History Does Not Quit and Neither Do the Chicago Blackhawks

April 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

After the Chicago Blackhawks’ stunning and epic 4-3 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks, I nearly had to check myself into the nearest hospital for suffering multiple heart attacks.

Not really, but that’s exactly how I felt after Sunday night’s game.

The situation has been clear for the ‘Hawks since dropping the first three games of the series: win and you get a chance to continue on to the second round. Lose, and you’re sent home for good.

The ‘Hawks choose the former, but it wasn’t easy.

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Filed Under: NHL, Windy City Ramblings Tagged With: Ben Smith, chicago, Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Hossa, Michael Frolik, NHL, Stanley Cup playoffs, Vancouver Canucks

Chicago Blackhawks Need to Find Consistency by the End of The Road Trip

November 24, 2010 By 1 Comment

A 2-1 record after three games of the infamous six-game “circus” trip gives the Blackhawks momentum heading into Wednesday’s game against San Jose. Unfortunately they’ve failed all season, and during this road trip, to find the consistency that could get them out of the .500 bubble they are in right now.

A shut-out win in Edmonton was followed by a 7-2 loss in Calgary, and that was followed by a 7-1 win in Vancouver.

Where’s the consistency?

Frankly, there isn’t any.

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Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Chicago Blackhawks, Duncan Keith, hockey, Marian Hossa, NHL, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Tomas Kopecky

Chicago Blackhawks Are Missing Marian Hossa and It Showed Monday Night

November 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It was a tough loss for the Chicago Blackhawks Monday night. The team was coming off a stellar win against Minnesota Saturday, and with Brian Campbell back in the lineup for the first time this season, the Blackhawks were amped for another win.

The New York Rangers had different plans.

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Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Bran Campbell, chicago, Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Hossa, NHL

Chicago Blackhawk Weekly Roundup: Offense Begins to Spark

October 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Chicago Blackhawks 3-2-1 (7 points)

In last week’s weekly roundup, I wrote that I had hoped the Blackhawks would win at least three of their four games in the upcoming week. They must have heard me, or, more likely, the Blackhawks’ offense came alive.

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Filed Under: NHL, Uncategorized Tagged With: Chicago Balckawks, hockey, Marian Hossa, NHL, Nick Leddy, Patrick Sharp, weekly roundup

Blackhawks Blow Second Straight Game, Lose 4-3 in OT Against Capitals

March 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Another game and another collapse for the Blackhawks this weekend.

After giving up two goals, one being the eventual game winner, to the Flyers last Saturday, the Hawks found themselves up 3-0 against the Washington Capitals going into the third period only to give up three goals, taking the game into OT.

It didn’t get any better for the Hawks.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alexander Ovechkin, Blow lead again, Chicago Blackhawks, hockey, Marian Hossa, NHL

Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi Have Finally Solved Hawks’ Goaltending Problem

December 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment
cristobal huet trade rumors - blackhawks and maple leafs

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.

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Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Antti Niemi, chicago, Chicago Blackhawks, Cristobal Huet, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, NHL, Patrick Kane, Stanley Cup

Blackhawks’ Antti Niemi Making a Case for Himself

December 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Antti Niemi just capped off his 3rd shutout of the season in only his 7th start, beating the Tampa Bay Lighting 4-0. How does he keep doing this?

A better question is when will Coach Quennville give him more playing time?

Niemi deserves to get more time in the net, if not being the Hawks’ starter. He has a league leading 1.50 GAA and a stellar 6-1-1 record. It’s not easy to just come off the bench, not playing for a whole week, and just stone the opposing team, but Niemi has done that this season.

His efforts need to be rewarded with more playing time.

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Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Antti Niemi, Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Hossa, NHL, Patrick Kane, Shutout

Hawks’ Hossa Will Play His First Game Tonight

November 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

It’s finally that time Hawk fans. Forward Marian Hossa will finally play a game in a Hawks jersey this Thursday night.

It’s the big day for Hawk fans. If you are a Blackhawk fan you have to be happy.

