Hawks wallop Stars 8-1 in Dallas

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Brad Vandenberk| Leave a comment

By Brad Vandenberk

With Big Ten college basketball invading the United Center this weekend, it was time for the Blackhawks to embark on a 4 game road trip spanning over 7 days.  Game one was a tricky task beating the Blue Jackets in a shootout.  This was the last meeting between the two clubs for this year and in the years to come the Hawks and ‘Jackets will become less familiar.

Now that the NHL realignment has been approved from the players and the business end, Columbus will be heading east.  With the new division, currently under a naming process, the Hawks will only see those pesky Jackets twice a year.  A team they will begin to be acquainted with are the Stars from Dallas.  Dallas will move into the Hawks division which sees them playing each other 6 times a season.  The last time these two teams met was back in the first week of this shortened season.  Marian Hossa fired the overtime winner past Kari Lehtonen.  Read more »

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Hawks earn extra point in the shootout at Columbus

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks took two more hard fought points from the Blues Jackets at Nationwide Arena in a 2-1 shootout victory. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each scored in the shootout while Corey Crawford stopped two of the three Columbus shooters to seal the victory.

The Blue Jackets extended their point streak to 10 games but the club took only their second point from Chicago on the season. The Blackhawks won all four meetings between the two teams in what has turned out to be the final season that the two teams can be considered division rivals. It was far from an easy season sweep for the ‘Hawks, however, as each of those four victories were by one goal.

The fourth and final meeting of the season between the two teams was the longest yet, but despite a superb 39-save effort from Sergei Bobrovsky, the Blackhawks were able to beat the Jackets goaltender with each of their first two shootout attempts. Read more »

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Lindbloom’s View: How it Hangs on a Piece of Mind

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

LetsTalkAboutFeelingsIs getting punched in the face by John Scott an alternative?

“He disliked emotion, not because he felt lightly, but because he felt deeply.” – John Buchan

By Rich Lindbloom

To be honest with you, I had forgotten what it felt like after a Hawks loss. I had been perched on Cloud Nine, (clearly a million miles, from reality), for 24 games in a row. There’s such a feeling of “momentary” euphoria when we triumph over the known scoundrels in the NHL. Truly a case of good triumphing over evil – Truth, justice and the Chicago way. When we win, I devour every word of the postgame show as if something meaningful is actually being said. As the song goes, “Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.” While we all knew it couldn’t last, a feeling of invincibility and smugness had settled in during “The Streak.” Read more »

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Joakim Nordstrom to join IceHogs this week, more prospects on the way; update on Olesz, Montador on waivers

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Chris Block| 2 Comments
JoakimNordstrom_AIK_JesperZerman_seJoakim Nordstrom, photo credit: jesperzerman.se

By Chris Block

With the European leagues, U.S. collegiate hockey and Canadian junior hockey seasons winding down and beginning each of its playoffs, several Chicago Blackhawks prospects will soon arrive in Rockford, Illinois to cap off their seasons with a trial showcase at the American Hockey League level.

As we noted Sunday on Twitter, the first of those prospects will arrive in Rockford later this week.

Joakim Nordstrom, who the Blackhawks selected with the final pick (90th overall) in the 3rd round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, is expected to join the Rockford IceHogs by the end of the week. Read more »

Posted in Blackhawks, IceHogs, News and Notes, Prospects

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Four-Goal First Dooms Blackhawks-Fall to Oilers 6-5

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Jon Fromi| Leave a comment

By Jon Fromi

The Chicago Blackhawks spotted their opponents from Edmonton a four-goal lead in the first period before coming out to make a game of it. Unfortunately, the ‘Hawks could not overcome a pathetic start and lost their second game in a row 6-5 to the Oilers.

The game was dominated by Edmonton throughout the opening period. Niklas Hjalmarsson committed an early turnover in his zone that was gathered in by Ales Hemsky, but Hjalmarsson recovered nicely to prevent any damage. Damage was coming, however, as the Oilers scored twice in the third minute.

The first goal came when Mike Brown received a puck that was held in the Chicago zone and flung it from a few feet inside the blue line. The shot snaked past Ray Emery’s left pad and in at the 2:24 mark. A few seconds later, Sam Gagner completed a play that saw Nail Yakupov thread a pass to Magnus Paajarvi, who directed the puck to the doorstep. Gagner knocked in the pass to give his team a two-goal advantage. Read more »

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The Streak Is Over, Avs dominate Hawks 6-2

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Brad Vandenberk| Leave a comment

By Brad Vandenberk

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached the halfway point of the shortened NHL season and your Chicago Blackhawks have yet to lose a game in regulation.  Let’s see a show of hands of how many people thought this would happen.

