May 18, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) makes a save as defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4) battles for positioning with Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk (13) in the second period of game two of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The final score was the same as Wednesday night’s Game 1 in Chicago, but with the visitors on the winning side this time. Detroit Red Wings players made promises to their fans via interviews and social media that they would come out harder in Game 2 and resemble the team that fans expected. Detroit did just that.

Here are a couple facts: First, Patrick Kane scored his first goal of the post season for the Chicago Blackhawks. This should get the guys fired up, right? Finally, one of the two guys we’ve been waiting for is scoring goals! Toews can’t be far behind. Second, the penalty kill unit is still undefeated so far in the playoffs, killing off all 23 penalties. With both of those tidbits, Blackhawks fans would be excited for Game 2. But Kane’s goal was the only one scored by the Blackhawks. And although they killed off 4 penalties, they gave up 4 even strength goals.

The Blackhawks had trouble protecting the captain, making passes, not falling at inopportune times, and giving an extra push to gain puck possession. In short, they played one of their worst games of the year, and there have only been about 4 or 5 of those.

Damien Brunner tied it up early in the second period and the Red Wings took the lead with a goal from Brendan Smith with 4 minutes remaining. Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula both added insurance goals in the third period to silence the United Center for the afternoon.

The best player for the Blackhawks was easily Corey Crawford who made 26 saves – a few of them pretty spectacular – and kept his team in it for as long as he could. The sluggish defense of the Blackhawks relied on Crawford so they could take another breath or two. With the lethargic showing by the Blackhawks against an extra determined Detroit team, Joel Quenneville should think twice about reintroducing the speed of benched Viktor Stalberg for their trip across the lake.

Being tied 1-1 in the series against the Red Wings isn’t the worst case scenario. The series is moving to Detroit where the Blackhawks are 9-0-1 in their last 10 visits. Stealing a game back at the Joe will be a fight, but definitely doable! This will be a long series if the Blackhawks use this game as a wake up call and play like the Blackhawks again! Let’s go Hawks!

Do you think the Blackhawks will take a game in Detroit?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

Hawks and Wings will battle for the 801st time in the teams’ history as they fight for a chance to win the cup. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Game #2- Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks

Game Time- 12:00pm Central

TV- CBC, NBC, RDS

Radio- 97.9Fm

Series Review: The Blackhawks and the Wings will be meeting for game two this afternoon for another skill laden affair.  Hawks won the opener 4-1 after dominating the Wings in the second and third period.  Howard looked solid for the Wings, but the Wings offense couldn’t help him out.  Crow made some big saves when he had to, which were few and far between.

Preview:  The Wings really need a win in today’s game, and going down 2-0 isn’t an option for them.  Babcock has had ample time to come up with a strategy to slow down the Hawks, so we could start to see some line changes.  The one thing you have to give Babcock credit for is his ability to adjust his team’s strategy from game to game.  Another thing to look out for is Abdelkader possibly looking for some revenge on Rozsival as I’m sure that crosscheck to the head didn’t sit well with the Wings.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Shaw get ran a few times as well since the Wings must have figured out that he is more than willing to take a dumb penalty.  Detroit knows that stealing a win in the UC is vital, and they will need to take advantage of any situation that they can to get this win.

On the Hawks side of things, the Stalberg drama sideshow continues, and hopefully it’s not being a distraction to the team.  Chicago will definitely be focused on staying disciplined, and there is no doubt in my mind that Q talked to Shaw about his frequency in the box.  The Hawks know that the Wings are struggling in the third, so we should expect to see some extra pressure in period three.  Crawford has been rock solid down the stretch.  He’s leading everyone in the playoffs that played five or more games with a .950 SV% and a 1.27 GAA.  While Crow is pulling his weight in the crease, Sharp is having a great playoff run with six goals and three assists.  Along with Sharp, Hossa is in full on beast mode with four goals and three assists.  The Hawks will be looking to build off of an overall solid game one, and you can expect more of the same, but hopefully with fewer penalties.

Random Blackhawks Fact: Hossa is ranked 5^th among active players for points in the playoffs with 104, and 9^th in GWG with 8.

Prediction:  Wings are going to come out hard but Hawks come away with a 4-2 victory.

What’s your game 2 prediction?

