Everything Else

Hot Start In Old Town: Blackhawks 3 – Blues 2

By Matthew Killion 1452 0

Toews-face… Already in mid-season form

 

After two games on the road, both home openers for other teams, it was was finally time for the Blackhawks to have the chance to make the other team sit around as they go through awkward introductions. Once the game got started though – it was pretty apparent which team had played the night before and which had at least one day rest. The Blues, coming off a victory in Music City that required a skills competition, came out of the gate looking flat and the Blackhawks were swarming. Throughout the first, the Blackhawks had multiple chances that were some of the best we’ve seen so far. Unfortunately, either they hesitated a bit too long and lost the opportunity or they ended up on the stick of Bickell. Whatever it was, the shots simply didn’t go in until the Hawks found themselves on a 3-on-0 and even that required a nifty bit of passing between Sharp and Kane before Kane was able to put a nice move on Elliott for the Hawks first score of the game. It was some nifty work… but part of me thinks a 3-on-0 ought to have been a hell of a lot easier.

From there – things took a bit of a different turn

Everything Else

Well, We're Waiting – The Committed Indian.com's Season Preview: The Rest Of The Defense (Part 1)

By 1057 0

We’re starting to run a little short on time here, so I’m just going to wrap up the rest of the blue line in a two-part post here. Another reason to do that, based on what we’ve heard have been the pairs in this “training camp”, is it’s hard to discern which is the second and which is the third. It might just be that the Hawks have their top pair, and then two others that are going to split the rest of the time evenly. This one we’ll just have to see play out.

Everything Else

Well, We’re Waiting – The Committed Indian.com’s Season Preview: The Rest Of The Defense (Part 1)

By Sam Fels 1296 0

We’re starting to run a little short on time here, so I’m just going to wrap up the rest of the blue line in a two-part post here. Another reason to do that, based on what we’ve heard have been the pairs in this “training camp”, is it’s hard to discern which is the second and which is the third. It might just be that the Hawks have their top pair, and then two others that are going to split the rest of the time evenly. This one we’ll just have to see play out.

Everything Else

Morning Links 1/15/12

By Joe DeTolve 1417 0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crapping in my Cocoa Puffs: (Puck Daddy)

Marian is still good at hockey and once again is feeling good…maybe:(Chicago Tribune)

Saad is ready to do work(Autoplay)(Comcast Sportsnet)

Tending:(Chicago Tribune)

Notes from Tracey: (Comcast Sportsnet)

A look at the west: (CTA)

A look at the east: (Down Goes Brown)

Dates to Remember:(CBC)

Iggy’s contract talks will be quiet:(Ottawa Sun)

Did the lockout cost him his job? (Sportsnet.Ca)

Probably should have done this since 1993: (CBS)

There was hockey being played in the last three months: (United States of Hockey)

Everything Else

Back To The Front

By Sam Fels 1718 0

Do I really need a reason to post a picture of Cliff Burton? I didn’t think so. He’s who I pray to, so I think he got this done for us all yesterday.

Let’s talk hockey. Fuck and yes. By now you all know the details of the CBA — cliff notes version: same cap this year, $64 million next year, two buyouts, eight-year limit on your free agents, seven on others, 50% variance. Ok then, what does all this mean for your beloved Men Of The Red And Black?

How do the Hawks stack up cap-wise?

Everything Else

Piggies And Yanks, Oh My!

By Sam Fels 1476 0

Have two games I’d like to wrap up with our famed bullets, last night’s Hogs win over Chicago and this morning’s US-Russia game which I found surprisingly entertaining. First to our Piggies:

-One of the many things that I’ve been disappointed in being robbed of this lockout, and there may be hundreds, is getting to watch the growth of Brandon Saad firsthand. In reality, even just half a season in the A is probably better for Saad than being immediately chucked into the deepest part of the pool. But even from just a month ago you see a difference, as now Saad makes something happen on almost every shift. He  did last night at least. As Chris Block has pointed out, the kid is unafraid to take the puck into high-traffic areas and work along the boards. That’s power forward stuff that you really can’t teach. He may get knocked around for a bit among  the men of the NHL, but I doubt for long. Best player on the ice last night by some stretch, I thought. If there is a season, I don’t think there’s any doubt now he’s starting the season here and somewhere on the Top 6. I guess it’s been since Versteeg that we’ve had a rookie to get excited about, and Steeger kind of came out of nowhere. We’ve been waiting for Saad since he was drafted, and that’s one of the cooler things about being a fan of any sport, the youngster coming through the system.

Everything Else

Swine Flu

By Sam Fels 1546 0

It was not a good weekend for the Rock River Bacon Bits. Two losses, one in overtime,  meaning it’s been four in a row now. Oh, and their coach is calling out some of the players in the press (or to Chris Block, but he’s more press than anything in the city these days).

It started well on Friday north of the border, the Illinois-Wisconsin border that is. 40 seconds into their tilt with the Admirals, Nick Leddy scored. But as it always is with the Hogs, the penalties they take cost them, and the ones they don’t cash in on cost them. A dumb roughing infraction from Wade Brookbank, and then a Brandon Saad high-sticking double minor saw the Admirals into the lead before the 1st was over. Both PP goals came from Gabriel Bourque and were off of scrambles in front of the net, in case you thought the Hogs were any better at clearing the crease than the Hawks. Oh and the Milwaukee power play was one of the worst in the league before this night.

Everything Else

One Out Of Three Is Only Good In Baseball

By Sam Fels 1395 0

The Hogs embarked on their first three-in-three stretch this past weekend. And it didn’t go so well. One win, two losses, and out of first place to Grand Rapids. You would have wanted more.

It started out ok. Friday night saw the return of Yippy Carter Hutton, who three second period goals on six shots from Milwaukee in the second period. That canceled out a pretty Rob Flick opener,  where he came down the right wing – his off-wing – cut to the middle and blistered one past Jeremy Smith.

And then it went nuts in the 3rd period. The Hogs exploded for four goals, two of them Ben Smith deflections on the power play. Brandon Pirri added another one, and Marty St. Pierre finished it off with an empty-netter before raising his long stick in the air and knocking out a couple light bulbs.

Then it went pear-shaped.

Everything Else

What's This? An Actual Game Preview? You're Serious?: Hogs at Wolves

By 1079 0

@

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM
TV: CN100

You’re fuckin’ eh right it is. I miss doing these, and game posts are what I do best. So I’m going to fucking do one today, and then there’ll be an actual wrap either tonight or in the morning. Hopefully, it’ll remind us why we’re all here in the first place. But then that just might make us angrier that we aren’t doing this regularly. But fuck it. I’m tired of coming up with shit that you don’t even want to really read anyway. And I’m going to swear even more!

What could I possibly be writing about? Why, it’s the Rock River Swine visiting the O’Hare Annex Lupus (I have a fear of Wolves). That’s right, it’s the battle of….Northern Illinois? I guess Peoria is south enough to not be in that category, right? Let’s go with it.