Category Archives: Brad Gardner

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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Blackhawks skid hits 3; Niemi Says No

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Brad Gardner| 1 Comment

By Brad Gardner

Despite a better effort at both ends of the ice from the Blackhawks, it was still not enough to get past Antti Niemi and the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. Despite a pronounced lead in the shot count and possession time, the Blackhawks fell by a score of 1-0 for their third consecutive regulation loss.

San Jose was strong out of the gate, registering four shots on Corey Crawford in the first four and a half minutes. The Sharks’ offense was limited by a couple penalties as well as Chicago’s puck possession and managed only one shot through the last 15 minutes of the first.

The ‘Hawks finished the first with 10 shots on Niemi, including a pair of breakaways. Brent Burns whiffed on clear and Marian Hossa picked up the loose puck but shot high. Bryan Bickell broke in alone shortly after, but Niemi was able to square up and snuff out another chance.

Momentum went back and forth in the second period as the team’s traded penalties and prime scoring chances. Jamie McGinn rang a shot off the post just after a San Jose power play ended and then leveled Chicago defenseman Nick Leddy for good measure. Hossa had another great opportunity when he split between the San Jose defensive pairing of Douglas Murray and Dan Boyle but his backhand shot went off the outside of the net. Read more »

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Boots to Asses: Oilers 9, Blackhawks 2

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment
photo credit: Yahoo! Sports

By Brad Gardner

The speed and skill of the Oilers put the Blackhawks on their heels early and the result was the worst whooping of the year for Chicago. Careless play with the puck and a parade to the penalty box in the second period sealed Chicago’s fate in their 9-2 shellacking at the hands of the young guns in Edmonton.

Ales Hemsky opened the scoring in the first minute by carrying the puck with speed into the zone and eluding a hip check by Steve Montador. The veteran winger had a clear lane to the net and beat Chicago’s starter Ray Emery over the glove.

Patrick Sharp knotted the game at one goal apiece just a couple minutes later. The first power play unit notched another goal after Sharp picked up a rebound off the post and beat Nikolai Khabibulin.

The speed of the Oilers started to wreak havoc for the Blackhawks, though, and the home team rattled off four unanswered goals through the rest of the first period. Ryan Jones scored a goal from a horrible angle against Emery and it was downhill from there for the ‘Hawks. Ryan Smyth’s team-leading 11th goal of the season came on a good set-up from Jordan Eberle, putting the Oilers up 3-1 just 7:32 into the first period. Read more »

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Emery, Blackhawks stop Calgary 4-1

Posted on November 12, 2011 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment

By Brad Gardner

Ray Emery got the call in the Blackhawks return to the United Center Friday night against the Calgary Flames, turning in his best effort of the season in Chicago’s second straight win. Goals from Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook turned out to be enough as the ‘Hawks held on to a lead in the third period for a 4-1 victory.

Duncan Keith, playing in his 500th career NHL game, opened the scoring 12:09 into the first period. Patrick Sharp sent a shot on net and Miikka Kiprusoff kicked out a juicy rebound into the slot. The Flames goalie attempted to play a shot from the closest ‘Hawk, but Dan Carcillo was taken out of the play by defenseman Scott Hannan. The puck continued out to Keith, who ripped a slap shot past Kiprusoff as he was caught out of position.

Despite a pair of power play opportunities later in the first, Chicago took the one goal lead into the intermission. Ray Emery was a big part of the lead as well, keeping Calgary off the board with a number of saves against traffic in front of the net. Read more »

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Lecavalier-St. Louis connection beat Hawks in OT; Stamkos nets hat trick

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Brad Gardner| 2 Comments

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks spent a majority of the first period in the offensive zone. Viktor Stalberg accounted for four of the Blackhawks’ 15 shots in the opening frame. He also missed the net four times, including an excellent set-up by Andrew Brunette coming out from behind the net.

Tampa was not without their chances in the first – the Lightning kept pace in terms of shots for much of the first half of the period. Ray Emery was strong on his post against a couple stuff attempts from Ryan Malone and he came up with a big save against Steven Stamkos on a breakaway as well. The second half of the period was all-Hawks as Tampa Bay did not register a shot over the final eight minutes of the period.

The scoreless first gave way to a couple quick strikes to start the second period. Stamkos notched his seventh goal of the season just 15 seconds into the middle frame, cashing in on a rebound from Emery after a shot from Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Patrick Sharp tied it less than a minute later, scoring the Hawks’ first power play goal since October, 22nd against Colorado. Jonathan Toews saucered a backhand pass across the crease to Sharp, who buried the puck in the wide open net. Chicago controlled the puck in the offensive zone for the full half minute that they spent on the power play, helped in part by Brent Seabrook making a nice play to keep the puck in the zone at the blue line. Read more »

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Avs tie game late, beat Hawks 5-4 in shootout

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Brad Gardner| 2 Comments

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks and Avalanche met for the second time in three nights as they took the ice for the back half of their home-and-home series. Corey Crawford and Semyon Varlamov again started between the pipes after an excellent duel Thursday night in Colorado, but neither would have such a strong showing in Saturday’s tilt.