Jan 8, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the United Center during the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Any hockey fan knows of the historic rivalries of the Original 6 teams and of the special rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. After decades spent perfecting both hatred and respect, the Blackhawks and Red Wings rivalry is alive and well and is one of the most sentimental aspects of hockey. This rivalry may begin with the two teams, but it doesn’t end there. It wouldn’t be anything without the follow through from their fans.

Fans of the Blackhawks and Red Wings have been rivals for just as long as their teams have been around. The short distance between the two cities means that plenty of fans from both sides show up to every game and have a battle of their own – a battle to either keep or take away home ice advantage with their cheers, chants and traditions. The rivalry between the fans is every bit as intense as the one played out on the ice.

But fighting against someone for that long turns into respect after a while and maybe even a little bit of appreciation. Both sets of fans know hockey and are deeply loyal to their team, traditions, and history. They cross paths often, and many live just across the lake from each other. Others live just down the street – in the middle of Virginia, or Oregon, or New Zealand. If you are a Blackhawks fan, no matter where you are, you are bound to find a Red Wings fan close by. The rivalry is too old and too fun to be confined to the metropolis areas of Chicago and Detroit. These fans are never far apart, detesting each other, trash talking, and loving hockey together.

Although the Blackhawks and Red Wings won’t be in the same division next season, the cities aren’t moving. Chicago and Detroit will still be there, and their fans at home and across nations will be the breath that keeps the rivalry alive for decades more. But right now, they’re preparing for another historic playoff series between two teams that know each other well and fans that know each other even better.

So Blackhawks fans, go ahead and make plans with your Red Wings fanatic friends to watch every game of this playoff series. There will be blood, sweat and tears – plus whatever happens in the games! May the best fans win!

Do you have any plans to watch the Blackhawks/Red Wings series with a rival fan?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

Toews Looks To Lead The Hawks To Another Victory Against Detroit. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

With the Detroit vs Anaheim series wrapped up and the Western conference schedule set, we get to take a better look at our opponent.  The Red Wings went on a tear at the end of the season to muscle their way into the seventh seed.  They went into the Ducks series hot and had built up some confidence.  They nearly blew a two goal lead in the third period of game seven, but the Wings pulled through and now face down our very own Chicago Blackhawks.  So let’s answer a few questions that have been asked.

10) Will the extra rest hurt the Hawks?

If you go by what Q says, then we should see a more focused effort from the team.  Q stated that he was disappointed in the Hawks performance in the first round and that the Hawks still have another gear we haven’t seen yet.  It will take a period at most to get the game legs back, so no worries.

9) How much of an impact will Zetterberg and Datsyuk have in the series?

If you look at the regular season series, you can get an idea of who we focused on shutting down, and those two combined were held to a single point.  Just like in the Minnesota series, I think we’ll see the Hawks shutting down the big names.  Detroit’s best bet will be to keep Datsyuk and Zetterberg split up if they want to get a boost in production.

8) If the Detroit stars get shut down, who do the Hawks need to look out for?

Again, if you can take the regular season into account, then I have to say Franzen and Emmerton, but I think I would swap Emmerton for Brunner and Abdelkader.  The Hawks will have to watch out for the depth scoring, and by that I mean they can’t lose their assignments.  The Detroit leaders are really carrying the load for their team, so the Hawks still need to focus on defense.   This will in turn give the Wings’ depth guys the opportunity to shine.

7) Will the Hawks need to play a dump and chase game like they were forced to with the Wild?

I don’t think it will be as drastic as it was with the Wild.  The Wings still have a skilled and crafty crew, and like we saw throughout the season, I think there will be a solid battle of finesse and skill.  Babcock will most likely switch things up as the series plays out, and Q might have to look at match ups closer.

6) Can Crawford continue playing as well as he did against Minnesota?

Crawford has had a great series against Detroit, including some really neat highlight reel saves.  Crow has a .960 save percentage and a 1.25 GAA in the four games against Detroit in the regular season.  He has gained some confidence from his performance during the regular season and an overall solid showing in the playoffs.  Nothing is better than when a goaltender is feeling hot.

5) Any Hawks players that we need to be worried about?

Well, the rumor mill has Stalberg in Q’s doghouse, and whether or not that’s true will be seen Wednesday night.  Some suspected Handzus was in some trouble with Bolland coming back, but Q said Bolland would have to work his way back up into the second line spot.

4) Will Emery get a start?

Q has been a very happy, confident coach this year, and it’s true he has made some odd choices with playing his goalies at times.  But right now, I don’t see him changing a thing because of the way Crow has been playing recently.

