A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
The Chicago Blackhawks have the speed, talent, depth, and motivation to become the team at the end of the year to take the Stanley Cup home to Chicago for the first time since 1961.
But one thing is coming in between them and that goal: inconsistent goaltending.
It’s nothing new for the Hawks, but it’s definitely something that needs to be talked about. Everybody was expecting the Hawks to make a goaltender trade before the trade deadline last week, but it never came.
The NHL deadline came and went, and the Chicago Blackhawks didn’t make a move to acquire another goaltender.
After many trade rumors stating that the Hawks were interested in Florida Panther goaltender Tomas Vokoun, senior advisor for the Blackhawks Scotty Bowman said the Hawks would not be acquiring the veteran goaltender.
[The Hawks' front office] is laughing about it,” Bowman said on Toronto’s 590-AM. “They’ve got their goalies in place right now.
“You look at what their record is. They’re not out to make a … somebody’s trying to push Vokoun into Chicago. That’s impossible to happen. There’s no chance that would happen.”
The news comes as some sort of disappointment for Hawk fans who believe the current goaltenders are not the right men to carry the Blackhawks deep into the playoffs.
The Hawks’ biggest problem was exploited to the fullest Tuesday evening as the Hawks played terribly in a 5-3 loss to New York. It was definitely a game to forget, and a game that reassured that the Hawks have a goaltender problem.
Antti Niemi started the game but never finished it. He was yanked out of the net less than three minutes into the second period after giving up two goals in 25 seconds.
Canada defeating the Americans in the Olympic hockey finals marked the end of the 2010 Winter Olympics. But as they say, “When one door closes anther one opens.”
That new door is the beginning of the final two months of the NHL regular season.
And right out of the gate we are already hearing some more Cristobal Huet trade rumors.
According to a league source, the Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs are currently discussing a trade that would send goaltender, Cristobal Huet to Toronto for defensemen Jeff Finger.
Cristobal Huet, not to be outdone by teammate Antti Niemi, shut out the St. Louis Blues 3-0. That’s the second shutout for Huet this year, but that’s not the important issue here.
What’s more important is I am seeing some really strong potential for a Stanley Cup championship this year now that it seems like the Hawks no longer have a goaltender problem.
This is the Cristobal Huet that fans had been hoping they would see. Huet had a spectacular night against the Predators. He had 27 saves and didn’t let one single puck go in the back of his net. Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd both had goals in the 2nd period.
It was a nice thing to see Huet play so well, but Huet always has good days. They just seem to be spread out. Huet’s problem is his lack of consistency. This game will sure make Huet look good, but it won’t completely destroy the criticism that he gets for under-performing. He still has a job to do, and that is to prove to the fans he can live up to the high expectations they have of him this year.
