I mean, you could just do something else, but you won’t. So kick back, relax and enjoy the conclusion of the MSF NHL Preview. (View Part 1 here: Eastern Conference Preview and Predictions.)

Now let’s make like Ice Cube and “Rep That West”

Western Conference Team-by-Team Analysis

1. Vancouver Canucks

2010-11: 54-19-9, 117 points, first in Northwest

The Vancouver Canucks were the best team in all of hockey last season. Yes, they came up short against the Boston Bruins and Tim Thomas, but make no mistake, Vancouver was the toast of the league last year. They also have the benefit of losing only one truly key player in Christian Ehrhoff (Buffalo). There is no reason to think they aren’t the favorite in the West and potentially the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions.

I think 2012 will spell an end to the Sedin twin’s two-year reign as NHL scoring champions. But I’m sure they’d gladly make the exchange for the a couple of rings.

I don’t believe athlete’s as good as Roberto Luongo actually “choke”. Yes, same deal with Tony Romo. Sometimes circumstances unfold that are beyond control. Vancouver was simply beaten by Boston last year. It does not mean it will happen again

2. San Jose Sharks

2010-11: 48-25-9, 105 points, first in Pacific

If the Sharks don’t hurry up and win a Stanley Cup, they are going to go down as one of the great also-rans in sport. IT seems every year they are among the class of the NHL throughout the season before someone inevitably eliminates them from the postseason. I’m sure they’re thinking “this is their year” but they say that every year. And it never is.

The Sharks continue to tinker with an outstanding team. Gone is the newest Shark scapegoat, Dany Heatley (Minnesota), and joining the team are Brent Burns (Minnesota), Michal Handzus (Los Angeles) and Martin Havlat (Minnesota). All three of these players are potential game changers for the Sharks who will once again be a threat to win the President’s Trophy.

After saying all that, they still don’t feel like a threat to win the Stanley Cup. By all rights they should be, but they aren’t. The Sharks are remarkably consistent.

3. Detroit Red Wings

2010-11: 47-25-10, 104 points, first in Central

The best hockey franchise of my lifetime is finally slowing down. The whole team is a year older, they haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs for two straight seasons, and they lost four players to retirement (Modano, Rafalski, Osgood and Draper) and yet, they could still make a run at the Cup.

Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nick Lidstrom are all a little older yet I would never bet against any of them. Jimmy Howard proved last season that he’s got the chops to handle the net in Detroit. Daniel Cleary looks to step up and could well provide 70+ points.

This team only has a few more good years before it’ll be time to make some major moves, but just because there’s snow on the roof, doesn’t mean there’s not fire in the furnace.

4. LA Kings

2010-11: 46-30-6, 98 points, fourth in Pacific

Drew Doughty is back, Anzie Kopitar is back and Mike Richards (Philadelphia) is now in town to possibly push LA over the hump into the elite teams in the West.

The Kings remind me a lot of the Chicago Blackhawks a couple seasons ago. They have a great, young foundation and are rounding their roster out with top notch players like Richards. This is a team that I think will surprise many this season and they really have the potential to make a deep run in the postseason.

It bares mentioning that they have one of the strongest and most underrated goaltending tandems in the league in Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier.

5. Anaheim Ducks

2010-11: 47-30-5, 99 points, second in Pacific Division

The Ducks are one of those classic stories of a team that always faces adversity but somehow finds a way to succeed in the end. First it was their come from behind victory to defeat the Hawks in their innagural season under Coach Bombay, then they took to the international stage to upset Iceland (despite Gunner Staal claiming Coach Wolf Stansson “lost it for himself”)

Wait… I’m getting real-life and Emilio Estevez movies confused again.

Plus, you can’t deny the unstoppable power of the triple deke.

6. Nashville Predators

2010-11: 44-27-11, 99 points, second in Central

Mark my words here. If Ryan Ellis gets 70+ games this season, he will be the NHL rookie of the year. He is the scoring punch this team hasn’t had in recent years and will, one day, be the difference maker for them.

The Predators are on their way up in the West. Last year they won their first playoff series before falling to the Canucks. And it was no fluke. Pekka Rinne is the best goalie you’ve never heard of, and Shea Weber and Ryan Suter form one of the most formidable defensive tandems in all of hockey.

If the offense ever gets the jolt it needs, watch out.

7. St. Louis Blues

2010-11: 38-33-11, 87 points, fourth in Central

David Backes and Chris Stewart are two of hockey’s best kept secrets. Together they form the backbone of this team’s offense. Jason Arnott (Washington) and Jamie Langenbrunner (Dallas) are two additions that could very well usher this club from being “this close” to being eliminated in the first round.

