HOCKEE NIGHT - home of FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS and LEAVE IT TO BETTMAN

PUCKCAST: HOCKEENIGHT meets THE THIRD MAN IN

2008-12-02T07:12:50Z

For this week's PUCKCAST, we welcomed Chris Block from The Third Man In. We had a great time talking about the Hawks, injuries, Pit Martin, and also brought "Boffo" back, as well as attempted to answer, "What's with that guy's laugh?"

Next week, we'll be hosting Matthew and Sam From Second City Hockey and The Committed Indian. Bologna sandwiches will be discussed.

CALIFORNIA IS A GODFORSAKEN HELLHOLE: Hawks 2, Kings 5

2008-11-30T01:43:04Z

So much for the sweep.

The Hawks started out a promising 3-0 on this year's circus road trip, but busted out in California, grabbing only one of the final 6 points on the trip. Granted, compared with past efforts, 3-2-1 on this annual death march is pretty good, but still, you'd have liked to see the team build on 3 wins and overtime point they earned against the Sharks. Instead, the offense disappeared in the final two games, getting only two goals (both in the first period of tonight's game). Anyway, let's get on with it:

THE GOOD

The First Period: This game was one of the few times the Hawks didn't get the doors blown off them in the opening period. They did surrender an early goal, but following a Matt Walker fight, they rallied back and took the lead. Unfortunately, their effort in the 2nd and 3rd periods were less than stellar.

The Patricks: Sharp and Kane produced all the Hawks offense tonight, each getting a goal and an assist.

THE BAD

The Defensemen: While the Hawks defensive corps excels at moving the puck up ice to jump start the offense, they are sorely it has become apparent that are seriously lacking a defenseman who can clear the crease in their own zone. As a result, no one is afraid to go to the front of the net on this team. On Alexander Frolov's goal, Michael Handzus (who is so soft he once injured his jaw chewing Jello) was allowed to park in front of the crease (almost on top of Huet) untouched. The same thing happened on Kyle Calder's goal, as he got below the defensemen, leaving him alone against Huet on a rebound chance. In both of these instances, Seabrook and Keith were on the ice, but none of the current defensemen are very good in these situations.

Dumbass Penalties: Another "too many men on the ice" penalty on the Hawks led to directly to the Kings 4th goal.

Martin Havlat: Havlat was invisible in tonight's game, and for most of the road trip, getting one goal and one assist in the six games. The Hawks are going to need Marty to step up the offense, because if Marty's not scoring, he's not of much use on the ice. He certainly isn't going to put the body on anyone.

THE UGLY

Cristobal Huet: Granted Huet's defense didn't give him much to help in front, as 3 of the Kings goals came on rebounds, but part of the problem is that Huet has been giving way too many rebounds in his starts. Also, the Kings drew iron with shots at least 5 times before I stopped counting. Just because they don't score, doesn't mean the goalie didn't get beat. Hopefully some of these issues are a product of Huet's lack of playing time, because if this doesn't get corrected, the Hawks are going to have real problems.

BEAT BY ZERO: Ducks 1, Blackhawks 0

2008-11-28T22:51:59Z

The Chicago Blackhawks lost a duel of backup goaltenders from wierd countries in Anaheim this afternoon 1-0. While Anaheim's Swiss goalie, Jonas Hiller, was a little better then the Hawks' French guy, Cristobal Huet, the game was marked by missed opportunities by the Hawks.

Let's get right to it:

THE GOOD:

Team defense on both sides. 21 shots for the Ducks, 26 for the Hawks. Defense was part of it.

The matchups. There's a very good chance these two teams will be squaring off for the #4 seed in the West, and this would be a very tasty first-round matchup.

THE BAD:

Team offense on both sides. Neither team really looked like they wanted to be playing at all. Those low shot totals were as much a factor of poor offensive execution, if not more of a factor than any execution on defense.

Cam Barker. He looked like he had third helpings yesterday of whatever the hell it was the Hawks were eating. He looked slow all night, and got completely undressed by Ducks at least twice. Will there ever be a game where no blueliners stink? Of course, Brent Sopel game Anaheim their only power play of the afternoon.

Craig Adams wearing #28. Craig Adams rivals CT in ability to be nondescript. I don't hold that against him. It's just that Steve LArmer's number belongs in the rafters, not on the back of a fourth line forward.

THE UGLY:

Matt Walker is your enforcer? Really?

The Hawks go again tomorrow afternoon against the red-hot Los Angeles Kings. This will end the circus trip.

AS GOD IS MY WITNESS...: Sharks 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

2008-11-28T08:56:48Z

...I thought Brent Seabrook could play hockey.

