Blackhawks at PhoenixSHUTOUT Loss Recap

"Harvesters of Sorrow"



The thing about a slide like the one the Hawks are riding is that it's bittersweet for us blog writers. When they are playing back, it gives us MUCH more material, but we want nothing more but for them to win. Screwy, I know. Anyhow, the Hawks are o-fer their last 7 and they are just simply making far too many mistakes. This trip could very well be the end of the Hawks hopes for a rebound season. We just don't know, but it's not looking good at all. After giving Crawford another shot, against the Sharks, Razor was back in net. The rest of the lineup was almost the same as the one that Quenneville trotted out against San Jose, with only Frolik being scratched for Morrison.

The Hawks simply didn't show up for the first period, they were only out shot 12-10, but they couldn't have seemed less interested and it could have easily been 4-0 early on. The second frame was much like the second the night before, with the Hawks out shooting the Yotes 12-5 but not scoring a goal, while giving another one up. While the Hawks came out shooting in the third period as well, but couldn't solve he Phoenix goalie, to send the Hawks away with an eighth loss in a row.

The Good

• Nice to see Deuce throw a big hit, but I have to play devils advocate. Wasn't that hit extremely similar to the one that got Carcillo suspended? Eerily similar, but Keith won't be hearing from Shanaban.
• For a team that was shut out, they had plenty of shots on net. The problem is that most of them were from the perimeter. Is this hitting rock bottom? The answer is YES.

The Bad

• Some things just never change, apparently. Former Hawk Radim Vrbata scored the first goal of the game, banking a shot off Sami Lepisto and into the net. If the Hawks didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have any at all. It looked as though Razor has been watching too many Corey Crawford plays, because he was caught being too aggressive, and wasn't able to get back to the far post before the Vrbata bank shot.
• The Coyotes went up 2-0 with just 6 minutes gone in the game. Boyd Gordon found a dribbling puck in the crease and helped it across the goal line. There was just too much wrong to even begin to describe on this play. Play like you give a shit, Gents!
• Shaw decided it was a good idea to light a flame under his teammates with a fight early on, but all it did was light a flame under the Coyotes asses. MegaMayers looks like the only Hawks player that understand when the right time for a fight is.
• Dylan Olsen showed why he's an AHL defenseman as Kyle Chipchura to head in on a break-a-way. Olsen made Chipchura look like Mike Gartner just letting him skate right by, and in on Emery. The case of windburn he acquired on that play must be awfully painful. 3-0 Yotes.
• Brendan Morrison only saw just over 8 minutes of ice time and only saw 2 shifts in the third period. So much for THAT brilliant trade.
• The prodigal defensive son, Olsen for those who are dense, was minus 2 on the night with the third goal of the game hung solely on his hook.

The Ugly

• I still can't figure out why Dr. Lineblender even bothers to do things like move Stalberg to the fourth line, when everyone knows damn well that when things go shitty, he'll be moved up. What does this fucking accomplish? Enough with the childish games. Either he's a first liner or a fourth liner. Make a decision!
• I'm sorry, but I see nothing in Lepisto's play that tells me he should be sitting in the press box for 15 straight games. I've just about had enough of these silly personel moves, because the excuse of "Well, it's working" isn't valid anymore. "It" is NOT working. He's not Bobby Orr, but he is not a terrible fill in and certainly no worse than John Scott.
• I can't even find the words to describe the Hawks powerplay, anymore. They can't even manage the most basic of tasks, like simply entering the zone. They DO realize that a powerplay means they are only facing 4 opposing player, right?
• In case you were wondering, Adrian Aucoin still has the "Boy Named Sue" syndrome, and he is still a complete fucking clown. Life ain't easy for a boy named Adrian.

Here are your video highlights:

Blackhawks at San Jose - Loss Recap

"Down in a Hole"



The road trip carries on; This time to San Jose California. As this trip continues, the Hawks are playing worse, and the fans are getting restless. From top to bottom they just aren't getting the job done. Corey Crawford returned to net, after 2 starts by Razor Emery. Not only that, but Hammer and Montador were sent home with injuries. Dylan Olsen and Sami Lepisto were in the lineup last night, to replace them. The Sharks had to be licking their lips at this news, with a short losing streak of their own going on. I'm sure former Hawk Antti Niemi was.

