Blackhawks Division Likely To Change

With the move from Atlanta to Winnipeg, it looks like the NHL divisions will look a little different starting in 2012. According to this article the three most likely teams to move East to make room for the Jets in the West are Detroit, Columbus and Nashville. This make sense as these are the three most eastern West conference teams and they all play in the Eastern Time Zone.

All three of these teams are in the Blackhawks division, so it appears change is on the horizon for them.

The Current Central Division is

Chicago
Columbus
Detroit
Nashville
St Louis

Personally, I think the following scenario makes the most sense. Winnipeg moves from the Southeast to the Northwest (to join with the 3 other Canadian teams in the Western Conference), Minnesota moves from the NW to the Central and Nashville moves from the central to the the Southeast.

Three moves that make geographic sense, and don't mess up too many teams. Saying that, I've already heard rumors that Colorado could be going to the pacific and Dallas could join the central. I hear if Detroit moves East, then the Penguins would move to the southeast. Then you start thinking of the different scenarios and your head hurts.

Bottom line is, the Central will not have the same teams in 2011-12 as they will in the 2012-13 season.

Hawks vs Canucks

So I was browsing the Web and came across this video supporting the Canucks.




While it's a kind of clever video. It did get me pumped for tonight's game (sadly still to far away). I do think we are going to win the series still, the Hawks have lost Game 1 the past two years. To make myself more pumped I started watching more clips

Goal Horn



Last Years Anthem vs Canucks



Best Anthem Ever (All-Star Game while USA was at war in Iraq in the Old Stadium)



CBC Remebers the 2010 Stanley Cup



To Beat Nashville in Game 5

Playoff Trivia: Bulls and Blackhawks

What is the only year in history of Chicago did both the Bulls and Blackhawks make it to the Finals?

Chicago Sports Power Rankings

Our fine city by the Lake has gone through some tough times in the last decade in sports. Without exception, every single team representing the Chi has absolutely stunk at one time or another. The Sox winning it all in 2005 and the Bears' Super Bowl in '06 were high points, but other than that, the mid-2000s were a bit of a struggle for Superfans.

Now that we're in the offseason for the NHL, NBA, and NFL, and in the stretch run for baseball, it's a good time to see which organizations are doing well, and which ones are flailing.

1. Chicago Blackhawks - They just won the Stanley Cup, and have an excellent young group of stars to build around. New management has turned around fanhood with more accessible games on TV, and hey, everyone likes to back a winner. The 'Hawks bandwagon has never been more full.

On the downside, all of the cost-cutting moves this offseason, while necessary, have left something of a bad taste in fan's mouths. Losing Niemi and Byfuglien reminds me of the Sox having to dump Rowand after the World Series. Still, things are looking good for the Blackhawks going forward.

2. Chicago Bulls - Despite losing out on LeBron James and the rest of Miami Thrice, the Bulls have a new coach, lots of fresh blood, and emerging superstars in Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.

Top to bottom, this might be the best roster in the NBA (at worst, it's still Top 10), and Tom Thibodeau knows what to do with good depth. (DEFEND! PRESS!) Also, the Bulls have made the playoffs the last two seasons in a row, and fan support barely even wavered during the crappy years.

I expect the Bulls to be a fast-breaking, fiercely aggressive team this year, a joy to watch even if they don't get to the Finals.

3. Chicago White Sox - Ozzie Guillen is the best coach in Chicago, and with his seven years' experience, the dean of Windy City coaching. He has his team, once again, in position to battle it out down the stretch with the Twins for the AL Central crown.

Is this a dominant team? No, but quality pitching and steady leadership (not just Oz, but also Buehrle, Don Cooper, Paul Konerko) make being a Sox fan easy these days. Also, US Cellular has the best food in town, ballpark-wise.

4. Chicago Bears - No doubt, this is OUR team, the team that every sports fan in Chicago really cares about. So why No. 4? Well, they were 7-9 last year. Lovie Smith is gone if they don't make the playoffs. Key players, like Brian Urlacher and Olin Kreutz, but including many others, are getting old.

This is a make-or-break year for the Bears. Succeed, and reclaim the top spot in Chicago fan's hearts. Fail, and we know we're in for a rough 2010-2020 at Soldier Field.

5. Chicago Cubs - Yes, it warms the cockles of my evil lil' heart putting the Cubs down here. Seriously though, they are overpaid and terrible, and Lou Pinella is on his way out.

On the bright side, Wrigley still fills up for games, Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin look like they'll be good, and new ownership is willing to spend.

6. Chicago Rush - In case you hadn't heard, they just got eliminated from the playoffs. You hadn't? Oh. Right.

7. Chicago Wolves - I'll be honest. I have no clue how the Wolves did this year, or are doing. But I do know they signed Chelios for a minute there, so that counts for something. And they've always been a decent AHL/IHL team.

8. Chicago Fire - Technically they play in Naperville, so that's Strike One. Also, they have a losing record this season and are scuffling in their international league. Strike Two. I'm not ready to give up on the Fire yet, but with solid soccer teams emerging in LA, New York, and even Salt Lake City, it looks as if the Fire may be stuck in reverse.

9. Chicago Sky - We have a WNBA team? Yes, and they stink.

Did I miss anything? Lacrosse? Rugby?

Was This the Best Football Offseason Ever?

I say Yes! Why was it? Was this the best draft class ever? Was it because the Bears got some of the top free agents? How about USC being suspended from post season play? All good reasons to think it was a good offseason, but no. There has not been a lull in sports since the final seconds ticked off the Saints Super Bowl win over the Colts. Think about it, the Super Bowl was played on February 7th, 2010. Let’s take a look at what’s happened since then.