Seabrook's boneheaded high-stick in the neutral zone gave the San Jose Sharks a 5-on-3 advantage that quickly converted into one goal, and a sloppy pass to Patrick Kane in the Hawks' defensive zone during overtime got picked off by Joe Thornton and became the game winner after a give-and-go with Ryane Clowe. If there's any consolation, it's that last night's game was only the second time all season anyone's taken a point out of the Shark Tank.

Let's get to it so everyone can go eat...

THE GOOD:

The Sharks' Black Armour uniforms. This team is scary as hell anyway, and these uniforms make them look like a hit squad. The intimidation factor has to be off the charts.

The Peachfuzz Line^TM, especially Jonathan Toews. They kept up the pressure in the second and third periods, resulting in two Toews goals. Toews took the second dumbest penalty of the game when the Hawks were on a 5-minute power play (more on that later), with a hook. Still, Toews, Kane and VERSTEEG were all over the ice.

Troy Brouwer. He assisted on Toews' first goal, giving the captain a breakout feed. He's quietly raking up points, and has a +7 for the year.

Penalties. Seabrook's high stick was dumb beyond description, and Toews' wasn't very smart either. Still, the HAwks sent three to the box the entire game, and only gave San Jose two power plays, after giving up 4 PP goals to the Sharks in Chicago.

THE BAD:

Have I mentioned Seabrook? Dumbass.

The Hawks' first period play. The Hawks were outshot in the first period 17-2, and it didn't seem that close. Sharks' goalie Evgeni Nabakov was in net for the first time since his injury, and wasn't tested early. The fact that the Hawks went into the first intermission 1-0 was a miracle. Someone needs to tell these boys goals in the first period count as much as the ones in the second do.

THE UGLY:

This was one costly point. Patrick Sharp took a puck off his wrist in the first period. He got it taped up and went back out there, but his passes and shots were lacking the usual zip. I'm expecting he's going to carpool to the MRI facility aling with Aaron Johnson (IS RIGHT!), who got boarded from behind on an absolutely horseshit hit by Mike Grier, who took a 5 minute major and a game misconduct. I expect the tape will find its way to Toronto as well. Johnson never didn't have his back to Grier as Grier ran in and drilled him. Just horseshit. Looked like either his arm or shoulder got the worst of it. Of course, the worst of it was then Kikolai Khabibulin went down for a save late in the second period and never gor back up. Any time you see that, you immediuately think groin or hamstring. Antti Niemi might get his shot pretty soon after all.

While you'd usually be happy about taking a point out of the Shark Tank, even with giving up an OT goal because of the bonehead with 7 on his back, there's no way anyone on the Hawks can feel good about this. It was, as stated earlier, one costly point.

Next up is Friday afternoon in Anaheim.

Now go eat.

HOCKEENIGHT meets THE BATTLE OF CALIFORNIA

2008-11-25T06:45:10Z

This week on our Puckcast, we had as our honored guest Earl Sleek from The Battle Of California. He gave us a lot of insight for the three teams in California that the Hawks sill face this week, and is a very cool guy besides. Enjoy.

Join us next week when Chris Block from The Third Man In will be our guest.

For those misguided souls who subscribe to the Puckcast, this is the name we're sticking with, we swear.

LEAVE IT TO BETTMAN

2008-11-24T09:12:14Z

Oh, look...here comes NHL Commissioner Gary "Beaver" Bettman, riding his bicycle home, with the latest issue of The Hockey News in his handlebar basket. Let's see how Beav is doing...

Hello! Anybody home?

Hey Beav, why are you yellin'?

Gee Wally, now that I've gotten the Winter Classic all scheduled for New Years' Day in Chicago, there's all kinds of stuff I guess they want me to do.

Like what, Beav?

Well, I guess I've gotta take care of tickets and all that junk.

How hard can that be? There's gotta be plenty of people who want to see the game.

Well sure, Wally. That's part of the problem.

How is having a game everyone wants to see a problem?

Well, there's the stadium. It holds 41,000, and last year we had a place that held over 70,000.

Gee Beav, that means a lot of people won't be able to get to go to the game.

Yeah, Wally. Also, hockey is just starting to come back in Chicago. The Blackhawks have the best attendance in the league. I don't know how to make everyone happy.

Well, how many season ticket holders are there?

About 13,000, I guess. Then there's the fans of the other team.

Who are they playing?

The Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings traditionally play on New Years Eve in Detroit, so I have to do something for those fans to keep them happy.

How many season ticket holders do they have?

About 15,000, I think.

So what happens to the rest of the tickets?

Gee Wally, I dunno. We have to give tickets to friends and families of the players, sponsors, TV networks, junk like that.

