Jonathan Toews
Blackhawks Back on Track – 4th Win in Row
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | 1 Comment
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Tuesday night for their 4th straight win. After a rough stretch where the club won only 6 games in the month of March, they are now 3-0 in the month of April behind the hot goal-tending of Antti Niemi. The Blackhawks still trail the San JOse Sharks by 2 points for the top seed in the Western Conference, but they control their own destiny. If the Blackhawks win out (against the St. Louis Blue, Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings), they would finish with 112 points and earn the top spot over the Sharks because they would have more regular season wins than the Sharks. That scenario would also mean that the Hawks would probably not be facing the Red Wings – their bitter Central Division rivals and one of the hottest teams in all of hockey right now – in the 1st round of the playoffs. And that would be a good thing – no one wants to face the red-hot Red Wings right now.
In Tuesday night’s win in Dallas, Colin Fraser scored his 3rd and 4th goals of the season to lead the Hawks. Marian Hossa (24), Jonathan Toews (24) and Patrick Kane (30) each tallied goals as well. Niemi stopped 26 of 28 Stars’ shots on goal and looks oh so comfortable in front of the net right now. Niemi has started each of the Hawks last 4 wins and last night was the 1st night that he allowed more than 1 goal. Unbelievable…
Let’s hope Niemi keeps up his stellar play and that the Hawks offense keeps firing on all cylinders as the Blackhawks finish off a fine season for the Chicago squad…
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…
Can Blackhawks Rebound from Devastating Weekend?
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
It was a rough weekend for the Chicago Blackhawks – one the NHL’s top 3 teams. The Blackhawks blew a 2-1 lead to the Flyers in Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, allowing the Flyers to score 2 goals for the win in the final 2+ minutes of regulation. Back in Chicago on Sunday, it looked like the Blackhawks had put the disappointing loss behind them quickly as they raced out to a 3-0 lead of the Washington Capitals after 2 periods of play. But another late collapse – a 3-goal 3rd period for the Capitals – gave the Capitals a chance to win in overtime. And that they did as Nicklas Backstrom’s 2nd goal of the game (his 28th goal on the season) 3 minutes into the extra frame gave the Capitals the big road win.
In addition to the back-to-back agonizing defeats, the Hawks also learned that they would be without key defenseman Brent Seabrook for at least 7-8 weeks after he suffered a broken clavicle and broken ribs at the hands of a cheap shove by Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin was kicked out of the game for the game misconduct and was ultimately suspended 2 games by the league for the cheap shot – the 2nd time that the NHL has suspended Ovechkin for 2 games this season. Seabrook will be sorely missed by the Blackhawks during this final stretch to the season. Seabrook had notched 23 points on the year with 20 assists and he also had a +/- of 18.
The Blackhawks are still 44-18-6 overall with 94 points. They still only trail the San Jose Sharks (who themselves have hit a rough 4-5-1 stretch) by 2 points for the best record in the Western Conference. But the trend is not going in the right direction for the Hawks who begin a “big” 3-game west coast road trip tonight against the Ducks in Anaheim. The Hawks play the Kings the following night in Los Angeles and then they travel to Phoenix to take on the Coyote on Saturday night. The Ducks always play the Hawks well in Anaheim despite their poor record. The Kings have 40 wins and 85 points and are still competing to try to improve their playoff position in the west. The Coyotes are perhaps the biggest surprise in the NHL this season with 43 wins and 91 points. They are currently positioned 4th in the West, but have more points than the Vancouver Canucks who have the 3rd seed in the west because they are a division winner.
Taking 2 out of 3 games on this trip won’t be easy, but I have a feeling that that is exactly what the Blackhawks accomplish. Coach Joel Quinneville always seems to find a way to get through to his team when the hit a rocky road, and this road trip won’t be any different. He has opted to go with Antti Niemi in the opener tonight in Anaheim because he is a more consistent goaltender and more likely to give the team the best chance to win a “winnable” game. If Niemi plays well, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Quinneville play the hot hand the following night against the Kings. The Blackhawks boast 4 players with at least 57 points – Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews – plus they have Marian Hossa who has racked up 40 points in just 43 games played. So look for the Hawks to apply the pressure big time in each of the 3 games. The Hawks “always” out-shoot their opponents, and this trend will continue to happen in each of the games.