The first period was pretty much what you'd expect from a team that is seriously struggling and in the middle of a long road trip. Two powerplay goals from the Sharks put the Hawks in an early hole. The Sharks out shot the the Hawks 12-7 in the period, and sent them into the intermission scratching their heads. The second period was ALL Blackhawks, as they outshot the Sharks 17-3 and out scored them 2-1, but the two first period goals still left them down, going into the third frame. The Hawks tied the game again in the third, but then, again, fell apart, giving up 2 third period goals. When all was said and done, the Hawks were sent to Phoenix winless in their last 7.

The Good

• Bryan Bickell seems to have found his set of balls. He laid a couple of nice nits and engaged in a little scuffle with Jamie McGinn. Of course, his wrist shot still takes half a decade to release, but there was some sign of life, but there has to be a silver lining, somewhere. Bickell made a few nice plays to set up his game tying goal, in the third period. He forechecked hard and kept the Hawks possession alive, and then kept moving to get himself open. On a side note, regarding the fight with McGinn, where was the instigator and extra penalty for the shield on THAT play, NHL REFS???? Could have been a huge swing.
• My current soft spot has to be for MegaMayers. The guy just knows his place, and embraces it. The way he hunted down Ryane Clowe, and took exception to the treatment given to Toews earlier was a great teammate play. He just "gets it". I'd love to see him back for another year.
• Hello, Dream Warrior, so nice of you to join us on this road trip. Kruger picked up a Nick Leddy shot off the post, and outworked Joe Pavelski to poke the loose puck into the net. Shooter set the whole play up, by floating into the zone and controlling the puck long enough for the rest of the troops to catch up. He dumped it off the Leddy, and you know the rest of the story.
• Kruger's second goal of the period tied the game back up for the Hawks exactly three minutes after the first goal. Nothing pretty, but certainly effective. He was screening Niemi and absorbed a Seabrook shot. The shot dropped in front of Kruger, and was was able to turn around and get a couple of whacks at it, the second of which resulted in the goal. Dream Warrior stepping up a little bit!
• Dylan Olsen looked promising in his 19 minutes of ice time. He played some PK, and nicely chased down Patrick Marleau, resulting in no shot on net. You can't fault him for the Thornton goal. Just an unfortunate play.

The Bad

• Not even a minute into the game, and Frodo takes a trip to the box with a 4 minute high sticking infraction. That led to a 1-0 lead just a minute into the powerplay. Crawford got stuck out of his net with a rebound in front of him. Couture picked it up and took it around the net, feeding a pinching and wide open Justin Braun. Braun had a wide open net, and got a pretty easy goal. 1-0 Sharks.
• For the life of me, I could not understand what Stalberg did to deserve a demotion to the 4th line. He was one of the hottest Hawks previous, and Quenneville single handedly put him on ice, by demoting him to the bottom of the lineup. Good Job Dr. Lineblender. Thank god someone knocked a sliver of sense into Quenneville between the first and second periods, and he moved Stalberg back up. Seriously, though, why the wasted period? When all was said and done, Stalberg ended up with only eight minutes of ice time after his turnover led to the 3rd Sharks goal. He didn't see the ice again.
• Of course, the resulting powerplay of Joe Thornton's dickhead move yields a goal to put the Sharks up 2-0. Dan Boyle was the lucky recipient of a fat rebound and his OWN gaping net. Hey, Joe Thornton, do me a favor. When you win ANYTHING significant in your career, let me know. Otherwise get your head out of your ass. He got away with two rabbit punches to the face of Toews without much punishment. As you would expect, Ryane Clowe had to butt into the fracas as well. When all was sorted out, the Hawks were left shorthanded.
• The Sharks took the lead back late in the second when Stalberg threw a live grenade to Deuce, resulting in a turnover for Pavelski and Thornton. The puck ended up on the stick of Thornton who was trying to pass it out in front of the net, and it defected off Olsen's stick and past Crawford. Unfortunate is a word that's being used far too much this road trip.
• Just after the Bickell goal and fight, the Sharks took the lead again, for good. Benn Ferriero out muscled Leddy and was able to push the puck past Crawford. The play started with Frolik, who is not a great faceoff man, being kicked out of the draw. Kane came in to take it, and proceeded to lose the draw. The puck ended up in behind the net, and Crawford got caught out of his net for what seemed like the 10th time in the game. He was late recovering, which gave Ferriero the advantage. Leddy HAS to man up on that guy, and not allow him to get a stick on that pass.
• The Sharks put the Hawks to bed with a late powerplay goal, that really shouldn't have been a powerplay. While Shaw's penalty was a bad one, Douglas Murray got up and dropped his gloves. That's a penalty, folks, yet he wasn't given anything. That's twice in the third period that the Hawks were screwed out of San Jose penalties. Regardless, Jamie McGinn was left to sit in front of Crawford, all by himself, by Leddy and Seabrook. Crawford's move on the play didn't exactly look stellar either. He just laid the paddle down, and left the whole top half of the net open.
• All the Hawks centers, were at or below 50% at the faceoff dot.

