Why did I have to hear from NBC sportscaster Mike Milbury during an intermission of yesterday’s Red Wings-Blackhawks game (where the Hawks lost in overtime 3-2) that Patrick Kane was kind of a lousy center? Shouldn’t we be hearing this from the Blackhawks organization? I know I’ve been saying it for a few seasons now. A few people used to get in my face about it, but now, not so much. I wonder why that could be? (more…)
Anyone see Thursday’s game in which the Blackhawks beat the Wild 5 to 2? Did you happen to see the shoot-the-puck segment where some guy, after having admitted to having a girlfriend, proceeded to hit on Comcast reporter Sarah Kustok on live TV? Does the Sun-Times have nothing better to report on? (more…)
Watching forward Bryan Bickell struggle for several games he reminded me of the difficulty Dustin Byfuglien had as a forward when he was here in Chicago. It’s hard for those big bodies to move with finesse up and down the ice, especially if, like in Buff’s case, you’re not a great skater. Coach Quenneville’s solution for Byfuglien was to try him out as a defenseman. I wonder if Bryan Bickell also might better use that big body as a defenseman. Hmm….
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…)
Typical. Where there’s a goon, there’s a Vancouver Canuck, and it’s usually Alex Burrows and Kevin Bieksa. Good for Boston, particularly Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic. Forget about the misconducts. A yard sale is the only language the Canucks seem to understand.
Hey refs, how about an instigating penalty on constant troublemaker Alex Burrows??? And hey NHL, how about a suspension on Burrows for a history of instigating and goonery? Milan Lucic wouldn’t have left the bench had Alex Burrows not cheap-shotted Shawn Thornton in the face. Hey, remember when Alex Burrows bit Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron in game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals last year? Cause it looks like the refs forgot!
And as a little jog down memory lane for Blackhawks fans, remember when Alex Burrows pulled Duncan Keith’s hair like a little girl? Remember when Ben Eager jerseyed Kevin Bieksa? Good times.
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Holy cow (as Harry Caray would say), what has happened to the Hawks? Dare I ask if we have a Cristobal Huet-type situation brewing in net? Something went wrong in tonight’s game when the Hawks were shut out by the Avalanche, 4-0. Ouch. Are ya missing Antti Niemi yet? How about Marty Turco? Well, hopefully Corey Crawford finds a way out of his “sophomore slump” because I just don’t think Ray Emery is going to fly as back-up. (more…)
After Daniel Carcillo’s dirty hit on Tom Gilbert in Monday’s Blackhawks/Oilers game, it is no surprise that the NHL suspended Hawks’ Carcillo seven games without pay. I think this time the NHL got it right. That kind of long suspension is meant not only as a deterrent but as a warning: Keep delivering dirty hits, and you’ll be outta here. For that, I must applaud the NHL. We wouldn’t want that kind of hit on one of our guys, so why would it be acceptable for other teams’ players? To nip dirty hits in the bud protects everyone. It protects our guys from escalated retaliation à la a Todd Bertuzzi-type incident and it keeps outside interference from our sport (again pointing to a Bertuzzi-style criminal investigation or civil lawsuit). So long as the NHL keeps their suspensions and fines consistent for first-time offenders and repeat-offenders regardless of who it is, I will continue to support their decisions, no matter whether it’s a member of the Blackhawks or not. (more…)
In all the broohaha over last night’s game with the Daniel Carcillo hit on Tom Gilbert I forgot to congratulate one of our favorite IceHams (er sorry, IceHogs) from this year, Jimmy Hayes, on his first NHL goal. Booya! Well done!
A few posts ago, I wrote that it appeared that the Blackhawks still had bats in their belfry. Many a hockey pundit criticized Jonathan Toews in particular because he had been off for a couple games. I guess Tazer, the work horse, just couldn’t be off even for a game or two, even though Patrick Kane has, in the past, gone month after month turning in lousy performances, while no one but the fans would acknowledge Kane’s slumps. (Although who can blame sports reporters for treating Kane with kitty gloves? No one wants to lose their press pass.) For instance, remember the last time they tried Kane out at center? He got bulldozed. Even now Kane’s average face-off win percentage is 50% at best, but people seem not to notice things like lost face-offs if Kane scores a few goals. (more…)
The Hawks seem to struggle against defensive-minded teams, and the Hawks’ 5-4 overtime win tonight against the Nashville Predators was no exception. Patrick Kane was phenomenal for the second game in a row, with two goals and an assist, and a +3 for the night. Jonathan Toews on the other hand struggled again tonight as he has for several games now. Toews did not score, was sluggish, and registered only an assist. What? Did Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews switch bodies for Halloween? (more…)