Tag Archives: Brandon Bollig

Coyotes jump to 2-1 series lead, Torres KO’s Hossa

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Brad Gardner| 2 Comments

By Brad Gardner

Another tightly contested game between Phoenix and Chicago saw the visiting Coyotes take the series advantage. The visiting Coyotes escaped with a 3-2 overtime win on Tuesday night. Mikkel Boedker was the ovetime hero for Phoenix on a sharp-angle goal at the 13:15 mark of the extra session.

The first period was marred by a late hit from Raffi Torres on Marian Hossa right in front of the ‘Hawks bench. Early signs were not good, as Hossa dropped to the ice, slamming the back of his head, and Blackhawks medical staff jumped over the boards before the puck was even blown dead. Little time was wasted before the stretcher was brought out and Hossa wheeled to an ambulance, at which point he was communicating but had still not yet regained movement. Fortunately, he was able to return home, under further monitoring, with what is being called a broken jaw. Read more »

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Lindbloom’s View: The Incredible Bickell

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment

Bickell emerges as frontrunner for John Druce Award

By Rich Lindbloom

OK, you can breathe now. With seconds remaining on the jobing.com Center’s scoreboard, the Blackhawks managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Despite outshooting the dogged Coyotes 50-33, the Hawks were quite fortunate to emerge triumphant over a tenacious, disciplined Phoenix squad. Bryan Bickell scored two goals, including the game winner in overtime late Saturday night; or was it early Sunday morning? He’s clearly the front runner for the John Druce Award, named after a role player who scored 14 goals in 15 games for Washington in the 1990 playoffs. Although goals are an obvious mark of a player’s efficacy, they often overshadow the less refined parts of the game. Refined is not generally a word associated with Bickell; he’s more like a working man’s hero. Just prior to his game winner, Brian started throwing his body around like dat Buff-lin guy did a few years ago. (Now that’s hockey.) I believe on one shift he clobbered three different Coyotes, seeming to take a sadistic delight inflicting pain upon his unsuspecting prey. Read more »

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Blackhawks tie series 1-1 with more late night heroics

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Brad Vandenberk| Leave a comment

By Brad Vandenberk

Instead of white t- shirts on the seats of the Jobing.com arena, Game 2 of the western conference quarterfinal saw white pom pom’s riddled throughout the arena.  The Chicago Blackhawks needed a big win to avenge the loss they suffered on Thursday night in overtime.  Martin Hanzal’s tip past Corey Crawford gave the Coyotes and 1-0 lead in the series.  The Hawks were looking to head back to Chicago with a split in the series.  Read more »

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Kane scores twice to force overtime, Blackhawks lose to Wild in a shootout

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Brad Vandenberk| Leave a comment

By Brad Vandenberk

After clinching their fourth consecutive playoff appearance on Saturday night, the Chicago Blackhawks were back in action Sunday evening to face the playoff-eliminated Minnesota Wild.  The night earlier the Hawks blew a 4-0 lead to a Nashville Predators quad which the Hawks could see in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks came out victors with a 5-4 win.  With a win Sunday, the Hawks could leap frog both the Predators and the Detroit Red Wings for 4th place in the Western conference.  The Hawks sat in 6th in the West with home ice advantage in sight.  The question is – Do the Hawks want to face the Wings or Preds in the first round?  With Jonathan Toews now cleared for contact, the good ship Blackhawk will be cruising, heading into the first round no matter which foe they encounter.  After Corey Crawford stole a Hawks win last night in the country music capital, Ray Emery started between the pipes for this match.  This would give Emery a chance to get some game action in, in case he is called upon during the playoffs.  Andrew Brunette was replaced by Michael Frolik as the top line winger.  Brunette was seen limping around the arena early Sunday.  He was later declared out with a lower body injury.  The Wild played the night before as well, beating the LA Kings in a shootout.  Josh Harding got the start for the Wild.  Duncan Keith was serving the last game of his five game suspension.  He will return to the line up on Thursday, when the Hawks travel to Minnesota to face the Wild.  Read more »

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Blackhawks lay down for Predators

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Brad Gardner| 4 Comments

By Brad Gardner

The Nashville Predators have had a way of bringing out the worst in the Blackhawks this season. That trend continued on Sunday as the Predators won a convincing 6-1 decision over the Hawks in Chicago. The Hawks finished with more shorthanded chances than power play shots as they stared down a multiple goal deficit for much of the contest. Nashville has now taken nine of a possible ten points against Chicago this season and has a four point lead in the standings as both teams have six games left to play.

