if Chicago could just break through with a goal before the start of the third period. Didn't happen. Jonathan Quick stopped all 38 shots by the Blackhawks and Trent Hunter and Jarret Stoll scored a dirty goal each en route to their 2-0 victory over Chicago last night. Los Angeles won their second straight an...
It's hard to believe that halfway through the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings are just now meeting for the first of six times tonight when the Hawks host the Wings at the United Center. Over the last ten games, statistically speaking, the Blackhawks and Red Wings share virtually identical stats all around. Both teams have played very well of...
HokkeyNutt writes...

This is our House!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hey Q, put this on the white board “9-2”. This is all the motivation the Hawks should need tonight. Welcome to the Madhouse on Madison, Oilers! The last time these two teams met the Hawks were licking their wounds and wondering how the hell a mediocre team like Edmonton had managed to put 9 (yes, NINE) goals. Since that game, the Hawks turned things decidedly f...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Blackhawks make roster moves

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blackhawks have recalled defenseman Dylan Olsen from the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, and placed forward Marcus Kruger and defenseman Steve Montador on Injured Reserve. Additionally, forward Andrew Shaw has been added to the active roster. Olsen, 21, was the Blackhawks first selection (28th overall) in the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Car Bomb Supsended 7 Games

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Moments ago the NHL handed the Car Bomb (Dan Carcillo ) a seven game suspension for his boarding hit on Edmonton Oilers blueliner Tom Gilbert in Monday night's game.
HokkeyNutt writes...

That Hurt!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hawks vs Flyers Recap: [u]The Negatives:[/u] - The Hawks allowed 46 shots (21 in the second period) in an uneven performance defensively that should have general manager Stan Bowman stepping up his efforts to find defensive help. I have been stating this for some time now. Stan are you listening? - Razor was exposed by a team that had the skill and patience to get hi...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Mountain Climbin?

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Tonight, the Hawks will try to climb out of a 2 game losing skid, going 1-3-0 in their last 4 games. How quickly things change for a team that had a dominant December. The Avs are currently one of the NHL's hottest teams right now and invade the Madhouse on Madison. With an 8-2 record in their last 10 games and a three-game winning streak, it's clear things are clicking ...
Semyon Varlamov stopped all 25 Chicago Blackhawks shots he faced en route to Colorado Avalanche's dominating 4-0 victory last night. Simply put, the Blackhawks were out-skated at almost all parts of the ice and Corey Crawford was no where near as sharp as his opponent, Varlamov, was at the United Center last night. The Blackhawks did have some decent scoring chances ...
The Chicago Blackhawks just got a little too cautious at the end of the game last night against the Detroit Red Wings leading 2-1 with less than five minutes to play in the third period. In only their second season matchup against division rival, Detroit, the Blackhawks were looking to break out of a 3 game slump that started on January 2nd, 2012, only to extend it with...
Wow what a rough weekend for the Blackhawks. On Friday, the Hawks could not escape the Avalanche at the UC and were shutout 4-0 and last night they gave up a two goal lead to the Deadwings and lost 3-2 OT. During last night's game with the Wings, Sharpie absorbed a slash on his left arm as he scored the second Hawks goal. No penalty was called. Moments ago we learned t...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Jackets vs Blackhawks

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Hawks are on a four-game losing streak and have dropped five of their last six overall and tonight they face the Blue Jackets and the debut of interim coach Todd Richards, who took over for the fired Scott Arniel on Monday. Usually, when playing a team that has just changed coaches you worry about that teams players coming out with so much piss and vinegar to try and...
Last night, Blackhawks winger Viktor Stalberg recorded a Hat Trick giving him seven goals this season against the Jackets. He only has twelve on the season and was quoted after the game, "I wish it was like that every night!" I am sure he was referring to his goal output and not playing the 82 games against the Jackets. The Hawks PK killed all five of the Jackets power ...
[i]This was brought to my attention via an email received earlier today and I wanted to share it with all of you. First let me state that, the Mighty Blackhawks do an outstanding job of supporting and honoring our military, and tonight will provide another example of the organization helping a veteran and raising awareness for a great cause.[/i] At each home Blackhawks...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Let's Get Wild!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tonight at the Madhouse on Madison the beloved Blackhawks take on the Minnesota Wild. Wow how a few weeks change things in the NHL. In mid December when the two teams met, the Wild were first in the Conference and the Hawks were slumping. When that game was all said and done, Kaner had just completed undressing Wild netminder Niklas Backstrom in the shootout and was lead...
And that, folks, is how good teams battle through adversity. Despite missing star scoring winger, Patrick Sharp, to injury, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild last night with a determined 5-2 victory at the United Center. With the win, Chicago moves back into first place with 57 points in their division. The Blackhawks overcame this adversity with sub...
Thats a question to be answered by the Hawks on Saturday and Sunday. Coming off two 5-2 victories over Columbus and Minnesota, the Hawks now get a chance to test out their new lineup and (possibly) improved defense against two of the NHL's elite teams: at Detroit against the Deadwings on Saturday and Sunday at the Madhouse on Madison versus San Jose Sharks. Just a few ...
mcefalu writes...

