Tag Archives: Flames

Toews, Kane tally in regular season home finale win

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks completed the season sweep of the Calgary Flames on Friday night with a 3-1 win at the United Center. First period goals from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews proved to be enough for the home team, which had little to play for having clinched home ice advantage throughout the playoffs with their win on Wednesday.

Corey Crawford bounced back with a win in net after going 0-1-1 in his previous two starts. Crawford played over 46 minutes in Wednesday’s game in Edmonton, stopping all 14 shots that he faced, but that decision went to the game’s starter, Ray Emery, who left in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Back at home on Friday, Chicago iced a lineup that is likely very close to the one that will be deployed when the playoffs begin next week. Dave Bolland remained out of the lineup due to a groin injury and Niklas Hjalmarsson was also scratched, but otherwise the regulars were utilized normally. Read more »

Share

Posted in Blackhawks, Game recap

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Blackhawks rebound, blank Flames

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Jon Fromi| Leave a comment

By Jon Fromi

The Chicago Blackhawks got goals from two defensemen Tuesday night with some help from Patrick Kane. Ray Emery and the defense took care of the rest as the ‘Hawks snapped back from Monday’s loss, defeating the Calgary Flames 2-0.

The Blackhawks had an early opportunity forty seconds in when Niklas Hjalmarsson held a puck in the Calgary zone. Patrick Kane centered to Dave Bolland, but the Rat couldn’t evaluate the puck past Mikka Kiprusof. Bolland took a high stick from Jerome Iginla at the 2:11 mark to set up the first power play of the night. Kane made a nice move late but Viktor Stalberg couldn’t provide the finish thanks to Chris Butler’s skate.

The first goal belonged to Chicago on a play started when Kane attempted to center to Bolland again in the eighth minute. The puck eluded Bolland but was retrieved by Nick Leddy at the left circle. Leddy’s shot glanced off of the left pad of Kiprusoff and into the goal to make it 1-0 7:09 into the first. Read more »

Share

Posted in Blackhawks, Game recap, Jon Fromi

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

Lindbloom’s View: Introducing Flex Seal

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Rich Lindbloom| Leave a comment
Lindbloom_PhilSwift_2013Feb06“What he did was criminal.” Joel Quenneville on Razor’s performance vs. Calgary

By Rich Lindbloom

If you spend any time watching the NHL Network, you’re probably quite familiar with the man sitting in the boat with the screen door bottom. “Hawker” extraordinaire, Phil Swift, exuberantly promotes this new miracle product, finishing his pitch with the classic, “Buy one can, and we’ll send you another one for free –“but you must order now!” Uncle Rico and his sailing-ship-in-a-bottle offer got nothing on this guy. Just how good at sealing leaks is this supernatural product? Well, you get a little idea when you see Phil with a can standing on the Hoover Dam. I’m pretty sure even Blues fans could put 2 + 2 together on that image. Read more »

Share

Posted in Rich Lindbloom

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

Emery makes 45 saves, ices Flames 3-2 in shootout

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Brad Gardner| Leave a comment

By Brad Gardner

The Blackhawks got back into the win column on Saturday night in Calgary, pulling out a 3-2 victory in their third consecutive game decided by shootout.

Patrick Kane scored the deciding goal in the shootout, but Ray Emery was the story of the game. Making just his second start of the season, the veteran goaltender made 45 saves against perpetual pressure from the Calgary Flames.

Emery saw plenty of action in the opening frame, but apart from a couple rebounds let out in front of his net, he did not have any trouble getting locked into the game early.

He showed good positioning, making an early save on a Dennis Wideman shot that was deflected in front of the net. Emery also received a little help from the post in the latter half of the period. Following a quick give-and-go with Alex Tanguay, Mike Cammalleri saw some open net to the far side but drew iron with a one-timed shot. Read more »

Share

Posted in Blackhawks, Game recap

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Blackhawks trade for goalie Karlsson, send him to Rockford; Carter Hutton uncertainty; Flick could get minimum of 6 games

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Chris Block| 5 Comments

By Chris Block

On Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks traded a 7th round draft pick in 2013 to the Calgary Flames in exchange for 29-year old goaltender Henrik Karlsson.

The Stockholm, Sweden native served as Miikka Kiprusoff’s backup in Calgary during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.  Over that span, Karlsson appeared in 26 games posting a record of 5-9-8 with a 90.5% save percentage and a 2.79 goals against average.  Karlson was 1-4-2 last season in Calgary.  His only victory came on the final day of the regular season and he posted a 3.17 GAA and 90.0% save percentage in his nine appearances overall.

The Blackhawks then immediately assigned Karlsson to their AHL affiliate, Rockford IceHogs.  The pick used by Chicago general manager Stan Bowman in this deal is one he had previously acquired from Ottawa on December 2, 2011 when the Blackhawks traded forward Rob Klinkhammer (who was struggling mightily in Rockford at the time) to the Senators for a 7th round pick.

The 6 foot 6 inch Henrik Karlsson is expected to be in Rockford this week and suited up for the IceHogs next game on Friday when Rockford plays host to the Chicago Wolves.

We’ll know more soon, but it seems as though there is concern Rockford has an immediate need for a dependable AHL goaltender.

