Tag Archives: Chicago Blackhawks

More NHL Playoff Predictions

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Even after a single day of playoff games, every series has a story already.  I’m talking about Pittsburgh blowing a 3-0 lead, Shea Weber’s head smash and Vancouver’s discipline.

Tonight however, we progress to a new set of games.

#8 Ottawa vs. #1 New York Rangers

A mismatch on paper in nearly every single way.  This was unfortunately the worst opponent for the Rangers.  Among the possible first round matchups, the Senators are the one team who have had New York’s number.  They are 3-1 against the Blue Shirts this season.

Not many pucks get this view.

Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had a magnificent regular season.  He posted career bests in save percentage (.930) and goals against average (1.97).  He is a heavy Vezina trophy favorite and he led the team to the number one seed in the East.

The Senators meanwhile have a high potent offense.  They even have an offensive blue line led by defenseman Erik Karlsson who led the league at his position with 78 points.

This Rangers club is stacked with offense and goaltending, but can they stop the barrage of shots that the Senators will put on them?  This will be a wake up call for the NYR.  New York in 7.

#7 Washington vs. #2 Boston

The defending champion Bruins stumbled badly out of the gate this season, but nearly ran the table in November.  They’ve been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league.  They also have Tim Thomas who has stolen quite a few games this year.  However, there is something about this team that doesn’t seem right.

Washington meanwhile saw its star, Alexander Ovechkin have a downright dreadful year in comparison to his past.  The phrase “what have you done for me lately” comes into play here though.  10 goals in his final 13 games and a streaking Capitals team whose playoff hopes were nearly dashed 3 weeks ago.  They’ll also be going with an unproven netminder in rookie Braden Holtby.

It is impossible to ignore the playoff stigma that the Capitals have had in the Ovechkin era. Peaking at the right time though is huge in sports.  Going against the champs, a rookie in net, a history of failure…something’s gotta give…and it just might.  There hasn’t been a repeat champion since Detroit in 1998 and this year will be no different.  Washington in 6.

#7 San Jose vs. #2 St. Louis

What can you say about the St. Louis Blues?  They’ve been simply amazing since hiring Ken Hitchcock as their head coach.  It seems like nearly every time you see the nightly scores, the Blues had won.  Quite often, they’d win via shutout.  In fact, the Blues shutout the Sharks twice this season…and swept the 4 game series.

There’s no doubt the goaltending of the Blues has been a huge part of their success.   Between Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott, the team never has an issue sending out the wrong goaltender.  This could easily be the best duo of all time.  Halak, who took the Montreal Canadiens deep into the playoff a couple years ago, will start game 1.

For the Sharks, this season was nearly a massive disappointment.  A team who you can pencil into home ice advantage in the first round, barely made the playoffs.  The fact is, they are getting old.  But with age, comes experience.  Don’t overlook players like Dan Boyle, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Thornton.

I gotta say if San Jose wins this series, it would be the biggest upset in round one no matter what happens with everyone else.  The goaltending is too much and the Sharks simply don’t execute the way they used to.  If they get lucky and catch Halak on a bad night, they’ll simply have to deal with Elliott.  St. Louis in 5.

#6 Chicago vs. #3 Phoenix

Well someone had to win the Pacific division and get the 3 seed in the West.  The Coyotes edged out fellow division foes Los Angeles and San Jose.

This is how you do a proper “white out”

The big story with the Blackhawks is Jonathan Toews.  He’s been out with concussion symptoms since mid-February but hopes to return tonight for game 1.  This would be a huge boost to the high powered Hawks offense.

The Coyotes haven’t won a division since the team was in Winnipeg.  They’ve also never won a playoff series.  Home ice advantage means one of my favorite playoff traditions for the WPG/PHX franchise, and that is the White Out.  I’ve always found it to be quite awesome that the tradition carried over when the team moved to the desert.

Mike Smith, goaltender for Phoenix, could mean the difference.  He’s had an up and down season but has been as good as ever down the stretch.  He boasted 3 consecutive shutouts, including a 57 save performance against Columbus.  Playoffs are about goaltenders and if he can play up to that level, the Coyotes can go far.

Unfortunately, the Chicago offense may be too much to handle over a 7 game series.  The Hawks are the better team who played in a much better division, and that will show as the series unfolds.   Chicago in 6.