Just five days after the Super Bowl the Winter Olympics began. The Olympics started February 12th and went all the way through the month of February (normally the most boring sports month of the year). Even if you don’t normally get caught up in the Olympics, it was hard not to follow the USA hockey team on it’s way to the Silver Medal. It was even harder to avoid Olympic hockey if you were a Blackhawks fan who send 6 players, all of whom played in the Gold or Bronze medal games. The USA set the record for medals in a Winter games while their neighbors to the north took home the most Gold Medals in a good showing for the host nation.

Best Move of the Stanley Cup Finals So Far

This just makes me smile.

Stanley Cup Game 5 Live Blog

Tonight I will be doing a live blog during the Blackhawks and Flyers Stanley Cup game. The game starts at 7 CST and the post will be updated frequently so please be sure to refresh often. I am already ready, I got my lucky Captain Serious Jersey on, a cold drink in my hand and ready to start hearing a lot of this.







Alright, WE ARE LIVE here at La Casa de Steve! We are a mere 7 miles away from the action tonight. To make sure I officially steal everything about Sports Guy's running diary, I will let you know that I am joined by my own Sports Gal Jamie and my animals Hester and Halas. I am drinking some SoCo and Mt Dew, got two brats soaking in beer waiting to be grilled at the 1st intermission. I will be taking drink suggestions as well as any karamatic suggestions throughout the night so please post them as we go along (assuming anybody out there is actually reading. I will be light on links and photo's from here on out, but will do my best. Go HAWKS!

7:03 - After an interview with Duncan Kieth, Dan Patrick makes the first Ducan Kieth is missing teeth reference of the night. Glad we got that out of the way

7:04 - Eddie O is looking sharp as always. The past two years have really been a coming out party for him. He is a strong announcer and glad he does most hawks games with Foley

7:05 - Bets I'm throwing out there off the top of my head

Over/Under First Goal: First Period
Will Kane Score: Yes


7:06 - Great joke on NBC's Stand Up show. "This Girl goes to me, 'you know if you lost 35 lbs you'd be a really good looking guy' to which I responded 'yeah, and if i did all that i'd be over there talking to your friends over there." Jamie: You going to tell that to me if you ever get skinny.

7:07 - Jamie "I need more wine." Haha good start to the game. We have yet to decide if we will participate in the most unoriginal drinking game every, but everyone seems to do it. Shots for every hawks goal?

7:10 - Jamie "I hate when they get the old guys on the ice pretending to play, this is worse then Ditka and the guys on their fake field. Who gave them ice time for this?" I couldn't have said it better myself.

7:14 - UC is the biggest Stadium in the NHL. Always a fun fact, let's see how loud they turn up the crowd mikes. I still don't think it'll be loud as this.



7:19 - Pierre, the bald guy who just interviewed Toews, is creepy, I haven't found anyone who disagrees.

7:19 - Toews "I told the guys to just go out there and have fun, why put anymore pressure on us then necessary" I like his confidence

7:20 - Good showing for the anthem. Question did they show the anthem at any other venues, or just Chicago because of the cheering tradition?

7:23 - 22,000 strong at the UC, and the Hawks win the opening faceoff

7:24 - New lines today. Coach Q broke up Toews and Kane, something i thought he'd never do, but got to try to do something. I think Kane and Sharp work well together (YEAH USA) hopefully they can get some goals.

7:27 - Jamie "So we have the Mcdonalds break down and the Bud Light Powerplay: Advertisements are over the top uneccesary" welcome to NBC "We lost money on the Olympics, we sure as hell aren't losing money on the Stanley Cup" Sports

7:30 - First Comment! thanks Tim, appreciate the love

7:31 - Powerplay had a couple of good looks, had good patience, but no avail.

7:32 - Hawks chances 9 Flyers 0. Good start to the game

7:33 - Sharp has a great shot stopped. The Kane Sharp Kopesky line has looked good so far.

7:36 - Almost done with my SoCo and Mt Dew. Should I change it up? Any Karma ramifications?

7:37 - First Eff bomb on dumb penalty. I hate powerplays, bad for the heart. Hawks led NHL reg season and playoffs in shorthanded goals, so there's some hope. Good look by Philly, but the Hawks were able to clear and and waste about 30 seconds in the Philly zone

7:40 - Hawks kill the Powerplay with Steve yelling "Tripping" and the refs agree. Hawks will be on the powerplay. Jamie on him "I hate him, his red hair, his red beard, there is nothing at all to like about him." Steve "what's his name" Jamie "Gimlley"

7:45 - Great pass from Versteeg to Seabrook and...........GOOOOAAALL!!



7:46 - From the Comments found out that Jordan's there. How did I miss seeing him on the TV. Glad to see him there, I mean, it is the house that he built. I had my celebrity fan column a few weeks ago, and really, he is Chicago's most famous fan. Glad to see him there. I wonder how he feels about the Toews jersey on his statue outside?

7:49 - I hate Crosby. Just had to say it. But speaking of him. We know that Crosby was the youngest Captain in NHL history and that Toews was the third youngest ever, but is the current youngest. If the Hawks win, will Toews be younger then Crosby was last year?

7:51 - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! Jamie "So much for the Delayed penalty huh!" Bolland off the goalies skate, wasn't pretty but I'll take it.

7:52 - Worst line of the night

Dan Patrick: "It's getting madder in the Madhouse on Madison"

or

Doc: "Eager was getting more eager on that"

7:53 - Welcome Derrick! Bringing the goals along with your comments!

7:54 - STEEGER!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAALLL!! He's the MVP of the game right now! Madhouse going crazy, This is what the Hawks needed to do tonight.