The Hawks look like they have both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane signed for many years to come, Hossa is starting tonight, the team has a 7-game winning streak, and the Hawks are siting pretty high in the conference standings.

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Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Chicago Blackhawks, hockey, Marian Hossa, NHL, San Jose Sharks

It’s Time for the Annual “Circus” Road Trip for Hawks

November 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again for the Chicago Blackhawks.

If you are a Hawks fan you know exactly what I mean. This is the time of the year when the Circus comes into Chicago, forcing both the Bulls and Blackhawks to go on a 2-week road trip.

The Hawks go into their 2-week road trip confident after winning four straight games. They sit at the 3rd spot in their conference and 1st in their division.

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Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Adam Burish, Anaheim Ducks, chicago, Chicago Blackhawks, Dave Bolland, Edmonton Oilers, hockey, Kris Versteeg, L.A. Kings, Marian Hossa, NHL, San Jose Sharks

Marian Hossa Injury Update

September 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Marian Hossa, forward for the Chicago Blackhakws, recently answered some questions about his decision to let doctors perform surgery on his right rotator cuff.

Hossa said the recovery was coming along well, and that he doesn’t have a different timetable other than what the doctors have said. Hossa is scheduled to miss two months of the regular season.

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Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Chicago Balckhawks, injury update, Marian Hossa, NHL

Martin Havlat Nets Two Goals Against ‘Hawks

September 22, 2009 By 1 Comment

blackhawks logoPreseason hockey for the Hawks started last weekend, and a match up against the Minnesota Wild seemed, to me, to be a preseason game watching.

Why you might ask?

Well this off-season the Hawks had told their fans that they had interest in re-signing forward, and points leader for the team, Martin Havlat. Havlat said he would love to stay in Chicago, and that Chicago was the only place he wanted to be.

As you might know, Havlat was released.

The Hawks signed Marian Hossa before Havlat was released, but fans knew once they signed Hossa, Havlat wouldn’t be returning.

Jump forward a couple of months.

Upon his return to Chicago, Havlat scored two goals. I don’t know what you think, but I think that’s a statement. Releasing Havlat was a cruel thing to do. After all, he was your season MVP. It was just the wrong thing to do. Havlat understandably probably wanted some renvege against his former team.

If I am the Hawks, I would watch out. This guy can hurt you from all angles of play. He was a valuable player to the Hawks, and now he might bite them in the butt.

Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat, NHL

Chicago Blackhawks Season is Right Around the Corner

September 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I went to the Blackhawks website earlier today, and I realized that pre-season for the Hawks is just around the corner. I don’t know how I forgot that, but it had me happy knowing that the hockey season is just around the corner.

The Hawks were one of the most talked about hockey team last year, and they proved they could compete against seasoned teams. The Hawks team was made of mostly young players who battled all the way to the Western Conference Finals only to lose to rival Detroit Red Wings. While the fans and the players were disappointed they didn’t make it the big game, it did show them that they can compete against the big dogs.

This year has the same amount of hype, only notched up to a whole different level. Fans know they can play for the Cup. Now they want to see them win the Cup. If there was a year for Chicago this is it. Salary cap problems will trouble the Hawks next year, which will for sure make the management cut some very good talent. With this problem looming just over the horizon, the Hawks have their best chance this year. It is all or nothing for the Chicago hockey team.

It wasn’t all good news this off-season. The Hawks lost two great and fan-loved players, Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin. Havlat was the top points leader for the Hawks last year, and Khabibulan was the Hawks first-string goaltender. Losing both your #1 goalie and scoring could be devastating for the Hawks.

Lets not forget that 2007 #1 draft pick Patrick Kane was arrested on robbery and assault charges last August. It was the type of news the Hawks did not want. While it didn’t end up to anything that serious, it was bad press nonetheless, and bad press is never good for a team.