I’m predicting 2 wins for the Blackhawks on the road trip and a renewed confidence as they return to Chicago next week to take on Phoenix at the United Center on Tuesday night.
Blackhawks Emerge from Post-Olympics Funk with Big 5-2 Win over Oilers
Thursday, March 4th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks emerged out of their post-Olympics funk with a 3-goal 3rd period that propelled them to a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers at the United Center on Wednesday night. It was a much-needed win after the Hawks looked lethargic in a 5-3 loss to the Islanders in Long Island on Tuesday night – the 1st game back since the team reunited.
The Blackhawks controlled the puck for much of the game – out-shooting the Oilers 47-14 on the night. The Hawks took 21 shots in the 2nd period scoring twice and they took 14 shots in the 3rd period scoring 3 times. Cristobal Huet played the entire game in net after replacing Annti Niemi the night before. Huet made 12 saves and notched his 25th win of the season. Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews each had a goal and an assist for the Hawks, while leading-Hawks-points man Patrick Kane added 2 assists in the win.
The Hawks are now tied for the top spot in the Western Conference with the San Jose Sharks. Each club has 89 points in 63 games played. Let’s hope the Hawks can keep up the momentum at home at the United Center as they host the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings during the next 3 games.
Blackhawks Hit Stride Before Olympic Break
Monday, February 15th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks are riding a 4-game winning streak into the Olympics break. Over the weekend, the Hawks won in a shootout on back-to-back nights. In Saturday night’s win over the Thrashers at home at the United Center, Jonathan Toews scored the game winner in the first round of the shootout, while Antti Niemi made all 3 saves in the shootout.
In Sunday night’s win over the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Troy Brouwer scored the game winner in the 4th round of the shootout.
In a surpise move, goalie Antti Niemi started both games for the Hawks even though the team played on consecutive days. Niemi started all 4 games for the Hawks in their current winning streak and he is now 17-4-1 on the season. He has a spectacular 2.16 goal against average.
The Blackhawks are 41-15-5 on the season with 87 points. The Hawks trail the Sharks for the top seed in the Western Conference by just 2 points and they have a sizable 11-point cushion in front of the #3 seed Vancouver Canucks.
Bulls, Blackhawks Get Back on Track with Saturday Night Wins
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, NBA, NHL, Orlando Magic, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks each got back on track with bug wins on Saturday night.
The Bulls defeated the Miami Heat 95-91 in front of a crazy home crowd at the United Center. The win snapped a 3-game losing streak after the team had played so well on their west coast road trip. Luol Deng (25 points, 7 rebounds) and Derrick Rose (24 points, 5 rebounds) led the way for the Bulls. The Bulls are tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the 6th/7th seeds in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are tied for the 8th and final seed in the conference. It’s going to be a battle down the finale 3 months of the season for these playoff-hungry clubs. The Bulls have 2 more games – tonight at the Indiana Pacers and Wednesday night v. Orlando Magic – before the NBA All-Star Break this weekend.
The Blackhawks defeated the Blues 2-1 on the road in St. Louis. The win snapped a 3-game losing streak – the last 2 of which were tough home losses in which the Hawks blew early leads. Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews tallied the Hawks 2 goals in the win, while Annti Niemi had a stellar night in net, stopping 34 of 35 shots on goal. The Blues scored their only goal with under 2 minutes to play in the game, denying Niemi his 5th shutout of the season. The Hawks still hold a 15-point lead in their division and they trail the West-leading San Jose Sharks by only 4 points for the best record in the Western Conference. The Hawks have 3 more games – tonight v. Dallas Stars; Saturday night v. Atlanta Thrashers; and Sunday afternoon at Columbus Blue Jackets – before the Olympics break.