7:55 - Jamie, "What are the words to Chelsea Dagger besides Da Da Da Da?" They really aren't that exciting


Well you must be a girl with shoes like that
She said you know me well
I seen you and little Steven and Joanna
Round the back of my hotel oh yeah

Someone said you was asking after me
But I know you best as a blagger
I said tell me your name is it sweet?
She said my boy it's dagger oh yeah

I was good she was hot
Stealin' everything she got
I was bold she was over the worst of it
Gave me gear thank you dear bring yer sister over here
Let her dance with me just for the hell of it

and you only get that far in the UC very rarely

7:57 - Couldn't have scripted the first period any better if I wanted to. Three goals from three different players, solid defense all around with only two or three really close opportunities for the Flyers taking the pressure off Nemei. For Karmatic reasons, I might have to keep blogging through all of this game and even game 6. Sadly, I am out of Mt Dew so if we start playing bad, blame the fact that I am changing drinks.

7:58 - Taking a quick break for intermission, be back in a few.

8:20 - A few cleanup items. The Crosby comment was inspired by his awful commercial. I agree with Tim and Fodor that Jordan took the jersey off the statue and is now wearing it. I'd like to thank Derek for taking time off his busy skiing trip to find time to watch the game and an internet connection to chat on ACSS.

8:21 - Philly has pulled their goalie. Don't blame them, got to make a move.

8:22 - I was still finishing grilling and not blogging when Philly scored, I blame myself and only myself

8:23 - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAL!!!!!! Great rush by the hawks, and a beautiful pass from Ladd after being stopped and props to Kane to finishing it. Clearly the Karma gods want me blogging while the action is going on.

8:24 - I won both my bets tonight! Not that anyone took me up on my offers, but still, I RULE!

8:27 - Flyers goal. Dannie Brierre puts it in. Ugh, then Eddie O compares him to the Wayne Gretzky and Mario Liemux. Brierre should never be mentioned with two of the top five players ever. Eddie I take back my early complement

8:32 - Buff just destroyed Pronger! More replays please. That was awesome!

8:34 - Hartnell "Gimmley" throws an elbow to the back of Kopeski's head. He's a goon we all know it. Let's send big buff his way

8:35 - PP is looking good, but need to get more shots on net


8:37 - I think that's a bad call, sure maybe he held on to long, but the reason the puck was "thrown" was cuase he was hit from behind. Still, don't want to be in that situation

8:38 - HUGE SAVE BY NEMI!!!! Richards really should have scored there. Great pass from Gagne

8:40 - A terrifying Penalty kill if i have to say so myself!

8:41 - Toews lays out Hartwell, then starts a 2-1 but couldn't finish it. That would have been a huge insurance goal.

8:43 - Commercials! Yay! Inception is the only orginal movie idea this summer, everything else is a remake or a sequel. Hollywood's one job is to be creative, and this is the best they can do?

8:43 - So while we are at this break, what's everybody drinking?

8:45 - Boucher with a big save, no Hawks around for the rebound, and then Hossa hits the post, it's not a question of if the Hawks score again, but when? I see another 3 goals at least in this game.

8:46 - Kane tries to do too much with the puck (One of the reasons Q likes playing on the road, he thinks his players don't try to be as fancy with the crowd against him) takes a nice spin, and loses the puck, but the play does end with Pronger in the penalty box for only the second time this series. I guess I can't complain too much. Let's get some shots on net this powerplay.

8:48 - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLL!!!!!!!!!!!! Every Hawk on the ice touches the puck on the power play with Dustin Buff putting it home!!! That was beautiful, and how a powerplay should be run.


8:51 - Tim thanks for the help with that goal

8:52 - I am still not a huge fan of Campbell's giant contract, but he has played excellent this post season since coming back from the AO cheap shot

I think last year Campbell was trying to do too much and live up to his giant contract. This year he has settled into his role, and has worked well teaming with Hjassereljakfjdaklfjadklfjsklsafkldjsflkson (Can you spell that name). Now that I said these nice thing, watch him trip over his own two feet again like last year against Detroit.

8:55 - Versteeg waited way too long, agree with Doc and Eddie, way to fancy. At that point, don't even shoot, pass the puck.

8:56 - Hawks looked a lot sloppier in the 2nd then they did in the first, but they leave with the same lead. Nemi made a big save and the Hawks have looked good since then

Buff's stats line: 1 goal, 2 assists and 5 hits, maybe he's my new MVP.

Alright, another quick break, I promise i'll be back before the start of the 3rd.

9:06 - Dan Patrick on an overhead blimp shot of the Chicago River. "They dye the river green on St Patrick's day, and you can be sure if the Hawks win they will dye it red." Jamie "With the BLOOD OF THE FLYERS!" Wow

9:16 - Back before the start this time

9:18 - BTW, if you want to be lame and follow the Simmons, he's doing a live blog for the NBA Finals he's trying to steal hits from me, that copy cat!

9:21 - Fodor wanted me to look up faceoff percentages. Hawks were 3rd in the NHL at 52.4% and Philly was 13th just over 50% at 50.1%

9:24 - Fodor text, "According to the radio color guy, Kopesky has thick and powerful thighs. that was awkward"

9:25 - Big goal for the Flyers. They are now within striking distance down two. I wouldn't say i'm worried yet, but concerned would be appropriate. Hawks need an insurance goal. (My 3 more goal prediction would also come true)

9:28 - I agree with Tim's comments about Kane being a Sabers fan. Do you think Nemi could name three hawks players before he came over from Finland? Probably not, but he's a big Hawks fan now.

9:30 - Here's another good bet, who will end the series with more ice time, Pronger or Keith? Both are right about 30 minutes a game.

9:32 - Just realized I have listed every goal, but haven't given an actual score update all post. So here's the reset, Flyers 3 Hawks 5 with 10:03 to play.