Corey Crawford started the game but allowed four goals on 15 shots in 42 minutes before he was pulled in favor of Ray Emery. The veteran Emery allowed two third period goals on nine shots. The six goals against was the most for Chicago since February 2nd when they gave up eight goals to the Oilers while deep in the throes of that nine-game losing streak. Read more »

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Hawks Score Early and Often, Sweep Season Series with Columbus

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Jon Fromi| Leave a comment

By Jon Fromi

The Chicago Blackhawks visited the doormat that is the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday night. The Blackhawks had not dropped a contest to the visiting Blue Jackets all season, and a strong effort in the opening minutes paved the way for an easy 5-1 victory.

Chicago took control of the contest in the fifth minute when Bryan Bickell went to the corner for a loose puck, won the ensuing battle, and threw the puck off of the appropriately positioned Andrew Shaw and into the Columbus net. Shaw got the credit for the goal and the ‘Hawks led 1-0 just 4:12 into the game.

Patrick Sharp doubled that lead two minutes later after Viktor Stalberg found him in the corner just short of the goal line. Sharp let fly with a shot that caromed off of goalie Steve Mason and in to make it 2-0 with just 6:17 gone in the opening period. Read more »

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Lindbloom: On Kitchen Sinks, and your Blackhawks

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Rich Lindbloom| 1 Comment

Seen sliding through Halak’s five hole in the Shoot Out

By Rich Lindbloom

Jaroslav Halak gave it the old college try Tuesday night, no doubt about that. He made 43 saves, valiantly trying to withstand the fury, unrelenting attack and irresistible force unleashed by a Blackhawk team that appears to be taking matters into their own hands. If the Blues are the number one team in hockey, (deservedly so I might add), I’m a little more optimistic about our playoff chances. Actually, I’ve had the Hawks penciled in all the way to the Cup Finals for some time now.

The 65 minute beat down over a lethargic, uninspired, out worked and undermanned Blues squad does wonders to bolster my confidence. Think about it – the team noted by several St. Louis Game Time posters as being too thin, just defeated Lunquist, narrowly lost to Quick in a shootout and made Halak stand on his head for most of the game Tuesday night. Does that sound like a team that’s hanging on by a thread? Read more »

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Third period comeback propels Hawks over Blues

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Brad Vandenberk| Leave a comment

By Brad Vandenberk

The Chicago Blackhawks captain was still sidelined with an upper body injury as the league leading St Louis Blues rolled into town.  Although whispers were heard throughout the United Center for a Jonathan Toews return this week, he had not practiced the past two days and did not lace the skates up for this one.  The Hawks played the Blues in St Louis just seven days ago and got beat up physically and on the scoreboard, losing 5-1.  The Hawks are still sitting in the 6th spot in the western conference but are beginning to feel the heat from the 7th and 8th position.  After suffering a shootout loss on Sunday night to the LA Kings, a big win was needed from a central divisional rival.  Ray Emery, still crowned the number one goalie, started for the Hawks and Jaroslav Halak continued the Blues dominance between the pipes.  The same Hawks line-up that squared up against the Blues last week stood intact for this match.

Less than a minute into the game, Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane break in on a 2 on 1, but Halak was there to shut the door.  Read more »

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Desperate Kings pickup two points in Chicago

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Brad Gardner| 1 Comment

By Brad Gardner

Jonathan Quick continued to baffle the Blackhawks when his Kings club visited the United Center on Sunday evening. The Blackhawks battled back to tie the game twice and earn one point in the standings, eventually falling to Mike Richards’ conversion in the shootout for a final score of 3-2.

The Kings set the tone early with a chance off the opening faceoff. Nick Leddy fumbled a pass to his defensive partner that was picked up by Dwight King. He broke in between the two defenders on Ray Emery but the ‘Hawks goaltender was able to deny the game’s first shot.

Slava Voynov was able to get one by Emery a few minutes later. Duncan Keith pinched into the offensive zone but had the puck poked away by Justin Williams. The sent the Kings in on a 4-on-1 against Brent Seabrook, who sold out to take away the passing lane. Williams still had room to get the puck to Voynov, who beat Emery wide to the glove side for the rookie defenseman’s fifth tally of the season. Read more »

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Wild Third Period Nets ‘Hawks 4-3 win over Rangers

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Jon Fromi| Leave a comment

By Jon Fromi

The Chicago Blackhawks erased a third period deficit with three goals in the final seven minutes. Johnny Oduya led the attack with a goal and an assist as the ‘Hawks prevailed over the New York Rangers 4-3 in front of the 180th straight sellout crowd at the United Center.

Chicago got a big scoring opportunity seconds into the game when Duncan Keith made an area pass that Marian Hossa caught up to. Hossa beat the Ranger defense to the net, but Henrik Lundqvist snuffed out the shot.

From there, it was back and forth hockey with both teams getting their chances. Lundqvist and Ray Emery kept both teams honest along with their defenses. The ‘Hawks killed off the only penalty of the period, a delay of game call that came when returning defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson closed his hand on the puck late in the sixteenth minute. Read more »

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