At this stage let’s take a minute to review the season preview that was posted back in January.  There were a few statements that I made in believing what would make this Hawks team successful.

We will start from the goalies and make our way up to the forwards.  Corey Crawford and Ray Emery were viewed as being the “unknown” factors.  Read more »

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Lindbloom’s View: Another One Bites the Dust

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Rich Lindbloom| 1 Comment

image001(3)Another one bites the dust

“Are you ready
Are you ready for this
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
To the sound of the beat. “ – John Deacon

By Rich Lindbloom

One of my favorite things in life is when I see musicians that I’m not really familiar with, and they proceed to blow my socks off. The smaller the venue, the better. It can be jazz, blues, rock even a great musical like Wicked. One of the most exquisite shows I ever went to was at the Park West, on a cold December night. I think it was a WXRT show featuring Phillip Aaberg, Liz story and Night Noise. Before that night, I was unfamiliar with all three artists. I remember the Irish guy from Night Noise labeling one of Aaberg’s pieces “The NutRocker.”  All three played individual sets before joining forces in a “grand” finale. What’s that, you never heard of any of them? – That’s what I’m talking about. Read more »

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Ben Smith says he doesn’t regret fight that cost him a chance to make the Blackhawks for 2nd straight season; For now, focused on leading the IceHogs

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Chris Block| 7 Comments
Smith_Ben_IceHogsphoto courtesy of the Rockford IceHogs

The following is the piece published in Tuesday night’s issue of The Committed Indian, the official~unofficial Chicago Blackhawks home game night program, which you can buy individual copies or subscribe to at this link.

By Chris Block

You have to focus on what’s right in front of you and I think at that moment …  I was focused on winning two points against Grand Rapids and fortunately that night we did. –Ben Smith

With the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining dispute having been settled and NHL training camps set to commence in less than three days, Blackhawks prospect Ben Smith took to the BMO Harris Bank Center ice in Rockford on January 11th to face off with the IceHogs division-rival, and Detroit Red Wings farm team, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

At this time Smith was the IceHogs’ leader in goals scored, game-winning goals, a member of both the first-team power play and penalty killing units and among the top three forwards in ice time on a nightly basis.

And on a team up to that point which couldn’t help itself but take careless or undisciplined minor penalty after minor penalty, Smith had just 4 penalty minutes on the season and had not stepped foot in the penalty box since mid October.  That’s quite the accomplishment for the gritty and tenacious two-way forward Ben Smith is. Read more »

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Hawks need 3rd period comeback to beat Avs, 3-2; Shaw, Sharp leave game with injuries

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Brad Gardner| 2 Comments

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks escaped with 3-2 regulation victory over the visiting Colorado Avalanche Wednesday night at the United Center. Despite entering the third period down by a goal, the home team had the legs at the end to extend their streak to 24 games to start the season without a regulation loss.

Jonathan Toews scored a shorthanded goal early in the third period to tie the game, exploiting forward Ryan O’Reilly in the defensive zone for a highlight reel goal against Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov.

The score remained knotted for almost 17 minutes, but inside the final minute of regulation, Daniel Carcillo banged home a rebound to put the Blackhawks ahead. Marcus Kruger and Viktor Stalberg chipped in on the forecheck and the scramble in front of the net, but it was Carcillo’s whack that put the puck between Varlamov’s legs to seal the win. Read more »

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Streak 23-Blackhawks win 10th straight, top Wild 5-3

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Jon Fromi| Leave a comment

By Jon Fromi

The Chicago Blackhawks got a pair of goals from Bryan Bickell and a three-point night from Brandon Saad as the home team won a franchise-record tenth straight contest Tuesday night, a 5-3 decision over the Minnesota Wild.

On a night honoring Marian Hossa, the ‘Hawks used four unanswered goals in a six-minute span in the first period to avenge one of their three losses on the 2013 season. Chicago wins their 20th game and have now earned 43 of a possible 46 points.

In his first shift back from an upper body injury, Dave Bolland earned a high sticking penalty when his blade caught Torrey Mitchell in the face. Jonathan Toews had a breakaway chance even after losing his stick. Thanks to some NASCAR-like efficiency from the bench, Toews took a pass from Hossa but was turned away by Backstrom. The ‘Hawks did kill the penalty, however. Read more »

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