If the Bulls and Blackhawks can keep up this exciting pace, Chicago sports fans will have a lot to cheer about at the United Center come NBA and NHL playoffs time in April, May and June…
Chicago Blackhawks Back Home after Successful 5-3 Road Trip
Monday, February 1st, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
Although it ended with a loss to the NHL’s 2nd worst team (the Carolina Hurricanes), the Blackhawks could not have been happier with their 5-3 eight-game road trip away from the United Center in Chicago. The Hawks started it off with wins over division rivals – the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. After a hiccup in Ottawa with a loss to the Senators, the Blackhawks soundly defeated the playoff-caliber Flames in Calgary. After another bump in the road with a bad loss to the Vancouver Canucks, the Blackhawks took it to the lowly Oilers in Edmonton and then showed why they are considered a Stanley Cup title contender with a big win over the Western Conference points-leader Sharks in San Jose in overtime. Although the Hawks blew a 1st period 3-0 lead, the team never lost hope as regulation ended, striking with Troy Brouwer’s game-winning goal just a minute and a half into the overtime period. This team is built to win, and they proved it will a big road victory over the Sharks.
After playing 7 games in a 13-day stretch, you couldn’t really fault the Blackhawks for dropping Saturday night’s game in Carolina. Knowing they would be heading back home after that contest, it’s not surprising that they laid an egg against one of the worst teams in the NHL (who have been playing better as of late). On the bright side – they rallied to tie the game at 2 in the 3rd period and they outshot the Hurricanes 41-24. Huet didn’t play his best game – stopping 20 of 24 of the shots on goal.
Now it’s time to finish strong over the next 6 games before the Olympics start. The Blackhawks play 4 of 6 games at home at the United Center where they are 21-5-1. The play the St. Louis Blues twice, the Dallas Stars and the Columbus Blue Jackets – 3 teams towards the bottom of the Western Conference. With 2 other home games against the Phoenix Coyote and the Atlanta Thrashers – 2 potential playoff teams – the schedule is set up nicely for the Blackhawks. Winning 4 or 5 of these games is a must for the Blackhawks. Then it’s a sprint to the finish with 15 games in March and 7 games in April before the playoffs start.
Patrick Kane still leads the club with 60 points (21 goals). Duncan Keith (11 goals, 38 assists); Jonathan Toews (18 goals, 26 assists) and Patrick Sharp (16 goals, 27 assists) aren’t too far behind. The Hawks are primed to try to steal the #1 West seed from the Sharks. They trail by only 3 points and would love to be able to get home ice throughout the entire playoffs. That makes each of these games so important – even the “easy” ones. Coach Queneville will have his club ready for this next 6-game stretch – look for the Blackhawks to get off to solid start with a big win over the Blues on Wednesday night…
Blackhawks Off to Great Start on Road Trip
Monday, January 18th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks did just what they needed to do on the start of their 8-game road trip with 2 wins over the weekend. The Blackhawks now have an NHL-leading 72 points! The San Jose Sharks are the only other team in the NHL with at least 70 points. The Blackhawks have opened up an 11-point lead in the West’s Central Division and they seem poised to take at least the 1st or 2nd spot in the Western Conference heading into the playoffs – 3rd seed Colorado has just 60 points.
After jumping out to 2-0 and 3-1 leads over the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Saturday night, the Blackhawks had to claw their way back to get the 2 points on the road. The Hawks used a 3-goal 3rd period with 2 goals scored by Jonathan Toews to power the comeback. Cristobal Huet picked up his 22nd win of the season, although the defense didn’t make it easy on him. Huet stopped 21 of 26 shots on goal during the night.