So how many tickets have you promised out so far?

Gee Wally, I dunno, let me check with Lumpy.

In walks Beaver's friend and confidant, Lumpy Rutherford. Lumpy has been in charge of ticket distribution for the Winter Classic.

Hey Beav.

Lumpy, how many tickets have we promised for the Winter Classic?

Beav, we're doing better than last year. We've got 84,000 tickets promised out.

Gee Lumpy, that's twice what Wrigley Field holds! Wally, do you think we can have two games?

I don't think so Beav. Boy, people are gonna be sore.

In walks Beaver's dad Ward, to lend guidance...

Now Beav, you can't promise out more tickets than you can sell. The only way out of this is to grossly overprice the tickets, and sell them in a convoluted fashion. The seats that are the best for baseball will be the worst for hockey, and the nosebleed seats will sell for top dollar, say, $375 each. That way, the ticket demand, especially in an uncertain economy, will drop, and people won't complain as much about being shut out of tickets.

That night, Beaver Bettman puts on his NBA pajamas and goes to bed, with visions of $300 Winter Classic sweaters dancing in his head, secure that another disaster has been downgraded into a mere screwup. So be sure to join us next time for another exciting episode of LEAVE IT TO BETTMAN!

GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH: Blackhawks 5, Maple Leafs 4 (OT)

2008-11-22T23:28:01Z

The Chicago Blackhawks hit the halfway point in the Circus Trip tonight, visiting the Air Canada Centre in Toronto to play the grammatically-incorrect Maple Leafs. The Leafs were honoring Wendel Clark, and gave out 10,000 very cool fake mustaches for the fans. Now the Hawks absolutely need to have a night for Dirk Graham, just to give out the staches.

The Hawks came out slowly, and fell behind 3-0, and were down 4-2 at the end of the second period. Dave Bolland's goal 49 seconds into overtime gave the Hawks their third straight win on this road trip.

Let's get right to it:

THE GOOD:

The sweaters. Seeing the Leafs in their whites (with laces!) and the Hawks in their reds just felt right. Sure, for an old fart like this writer, you'd love to have the game be in the old Maple Leaf Garden, or in the Stadium. Still, it's Original Six hockey, and you almost expected to see Frank Mahovolich skate in on Glenn Hall.

The Hawks' perseverance. They fell behind, and Patrick Sharp scored on two straight shifts, one on a redirect, one on a sweet breakaway with Andrew Ladd on his wing, bringing them back to 3-2. Big comebacks are the result of little comebacks strung together. The Hawks seemed to gain their legs in the second half of the game, and the Leafs seemed to lose theirs.

Ben Eager. This is two games in a row where he's made a huge impact. He did it early with a nut-crunching hit on Mikhail Grabovski, which was completely clean - he used his hip and kept his stick down. Grabovski had his head down and paid the price. The Hawks actually got a power play out of it, because Alexei Ponikarovsky (gesundheit!) went after Eager. Eager also took a feed from Bolland and tied it up at 4 with just over seven and a half minutes left.

Dave Bolland. Even before he scored the winner on a beautiful backhander, he set up Eager's goal from behind the net. Two Hawks goals were set up that way, as Kris VERSTEEG had a nice setup on Patrick Kane's early in the third to pull the Hawks within 4-3. But Bolland played some truly excellent hockey, as did Eager. The third line has been productive on this trip.

THE BAD:

The Hawks' luck. Or at least Nikolai Khabibulin's. Pavel Kubina got the scoring going with a fluttering shot that Khabi never saw through a screen. Ugly, ugly goal. Later on, Dominic Moore lofted a backhander that wound up hitting the inside of the roof in the net. It looked like he just wanted to throw it in front, and it wound up going in. Khabi should have stopped that one, but two fluke goals in one game? That's rough.

The Hawks' early effort. The Hawks seem to be starting every game stuck in the mud and gain momentum as the game wears on. They need to start controlling the game from the opening faceoff. You can't count on winning games from behind on a regular basis.

The Hawks' blueline. They seemed to be moving slow all night, and Duncan Keith had to pull Matt Stajan down, which cost the Hawks a penalty shot, which Khabibulin was able to stop. The only defensemen who looked involved for most of the game were Brent Seabrook(!) and Aaron Johnson Is Right!.

THE UGLY:

The Hawks' dangling when they should be shooting. Bohunk Martin Havlat skated in alone on Vesa Toskala and never got a shot off, he was trying to be too damn cute with the puck. Also, VERSTEEG had a couple moments where he got stripped off the puck because he was trying to recreate his Dallas goal. Sometimes, you've just got to shoot the damn puck.

