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Comment on SOUPY AILS: Campbell Out 7-8 Weeks.

Dave Morris — 2010-03-16T21:54:22Z

As hockey connoisseurs (and followers of Pierre Duguay, the Eckhardt Tolle of the frozen pond), I know you Gentlemen have an intirinsic aversion to the rather uncouth ways of Nicholas Boynton.

However you may recall Mr. Boynton was part of an effective defensive tandem with Keith Ballard...until he ran afoul of Pierre DeBoer whose attempts to coax the Cats into the postseason have so far been fruitless.

Mr. Boynton has been, according to sources I cannot reveal, channelling Reggie Fleming during his yoga classes in Rockford.

Which can be a good thing.

Being a history major and President of the Harvey Wittenberg Preservation Society, CT may have a prescient perspective on all of this.

Comment on SOUPY AILS: Campbell Out 7-8 Weeks.

Mike D. — 2010-03-16T21:26:02Z

For all the hand-wringing that many ignorant nancy-pants engaged in regarding the lack of an acquisition of a goalie at the trade deadline, Scotty's finest move may in fact prove to be the acquisition of Johnsson.

Comment on PUCKCAST: HOCKEENIGHT Meets BLOGE SALMING

Dave Morris — 2010-03-16T16:27:40Z

Janet Napolitano is a HUGE Ovechkin fan.

Comment on PUCKCAST: HOCKEENIGHT Meets BLOGE SALMING

CT — 2010-03-16T14:58:17Z

GEORGE HUTCHINS? I wish. But from what I've heard, Hutchins is a huge Chuck Swirsky fan, so I'm ruling him out.

Comment on PUCKCAST: HOCKEENIGHT Meets BLOGE SALMING

Bloge Salming — 2010-03-16T14:37:57Z

I'm betting it was George Hutchins...

Comment on PUCKCAST: HOCKEENIGHT Meets BLOGE SALMING

CT — 2010-03-16T14:18:44Z

I'm starting to think it was probably Janet Napolitano who hacked the call.

Comment on A VIEW FROM SLATS

bluray maker — 2010-03-16T09:50:58Z

lol.. i love the wacked out header image at the top :p

-Andy from best blu ray burner software and blu ray ripper software

Comment on CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Capitals 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)

Dave Morris — 2010-03-15T20:43:20Z

Dennis, give credit to the Capitals in this case.

They were already starting to swarm the Hawks towards the end of the second period.

The Hendry and Fraser penalties, and the resulting goals, were part of an onslaught that ate up almost eight minutes.

Watching the replay of the game--and BTW turning the sound off in order to not be distracted by the commentary--one could see the Hawks were forced to go into full defensive mode for almost the entire 3rd period.

You haven't mentioned the fact that with strong defensive players like Dave Steckel, Eric Belanger, Jason Chimera and Mike Knuble, to name a few, the Caps can counter a team like the Hawks.

You also haven't mentioned the fact that the Hawks' top offensive weapon, Marian Hossa, was not available to them. His presence, and Johnsson's would have made a major difference.

As for the rise in the GAA, as the season goes on, it would be unreasonable to expect Chicago to maintain a 2.13 team average, with (a) the intrinsic weaknesses and inconsistencies of Cristobal Huet manifesting themselves, and (b) opponents figuring out how to score more often against the Hawks.

Add that to the fact that the quality of shooting througout the league is such that more than a few goalies can be made to look bad on any given night.

One of the big factors working for the Blackhawks has been that ability to 'flip the switch' on offense, due in part to Campbell's skill at turning defense into offense.

Campbell's injury, in principle, not only hurts the Blackhawks' long term playoff chances, it obliges Quenneville to try and reconfigure the team's overall approach with less than a month to play in the regular season.

Comment on CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Capitals 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)

denrizz — 2010-03-15T20:17:32Z

Dave,

The five on three hurt for sure, but you still have to muster more than one shot in your own building.

Also, after 40 games, the Hawks goals against was 2.13. Since then, it has been 3.03. Still good but even before Campbell went down, they seemed to be losing their focus a little bit.

While Soupy's injury does hurt their long-term playoff chances, they are deep enough (if Johnsson is healthy) to still give it a good run.

Comment on CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Capitals 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT)

Dave Morris — 2010-03-15T19:40:14Z

Dennis, the team is dedicated to defensive effort, wouldn't you say, based on their standing as 4th best overall in that department?

As I am watching the replay of the game on NHL Network right now, I am reminded of the turning point.

This occurred in the third period when (a) Jordan Hendry took a four minute high sticking penalty while he was paired with Brent Seabrook and the Caps scored; and (b) when Colin Fraser took a high sticking penalty creating a 5 on 3 disadvantage, leading to the next Caps goal.

These two careless penalties by a substitute defenseman and a 4th line player gave the Caps all the momentum they needed while exhausting the Blackhawks.

The next goal, with Hjalmarsson and Hendry taking the shift on D, was not a surprise.

There is only so much depth on the Blackhawk defense, and with Campbell out and Johnsson ailing, that ain't much.

Against the best club in the league, the Hawks were lucky to get to the OT.