3) The Hawks looked like they had trouble with a healthy Harding.  Will Howard give them problems?

It seems that a lot of good Detroit goalies get a bad reputation from the popular belief that the Wings win despite their goaltending rather than because of it.  Howard has been judged as such a bit unfairly.  Yes, he did give the Ducks some easy goals, but with the defense in front of him, I can’t blame the guy. Howard has already shown he can go toe to toe with Crow, but I think the Hawks will just be too much for him and his team.

2) Which player for the Hawks should we be worried about defensively?

That’s a tricky question, because useless stats say Leddy was our worst defenseman, but it never looked that way during actual play.  Rozsival will be our weak link as the games go by.  He’s a bit slow, and I can see Babcock trying to get Datsyuk and Zetterberg out there with him to really take advantage of that.  This could be a rough series for Rozsival

1) Who will be the Hawks’ star for this series?

I can see Kane shining in the assist department and Saad scoring a few big goals.  Saad didn’t have a great series with the Wild, but I think he can take advantage of the Wings’ defense.  Detroit has struggled to keep the puck out of their net against the Ducks, and I can’t see how they are going to fare any better against the well balanced attack of the Hawks.

Apr 12, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Blackhawks celebrate a victory against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center. The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 in the shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

That’s all folks!  Well, at least for the storied 87 year old rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings , and it ended in typical dramatic fashion.  A back and forth contest between the two old rivals ended with the Blackhawks winning 3-2 in the shootout.  This game will go down as the final regular season matchup with the Blackhawks and Red Wings as division rivals.  Oh yeah, the Blackhawks clinched the Central-Division as well, although that was inevitable at this point.

The first period was an evenly matched tilt, that ended in a scoreless tie.  The Hawks played the better period, even though their Power Play struggles continued, they mustered up a few good chances, and their Penalty Kill was lethal as usual.

The second period started out in similar fashion, until about 6 minutes in when Viktor Stalberg broke the scoreless tie, when he snuck a puck past Red Wings’ goaltender Jimmy Howard(who played spectacular).  Not long after Stalbergs’ goal, the wheels seemed to come off the Hawks’ wagon.  Stalberg took an odd holding penalty that looked more like a tackle.  On this Power Play, Detroit solved the seemingly impenetrable Blackhawks Penalty Kill, with a Johan Franzen goal to tie the game at 1 goal a piece.  Minutes later, Corey Emmerton scored to give the Wings a 2-1 lead, on a play where it looked as if Drew Miller held the stick of Michal Rozsival, leaving Hawks coach Joel Quenneville upset to say the least.  Andrew Shaw was then called to the Penalty Box to serve a Too many men on the ice penalty, and it appeared as if the momentum was just piling up for the Red Wings.  Luckily for the Hawks, they hung on to survive the second period, being down only 2-1.

The third period got off where the second period ended, sloppy hockey from the Blackhawks.  The Wings were pushing the Hawks all over the ice, until less than 3 minutes remaining in regulation, as Jonathan Toews scored the equalizing goal, to even the game at 2-2.  The third period would end in a 2-2 tie, and head into an indecisive overtime as both teams earned 1 point in the Western Conference standings.  That point would be all the Hawks needed to mathematically clinch the Central Division title.

The shootout would be needed to determine the final game of the storied rivalry, and a lengthy one at that.  The shootout itself extended into ovetime, but it was Brandon Saad who would score the decisive goal, as Corey Crawford denied Johan Franzen, to secure a 3-2 victory for the Blackhawks.

Notes-

Jonathan Toews was all over the puck tonight, and generated several scoring chances and eventually converting the game tying goal in the 3rd period.

Corey Crawford played a solid game with a few great saves, but had some difficulties clearing the puck a few times.

Jimmy Howard played an excellent game in net for the Red Wings tonight, making several big saves.

Next up for the Blackhawks as they prep for a 1,2, or 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs is a Sunday matinee against the St. Louis Blues.  Puck Drop is set for 11:30 AM Central Time.

March 3, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) during the third period against the Detroit Red Wings at the Joe Louis Arena. Chicago won 2-1 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Detroit Red Wings in a very spirited, highly contested matinee, by a score of 2-1, in the Shootout.  The Blackhawks have extended their NHL record streak of consecutive games to start a season without a regulation loss, to an incredible 22 games!