So now the Hawks are off until Wednesday's game with San Jose. Monday night we're having the guys from The Battle of California on our Puckcast, and we'll talk about the Hawks upcoming games out in the State of Schwarzenegger.

Friday Night Fights: Worst Ever?

2008-11-23T20:53:05Z

So, Jonathan Toews finally got his first fighting major. Granted, it wasn't much of a fight, but there have been worse.

How do I know this? Because I scoured the internet for almost 10 minutes trying to find the worst fight in NHL history (post Youtube). I think I may have succeeded. Enjoy.

MAKE ROOM FOR GARY?

2008-11-21T11:59:11Z

Today the Hockey Rumor Mill is grinding at full speed.

While the Blackhawks seem to have back-burnered any thoughts of trading goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, the prospect of getting Michael (nee Gary) Nylander seems to be getting closer to reality.

The Sun Times seems to think it's almost a done deal, with the Hawks giving up Brent Sopel and Dustin Byfuglien for Nylander. What does this mean for the Hawks?

THE GOOD:

No more Sopel. Last year he parlayed a good season into the Hawks grossly overpaying him. Good for him and his agent. Now get him the fuck out of Chicago.

The Hawks have two lines completely filled with top-6 forwards. You'd probably see Patrick Sharp move up to Jonathan Toews' left wing, where he flourished last year, and see Kris VERSTEEG slip down to Nylander's wing.

No more Sopel.

Two guys who are signed through the 2010-2011 season go away, and one comes in. Nylander is the type of player who will always be tradeable, if only for "veteran leadership".

No more Sopel. This can't be stressed enough.

THE BAD:

Man, Nylander is fucking soft. He's softer than the leading brand of toilet paper. He's softer than a pillow-top mattress. He's softer than a fucking cloud. What I'm saying here is, he's soft.

Losing Byfuglien. This is in "The Bad" more out of its potential to be bad. He's an enigma, but he's an enigma who has at least one hit every night that brings people to their feet. He's enigmatic because his play is lazy at times, dumb at others. He can't crack the top two lines, and they need toughness up there. Still, with the right coaching, and if he gets his head screwed on right, he can be productive.

VERSTEEG moving to the second line. If Sharp stays on Nylander's line, he can probably keep scoring. I'm not sure VERSTEEG would be able to have the success on another line he currently enjoys.

THE UGLY:

If you liked Robert Lang, you might learn to love Michael Nylander. He's 36, and he's signed for another two seasons after this one. Getting him doesn't make the Hawks a Cup contender, and they might not be one as long as he's here.

Also, even in his prime, Nylander was never what you'd call a "character" guy. In fact, he's been called "The Magician", for his propensity to disappear in games. Since he'll only be the Hawks' #2 center, this might not factor in as much.

Of course, this is all conjecture at this point, the deal might not even happen. Overall, it would probably wind up being a gain for the Hawks.

But not a significant one.

Fork Dallas: Hawks 6, Stars 3

2008-11-21T07:32:40Z

Man, the Stars suck. They've got some decent forwards, but their defense is pathetic. I'm not sure if Sergei Zubov and Daryl Sydor wandered away from their rest home and back onto the ice, but when that pair is playing heavy minutes for your team, it's a problem (unless this is 1998). While the usual complaint from me is that the Hawks don't have a fighter, I was glad to see them stay out of that shit tonight. Steve Ott and Sean Avery are a couple of assholes who thrive on turning games into a clusterfuck, and the Hawks thankfully didn't get drawn into playing their game. Dallas did come out hitting early, but the Blackhawks weathered the storm and were able to regroup and take the game.

THE GOOD

Kris Versteeg: Versteeg had a terrific goal on the power play and added two assists. He's awesome.

Nikolai Khabibulin: Another great game from Khabi. The guy is hotter than hell right now, and Quenneville is right to ride him through this streak. I don't think he can keep it up, but if the Hawks win and it builds Nik's trade value, it's a win/win situation.

Ben Eager: Eager played well. There, I said it. He scored a goal and had an assist, and provided a physical presence. He also spent his time on a line with Andrew Ladd and Dave Bolland, as Dustin Byfuglien was scratched.

Penalties: Joel Quenneville's benchings of Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane during Tuesday's game must have struck a chord, as the Hawks took only 3 penalties and gave the Stars only 2 power plays.

THE BAD

Penalty Kill: Dallas was 1 out of 2, and the penalty killing has been terrible the last few games. Teams have been able to exploit the Blackhawks defensman down low, and Quenneville's going to need to make some adjustments to that unit.

