Patrick Kane
Blackhawks Dominate Play, But Series Tied at 1-1
Monday, April 19th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks dominated opening round playoff hockey with the Nashville Predators over the weekend, but the series is tied at 1 game apiece. In some ways it was a frustrating 1st 2 games for the Blackhawks, but at least the series is still tied at 1, and the club is still in great position to advance to the conference semifinals round.
In a “must-win game” on Sunday, rookie goalie Antti Niemi rose to the challenge and pitched his first playoff shutout for the Blackhawks – it was his 8th shutout of the season. Niemi stopped all 23 shots on goal by the Predators. For a 2nd straight game, the Blackhawks out-shot Nashville – this time by 10 shots on goal – 33-23. After a scoreless 1st period, Dave Bolland got the Hawks on the scoreboard first with a power play goal just over 8 minutes into the 2nd period. The Hawks applied the pressure during the power play and it finally paid off when both Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews made nifty passes to keep the puck in front of the net, and Bolland slid the back-hander part Predators goalie Pekka Rinne for the game winner. Patrick Kane then increased the lead to 2-0 with his 2nd goal of the series. Kane looked like he was going to pass the puck for the longest time, but at the last second he rifled the shot past Rinne. At that point, the Hawks were confident and skating a great game.
The 1st game of the series was a similar contest, with both teams feeling each other out for the initial part of the game. Although Patrick Kane gave the Hawks the lead with the 1st goal of the series midway through the 2nd period, the Hawks collapsed under the pressure in the 3rd period. It all started with a “lucky” goal by J.P. Dumont who flipped the puck at Niemi just a little over 1 minute into the period. The puck took a funny bounce of the ice and ricocheted off the post into the net past a surprised Niemi. 9 minutes later Dumont added his 2nd goal of the period and the Hawks trailed 2-1 with less than 10 minutes left in the game. The Hawks were dazed by the turn of events and could only manage 4 shots on goal the entire period. The Predators added 2 empty net goals with under a minute to play, and just like that, the Predators had stolen game 1 from the Hawks on their home ice at the United Center.
But the Hawks rallied on Sunday night, playing a near perfect game to earn the win. The Hawks will need to be patient and not try to force things too much. Each team will try to control the puck as much as possible, so if the Hawks can avoid any defensive lapses, they should be able to prevail in the series because they have way too many offensive weapons. The series could still go 6 or 7 games, but I’m thinking the Hawks will end up going forward when it’s all said and done.
The series resumes Tuesday night in Nashville. Look for another hard-fought defensive struggle by both teams.
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…
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…
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.
Team USA Crushes Finland, Advances to Gold Medal Game
Friday, February 26th, 2010 | Olympics Vancouver, Sports, Vancouver Olympics, Winter Olympics | No Comments
Team USA came out firing on all cylinders in today’s Semifinals match-up (a 6-1 drubbing) against Finland. Team USA scored 4 goals off of Finland Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff and took a commanding 6-0 lead after just 20 minutes of play. USA Goalie Ryan Miller put forth another solid effort – stopping all 18 shots he faced through the 1st 2 periods and 9 minutes of the 3rd period. Back-up goalie Tim Thomas replaced him in his 1st 2010 Olympics action and gave up 1 goal on a deflection with just over 5 minutes left in the game. Team USA will face the winner of the Slovakia-Canada Semifinal game to be played tonight.
Team USA goals came from Ryan Malone, Zach Parise, Erik Johnson, Patrick Kane (2) and Paul Stastny.
Team USA defeated Canada 5-3 in a hard-fought game this past Sunday which brought an end to the preliminary round of Olympics hockey. It was a major upset and a rematch would be one of the most highly-anticipated Olympics-hockey game in recent history…
Home “Not So” Sweet Home for Bulls & Blackhawks
Thursday, February 4th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, NBA, NHL, Sports | No Comments
Chicago NBA & NHL fans were eagerly awaiting the return of the Bulls & Blackhawks to the United Center this week. Unfortunately, while each team played a game at home in front of their raucous fans, the desired outcome – a win – didn’t happen as both teams laid eggs in their home court/ice.
Coming off a 5-game winning streak on the road against teams with winning records – the 1st time a team has ever done that in NBA history – the Bulls looked lethargic in their 90-82 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night at the UC. The Bulls shot just 38% from the floor and pretty much trailed the entire game. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 18 points, while Derrick Rose chipped in 16 points. To put the loss in perspective – the Bulls were 14-7 at home during the season entering the game and the Clippers had won just 6 games all season long on the road. Not good. The Bulls get another shot at redemption at the United Center against Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
Although the Blackhawks had lost the final game of their 8-game, 5-3 road trip all over the country, the Hawks were poised to make a good showing at home and improve upon their 21-5-1 record at the UC. After taking a 1-0 1st period lead, the Hawks collapsed in the 2nd period, giving up 3 goals to the Blues in a span of 8 minutes. Marian Hossa’s 16th goal of the season brought the Blackhawks within a goal with over 15 minutes still to play in the period, but the Hawks never tallied that final goal to send the game into overtime. As usual, the Hawks outshot their opponent by a wide margin – 34-19 – but in this instance, it didn’t equate to a victory. Patrick Kane scored his team-leading 22nd goal of the season in the loss. Luckily, the Hawks only have to wait 24 hours for a shot at redemption in front of the home town crowd when they host the Phoenix Coyote on Friday night at the UC.
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 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?!
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!
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