The first period, was dominated by the Blackhawks, although the scoreboard would tell you that nothing happened.  The Hawks controlled the tempo of the first period from start to finish, but could not find a way to sneak a puck past Red Wings’ goaltender, Jimmy Howard, who had a stellar game.  The Hawks finished the first 20 minutes of hockey with 9 shots on goal, and the Wings managed only 3 shots on goal.  The Hawks got solid chances, while Detroit mustered up enough grit to foil the Hawks’ chances.

The second period was a much more evenly matched period of hockey, that really had a playoff feel to it, but once again neither team could figure out a way to get the puck in a net, no matter how hard they tried.  Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford, stood on his head the entire game, and especially in the 2nd and 3rd periods, when the Red Wings started putting some serious pressure on him, as they peppered him with shots on net.

The 3rd period proved that the goose eggs on the scoreboard were crackable.  The 3rd was yet again, another hard-fought playoff like period.  This time though, it was the Red Wings early on, who had all the momentum, when Tomas Tartar broke the scoreless tie, with his wrist-shot  making it 1-0 Detroit.  The period “dragged” on with lots of spirited play from both sides, as it started to feel like the Hawks’ incredible points streak as nearing it’s end until late in the frame, when the Red Wings’ Jonathan Ericsson committed an ill-timed delay-of-game penalty, as he lifted the puck into the crowd.  While on the Power Play, Patrick Kane netted the game-tying goal, to even the game at one goal a piece.  Shortly after Kane’s goal, Niklas Kronwall gave the Hawks another Power Play on yet another delay-of-game penalty.

The Chicago Power Play lasted to the end of regulation, and into the Overtime period, with the Hawks failing to seize the golden opportunity with their new-found momentum.   This game would “require” a shootout to reach a decision.

The Red Wings started the shootout with Pavel Datsyuk and the Blackhawks lead-off with Jonathan Toews.  Both players failed to score for their respective teams, as the superb goaltending, throughout the game, continued.

Crawford stopped Damien Brunner from finding the back of the net for Detroit, while Howard once again, failed to stop Patrick Kane from scoring.

It all came down to Henrik Zetterberg for Detroit, but he failed to score.  Giving the Blackhawks a 2-1 victory in the shootout.

Notes-

This was Marian Hossa‘s 1,000th career game.  He had 3 shots on goal, in 20:49 minutes on the ice.

Corey Crawford had an excellent game with acrobatic saves to keep the Hawks in the game, en route to a well-deserved #1 star of the game.

Michael Frolik had an especially strong game, as he was essential in thwarting the Red Wings’ Power Plays.

Patrick Sharp saw some time at Center, and went 5 for 9 in the faceoff circle.

The Blackhawks head home for a Tuesday night matchup against the Minnesota Wild.  Puck drop is set for 7:30PM Central Time.

Jan 27, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy (rear) is congratulated by left wing Viktor Stalberg (25) and defenseman Johnny Oduya (27) and center Jonathan Toews (right) for scoring the game winning goal during overtime at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks coughed up a one goal lead on their hated rival, Detroit Red Wings, early in the third period.  The rivalry required an overtime period to crown a winner, and Blackhawks’ defenseman,  Nick Leddy put the puck past Red Wings goaltender, Jimmy Howard, to secure the win for the Blackhawks.  The win puts the Hawks record at 6-0-0, good for 12 points, and the best start to a regular season in the franchise’s storied 86-year history.

The Blackhawks got off to a ferocious start in the first period, practically owning the puck throughout most of the first 20 minutes.  The Hawks took the lead on the power-play, with Duncan Keith‘s first goal of the season, early in the period.    The Red Wings could not seem to keep the puck for any extended period of time.  Although both teams ended the period at 11 shots apiece, the Blackhawks maintained a 1-0 league over the Red Wings.

The Red Wings got off to a much faster, more aggressive start in the second period, and as a result, the Blackhawks got off their game and played an undisciplined 2nd period.  Detroit played more aggressive, and to compensate, the tired Hawks, who were playing their second game in 24 hours, become undisciplined and committed a ridiculous four 2-minute minor penalties, in the second period alone.  Amazingly, the Blackhawks killed off everyone of the Red Wing power-plays, even keeping the well-rested Wings shot-less on two man-advantage opportunities.  Forwards Michael Frolik, and Marcus Kruger were the two key penalty-killers for the Hawks, as well as the two biggest thorns, in the Red Wings’ side.  The Hawks stumbled through the second period and miraculously held onto their 1-0 lead over Detroit.