Marty Turco: Turco loves to handle the puck, so maybe he should become a forward. I mean, an .870 save percentage? That's horrible.

Dustin Byfuglien?: I had the sound down, so I didn't hear the reason for Byfuglien's scratch, but assuming he was healthy, this can't be what Dale Tallon had in mind when he handed Big Buff $9 million over the next 3 years.

THE UGLY

Patrick Sharp: Sharp had two shots at an empty net from inside the Dallas zone and missed both. Luckily, Patrick Kane was able to seal the deal a short time later.

Not much more to say about this one. A solid win against a bad team, which should be the norm for this Hawks team. Next up, an Original 6 matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs

Finally: Hawks 3, Coyotes 2 (SO)

2008-11-19T00:24:14Z

The Hawks finally sealed the deal in a shootout, getting only their second win in OT/SO. Also, Jonathan Toews got in his first NHL fight (I'll let Fork analyze that, since he's been waiting for this moment since training camp). I'm old and tired, so this is going to be quick and dirty tonight.

THE GOOD

Kris Versteeg - Another game, another goal, this one an easy tip in of a Patrick Kane rebound. Versteeg seems to specialize in getting around the net and cleaning up the garbage. He could teach Dustin Byfuglien a thing or two.

Patrick Sharp - Sharpie hopefully got another hot streak started tonight, scoring a second period goal and scoring in the shootout as well. He also made a nice play on the backcheck to break up a Phoenix rush in the 3rd period.

Nikolai Khabibulin - Solid game from Khabi, keeping Phoenix off the board at even strength and not allowing a goal in the shootout.

THE BAD

Penalties - Again with the penalties, the Hawks gave the Coyotes 7 power plays, and Phoenix was able to convert on two. They have got to stop taking these idiotic stick penalties.

2nd and 3rd Periods - After getting two goals in the first, the Hawks didn't score over the last two periods, and gave away the lead due to the aforesaid dumb penalties.

THE UGLY

Patrick Kane - not his play, but an ugly incident in the first period. Kane was knocked down in the neutral zone and then accidentally kicked in the back of the head by a Coyote. Turned out he was fine, but a scary moment.

Colin Fraser vs. Olli Jokinen - these two went at it late in the 2nd period. You won't be seeing this classic on Friday Night Fights any time soon.

Shane Doan's Career - Doan played in his 900th career game tonight, all of which have come with the Winnepeg/Phoenix franchise. That's almost too depressing to contemplate.

Not a great game by any means, but you can't complain about opening a 6 game road trip by taking 2 points. Next up: the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

PODCAST 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO

2008-11-18T06:43:18Z

For this week's podcast, we welcome Brad from Blackhawks Buzz.

For those misguided souls who have actually subscribed to our 'cast, there's a little difference now...we changed the title to the creative "HOCKEENIGHT PODCAST" from the only-slightly-less-creative "HOCKEENIGHT's Community Call", so if you subbed, please sub to the new one. You'll get our cool podcast image and everything, just like the real podcasts have.

Oh, and if Brent Sopel, Al Yellon, Martin Lapointe or Gary Nylander are listening, we meant everything.

No Moral Victory: Hawks 5, Sharks 6

2008-11-16T23:32:57Z

Well, that was another exciting game. Too bad the outcome sucked.

The Hawks got a chance to see how they measure up against the best team in the NHL tonight. The good news is, they showed they could stand in with the Sharks, outplaying them at even strength and matching their size with speed. Unfortunately, their penalty kill was victimized 4 times, and that and a ridiculous turnover was basically the difference in the game. While they weren't outclassed, this team is no longer at the point where that's enough. If they're going to make the playoffs, they're going to need to get points, and with the 6 game circus trip about to begin, they needed the 3 points they gave away in the last two games. On with it:

THE GOOD:

VERSTEEG!: Kris Versteeg scored 2 more goals tonight, both a result more of hustle than skill. The first was a short-handed job that came when he forced Sharks goalie Brian Boucher to turn the puck over and tucked a backhander into a wide open net. The second came when he ran down the rebound of a Toews shot behind the net and banked it off a sprawling Boucher's stick and into the net.

Dave Bolland: Bolland ain't Esa Tikanen yet, but clearly Joel Quenneville trusts the kid, as he matched Bolland's line up with Joe Thornton's whenever possible at even strength. Despite giving away 4 inches and 60 lbs. to "Super Joe", Bolland and his line held Thornton to a -1 and kept him off the scoreboard at even strength.

Power Plays: Both teams were clicking on the man advantage, with the Hawks going 2 for 5 and San Jose hitting on an amazing 4 of 6.