It’s progress. Just not dramatic progress.

8. Columbus Blue Jackets

2010-11: 34-35-13 81 points, fifth in Central

I actually feel eighth seed may be selling this team short. I LOVE the changes Columbus has made. They finally got Rick Nash a centreman in Jeff Carter (Philadelphia) and also added Vinny Prospal (NY Rangers) and James Wisniewski (Montreal). Both of whom are big upgrades to a team that was already looking much better towards the end of last year.

I believe Steve Mason will bounce back to his rookie season form and along with Blue Jacket talents like RJ Umberger, Grant Clitsome, Nash and Ryan Johansen I really see this team coming “out of nowhere” and surprising the Western Conference.

Anaheim proved last season that a team can make the playoffs with one major line, and a strong goalie. I could easily see the Jackets being Anaheim lite.

9. Chicago Blackhawks

2010-11: 44-29-9-94 points, second in Central

I think I’m the only person on earth that does not believe in the Chicago Blackhawks. Outside of the addition of Andrew Brunette (Minnesota), this team is no better (I would venture to say they are worse) than the team that backdoored its way into the postseason on an 82nd game loss by the Dallas Stars.

That’s right, Chicago didn’t even win to get in.

Yet, some people have picked them to not only make the playoffs, but to go far. I refuse to believe it until I’m proven wrong. Corey Crawford was good, but not great last year. The team is missing quite a few of the key players from two years ago, and while the core is still there, the core is not good enough, as we saw last year, to be better than very good.

I’m going to really go against the grain and say that the Blackhawks don’t even make the playoffs in 2012.

Vince Vaughn isn’t impressed with this preview. I wasn’t impressed with “Couple’s Retreat”. We’re even.

10. Phoenix Coyotes

2010-11: 43-26-13, 99 points, fourth in Pacific Division

Without Ilya Bryzgalov (Philadelphia), this team goes from possible playoff darkhorse to aggressively mediocre. The most interesting thing about this team is their captain, Shane Doan, was the last first round pick ever made by the Winnipeg Jets. He has played his entire career for the same organization and this year will play against the Winnipeg Jets.

Only in the NHL.

Wake me up when they finally sell this team and end the nightmare.

11. Edmonton Oilers

2010-11: 25-45-12, 62 points, fifth in Northwest

The team that owns the nicest jerseys in all of sports sure sport an ugly team. However, this is a team that I feel is on the upswing. Only the 1989-91 Quebec Nordiques have finished with the number 1 draft pick for three consecutive years. While Edmonton definitely has a chance to join that company, I think they’re just a little bit too good to do so. Besides, they may be bad, but they aren’t close to Colorado or Ottawa bad.

Edmonton gives it’s fans two very big reasons to be excited: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall. These two should form a dynamite one-two punch and, along with Jordan Eberle, could potentially help the Oilers, once again, forge a dynasty

12. Dallas Stars

2010-11: 42-29-11, 95 points, fifth in Pacific Division

They came oh so close last season. Dallas just missed out on the playoffs on the final day of the season. It will be a few years until they get that close again. Gone is their franchise player, Brad Richards (NY Rangers), and their longest tenured forward, Jamie Langenbrunner (St. Louis), leaving Brenden Morrow (not the Jays pitcher), Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro to carry the load.

They cannot carry the load.

When your big replacement for the biggest free agent of the summer is Boston’s dead weight (Michael Ryder), you are in a heap of trouble.

At least GM Joe Nieuwendyk can tell his team what the playoffs are like.

13. Calgary Flames

2010-11: 41-29-12, 94 points, second in Northwest

This is a very difficult team to read. The Flames were absolutely awful for most of last season, then, not unlike the Leafs, turned things around in the second half going 27-11-9 and almost reaching the playoffs. Now, if you read my Eastern Conference preview, you know I picked the Leafs to finish eighth in the East on the heels of their big second half. The Flames however, fail to give me that same confidence.

This team will undoubtedly miss Daymond Langkow (Phoenix) and Robyn Regehr (Buffalo) and while they have some promising youth (TJ Brodie and Rene Bourque) to accompany Jarome Iginla, this is a team that’s very thin on talent, though the talent they do have is very good.

This team will revert back to their first half showing from 2010-11 but remain there for the duration of the season. It’s time to rebuild.

14. Minnesota Wild

2010-11: 39-35-8, 86 points, third in Northwest

The good people in Minnesota have had a rough year. The Twins came back to earth in dramatic fashion. The Vikings’ one bright hope is the fact they remain a frontrunner to procure Andrew Luck in next year’s NFL draft and the Wild? They sure aren’t as good as the North Stars were. Heck, they aren’t as good as older incarnations of the Wild were. Forget Marion Gaborik, this team longs for Richard Park and Cliff Ronning.