9:33 - Brierre is bleeding profusely. Always a fun sentence. I wonder if Brierre will bleed as much as Gretzky since you know they are practically the same person.



9:37 - This is a huge penalty kill for the Hawks.

9:40 - That was pretty, good job Hawks, as Doc said, "Only one shot and it was a weak one"

9:43 - I was sooo frustrated with Big Buff all regular season, but I love the insight we just got. He told a teammate to dump the puck in deep just so he could check Pronger. Nice

9:45 - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAALLL!! That was a huge insurance goal by Sharp. Sharp has been playing well all night and finally gets to find the back of the net for his efforts


Flyers 3 Hawks 6

9:48 - Well that was short lived, Flyers score and bring it close

Flyers 4 Hawks 6

9:50 - Flyers pull the Goalie with lots of time left, Versteeg makes a good play, centers it and Buff puts it in from center ice, back up 3 with 2 to play

Flyers 4 Hawks 7

9:52 First team to reach 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals in a decade, The UC is rocking, this was a huge win and a great performance by the Hawks! Big Big Big game for the Hawks. Also, awful jacket being worn by Stan Mikta, just awful

Some final thoughts. I like Tim's stat about Pronger being on the for 6 of Chicago's 7 goals.

The Hawks looked like the better team for most the night, which is how it should be. They need to come out strong in the first period of game 6, take the momentum away from the Philly crowd, cause I know I do not want the series coming back to Chicago.

Big Buff was the 1st star of the game, which is right in my book.

I went three for three tonight on my bets/predictions. Sadly nobody wanted to bet against me so I am no richer for my amazing predicting ability

Live Blog Final Thoughts:

The live blog is a little intense, I don't get to watch the game as closely since i'm constantly looking down at my computer and typing, but it was a lot of fun. The karma gods liked it so maybe i'll bust this out again on Wed. That is assuming that is what the readers want. I know Fodor is going to be pissed with my record setting comments performance after being basically out for a month but this type of column and event encourages it.

Any suggestions on how to make it better. More random thoughts, less random thoughts? More links/videos, less links videos. Any suggestions are appreciated.

I'll put a post up Tuesday with my live blogging decision.

I Finally Found a Reason to Watch Hockey!

As a Chicagoan, it has been my duty to root for the Blackhawks through this great playoff run of theirs, but I gotta admit, hockey still just isn't my game.

It ranks comfortably behind basketball, football, baseball, and soccer on my list of personal favorites. Dodgeball would leapfrog it as well, if there were a professional dodgeball league, but then I wouldn't be stuck doing this for a living now, would I?

Anyway, thanks to the thorough douchiness of Chris Pronger (man, that's an easy guy to dislike! See his "bush league" puck stealing for exhibits A and B.), I started exploring the wonderful world of hockey fights today. My last experience with hockey fights was probably in NHL '95 for the Nintendo 64, where it involved a health bar and wannabe Street Fighter action. Good times.

Allow me to direct you, via the mysterious rabbit hole of YouTube, to one of my new favorite sites:

www.hockeyfights.com

It's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Only more so. There's a page specific to every team and every player, and even a 'top 25 fights of 2009-2010' section.

Blackhawks Fights

This one is probably the best, starring Adam Burish and Derek Dorsett (it rated a 6.8):



And, what's that you say? You'd like to see Flyers captain Mike Richards get his a** handed to him? Okay!



It's not that I love violence, but hockey is the only sport I can think of where the game happily transforms from one thing (hockey) to quite another (amateur boxing/flailing) and nobody minds. Can you imagine this happening in football? Somebody would die within a week! They sure as hell wouldn't be putting up a Tale of the Tape as the helmets dropped.

So yeah, go Hawks. And if somebody decides to take on Pronger, I wish them the best. Paging Dustin Byfuglien...

EDIT: Deadspin is on it. Ohhhh yes.

Best Chicago Fight Song! Poll

I haven't posted in awhile but I was listening to the Bears fight song and this got me thinking, "What do other people think is the best fight song in Chicago?" Well let's find out. Rank your favorite fight song in order of 1-5 from best to worse. (Note there has been some discrepancy with my choice for the Bulls [Jamie] so if you can come up with a better song then my choice, let me know.


Chicago Bears





Chicago Blackhawks





Chicago Bulls





Chicago Cubs





Chicago White Sox

Sports and Hollywood: Chicago Sports most Famous Fans

While watching Hollywood congratulate themselves last night during the Academy Awards my mind started drifting towards sports, as it usually does. When Demi Moore walked on stage, one of the first things I thought of was her and Ashton Kutcher going to Bears game. This thought then lead me down the path of, who is the most famous fan for each team in Chicago (I’ll throw in IU too, if Ryan wants to add Illinois, Fodor NU etc.)

Chicago White Sox



I’ll start off with the easiest team first. The White Sox most famous fan is the First fan, President Barak Obama. After Bernie Mac died, the void for famous fan was quickly filled by President Obama. On the campaign trail, when asked about Cubs or Sox, he didn’t give a political answer, he gave the typical White Sox answer of, People on the south side watch the game, northsiders go to have a good time. When he threw out the first pitch of the 2009 All-Star game, guess what jersey he was wearing, yup White Sox. Other famous White Sox fans: Simpson Creator Matt Groening

Chicago Cubs

As you all know, I am not a Cubs fan, so I could be way off on this. The Cubs most famous fan is, Bill Murray. Bill Murray regularly attends games, and occasionally watches them from the bleachers. I have him beating out John Cusack because of clips like the SNL debate where Bill Murray asked that candidates how they will prevent the Cubs from losing again. Other famous Cubs fans: Vince Vaughn, Ferris Buehler,




Chicago Bears

I believe Ashton Kutcher is the most famous Bears fan. He can be seen at multiple games a year with Demi. He wears his Bears hat around Hollywood and even to Lakers
games that he attends. I’ve heard him on national Sports shows, where all he will talk about his entire segment is Bears and not about a movie he is trying to pitch. Other famous fans: Demi Moore, but more because of Ashton. Vince Vaughn, Jim Belushi (is that a good thing?)




