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…)
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…)
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…)
To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to this year’s crop of Blackhawks new-comers. Nobody likes change, at least not as much as there has been, and so it’s been hard these past two seasons to watch some stellar veterans go (although when I heard lackluster under-performer Brian Campbell had finally got the boot I almost threw a party).
However, in pre-season play it has been delightful to watch Brandon Pirri’s rising star. This kid is amazing! He almost had a hat trick in last night’s loss to the Penguins. And while the guy in the Hawaiian shirt at the bar where I was watching the game disagreed with me, the call on Pirri for “interference” in the last minute or so of the game was in error. Unless I missed something, it looked like Pirri was just following through with a check on the boards, though it was difficult, judging from the camera angle, to see where the puck had gone. What wasn’t hard to miss was Pirri on the ground, on his back, getting his ears boxed by, it looked like Pens’ Zybnek Michalek. Still, it looks like Pirri will go far. Apparently opponents think so too or Pirri wouldn’t have become an early target. So bang on Pirri. You’ll get that hat trick yet! (more…)
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…)
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…)