Blackhawks Aim To Clip Wings

Posted Friday | Comments 0
One might say that things are "pretty even" between the Chicago Blackhawks and their division neighbors, the Detroit Red Wings. They're so even, in fact, that the Blackhawks only hold a slight edge over the Motor City by two points in the standings and Detroit has one game in hand. The two teams will meet for the third time this season in Detroit tomorrow at 11:30 AM...
The Chicago Blackhawks face one of two possibilities tomorrow night when they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres at the United Center- Either they recognize and capitalize on the recently unfortunate play of the Buffalo Sabres... Or, they shrug off the Sabres as any kind of real challenge, come out flat and succumb to the dreaded "trap game" against their unfamiliar ...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Stop the Herd!

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Tonight the beloved Blackhawks take on the Buffalo Sabres at the Madhouse on Madison. This past weekend the Hawks proved to themselves that they can skate with the Big Boys in the Western Conference (losing to the Hot Wings 3-2 SO and beating the Sharks 4-3) although their power play was 0-6. Tonight's game appears to be a "trap" game for the Hawks as the Sabres have been...
The Blackhawks routed the Buffalo Sabres, who are in a complete tailspin, 6-2 last night at the Madhouse on Madison. With a route like that, you would have thought that one Hawks' player would be a lock to be on the score sheet. I am talking about Kaner. Once again, Kaner did not score last night. Kane has just ten goals on the year, and has only found the back of the n...
Hello Blackhawk fans. Tonight, at the Madhouse on Madison the Blackhawks take on the ex-Hawks known as the Florida Panthers. The Panthers, last played on Wednesday night blowing a 3-1 third period lead in Colorado and lost in overtime 4-3 to the Avs. The Panthers are now 11-0-4 when leading after two periods. The Panthers have received a bit of good news as former Blac...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Animal Instinct Needed!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Tonight's game against Nashville Predators is the last one before the All-Star break, and for the Hawks, Shooter and Captain Marvel are out. The Hawks lost Saturday 5-2 to the Preds and appeared to have tired legs in that game (they arrived at their hotel at 3am). However, this is hockey and there are no excuses for the lack of effort the Hawks displayed Saturday night. ...
It was one of those teeth-grinding, frustrating type of overtime losses. The kind of loss that creeps into your subconscious just as you wake up the following morning, not just as a player, but as a fan. The Chicago Blackhawks played well enough to decisively come away with two points against their heated rivals, the Vancouver Canucks. However, one major road-block stoo...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Drillin' for Oil!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tonight the Mighty Blackhawks will play game two of their nine game road trip, facing the Edmonton Oilers in their final meeting of the season. The Oilers lead the season series, three games to one. The Hawks will be looking to end many bad streaks tonight; a three game losing streak and trying to keep pace with division leading Detroit Dead Wings, and the Hawks will als...
Hey Stan, the Hawks need to fill their holes now. They are falling fast in the West after another embarrassing loss in Edmonton. The Crow played one of his worst games of the season, blowing a 2-0 second period lead and getting pulled in the third. The Crow looked like a fish out of water in his crease all night and may now take a seat behind Razor, who is expected to g...
Tonight, we will see how the Hawks respond to a humiliating 8-4 loss last night to a team 20 points beneath then in the standings when the visit the Calgary Flames. This will be the third road game of a nine game road trip. The Hawks are sixth in the Western Conference with 65 points, one point out of fourth and five points ahead of seventh. The alarm clocks should be buz...
Or will that Hawks continue to roll down hill? Those are the questions to be answered by the Hawks tonight who are currently on a five game losing streak and have lost the first three games of the nine game road trip. The Hawks face the Colorado Avalanche who are also on a five game losing streak. Tonight one of these teams breaks their cherry and will get the "W". For ...
For the Chicago Blackhawks, it gets to a point when the same old excuses become more than tiresome cliches: "The *insert excuse here* just didn't get it done tonight." Despite Chicago maintaining a 2-2 tie heading into the third period, David Jones had a three point night and Paul Stastny put up two assists as Colorado skated away with a 5-2 win over the Blackhawks. ...
Make that four losses in row on this nine game road trip and it would appear that the Hawks are in trouble as they continue their downward spiral in the Western Conference. The Hawks finished their season series with Colorado, Edmonton and Calgary with a record of 4-7-1... nothing to be proud of. To make matter worse, the Hawks will finish the road trip against some of t...
nickmo2699 writes...

6 Losses in a row

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After the difficult loss at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche last night, we are able to sit back and get a better idea of what this team needs. No, this team does not need a goaltender. While people love to jump all over Crawford and Emery, it is the core of six D in front of him that should worry hawk faithful the most. So, we begin with a number 4 defenseman. Kei...
Tonight the Hawks are in San Jose looking to get back on track. This past week has been a tough one of sorts for the Hawks including Tuesday's loss to the Avs and a flu bug knocking a quartet of Hawks players out of practice on Wednesday (Hjalmarsson, Leddy, Stalberg and Bicks). For all the talk over the Hawk's porous defense, their offense has disappeared and has comp...
It seems like eons since the Chicago Blackhawks have won a game, particularly on the road. They will hope to add a much needed two points to their total in the standings tonight when they're hosted by the Phoenix Coyotes. After last night's defeat to the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks are now winless in their last seven games. A slump such as this comes at possibly the...
nickmo2699 writes...

