Calgary Flames
From Panic to Elation – Blackhawks Extend Winning Streak & Clinch Central Division Crown
Monday, April 5th, 2010 | Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | 1 Comment
The Blackhawks and their fans have gone from panicking to celebrating in a matter of a week. After being stuck on 99 points for what seemed like an eternity (during a 3-game losing streak with all 3 losses coming in regulation for the 1st time all season), the Blackhawks have played better of late as they stretched their winning streak to 3 games. The Hawks defeated the Flames 4-1 on Easter Sunday at the United Center – their 28th home win of the season. The Hawks still sit in 2nd place in the Western Conference just 1 point behind the San Jose Sharks. The Hawks have 1 more game to play than the Sharks, so there still is hope that they can overtake the Sharks for the top seed in the West before all is said and done.
Minutes before the puck dropped at the United Center on Sunday, the Hawks clinched the Central Division when the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Flyers in Philadelphia. It was the first division title for the Hawks in 17 years. Then the Hawks went out and skated well – taking a 2-0 lead after 1 period. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist – he leads the club with 84 points – 29 goals and 55 assists. Tomas Kopecky, Troy Brouwer and Dustin Byfuglien also tallied goals in the win. Antti Niemi has played great for the Hawks in net during the last 3 games. He stopped 25 of the Flames 26 shots on goal.
It’s crunch time for the Hawks with only 4 games to go – 2 at home and 2 on the road. Let’s hope the Hawks can clinch the #1 seed in the West avoid a potential 1st round match-up with the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs – a team no one wants to play…
At Last — Blackhawks Shutout Wild 4-0
Thursday, April 1st, 2010 | Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, General, NHL, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | 1 Comment
Finally!!! The Blackhawks ended their 3-game losing streak with a 4-0 win over the Wild in Minnesota. Antti Niemi stopped all 21 shots on goal to get the Hawks over the hump. Niemi now has a 21-7-3 record with a 2.24 goals against average and appears to be Head Coach Joel Quenneville’s “go-to-goalie” as the Hawks look to right the ship in the final 6 games of the season.
Tomas Kopecky scored 2 goals for the Blackhawks while Jonathan Toews tallied his 23rd goal of the season in the 3rd period.
The Hawks are still sitting pretty despite their 3-5-2 record in their final 10 games. The Hawks have 101 points and a 5-point cushion over the Vanucks for the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks trail the San Jose Sharks by just 3 points for the #1 seed in the West, so there still is a chance that the club can make it to the top. After Friday night’s contest against the Devils in New Jersey, the Hawks play 3 of their final 5 games at home at the United Center in Chicago against the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings. Their 2 remaining road games are against the Dallas Stars and Colorado Rockies. It’s going to be a furious final week in NHL hockey action as the West has really bunched up with the poor play of the Blackhawks, Sharks and Canucks as of late. fasten your seat belt – it is sure to be a good ride…
Blackhawks Look to Rebound Against Blues in St. Louis
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 | Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | 1 Comment
The Chicago Blackhawks look to rebound against the St. Louis Blues tonight in St. Louis. The Blackhawks have been in a funk as of late, going 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. Overall, the club is 46-21-7 and their 99 points makes them one of the better teams in the entire NHL. The Blackhawks still hold the 2nd seed in the Western Conference, but now trail the San Jose Sharks by 5 points. The team really needs to find that confidence before the start of the playoffs in 2 weeks. When the Hawks were going strong from December through the Olympics break, the Hawks seemed to possess confidence no matter what situation they found themselves in. Now it seems like they play tight when the game is on the line, and they really need to find that winning attitude again soon.
Let’s hope the Blackhawks can right the ship against two “inferior” teams – the Blues tonight and the Wild in Minnesota on Wednesday night. The Blackhawks then face the Devils in New Jersey on Friday night before returning home to take on the Calgary Flames at the United Center in Chicago on Easter Sunday. This is a HUGE 4-game stretch for the Hawks — at this point, 2-2 would be a success, but let’s hope they find a way to win at least 3 of 4. GO HAWKS!
Blackhawks Back on Track with 3-1 Win over Flames; Is There a Goalie Controversey Brewing?
Friday, January 22nd, 2010 | Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks got back on track with a 3-1 win over the Flames in Calgary on Thursday night. After a lackluster performance by the Blackhawks in a 4-1 loss to the Senators on Tuesday night in Ottawa, it was good to see the entire team skate well last night. After a scoreless 1st period Patrick Kane got the Hawks on the board with his 21st goal of the season midway through the 2nd period. The Flames tied the game at 2 right at the end of the 2nd period, but Ben Eager’s 5th goal of the season put the Hawks up for good. Duncan Keith iced the game with an empty netter with less than a minute to play and the Blackhawks racked up their 35th win of the season.
Annti Niemi saved 19 of 20 shots on goal and improved to 13-3-1 overall in 17 games played. Niemi has a sparkling 1.85 goal against average. The Blackhawks starting goaltender Cristobal Huet performed poorly in the 4-1 loss to Senators. The Hawks defense limited the Senators to just 18 shots on goal, but Huet let 4 of them go by. Huet has started 36 games for the Hawks and is 22-9-3 with a 2.24 goals against average overall. After the game, Hawks critics throughout the NHL indicated that Huet might not have what it takes to lead the Hawks to a Stanley Cup title. Even former Hawks great Jeremy Roenick (now an NBC NHL analyst) echoed those sentiments on a local sports talk radio show with Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman on ESPN Radio 1000: “A lot of people say they are the best team in the NHL right now, I cannot argue that fact. Their youth, their enthusiasm, the only thing that everybody says, and I’m going to have to agree with them, is the goaltending situation… Can Huet bring them 16 games? I say no, I think he can probably get you through two rounds. To go 16 games, you need a goaltender that is going to stand on his head and is going to steal games… And Niemi is a good goaltender too, don’t get me wrong, they just need that one little extra boost in goal that I think that would make the guys more confident in front of him… They are still two good goaltenders, but I don’t know if they could do it for the full 16 wins.” Ouch.
Now Blackhawks teammates came to the defense of both Huet and Niemi this week, but it does beg the question. The Hawks have not brought a Stanley Cup trophy back to Chicago since 1961. With the team so close to achieving the ultimate goal, it makes you wonder if the Hawks brass brings in a “hired gun goaltender” that could help bring home the Cup if Huet continues to struggle down the stretch here. Huet will be back on goal against the Canucks in Vancouver on Saturday night. Think there will be any pressure on him?!
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