Hawks vs. Red Wings

Last night the Hawks played their best game in years against the team that, unfortunately, is statistically the best, but, as we all know, sucks the most. This team is the Detroit Red Wings. Chicago dominated the game from start to finish. Just five minutes in, Cam Barker took a wicked shot that went off the inside of the post and past Dominik Hasek. Just about a minute later, Dave Bolland won a faceoff in the Red Wings' zone and got the puck to Jordan Hendry. Hendry shot the puck as soon as he got it and beat Hasek between the legs. Just about a minute after that James Wisniewski made a great pass off the boards to Jason Williams who threw the puck across the Wings' blueline to a wide open Robert Lang. Lang drove hard to the net and beat Hasek cleanly. That was all we saw of Hasek that night. He allowed three goals on six shots. Unfortunately, before the period was over, Henrik Zetterberg beat Khabibulin on the power play and gave the Wings some life. The Hawks bounced right back in the second when Patrick Kane, on the short side, passed the puck to Dustin Byfuglien, on the far side, and Osgood gave up his first goal of the night. Kirk Maltby answered back about three minutes later beating Khabibulin while going hard to the net, but who cares? I don't because Duncan Keith, from the point, found Patrick Kane, who made a great tip into a nearly empty net about a minute later. In the third period, Adam Burish stepped out of the penalty box and led a three on one towards Osgood's goal. Burish took a great shot and beat Osgood cleanly. The Hawks ended up rolling over the Red Wings 6-2. I guess this just goes to show that DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!! DETROIT SUCKS!!!
http://blackhawks.nhl.tv/team/launch.htm?type=fvod&id=8487&catid=47

Hawks vs. Blue Jackets

On Sunday evening the Chicago Blackhawks looked to keep their playoff hopes alive when they took on the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center. It was a nerve racking game with a few lead changes and several times teams coming back to tie the game. Johnathan Toews got the scoring started early when he tried to pass the puck and got a lucky bounce in front of the net. Before the first period ended Murray and Peca scored for the Jackets. Early in the second Zherdev made some nice moves around the Hawks defensemen and put the put above the shoulder of Khabibulin. With time winding down on a 5 on 3 power play for Chicago, Jason Williams took a hard shot that beat Norrena for a goal the Hawks desperately needed. Shortly after Williams' goal, Patrick Sharp, also on the power play, poked a rebound through the legs of Norrena to tie the game. Early in the third MacKenzie beat Khabibulin to put the Jackets up 4-3. Just when the Hawks were getting a little desperate, with about eight minutes remaining, Yanic Perrault put a rebound into a wide open net, and the game went to OT. After both goalies made some big saves in OT, the game went to a shootout. Patrick Kane went to his bread and butter and easily beat Norrena. That was the only goal of the shootout, however Jason Williams beat Norrena, but hit the crossbar. Khabibulin stopped all three shots he faced.



Today Rocky Wirtz announced all 82 games of the next three seasons will be broadcast on TV.

Hawks vs. Blues

After a disappointing 0-4 loss in Columbus on Wednesday the Blackhawks headed to St. Louis to take on the Blues on Saturday night. The scoring started early when Andrew Ladd stood right in front of goalie Manny Legace and pounded home a rebound. With about five minutes remaining in the first Johnny Toews took a sweet shot from the top of the face off circle and the Hawks took a 2-0 lead. The game was a physical one with two fights early in the first period. There was more than some tension remaining after last Sunday's battle. There were lots of big hits from both teams and several scrums after whistles. In the second period, while shorthanded, Duncan Keith took a long shot that managed to get by Legace. Early in the third period Craig Adams, also shorthanded, scored just after defenseman Erik Johnson slid into his own goaltender. The Hawks look like they were going to have an easy win but then they started to slack off. Despite my uncle and a dozen other guys chanting "MANNY MANNY YOU SUCK!!!!!" for the ENTIRE period, Keith Tkachuck scored a few minutes after Adams to give the Blues life. About ten minutes later, with five remaining, Brad Boyes scored, and just a minute later Paul Kariya scored a power play goal. The Hawks were just playing sloppy defense. They managed to hang on and win the game, though. Four points out of the final playoff spot with four games remaining, the Blackhawks head home to face off with the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday evening.