What next?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The mood for most of hawk nation following the 3-0 loss to the Pheonix Coyotes is one of shock, wonder and utter confusion. Just a little while ago we were singing the hawks praises and turning up Chelsea Dagger in the background. Now, we have are head in our hands asking ourselves, "What has happened to this team?" I have one answer for you, this team is going to go...
nickmo2699 writes...

A Long 9 Games / The Fix

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night's "game 7 mentality" idea went a long way. The Blackhawks for 3 periods played responsible defensively and controlled most of the game. What hurts most following last nights effort is the fact that the streak has reached 9 in a row and you cant leave it out there much better than the hawks did last night. One glaring issue that puts the hawks over the hump in th...
nickmo2699 writes...

A Long 9 Games / The Fix

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night's "game 7 mentality" idea went a long way. The Blackhawks for 3 periods played responsible defensively and controlled most of the game. What hurts most following last nights effort is the fact that the streak has reached 9 in a row and you cant leave it out there much better than the hawks did last night. One glaring issue that puts the hawks over the hump in th...
nickmo2699 writes...

A Long 9 Games / The Fix

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last night's "game 7 mentality" idea went a long way. The Blackhawks for 3 periods played responsible defensively and controlled most of the game. What hurts most following last nights effort is the fact that the streak has reached 9 in a row and you cant leave it out there much better than the hawks did last night. One glaring issue that puts the hawks over the hump in th...
The Chicago Blackhawks will face one of the biggest tests of the final third of the regular season when they visit the best team in the Eastern Conference at Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers. This will be the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The last time the clubs faced each other, the Rangers finished off the Hawks 3-2 at the Gard...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Battle of the Streaks!

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tonight the Hawks are in New York to take on one of the NHL's elite teams, the New York Rangers. This does not bode well for the Hawks. The Rangers have stayed relatively consistent through the month of January and the first half of February and might be able to put a string together with five straight wins with a victory over the struggling Hawks. The Rangers have won ...
nickmo2699 writes...

Finally a Bounce or Two

Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Hawks took the ice at MSG on Thursday and took it to the best team in the Eastern Conference. Out of the gates the Hawks were playing with energy and a purpose that carried over from their spirited effort in Nashville. Losing nine in a row had all of hawk nation in a stir. If it were up to the fans Kane would have been traded to Buffalo for Ryan Miller, Q would have be...
The dreaded nine-game losing streak endured by a severely frustrated Chicago Blackhawks team came to an end on Thursday night with a victory over the best team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers. Chicago now prepares to avoid a similar fate tomorrow afternoon when they are hosted by the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. This will be the fifth of six meetings bet...
The Chicago Blackhawks have rebounded nicely after losing nine straight games, some of those to division opponents, and added a solid team effort against their rivals to the south by defeating the Blues 3-1 at the United Center. There was no magical formula consumed by the Hawks a la "Space Jam" to bring about this recent successful play - pretty simply, the Blackhawks'...
HokkeyNutt writes...

Wings come to Town!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Tonight the Hawks take on their biggest rival, "The Detroit Scum", "Deadwings", or whatever you would like to refer to them as. Tonight, two big stars will be out of their respective line ups, Detroit's All-Star center Pavel Datsyuk will miss about two weeks following knee surgery and Captain Marvel is out for the Hawks with the infamous "Upper Body" injury. The Hawks wi...
The recent trade of Brandon Segal to Tampa Bay for Future Considerations could be clearing for a roster spot for a future trade. A name that could be a name for the Hawks is Steve Ott or Brendan Morrow from the Dallas Stars. [img]http://2.cdn.nhle.com/lightning/v2/photos/mugs/8469755.jpg[/img]
The recent trade of Brandon Segal to Tampa Bay for Future Considerations could be clearing for a roster spot for a future trade. A name that could be a name for the Hawks is Steve Ott or Brendan Morrow from the Dallas Stars. [img]http://2.cdn.nhle.com/lightning/v2/photos/mugs/8469755.jpg[/img]
Dishtank writes...

Derek Roy to Chicago

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I could be a long shot but a failing Buffalo Sabres team could be looking for a shakeup before the playoffs. Chicago is in need of a 2nd line center and Roy could be a nice fit for the Hawks 2nd line. If the Hawks were interested it could take Frolik, Pirri/Morin, pick, and then something.
On a night when three of their division rivals played a game, the Chicago Blackhawks were the only team in their division that ended the evening without a point. Steve Ott, Michael Ryder and Loui Eriksson each tallied for the Dallas Stars, as they downed the Blackhawks 3-1 at the United Center tonight. Chicago started off slow in the first period, allowing Dallas t...
The Blackhawks four game winning streak came to an end on Thursday night when they provided the Dallas Stars with an opportunity to rally late in the third period and skated away with a much needed two points by both teams. Chicago looks to regroup and get back on the winning track when they travel to Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon to face a recently offensively-impr...
kschwerm08 writes...