Actually, I bet if Cliff Ronning came back he’d be one of the best players on the Wild. Someone get his number.

Minnesota has now missed the playoffs three years running, and ranked 26th last season by scoring only 2.48 goals per-game. The solution for this is obviously the paragon of virtue that is Dany Heatley. I can not see Heatley adding anything to this team since he’s a player that requires a supporting cast to be anywhere close to competent on the ice. I would have no problem calling them the worst team in the West if it weren’t for…

15. Colorado Avalanche

2010-11: 30-44-8, 68 points, fourth in Northwest

The Avalanche just have not had things go their way since their dynasty came to a crashing halt. They are in the process of getting better, but there is really nowhere to go but up in this case. Semyon Varlamov (Washington) looks promising as the Avs goaltender of the future. But the future is a long way away.

On the bright side, if you cheer for a team in the West, I encourage you to see them play the Avs so you can walk away from the rink with a spring in your step and a song in your heart once your team thrashes them.

Postseason

Round 1

• Vancouver (1) def. Columbus (8)
• San Jose (2) def. St. Louis (7)
• Nashville (6) def. Detroit (3)
• LA (4) def. Anaheim (5)

Round 2

• Vancouver (1) def. Nashville (6)
• LA (4) def. San Jose (2)

Round 3

• Vancouver (1) def. LA (4)

Read over the teams again. See anything missing?

There’s no Detroit in that list.

The man who might have “let the cat out of the bag” is Minnesota’s owner Craig Leopold, who, on Minneapolis’s KFAN radio, told the interviewer about the NHL’s supposed realignment that could take affect at the start of the 2012-13 season.

“Our division would include the Winnipeg Jets, us, the Blues, the Nashville Predators, the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and maybe the Columbus Blue Jackets… maybe not depending on if they go east or west. I am all in favor of that. I think that is a grand slam, home run, hat trick for our team.

We’re all Central Division now. All of our teams, except for Columbus, all of our teams will be Central Division. We’ll play less teams in Canada. We will play every team home and away at least one time.”

It has also been widely reported that Detroit would be leaving the Western Conference and joining the Eastern Conference, leaving the ‘Hawks the only Original Six team in the Western Conference.

Of course none of this is actually set in stone, but the tone in which Leopold spoke, and the fact that Detroit management has its “fingers and toes crossed”  for a switch to happen because it would cut travel time and allow them to play more Original Six teams, gives this scenario some credibility.

So, if this does happen, will this be a good or bad thing for the Blackhawks?

My answer would be both yes and no.

First off, the importance of the Detroit/Chicago rivalry would be severely hindered. Logically, it’s a good thing since the ‘Hawks have a career 270-354-84-7 record against the Red Wings, but it would end a tradition that started all the way back to the 1926-27 season. The rivalry is one of, if not the most entertaining and intense rivalry in the NHL, and ending such tradition (at least in the division) doesn’t sit well with a lot of fans.

But, on the other side, it could be a very positive change for the Blackhawks in terms of less competition within their division. There has only been one time in the past 12 years that the Red Wings didn’t find themselves on top of the Central Division, losing the title to the Blackhawks in the 2009-10 season.

If the standings for last season were based on what Leopold said the divisions could be moving forward, then the Central Division standings would have looked like this: Nashville (99 points), Chicago (97 points), Dallas (95 points), St. Louis (87 points), Columbus (81 points), and Winnipeg (80 points).

The ‘Hawks wouldn’t be division leaders, but it’s hard to not suggest that the ‘Hawks would have a better chance to be more successful in the Central Division with these changes. They would have an easier schedule with such a division setup.

Like I said before, nothing is set in stone because the NHL hasn’t officially announced anything yet, but if such a deal like this should be done I think it would benefit the Blackhawks despite losing a much-loved and respected rivalry.

Every team in the NHL Central, except for Detroit, had a deal set in stone before the Monday deadline.

There was not any huge player dealt, but Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, and Columbus all got skaters that they hope will benefit them this season and possibly for seasons to come.

Here are the NHL trade deadline winners and losers for the NHL Central.

Winner: Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are currently fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Recent struggles have made them slip all the way down to 10th, but with the way things are in the Western Conference a team is never too far away from a playoff spot.

To help the cause Nashville traded a first round pick in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012 for Mike Fisher from Ottawa. This was one of the landmark deals of the trade deadline.

