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.

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…)

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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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…)

Ok kids, I’m back.  Sorry to leave my little hockeylings hanging yesterday, but as much as hockey is life, sometimes real life interferes.  Luckily, I taped the game and was able to go radio silent until this morning so as not to hear the score.  So here, belatedly, is your run down of last night’s loss to the Kings if it’s not still too painful. (more…)

Games like tonight’s Hawks/Canucks match-up where the teams are scoreless even after the 2nd period can kind of drag on.  It feels more like tennis when you’re watching the boys skate back and forth.  But there was still some good scrappin’ to keep things lively, and things lit up in the 3rd period.  Seems to me like ever since that now infamous hair pulling incident, these two teams just can’t seem to get along. <chuckle> (more…)

The most consistent thing about last night’s 5-2 win over the Oilers was the inconsistency of the officiating.  Beyond all the missed hooking calls that were so numerous I lost count, there were a couple of missed boarding calls (i.e. dirty hits from behind).  The weird thing is the refs didn’t allow any fights.  So, in theory, the refs would allow dirty hits which had the potential to do damage, but they wouldn’t allow fighting ostensibly because fighting leads to injuries?  Yeah, that makes sense.  (more…)

My reaction to the Blackhawks signing Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to 5-year deals, and almost signing Duncan Keith to a 13-year deal?  Yippee (!), oh great (!), and holy crap 13 years (!?) respectively.  Thank you.  That is all.

Playing teams in the Pacific Division is always seemingly tricky for the Hawks.  Playing teams as good as the Sharks, you can’t be undisciplined and commit stupid penalties like John Madden’s holding call in the opening minute of the game. (Madden would make up for it in the dwindling minutes of the 2nd though with a goal on a nearly wide-open net.)  The Hawks committed almost twice as many penalties as the Sharks.  Still, the Hawks squeaked out another win, 4-3, seconds into the overtime period on a brilliant goal by Brent Seabrook who was set up but proper by Jonathan Toews.  (more…)