The Ugly

• I'm getting really fucking tired of seeing opposing players beat the PISS out of Toews. He's constantly taking fists to the yap, and he looks like a rape victim after almost every whistle. This is your captain, fellas!
• 50% on the penalty kill isn't going to win you ANY games, in ANY league.

Here are your video highlights:

Blackhawks at Colorado - Loss Recap

"I'm Mister Icicle, I'm Mister Ten Below"



Well, wasn't THAT a relaxing 3 day break? ::Note Sarcasm:: What better do Hawks fans have to do in the midst of a dismal 3 week long road trip, and after 3 painful losses, but shout for the heads of everyone from GM on down to the Zamboni driver? I'm pretty sure it's Stanbo's fault that Wes Welker dropped that pass Sunday night, too. It's getting crazy in the Blackhawks Twatterverse, as well as in the media. Corey Crawford's re-acquisition of the yips isn't helping matters any, either, which led to second Razor Emery start in a row. Those of us with more sane outlooks, are just begging for a Blackhawks game to break the idiotic drama up. That is all contingent on the Hawks actually winning a game in the near future. Luckily, the Hawks rolled into Denver Tuesday night against a team that's been equally as cold in their last 5 games (0-4-1). If ever there was a night to stop the insanity, Tuesday February 7th was it. The Hawks had other ideas.

The game was pretty even for both teams, in the first period. Both teams had 9 shots on net, but the Avs had more scoring chances. The score could have easily been 1-0 or 2-1 Avs, but both goalies held their creases for a scoreless frame. Even though there were 4 goals scored in the second period, the Avs still held the scoring chance advantage. The Hawks goaltending was the only thing holding them in the game through the first two periods, and they were playing with fire. That all came to an end in the third period as the Hawks shit the bed just 38 seconds in and gave up 2 more, including an empty netter, on just 5 shots against. That is RARELY going to win you a game.

The Good

• I felt that the lines Dr. Lineblender threw out in the first period were as they should be given the players dressed. 88-19-65, 81-36-10, 67-16-25, 15-17-22 with 2-7, 5-8, 4-6. I might like Stalberg and Shaw flipped, but I'm not going to raise hell about this setup. Of course, Quenneville can't keep the lines together for more than 20 minutes, so keeping track is pointless.
• Seabs scored his second bad angle goal in a row, after a Deuce shot went off Stalberg, an Avs player, and then graciously appeared in Lucky Number Sleven's wheelhouse. Seabrook made no mistake, drilling it home, while Giguere roamed around in no man's land, looking for the puck. 1-0 Hawks.
• Kaner made up for hanging out Toews out to dry on the first Avs goal, with a sweet backhand snipe of Giguere. Seabrook, Keith, Sharp and Kane played tic-tack-toe through the neutral zone, and that ended up with Kane having a step on David Jones. He drove hard to the net and looked like he surprised Giguere by sticking to his backhand. 2-2
• Vik Stalberg made a BEAUTY of a move to undress two Avs late in the second but, you guessed it, couldn't finish.