Barker and Campbell: Good offense from this pair tonight, as each had a goal and two assists. Campbell served up a beautiful pass to Patrick Kane for the Hawks 5th goal.

THE BAD:

Penalty Kill: 4 power play goals? For a PK unit that had been 2nd in the NHL, that's an unacceptable result. Cristobal Huet was part of the problem, as he looked rusty and failed to keep control of rebounds, but the Sharks puck movement had Chicago's penalty killers falling all over each other.

Brent Sopel: Sopel had another horrendous turnover tonight, whiffing on a pass despite no pressure, allowing Jeremy Roenick to grab the puck and walk in on Huet alone to score his first goal of the season. Quenneville evidentally lost faith in Sope at that point, benching him for the second half of the game, despite the fact that his size might have been useful against a larger team like the Sharks.

The Chicago Bears: While this is a hockey site, the Bears were so horrible that even Hockeenight noticed.

THE UGLY:

The 3rd Period: After dominating the play in the 2nd period, the Hawks were shut out in the third, but the killer were the 2 bad tripping penalties the Hawks took in the first 2 minutes of the 3rd, leading to the tying and go-ahead goals for San Jose.

Next up for the Hawks, they'll take on the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday evening to kick off their 6 game road trip.

Norris Division Matchup: Hawks 3 Blues 4 (OT)

2008-11-15T00:07:36Z

Is it 1991?

This was an exciting game, a throwback to the early 90's when the Hawks and Blues battled atop the Norris Division. Granted, neither team is as strong as they were back then, but the Blues brought a surprising intensity to this one, and I think it caught the Hawks off guard (they may have been looking ahead to Sunday's game against the NHL's top team, San Jose), at least to start. St. Louis netted goals in the first ten minutes of the game, and some young teams might have folded up at that start. But the Blackhawks battled back, shutting out the Blues the rest of regulation, and managing to get the game into overtime, where the Blues vaunted power play finally managed to put the biscuit in the basket. Oh, and Brent Sopel was back in the lineup, thus ending "Brent Sopel Trade Watch" for now.

THE GOOD:

Dave Bolland: Hockeenight regular and internet gadfly Mike D. noted earlier this week that Bolland "couldn't even score in a shootout". Well, Bolland finally broke the ice in a big way tonight, getting two goals, one on a short handed breakaway (using the same move he employed in Wednesday's shootout) and the game tying goal on the powerplay. For good measure, the little guy picked up an assist on the Hawks other goal. Bolland's night was marred only by the hooking penalty he took in overtime, which lead to the Blues winning goal.

Dustin Byfuglien the Forward: Buff was throwing his weight around out there, laying people out and getting into a scrap with Keith Tkachuk and scoring a nice goal as well. In fact, the Byfuglien/Bolland/Ladd line accounting for all the Hawks scoring tonight.

Penalty Killers: The Hawks brought the No. 2 penalty killing unit in the NHL into the game, while the Blues owned the No. 2 power play. The Hawks killed 5 of 6 penalties, but unfortunately, the one they couldn't kill ended up producing the game winner in overtime.

The Game: The outcome wasn't optimal, but this was a fun game to watch. Goals, fights and intense hitting. What more can you ask for?

THE BAD:

Dustin Byfuglien the Defenseman: I know there are some that want to see Buff moved back to the blue line full time *cough* ROZNER *cough*, but Dustin's stint on the point during power play only convinced me more that he needs to be wreaking havoc in front of the net. His turnover led to a short-handed goal. Please, keep this guy in front of the net.

The First 10 Minutes: The Blues took it to the Hawks to start the game off, and though the Hawks recovered, they can't let themselves be caught off guard like this too often. Tonight just reinforced that in today's NHL, unless you're the Red Wings you've GOT to play the full 60 minutes. The Hawks are a good team, but not so good that they can afford to take any team lightly. Not yet.

THE UGLY:

The Hawks OT Record: Chicago is now 1-5 in overtime/shootout situations. Granted, you would expect that to even out over the season, but considering the Hawks missed the playoffs by 4 points last season, I hope that these lost points don't come back to bite the Hawks in the ass at the end of the season.

Dave Bolland and Kris VERSTEEG: Not that their play was ugly, but the way they wear their uniforms is. You see, both guys tuck the backs of their jerseys into their pants, and due to their small stature, their numbers are obscured. As a result, Pat Foley is constantly confusing the two of them. UNTUCKIT guys.

Next Blackhawks game is Sunday against San Jose, who is leading the league in points. It'll be interesting to see how the Hawks measure up.

Oh yeah, it's Friday. Enjoy Bob Probert and Tony Twist.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM...

