Archive for January, 2010

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Looks like we can forget all the talk of the Calgary Flames coming into this game pissed off enough to end that horrid losing streak. Seems we forgot how the Blackhawks have owned the Flames over the past two regular seasons, plus a playoff series victory. Nothing changed tonight. The Blackhawks looked more like themselves from the get-go, out-working a Calgary team that looks plain flat on the ice in the ‘Hawks’ 3-1 win. The Flames aren’t all that quick to begin with and the Blackhawks unquestionably have more talent, but Jerome Iginla, Rene Borque, Dion Phaneuf and Jay Bouwmeester [...]

Jeremy Roenick became the latest to tell the hockey world what every critic has been saying about the Blackhawks for months: The ‘Hawks goaltending could keep them from winning the Stanley Cup. The meatheads have been shouting for Cristobal Huet to be traded and supplanted by Antti Niemi. When those cries stop, they began whining about how both goaltenders are unproven. It never ends. Neither Huet nor Niemi will ever win in the minds of the fans or so-called experts. Good performance? “Eh, well, the defense played great in front of him.” Bad performance? “See? I told you he sucks!” [...]

It’s no surprise when a team catches fire coinciding with the return of its captain. The Blackhawks lumbered through the six games Jonathan Toews missed due to a concussion and began racking up points as usual once Captain Serious got back on the ice. Similarly, the Ottawa Senators are back on track with the return of their captain, Daniel Alfredsson, who notched a hat trick in last night’s 5-1 win against Boston. Alfredsson has six points in two Senators victories following his 11-game layoff with an injury. What this means is for the third straight game on this road trip, [...]

It’s the best start possible to a long road trip — two games, two victories against division rivals, taking the overall points lead in the NHL. I won’t say I was urinating myself in jubilation every moment of each game, but I’ll take four points no matter how they’re earned. The Blackhawks’ back-to-back wins in Columbus and in Detroit give them 72 points on the season, putting the ‘Hawks 14 points ahead of last year’s squad at this point. After a couple of scares last weekend, the two victories — including one on national television — show the ‘Hawks still [...]