The Hawks signed Marian Hossa to replace Havlat, but Hossa is injured and it’s not 100% known when he will be healthy enough to return. This has all the ingredients to backfire on the Hawks. The team is now relying on the young core to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive while Hossa is gone. Fans can only hope the Hawks don’t fall too behind the #8 spot in the Conference.

The Hawks will also have to rely on yet-proven goaltender Christobal Huet. Huet has been given a huge contract, but he did not live up to it last season making Hawk fans scratch their heads and thinking “Did we make a mistake?” Khabibulan was the better goalie last year, but with Huet’s contract being so high and because of the team already close to the salary cap, the management had no other choice but to release Khabibulan. So it’s Huet’s year whether fans like it or not. There is one good thing going foir Huet, and that is he played really well in the Conference Finals against the Wings.

Was that a sign of better things to come?

Lets hope so.

The full schedule is up on the Hawk’s website. Their first regular season game is on October 2. It will be unique because the Hawks will not in the United States or Canada, but in Finland. It will be the 1st out of 2 games played in Finland.

Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Chicago Blackhawks, Christobal Huet, Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat, NHL, Patrick Kane

Marian Hossa Will Undergo Surgery to Repair Right Rotator Cuff

July 24, 2009 By 2 Comments

marian hossa will undergo surgeryIt’s official that Marian Hossa, who has a small tear in his rotator cuff in his right shoulder, will undergo surgery. Hossa was signed by the Blackhawks in this year’s off-season in a huge contract that gave him, on average, $5.2 million a year.

The Hawks said that they were aware of the shoulder injury before they signed him.

“Marian’s injury did not respond sufficiently to our non-operative treatment over the last three weeks so we have collectively decided today to go ahead with the surgery,” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. “Marian is a franchise player, and we want what is best for him and the Blackhawks long-term. This was a mutual decision and one we feel very confident is the right one.”

Hossa is expected to miss 4 months, which will shelve him for 2 months of the regular season. I can’t help to feel a little mad. We sign this guy to a huge contract, and give up our #1 leader in points, and the guy we get to replace him can’t even play the first 2 months.

Hawks trainer says that after the surgery Hossa will be 100 percent, and that this surgery will be better for Hossa long-term. I hope that is true. I want Hossa to be around and give the Hawks some really good years, but most importantly, aide them to wining a Stanley Cup.

I am sure that the young players on the Hawks will do fine without Hossa, but I can’t be totally sure. The Hawks did lose their best goalie, and our MVP this off-season. Two big losses that could hurt the Hawks even more now that Hossa will be gone for the first 2 months. Hawk’s fans will have to hope that the Hawks really don’t struggle so much early on.

Still I am still optimistic about this year for the Hawks. I really want to believe that Huet will have a more consistent year in the net. Speaking of goalies, the Hawks have not announced who the back-up goalie will be. They have signed Crawford and Niemi, but have not announced who will be behind Huet. I would like to see Crawford get the spot. He was supposed to be the next thing, and I really liked what I saw when they did play him. Niemi wasn’t bad, but he seemed slow form post to post, the same problem Huet has.

As big of a hit this is for the Hawks, I am confident we have the skill to tough it out, and to get back into the playoffs this year.

Filed Under: Featured Column, NHL Tagged With: Chciago blackhawks, chicago, hockey, Marian Hossa, NHL

Hawks Re-Sign Versteeg, Keep Young Core Intact for What Could be a Great 2009-10 Season

July 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Chicago Blackhawks 2009-10 Season OutlookThe Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed 23-year old forward Kris Versteeg to a 3-year, $9.25 million deal. Recently rated 21st best franchise in sports today by ESPN, the Hawks have kept their young team mostly intact. The Hawks have drafted great young talent the last couple of years, and it has made hockey nation look at Chicago as a serious contender for the Stanley Cup.

After losing the Western Conference Finals to Detroit, Hawk fans are really excited for what next year could bring. Many more NHL teams and owners are taking this young Hawks team seriously now. While the Hawks have lost their season MVP, Martin Havlat, they did add a powerful scoring forward in Marian Hossa. The Hawks lost a great goaltender in Khabibulan, and leaving the team to Huet is a bit risky. Huet has shown he can be a great goaltender, but his inconsistent play has had Hawk fans questioning how good a deal it was to pick him up and at such a steep price.