Chicago Blackhawks




This was a tough one, but in the end I went with Vince Vaughn. He is probably Chicago sport’s most famous fan right now, because he seems to attend more games then everyone else. He has been seen at multiple Blackhawks games, we already knows He likes hockey (link).

Chicago Bulls

Even though he’s not around as much anymore it’s has to be Michael Jordan. Since he is a GM/Owner of another team, he might lose this status. But anytime Michael was in attendance at any game, it was a story. The TV camera’s stay on him as much as the action on the court. He is a larger the life person in Chicago.

IU

Has to be John Cougar Mellencamp. We all know the story, he grew up in a nearby town of Seyborn, and started playing at the Bluebird before he made it big. He still regularly attends games which always gets applause from the crowd. Other famous fans: Mark Cuban, Doc Rivers, Stephen Noffke, Mark Fodor

U of I

I’m going to throw My U of I pick out there too. I say MJ, but I only saw him once at that was at the Maui Invitational and we are still unsure if he was there to see his son, or if he happened to be playing golf there while his son was playing. I do find it funny that MJ, Bobcats GM, is too busy to come to Illini games, while Doc Rivers is coaching the Celtics and has showed up to so many games that I got sick of the, Did you know Jeremiah is Doc’s son? Storylines. Other Illinois fans, Hugh Hefner, but he doesn’t come back to Chicago/Illinois often if ever. He does have other distractions so I think it’s ok.


I’m sure I missed tons of fans, and probably a big name or two, but weigh in with your thoughts below.

NHL Trade Deadline

So the NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone with the Blackhawks only making so small moves. They traded for defensmen Kim Johnsson before the olympic break, and aquired Nick Boynton last night. Don't know much about Boynton, but he was assigned to the Hawks minor league affiliate. Johnsson has been decent in the 3 games he has played for the Hawks so far. He has been described as a big minutes D guy which is good because he can help with taking some minutes from Keith and Seabrook and keep them fresh for the playoffs.

What is most dissapointing about this deadline is that they didnt really do much to help out their goalie situation. Huet lets get his head get in the way and I believe the Niemi is showing that he might not be ready to take on the work load of a number 1 goalie just yet. The Blackhawks were rumored to be looking to aquiring various goaltenders, but not sure if they werent looking or couldnt get anything done. So the Hawks will be going into the playoffs with Huet and Niemi as their goalies and one of them will have to stand out for the Hawks to have a chance at the cup but its not impossible. We will just have to wait and see.

Here Come the Hawks

About a week ago Noffke asked me to write a Blackhawks post, so I decided to end my vacation from the golf season early (Hey Noffke the Masters is coming up soon). With the NHL season just a bit over a quarter of the way done, we are beginning to see the identity of each team.

The Blackhawks are on a tear right now. They are riding a 7 game winning streak going into tonight’s game in San Jose. The Hawks are half way through their circus trip and are perfect so far. They enter tonight’s game with a record of 15-5-2 with 32 points, 4 points behind the sharks in the Western Conference. Marion Hossa is set to make his Blackhawks and season debut tonight.

The Blackhawks big 3 (Towes, Kane, and Keith) are set to get extensions that I have been hearing are close to being done but have to work out some cap issues, i.e. trade someone first. With that news out of the way here is what I think about the Blackhawks so far.

Goalies:

Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi have been solid, but I’m still not sold on them yet. Huet has played better his last few games. Well better is an understatement, he has played exceptional. After the rocky start to the season many were calling for Huet's head and were ready to appoint Niemi as the number 1.

The problem with Huet if you watch is he goes down so early that it leaves the top corners open. If players wait a bit longer with their shot they would be able to put the puck right where Grandma keeps the peanut butter. Huet has been doing better with this recently, but whether or not he can play like this all season I’m not sure yet.

Niemi has played well as the number 2. He got the shutout Sunday night in Vancouver and has some other good games. Niemi though is still a number 2 as of right now. Can he be a number 1? Yeah, he might be able to one day, but to think he can be the number 1 now is asking too much. He is still a rookie and don’t know is can handle the game load of a number 1 goalie let alone a playoff just yet.

Defense:

Part of the reason the goalies have played well is because they have the defense in front of them. Keith and Seabrook have become top blue liners in the league. There are some who think they could be starting for team Canada in the Olympics this February.

As for the others, Nikolas Hjalmarsson has become a decent defenseman for the Hawks. Cam Barker and Brian Campbell are more offensive defenseman with Barker being a sniper and Campbell being able to move the puck up the ice. These two aren’t the best defenseman, but they are still good enough to make this a solid defense group for the Hawks.

Offense:

With the return of Marion Hossa tonight he will only add to an offense that already has no trouble scoring (like the massacre they put on Calgary last Thursday). Hossa could join the line of Toews and Kane which could already make a talented first line even better.

Speaking of Toews, it is blatantly obvious how much he means to this team. With him out of the lineup with a concussion a couple of weeks ago we saw the Hawks offense struggle more often than not. They still scored but not as much as they were. After Toews returned they went on this current 7 win streak.

Kane is an electric playmaker that has good hands. My friend and I always comment on how well he moves the puck and you can notice it more in shutouts. The Hawks offense also includes Kris Versteeg, Patrick Sharp, and Big Dustin Byfuglien. This core group on the offense provides the Hawks with enough scoring.