Hawks vs. Blues

This afternoon the Blackhawks returned to the United Center for a matinee game against the St. Louis Blues. Although there was not much scoring early, there were plenty of hits. Niklas Hjalmarsson got in his first NHL fight. In the second period St. Louis scored first when Lee Stempniak stole the puck from Jason Williams in the corner, walked right out in front of Khabibulin, and scored. Chicago evened the game with a few minutes remaining in the second when rookie Troy Brouwer, while behind the Blues' net, chipped the puck out in front. The puck happened to bounce off of Adam Burish's skate and past Hannu Toivonen, and the game was tied. The third period was intense. About half way through, Pat Kane made a sweet backhand pass to Dustin Byfuglien, who was all alone in front of the net, and the Hawks grabbed a 2-1 lead. St. Louis answered back about two minutes later when DJ King tapped a rebound into a wide open net. Just as the game appeared to be going to overtime Pat Kane mishandled the puck at St. Louis' blueline and Keith Tkachuck was off to the races. He beat Khabibulin with just over a minute remaining. Khabibulin was on his way to the bench for an extra attacker when James Wisniewski let a bomb go from the blueline and the game went to overtime. Just a bit over a minute into OT Niklas Hjalmarsson took a shot from the blueline and Patrick Kane scored on the rebound. Now the Hawks are just 4 points out of the last playoff spot.

Hawks vs. Predators

Yesterday afternoon the Blackhawks faced off against the Nashville Predators at the Sommet Center. At the start the Hawks were outplayed. Fortunately, Khabibulin played a very good game for Chicago. Nashville's only goal came about five minutes into the first period when Jason Arnott put a rebound past Khabibulin. With about five minutes remaining in the opening period Dave Bolland found Andrew Ladd standing alone in front of Dan Ellis, and the Hawks tied the game. The game was not a very exciting one; Nashville did not take any penalties, and there were not too many big hits or scrums after the whistle. Both teams had their scoring chances. The Hawks hit the post at least four times, including once in overtime. The game went to a shootout where Pat Kane scored, but Khabibulin failed to stop the puck both times he was supposed to and Nashville won 2-1.

Hawks vs. Capitals

Last night the Hawks honored legendary goaltender Tony Esposito in two ways. Before the game there was a nice "welcome back" ceremony in which some of Tony's teammates returned, Tony gave a speech about Chicago being a great city, and the Hawks brought Tony's older brother, Phil, who gave Tony his iconic mask to wear briefly. During the game the Hawks absolutely dominated. It started just a minute and a half into the game when James Wisniewski took a shot from the point and Jason Williams made a great deflection and the puck when above goalie Olaf Kolzig's head and into the net. Just a few minutes later Johnny Toews, on the power play, took the puck hard to the net and managed to shove it past Kolzig. About six minutes later Robert Lang dropped the puck back to Yanic Perrault who fired a lovely shot into the upper right hand corner of the net for the Hawks. About six minutes after that Patrick Sharp fired a huge rebound into a wide open net for his team leading 35th goal of the season. About half way through the second period Alex Ovechkin mishandled a bad pass and the puck was stolen by Jason Williams. He then bounced the puck off the boards right to Rene Bourque who went on a breakaway and slid the puck between the legs of Olaf Kolzig. That did it for the scoring in the game; Khabibulin made sure of that when he made one of the most spectacular saves ever made when the got the glove on a puck fired by Alex Semin, which appeared to be going into a wide open net. Perhaps Tony-O helped Khabibulin perform at the top of his game.

Hawks vs. Oilers

Unfortunately I was not able to watch much of yesterday's overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. What I did see seemed to be good rough hockey. Both teams played well, but the goalies struggled. Although Dustin Byfuglien tied the game at five with under five minutes to go in the third period, the Andrew Cogliano scored his second goal of the afternoon off of a nice feed from Nilsson, and the game ended. The Hawks picked up a point and are currently five points out of the last playoff spot with 13 games remaining.