A Case of the Blues
Looking to come off back to back losses, the Hawks were in St. Louis Tuesday night to face the Blues, a team that has 2 straight victories and playing some great hockey. Antti Niemi got the start for the visitors, trying to get the Hawks back on track making their run through the playoffs. Things started out very promising in the first period, but the defense folded throughout the next two periods, giving the Blues a 4-2 win and a three game winning streak.
As it always is in Blues-Hawks games, the physical aspect was front and center. A pair of No. 55 dropped the gloves in Ben Eager and Cam Janssen, and bodies were being thrown around heavily all game long. Patrick Sharp got the scoring started in the 1st, receiving a pass through the neutral zone from captain Jonathan Toews, that sent Sharp on a breakaway and beat Chris Mason on the backhand. Alexander Steen got the Blues on the board mid-way through the 1st, beating Antti Niemi through a screen making it 1-1. With under 5 minutes left in the period, Jonathan Toews was all alone in on Mason, but was hooked from behind drawing a penalty. Before the Blues could gain control of the puck, Marian Hossa went to the backhand and beat a sprawled out Mason to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead going into the 1st intermission. (more…)
Time for Concern?
The Chicago Blackhawks are going the wrong direction as they head into their playoff run, suffering a 4-2 loss Sunday night at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets, whom have now beaten the Hawks twice in the last week. This leaves many fans to wonder what the state of the team is like heading into the most important part of the year.
The first period started very optimistically for the home side. David Bolland won a draw in the offensive zone back to Brent Seabrook, who unloaded a bomb from the point, and goaltender Steve Mason gave up a big rebound to Bolland who finished on the backhand, giving the Hawks a fast start out of the gates. The lead was short-lived, and the Jackets struck back quickly, with a goal from Andrew Murray in a scrum in front of goalie Antti Niemi, making it a 1-1 game going into the 2nd period. (more…)
Change in the Air?
At the beginning of the season, Cristobal Huet was the Hawks No.1 goaltender, but it wasn’t without questions or concerns. Huet is a very streaky net-minder, going games looking like one of the best goalies in the league, but then follows with a stretch of games looking like he is a rookie. After coming off last season as a backup, Huet has gone 26-14-4 in 44 games played in his first full season as the Hawks starter.
Some thought that Antti Niemi would become the starter by the end of the season, and even though Huet may still have the starting role, Niemi has given the Hawks a lot to think about going into next season. Niemi is a young, fresh talent that goes well with the chemistry of the team. (more…)
Collapse in Columbus
After the big win at home against the Phoenix Coyotes, the Hawks looked to continue their strong playoff push against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Cristobal Huet got the start in the game, his first in almost 2 weeks after being sidelined with the flu. From the first minute of the game, the Hawks were outplayed in all aspects of the game. Mike Commodore put the Jackets up 1-0 no more than 1 minute into the game, and Kristian Huselius tallied his 22nd goal of the year to make it a 2-0 lead after the first period. The first period was very physical, as it always is when these two teams meet. They are bitter division rivals, and even though Columbus is out of the playoff mix, at 30-32-12, the Hawks knew they would be in for a fight.
Kris Versteeg tallied his 17th goal of the season two minutes into the second, and the Hawks cut the lead to 2-1. However, Huselius scored his second goal of the game, a soft goal at that, and the floodgates were openned. Columbus would go on to score 3 more times in the period and took a 6-1 lead into the second intermission. Huet was pulled and Antti Niemi, coming off of his shutout against the Coyotes, was put in for the last 3 minutes of the second, letting up a goal to Andrew Murray which made it 6-1. Huet would later return for the 3rd period. (more…)
Head Shots!!
In the second half of the NHL season, there has been one topic that has moved front and center into the minds of players, coaches, and fans; head-shots. It has been an issue that NHL officials have dealt with in the past, but it is more prominent than ever. Just in this season, there have been multiple season-ending injuries to players who have needed a stretcher to get of the ice. Hockey is a very physical game, and injuries are part of sports, but the NHL needs to do something in order to keep their players both safe an healthy.
If you have an comments or questions, e-mail us at blackhawksflock@rantsports.com! Go Hawks!!
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