2008-11-15T00:10:11Z

Here are the tributes to Pilote and Magnuson that were up on the scoreboard Wednesday night. Enjoy.

Can't Win 'Em All: Bruins 2, Hawks 1 (SO)

2008-11-13T00:20:05Z

Before we get to the game itself, a little conspiracy theory. Brendan Shanahan still has not signed a contract. The Flyers seem to be the favorite, but the Blackhawks are reported to be in the running. However, the Hawks main problem is they currently have little more than $400K available under the salary cap. Which brings us to Brent Sopel. He sat out the Calgary game with an undisclosed injury after the Hawks had 5 straight days off. According to Tim Sassone at the Daily Herald, Sopel practiced yesterday, but sat out again tonight. Sure, he might be banged up, but Sopel's making a fairly decent $2.3 million this year, and that cap space would be mighty helpful. Would the Hawks trade a guy who they just gave a contract extension to? Well, Dale Tallon gave Sopel that dough last season, and it's possible that Scotty Bowman thinks that's a bit too much money for a guy who can't crack the top 4 on this Hawks team. So maybe Sopel's hurt, or maybe there's a deal in the works. Hey, what's the point of being on the internet if I'm not going to start unfounded rumors?

Anyway, tonight's game was a good one, despite the outcome. Both teams played hard on each end of the ice, and the goalies were excellent. You don't like to lose any game, but this one could have gone either way. Had this been the playoffs, it would have been one those games that was ticketed for double OT.

THE GOOD:

Nikolai Khabibulin: Khabi was better than good in this game, he was great. Nik turned away 38 shots in the game, including several point blank chances for the Bruins, and one "HOLY SHIT!" save on Marc Savard in overtime. Unfortunately, Tim Thomas was equal to the task, giving up only 1 goal in regulation, and turning away a Patrick Sharp penalty shot in OT.

Blocked Shots: If you like blocked shots, this was the game for you. Khabi probably would have seen 10 more shots on goal if not for the willingness of the skaters in front of him to get in front of the puck.

Matt Walker: Walker doesn't play much, so I figured I recognize him since he made a standout play to foil a break away attempt with a diving poke check in the 2nd period.

THE BAD:

Penalties: As in too many. The Bruins had 7 power plays, and while the Hawks matched that number, they cannot keep taking this many stupid penalties. They had another bench minor for too many men on the ice, which is getting ridiculous.

The 3rd Period: The Hawks seemed to wear themselves down and looked very ragged in the 3rd period. They started mishandling the puck, trying to make long passes and looked like they had heavy legs. This is something that Quenneville is going to have to address down the line, if the Hawks are going to be a playoff team. You've got to be able to play all out for 60 minutes if you expect to advance in the postseason. Obviously, that's still a ways off, but something to consider.

THE UGLY:

Zedeno Chara: Actually, Chara's not that ugly. I could barely see the bolts in his neck.

So to summarize, the Hawks lost, but not an effort I can be angry about. A great performance from Khabibulin may have been wasted, unless of course, they were watching in New Jersey and Ottawa.

LOOKING BACK: Pilote and Magnuson

2008-11-12T08:58:05Z

Tonight at the United Center, the Blackhawks will retire #3 for two players who never played in the building.

Pierre Pilote, winner of three Norris Trophies and Hall of Famer, who captained the Hawks pretty much throughout the sixties, is a fine choice, and one that we at HOCKEENIGHT endorsed before the Hawks ever annouced it.

He was a tough little shit, maybe 5'9". He led a fine Hawks team, the leader on a team that included such greats as Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Glenn Hall. All four have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and they were the lions of the end of the Original Six era.

This is a retirement that is far overdue, and one that will be welcome. Considering he will be paid tribute by 21,000 fans, well over half of which never had the opportunity of seeing him play, it's great to see the team embrace its history.

Also having a retirement is the late Keith Magnuson. As stated on the HOCKEENIGHT podcast, this is more of a tribute by and for the fans. Maggs was never a threat to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but there was never a player who fought and bled, quite literally, for the Hawks like Magnuson did.

Magnuson was the guy who did whatever it took, without ever having the skill of other defensmen, like Pilote or his teammate, Pat Stapleton. He had to go out there each night and tangle with guys like Bill Barber, Dave Schultz, Nick Fotiu or Terry O'Reilly. He was the guy that didn't dazzle like Hull, wasn't a craftsman like Mikita, but was every bit as beloved as any Hawks' player in my (quite long, it's been pointed out) lifetime, with the exception of Mikita. In fact, someone like Adam Burish, who does the dirty work on the ice, is willing to drop the gloves and tangle with anyone, is pretty much our current version of Maggs.

