Posts Tagged ‘Blackhawks

Ty Conklin gets back between the pipes for the Blues tonight in New York after consecutive sub par performances by Chris Mason. It didn’t help Mason that the Blues sat on their backsides close to the entire first period vs. Colorado but I think it’s safe to say Mason would admit he could have played better.

I realize Mason’s career numbers against Colorado are pretty impressive, but this…

Ty Conklin gets back between the pipes for the Blues tonight in New York after consecutive sub par performances by Chris Mason. It didn’t help Mason that the Blues sat on their backsides close to the entire first period vs. Colorado but I think it’s safe to say Mason would admit he could have played better.

I realize Mason’s career numbers against Colorado are pretty impressive, but this…

Before a horde of Anaheim fans or the fans of “old-time hockey” take umbrage, understand the following:

I have been a consistent critic of the inconsistency, subjectivity and childishness of NHL officiating and discipline for some time.

What we are seeing— from the terrible decisions made on the ice to the “make it up as you go” rationalizations of Colin Campbell et al— is a case for a m…

Ovechkin gets two games.

Boynton recalled as injury replacement for Campbell.

More extensive blog to come.

Last you heard from me, I was in a limerick sort of mood, inspired by St. Patty’s Day and the Lightning’s own Facebook contest which, apparently, I did not win. (To that I say, “Fiddlesticks!” And to any mid-week St. Pat’s, by the way, a double “Fiddlesticks!” as well.)

I’ll return to prose today, in an effort to sort out my jumbled thoughts on this and that.

—We’ll start…

There has been a lot of discussion in recent weeks about the Blues success killing penalties. A lot factors come into play here. To me a lot of comes down to how prepared the Blues are in terms of their understanding of the opponents tendencies on the power play. This is where Assistant Coach Brad Shaw comes into play. This guy has done an admirable job coaching up the Blues PK unit since joining…

Late reports have Brian Campbell out anywhere from 4-6 weeks to the remainder of the season, possibly with a broken collarbone, after a hit from behind by Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin.

I’ll have a blog up tomorrow on the game and the dreadful performance of the Hawk defense of late, not to mention continuing mental lapses and immature plays by some of the forwards.

It’s hard not to like a…

John Jaeckel: D-U-M

14, Mar 2010

This morning, some of Cristobal Huet’s most ardent bashers are expressing pity for him on various internet message boards.

As they should. The Man from France rebounded with an outstanding game yesterday, one that he was more than good enough to win against a good team on the road, only to see his team implode in front of him in the final five minutes.

The larger hockey world claims the Blac…

The St. Louis Blues are in the midst of negotiating a contract with former first round pick and Notre Dame standout Ian Cole.

Concussion problems limited Cole to just 30 games played this season but word is the sturdy D-man has checked out ok and is not suffering any lingering effects.

Even though Cole is a smart kid and academics remain a priority for he and his family, sources close to…

Since we’re a step closer to the official death of the 2009-10 Tampa Bay Lightning after last night’s overtime loss in Toronto left them six points out of the playoff picture with 16 games left to play, I thought I’d forgo anything serious today, in an effort to lighten the mood a bit.

Through their official Facebook page, the Lightning are promoting a limerick contest and offering ticket…

Last night’s game versus the Kings at the UC followed a familiar pattern for the Blackhawks: a dominant first period, a weak second and a suspenseful third. And, true to recent form, there were defensive lapses and a couple of weak goals allowed— this time by Antti Niemi.

In the end, the Hawks won the contest in OT, on a gorgeous move and finish by Patrick Sharp (this is a highlight worth cat…

The hot topic right now for the Tampa Bay Lightning might be Steven Stamkos, thanks to the hot hand that has him on pace for a 51-goal sophomore season.

The impact of Steve Downie as a well-rounded force, offensively, physically and otherwise, might be the surprise story of their season.

And a reinvigorated Vincent Lecavalier down the stretch, sparked by the under-the-radar arrival of Teddy…

The million dollar question among fans and media alike is whether or not the Blues can find a way to slide into the playoffs. It won’t be long before we find out.

It’s pretty hard to pick apart the way the Blues have been playing as of late. Winners of five of their last six games the Blues have once again asserted themselves into becoming part of the playoff picture.

When talking to B…

“They’re still the team to beat in the West, I don’t care what anyone says. They have the lineup to do it. They’ve dealt with a lot of injuries and managed to stay in the playoff hunt. It was a test for us and we didn’t meet that.”

-Blackhawks winger Andrew Ladd following Detroit’s 5-4 victory on Sunday afternoon.

Every great team seems to have a rival they have to overcome in order to re…

***1:30 PM ET UPDATE FROM MONDAY’S WINGS PRACTICE COURTESY OF DETROIT FREE PRESS BEATWRITER, HELENE ST. JAMES***

Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi did not practice today, but Mike Babcock said Bertuzzi will be ready to play Tuesday when the Wings host Calgary.

Bertuzzi suffered a charley horse to the inside of his left knee when he was sandwiched on a hit by Ben Eager and Jordan Hendry late in…

The Blackhawks lost a hard fought, somewhat sloppy contest to the Red Wings this afternoon, 5-4, before yet another packed house at the UC.

I’m going to avoid the easy (and inaccurate) out of blaming the officials. In fairness, I’ve been consistent in my criticism of NHL officiating for years now, no matter the outcome or who’s playing. This officiating team, like so many, missed calls—in one…

So, the Jeff Vinik era as owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning got off to an 0-1 start with Thursday’s loss to Washington.

So what?

The Caps are, well, the Caps. And, though there was certainly some sloppiness, the Lightning hung tight in that game, battling back from several deficits and showing some real character throughout.

A timely save or two down the stretch would have aided the cau…

I debated how to title this blog: “A Minor Statement,” or “An Early Statement,” and upon reflection, I went with the more simple, emphatic title you see above.

Last night’s game was a statement for the Blackhawks. Not so much because of the score, or even really the opponent, but rather: this is how we’re going to win in the playoffs.

Conversely, if I were a Canucks fan, I’d be concerned thi…

The Canucks ride into Chicago feeling pretty good for tonight’s tilt. They have a come from behind OT win in Columbus and a 6-3 dismantling of the Wings in Joe Louis, now they face the class of the West in Chicago. It’s a team which the Canucks hold a 2-1 season edge and one in which they particularly want to exercise some demons against.

Roberto Luongo will have be facing his old team mate…

18 teams were in action on Thursday night in the National Hockey League. Home teams finished with a sparkling 7-1-1 record, with the Stars suffering the only loss in regulation among the nine hosts.

HOCKEYBUZZ HIGH FIVE
#1Paul Kariya (STL) – 2g, 1a, +2 in 6-1 win over Stars
#2 Chris Mason (STL) – 29 saves, 1 GA in 6-1 win over Stars
#3 Scott Walker (WSH) – 2g, 0a, +2 in 5-4 win over L…


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