The Bad

• Don't mind us, folks. Just the Blackhawks and their usual shorthanded chances against. This is embarrassing. Another game, still the same old fucked up powerplay. There were THREE serious 2-on-1 chances against while they were on the powerplay. How can you honestly be THAT bad?
• Maybe, just maybe, Leddy wasn't the one fucking up the second pairing, because Hammer looked just as flaky with Lurch.
• A RARE Jonny Toews turnover led to the Avs first goal just three minutes after the Hawks goal. Peter Mueller was the recipient of an O'Reilly pass, for an easy tap in 2-on-1 goal. The play was initially set up, when Kane dumped the puck off to Toews, who was heavily covered, and really had no chance. Of course, that led to El Capitan turning it over, and eventually, a goal. Lay that one on Kanes hook for hanging Toews out like that. 1-1.
• The Avs opened up the third period scoring just 38 seconds into play. Apparently, Seabrook and Keith weren't informed the put dropped, because they basically let Landeskog and Stastny have their way with Emery. In their defense, Emery should have been able to cut that angle down a little better too, but that entire play was one hot mess, and the Hawks looked like they couldn't have cared less. 3-2 Avs.
• David Jones pretty much closed out the Hawks night with eight minutes to go in the game. The rookies (16/65) and Frodo got caught watching the puck and deep in the Avs zone, when they should have been covering for the pinching defenders, and Jones was left to outrace Lurch. Long story short, Emery ended up picking the puck out of the net. When it rains, it pours, and stupid mistakes lead to ugly goals. 4-2 Avs.
• Montador didn't finish the game, and it wasn't because he was in the doghouse. Apparently, he was injured somewhere in the bedlam.
• It only took 3 games for Brandon Morrison to completely lose his luster. File that one away in the Fail File.
• The Hawks centers were all average to below average at the dot, with El Capitan winning only 38% of his draws.
• I might finally be done with Frolik. He just looks void of any confidence. It's a damn shame, because the kid has talent and I like his willingness to throw himself around recklessly, but it's just NOT working.

The Ugly

• Thirty five seconds after the Mueller goal, Milan Hejduk took advantage of a sloppy, flat footed Deuce turnover at the Hawks blue line, and used the 3-on-1 to his advantage. The puck ended up on the stick of new Hawks killer, David Jones, and then in the net. There are just too many brutal goals against immediately following goals either way, this season.
• I said it on Twatter last night and I'm saying it again; If Brendan Morrison is on your powerplay, your powerplay is absolutely fucking TERRIBLE.
• The empty netter was the epitome of the Blackhawks night. A bank shot from center ice, that wasn't even intended for the net. Bullshit. Three goals on 5 shots in the third period. I'm Paul Harvey, And THAT'S the rest of the story.
• When an opposing team blocks 21 shots and you only block 8, that's not a good sign.

Here are your video highlights:

Blackhawks at Calgary - Loss Recap

"And I'm Free...Free Fallin"



That Oiler game sure what painful, wasn't it? I watched Thursday's game on the DVR, which was even more painful. There are two good things Hawks fans can all say about this game against Calgary. It's not against the Oilers, and Sam Gagner is not on their roster. Other than that, the Hawks situation is concerning. YES, there are still almost 4 weeks until the trade deadline, and roughly 30 games until the playoffs, but sliding down this slope, on a 3 week road trip, can be a season killer. In the words of R. Lee Ermey, "You had best UN FUCK yourself". That's the best I can say to Bowman, Quenneville and the rest of the organization. It needed to start in Calgary, but obviously the Hawks had other plans.

As we've all seen quite a few times this year, the Hawks had a majority of the early chances in this game, but gave up an early goal. The Hawks didn't let that keep them down, and tied the game back up late in the frame. Keeping the game close was what they had to do. The second period was all Flames as they out shot the Hawks 16-6 thanks to some Flames powerplays, and the Flames were able to take the lead on a 4 minute powerplay. Was this a hangover from the beating they took the night before? That may have been the case, because the Hawks weren't able to score in the third either. Calgary took advantage of a defensive gaffe and put the Hawks away, 3-1.

The Good

• After 2 pretty uneventful games centering the second line, Tommy Gunn was moved to a slot a little more fit for his skills, the fourth line, and the Dream Warrior was moved back to the second line. Hammer was moved to the third pairing with Lurch, and Frank the Tank was moved up with Leddy. I still would have preferred Frolik playing with Bolland and Shaw, instead of Bickell, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose.
• Kaner might not be scoring, but he's passing his ass off. Shooter and Toews got the puck to Kane deep in the Flames zone and left him with enough time to find Seabrook sneaking in on the back door. Kane was able to hit Seabs with a pin point perfect pass, who was able to beat Kiprusoff from a tight angle, to tie up the game at 1-1.
• MegaMayers has been on fire around the net. He's not scoring every night, but he just knows where to go and goes to those spots hard. Very consistant. You don't usually see that much action from a 4th line winger around the net.