Oduya think it's enough?

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
By adding Johnny Oduya to the Blackhawks' roster, Stan Bowman increased the defensive depth of this team. That's exactly what he said he wanted to do heading into the trade deadline. While I personally don't think that Oduya was number 1, or even number 2, on the Hawks' list of desirable defensemen, it is an improvement to what they previously had on the NHL roster. Howeve...
nickmo2699 writes...

A VERY GREY DAY

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well...the hawks beat three very good teams in NYR, DET, and STL. But, they are now sitting in another familiar spot. They have lost three consecutive games one at home and two in the state of California to two very hungry teams. They currently hold the sixth spot with 71 points and the Toronto Maple Leafs on deck for tomorrow night. When three o'clock rolled around yester...
Wednesday night at the United Center I sat in the 100 level and pondered the idea of not having Patrick Kane in a Blackhawk Jersey. What would we do? Without Toews, who do we look to? Granted, I'm thinking in the Kane for Miller spectrum, I realized the immense importance of Patrick Kane. Wednesday night when the puck dropped, kicking off an Original 6 Match up, I could no...
nickmo2699 writes...

HurriKane Season/ Toews

Posted Monday | Comments 0
When interviewed after the second period in yesterdays 2-1 victory in Detroit, Patrick Kane noted he wasnt pleased with his play. Despite his late second period goal which proved to be the game winner, Kane also did a half hearted drive by in the first period which led to the Kronwall goal tying the game at 1. But lets evaluate Kaner's play over the last three games, all h...
At a point in time when points matter most in the standings, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to match the work ethic and effort in a 5-1 loss to their division rivals, the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center tonight. The Blackhawks didn't do themselves any favors by allowing the Blues to skate circles around them for sixty minutes and leaving their goaltender, R...
nickmo2699 writes...

Kronwall...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have contemplated writing this blog and I can only hope that it causes a stir. Again and again and again, this guy preys on the one guy on the ice who has his head down. Last night he put Jakub Voracek the talented young player from Philadelphia in a body bag. Granted Voracek left Kronwall licking his chops by reaching back with one hand. After watching three or four dif...
It's difficult to remember that it's understandable for a team to lose an important game against a significant divisional opponent at this point in the regular season, as everyone is vying for playoff position and overall points in the standings. What might be more disconcerting is who the loss are coming against. The Blackhawks previous dismantling at the hand of the ...
After putting in a grind-it-out effort against one of the league's top teams to down the New York Rangers 4-3 on Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to build off said effort when they host the Los Angeles Kings tonight at the United Center. It's hard to believe that the Blackhawks have only scored two goals in three games against LA this year, and not since ...
nickmo2699 writes...

A Point is a Point

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The hawks fell to a hungrier Kings team last night in a shootout at the United Center. My thoughts after this weekend are positive. Let's be honest, with the captain in the line-up last night the hawks get two points. Patrick Kane, while not a phenomenal effort, he made a difference. Marian Hossa played well and seems to be getting better every game. Viktor Stalberg...plea...
Hawks 4 Blues 3 in a shootout and in what most would call a playoff type of game. The Blackhawks continue to step up in big games against solid opponents and get the job done. When looking back on the season, the Hawks have beaten the NHL's elite. As of late, they have been adjusting their perimeter, non-physical style to a more nuts and bolts style of hockey. Last night, ...
The Chicago Blackhawks did just about everything necessary tonight to pad their sixth place playoff spot lead with another two points, while narrowing the gap between themselves and their division rivals, the Nashville Predators, who sit just two points ahead in the Western Conference race. The Blackhawks played a consistent and focused hockey game en route to their 5-...
After winning three games in a row led by strong goaltending by netminder Corey Crawford, the Chicago Blackhawks look to capture their fourth straight victory when they travel to Columbus and attempt to maintain their dominance over a lowly Blue Jackets team. This will be the Chicago Blackhawks' sixth meeting with the Blue Jackets this season, with Chicago capturing th...
It appears as though the Chicago Blackhawks are peaking at just the right time. Chicago's 2-1 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on Andrew Shaw's game-winning goal tonight marked their fifth win in a row, improving their record to 8-1-1 in their last ten games. With the victory, the Blackhawks are now tied in points with Nashville for fifth place in the Western ...
nickmo2699 writes...

Wow, Playoff Time

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I could not even here the anthem. It was a sold out playoff atmosphere at the United Center last night, and the game that followed, well, it was all anyone could ask for out of a Chi-Van affair. Thoughts on the game: We will get to the chippy stuff a little later. This was an excellent hockey game. The physicality, the goaltender play mirrored the game 7 that took plac...
nickmo2699 writes...