Nashville picks up a center who fits right into their playing scheme. He can be a potential 25+ goal scorer while adding 40-50 assists in a season. He has plenty of playoff experience, and that’s what Nashville wanted and now hopes Fisher can bring to the team.

Loser: Chicago Blackhawks 

After many statements by Stan Bowman that he was working non-stop on trying to form a deal, the Blackhawks finally acquired defenseman Chris Campoli.

Campoli isn’t the penalty killing machine the ‘Hawks needed, but he does skate and handle the puck fairly well.

I am thinking that Campoli was the best the ‘Hawks could get given their salary cap and the fact that they didn’t give any player on the NHL roster away. Still, there was a sense of disappointment floating around this trade.

But the recent five game winning streak the ‘Hawks are on have abated any trade deadline disappointment the fans might have had. But a little better depth at the defensive position would’ve been nice.

The ‘Hawks are in the playoff race, and things are finally looking to be headed in the right direction.

Other Additions: Michael Frolik and Alexander Salak

Winner: Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings were not active in the trade market this season, but they did give goaltender Jimmy Howard a two year contract extension worth $2.25 million per season.

Howard has been everything the Red Wings could ask for. He notched his 31st win of the season Monday night, has a 2.82 goals against average, and a .907 save percentage.

There is little to worry about in Detroit when it comes to the Red Wings. They are, once again, part of the elite teams in the NHL this season. Doing nothing was probably better than doing something in this case.

Loser: Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets biggest addition is forward Scottie Upshall. He’s a decent forward that has just recently been given the chance to play a full NHL season.

Columbus really didn’t do anything to better themselves in the near or far future. Being 12th in the Western Conference, and with the chances of making the playoffs very low, the Jackets failed this season at the deadline.

They, like I said earlier, were effected by the lack of sellers and hot prospects at this year’s trade deadline.

The best the Jackets can hope for is a decent late season run. Improving should be their main goal. Their 7-2-1 record the last 10 games has helped them inch closer to a playoff push, but they are still a good ways away. Still, if this keeps up, Columbus could be a team that makes a late push for the eighth seed.

It’s not likely, but keep your eyes open.

Other Additions: Sami Lepisto, Michael Chaput and Greg Moore

Winner: St. Louis Blues

St. Louis built themselves up for the future this trade deadline. They received two draft picks: one second round pick in 2011 and a third round pick in 2012.

Add an impressive young defensman Kevin Shattenkirk and forward Chris Stewart and the Blues have some very talented youngsters.

This was the plan all along. Recent seasons haven’t been kind to the Blues, as they’ve only made the playoffs once since the lockout.

Hopefully, with these new additions, the Blues can finally build the franchise their fans have been hoping would happen for years.

After reading many blogs and websites, even this one, I’ve come to the conclusion that Blackhawks fans don’t really like Marty Turco. His stats aren’t incredible, I’ll give them that, but Turco’s numbers are not a product of him having failed to play well in goal.

The players around him have failed to play good hockey.

Tuesday night’s game is clear evidence of this. Turco faced an uncanny 43 shots, stopping 40 of them. 18 of those shots came in the first period.

Turco was the reason the Blackhawks had ANY chance of winning this game. He was making absolutely crazy saves all game, especially in the first period.

A goaltender can only take a certain amount of shots before some make it past him. The defense has to show up or a goal will ensue, no matter how good the goaltender is.

This was the case Tuesday night.

It didn’t help that the Blackhawks played one of their worst games of the season.

The St. Louis Blues outplayed the Blackhawks in nearly every category. They controlled the puck and disrupted the pass game. It was an embarrassment to watch from a fan’s perspective, and I can only think it as frustrating for the Blackhawks players.

Losing Toews only made the loss feel worse, though that’s not why they lost. The Blackhawks played terrible from the start and never got out of it.

Reports just came in regarding Toews. His injury isn’t serious, and he’ll only miss two weeks with an “upper body injury.”

As for Turco, he gets his third straight start on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. He deserves it.

He also deserves the support and respect of the Blackhawks fans.

There’s no doubt that to be a successful franchise you must never lose sight of young talent. It’s pretty much a staple in today’s sports world.

Hockey is no different.

Young talent can mean the difference between a one-time wonder team and a dynasty. However, it can also be a risky business.

Mess up and fans will not let you forget about your “future star” bust; but if you’re successful, it could mean years of praise.

On that note let us dive into a much closer look at the NHL’s Central Division’s top prospects.

KYLE BEACH

With all the players that Chicago had to get rid of, the Blackhawks are putting a lot of trust onto the newcomers, especially the young ones.