As the puck dropped for the third period, the Red Wings, likely motivated by the humiliation of their powerless power-play, came out of the gate on a mission.  It was the Red Wings this time, who were controlling the puck and generating all of the scoring chances, early in the third period.  Hawks’ goaltender, Corey Crawford, did all he could to weather the storm of Red Wings shots on goal, before Johan Franzen went 5-hole on Crawford, to tie the game at 1-1.  After tying the game, the Red Wings committed a pair of penalties from Jonathan Ericsson and Henrik Zetterberg, that the Blackhawks failed to capitalize on, sending the game to overtime.

In the overtime period, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before Detroit won this game, as it appeared that fatigue was setting in for the Blackhawks.  However, it was the Hawks who left the United Center with two points instead of one as Nick Leddy buried the puck past Jimmy Howard to give the Hawks the win and the franchise best 6-0-0 start to the regular season.

The Blackhawks get a much deserved breather, as they don’t play again until Wednesday, when they head up north to take on the Minnesota Wild.  Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM Central Time.

Notes-

Corey Crawford played yet another strong game in net, stopping 29 out of 30 Red Wings’ shots on goal.

Michael Frolik ‘s penalty killing excellence so far this season, is a huge reason for the Hawks record-setting success, especially tonight.

Jimmy Howard played well enough to help Detroit leave Chicago with at least a point, although after the 1st period, he wasn’t heavily tested the rest of the night.

On two consecutive Detroit power-plays in the 2nd period, the Blackhawks actually out-shot the Red Wings 3-2!

Red Wings center, Damien Brunner continues to look like part of the “next-wave” of Red Wings superstars as he continues his great start to the young season by adding one assist.

Jonathan Toews continued his strong season, although tonight was the first game where he was under 50% in the face-off circle(48%).

Dec 30, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81) makes a pass during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Game #6- Detroit Red Wings (2-2-0)  at Chicago Blackhawks (5-0-0)

Game Time- 6:00 pm Central

TV-CSN Chicago or Fox Sports Detroit  Radio –  WGN 720 Chicago  or AM1270 Detroit

The Blackhawks face for the first of four meetings this year their long standing Central Division adversary the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center.  Hockey does not get much better than this.

If that was not enough the Blackhawks are attempting to make history with going for their six win in a row.

Last year the Blackhawks took down the six game series four games to two over Detroit, but each game against the Red Wings always feels epic. These games usually have significant meaning in the standings and this one will be no exception.

Detroit is a different team for sure with the retirements of All Star defenseman and captain Nicklas Lidstrom and also retiring was their star forward Tomas Holmstrom. Obviously those two players are not replaceable but if there is ever a team that can withstand those departures it is Detroit. They arguably have the best center ice core with Zetterburg, Datsyuk, Helm and Abdelkader.

Where Detroit has struggled and maybe a little suspect is on the blue line. Their depth there is not what it has been in the past with the departure of Brad Stuart to San Jose. If there is a weakness on this team this is it especially with injuries mounting as well.

Detroit is coming off an impressive 5-3 win over the very talented Minnesota Wild which could signal Detroit is back to being well Detroit.

The Blackhawks are coming off of a grueling road win over Columbus but somehow they must find their legs to keep with the Red Wings. Much has been made that the Red Wings are getting older, which they are but let us not forget most of them played in Europe during the lockout and are in game shape. There is no solution for experience and craftiness which the Red Wings have always possessed.

If the Hawks are to be successful they must play a solid team defensive game. Playing the Red Wings is like looking in the mirror with all the skill and finesse they have at forward. Chicago has a puck magician in Patrick Kane but Detroit has Pavel Datsyuk. Every time he is on the ice like Kane, you are left with jaws agape wondering how what he did is physically possible.

Look out for the youngster Damien Brunner this kid is going to be a superstar and already has Datsyukian moves as Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky found out in a recent shoot out.

Watching Blackhawks /Red Wings contests is always a treat and this one should be no different. This is a long standing rivalry amoung original six teams that is one of the best in the NHL maybe even in all of sports because of the longevity of the rivalry.