Ouch, Thoughts on Keith

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Preds 6 Hawks 1. The streak was not going to last forever. But what this blowout on home ice suggests is that the Hawks are going to have a rough stretch without their captain and Norris trophy winning defensman. Is this an acceptable excuse for the Hawks uninspired play last night? No. But with a semi cozy spot in the sixth spot, a 3-2 record without Keith would solidify ...
nickmo2699 writes...

Every Point Matters

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Though not able to leave Jersey with two points the Hawks played a very solid game despite the first five minutes. For a newly offensive schemed team the Devils were impressive. Parise remains one of my favorite players to watch and I often ponder what kind of player it would take to get him in an Indian head. But nonetheless we learned a lot about this hawk team last nigh...
The Blackhawks made another important stride towards claiming a playoff spot tonight with their 4-3 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues at the United Center. Bryan Bickell, Andrew Brunette and Patrick Sharp scored in regulation and Dave Bolland's shootout tally provided the game winner for Chicago over their division rivals. Corey Crawford made 20 saves for the Black...
nickmo2699 writes...

A Couple Wild Ones

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Saturday saw the Hawks make every fan sweat through their pants with an exhilarating 5-4 victory. Kane, Seabrook, Sharp, Stalberg and Bolland tallied for the Hawks. The Hawks played well and even though they let Nashville crawl back into the game and ultimately tie it up, only to be answered by a beautiful pass from Andrew Shaw to a streaking Brent Seabrook. This game show...
nickmo2699 writes...

Buckle your Seatbelts!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks will face off with the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round of the 2012 playoffs. It is easy to overlook the ‘Yotes, as are most in Hawk nation, but,it is important to remember a couple of things. 1. Mike Smith has been sensational all year. He is a solid goaltender and has proven to the NHL that he is one of the NHL’s elite and don’t be surprise...
Blackhawk fans, I have to warn you, you may want to grab something to vomit in before reading this article. Now that I have prepared you for a possible gut wrenching idea bear with me for the next few paragraphs. Believe me; I know it will be hard. I too have stood in the 300 level and booed this man mercilessly and my hatred for him boiled over so much during the 2011 ...
ACoop18 writes...

The new Hawk

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As we wait for the two big name players to decide on their future teams, lets take a look at the newest Blackhawk, Sheldon Brookbank. Although it is safe to say Sheldon is no Ryan Suter, adding the 6'2"" Canadian blue liner is a positive addition for Chicago. If I were to compare Sheldon to a current hawk it would have to be Johnny Oduya, also a new Hawk who Bowman wa...
Despite receiving the cold shoulder from top NHL free agents forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, like several other rejected general managers, is optimistic he can continue to improve the Chicago Blackhawks in other ways. Although this summer's pool of free agent talent is somewhat shallow by typical standards, there are still quit...
Gator26 writes...

Kane to Montreal?

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I love it. Pat Kane would light up the lamp for us. The rumour (per Hockeybuzz writer John Jaeckel) is Pat Kane and Nick Hjalmarsson for Tomas Plekanec and P.K Subban. Not only does this deal make sense for both teams, it is a PURE hockey trade at its finest. Hawks need a second line centre and an OFD with edginess. They get exactly that with Plekanec and Subban. Montr...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block. Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block. Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block. Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block. Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
I don't ever post but I'd like to point out something nobody has seemed to touch on since Loungo's name as been on the trading block. Maybe halfway through last season reports began to come out that both the owners and players liked the idea of an amnesty clause in the next cba. Amnesty would allow owners to rid themselves of bad cap hits while the player gets compensa...
AarifDeen writes...

Offseason Review: Part 1 of 6

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b] We are now currently just a few days into the most horrifying month of the year for the entire hockey world. Seriously now, August definitely is the worst time to be a hockey fan. Free agency has die...
Hawkey writes...