Kyle Beach is one of those young players that can make an immediate impact. 

Beach is a towering power forward who uses brute strength as well as his knack to find the net to be successful. Beach could be a Dustin Byfuglien replacement for the Blackhawks.

Beach has that killer instinct, and he’s not afraid to drop the gloves, the trait that made Big Buff so popular and loved Chicago.

Add a little goal scoring and Beach could become that all-around player that every team wishes for.

Alex Pietrangelo

Our next top prospect comes from the St. Louis Blues. His name: Alex Pietrangelo, a 6’3” defensemen out of King City, Ontario. Chosen in the first round, 4th overall, in the 2008 NHL draft, Pietrangelo brings St. Louis a wide variety of skills.

He uses his size to his advantage, and he is able to stack up against the league’s top forwards, but what’s really intriguing is his mobility and creativity with the puck, an asset that is rare among defensemen.

Also armed with great hockey knowledge and defensive awareness, Pietrangelo is a perfect catch for the St. Louis Blues, a team that is currently thriving on young talent.

Nikita Filatov

Detroit is aging. That’s obvious. With all the injuries last season, many wanted to see Detroit send up some young talent. Detroit has that in Jakub Kindl.

A defensman from the Czech Republic, Kindl has had a hard time adjusting to the more physical NHL, but he has shown enough improvement to feel confident about him being able to deal with that physicality.

He still needs work on his power-play skills, but they can be attributed to the Rangers usually using four forwards on the power play.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

He can handle the puck very well, and skate just as good as most defensemen in the NHL, but Kindl will need another year to get to his full potential.

With the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and the Columbus Blue Jackets, winning the division is never as easy as it might seem.

Each team has some great talent; but with talent also comes problems.

In this Central Division outlook, we’ll look at some of the more pressing offseason issues for each team.

CHICAGO BLACKAHAWKS

It’s not easy being the defending champs. It’s difficult trying to repeat the success you had the year before. The Blackhawks will soon find out how hard it really is.

After losing Adam Burish, Dustin Byfgulien, Kris Versteeg, John Madden, Andrew Ladd, Antti Niemi, Ben Eager, and Colin Fraser during the offseason, it’s safe to bet the problem the Hawks will face will be finding adequate replacements for those players.

Photo by Michael Heiman/Getty Images

New faces on the team can also shake up the chemistry the team had the previous season. With no huge coaching changes though, at least the returning players should have no problem getting along with the coaches.

As for the new faces, players can use this chance to become a role model to the young players, as were the older guys who were on the team when they were young and having their first hack at the NHL.

Another question this season for the Hawks is Marty Turco. More specifically, his performance. Goaltending is, arguably, the most important aspect of a championship team. If you don’t have good goaltending, it’s very unlikely for you to go far in the season.

With no experienced back-up for Turco, the Hawks are gambling a little bit on Turco’s ability to do well this season. It could backfire on them, or it could be genius.

DETROIT RED WINGS

Detroit is the hockey town of the United States. You won’t find more dedicated hockey fans anywhere else in the U.S. And you  better believe Detroit fans were angry to see their rival, the Chicago Blackhawks, claim the Central division title and win the Stanley Cup.

As with every year, the Red Wings are one of the most intimidating teams in the Western Conference.

Detroit is known for their balance on both the offensive and defensive sides. They’re able to score goals on you as if it comes naturally to them.

The Red Wings could easily win the division if their stars stay healthy, a problem that really hurt them last season.

Jimmy Howard is coming off a great year, posting a 2.26 GAA and a .324 save percentage. Howard’s performance this season might be the game changer this season for the Red Wings.

Other than that it’s hard to find a huge gaping problem in the Red Wing team. They are and still will be one of the best teams in the NHL.

COULUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Last season was a season to forget for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

They were second to last place in the Wester Conference with an awful -46 goal differential, second only to Edmonton.

Goaltending is not the problem in Columbus though. Steve Mason is one of the best young goaltenders in the league today. The problem is he has no help around him.

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

A below average offense and defense is not going to win you games in the Central Division, arguably, the toughest division in the Western Conference.

With a new season, hopefully, comes a new outlook for the Blue Jackets.

They can defiantly be a contender. Just look at the 2008-2009 season. A 92 point season and the 7th seed in the playoffs. The Blue Jackets aren’t far off from achieving that again.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Over the years many people  have overlooked the Nashville Predators. For what reason I don’t know, but what I do know is that this team can play.

They aren’t as quick as the Blackhawks nor as offensively potent as the Red Wings, but what the Predators lack in they make up for in intensity.