Less than 24 hours later, the Blackhawks knocked off hated-rival Detroit Red Wings in Detroit in a 4-round shootout. Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp scored in the shootout to give the Blackhawks the win. Sharp had scored in the 2nd period of regulation giving the Hawks a 3-2 lead. Annti Niemi saved 35 of 38 shots on goal, as it was a rare night when the opponent outshot the Blackhawks during the contest (the Blackhawks managed just 29 shots on goal). After dropping the season opener to the Red Wings way back in October, the Blackhawks have defeated the Red Wings in each of the last 3 meetings.
Hawks fans are loving the success in Chicago – it’s been a long time coming and expectations for a Stanley Cup celebration at the United Center are growing strong…
Blackhawks Still Riding High Despite 2 Straight Losses
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | 1 Comment
The Chicago Blackhawks still have the most points (66) in the NHL and are still sitting atop the Central Division of the Western Conference with a 9 point cushion. The Blackhawks suffered 2 losses over the weekend – the 1st time the team suffered back-to-back losses since the team lost to the Ducks in Anaheim and the Kings in Los Angeles on consecutive nights at the end of November. Both losses were frustrating. In Saturday night’s 6-5 OTL, the Blackhawks let a 5-1 3rd period lead slip away as the Wild outscored the hawks 4-0 in the final period. The team earned a point by losing in the shootout. The next night back at home, the Hawks outshot the Ducks 43 to 12, but 2 of the 12 shots found the net against Annti Niemi and the 3rd Ducks goal came on an empty netter. Hopefully these are games that the Blackhawks can learn from -the next time the Blackhawks have a big lead in the 3rd period, they’ll remember that they can’t let their feet off the gas pedal. They’ll also remember the significance of getting off to a good start each game – when you find yourself in a 2-0 1st period hole like they did against the Ducks on Sunday night, it’s often a very hard task to overcome.
The Blackhawks have 1 more home game this week before embarking on a season-long 8-game road trip. The Hawks play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night at the United Center and then again on Saturday afternoon in Ohio. Then it’s a quick turnaround for the Hawks with a prime-time matinee affair against their hated rivals – the Red Wings – in Detroit on Sunday. Then they play the Ottawa Senators before heading west for a grueling trip against some tough teams – the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks with 1 game in between against the cellar dweller Edmonton Oilers team. The Hawks finish up the road trip with a game against the lowly Hurricane in Carolina on Saturday, January 30th. If the Hawks can get off to a good start with wins against the Blue Jackets, Red Wings and Senators, they should be able to finish the trip with a winning record. Let’s hope the team can rebound from the 2 losses with a solid effort on Thursday night in Chicago. Something tells me that Coach Joel Quinneville will have his team primed and ready to go.
Patrick Kane still leads the club with 19 goals and 52 points. Duncan Keith is 2nd on the team with 42 points. Jonathan Toews has 14 goals and 36 points while Patrick Sharp has 15 goals with 35 points. As for the goalies, starter Cristobal Huet has proven his worth during the 2009-2010 NHL schedule. Huet is 20-8-3 with a 2.17 goals against average and 3 shutouts. Annti Niemi leads the squad with a 1.84 goals against average. Niemi is has an 11-3-1 record with 4 shutouts.
Go Hawks!
Blackhawks Just Keep on Winning
Saturday, December 19th, 2009 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in a shootout on Friday night at the United Center. That makes it 14 wins in 18 games for the Central Division leader of the Western Conference. The Blackhawks are 15-3-1 on home ice and have an overall record of 22-8-3. Their 47 points are tied for most in the Western Conference with the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings.
Kris Versteeg, Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Andrew Ladd scored the Blackhawk goals in regulation. Toews and Patrick Kane scored the 2 shootout goals, while goalie Antti Niemi stopped both shots in the shootout to record the win. The Blackhawks outshot the Bruins 44-29 and continued their dominance in the zone.
It has been a remarkable year so far for the Blackhawks. They take on bitter division rival Detroit Red Wings on Sunday and then the Sharks on Tuesday night. Should be fun.
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