Hawks Hockey Hoiden

Do you ever get that weird feeling that when the NHL is trying to sell a new rule that they pick certain teams to sell it on?  For instance, earlier in the season the NHL seemed to pick the Flyers’ Chris Pronger to sell the need to make visors mandatory for all players in the NHL.  Or how about when the NHL put rule 48.1 in place making checks to the head illegal and the Vancouver Canucks got called for it repeatedly.

Tonight the Blackhawks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5 to 2 and Viktor Stalberg scored his first NHL hat trick, but perhaps more memorable is that the Hawks were called for ‘instigating’ twice.  So it looks like the Blackhawks will be the team that the NHL proves their instigating penalty on.  (more…)

OK, surely Blackhawks fans can’t be the only ones who see that referee Dan O’Halloran has it in for the Hawks.  In tonight’s Blackhawks win over the Dallas Stars, 5-2, dreaded anti-Hawks referee Dan O’Halloran made two abominable calls on two of the Hawks’ most revered and even-tempered players: Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp.  About midway through the 2nd period, Jonathan Toews was called for slashing on Steve Ott.  As any ref should know, slashing involves a swinging or hacking motion of the stick on either the opponent’s stick or his body.  Toews did neither of these; he simply had an active stick in trying to harass the puck away from Ott.  Commentator Eddie Olczyk also indicated he too did not see slashing.  Nevertheless, the slashing penalty stuck.  Still, Tazer would have his revenge when, seconds after shooting out of the penalty box, he rocketed down the ice, paused, and hammered off a snapshot for a goal.  That’s what fans love about Jonathan Toews.  He doesn’t get mad; he gets even.  (more…)