Category Archives: Brad Gardner

Blackhawks win 2-1, earn two huge points in Detroit

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Brad Gardner| 1 Comment

By Brad Gardner

The Chicago Blackhawks made it three straight wins as they captured round five (of six) against the Detroit Red Wings, grinding out another 2-1 win against the Central Division leaders. The ‘Hawks have now earned points in all five games against the Wings this season, earning a 3-0-2 record in the process. On Sunday, goals from Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane and another steady performance from Ray Emery earned the team two important points in the standings.

The Blackhawks made good on an early tripping penalty to Kyle Quincey, taking a 1-0 lead on Patrick Sharp’s power play goal 3:17 into opening period. Sharp’s slap shot from the blue line appeared to deflect off of defenseman Niklas Kronwall in front of the net and past Jimmy Howard. The goal was Sharp’s 25th of the season

Kronwall caught a break of his own a few minutes later, when he sent a slap shot from the blue line that beat Emery and tied the game up at one goal each. Emery’s vision was blocked by defenseman Johnny Oduya, leaving him helpless against the only goal of the game for the Wings. Read more »

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Blackhawks miss their call time in LA, Dustin Brown’s hat-trick powers Kings to 4-0 victory

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks were shellacked by the reinvigorated Los Angeles Kings, but it had little to do with the newly-acquired sniper Jeff Carter. Instead, it was the more recent subject of trade rumors surrounding the Kings, Dustin Brown, who scored a natural hat trick in the game’s first 25 minutes that proved to be an insurmountable lead for the home team.

While the Blackhawks had nary a shot to show for their first power play opportunity of the game, the Kings were able to capitalize on their first man advantage after John Scott got his elbow up finishing a check. Jarrett Stoll gained the offensive zone and dropped the puck to Dustin Brown along the sideboards. Stoll kept skating and drew Dylan Olsen out of position, giving Brown enough room to skate inside the dot and wrist the game’s first goal over Corey Crawford’s shoulder at 10:48. Read more »

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8 in a row

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment

By Brad Gardner

Another serviceable effort from the Blackhawks resulted in no points as they dropped their eighth straight game, falling to the Coyotes by a score of 3-0. The ‘Hawks found themselves in an early hole and did not have any comebacks in them tonight against a 38-save shutout from red-hot goalie Mike Smith in the Phoenix net.

The Blackhawks faced an uphill battle early with Phoenix scoring two goals in the first six  minutes of the opening period. Radim Vrbata continued to light up the ‘Hawks, registering his 26th goal of the season and third against Chicago when his pass from behind the net deflected into the net off defenseman Sami Lepisto. Viktor Stalberg was unable to clear the puck from the defensive zone and Ray Whitney and Vrbata attacked with a give-and-go the other way. Vrbata used his speed to skate in behind and Lepisto was in an unfortunate position as Vrbata tried to get the puck back to the front of the net, deflecting in the opening goal at 3:14 of the first period. Read more »

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How’bout that Sam Gagner? Oilers 8 – Hawks 4

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks returned to the scene of perhaps the lowest point of the season in their 9-2 drubbing at the hands of Edmonton in November. It was another nightmarish game for the ‘Hawks at Rexall Place as the Oilers came very close to appeasing the “We want 10!” chants from the November game, winning by a score of 8-4 behind an eight-point effort from Sam Gagner.

Jamal Mayers got things started 6:29 into the first period. He took a wrist shot a couple strides into the zone and the puck found it’s way past Dubnyk to the short side. The goal was Mayer’s fifth of the season and second in as many games.

Chicago carried the 1-0 lead into the first intermission and then Patrick Sharp extended it further 40 seconds into the second period. Patrick Kane robbed Ryan Smyth of the puck in the neutral zone and carried it into the zone with a 2-on-1 advantage. Kane set up Sharp for the one-timer, which beat Dubnyk between the legs as he slid across the crease.  Read more »

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Predators 5 – Blackhawks 2, Hossa strikes twice, Crawford pulled, Toews left arm in question

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks saw their seven-game point streak snapped after a sluggish game in Nashville against the division rival Predators. Despite two goals from Marian Hossa, a flurry of goals from the home team in the middle period turned out to be the difference in Chicago’s first regulation loss since January 6th.

The opening period was characterized by chippy play from both sides. Nashville out-chanced the visitors, but Marian Hossa managed to put the ‘Hawks on the board first on the team’s second shot of the period. Andrew Shaw dropped a short pass to Hossa at center ice, who gained the zone with enough speed to beat Shea Weber to the outside. He protected the puck as he crossed over and beat Rinne inside the right post for his 19th goal of the season.

Craig Smith drew the Preds even just over two minutes later with a power play goal. Rookie defenseman Ryan Ellis had an open lane from the blue line and Smith provided both the traffic in front of Blackhawks’ starter Corey Crawford and the finish on the rebound to make it a 1-1 game going into the first intermission. Read more »

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Late Flyers tally nips Blackhawks 3rd period comeback bid; Shaw fights, scores in NHL debut

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Brad Gardner| 1 Comment
Marian Hossa – photo: Getty/Yahoo! Sports

By Brad Gardner

Thursday marked the Blackhawks’ first appearance at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center since capturing the Stanley Cup there two seasons ago.

