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 »

Posted in Brad Gardner, Game recap

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Lindbloom: Goon Game and the Panic Dance

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| 1 Comment

“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job.” – James 5:3

By Rich Lindbloom

“If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”  Actually, you’re thinking you’d rather punch someone in the face about right now, aren’t you? The 7 game losing streak has seemed to take the life out of Blackhawk fandom, as most prepare for the worst. While not on par with the collapse of the ‘69 Cubs or the ’11 Red Sox, a lot of fans are abandoning ship. Personally, I’ve exhausted all the possibilities when attempting to answer my friend’s question, “What’s wrong with your Blackhawks?” As the Lemonhead song goes, “Patience is like bread I say, I ran out of it yesterday.” Read more »

Posted in Rich Lindbloom

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Kruger scores twice; Hawks slide slips to 7 in San Jose

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Brad Vandenberk| Leave a comment

By Brad Vandenberk

After a lengthy film session in Denver University on Wednesday morning and a “back to basics” practice on Thursday in California, the Chicago Blackhawks were back on the ice Friday night in San Jose trying to snap a six game losing streak.

The film session took place in a theatre that had the perfect set up to run through game tape of their 5-2 loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday night.  The session took longer than normal, but at this stage the Hawks were attempting anything to break this streak.    After travelling to San Jose and took to the ice to practice “hockey 101”.  If the current six game losing streak wasn’t enough, the flu bug was also flying around the locker room as four Hawk players took the day off practice.  Steve Montador was also missing from practice, but it was not due to the flu.  Monty suffered an upper body injury during the game on Tuesday and was placed on Injured Reserve Friday morning.  Dylan Olsen was recalled from the IceHogs to replace the injured Montador.   To rub more salt in the wound, Niklas Hjalmarsson, who originally had the flu, was then diagnosed with an upper body injury.  Both Nik and Monty flew back to Chicago and will not be playing Saturday night in Phoenix either.  Read more »

Posted in Blackhawks, Game recap

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

IceHogs takedown Wolves in first of weekend set

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Chris Block| 2 Comments

By Chris Block

Alexander Salak showed no signs of a goaltender who hadn’t played in two months on Friday night as he backstopped the Rockford IceHogs to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Chicago Wolves.

In fact, it was probably the best Salak has played in his 11 starts thus far as an IceHog.

“He was real good,” IceHogs coach Ted Dent said of his goaltender’s 27 save performance.  “So was their guy (Eddie Lack).  It was a low scoring game and real good goaltending both ways.”

The returning Salak, out of action since suffering an ankle injury during the opening seconds of the second period in a game on December 2nd against Lake Erie, looked as sharp and composed as he has to date.  The Wolves came at him hard, as they had in two previous contests back in October (Salak’s first two starts of the season), bumping and crowding the goaltender’s crease often.  Previously, those sorts of actions seemed to nudge Salak off his focus, once even causing Salak to throw his equipment across the ice, but not on Friday evening before a crowd of 4,501 at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Read more »

Posted in Game recap, IceHogs

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Montador to IR, Blackhawks recall Olsen; IceHogs get Danis-Pepin

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Chris Block| 1 Comment

Today, the Blackhawks placed defenseman Steve Montador (upper body) on the Injured Reserve list.  Montador was injured in Tuesday night’s loss at Colorado.

In his place, the Blackhawks have recalled 21-year old Dylan Olsen from the Rockford IceHogs.

Olsen played in two games for the Blackhawks (January 5 @ Philadelphia, January 6 vs Colorado) last month and posted four shots on goal.  He was held off the scoresheet but also left the Hawks an even plus/minus.

Read our profile on Dylan Olsen published in late December, eight days before his first NHL call up.

In 44 games with the IceHogs this season, Olsen has 4 goals, 3 assists and is a minus-4.  Two of his four goals have come in Rockford’s last four games. Read more »

Posted in News and Notes

Tagged , , ,

IceHogs revert to old ways, 3 games below .500

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Chris Block| 6 Comments

By Chris Block

Wednesday night’s 4-3 loss to the visiting Lake Erie Monsters played out like a tale of two teams for this season’s Rockford IceHogs.