Karlsson joins Carter Hutton, 27, and Alec Richards, 25, on the IceHogs roster. Read more »

Share

Posted in Blackhawks, IceHogs, News and Notes, Trade

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

Blackhawks trade Connelly to Calgary for Morrison

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Chris Block| 4 Comments

By Chris Block

As expected, Stan Bowman pulled the trigger on his first deal well-ahead of the February 27th trade deadline, sending defense prospect Brian Connelly to the Calgary Flames in exchange for veteran center Brendan Morrison.

“He’s a centerman and he’s got a long pedigree of being a good offensive performer,” Stan Bowman said speaking about Morrison on the team’s web site.  “I think having that experience and that ability gives us a lot of options depending on where Joel wants to use him.”

Morrison, 36, has spent the past season and a half with the Flames.  Chicago will be Morrison’s sixth NHL stop in five seasons.  The 5-11 center was drafted out of the University of Michigan by the New Jersey Devils but would move on to spend parts of 8 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks (2000-08).  Morrison was traded in March of 2000 to the Canucks for Alexander Mogilny.

The Blackhawks get a center who can set the table for skilled wingers while being defensively responsible.  While falling down the Flames’ depth chart, Morrison was averaging 13 minutes per night and winning 50.3% of his face offs this season. Read more »

Share

Posted in Blackhawks, Trade

Tagged , , , , , ,

Decision to rush Seabrook back just plain dumb

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Chris Block| 1 Comment

By Chris Block

First off, the Blackhawks have indicated that Brent Seabrook will play tonight in Pittsburgh when Chicago meets the injury-plagued Penguins.

NHL head of discipline Brendan Shanahan suspended Calgary Flames’ winger Rene Bourque two games for his check from behind on Brent Seabrook in Sunday’s game at United Center.

Bourque, a close friend of Seabrook’s, drove the Blackhawks’ defenseman head first into the glass along the boards inside Chicago’s zone with 4:35 remaining in the opening period of a 4-2 Hawks victory.

Seabrook appeared to be momentarily knocked out after his head was driving into the glass just above the boards, the area of the glass with the least give.  Seabrook was able to get up under his own power and skate off the ice, but he was ruled out of the game by Blackhawks doctors during the first intermission.

 

Seabrook has had two known concussion in the past 21 months.  The most recent, came on the brutal hit Raffi Torres threw on Seabrook behind the Blackhawks’ net during Game 3 of the 2011 opening round playoff series with Vancouver. Read more »

Share

Posted in Game highlights, Injury

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Win streak ends at 4; Hawks Drop One to Flames

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Jon Fromi| 2 Comments
Curtis Glencross – photo credit: Yahoo! Sports

By Jon Fromi

The Chicago Blackhawks were coming off a four-game win streak and looking to keep rolling atop the NHL. A spotty defensive effort in Calgary Friday night, coupled with two goals by the Flames in the first two minutes of the second period, led to a 5-2 defeat.

In the first period, the pace was to Chicago’s liking. Jonathan Toews took a pass from Marian Hossa in the fifth minute that Miikka Kiprusoff stopped with his pad. Toews hacked the puck into the goal, but it was waved off when the referee ruled the play whistled dead before the puck crossed the line.

The Flames drew first blood just over a minute later. Lee Stempniak came up with a loose puck and went the distance into the Chicago zone. Coming up the right side, Stempniak badly beat Duncan Keith to the inside and slapped it high to Corey Crawford’s stick side, giving Calgary a 1-0 lead.

The Blackhawks returned fire on the following shift. Nick Leddy got it started with a pass across the ice to Toews, and the captain brought the puck across the blue line and powered toward the net. Viktor Stalberg crashed the net, got inside position on Jay Bouwmeester with a nice move, and tapped in the centering pass to tie the contest. Read more »

Share

Posted in Game recap, Jon Fromi

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

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 »

Share

Posted in Brad Gardner, Game recap

Tagged , , , , , ,

MetroCentre renamed, new IceHogs coaches, Nylander comeback, more Hawks news and notes

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Chris Block| 1 Comment


A couple IceHogs’ notes from last week.

–After years of trying, the Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment [RAVE] Authority finally leased the naming rights to the MetroCentre.

RAVE leased those rights to BMO Harris Bank for a period a five years and a total of $1.3 million, according to a Rockford Register-Star report.

The MetroCentre will now be known as BMO Harris Bank Center.

Blackhawks President and CEO John McDonough spoke at the press conference at the MetroCentre on Friday.  Harris is also a prime sponsor of the Blackhawks.  The Rockford deal actually isn’t completely finalized, but a joint memorandum indicated all points will be in place by December 15.

The arena management giant S.M.G. brokered the deal.  S.M.G. has been responsible for booking the MetroCentre since last September.  BMO Harris had already been sponsoring the winter synthetic outdoor ice rink a couple of blocks from the arena at Davis Park, which the RAVE Authority also oversees.

A “grand re-opening” is planned for the IceHogs preseason home opener on September 28.

The ‘BMO’ comes from Bank of Montreal.  I am not making this up – The correct pronunciation on the abbreviation BMO is “Bee-mo”.  So this season, if you take in an IceHogs’ home game, you should say you’re headed to the Bee-Mo, or Bee-mo Harris Bank Center. Read more »

Share

Posted in News and Notes

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