Hawks Hockey Hoiden

As Chicagoans have been saying for days, referee Dan O’Halloran killed the Hawks in games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  He called so many penalties on the Hawks while ignoring so many others from the Flyers that it would be safe to argue that O’Halloran alone cost the Hawks games 3 and 4.

In tonight’s game 5, it looked like Dustin Byfuglien agreed when during a check of Flyers’ d-man Kimmo Timonen at about the 10 or 11 minute mark of the 3rd period, he took out Dan O’Halloran as well.  Two goons with one hit.  It was a thing of beauty!  O’Halloran seemed to know that hit was meant for him too by the look on his face.  Karma can be tricky Danny boy.  The hockey gods don’t seem to like your intentional missed calls on the Flyers.

Finally, just to add insult to injury, Hawks’ Dustin Byfuglien scored the last goal of the 7-4 victory over the Flyers with an empty-netter in the last minute-and-a-half of the game with Dan O’Halloran having to rule it a good goal.  So sweet.  Go Hawks!  Get that cup!

P.S. Hats off to Q for taking Big Buff and Kaner off the first line and moving Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky up with Toews.  It totally threw off the Flyers.  They couldn’t put the bullseye on any one player and with Buff checking up and down like a mad man, it was discombobulating to the Flyers.  Hopefully Niklas Hjalmarsson can figure his game out by game 6 though, because we need him blocking shots.  Don’t know what’s up with him, but he has that deer-in-headlights look about him.

The Hawks have swept the San Jose Sharks and are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals!  Woohoo!  Someone please get Duncan Keith some teeth. (He lost seven in this game.)

All throughout this series with the Vancouver Canucks I have repeatedly been amazed at the classlessness of Canucks’ fans and the Canucks’ organization itself.  At every game in Vancouver, The Star Spangled Banner was butchered by some decrepit, sorry excuse for a vocalist who hurriedly warbled through our beloved national anthem in what was clearly an expeditious fulfillment of the requirement.  So very disrespectful Vancouver…even for you!  Compare that embarrassment with the Blackhawks’ vocalist Jim Cornelison who always sings O Canada with poise, sincerity, and beauty.  (more…)

It sucks to lose to the Red Wings…in OT no less.  Still, many players put in a good game.  Dustin Byfuglien, who played 24 minutes in today’s game, just keeps getting better and better as a defenseman.  I really hope he stays on D.  Duncan Keith too played a hard game with 27 minutes on ice.  But then, we’ve come to expect that from the guy who for a while there played almost 30 minutes in every game.  Credit goes to Brent Seabrook too who in the last game with the Avs had 5 hits and in this game with the Red Wings had 3.  He is averaging more hits than anyone.  We have really needed to see an amped up ‘D’ and Seabs has delivered.  (more…)

Mere weeks after being dangerously clocked on the boards by James Wisniewski, Brent Seabrook had a go at Brad Winchester in tonight’s Hawks/Blues game.  That’s not what’s necessarily notable (nor are the resulting “roughing,” “fighting,” and even “game misconduct” calls on Seabrook).  What is noteworthy is that, just like the Alex Burrows hair-pulling incident last season, Winchester too pulled Brent Seabrook’s hair during the ensuing mêlée.  But Winchester had to add his own personal touch to set himself above Alex Burrows by grabbing Brent Seabrook by the nose! (more…)

Update: The NHL suspended Wisniewski for 8 games without pay. Good! I hope this means that instead of adversely affecting all players when dirty hits happen, the NHL sees that they need only punish the offenders, and even more harshly repeat offenders like Wisniewski (and Ovechkin). Thank you NHL for finally getting it right!

When the Blackhawks traded James ‘Wiz’ Wisniewski last season, I was not shy about saying what a mistake that was.  How could the Blackhawks trade a valued and tough d-man like that?  Since then, the Hawks have been struggling with their ‘D’ no question about it.  But watching as Wiz and Brent Seabrook exchanged pleasantries before the first intermission in tonight’s Hawks/Ducks game and then watching Wisniewski gun for Brent Seabrook in the 2nd period, charging across the ice and purposely leaving his skates to take Seabs out by the head?!  Oh, them’s fightin’ words Wiz!  And are you kidding me with just that “charging” call?  What?  No automatic ejection?

At least Duncan Keith rushed in to box Wisniewski’s ears after that dirty hit.  Similarly, Nick Boynton more than proved his worth in having a go at Wisniewski in the last minute of the game.  If only Boynton had gotten some good shots under Wiz’s visor!

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There were many goon moments in tonight’s 2-1 Hawks win over the Penguins. The Penguins trash-talked and were guilty of cheap shots and picking fights.  In fact, and I never thought I’d say this, there were too many scuffles.  The Penguins were obviously using their gooniness as part of their strategy, and too many times the Hawks did not keep their composure, not that you could blame them.  Still, for all the Penguins’ jawin’ and scrappin’ the Hawks still took them. (more…)

Jonathan Toews proved early on in the first period of tonight’s Hawks/Preds match-up that he’s worth every red cent of his new 5-year deal when he pulled off what we in my household call a “Superman” goal.  You know, the goals scored out of nowhere, faster than a speeding bullet, and in this instance, in midair? (And yes, Tazer’s goal may remind old guard hockey fans of that famous Bobby-Orr-in-midair photo, and rightly so.)  (more…)

It’s official, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane both signed 5-year contract extensions with the Blackhawks worth $31.5 million each (or $6.3 million a year each).  Duncan Keith signed a 13-year, $72-million deal (or $5.5 million a year).  At the press conference announcing the deals, Jonathan Toews said “It’s been an incredible ride so far…It doesn’t get any better than playing here in Chicago.” Patrick Kane ribbed Toews adding, “I get to be honored with Captain Serious again too…though it’s actually nice to not be sitting next to him for once…” (more…)

Last night I was watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as I do most every year around this time.  Blackhawks fans should know this movie well as a couple of the characters (including Chevy Chase) sport Blackhawks’ jerseys throughout the movie.  It’s also a classic Christmas movie from one of our generation’s most brilliant (if not properly lauded) film makers, John Hughes.

In the movie, Chevy Chase’s “Clark Griswold” wears the now classic ‘Griswold 00′ Blackhawks jersey in the scenes where he starts to lose his grip on reality thanks to some of the most rude, vulgar, and annoying relatives you ever want to meet.  At the United Center, the ‘Griswold’ jersey — which is kind of pricey at $191.50 — has come to symbolize older generation hockey. (You know, the guys who were there long before you were and who still call jerseys, sweaters?)  And that’s ok.  Those guys have watched a lot of bad hockey for a lot of years, have paid their dues, and now deserve to flaunt it a little in the newbie hockey fans’ faces. (more…)