It’s never an easy game when you’re going against Nashville. The glaring problem they seem to have is defense.

Pekka Rinne is a above average goaltender, with great potential, but the Predators lack a great defense.

While the Predators don’t score as much as other teams in the Western Conference they aren’t without great forwards.

If they could just find that defender that can fill their missing link, the Predators can easily be the number two team in the Central division.

Keep in mind they were only one two points away from tying the Red Wings in total points last season.

ST. LOUIS BLUES

All the pieces are there for a great, young team. It’s just that the pieces don’t seem to fit.

This is what’s troubling the St. Louis Blues, and causing them to be an average team, rather than a great one.

With potentially great young talent, like T.J. Oshie and David Perron, the Blues could be the next Chicago Blackhawks.

It looks like they’re following the a similar path, picking up raw, young talent and putting them in the big show early to help advance and to utilize their talent right away.

Will it be as successful as the Hawks?

The next few season will tell us, but as of right now the Blues have the potential to be the dark horse in the Central Division, potentially stealing second place.

I was wrong. While the Blues fans did have the majority it wasn’t by a lot. There was still plenty of red and white Hawk jerseys all over the arena. When I say plenty I mean at least 40%. It was a great showing, proving how much love and hope the Hawk fans have in their team this year.

Three days after St. Louis came into Chicago and took two points, the Hawks came right back and took two points in St. Louis’s home arena. It was a beautiful game and gift to the many Hawk fans that made the ride down to St. Louis. Hawk fans made their presence known, not without making some dedicated Blues fans mad.

As always the game was intense form beginning to end. But Blues fans were silenced early once the Hawks scored twice in the 1st period. The intensity was amped up by the physicality of the game, yielding to many scruffs after the whistle and three fights.

I can’t help but think that the Hawk fan turnout was a serious advantage for the Hawks. The fans literally made it seem like the Hawks were the home team. Chants of LET’S GO HAWKS!! outshined the chants of LET’S GO BLUES. It was something I had never experienced in any of the road games I have been to.

It just goes to prove that fans do make a difference in games.

It was by far the most physical game Chicago has played this season, but the physical nature of the game didn’t get in the way of the Hawks controlling the game.

In fact it was so physical that Hawk players Cam Barker and Ben Eager were both ejected for game misconducts, and captain Jonathan Toews even dropped the gloves for only the second time of his career.

It was a night of cheap shots and huge checks. Probably the biggest checks of the game was  St Louis’ Mike Weaver’s hit on forward Patrick Sharp. Weaver hit Sharp center ice just as Sharp was looking up after getting control of the puck. The hit sent Sharp crashing to the ice and a retaliation by Cam Barker.

Patrick Kane was the butt of a cheap shot, a clearly evident forearm to the upper chest. No foul was called, but the Hawks knew that they were going to have to get more physical than usual.

No matter how physical the game is or how many hits a team laid on its opponents, all that matters is the score, and the Hawks beat the Blues in that category.

Early on, Blues’ goalie Ty Conklin was having a hard time controlling shots, giving away rebounds that ended up in two Hawk goals in the first period. Conklin looked really bad in the first period but St. Louis’ offense kept them alive tying the game after one period of play.

The physicality of the second period wasn’t even close to that of the first, but instead the Hawks dominated with their better hockey play. The Hawks and Huet shut out the Blues in the second period while scoring two goals themselves, propelling them to a 4-2 lead going into the final period.

Two early goals by Patrick Sharp felt like revenge for the hit he took back in the first, but more importantly in sealed the win for the Hawks, who were leading 6-2. The Blues did score a late power play goal to make it 6-3, but the game was already over.

The game showed that the Hawks were not afraid to drop the gloves and stick up for teammates.

“We stick up for each other,” Quenneville said. “That’s one thing about this team. They will always be together.”

It was a very physical, and a tough game to win, but the Hawks survived the battle and proved their dominance of the Western Conference, adding another two points. They now stand at a 28-10-3 record with 59 points. That’s good enough for second place in the Western Conference, just two points behind San Jose.

The Hawks are playing their best hockey in 27 years, bringing hope and happiness to many dedicated fans. Here come the Hawks!

The Hawks’ next game is Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks.

*-Catch the highlights here.

Just one year ago, goaltender Manny Legace was representing the St. Louis Blues in the NHL All-Star Game.

This year, any of the teams in the NHL can have Legace without having to give up a player or prospect.

Legace was placed on waivers by the Blues on Friday, just two days after his 36^th birthday. Legace’s third season with The Note was filled with sub-par performances. In his most recent outing — on Monday in Detroit against his former team — Legace let in a couple questionable goals before being pulled for Chris Mason. Three of the eight shots he faced found the back of the net before the Blues came back to salvage a point in a shootout loss against the powerhouse Red Wings.