Might be the only hockey we get

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So the new NHL game came out and i saw another writer asking if people would like to see the Sabers simulated day by day and he would write about it. I personally thought it was a great idea and I'de like to offer the same thing. Let me know if you'd like to see the Blackhawks season simulated day by day and maybe see the same scores we will once the season actually stars....
(sorry its been a long time since I have posted) Wow a 6-0 start for the Mighty Blackhawks, can you believe it? I don't, and I could not imagine the Hawks starting the 2013 campaign at 6-0. So it’s six in a row to start the year and now the beloved embark on a pretty nasty looking six game road trip (it looks even nastier with travelling to the undefeated Sharks o...
So, the historic run has finally come to an end. The Hawks lost. What does it mean? Nothing. Not a damn thing. They still set the record for the most consecutive games with a point to start a season and the franchise record for longest winning streak. More importantly, they did it in a compressed schedule with less time between games and with ten of their first twe...
Multiple headlines making the waves today in the hockey world due to last nights interviews and player reactions. There is no doubt that media plays an enormous role in today's sports world and sometimes, like today, it's too much. Let's start with Duncan Keith, who is being accused of being sexist due to his comment toward a Team 1040 reporter in Vancouver. The rep...
The Chicago Blackhawks host the Washington Capitals in the opening night of NHL action between two of the NHL's top franchises. Who will come out on top? Find out in the highlights of today's featured game of the National Hockey League on EA Sports NHL 14 - play-by-play calling by Eric Munter. [url]http://youtu.be/8HOY4pfwoJY[/url]
The Chicago Blackhawks come off their third win in a row against the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night at the United Center in Chicago. A 7-2 win caps off 3 games in four nights, outscoring opponents 19-6. Antti Raanta has taken over for Corey Crawford and has let in 2 goals in each of his starts/reliefs. Raanta has stopped 64 of 70 total shots in three games. The two Pa...
We all know the top dominating team's of each conference of today's NHL. The Pittsburgh Penguins of the east, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks of the west. As of today the Penguins are 2nd in the Eastern Conference (21-10-1 43 points), under the Boston Bruins with 43 points, and the Blackhawks are 23-6-5, 51 points, and 1st in the Western Conferenc...
The Pittsburgh Penguins showoff their new jersey for the game that will be played on March 1st of the new year against the Chicago Blackhawks. The jersey will an away white, like normal, with strops on the mid-sleeve and bottom of the sweater. A tweet that I read earlier in the day compared the jersey to a familiar rivals, Boston Bruins jersey. It made it a whole lot more ...
For three straight games the Chicago Blackhawks scores 6+ goals in a game. The game against the Toronto Maple Leafs had a different story line to it. This match up was also about answering. The Maple Leafs answered the Blackhawk's goal 2 out of their 3. The first time Patrick Kane's second period goal was answered by Nikolai Kulemin 1:21 later. Next it was Phil Kessel answ...
The Chicago Blackhawks do what they do best and don't let a bad games get any further than the night it was played. After the 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Hawks come out with 3 first period goals against the Los Angeles Kings, which no team had scored any first period goals against the LA in 18 games! Where does that come from? But anyone knows if any team had ...
Jc61304 writes...

Pens vs. Chicago - Outdoor Game

Posted Saturday | Comments 1
In just under 3 hours, NHL fans will be treated to another fantastic outdoor matchup. Jonathan Toews and Sid the Kid face-off in what seems to myself and many others as a battle of potential Stanley Cup finalists, as well as maybe the best offensive teams in their respective conferences. I will say, to some degree it bothers me that this game is all hyped to Sid vs Toe...
As the season draws into its home stretch, I am once again struggling to come to grips with how the Penguins continue to lead the league in injuries on a yearly basis. While all teams go through a stretch of injuries, the Penguins run borders on the insane, given that they have had not just one but several important players out since the Winter Classic in 2011 when Crosby ...
As the season draws into its home stretch, I am once again struggling to come to grips with how the Penguins continue to lead the league in injuries on a yearly basis. While all teams go through a stretch of injuries, the Penguins run borders on the insane, given that they have had not just one but several important players out since the Winter Classic in 2011 when Crosby ...
As the season draws into its home stretch, I am once again struggling to come to grips with how the Penguins continue to lead the league in injuries on a yearly basis. While all teams go through a stretch of injuries, the Penguins run borders on the insane, given that they have had not just one but several important players out since the Winter Classic in 2011 when Crosby ...
Flash4 writes...

Seabrook's Hit on Backes

Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/YJBErx8hGR4/0.jpg[/img]rnrnrnThe hit by Chicago's Brent Seabrook on St. Louis captain David Backes in game 2 was a clean hit that resulted in a game misconduct, and three game suspension for Seabrook. rnrnBackes was coming around the boards from behind the net. He touched the puck, but flew by leaving it in the corner to be picked up by Chicago...
Spezza will be on the St. Louis Blues for next season. Look for a return of Derek Roy and a 2nd round draft pick with a prospect in return. Spezza will fit in extremely well with the offense in St. Louis. Kessler is in the cross hairs of Anaheim, and the Ducks wont let any other team snag him without having a good back door plan to add forward with heavy fire power. ...
so with all the recent speculation about a big trade coming from Chicago I decided to think about what the hawks should get for sharp. [b]patrick sharp $5,900,000 this year [/b] sharp is my pick to move because he has the highest cap hit and would bring Chicago the most the places I think he'd end up are Montreal, Nashville, Columbus, or Arizona, now its worth mentioning...
[b]Follow me on Twitter @DailyNHLGrind[/b] [b]A Glance Back[/b] Looking back, it’s insane to think that this division didn’t win the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks were amazing, the Blues were great, and the Avalanche were simply fantastic. They actually stole the title from St. Louis during the final days of the season. Patrick Roy got the best out of pretty muc...
After coming within a bounce of a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Finals to face a team they'd have likely beaten, the Blackhawks have to have high hopes for this season. General Manager Stan Bowman stuck to his usual status quo during this past offseason, avoiding any huge personnel moves. Bowman either has a difficult job, as it's difficult to make big moves wi...
I wondered how long it would take us to get here – how long until everyone in Chicago and around the country, including the great Jeremy Roenick would start blasting the lack in goal production of the Chicago Blackhawks to the rest of the Nation on national television. But there he was and there we continue to be – all of us collectively together starting to write of...
I was prepared for an all-out war, a battle between the two teams I thought were going to be in the Stanley Cup Final last year. But as it turns out; Montreal didn’t show up to fight, only Carey Price did. There are a few things that could open articles this morning, I’ve seen a lot of them already, but I’d like to start with giving credit where credit is due. What a...
Raderstorf8 writes...

