Kris Versteeg
Blackhawks Answer Call with “Easy” 5-1 Win Over Canucks; Headed for 2nd Straight Conference Finals
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks eliminated the Vancouver Canucks for the 2nd straight NHL post-season with a convincing 5-1 win at GM Place on Tuesday night. The Hawks won the series 4 games to 2 and will now advance to the Western Conference Finals for the 2nd year in a row. The Blackhawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings in 5 games in last year’s Conference Finals and will look to advance to the Stanley Cup for the 1st time since 1971 with a series win over the San Jose Sharks this month.
After a scoreless 1st period that saw a total of 25 shots on goal, it looked like it would be a defensive battle all night long. But Troy Brouwer and Kris Versteeg scored goals just 36 seconds apart 2 minutes into the 2nd period and the Hawks had a quick 2-0 lead. Dave Bolland’s short-handed goal with 45 seconds left in the 2nd period gave the Hawks a commanding 3-goal lead heading into the final period. The Hawks held the Canucks to just 6 shots on goal in that decisive 2nd period and by the end of the game’s 1st 40 minutes, goalie Antti Niemi had saved all of the Canucks’ 19 shots on goal.
You gotta give the Canucks some credit though. They came out firing on all cylinders in the 3rd period and even scored a goal just over 3 minutes into the period to cut the lead to 3-1. But less than 5 minutes later, Patrick Kane put the dagger in the Canucks’ proverbial backs with a brilliant goal that gave the Hakws a 4-1 lead. When Dustin Byfuglien drove home his 4th goal of the series just 25 seconds later, the celebration for the Hawks was on.
Niemi stopped 29 of 30 shots on goal and won his 2nd straight post-season series. He has proved all the critics wrong with his stellar goal-tending throughout the entire post-season. Sure, he has had an “off” game or 2 in each of the 1st 2 series, but it doesn’t get him down and he seems to be able to re-group and be focused for the next contest.
The other crazy thing to take from the Hawks is their better play on the road than at home. The Hawks won all 3 games on the road in the Vancouver series in convincing fashion – 5-2; 7-4; and 5-1. The Hawks also won 2 of the 3 games played on the road in the opening round series win over the Nashville Predators. That leaves them with a 5-1 road record this post-season, with a disappointing 3-2 home record at the United Center. It is shocking to see the Hawks struggle at home this post-season since they won 29 games at home during the regular season. They did have a winning record on the road as well – 23-14-4 – but I’m surprised to see how tense they are playing in front of the home town fans.
It was a good thing that the Hawks packed their bags for an extended trip on the west coast. The Hawks head to San Jose today to get ready for the Conference Finals series which will likely begin sometime this weekend. The Hawks took 3 of the 4 games from the Sharks in the regular season series, so they do have the confidence to take out the West’s #1 seed (by 1-point) in a 7-game series. After falling behind the Colorado Avalanche 2 games to 1 in the opening round of the playoffs, the Sharks have been on a roll – winning 7 of their last 8 games. They won the final 3 games of the Avalanche series and took out the defending Western Conference Champion Red Wings in just 5 easy games, so it is going to be a dog fight. I can’t wait!
Blackhawks Look to Oust Canucks in Game 6 in Vancouver
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks look to oust the Canucks from post-season play in Game 6 in Vancouver tonight. The Blackhawks put forth a lackluster performance in Game 5 at the United Center on Sunday, dropping the contest 4-1 after falling behind 3-0 early. The Blackhawks looked flat all game long and didn’t put the Canucks away when they had them on the ropes. The Hawks were 0 for 5 on the power play after scoring 7 power play goals in the first 5 games. Captain Jonathan Toews scored the Hawks’ lobe goal in the 3rd period, but by then it was too little too late. Although the Hawks out-shot the Canucks 30-23, the Canucks were more lethal with their shots on goal. Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo out-played his counterpart Antti Niemi by stopping 29 shots to just 20 by Niemi. Now it’s down to the nitty-gritty as the two teams meet up for Game 6 in Vancouver tonight.
The Hawks defeated the Canucks in Games 3 and 4 at GM Place by outscoring their opponent 12-6. It was the 1st time that the Canucks lost consecutive games at home in regulation all season long. You gotta like the Hawks confidence to win Game 6 tonight. Rumor has it that the Hawks have packed some extra clothes so that they can head straight south to San Jose to get ready to play in the Western Conference Finals against the Sharks over the weekend. Forward Kris Versteeg down played the move — “You never know what’s going to happen so you pack as if you’re going to win and that’s what we expect to do… We expect to win. That’s that.” Patrick Kane expressed similar sentiments — “We put ourselves in this situation. We want to win, obviously, in Game 6 and not give ourselves a chance to go to Game 7.” Now if this was the Cubs that we were talking about, I would say this was a jinx for the Hawks to pack for the long road trip and that there was NO WAY that they would win in Vancouver tonight. But this is the Hawks and they’re going to come out firing on all cylinders en route to the Western Conference Finals for the 2nd consecutive NHL post-season.
