So Sharp will travel to Minny, but Bolland won’t (CSN)
PowerPlay Spark? (Chicago Tribune)
Big Goals: (Daily Herald)
The Message from the most powerful man in Canada: (TSN)
Brooklyn is calling: (Backhand Shelf)
Thanks for the clarification: (Kukla)
This is a good sign: (CBC)
Well that wasn’t exactly what we expected, was it? Even in our preview of the game, we imagined that the Predators would come out hard to try and fight for their playoff dreams and the Hawks would have to fight them off desperately in the first. If the Hawks survived that barrage, they would have to make sure they drew first blood and then held on tight to survive the third, where all too often they seem to take their foot off the gas.
Instead, the Predators came out weak in the first and were thoroughly outplayed by the Hawks. The Hawks outshot the Preds 17-7 in the period but of course one sloppy pass led to a turnover and a tie game after one. The second was more of the same, as the Hawks outshot the Preds and carried the play but again found themselves in an even game after 40. The third seemed to be heading down a familiar road before Saad and Toews found the net to take the win. Patrick Kane adds to his point total to ice it and the Blackhawks find themselves the first team to secure a spot in the post-season for the year. Not a bad way to end the week.
vs 
Game Time: 6:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Smash & Dash: On The Forecheck
With the Hawks’ win at the Tire Fire yesterday, they now stand on the precipice of being the first team in the league to officially clinch a playoff berth. The 9th place Coyotes currently sit at 40 points with 10 games left to play, which would max them out at 60 points. However, if the Coyotes were to win out in regulation and were the Hawks to lose out in regulation, they’d be tied but the Yotes would have more regulation and overtime wins. However, all of that is rendered immaterial today with a single point, and the Hawks will have officially gained entrance to the post season party, despite standing outside and waiting for it to open since mid-February.
St. Louis won in Beer Pong:(NHL)
No lead was safe: (Comcast Chicago)
Q is happy: (Daily Herald)
It shall be Crow: (SunTimes)
Monty working his way back: (Chicago Tribune)
Frolik is adaptable: (Comcast Chicago)
Sid’s jaw is jacked, not his brain: (TSN)
The Next,Next One is already running things: (Globe and Mail)
Jagr is confident: (CBC)
So basically Dave Nonis has the same opinion of Mike Gillis as we do: (The Province)
Kirill Gotovets? (Chicago Tribune)
Is Stan wary of trading prospects? (Daily Herald)
Basically Leddy is gonna get paid: (Comcast)
Remember this team…I sure do! (HockeeNight)
Happy Deadline Day: (Sportsnet.Ca)
Guys that were good in NHL 2003 got traded: (Backhand Shelf)(CBC)(Province)
I don’t care the circumstance I hate losing: (Toronto Sun)
vs. 
FACEOFF: 11:30am Central
TV/RADIO: NBC, WGN 720
NOT YET KILLED BY ROBOCOP: Winging It In Motown
If the Hawks are going to snap out of this midseason malaise (if indeed that’s what it is) in the next week or so, they’re going to have to do it against the Central Division. Seven of the next eight games — all in the next two weeks, mind — come against the Central residents (and it’s a whole lot of Predators, but we’ll worry about that on Monday). It kicks off with a return brunch engagement against the somewhat resurgent Red Wings. It’s as resurgent as an elderly squad can be, like that half-pep your dad gets in his step for a couple minutes after a big shit. Or is that just mine?
After seeing it in person tonight, I’m more convinced than I was before that the Hawks are going through nothing more than a midseason malaise, combined with some injuries to key players. While the Hawks can pay lip service to saying that they thought this was an important game because they hadn’t beaten the Ducks, upon evidence on the ice I’m not buying it.
Tonight, it wasn’t so much anything the Ducks did. The Hawks for the first 40 were missing passes by feet instead of inches, they were bobbling whatever passes did actually land on tape, and just generally looked like they’d been at The Houndstooth a little too late last night. It seemed like the Ducks were even more conservative in this one than they had been in the previous two games. Usually, it was only one Duck forward in on the forecheck, which the the Hawks made harder than they had to too often.
After seeing it in person tonight, I’m more convinced than I was before that the Hawks are going through nothing more than a midseason malaise, combined with some injuries to key players. While the Hawks can pay lip service to saying that they thought this was an important game because they hadn’t beaten the Ducks, upon evidence on the ice I’m not buying it.
Tonight, it wasn’t so much anything the Ducks did. The Hawks for the first 40 were missing passes by feet instead of inches, they were bobbling whatever passes did actually land on tape, and just generally looked like they’d been at The Houndstooth a little too late last night. It seemed like the Ducks were even more conservative in this one than they had been in the previous two games. Usually, it was only one Duck forward in on the forecheck, which the the Hawks made harder than they had to too often.
at 
Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, NHLN (US), WGN-AM 720
Dawn of the Dead: Anaheim Calling, Battle of California
Since the last time these two teams met, both teams have managed to go a combined 1-5 with Anaheim carrying a four game losing streak into the United Center. The Ducks lost both back-to-back sets with the Red Wings and Sharks, respectively, looking pretty awful in the process. (more…)
So that’s over: (TSN)
Iggy: A Morality Play: (Cheer The Anthem)
Defense creating offense: (CSN)
Except when they miss assignments: (Backhand Shelf)
Adding Iggy wasn’t the most pressing concern: (Daily Herald)
Sorry Phoenix: (PuckDaddy)