Overall I think the Hawks are one of the better teams in the West and maybe even the league. They are playing the best hockey right now and I see them making a deep run in the playoffs. It’s still early, but this is a solid team stocked with talent.

Since everyone will be going out tonight since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, watch the Hawks. It will be an exciting game tonight. Most of you will be at a bar anyways, so it will most likely be on already. The Blackhawks are really the only positive thing in Chicago sports these days.

Growing up with...The Blackhawks?

Over the years, one sport that has moved in and out of the spotlight is hockey. That could be because of lockout or lack of interest, or maybe just a combination of both. Either way, the light is back and brighter than ever in the Windy City.

We've read about it all year, the young talent and now the success of a team. So as I sit here at my computer after a 5-2 game 1 loss to the rival Red Wings, it has me thinking about a franchise and how far they have come...in this fan's eyes.

I went to my first Blackhawks game in 1996. I can't really remember the exact date without looking, my ticket stubs are scattered around my room. However, I did find the one from my first Bears game...November 24th, 1996, a 31-14 win over the Lions (No doubt it was a Dave Krieg gem under center).

Enough basking in mid-90's Bears glory, the moments are few and far between. My first Hawks game was against the Hartford Whalers. As an 11 year old, it didn't get any better than box seats, whatever food I wanted, and a 4-3 win. What did I know about professional hockey? The closest I had ever been to a Blackhawks player was when I was at a Dodge Dealership in Downers Grove earlier that year. Eddie Belfour (pictured) drove up in his Viper, bought a truck and left.

After that season, I drifted as a Hawks fan. With few games being televised until this year, there wasn't much exposure. Sure they were my favorite hockey team, but their last Conference title was in the 91-92 season. Their last Stanley Cup title, 1961. Continuing in the mid-90's, it's quite possible that sports fans in Chicago didn't even know we still had a hockey team, and thought the Bulls were the only team that played at the United Center. Rightfully so, as they won championship after championship. After the transformation of the past few years, the Hawks are at the forefront, the perfect mix of young talent and tradition.

You could call many of the fans bandwagon, but there is nothing wrong with that. Its not the hot and cold choice between Cubs and Sox. The Hawks are something the city can agree on and embrace. I recently went to my 2nd Hawks game ever. Round 1, game 5 with Jamie and Steve no less. A Hawks win, but an atmosphere like nothing I had ever experienced. The tradition of cheering during the national anthem began in 1985. As you stand there, you get goosebumps and feel the biggest sense of pride for a country, for a team, and for all the fans there cheering alongside.

The puck drops and there is an electricity flowing throughout the entirety of the game. That game went so well I went to Game 6 against the Canucks. Back and forth the teams went, the building was booming even more than the series before. With a Patrick Kane hat trick, the game and series were clinched. Fittingly, it was the young talent equalling the tradition of a franchise in a game Hawks fans will not soon forget.

The “One Goal” mantra applies to the team and the city, whatever goal they are promoting, we all know the ultimate goal is hoisting the Cup. They have a chance to end the drought, a drought twice as old as many of their players. I know this fan is ready, and the push continues tomorrow night in Detroit.

Bloomington: Summer Superstar Convention

So Noffke and Jamie came down this weekend (yes, they brought their flippy floppys) for a whole bunch of grilling and bartime socializing. How can I make this somehow sports related? Well...

We watched the Sox choke away a game at Yogis with Ninja Bartending Master Glass. And then, as soon as the South Siders lost, 2-1 to Toronto, my fantasy team Cub Kevin Gregg gave up four runs in the ninth to blow the save, followed by the Cubs scoring a run in the bottom of the frame. And no, Gregg didn't get the vulture win, because he didn't even manage to get an out. (Gregg is quoted in the Tribune saying "I think I could have hit myself today.") The Double Baggers just took their first head-to-head loss of the year in my Yahoo!Random League. Utley, Pena, and Wells all decided to slump at the same time as Danks and Chris Young (dropped for Barry Zito)... then Gregg got lit up too. Ouch. On the bright side, I'm goanna win K's every week.

Anyway. Other sporting events of the weekend–we got in three games of darts at Upstairs. I'm not going to gloat too much about the outcome other than to say I will be joining the semi-pro dart playing ranks as of tomorrow. However, Noffke did give me ten-to-one odds on hitting a triple 20.

I am one dollar poorer. Damn.

But yeah, great weekend, except that the Sox really need to pick it up. 15-19? Ouch. I mean, the AL Central is by no means out of reach but it's time to get another starter- yeah, Colon pitched a good 5+ innings today but he can't go any deeper than that- so come on, Kenny Williams.

Hawks-Wings Game One is tomorrow at 3. I'm thinking this is going to be a great series for not only hardcore hockey fans, but also the sport as a whole.

Hawks/Canucks: The Kids Vs. Some More Canadia (e) ns

So you thought the Blackhawks/Flames series was rough and tumble? The Blackhawks/Canucks series should see the intensity taken up a notch. The Blackhawks and Canucks had a good ol' fashion line brawl (complete with hair pulling) in their final game of the regular season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCCR0PcT4_E

You wouldn’t even see hair pulling in the NBA, and that is saying something. I have been to tea parties (don’t ask) that are more physical (please do ask…women fighting women) than what takes place in NBA games. Don’t be mistaken by Burrows' hair pulling and the Sedin sisters presence; these Canucks are a rough group who have no problem mixing it up. Let’s get to match ups (from a Chicago perspective):

Blackhawk Forwards vs. Vancouver D:
The Blackhawks forwards were surprisingly physical in the first round series against the Canucks, but their strength remains their speed and skill. The St. Louis Blues were unable to make Vancouver pay on the power play in the first round this is one of the few keys to the series. The Blackhawks must continue to convert on the power play on a high clip. This is easier said then done when Roberto Luongo is staring you down like an Irishman eyeing the drink (I love the drink…yes THE DRINK). The line of Byfuglien, Pahlsson, and Versteeg (amazing only one Euro on that line; someone named Kris Versteeg should not be from western Canada) was arguably the Blackhawks most effective in the first round. This is where the Blackhawks have a distinct advantage over the Canucks: Scoring depth. The Blackhawks three lines must be able to consistently put pressure and create traffic in front of Luongo. The fourth line (Burish is such a sob…its great) must continue to play the irritating role they played to perfection.