The Bad

• Oli Jokinen put the Flames up 1-0 on a goal that was originally waved off, and on just their 4th shot of the first period. He chirped in the ear of the center ice ref and got the call he wanted. The play looked innocent enough, but letting a guy like Jokinen tee up a shot from that distance isn't the best of plans.
• Deuce got caught looking for some offense, and Jarome Iginla snuck in behind him. Tanguay saw this and hit him on the tape with a pass for a break-a-way goal. That one is all on Deuce. It shouldn't need to be pointed out that Jarome Fucking Iginla can't be in behind you waiting for a clean pass, and you can't count on your baseball skills to pick that pass off either. Just too fucking risky.
• Goals aside, When you're out shot in the final two frames of a game, you're not going to win many of them.
• Frolik and Bickell were the only two Hawks to play under 10 minutes, which is what you'd you'd expect from those two at this point.

The Ugly

• It seems to be the case lately, but one of the defining moments of the game was the Frodo double minor at the close of the second period. Sloppy sticks! Bouwmeester and Jones got in behind Seabrook and Keith pretty much having their way with a helpless Ray Emery. Razor made the first save through a screen but didn't have such luck with the rebound.

Here are your video highlights:

Blackhawks at Edmonton - Loss Recap

"Play It Again, and Again, and Again, and Again, Sam"


"Tebow will now rename his move The Gagner"

Deja vu all over again. The Last time the Hawks played in in Edmonton, they were completely embarrassed and blown out of the building. They were out played and out classed. Then the Hawks hosted the Oilers, and though the game was closer they still weren't able to beat them. Would the third time be a charm or would the Oilers continue to dominance of the Hawks? Another Hawks loss would draw come concern, because no team should be dominating the Hawks. NONE!

The Hawks looked like a team that wanted to win, in the first period, at least. They had a majority of the chances, despite two powerplays against, and they out shot the Oilers 14-9. Good start, right? It wouldn't last. The Oilers got back in the game with a three goal second period, but a shorthander by the Hawks tied it back up, before the intermission. Even though it looked like the Oilers spend most of the second period trying to give the Hawks the game, they just would take it. And that is when the the sky fell. The third period was, well...BAD. The Hawks were outscored FIVE to one, which sent the Hawks to Calgary with their tails between their legs, following an embarrassing collapse that ended up 8-4.

The Good

• The Hawks came out of the gates with some great pressure, especially the first line. Only cashing in once proved to bite them in the ass. When you have the opportunity to put a team away, DO IT!
• Megamayers took advantage of a napping Devan Dubnyk about five minutes into the first period with the Hawks changing he just threw it at the net, and it ended up past Dubnyk. Awful goal, but hey, they'll take it.
• Watching Cam Barker trip over his own feet and the blue line, letting Bolland and Shaw in on a 2-on-1 was absolutely fucking HILARIOUS! Thank you Minnesota! I guess he had the last laugh, with a ridiculously horrible goal that chased Crawford from net and opened up the flood gates, eh?
• Kaner had a great forechecking sequence to start the second period with two beautiful steals. After the second one, he fed Shooter for a 5-hole, one timer goal, just 40 seconds into the period.
• Hey, folks! Nik Hjalmarsson actually hit someone! Never you mind that it was a rookie playing his second NHL game. He has to start somewhere, amirite?
• Shooter and El Capitan hooked up, shorthanded, late in the second period, to tie the game up 3-3. Toews was all business, taking the low hard shot off Dubnyk's pads and Shooter had a big rebound land on his stick. An easy one for him to putt into the net, and the Hawks have some life.
• Bolland brought the Hawks within one goal off an Andrew Shaw rebound that he was able to sneak past Dubnyk. Unfortunately, that momentum wouldn't last more than a brief moment. Twenty eight seconds, to be exact.
• Oddly enough, all the Hawks centers were over 50% at the dot, except Bolland, who was just a shade under.