Sadly, Magnuson died in an automobile accident before he got his night. Last year when the Hawks paid tribute to Hull and Mikita, his son Kevin was part of the ceremony, and he got a huge ovation due to the fact that he was Maggs' son, and he was a dead ringer for him.

So tonight, before the Hawks take on the red-hot Boston Bruins in one of the sexiest regular-season games the Hawks have had in years, be upstanding for two greats in Blackhawks history.

Pierre and Maggs, you earned this one.

And hopefully, after tonight, the Hawks will get to work on a similar night for Steve Larmer.

SECOND HOCKEENIGHT PODCAST!

2008-11-11T06:27:47Z

Tonight we have John from The Ghost Of Ed Litzenberger as our very first guest.

Sit back, relax, and anjoy. This might take a while.

DOUSING THE FLAMES: Blackhawks 6 Calgary 1

2008-11-10T08:15:58Z

The Blackhawks came into the United Center having enjoyed 5 days off since their drubbing of Colorado. The Calgary Flames came in after having lost last night to Columbus.

And it showed.

The Flames had 6 out of the first eight minutes of the game on the power play, and looked like they were skating in cement. The Hawks had much fresher legs throughout, and dominated the game. Cristobal Huet looked good in goal, although he was rarely tested. He stopped 22 of 23 shots, with the only goal being a weird one, a puck from behind the net bouncing off his skates and pads before going in.

Mikka Kiprusoff gave up 6 goals, and it could have easily been 10. The most important of the six was Jonathan Toews' first goal of the season, a 5-holer that trickled in. Fuck it, makes up for all the great chances he's been robbed on.

Last season when Toews scored a goal in the United Center, the sound system would blare "Johnny B. Goode". Tonight should have been Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus".

Let's get to it:

THE GOOD:

Patrick Kane. A goal and two assists. +3 on the night. Just some outstanding hockey. In fact, this is one of those night you love to see, with Kane, Toews and Kris VERSTEEG each getting goals. You get one from each member of the first line, you win the game. True story.

The Bohunk. Havlat also had a goal and two assists. He took a four minute penalty in the first for being sloppy with his stick, and cutting Dion Phaneuf. The good news is, Calgary had a four minute power play without Phaneuf, who was off getting stitched up.

Dustin Byfuglien. Everyone who thought Phaneuf was going to lay the lumber tonight got treated to a couple more monster hits by Big Buff. The first one pretty much took any momentum the Flames might have built, and killed it dead.

Calgary's "Burning C". As sweater crests go, it's a pretty cool one. Although, it makes one wonder...when the team first came into existence, they were the Atlanta Flames. Naming a team the "Flames" in a city that was famously burned during a war? Is there a soccer team in Dresden named the Flames? Is there a baseball team called the Hiroshima Mushroom Clouds?

THE BAD:

Brent Seabrook. He had an assist on the first goal, but a couple things stood out to me. One was on a penalty kill, he slapped the puck up ice along the boards, which allowed it to carry around the boards, and right back out of the Calgary zone. He's been in the league long enough to know you don't slap those. Also, as soon as the Hawks finished killing a Toews penalty, there went Seabrook into the box. Thank God the HAwks weren't playing anybody good.

The Calgary Flames. Their ad slogan should be "We Stink On Ice". Kiprusoff was left pretty much by himself out there. Plus, any time your blue line has to give large amounts of ice time to Adrian Acoin and James Vandermeer, it's always happy times for the other team.

THE UGLY:

The game was pretty much out of hand at the beginning of the third. The period started 3-1 Hawks, and was 5-1 before two minutes had passed. That's when class act Mike Keenan started sending guys out to try gooning it up. A couple different times, the Flames tried taking their measure of Toews. I've never seen guys back down from fights against both Ben Eager and Adam Burish before. They want to goon it up, but they're tough as meatloaf. We at HOCKEENIGHT probably sound like broken records calling for some sort of policeman, but the HAwks really need someone out there to keep everyone honest.

Next up for the Hawks is Wednesday's Pierre Pilote/Keith Magnuson retirement ceremony, and the red-hot Boston Bruins.

Friday Night Fights: Unleash the Beast

2008-11-07T22:06:48Z

During the offseason, we at Hockeenight made no secret of our desire for the Hawks to sign Georges Laraque.

Unfortunately, Dale Tallon was never able to clear enough cap room to make a run at Big Georges, who wound up in Montreal. And the Hawks now have a major void at the enforcer position. Would Laraque have been worth the money to the Blackhawks? Well, consider that the Hawks haven't had a decisive win in a fight this season. Now watch this 3 minute video of Laraque killing people and tell me if he could make a difference.