Blackhawks D vs. Vancouver Forwards:
Can we have a moment of silence in honor of Brent Seabrook? What a f***ing series. He was my MVP for the first round as he played a shut d own role alongside Duncan Keith. They compliment each other so well and have started chatter about being a pair for Team Canada at next years Olympics. The Canucks will rely heavily on the Sedin sisters to carry the load, who surprisingly didn’t crumple like a deck of cards in the first round, and it will be up to Seabrook and Keith to mimic their success against the Iginla line in the first round. The mobile Hawks defensemen should present problems for Vancouver. Cam Barker and Brian Campbell (boo!!! If you love him just wait to see how his contract screws the cap next summer with Toews, Kane, and Keith set to be restricted/unrestricted free agents) must be strong in transition and provide offense from the point.

I really don’t feel like talking about how great Luongo is…so I won’t. The key to beating him will be traffic and getting pucks to the net (same as with every goalie). If he can see it he will stop it, he is the best goalie in the league (ok I lied, I had to say something about his greatness). The Blackhawks cannot fall into their tendency of trying to make the pretty play and instead must hammer the net.

Prediction time: This series is going to be a battle. The young and “inexperienced” Blackhawks proved to the hockey world they can not only stand up to a physical assault, but dish out some punishment of their own (Remember Bourque? Yea I don’t either after Burish broke his stick over him). The resiliency they showed in round 1 will lead them to ultimate victory in the series. Blackhawks in 7 (game 7 will be referred to as 'the apocalypse').

Oh and Khabibulin rocks….just not normally against the Canucks…let us never speak of that again.

Game Four Preview: Tonight We Dine in Hell

The fuse has been lit. After three games the Blackhawks-Flame(rs) series is set to explode. After numerous post whistle attacks on ‘Hawks forwards, the breaking point was reached in the form of Adam Burish breaking his stick on Rene Bourque.

Mike Keenan used this incident to once again play the media to his advantage, crying that Burish broke his stick over Bourque’s face, but he actually broke it over his shoulder. Keenan then whined to the media about the trash talking directed at Calgary captain Jarome Iginla, where he subtly let the media know (unprovoked) that race was not involved in the verbal assaults. This is classic Keenan stirring the pot.

Game 4 (4/22 at 8 pm CST) has the makings of being the most physical game of the series. The Blackhawks know they are on the cusp of a 3-1 chokehold while the Flames realize they are 60 minutes from a tied playoff series. The key for the Blackhawks will be walking the fine line of standing their ground while not letting the game devolve into a bar room fight with the more playoff savvy/veteran Flames.

Just as they did at the beginning of game 3, after Olli “oldest playoff virgin” Jokinen ran Niklas Hjalmarsson (who in this blog going forward will be known as 'Ham-sandwich') they must make the Flames pay on the power play for their ill advised penalties. I expect the referees to dish out penalties for the first couple of post-whistle skirmishes to try and rein in some of the expected violence. The game will hinge on how the referees look to call it and how badly both teams want to send a message.

A fast start by Chicago is imperative to take some wind out of the sails of the Saddledome. Both teams will come out flying, looking to pound the other into submission. The series is quickly mirroring the Philly/Pittsburgh or Ducks/Sharks matchups in terms of intensity and animosity. Patrick Kane on the power play half boards should give the Blackhawks an extra boost with the man advantage.

I look for the Blackhawks to stand their ground but maintain discipline, and execute with 2 PP goals to walk out of Calgary with a hard fought 3-2 win for a 3-1 series lead.

Slainte,

Colin O’Shea

Blackhawks Playoff Preview

[Editor's Note: We have a special guest writer writing our Blackhawks Playoff Preview. Colin O'Shea. Colin is attending tonight's game and might be posting again tomorrow talking about the atmosphere of the UC.]

You say you’re a tried and tested Blackhawks fan? Does the thought of Theo Fleury getting beat up in a Columbus strip club keep you up at night? Were you willing to pay for Alexander Karpotsev’s plane ticket out of town? With the Blackhawks leading the NHL in attendance this year, “die hard” and “life long” fans started filling up the UC again. Well to you Hawks fans who stuck through the likes of Alpo (not the dog food) Suhonen, the promise of Mikhail Yakubov, and the charmin-like softness of Sergei Berezin (still convinced he was scared of his own shadow making contact with him) I say we welcome back the returning fans back with open arms. They simply were not sadistic enough to torture themselves as the Blackhawks faded into obscurity.

Many of the dormant fans might take a look at the Calgary organization and see some familiar faces. They are guided behind the bench by Mike Keenan (last seen tormenting goalies on the way to coaching the Blackhawks to the 1992 Stanley Cup finals), former Blackhawk captain and Coach Darryl Sutter is the team’s general manager (Adrian Aucoin, or Au-groin as he is known in some parts, was a captain of the Blackhawks in name only). A few other Blackhawk pylons (really Rene Bourque? 21 goals??) litter the Flames line up. Enough with the past though….