The Bad

• Tommy Gunn on the point of the powerplay? Are you fucking KIDDING me, Q? That's REALLY showing some serious desperation. HE is not the answer.
• Taylor Hall put the Oilers on the board just a few minutes after Sharpie's goal. The 100 foot breakout pass from Sam Gagner deep in the Oilers end hit Hall in stride after he had gotten in behind Seabrook. Hall raced in and even though Seabrook recovered and caught him, the puck somehow found it's way past Crawford, who seemed surprised. Soft goal. Gagner ticker: 0g-1a
• Sam Gagner brought the score to back even at 2-2, just about half way through the second period. Crawford was too aggressive on Gagner driving tight to the net, and got tied up with Leddy. Once Gagner decided to go around the net, there was a gaping net waiting for him. Gagner ticker: 1g-1a
• The Oilers scored their third goal of the second period on the powerplay, when Ryan Whitney beat Crawford on a long shot that he really should have had. Either way, Thanks for the power play against, Bickell. Let us know how the doghouse is, and tell Sami Lepisto that was all said "Hi". Gagner ticker: 1g-2a
• Gagner continued his scorching play, while the Hawks continued to play like a hot mess in their own zone. Crow was WAY too far out of his net and the puck came out hard off the glass to Gagner, who had another gaping net. 4-3 Oilers. Gagner ticker: 2g-2a
• Cam Fucking Barker put the Oilers up 5-3 that Crawford just completely fucking missed. WOW, and HOLY SHIT! God Fucking Awful, Crow! You HAVE to make that. I've defended him all year, and I just can't defend that. Good night, Corey. Gagner ticker: 2g-3a
• Gagner got his 6th point and 3rd goal of the game just a few brief moments after the Bolland goal, to end all comeback that the Hawks had in mind. Taylor Hall beat Shaw and Hammer into the Hawks zone for the puck. He turned around and fed it to Gagner, who was towing a Marcus Kruger trailer behind him. Too bad that trailer couldn't bother to tie up his stick or something. Nick Leddy was standing in front of the fucking net covering NO ONE so THAT helped a lot. 6-4 Oilers. Gagner ticker: 3g-3a
• Gagner's 7th point and 4th goal of the night...ah whatever! Seriously, Fuck off! 7-4 Oilers. Gagner ticker: 4g-3a
• Jordan Eberle put the exclamation point on the night, and Gagner got his 8th point with about three and a half minutes left. Eddie and Pat actually got into a fucking argument, on the air, about the Oilers not taking their foot off the gas. Fuck it, run the god damn score up! If the Hawks are going to do dumb shit like dress horrible players and force themselves to roll a short lineup on the road, make them pay. Don't let them off the hook. The Oilers scored 9 earlier in the season, what makes this ANY different, Edzo? You're just butt-hurt, and as angry as the fans are. Gagner ticker: 4g-4a

The Ugly

• O'Donnell was dressed for warmups and then sat for the game, with Big Slow playing two games in a row. Ugh, great personnel move. Great team to have to roll 4 D-men against for most of the game, Joel. Can we ask Chris Kuc about that Hall of Fame coaching decision, now? (Hint: click the link to see what he said when questioned about Scott playing in Vancouver) Worked out brilliantly, didn't it? Not only that, but with the Brunette injury and Bickell sucking the fat bung hole while hanging out in the doghouse, the Hawks were rolling 3 lines of Offense and 2 lines of Defense. Way to ride the hell out of your horses, Joel! I'm sure THAT wont show tonight on the second night of the back-to-back.
• Only Bryan Bickell would hit himself in the face with his own stick. What a dope. Anyone tell you to keep two hands on your stick? They tell you that from day one of mites. Two dumb ass penalties SHOULD make him a perma-scratch for the rest of the season, because he's just a useless sack of rotten meat.
• I feel the need to point out a few things. Sam Gagner's 8 points, is the most by and NHL player in almost 25 year, and the last one to do it was Mario Lemieux. It also tied an Oilers record which is owned by The Great One, and Paul Coffey. This is Sam Gagner we are talking about. The same Sam Gagner that came into the game with 22 points in 43 games. We're not talking about Crosby, Malkin, or even Datsyuk, here.

Here are your video highlights:

Look at All These Rumors, Around Me Every Day

With the All-Star weekend come and gone, the next significant NHL mile marker is the trade deadline, and with this deadline brings some fan insanity. While the regular season trade deadline is nowhere near as insane as the free agency madhouse in July, it isn't all that far behind either. The big difference is that the competing team's fans are full of delusions of grandeur, and the non competing team's fans are ready to go into full "fire sale" mode.

Luckily for Blackhawks fans, they the ones buying and that happens to open up a whole new can of worms. The Rumors. In just a few days, I've seen enough stupid rumors to make me want to jump off the Madison Street bridge, and I know some of you would fully support that. I thought it would be entertaining to share a few of the best delusions, for those of you that have a little common sense. Here we go:

• Viktor Stalberg for Tim Thomas. I'm really not making this stuff up, folks. Ever since Tim Thomas decided against visiting the White House, the Intarwebs have been abuzz with rumors that the Bruins were going to unload him. Before we even GET to the Stalberg part, WHY would the Bruins do this? Before this "incident", Thomas was a great teammate, and one of the most dominating people at his position. He didn't say anything negative, he just simply declined an invitation. Whatever his beliefs are, he's allowed to have them. To trade Thomas over THIS is just a stupid notion from stupid people. The Bruins are one of the best teams in the NHL and defending Stanley Cup Champs. While I understand he's not a kid anymore, he is still and All-Star, Conn Smythe, and Vezina winning goalie. This would have been like trading Duncan Keith in the middle of last season for skipping the White House trip. While he was playing like shit all last year, no one seriously wanted to trade him.
  