After the Blackhawks carried play for a bulk of the first period, Colorado began to turn the tables in the  second half of the frame. The Avs eventually took the lead at the 16:09 mark of the first on a redirect in front of Corey Crawford. Paul Stastny beat everyone to a puck on forecheck and passed back to his blue line. Working his way across the slot, Stastny got his stick on a puck from Kyle Quincey and redirected it past Crawford to put Colorado on the board first.

The Avs took the one goal lead to the locker room, but it would not last long in the second. Michael Frolik brought the game even just 46 seconds into the middle period. Erik Johnson attempted an ill-advised pass up the center of the ice that was picked off by Frolik. He was wide open right in front of Varlamov’s net and buried the chance for his first goal of the season. Read more »

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Bruins top Hawks 3-2 in the shootout

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Brad Gardner| 7 Comments

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks entered Saturday’s tilt with Boston all too aware of what the Bruins’ struggling offense has experienced in the early stages of their Stanley Cup defense. Despite Boston’s slow start to the season, the marquee match-up between the league’s last two champions did not disappoint. Both teams carried play for stretches as they battled through 65 minutes, but it was Boston that eventually came away with two points in the shootout.

The squads traded chances in the early-going. Milan Lucic had several scoring opportunities on his own in the first period, the first one redirected high by the stick of Jonathan Toews and later a couple heavy shots on the rush that Corey Crawford was able to control. Patrick Kane’s line continued to create offense despite a new face in Viktor Stalberg on the right wing for an injured Marian Hossa. Their best chance came after Stalberg shielded the puck and passed to Kane, who drove unimpeded to the net but was robbed by the glove of Tim Thomas. Kane threw another backhand attempt at Thomas later in the period after using the spin-o-rama to get himself some space. Read more »

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Hawks Triumph 5-2 Past Stars in Home Opener

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Brad Gardner| 1 Comment

By Brad Gardner

After dropping the season opener in Dallas, the Blackhawks came out flying in the home opener in front of an announced 21, 647 at the United Center. Chicago jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second and it was enough of a cushion to hold off the Stars’ late push. The Hawks eventually walked away with a 5-2 win.

Andrew Raycroft was in net for the Stars despite Kari Lehtonen’s hurculean effort on Friday night in Dallas. Raycroft turned in a strong first period in keeping the puck out of the net – the Blackhawks outshot the visitors 10-2 in the first period – but Raycroft wasn’t handling too many shots cleanly.

Those miscues eventually cost him in the first period. On a Blackhawks’ power play, Patrick Sharp controlled the puck and tried to put it on net. His first attempt was blocked, but Sharp recovered and got his second attempt through to Raycroft. Andrew Burnette picked up the rebound and notched his first goal as a ‘Hawk with a backhander, putting Chicago on the board first. Read more »

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Pirri scores 2 more in another sluggish Hawks preseason loss

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Brad Gardner| 1 Comment

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks took the ice Friday night for their second meeting of the preseason with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens entered play in Chicago with a 4-0 record in the preseason having defended their home ice in the first meeting between the two teams, a 4-1 victory at the Consol Energy Center on September 22.

Special teams play was the story early on. Pittsburgh’s first goal came from former-Hawk Steve Sullivan on the power play just five seconds into the man advantage. Brandon Pirri had shot the puck over the glass, giving the Pens the extra man. The Pens controlled the ensuing faceoff and Kris Letang’s crossing pass found Steve Sullivan with time at the top of the left circle. Ray Emery didn’t stand much chance with Tyler Kennedy parked in front of the net.

Pittsburgh’s second goal, scored by Matt Cooke, came while the team was down a man. The penalty kill applied constant pressure while shorthanded throughout the game, but it was more of a fluke play that resulted in the goal. Ray Emery skated way out of his crease to play a loose puck, sending it off the boards and into the neutral zone. Cooke was the first one there and fired a slap shot from center ice that skipped over Emery’s stick and through a rather feeble attempt to block the shot from Brent Seabrook. Read more »

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Season Preview: Jonathan Toews

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Brad Gardner| 2 Comments
photo credit: Zimbio

By Brad Gardner

Jonathan Toews is returning for the second season of his five-year $31.5 million dollar contract extension as the Blackhawks’ leading scorer, cracking the 70 point mark for the first time in his career last season with 76 points in 80 regular season games. Of his 32 goals, just two short of his career-high of 34 set in 2008-09, eight of his markers were game-winners. Toews finished second on last year’s club with a plus-25 rating. He had 10 power play goals as well.

His strongest stretch came in the season’s second half as the Blackhawks hovered in and out of a playoff position on an almost nightly basis. The ‘Hawks captain scored 14 goals and 21 assists in 26 games during February and March, supplying the team with just enough offense down the stretch to hang on to the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Read more »

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