Both teams were coming off disappointing losses earlier in the week and brought the offense, totaling a combined 80 shots over the course of the game. Despite a better effort than they brought Monday against Edmonton, which culminated in a comeback from two goals down in the third period, Chicago fell short in regulation by a score of 5-4 and this time left Philadelphia empty-handed.

Jimmy Hayes found the back of the net for the second consecutive game on a give-and-go with Jamal Mayers. Philadelphia’s Zac Rinaldo tried to play the puck up the boards but Hayes got a stick on it and deflected the puck right to Mayers. He dished back to Hayes for a deflection between the legs of Ilya Bryzgalov for a 1-0 Chicago lead 3:01 into the game. Read more »

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No Redemption: Oilers slip by Hawks 4-3

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Brad Gardner| 1 Comment

By Brad Gardner

The Edmonton Oilers captured their second consecutive win against the Chicago Blackhawks with a 4-3 win Monday night at the United Center.  Edmonton’s power play unit struck twice after a major penalty was called against Daniel Carcillo and the visitors were able to hold onto the lead despite a late push from the Blackhawks.

Jonathan Toews opened scoring at 12:54 of the first period. He did not get a lot on his shot from the slot, but it nonetheless slid on the ice and beat Dubnyk inside the post to the glove side. Carcillo set up the chance with a steal in the neutral zone and a pass onto the stick of Toews.

The tide turned when Carcillo was called for a five minute boarding major in the second period. Skating in on the forecheck, Carcillo threw Oiler’s defenseman Tom Gilbert into the boards head first before either player had touched the puck. Gilbert ended up rolling on Carcillo’s left leg, so both players ended up injured and would not return to the game. Read more »

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Emery, Blackhawks win 5th straight; Quenneville’s 600th

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Brad Gardner| 3 Comments
Photo: @FaberBrandon

By Brad Gardner

There was no love lost in the third meeting of the season between Calgary and Chicago but it was the Blackhawks that put together another solid effort and came away with two points. The Western Conference foes combined for 61 PIMs and the Flames out-hit the ‘Hawks by a count of 31 to 12, but Chicago was able to get out to a lead and hold on against a late Calgary charge for the 4-2 victory.

Steve Montador gave the Blackhawks a first period lead when his slap shot beat Miikka Kiprusoff to the glove side 9:23 into the game. The ‘Hawks fourth line of Viktor Stalberg, Jamal Mayers, and Andrew Brunette applied the pressure in the offensive zone and had the Flames chasing the play along the wall. Mayers’ centering pass found Montador wide open in the slot, where he unleashed a heavy shot that found the net just inside the post.

Later in the opening frame, Brent Seabrook was on the receiving end of another bad hit from a former teammate when Rene Bourque checked him squarely in the back. Read more »

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Complete effort drives Hawks over Ducks 4-1

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment
photo: Yahoo! Sports

By Brad Gardner

Ray Emery earned another start in net with the Anaheim Ducks in town and helped the Blackhawks beat his former team by a score of 4-1. Emery’s shutout bid was spoiled by Teemu Selanne with less than two minutes to play in the game, but the veteran goalie turned in another strong start for Chicago in collecting his fourth consecutive win in as many starts.

Emery’s cause was aided by the effort of the skaters in front of him. For all the ink the ‘Hawks top players have earned so far this season, it was Jamal Mayers and the fourth line that opened the scoring for Chicago at the 6:37 mark of the first.

Andrew Brunette won the puck on the forecheck against Francois Beauchemin and passed it to an open Mayers behind the net. Jonas Hiller was slow to cover his post and Mayers was able to flip the puck off the goalie and into the net.

Chicago extended the lead quickly at the start of the second after pressure from Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp gave the ‘Hawks possession in the Duck zone. Sharp picked up a loose puck and fed Hossa driving in all alone on Hiller. Hossa powered the backhander through the legs of Hiller just over a minute into the second period to put the Blackhawks up by a pair of goals. Read more »

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Hossa strikes twice; Hawks hit right notes in St. Lou

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment
Hossa Face – photo: Yahoo! Sports

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks brought a better effort in the second half of the back-to-back, downing the division rival St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-2.

Ray Emery earned his fourth win of the season over the Blues’ Brian Elliott, who has been one of the league’s top goalies so far this season. The see-saw opening 30 minutes included the Blues relinquishing a pair of one-goal advantages to the ‘Hawks before Chicago’s special teams took over in the middle frame to capture and secure the lead for the visiting Blackhawks.

Blues forward David Perron returned to the line-up for his first game since November 4th, 2010, having missed 97 games while he was out with a concussion. In his second shift of the game, Perron continued his torment of the Blackhawks with the game’s opening goal.

Patrik Berglund’s centering pass deflected off a Chicago skate and rolled directly onto Perron’s stick in front of the Chicago goal. The winger had time and patiently played the puck to his forehand before roofing his shot over a downed Emery. Steve Montador was the closest ‘Hawk, but was unable to make the play with his stick as it was tangled up in Blues forward Matt D’Agostini. Read more »

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