After an opening period which saw the IceHogs pepper Lake Erie’s veteran goaltender, and Chicago area product, Gerald Coleman with 17 shots, but not many second chance opportunities, Rockford went into the first intermission with nothing to show for their efforts.  The IceHogs then came out flat for the second period and quickly found themselves down 2-0 after some unfortunate turnovers.  Despite dominating the first period, Rockford reverted to its October through mid-December form in letting game get away from them on home ice.  By the midway point of the third Rockford was in a 4-1 hole.  But then, the IceHogs of the month of January suddenly reappeared and put up a challenge.  Dylan Olsen unleashed a howitzer of a one-timer to get his team within two goals with less than two minutes to play and a late Lake Erie penalty allowed Rockford to pull within one with 18 seconds to go.

This was the second consecutive game in which Rockford greatly outshot its opponent and lost.  Last Friday in Rosemont, the IceHogs out shot the Wolves 32-18, but lost the contest 4-2.  They were also down three goals with a minute left in that game.

On Wednesday night, Rockford out shot Lake Erie 17-7 in the first period.  None of those chances better than when Rostislav Olesz blew by two defenseman, Cameron Gaunce and Stefan Elliott, then wristed his shot too high over the glove of Coleman, who just got a piece of Olesz’s attempt as well. Read more »

Posted in Game recap, IceHogs

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Blackhawks Drop Sixth Straight, 5-2 to Avalanche

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Jon Fromi| Leave a comment

By Jon Fromi

The Chicago Blackhawks game in Colorado Tuesday night was a matchup of two teams looking to break out of five-game winless streaks. Someone was going to taste their first win in a while in the Pepsi Center. The ‘Hawks will have to look to break out of their growing slump further West after three third period goals sunk Chicago. Paul Stastny and David Jones led the way as the Avalanche beat the Blackhawks 5-2.

Both teams took nine shots in the first period, none of which found their way past Emery or Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The Avalanche had a couple of odd man rushes that were turned away, most notably by Duncan Keith when Colorado threatened to put of a short-handed goal on a ‘Hawks power play in the fifteenth minute.

Late in the period a bouncing puck got away from Niklas Hjalmarsson, leading to a 2-on-1 led by Stansty. Chuck Kobasew was set up with an open goal, but hit the side of the net with his one-timer. Read more »

Posted in Blackhawks, Game recap, Jon Fromi

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lindbloom: Don’t fret those missed notes

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

“When you’re alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go, downtown” - Petula Clark

It was sometime around 1989 that I had the great fortune of seeing the two virtuoso’s pictured above. It was probably the highlight of an evening that held great expectations for me. I had asked a young damsel out on, sort of, a blind date. She was a great setter on this co-rec volleyball team I played on. After deliberating at length whether or not I should ask her out, I finally picked up the phone and nervously inquired if she had any plans for the evening. She wanted to know where we were going, however I told her it would have to remain a surprise. I did give her a hint, I told her it involved going “downtown.” As Petula Clark sang in that wonderful song, I was hoping we’d be “listening to the rhythm of the gentle bossa nova;” that we’d be “dancing with them too, before the night was over.” Read more »

Posted in Rich Lindbloom

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Hawks lose in Calgary, drop 5th straight game

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Brad Vandenberk| 4 Comments

By Brad Vandenberk

After allowing Sam Gagner to tie an Edmonton Oilers point per game record with eight points (4G, 4A) while suffering an 8-4 loss, the Chicago Blackhawks embarked on a three and a half hour bus drive south to play the Calgary Flames.  This would be the third of a nine game road trip for the Hawks.  The message was easy.  Keep the game simple, play defensive hockey and the goals will come.  The Flames were looking to extend their 3 game winning streak at home versus the Hawks.  Coach Q’s boys are scheduled to head back to Chicago after this game and then make their way to Colorado on Tuesday.  They will finish next week in San Jose and Phoenix with another back to back on Friday and Saturday.

Ray Emery got the call in net after coming in for Crawford during the Oilers game, the night previous when Emery allowed 3 goals on 13 shots.  Miikka Kiprusoff was between the pipes for the home town Flames.  Andrew Brunette was injured during the Oilers game and is diagnosed with an upper body injury. Read more »

Posted in Blackhawks, Game recap

Tagged , , , , ,

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 »

Posted in Blackhawks, Brad Gardner, Game recap

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,