Hawks Hockey Hoiden

As I said in yesterday’s post, 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 stone.  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, so you just better watch out.  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.

Just had to say, like Pat Foley did, what a wonderful job Eddie Olczyk did at the Olympics.  He was the perfect choice for commentating the Olympic games.  In fact, the only combo better than Eddie-O and Doc is Eddie-O and Pat Foley.  And you know it’s really saying something that Eddie can make even Mike Milbury palatable!

Oh, and since I’m in the middle of watching tonight’s Blackhawks game against the Oilers, I just have to ask, because I’m thinking of it, did Dustin Byfuglien get a nose job?  I swear his nose is smaller and even shorter!  Anybody else notice that?  Also, I think the fact that Jonathan Toews must be exhausted is throwing off the equilibrium of the team.  Give this kid a break and let him sit out a few games before he collapses would ya?!

Along those lines, do you think when Niklas Hjalmarsson goes to take a shower in the morning he sees a whole bunch of purple circles on his chest?  Brings new meaning to “taking one for the team”!  And do you think when Marian Hossa looks in the mirror he thinks he looks like Ziggy too?

Sorry folks to have been gone so long.  Your hoiden has been sick and so will be in and out.  But rest assured.  I’m still watching hockey like a Hawk. ;-)

Speaking of sick, what has happened to our boy Jonathan Toews?  Post-Olympics and post-gold medal, he looks gaunt, pallid, and sickly.  Are you ok Tazer??? Hopefully I speak for all Hawks fans when I say we’d rather have Jonny well than playing hockey, so please get well soon!  Keep eating those Charlie Trotter’s steaks you love so much, and get some iron or something. (And forget Sid the Kid, Toews is not only the MVP of the Canadian team, but of all the hockey players in the Olympics.  He was just that good.  How dare Team Canada start him on the 4th line!)

And, if I’m going to play the part of the scolding mother (though, no, I am not old enough to be anyone’s mother!)  then I must also scold Niklas Hjalmarsson and inquire as to why he’s not wearing his visor??  Naughty Jelly!

Oh, and we’re back to the beginning of the season where we’re having goal-tender issues again, which lends credence to my stance that we have no reliable, consistent goal-tenders in net!…sigh…

Ok.  That is all.  Back to convalescing.

If you’re a reader of this blog with any regularity you know that I have had a lot to say about how much of a mistake it was that the Blackhawks lost defenseman Matt Walker at the end of last season. So I was surprised that there wasn’t even a mention of Walker and his move to the Lightning before the start of the game tonight. (more…)

In tonight’s Hawks/Rangers match-up, I was most looking forward to the Hawks meeting up with Sean Avery, the infamous kiss-and-teller of the NHL.  Yes, Avery is renowned as having quite the mouth on him, so I was much looking forward to a Hawk decommissioning of that mouth.  But alas, this original six meet-up was entirely too tame.  (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…)

“Cakes” from Rockford, Illinois writes,

Hey there, love following your stuff!

What are your thoughts on how the Hawks are gonna keep Hjalmarsson around after this year?  He is my fav player, just got his name/# on my jersey this fall.  I live in Rockford and got to watch him mature as an Icehog :)  But at the end of this year he is a restricted free agent I believe, and right now is only making $600,000/yr.  That ain’t gonna cut it for someone who Stan Bowman calls one of the top 4 defensemen in the league.  How we gonna keep him?  And where would you say he ranks in the opinion of the front office compared to the other restricted (or non) free agents on the team at the end of this season?  I would say he needs to be their #1 priority, ahead of Ladd, Eager, Fraser, Skille, Niemi, etc.

Cant wait to hear your thoughts! Thanks! (more…)

“Meatball”…ha, ha.  This is the best ‘One Goal’ promo yet.  Mad props go to IKEA for being such good sports.  And look, Niklas Hjalmarsson has a sense of humor.  Who knew?

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…)

It was good to see former Blackhawk James “The Wiz” Wisniewski, even if he was playing for the bad guys (the Ducks), though he was more of a blur.  The Ducks were really amped up and played a very fast game; so fast the Hawks were having trouble keeping up on the way back to their defensive zone! (more…)