Around the dots: week 5

Posted Thursday | Comments 5
Happy Throwback Thursday Feather Faithful! What better way to start "week 5’s around the dots" than with a throwback close to our own hearts here in the WINdy city. Last evening the Chicago Blackhawks unveiled their sweaters for the upcoming Bridgestone Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals on New Year’s Day. It will be the second Winter Classic the Hawks ...
We've seen this before in Chicago sports and multiple times from the Blackhawks - let down. While some might find last night to be a telling effort in the negative categories, there again were a lot of positives - but glaring issues for the Hawks continue to be front and center for those of us watching and not playing. When a team, any sports team, has gone deep in the Pla...
CHICAGO- The San Jose Sharks (8-5-2) will swim into the Madhouse this evening for a date with the Chicago Blackhawks (7-6-1) that will pit two Western Conference playoff contenders against each other for the first time this year. This will be the first Western Conference match-up for the Hawks since Winnipeg came into town last Sunday and stole two points, in literally one...
CHICAGO- It was a Saturday evening around 7:23 PM when I sat into my seat - beer in hand I looked around at the other 22,000 people doing the very same thing - thinking the very same thoughts. That's when the lights went out - that's when the decibels inside the Madhouse began to rise. The Chicago Blackhawks in recent years have become the epitome of what a professional sp...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] Colorado missed out on another opportunity to get back to 500 for the first the first time this season. After tying the game early in the third period, Colorado surrendered the game-winning goal with 5:17 remaining for the loss in front of a sold out Pepsi Center crowd. Calvin Pickard started in net for t...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] It was an old fashion battle between two of the fastest up-tempo teams in the NHL Saturday night. The Avs and Hawks put on a show in front of an overcapacity sold out crowd at the Pepsi Center as Chicago came away with a 5-2 victory after an empty-netter sealed the deal late. “Their powerplay was better...
It’s hard to believe, but almost half of the NHL season is already in the books. At this moment, the Anaheim Ducks lead the league with 54 points. Tampa Bay leads the Eastern Conference. Montreal is currently #4 in the East, while Toronto is currently in playoff contention in the #7 spot. Winnipeg and Vancouver occupy the #6th and #7th spots respectively in the Western C...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b] You could sense a little uneasiness from Blackhawks fans before the puck dropped Tuesday night at the United Center. In fact, during the warm up one fan told me, “I hope they don’t fall behind early and play catch up hockey the rest of the way.” Unfortunately for him, that’s exactly what they did. An...
Former NHL defenseman was found dead at his Mississuaga home this morning. Montador played in the NHL last for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12 season but also had stints with the Flames, Panthers, Ducks, Bruins, Sabres and Zagreb Medvescak (KHL). In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Montador recorded 33 goals, 131 points and 807 penalty minutes in 571 games. In the 2011-12 seas...
The Minnesota Wild will face the Chicago Blackhawks for the third straight post season. The Blackhawks have got the better of the Wild both times winning in 5 in 2013 (Round 1) and in 6 in 2014 (Round 2). It is also the second time in a row the Wild have beaten the Central Division champions (St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche last season) and faced the Blackhawks in t...
gipper0073 writes...