  The second part of this rumor is the Stalberg piece. I'm all for selling high, but does anyone really think the Bruins would make that move straight up? If they would, and Stan Bowman didn't pull the trigger, the ball on the tip of Michael Jordan's statue should be replaced with Stan's head. The Bruins simply aren't that stupid. TRADE FAIL!
• Patrick Kane going anywhere. Let me start this off by saying that if you you've conjured up some delusion in your melon, where it is acceptable to trade the young and very talented #88, you belong in a mental health facility. Seriously. There is no valid scenario where he gets traded, slump or not. Just stop being stupid. You sound like lunatics, even though this idea MAKES you lunatic in the first place. Pat Kane is one of the young faces of the entire league. What do you really think the Hawks could get in return, that is better than what he already gives them? If you answered anything other than NOTHING, you're wrong. While teams would line up to feed the Hawks a bunch of players that will never equal Kane, the Hawks would be a bunch of fools to trade him, at this point. Cool your Jets, Couch Potato GM's.
• Ryan Suter or Shea Weber from Nashville. Again, Does anyone really think the Hawks would be able to part with enough talent to pry either player out of Nashville's cold dead hand? The answer you're looking for is NO. Furthermore, Weber is a Restricted Free Agent come July 1st and Suter is an Unrestricted Free Agent. Weber currently carries a price of $7.5 million a season, which is out of the Hawks price range, and, again, Nashville is not letting him go. The Suter saga has coughed up some drama, recently, and his modest $3.5 million price tag makes Hammer look like a complete joke, but the Preds would have to WANT to trade him to a division rival they may face in the playoffs. They aren't that stupid. You can cook up all the theories you want, but it takes two to tango, and this isn't NHL 12.
• ANY Goalie. Get used to Corey Crawford and Ray Emery as your goaltenders for the 2012 Playoffs. There is not enough turmoil for Stan to pull the trigger on something that is going to turn the chemistry of this team upside down. There isn't anyone capable of the task that's on the market, anyway. If you're looking for the Hawks to hand the keys over to a question mark like Evgeni Nabokov, you must be a compulsive and degenerate gambler. If a move like that goes bad, the fans and media will turn on Bowman faster than Jay Cutler. Bowman is not going to make a risky move, that puts the Hawks ability to keep the puck out of the net in question. DENIED!

Names you may see that have a chance of landing in Chicago are Hal Gill, Bryan Allen, or Mark Eaton. Bowman will be looking in the wheelhouse of a veteran future free agent that they can get for minimal return, much like they did for Campoli, last year. More recently, Marek Zidlicky is rumored to have voiced his unhappiness in Minnesota, but the Wild would have to admit it was time to throw up the white flag on this season, and I'm not sure that they think they can't hold to to that last playoff spot, but doing so without their top defender is almost impossible. If he gets moved, it will carry a heavy price tag, especially the way the Hawks blatantly stole Nick Leddy from them. A name I wanted the Hawks to take a look at during the off season is Sheldon Souray in Dallas, and I think he could cheaply add some depth as well as a big shot on the point for the powerplay, but what do I know? I'm just a blogger with a day job.

While everyone is throwing out the names of wings like Tuomo Ruutu, I wouldn't count on that ship sailing, either. Bowman seems to be pretty confident in the depth of the wings on this team, so churning that up probably isn't worth the trouble.

The moral of the story is that, IF the Hawks make a move, it won't be for anyone significant. A depth move at most, so all you play-at-home GM's need to clam down.

Blackhawks at Vancouver - Loss Recap

"One Day At A Time"



Wasn't that refreshing? A nice little break is just what I needed, I know that. Back to hockey, and shenanigans aside, the Hawks needed that break to let some banged up players heal. If you were going to write this story, you would have arranged the injuries of the Captain and Alternate Captain around a week long break. Thank you Hockey Gods! The Hawks also made a move to add a little depth at Center, for Brendan "Tommy Gunn" Morrison. He was made his Hawks debut in Vancouver, against his former team. NHL story line writers, this is where you insert game winning goal by Tommy Gunn. Just a suggestion. I guess it was a little too late.