Detroit is rested as they got into Chicago yesterday. You can bet they were watching and taking notes of the Blackhawks’ weaknesses in the Columbus game and they will be ready. They would love nothing more than to hand the Hawks their first defeat of the year and remind the Blackhawks Detroit is still a force to be dealt with.

The Blackhawks now have a huge target on them being undefeated and every team in the NHL will be looking to knock them off. The Hawks must be prepared physically to withstand the crunching.

Jimmy Howard will be in goal for Detroit since their backup Gustavsson is injured. Speaking of injury Detroit is hurting in this area with D men Ian White out with leg injury and Carlo Colaiacovo & Jonathan Ericsson out with shoulder injuries.

If there was ever an opportunity for the Hawks forwards to take advantage this is it. They need to get on Detroit early and maintain pressure in the offensive zone. Get people in front of Howard for some screens or deflections.  If they can accomplish that the Blackhawks will make history.

Prediction – Blackhawks stay perfect and take this one  in OT 4-3 as Marian Hossa does it again.

For instant updates during the game follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up, we are also on Facebook at Blackhawk UP.

photo courtesy of http://www.personainternet.com

I was going to do a write up on the CBA negotiations today but decided against it. It all reads like Greek to me so I will leave the CBA coverage to those much smarter than me.  It does look like the players have a very smart and savvy proposal on the table which will hopefully lead to the 2012-13 season starting on time.

With that being said it is time to reveal my eighth most hated Blackhawk player of all time, average defenseman Anders Eriksson.  It wasn’t anything that Eriksson did on the ice that caused my massive dislike for him, in fact I don’t remember anything he did do on the ice.  I hated Eriksson because he was involved in the worst trade of my life time, the deal that sent Chicago Blackhawks icon Chris Chelios to the hated Detroit Red Wings.  Good old Bob Pulford thought it would be a great idea to send the greatest American born defenseman to ever play the game to his team’s biggest rival, where he went on to raise the Stanley Cup twice.  In return the Hawks received Eriksson and Detroit’s 1st round draft picks in 1999 and 2001.  Those picks turned into Steve McCarthy (99) and Adam Munro (01), blah and double blah!  Eriksson played 97 games, where he scored 5 goals, had 36 assists and was a plus 6 before getting traded to the Florida Panthers for Jaroslav Spacek  in 2001.

It didn’t matter what Eriksson could do, his time was doomed in Chicago from the start.  He was traded for one of the Hawks’ most popular players. The was a major factor in the demise of a once proud and legendary franchise.  If you look back at the trade the Hawks got a two average at best defenseman who had a combined 8 goals, 49 assists and was a -12 in 231 games.  Throw in Munro, a goalie who made 17 career starts where he went 4-10-3 with a 3.30 goals against average and a .887 save %.  That my friends is a complete crap trade, a typical Bob Pulford/”Dollar” Bill Wirtz move.  I know my hatred for Eriksson is not justified but that is what happens when you trade away a player that was so easy to cheer for and gave his all in Chicago for nine years.

Thank you for reading, be sure to follow me on Twitter @SAMotherPucker

Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

Yes it is true,  the Blackhawks Senior Advisor of Hockey Operations will be returning to the Detroit Red Wings, but just for one day.  The NHL announced that Scotty Bowman will coach the Red Wings’ alumni team during the Winter Classic festivities in Michigan.  The Wings’ alumni will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ alumni team, which will be coached by Pat Quinn.  Due to the high interest of former players there will be two alumni games to be played at Detroit’s Comerica Park on December 31st.  Bowman will be joined by his former assistant  Barry Smith,  who is currently the Blackhawks’  Director of Player Development.  Quinn will have Hall of Famer Red Kelly with him behind the bench, who played for both the Leafs and Wings.

Among those expected to play for the Maple Leafs alumni are Mats Sundin, Tie Domi, Darryl Sittler, Rick Vaive, Darcy Tucker, Felix Potvin, Mike Palmateer, Dave Andreychuk, Doug Gilmour, Curtis Joseph, Johnny Bower, Wendel Clark, Jim McKenny, Kevin Maguire and Ron Ellis.

Red Wings alumni who plan to play include Mickey Redmond, John Ogrodnick, Luc Robitaille, Chris Chelios, Larry Murphy, Mark Howe, Chris Osgood, Mike Vernon, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty, Joey Kocur. Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio and Gordie Howe are expected to make appearances but not play.

Thank you for reading, be sure to follow me on Twitter @SAMotherPucker