Blackhawks Cruise Past Canucks 3-1; Take Back Home Ice Advantage
Thursday, May 6th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | 1 Comment
The Blackhawks raced out to a 2-0 1st period lead and never looked back on Wednesday night in Vancouver. The Blackhawks seized back control of the Semifinals Series after dropping the 1st game 5-1 in embarrassing fashion at the United Center this past Saturday. Kris Versteeg got the party started with a 1st period goal that gave the Hawks an early lead. Then Dustin Byfuglien scored the 1st of his 3 goals on the night, giving the Hawks a 2-goal edge. Although the teams traded goals in the 2nd period which ended with the Blackhawks holding a 3-2 edge, it always felt like the Hawks were going to win the game. And then it was time for the Hawks to dominate in the 3rd period for a 3rd straight game. Marian Hossa increased the Hawks lead to 4-2 and Byfuglien’s 3rd goal of the game sent Roberto Luongo – the Canucks goaltender – flying into the net and the Canucks hopes for a come-from-behind win out the door. It was the 1st time that a Blackhawks player scred a hat trick on the road in a playoffs game for the 1st time since Denis Savard did so way back in 1988. It’s an incredible feat, especially since Byfuglien is more of your workman-like player doing what it takes to get the job done in sticky situations in the corners and in front of the net. Byfuglien emerged as a series hero in the Hawks 6-game win over the Canucks last post-season and it looks like he could do the same again this year.
Antti Niemi had another great night in net for the Hawks – you’d never know he was a rookie from the way he’s handled his 1st post-season experience. He stopped 31 of 33 shots on goal from the Canucks, and even though he did give up 2 goals in the 2nd period, he never got down on himself and he elevated his game in the 3rd period, keeping the home team out of the net for the final 20+ minutes of the game. If the Hawks can some how eake out another win on Friday night at GM Place, they can clinch the series win on home ice at the United Center on Sunday evening. It would be their 2nd straight appearance in the Western Conference Finals…
Captain Jonathan Toews had 3 assists in the win, and he was really proud of how well the team played after their big win on Monday night at the UC — “We built a lot of confidence in Game 2, but we knew it didn’t mean much if we didn’t come and keep playing the same way. We did a lot of good things and put them on their heels for the most part.”
The Hawks clearly wore down the Canucks in Games 2 and 3 of the series. Over the long series, with much more talented players and a lethal combination of big tough players who can do the dirty work to complement the speed and finesse of some of their stars, it is going to be hard for the Canucks to get back in the series. Come on Hawks – let’s finish this off soon. Especially with the San Jose Sharks making easy work of the Detroit Red Wings (the Sharks lead the series 3-1 and can clinch a spot in the Conference Finals with a win at home at the HP Pavilion in San JoOse on Saturday night), it would be nice to be done with the Canucks in just 5 games…
Blackhawks Respond – Top Canucks 4-2 to Even Series at 1
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks rose to the occasion on Monday night and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 to even the series at 1 game apiece. It was a must-win at the United Center, as the Hawks did not want to fall behind the Canucks 2 games to none heading out to Vancouver.
It didn’t start pretty, as the Canucks scored 2 quick goals in the games 1st 5 minutes to take a 2-0 lead. But Annti Niemi and the Hawks defense buckled down after that, keeping the Canucks out of the goal the rest of the game. Brent Seabrook’s goal with 12 minutes left in the period helped calm everyone’s nerves and cut the Canucks lead in half.
After the team’s played a scoreless 2nd period with just a total of 16 shots on goal from both teams, the Blackhawks took control in the 3rd period. They out shot the Canucks 13- 6 and tied the game up on Patrick Sharp’s short-handed goal just 7 minutes into the period. It looked like we might be paying an overtime affair, but Kris Versteeg’s 1st goal of the post-season gave the Hawks their 1st lead of the series with only 1 and a half minutes left to go in regulation. Patrick Kane’s empty netter with less than a minute left sealed the victory for the Hawks.
Antti Niemi bounced back from a rough Game 1 in which he gave up 5 goals in just 2 periods. Niemi shut down the Canucks after the 2 early goals and ended up making 24 saves on the night. The young star-in-the-making is really rising to the occasion this post-season.
What an unbelievable game and what an unbelievable series this is shaping up to be. Patrick Sharp summed it up best — “We’ve managed to respond after tough losses all season long. We say after every game that the next one is the biggest.”
My favorite play of the game — Patrick Sharp breaking up a an altercation between a stupid Canucks player and one of his own teammates – instead of getting involved he just shoved the Canucks player away and laughed at him. Sharp later commented that there’s no reason to fight in the post-season, just move on and keep playing…
The series now shifts to Canada where the Blackhawks and Canucks will play on Wednesday and Friday nights in Vancouver. Let’s hope we come back tied at 2-2 or with a 3-1 advantage ready to close it out on home ice at the United Center on Sunday…
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.
Blackhawks Hottest Team in Hockey – 7-Game Win Streak
Monday, November 23rd, 2009 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | 1 Comment
I didn’t see it going this well, but so far, this young, talented Blackhawks team has dominated the “Circus Trip” with the quiet, confidence of a wily, veteran club. The Blackhawks are in the midst of a 7-game winning streak, including 3 for 3 on the first part of the annual Circus Trip through western Canada.
The Blackhawks defeated the Calgary Flames 7-1 in the 1st game of the trip and haven’t missed a beat since. Over the weekend, the Blackhawks rattled off wins on back-to-back nights in Edmonton (5-2) and Vancouver (1-0). In the Oilers win, the Blackhawks raced out to a 3-1 1st period lead on goals by Jonathan Toews, Kris Versteeg and Patrick Kane, and Cristobal Huet stopped 25 of 27 shots on goal to win his 6th straight start. In the Canucks win, defense was the name of the game. The Blackhawks managed just 17 shots on goal, but Bryan Bickell’s 1st goal since April 2007 ended up being the game winner just over 1 minute into the 3rd period. Antii Niemi had one of his best games as a starting NHL Goaltender, saving all 30 shots that the Canucks sent his way. Niemi & Co. shut down 6 Canucks power play opportunities.
The Blackhawks are now 15-5-2 and their 32 points are 2nd best in the entire NHL – the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks’ opponent on Wednesday night lead all teams with 36 points. The Blackhawks round out the Circus Trip with games against the Ducks (Friday 11/27 in Anaheim) and the Kings (Saturday 11/28 in Los Angeles), before returning home to face the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center on Tuesday December 1st. At this point, I predicted that a 3-win road trip should be considered a success, so if the Blackhawks can steal away another win or 2 the rest of the way, the Blackhawks will be sitting pretty…
Blackhawks Start Circus Road Trip Off with a Bang
Friday, November 20th, 2009 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | 1 Comment
WOW – staring a difficult 6-game road trip to Canada and the west coast, the Blackhawks didn’t waste any time sending a message to the rest of the Western Conference. The Blackhawks could’ve gotten down after Olli Jokinen’s power play goal just 14 seconds into the 2nd period tied the game at 1. Instead, the Blackhawks used that lapse to motivate them, and the offensive unit exploded for 5 2nd period goals igniting a route of the Calgary Flames on their home ice. Kris Versteeg scored his 5th and 6th goals in the period. Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Patrick Kane scored the 3 goals in between Versteeg’s goals. Before the Flames knew it, the game was over.
Cristobal Huet maintained his hot goal-tending, saving 27 of 28 shots on goal.
The Blackhawks now have 28 points, tied for 3rd most in the Western Conference. They have now won 5 games in a row, and it’s off to Edmonton and Vancouver for back-to-back games over the weekend…
Blackhawks Lead Central Division; Gearing up for Circus Road Trip
Thursday, November 19th, 2009 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks are in a great position to start the 2009-2010 NHL schedule. So far so good for the up-and-coming beast of the West. With 26 points (12-5-2), the Blackhawks lead the Central Division of the Western Conference. The Blackhawks like the way they have started, but also know that they have a tough task at hand in the very difficult Western Conference. All but 3 teams in the conference already have at least 21 points – that means night in and night out, the Blackhawks will have to play at the highest level if they want to reach the Conference Finals for a 2nd consecutive year.
Patrick Kane has put his off-the-ice issues behind him (he was arrested over the summer in Buffalo for an altercation with a cab driver) and leads the teams in scoring with 7 goals and 12 assists. Patrick Sharp is 2nd on the team with 16 points (6 goals and 10 assists), while Duncan Keith is 3rd with 15 points (5 goals and 10 assists). Jonathan Toews has played at a high level as well – 2 goals and 7 assists – but needs to play a little more consistently as the season progresses. Kris Versteeg (4 goals and 8 assists), Troy Brouwer (5 goals and 4 assists) Brian Campbell (1 goal and 8 assists) and Brent Seabrook (team leader with a +/- of 9 with 2 goals and 7 assists), have all been key contributors for the Blackhawks early success this season.
Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi have shared the goal-tending duties for the Blackhawks in 2009. Huet has started 15 games, going 9-4-1 with a 2.25 goals against average. Huet has saved 90.2% of the shots on goal while he has been in the net. Huet overcame a rough start to the season losing 3 of his 1st 6 starts – he allowed at least 3 goals in 5 of those starts. He is on a hot streak – winning 5 of his last 6 starts – and he looks to keep it going on the upcoming trip.
Niemi has played in 5 games this season, going 3-1-1. He has a 2.22 goals against average and has saved 90% of the shots taken against him.
The Blackhawks expect to get their big free agent acquisition – Marian Hossa – back on the ice at some point during the upcoming Circus road trip. That should help the Blackhawks continue their strong play even away from the friendly confines of the United Center.
The “Circus Road Trip” (the United Center is being used for the annual Circus tour for the next 2 weeks) won’t be easy. With games at the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings over the next 10 days, the Blackhawks will have their work cut out for them. The Sharks, Kings and Flames each have at least the same number of points as the Blackhawks and the Ducks are the only team on the trip with a losing record. If the Blackhawks can somehow manage to win half of their games on the trip, Coach Quinneville and his staff should consider that a huge success.
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