The Blackhawks current line up no longer represents an AHL team, but rather a balanced line up with three lines that can score and a 4th that can play an irritating role on the ice. If Sharp makes it back for game 1 it will be a huge boost to the Blackhawks line up, but the key to the forwards will be the third line of Sammy Phalsson (I still love you Wisniewski), Dustin Byfuglien, and Andrew Ladd. They will be drawing the assignment to shut down the Bourque-Jokinen-Iginla line (Really Bourque? Really?). Phalsson was acquired from Anaheim for this exact purpose. He was a key member in Anaheim’s capturing of the Stanley Cup and continually drew the assignment of shutting down the opponents top scoring threats.

This line contains two of the three Blackhawks who have hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup (Ladd and Phalsson…you really didn’t think Byfuglien won a cup, did you? I would bet a lot of money that he would eat out of the cup on his day with it); they know the sacrifice that is needed to reach the promised land (yea, in my world the promised land is skating on frozen water with a giant silver cup).

The key to the defense, especially in the first two games when Coach Q can dictate match ups, will be Keith and Seabrook lining up against the Iginla line. This is so obvious I feel stupid telling you. I apologize.

One of the most important aspects of this series is how quickly the Blackhawks can transition the puck out of their zone to avoid the punishing forecheck the Flames are sure to employ. It is going to be key for Keith and Campbell (please no spin-o-ramas) to start the Hawks transition game while avoiding the punishment the Calgary forwards are going to be looking to deliver.

The Blackhawks have the speed and skill to burn (no pun intended) the Flames the entire series. The Calgary game plan is going to be to punish the Hawks all over the ice. The Hawks must make the Flames pay for their penalties. I imagine the Flames becoming irritated with the Hawks speed and skill and taking either lazy penalties (hooking) or a fair share of roughing penalties as they attempt to “intimidate” the young Hawks. The key will be knowing when to stand your ground and when to let Calgary parade itself to the sin bin.

And let’s not forget we do have a certain goalie who has won a ring (beating these Flames in the finals) and posts a career regular season record of 25-8-7 against them. The media loves to trumpet how young these Blackhawks are, but they have a wealth of experience in the most important position in the playoffs.

Things to watch:
-TUNE IN EARLY FOR THE ANTHEM...it will be televised….
-How Toews and Kane handle the playoff pressure.
-Calgary’s terrible Power Play. This should be good for a laugh.
-How big of a target does Patrick Kane have on his back?
-How many heart attacks will Mike Keenan have as a result of officiating?
-How overrated is Dion Phaneuf?

My prediction: Hawks in 5. Flames win game 3 in their return to Calgary.

I am going to game one and will follow up with my post game reaction.

Slainte,

Colin O’Shea

Hurricanes at Blackhawks 7:30 CST

I'm off to the see the Hawks again tonight. I will be rocking my Toews jersey again but i will be in the 3rd level 4th row up. Should be a good game. I'll give a full recap tonight or tomorrow.
Lets Go HAWKS!

Here Come the Hawks!

Just got two tickets (Section 217 Row 4) to the Blackhawks vs Ducks game tonight. I will have a full recap of the sights and sounds of the game tonight or tomorrow. GO HAWKS!

UPDATE!!!

The Hawks game was phenomenal last night. Whole night was just great. I started out at a happy hour at Cactus Bar and Grill in the Loop. (Having one of the coolest web addresses around www.dontdrinkandtrade.com and yes it’s right by the board of trade). Great deal 5 dollar pitchers of Miller, Blue Moon and St. Pauli Girl. Bulls game came on around 6. Just looked depressing, no effort by either team and the stadium looked maybe 1/6 full.

After enjoying few pitchers, Jamie picked me up and we drove to the stadium. I threw on my Toews jersey which made its inaugural trip to the Untied Center (Jamie had hers on as well so we were twins, how cute I know) We walked in the stadium while they were singing the national anthem. I was a little bummed cause that is one of my favorite parts of the Hawks game and a really cool tradition. We grabbed some food and drinks and got to our seats. We missed about 3 minutes of action, but the Blackhawks scored in the 1st minute. That was a bummer.

Our seats were literally next to the cameras. We were just to the left of center ice in the 200 level. Best thing about 200 level is they bring food and drinks to you. So I opened a tab and got some beer. I did laugh that I was paying 6 something for a cup of Miller Lite in the United Center when not an hour earlier I was paying 5 for a pitcher. Our server was a real nice guy and I noticed he was wearing a really big ring, I was thinking this is some kind of championship ring. He showed me his hand and 1959 AL Championship ring. That was awesome.

Alright so back to the game; The Blackhawks played great in the first adding another goal on the breakaway. It was a 3 on 1 breakaway and everyone got on their feet in anticipation and it paid off. Hawks up 2-0 early. I have to say. I do love the Hawks horn and song for when they score goals this year.

The second period rolled around and Hawks did not look that good. Powerplay was slow and scoring chances were hard to come by. Even when we had good looks Giguere Giguerre made some good saves (34 on the night). The Hawks defense and Huet each made mistakes that allowed the Ducks to come back and tie it.

Third period came and went with neither team being effective. So the game went into overtime. Two minutes into the overtime Marty Havlat got the puck on a breakaway, with two Ducks defenders bearing down on him. Once again the crowd rose to their feet in anticipation. The defender bumped havalat and knocked the puck off his stick while Marty was crossing across the middle. I thought, our opportunity was lost, but no, Marty adjusted from the hit, kicked the puck back to his stick and went over Giguere’s left shoulder for the game winning goal. (Here’s a clip of how it looked from the upper deck, can’t see him kick it back to the stick, but you can see how the UC reacted).

Fantastic game and I look forward to being back next Wed.