The Rebirth of the Sabres

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
For a die-hard Buffalo Sabres fan living in the hockey mad metropolis of Edmonton, Alberta…it couldn’t have gotten much worse than April 18th, 2015. I figured suffering through back-to-back seasons of utter ineptitude resulting in two straight 30th place finishes…and knowing full well I would witness the Sabres also lose out on the 1st overall pick in the NHL entr...
Finally, the playoffs are over. Thank goodness. The drudgery! Who cares? Make fun of me if you would like. I was bored to tears after the first round of the playoffs and I didn't watch many games thereafter. I've been bored after the first round of the playoffs for a long time. Truth be told, the three most exciting playoff teams I've ever watched were Toronto, Phi...
First and foremost before I begin . I should introduce myself. No I'm not a writer . Maybe the more I type the more it will become obvious . Iam a union ironworkers so I am usually breaking my back instead of breaking a fingernail typing . Iam however a hockey fan . Like most fans of the game Iam constantly seeking anything to read , watch or listen to that relates to hoc...
Hockey is back and everything seems right again. In my opinion, preseason is one of the best times of the year. Seeing the prospects (and potential future of an organization) vying for a spot alongside guys in new sweaters and returning faces has always given me a fresh outlook and optimism for the upcoming season. Coming into this year, I have the same optimism I hav...
Talk about ugly. Last night was tough to watch for Columbus Blue Jacket fans everywhere. The final score of the game was 6-3 for the Maple Leafs, which earned the Leafs their first win of the season and for new head coach Mike Babcock. Leo Komarov scored twice, including an empty-netter. Also, Jake Gardiner, JVR, Nazem Kadri, and Joffery Lupul scored for the Maple Leaf...
Quick Notes 1. Its the first time these teams will face each other since the blockbuster trade this summer. It is the first time the Blackhawks will face Brandon Saad in a Blue Jackets uniform, and the first time the Jackets will face Artem Anisimov in a Hawks uniform. 2. Same Lineup, Different Goalie- After last night's loss and since it is two games in two nights, ...
The debut for Brandon Saad at United Center did not end up good for the Blue Jackets. The final score of the game was 4-1, bringing the Blue Jackets to their worst start in franchise history. The Jackets are now the only winless team in the league. For the winning team, the Chicago Blackhawks scored 4 goals in the final 40 minutes of the game. Patrick Kane, Marian Hoss...
Breakdown: The last time these clubs squared off revealed some things in my opinion. First, the Devils aren't as bad as everyone and their mother predicted before the season started. Granted, they're in a rebuild type of transition since the departure of Lou Lamoriello and the arrival of Ray Shero. You have to give credit where credit is due and that credit deserves to go...
The trade deadline has passed and the Blackhawks have made some solid moves over the last few weeks. They acquired a legitimate 1LW in Andrew Ladd, solidified their bottom six with Weise and Fleischmann, and swapped Scuderi for Ehrhoff. With these additions the Chicago Blackhawks are set to win another Stanley Cup and become a true dynasty team. Hitting and fighting is ...
thejonathans writes...

Trade Idea CHI-STL

Posted Monday | Comments 0
This Is A Trade Idea That I've Come Up with. To Blackhawks - Alex Pietrangelo To Blues - Jonathan Toews Toews Is great defensively, but not as defensive as Pietrangelo. The Blackhawks need defence, so they can get Defence, and i'm sure they're not Happy about his salary. Toews struggled this year, so with a fresh start, i think he can do better than he did this year...
According to Hockeybuzz's very own John Jaeckel, the Chicago Blackhawks were pursuing KHL star Vadim Shipachyov as a free agent. Sadly, even if it was a serious consideration for Chicago, the chance has vanished into thin air. Multiple sources reported today that Shipachyov has resigned with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Reports from habseyesontheprize.com say that talks ...
Just announced... the Chicago Blackhawks have traded forwards Bryan Bickell and Tuevo Terevainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2nd round pick in the 2016 draft and a 3rd pick in the 2017 draft. The Hawks have freed up a ton of cap space by making this move. What could it mean? Well, it could mean that the Hawks can for sure bring back fan favorite Andrew Shaw. Also, the...
In this week’s Fan’s Fronchroom bit, let’s talk a little about the upcoming season. I’m sure you’re all chomping at the bit to the extent that I am, and for that reason, I think we can all use a healthy little bit of hockey analysis. There are a few notable reasons for Blackhawks fans to feel extremely optimistic regarding the upcoming season, and a thorough look...
After five days away from game competition, the Blue Jackets return to the United Center to take on the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks last year were an experienced team that picked up players at the deadline, and because of the cap, had to change up their roster. The Hawks let Andrew Ladd (NYI); Dale Weise (PHI); Matt Fraser (EU); and Drew MacIntyre (EU). They als...
Ya I said it. We’re going to be a DYNASTY. Sure the Hawks had a few cups in a handful of years but in my life I’ve only witnessed two dynasties; The New England Patriots and Tiger Woods. People love to compare Toews and Kane to Matthews and Marner and why not? All were drafted high, the centers are both known to play a strong defensive game, and the wingers are both...
As a long time Toronto Maple Leaf supporter and Chicago Blackhawk season ticket holder since 2006 here in Chicago, I am very disappointed to see the Hawks making such rash (irrational) decisions with their current roster today. And with the Maple Leafs in such dire need to find at least 2 solid 1-4 defenseman (if they want to compete in the East next year and the next few ...
THX1138 writes...

The 31 - July 18 Edition

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
31 NHL teams equals 31 comments on the NHL. Let’s get started. 1. What exactly was George McPhee thinking when he drafted the expansion roster he did for the Vegas Golden Knights? If the idea was to put together a roster of younger talent that will develop into something over time, why wouldn’t he draft players like Matt Dumba from the Minnesota Wild? It seems like ...
The Instigator |Episode 21 Winter Classic Rerun: Same Teams Every Year The Winter Classic is set to play on New Years Day. A great tribute to how hockey began, outside, but…why in the world do we have to watch the same teams each year. This years matchup is the Chicago Blackhawks versus the Boston Bruins at historic Notre Dame Stadium. Sounds epic right, not so muc...
Blackhawks beat the Flames (who were channeling their inner Detroit Red Wing), into the Ice with EASE, by a score of 8-4. The entire game the Flames just couldn’t gain any ground. Every time the Flames looked as though they were starting to get back into, a defensive lapse would occur, they would leave someone all alone in front of the net, and would trail AGAIN. This wh...

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