For those of you that aren't old as dirt, like I am, the title and picture refer to a popular late 70's/early 80's sitcom, in which a creepy apartment maintenance guy, named "Schneider", befriends a single mom and her kids. How's that for a sign of the times? Moving on, The first period of last night's game definitely showed a little rust with both teams, but especially by the Hawks. They were out shot 12-9, but luckily only surrendered one goal. They did a nice job of coming back after the Canucks opened the scoring, though. The Hawks started out the second giving up a big chance, but came back and out shot the Canuck 14-6 in the frame. Unfortunately, they weren't able to beat the Canucks goaltender. The third period was a fairly even with the Hawks outshooting the Canucks 12-10, and each team getting a goal, but this one was going to need extra time to decide who was going to get the extra point. The Hawks had excellent chances in OT, but in the end, the Canucks took advantage of some soft coverage and won the game.

The Good

• MegaMayers tied the game up for the Hawks, after they lost momentum, in the first period. He took a pass that was intended for Kaner and drove it back into the slot, beating Schneider. Nice to see his hard work paying off.
• Stalberg had 3 excellent chances in the second period along, and was stopped on all three. He reminds me of the Blonde Playboy tramps; All that talent and nothing upstairs.
• On what seemed like his 50th chance of the night, Vik Stalberg scored his 15th goal of the year off Alex Edler's ass, and past Schneider. The first line was all over the Canucks at that point, but Toews and Kane just couldn't finsh.
• El Capitan made a move that was absolutely undressed Edler, in OT, with a little Shake-n-Bake move, but wasn't able to finish.
• Not to take away from Schneider's play, but Crawford had a very good night, himself. None of the three goals could be hung on his hook. He faced a deflection, a break-a-way, and piss poor coverage in OT. For all those calling for his head on a stake, you have to give him his due when he plays well, and the point blank stop on Sedin, in OT was a total theft.
• All in all, the Hawks played a fairly solid game, after a week off, on the road, in Vancouver. They got a point, right? Let's not panic, but we can expect better.

The Bad

• Hammer picked up where he left off last week, opening the game by not handling Hossa's tweener pass, which Crawford had to bail him out.
• The Hawks failed Crawford miserably when the top line couldn't get the puck out of the zone, and it ended up on the stick of Kesler. Keith got caught in no mans land, and redirected the shot off the shaft of his stick. Great job backing your goalie up after he just made 3 or 4 big stops. The Hawks wingers were guilty of heading out of the zone before they had full control of the puck and it bit them in the ass.
• Tommy Gunn's first few Blackhawks shifts were pretty awful. He iced the puck badly on the powerplay, and then turned over the puck a few times in the Hawks zone. He is, by no means, a bust, but he was looking a little rough around the edges, early.
• Cody Hodgson tied the game back up, for the Canucks, when the Hawks all got mesmerized by Vik Stalberg's bad stickhandling and eventual turnover at the Vancouver blue line, and let Hodgson sneak in behind them for the break-a-way goal. You have to point the finger at Seabrook and Keith, because they were certainly napping, or admiring Vik's stunning good looks.

The Ugly

• The guy that sung the national anthems was brutal. I don't know WHO he was, or what his qualifications were, but he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. That was the most flat version of those songs that I've ever heard. I guess it was better than the "Fat Gallagher" that usually does the Canadian one.
• The Hawks lost 19 of 23 face-offs in the first period. OUCH! Overall, they were absolutely gang raped at the dot with the top 3 centers all turning in a 35%, or below, performance for the game.
• Hey, Powerplay? YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG! It's still fucked in a bad way.
• Keith, Seabrook, Bolland, and Kane all left Daniel Sedin wide open, 3 feet in front of Crawford, IN OT, and he took a pass from his brother to win the game. How do you NOT cover that creepy ginger? Was Bolland trying to cover him with The Force?
• You wouldn't know he even played, but Big Slow WAS on the ice for his 5 minutes of fame. Five minutes and twenty one seconds, to be exact. What you DID notice, though, was the fact that other D-Men had to rotate in to cover for Scott, because he doesn't have enough talent to be on the ice in a tight game. He didn't see the ice after the middle of the second period. And Sami Lepisto still sits in the press box. Don't give me any of that "toughness" bullshit, either, because the Hawks were outhit 33-16 and Andrew Shaw was ragdolled all night long.

Here are your video highlights: