NHL
Blackhawks Win First Shootout – Defeat Coyotes 3-2
Thursday, November 20th, 2008 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
What a wild ride. At the end of the night, the Blackhawks won the game 3-2. But along the way, there were more up and downs than Disney World’s Space Mountain ride in Orlando.
The Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead on 1st period goals by Kris Versteeg and Patrick Sharp. Both goals came with less than 2 minutes left to play in the period. The Blackhawks couldn’t muster much of an attack after that, however, getting out-shot by the Coyotes in both the 2nd and 3rd periods. The Coyotes cut the lead in half on Zbynek Michalek’s goal in the 2nd period, and they tied the game 6 minutes into the 3rd period on Shane Doan’s 10th goal of the young NHL season. It was a demoralizing feeling after leading by 2 goals after 1 period and not really taking advantage of the situation for the remaining 40 minutes of the game. In addition, the Blackhawks had previously had no success in overtime and shootouts this season, so they knew their chances of emerging with 2 points on the road were slim. Letting that early 2-goal lead slip away seemed even more disappointing because of that.
Neither team scored in the overtime period and it was off to a shootout – the 5th shootout of the year for the Blackhawks. Jonathan Toews scored for the Blackhawks and Nikolai Khabibulin saved Kyle Turris’ shot on goal. Patrick Sharp put the Blackhawks in a great position with a goal to go up 2-0 in the shootout. The Coyotes had their backs up against the wall and Khabibulin’s save of Peter Mueller’s shot sealed the deal for the Blackhawks. It was the Blackhawks first shootout victort of the season in 5 chances. Khabibulin saved 36 of 38 regulation shots on goal, plus 2 more in the shootout session. One of his best games of the year.
Most importantly, the Blackhawks started off the “Circus Road Trip” on a positive note. Next up is the Dallas Stars, whom the Blackhawks and Khabibulin beat back on Halloween night at the United Center. If the Blackhawks can go 2 for 2 at the start of the road trip, that should give them a lot of confidence for the rest of the trip.
Blackhawks Let One Slip Away At UC, Lose to Sharks 6-5
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Sharks “toyed with” the Blackhawks for 40 minutes and then went in for the “kill” in the final 20 minutes of the contest. Although the Blackhawks gave the NHL’s points-leader a battle of a lifetime, the Blackhawks came in on the short-end of the stick, and were left to float away in anguish after a disappointing, frustrating and painful 6-5 loss on its home ice on Sunday.
The Blackhawks and Sharks played one of the more exciting games of the young NHL season. The teams traded goals in the 1st period. Milan Michalek opened the scoring for the Sharks with his 6th goal of the season. Kris Versteeg tied the game at 1 with his 4th goal of the season. Joe Thornton gave the Sharks the lead again with his 4th goal of the season and then defenseman Brian Campbell tied it back up with his 3rd goal of the season. Before you knew it, the 1st period was over and the game was tied at 2.
The Sharks took charge in the 1st half of the 2nd period. Goals by Dan Boyle and the ageless Jeremy Roenick gave the Sharks a 4-2 lead. But the Blackhawks answered right back midway through the period with an offensive barrage that Sharks goalie Brian Boucher could not withstand. Kris Versteeg scored his 2nd goal of the game to cut the Sharks lead to 1. Cam Barker and Patrick Kane then scored goals 18 seconds apart in the 17th minute of the 3rd period to send the United Center faithful into a frenzy. The Blackhawks and their fans were going crazy, as they saw a golden opportunity to defeat the NHL point-leading Sharks and send a message to the rest of the NHL that this young team was ready to contend for “The Cup”.
But disaster struck in the 3rd period. Dave Bolland’s tripping penalty set up the game-tying goal by Dan Boyle (his 2nd of the game and 6th on the season). With 6 minutes to go in the game, Dustin Byfuglien was penalized for tripping, which set up the winning goal by Devin Setoguchi. The Blackhawks had their chances with a power play of their own with 4 minutes left to play, but they came up empty and endured their 1st loss at the United Center during regulation play. All in all, the Blackhawks committed 7 penalties, resulting in 4 power play goals for the Sharks. Blackhawks’ goalie Cristobal Huet made only 25 of 31 saves.
Blackhawks Head Coach Joel Quinneville was not please with his team’s performance – “I’m not happy at all with the way this thing ended. They’re a good team. We had them where we wanted them and let them off the hook. We were gracious.” Coming off of a great 4-0 stretch, the Blackhawks lost the last 3 games of the home stand (one in a shootout, one in overtime and one in regulation). They now embark on a crucial 6-game road trip that will take them through Phoenix, Dallas, Toronto, San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles. Dallas is the worst team of the lot – that at 6-8-3 – so the competition will be stiff during this stretch. The Blackhawks are currently 7-4-5 with 19 points and they are tied with 3 other teams for 6th place in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks need to play well on this road trip and come away with at least 3 wins in order to show that their quick start isn’t a fluke. The team is ready, and Quinneville should have them ready to make a point – loud and clear – on this upcoming circus road trip.
Blues Beat Blackhawks 4-3 in OT
Sunday, November 16th, 2008 | NHL, Sports | No Comments
The St. Louis Blues handed the Chicago Blackhawks a devastating 4-3 OT loss on Friday night at the United Center. After the Blues took a commanding 3-1 lead after the 1st period, the Blackhawks battled back to tie the game in regulation. Dave Bolland scored a short-handed goal in the 2nd period to cut the lead to 3-2. Then Bolland tied the game at 3 just a few minutes into the 3rd period. But Bolland went from hero to goat when he was penalized for hooking just 1 minute into the overtime period. Andy McDonald scored the power-play game-winner 2 minutes into overtime, handing the Blackhawks a frustrating loss on its home ice. Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin saved 26 of 30 shots and fell to 4-1-4 on the season.
Next up for the Blackhawks are the San Jose Sharks at the United Center on Sunday. The Sharks defeated the Blackhawks in all 4 meetings in 2007.
Bruins Top Blackhawks 2-1 in Overtime Shootout
Friday, November 14th, 2008 | NFL, Sports | No Comments
The Boston Bruins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 in an overtime shootout at the United Center on Wednesday night. PJ Axelsson scored the decisive goal in the shootout after Bruins goalie Tim Thomas stopped 2 out of 3 Blackhawks shots in the shootout. After a scoreless 1st period, Marco Sturm scored the 1st goal of the game in the 2nd period to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. The Blackhawks tied the game midway through the 3rd period on Jonathan Toews’ 2nd goal of the season. The Bruins won in the shootout by scoring twice. Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin put in a great performance in defeat – stopping 38 of 39 Bruins shots on goal.
The Blackhawks fell to 7-3-4 overall goof for 18 points and 7th place in the Western Conference. The loss snapped a 4-game winning streak for the Blackhawks, but they remain undefeated at home in regulation at 6-0-3.
NHL Schedule Nov 12
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 | NHL, Sports | No Comments
Wednesday, Nov 12, 2008
NHL Scores Nov 11
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 | NHL, Sports | No Comments
Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008
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Blackhawks Win 4th Straight, Top Flames 6-1
Monday, November 10th, 2008 | NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhakws won their 4th straight game at home and still have not suffered a home loss in regulation at the United Center. The Blackhawks defeated the Calgary Flames. The Blackhawks took a 3-0 lead on goals by Martin Havlat and Aaron Johnson in the 1st period and a goal by Patrick Kane in the 2nd period. After the Flames cut the lead to 3-1 at the end of the 2nd period, the Blackhawks out the game away in the 3rd period with an offensive barage. Jonathan Toews, Kris Versteeg and Troy Brouwer each scored goals in the 3rd period to put away the 6-1 victory for the Blackhawks. Once again, the Blackhawks used a balance attack, as all 6 goals were scored by a different Blackhawks skater. Cristobal Huet shined in net, saving all but 1 of the Flames 23 shots on goal.
The Blackhawks now have 17 points, good for a tie for 5th place in the Western Conference. Next up for the Blackhawks is a battle against the Boston Bruins at the United Center on Wednesday night.
Blackhawks Score 4 Goals in 3rd Period, Defeat Avs 6-2
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 | NHL, Sports | No Comments
WOW – - the Blackhawks quickly turned a tense, 1-goal nail-biter into an easy, walk-in-the-park victory on Monday night at the United Center. The Blackhawks scored 3 goals during a 7-minute span late in the 3rd period, to propel the Blackhawks to the 6-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche – the team’s 3rd win in a row. Patrick Sharp scored twice during that stretch – his 8th and 9th goals of the season – and he also added an assist on Troy Brouwer’s goal in the 2nd period. Andrew Ladd also had 2 goals and an assist for the Blackhawks, giving him 3 goals on the year. It was a big win for the Blackhawks, who opened a 5-game home stand at the United Center with the exciting victory.
The Avalanche took the lead in the 1st period on a Ben Guite goal. The Blackhawks then surged ahead with 3 straight goals – 2 goals in the 2nd period and 1 goal just a little over a minute into the 3rd period on a power play. After the Avs cut the Blackhawks lead to 3-2 on a Milan Hejduk goal, the Blackhawks followed up 8 minutes of tense, scoreless play with their 3-goal barrage. Nikolai Khabibulin picked up his 4th win of the season by saving 24 of 26 Colorado shots.
Joel Quinneville picked up the win against the team he used
to coach. The Blackhawks have looked like a different team under Quinneville – going 5-1-2 since he took over for Denis Savard on October 16th. The Blackhawks are 6-3-3, the same record they posted the last time the team qualified for post-season play during the 2001-2 NHL season. While it’s a little early to scoreboard watch, the Blackhawks have to feel good seeing themselves among the elite in the NHL’s Western Conference (tied for 4th place with 15 points). With 4 more games left on the 5-game homestand, the Blackhawks will need to keep up the intensity to build
up wins and points before their long west coast road trip. The Blackhawks have 5 days off before they face off against the Calgary Flames on Sunday, November 9th.
Kane Stars, Blackhawks Defeat Stars 5-2
Saturday, November 1st, 2008 | NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2 at the United Center on Halloween night. Blackhawks young super star Patrick Kane had a goal and 2 assists to lead the way for his team. The Blackhawks had a balanced attack – 5 different players scored each of the Blackhawks goals, including defensemen Cam Barker and Brent Sopel. The Blackhawks have not lost at home yet during the 2008-9 NHL campaign – going 4-0-2 in 6 games at the United Center. Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin made 21 saves for the Blackhawks to pick up his 3rd win of the season. With the score 3-2 heading into the 3rd period, the Blackhawks blew the game wide open with 2 goals late in the 3rd period to preserve the win. The Stars got goals from Loui Eriksson (his 5th goal of the season) and Steve Ott.
Blackhawks head coach Joel Quinneville continues to get the best out of his young team. He continues to tinker here and there with his lines and is still taking stock of all of his players. I love the fact that 5 different players scored goals for the Blackhawks on Friday night. It really shows that the team is making that extra pass to find the open man, and it also shows that they are getting more and more familiar with each other’s tendencies. This is a great sign for the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks now go on the road to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets in search of their first road win.
NHL standings for 10/29
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 | NHL, Sports | No Comments
| Eastern Conference Standings | |||||||||||
| Atlantic | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Home | Road | ||
| NY Rangers | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 33 | 23 | 5-2-0 | 4-0-1 | ||
| Pittsburgh | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 25 | 22 | 3-2-1 | 2-1-1 | ||
| New Jersey | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 20 | 18 | 2-1-0 | 3-1-1 | ||
| Philadelphia | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 36 | 34 | 1-2-1 | 2-1-2 | ||
| NY Islanders | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 1-4-0 | 1-2-0 | ||
| Northeast | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Home | Road | ||
| Buffalo | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 29 | 20 | 3-1-0 | 3-0-2 | ||
| Montreal | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 30 | 19 | 4-1-0 | 2-0-1 | ||
| Boston | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 27 | 27 | 1-1-1 | 4-1-2 | ||
| Toronto | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 28 | 1-2-2 | 2-1-1 | ||
| Ottawa | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 27 | 27 | 1-4-1 | 2-1-0 | ||
| Southeast | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Home | Road | ||
| Washington | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 32 | 29 | 3-0-1 | 2-3-0 | ||
| Carolina | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 24 | 25 | 1-1-0 | 3-1-2 | ||
| Florida | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 25 | 3-1-0 | 1-3-0 | ||
| Tampa Bay | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 20 | 1-2-3 | 1-1-0 | ||
| Atlanta | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 23 | 34 | 2-3-0 | 0-2-2 | ||
| Western Conference Standings | |||||||||||
| Central | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Home | Road | ||
| Detroit | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 35 | 28 | 2-1-1 | 5-0-0 | ||
| St. Louis | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 29 | 23 | 4-2-0 | 1-1-0 | ||
| Nashville | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 32 | 35 | 3-1-0 | 1-3-1 | ||
| Chicago | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 27 | 3-0-2 | 0-3-1 | ||
| Columbus | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 31 | 2-2-0 | 1-4-0 | ||
| Northwest | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Home | Road | ||
| Minnesota | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 23 | 14 | 3-0-1 | 3-0-0 | ||
| Calgary | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 28 | 27 | 3-1-1 | 2-2-0 | ||
| Colorado | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 30 | 27 | 3-1-0 | 2-3-0 | ||
| Edmonton | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 23 | 2-0-1 | 2-3-0 | ||
| Vancouver | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 28 | 29 | 2-1-0 | 2-4-0 | ||
| Pacific | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Home | Road | ||
| San Jose | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 33 | 23 | 5-0-0 | 3-2-0 | ||
| Anaheim | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 29 | 31 | 1-3-0 | 4-2-0 | ||
| Dallas | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 28 | 38 | 1-1-2 | 2-3-0 | ||
| Los Angeles | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 25 | 23 | 2-2-1 | 1-2-0 | ||
| Phoenix | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 22 | 2-1-0 | 1-3-0 | ||
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