Legace was obviously disappointed to hear the news he was put on waivers. Legace told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “It’s extremely tough. You play your heart out for a team, and the minute you hit a little bit of a rough patch, they dump on you.”

The line on Legace this season: a serviceable 13-9-2 win-loss record, but a shoddy .885 save percentage and a 3.18 goals against average.

Chris Holt has been recalled from Peoria of the American Hockey League to backup Mason in the meantime. If none of the other teams in the league claims Legace, Blues president John Davidson said Legace will be sent down to Peoria so he can get more work.

The Blues had to make a move. Although Mason hasn’t put up big numbers (7-14-3, .915 save percentage, 2.60 GAA), he has been the hotter goaltender of late – he shut out Philadelphia last week at home and has turned back 131 of the last 136 shots he has faced.

Legace could resurface with the Blues if Mason struggles or gets injured. The Blues sent Legace to Peoria to help keep him sharp instead of just pouting on the bench.

Davidson told the Post-Dispatch, “If he goes and plays well, we have to re-visit the whole situation. Manny may think the book’s closed and, well, that’s his business.”

Legace’s struggles put the Blues in a tough spot. They can’t keep putting Legace on the ice with his continued struggles, but sending him to Peoria takes away valuable playing time from prospect Ben Bishop.

With the salary cap in place, teams might not have the room to fit in a goaltender who has a cap number of $2.15 million, so Legace could be ‘Playing in Peoria’ for a while unless he catches fire. The Blues would prefer to see another team take Legace off their hands or to see him regain his ‘A’ game to aid them in their bid for a playoff berth.

Rookie center Patrik Berglund has been everything the Blues’ brass thought he would be and is a candidate to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.

Berglund has amassed 21 points in 27 games, including 11 goals. Also, he’s far and away the team leader in plus/minus at a +11.

With the rash of injuries, the Blues have had to rely on their farm system and the waiver wire. The latter has produced big dividends in the form of B.J. Crombeen, the son of former Blues forward Mike Crombeen.

B.J. Crombeen was claimed off waivers from Dallas and has scored six goals in 16 games.

Further giving Blues fans hope is the recent rankings put out by Hockey’s Future. For the second straight season, the Blues have been tabbed as having the league’s best pool of prospects.

And if the Blues continue to wallow in the depths of the Western Conference, chances are good they can add yet another top shelf prospect in next year’s entry draft.

–Congratulations are in order for Blues forward Keith Tkachuk, who scored career NHL point 1,000 with a goal in the Blues’ 4-2 win at Atlanta on Sunday.

We keep waiting for the 36-year-old Tkachuk to fade into the background and for his days as a top-six forward to come to an end, but “Walt” keeps coming back for more and despite a recent scoring slump, has 16 points in 22 games. He will be a free agent after this season.

Speaking of the Blues, goaltender Chris Mason may be aligning himself for more playing time in the future. Mason got the win on Sunday and has won his last three starts. He has stopped 106 of the last 109 shots he has faced. His goals against average this season is 2.29, compared to Manny Legace’s 3.19.

–Things were looking rosy for the Saint Louis University Billikens when they upset then-ranked Boston College by a 53-50 score at home on Nov. 22. But since then, SLU has dropped a pair of road games at Nebraska (71-57) and Detroit Mercy (62-57). Next up is a date at Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Tuesday. While SIUC’s 2-3 record doesn’t look too glitzy, keep in mind that two of the Salukis’ losses came against Duke and UCLA. Simply put, if SLU wants to put key wins on its resume in order to entertain NCAA Tournament hopes, a triumph in Carbondale is paramount.

–The St. Louis Rams have been just plain offensive on offense this season. The Rams rank dead last in the NFL in touchdowns scored (12) on offense and overall (13). It was more of the same on Sunday in a 16-12 defeat at the hands of Miami. All of the Rams points came off the foot of Josh Brown via field goals. The Male Sheep have gone eight straight quarters without a touchdown.

–Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, who suffered a concussion the week before against Chicago, had a passer rating of 22.2 and threw three interceptions. The Rams picked a bad year to have a bad year — Detroit and Cincinnati seem to have dibs on the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Bulger is clearly on the downside of his career. He was exposed way too much in Mike Martz’s system and the hits are starting to take their toll. Despite already giving big money to Bulger in 2007, the Rams have to draft a quarterback next spring.

–Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel will apparently have a void to fill on his coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Dave Christensen has reportedly accepted the head coaching job at Wyoming. He’s expected to stay on board as the Tigers prepare for Saturday’s Big 12 title game date with Oklahoma in Kansas City.

Who says it can’t be 1991 again?

Future Hall of Famer and free agent forward Brendan Shanahan is available now after hearing from the New York Rangers that they won’t be able to find room for him under the salary cap.

Shanahan would have preferred to stay with the Rangers, but now it appears the left winger will sign elsewhere.

Why not St. Louis? Blues president John Davidson has already contacted Shanahan’s agent, Rick Curran, and expressed interest in obtaining the services of Shanahan, who previously donned the Blue Note from 1991-95. In fact, Blues chairman Dave Checketts contacted Shanahan personally during the summer. So it appears the Blues’ interest is truly genuine.

The Blues definitely have the salary cap room, something a lot of teams can’t boast right now. Many of the expected Stanley Cup contenders are up against the cap and can’t afford to sign the 39-year-old, even at a discounted rate. Chicago and Philadelphia are reportedly interested in Shanahan, though the Flyers are less than $1 million under the cap.

But the sticking point is, do the Blues need Shanahan?

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The Blues entered the 2008-09 season by going the youth movement route. Rookies Patrik Berglund and T.J. Oshie are being counted on to play every night, same with sophomore David Perron, who showed flashes of being a top-six forward by scoring 13 goals in 62 games last season while winger David Backes became a regular last season. Giving a regular shift to a veteran like Shanahan could impede the progression of the young forwards.

The thinking from this corner is as follows: there is always room for a player of the ilk of Shanahan. He can be a stalwart on the Blues’ power play with his quick release from the slot or even along the sideboards. The three-time Stanley Cup winner can set an example for players like Berglund, Oshie and Backes.

Adding Brendan Shanahan, who has 650 career goals, would give the Blues some good insurance. Injuries are always part of the game and with Oshie now being sidelined with a high ankle sprain — an injury that could take weeks to heal — and veteran Paul Kariya back in St. Louis for an MRI, it makes sense to bring him aboard to bolster the forward ranks. And if the Blues fade from playoff contention, having Shanahan as a trading chip at the deadline with much of his salary already paid (assuming the Blues only commit one year to him) could bring back a nice draft pick.

Another benefit to inking Shanahan would undoubtedly mean an increase in ticket sales. There are a lot of fans out there with No. 19 Shanahan sweaters (this writer included) hanging in their closets just waiting to be brought out of mothballs for home games at Scottrade Center.

[tags]st. louis blue, nhl, brendan shanahan[/tags]

Yet no one would have blamed Wamsley if he was thinking that he might be pressed into emergency duty last week when the St. Louis Blues hosted the Florida Panthers.

Wamsley, an assistant coach and goaltender coach for the Blues, watched in the third period as Marek Schwarz became the fourth goaltender to see action for the team this season.

Schwarz helped finish off a 4-0 shutout Saturday for Blues rookie and hometown prospect Ben Bishop (Chaminade High), who limped off with what was termed a “lower body injury.” That vagueness has been a staple of NHL injury reports this season as teams now aren’t required to divulge specifics about player injuries.

Ben Bishop, all 6-foot-7, made his NHL debut a night earlier in a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings when starter Manny Legace suffered a freak injury before he even made it onto the ice. Legace apparently injured his hip when he went to step on carpet that was laid down on the Scottrade Center ice to welcome Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who was on hand to drop the puck for the ceremonial opening faceoff. The carpet gave way and Legace let two goals by in the first period before calling it a night. Check out the video:

The other goaltender to occupy the crease for The Note this year has been Chris Mason, acquired from Nashville during the offseason to back up Legace. In typical freaky Blues fashion, Mason underwent an emergency appendectomy on Oct. 16. The good news is, Mason resumed skating on Monday and is expected to be in goal on Thursday when the Blues play host to Carolina.

Legace and Bishop didn’t practice on Monday, but neither is expected to be out long-term, which is good news for the Blues. The season isn’t even 10 games old and you don’t want to see your organization’s No. 5 netminder seeing live rubber.

The injury bug doesn’t just have prejudice against goalies in St. Louis. The Blues were star-crossed even before the season started when former No. 1 overall draft pick and defenseman Erik Johnson was injured getting out of a golf cart during a team outing at the Lake of the Ozarks before training camp commenced.

The Blues have managed to keep their heads above water despite the tough luck. They are 5-3 and are two points behind Central Division leading Detroit. Helping matters has been an early-season seven-game home stand.

[tags]nhl, st. louis blues, manny legace, sarah palin[/tags]