The Hawks have really big expectations to fulfill this coming season, and nobody really can say for sure if this team is capable of going all the way next year. As young as the team is though, Chicago fans are at least positive that the Hawks could win a championship in the near future. While the future is bright, the players don’t need to feel like they have no room to improve. Their inexperience was exploited by the veteran Detroit team last year in the playoffs and Detroit seems to always have the Hawks’ number. Most of all, Detroit capitalized on every mistake the Hawks made, and the Hawks will have to limit their mistakes against the Red Wings moving forward.

One thing that made me mad was the hatred for the Hawks by Sports Illustrated. They never gave credit to the Hawks, even when they made it deep into the postseason. They said they would lose against the Flames and the Canucks. When the Hawks did win those two series, SI didn’t praise the wins, they just ignored them completely. Just recently Alan Muir has called the Hossa signing a bad one. Come on! They never give the Hawks credit for building a team that can win. Sorry for going on a mini rant, but that has always bothered me a lot.

With prospect camps currently ongoing, the Hawks could find another gem. Next hockey season will be a fun and interesting ride for the Hawks and their fans. As a fan, I can only wish for another playoff berth, and who knows, maybe even a Cup.

Filed Under: NHL Tagged With: Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, hockey, Kris Versteeg, Marian Hossa, NHL, Stanley Cup

Martin Havlat’s Career With Chicago Uncertain as Blackhawks Sign Marian Hossa

July 1, 2009 By 1 Comment

Chicago Blackhawks sign Marian HossaThe Chicago Blackhawks have one more day to sign either forward Martin Havlat or Nikolai Khabibulin. Free agent signing started today at 11 a.m. If the Hawks are going to sign anybody it will most likely be Havlat. No disses to Khabibulin, but everyone is expecting the Hawks to let him go because of the $22.5 million contract that Huet has. I would love to see Khabibulan stay, but it just doesn’t seem too realistic right now. Even Havlat isn’t a sure thing. Dale Tallon has talked to both players’ agents, but there has been no luck.

Martin Havlat was voted team MVP and was the team leader in points both in the regular season and the playoffs. It would be a big disappointment if Havlat was not re-signed. Havlat has said that he only wants to be in Chicago, and sources say he wants a long-term contract — even if it means having to take a pay cut.

UPDATE (as I write this post!): According to Daren Dreger of TSN.ca, the Blackhawks have signed a multi-year deal with forward Marian Hossa. This news can only mean that Havlat will probably not return with the Hawks. According to TSN, it is a 12-year contract worth $5.2 million a season. This is a huge signing for the Hawks. They are adding some great firepower to their team. New information keeps on coming in as I type this. $53 million will be paid the first 7 years, and a little less than $9 million the last 5 years.Marian Hossa signed by Chicago Blackhawks

The Hawks keep on trying to improve, and with a signing like this, they are on right track to do just that. I really love what Dale Tallon and the other guys are doing with this Hawks team. I am already pumped for the next season. I am sad that Havlat might be going (though that has not yet been confirmed) but at the same time the Hawks have picked up a great forward in Marian Hossa. Hossa had 40 goals last year with the Red Wings.

The Hawks made it to the Western Conference Finals last season, only to be ousted by their rival the Red Wings. With added firepower the Hawks have a chance to hold the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961. As a die-hard Hawks fan, I am really pleased how the organization is trying so hard to win. They are making great choices. I wish all Chicago teams had great organizations like the Hawks do. (Cubs).

*UDATE: The Hawks also signed Thomas Kopecky to a two year deal at $1.2 million each season.

* – Marian Hossa photo credit: 360Blog.org via Kings Kool-Aid

Filed Under: Featured Column, NHL Tagged With: Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Hossa, NHL