Rick Nash Staying Put

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I’m not one to bust out massive predictions on anything.  I usually sit by and watch events unfold.  I will say this however:  Rick Nash will be a Columbus Blue Jacket after the trade deadline has passed.

The more and more time that passes, I find it more difficult to wrap my head around the possibility that the Jackets would be willing to unload their franchise player.  Nash has a huge fan base.  He puts butts in the seats at Nationwide Arena and he is the most recognizable professional athlete in the city.  Anyone who thinks of the Blue Jackets immediately think Rick Nash (or losers but that’s for another time).

I’ve also been outspoken in trading him.  He’s been with the club for 8 seasons now. Unfortunately, he has little to show for it.  One playoff appearance in his time with the Jackets is hardly anything to get excited about.  In fact, it was a 4 game sweep at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings.  He’s given his all for this club…..

…except something changed last season.   Suddenly after a long skid after Thanksgiving, and after the team was near the top of the Western Conference, Nash stopped playing.  He got lazy and he seemed to be coasting.  He was regularly the last one into the defensive zone.  He began trying to pass much more frequently when everyone in the building knew he was the best scorer on the ice.  It looked like someone had crushed his spirits.  Granted there are games where his greatness pops out, but it is becoming more and more rare.

What team will Nash be a part of next week?

This is where I am torn.  I’ve been attending Blue Jackets games since season one.  I’ve followed the team closely. I buy the NHL Center Ice package every year to be able to see them.  I was in attendance for Nash’s first career game where I saw him score the game winning goal in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks (I also have an autographed picture showing his first goal).   We have 2 Nash jerseys, both autographed.

Losing Nash would be like losing a family member.  I would have no clue how to react.  I honestly can’t envision him in another jersey.  I hated rooting against Canada in the Olympics in 2010.  I can’t imagine the difficult decision General Manager Scott Howson has to make.  It seems like a lose-lose situation.

The fans as a whole seem to want to keep this team as together as possible.  There was a massive outcry after it was announced that Antoine Vermette was traded to Phoenix for two draft picks.  I normally hate certain teams because their fans are less than intelligent (I’m looking at you Toronto).  However, the outrage from Jackets fans over the Vermette trade was mind-boggling.  It seems like no one wants any changes to occur.  Need I remind fans that the Jackets are currently in dead last place in the conference by 9 points?

I don’t understand the rationale of fans sometimes.  It’s no question that the team needs a goalie.  There’s also no doubt change in the roster is a necessity.  So when a change occurs, the first thing fans on facebook and the rest of the internet do is complain.   They also fail to offer up any reasonable solution of their own.  They just keep saying “We need a goalie”.  Serious question idiots fans…Do you honestly think a legitimate starting goalie will just show up at the door asking to play for free?  My goodness, be realistic about what you are demanding.

But, can you imagine the outrage from fans if Nash were to be moved?  The fan base could be destroyed beyond repair.  Nationwide Arena in the early years was a booming atmosphere compared to the  3/5 filled building it is now.  If Nash gets moved, the organization will be thrilled with attendance hovering around 12,000 per game…forget ever seeing a sellout again.

It seems very unlikely that whoever is in goal for Columbus next season will be someone like Cory Schneider, Tuuka Rask, or Jonathan Bernier…that is, without trading Rick Nash.

Howson has made some big mistakes in his tenure with the organization, and there is no disputing that.  Going all in on Steve Mason has been nothing short of brutal on his part.   There have also been some less than desirable contracts (Nash’s massive cap hit, Mason’s $2.9m, Vermette’s $4m, R.J. Umberger’s $4m, James Wizniewski’s huge overpayment).

So over the next 5 days, you’ll see this team slowly transform into something you won’t recognize.  As a fan, you probably won’t like it.  It’s something that needs to be done though.

As for Nash, you’ll probably continue to see him with the Jackets for the rest of the year.  The only way Nash is dealt is if the return is almost too good to be true.  That means a #1 goalie coming to Columbus at the minimum.  Anything less would be completely foolish on Howson’s part.

Stay tuned, the drama is only going to be increased as we approach next week’s deadline.

Hawks End Massive Skid Dominating Rangers

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A ridiculous 9 game losing streak ended on Thursday night for the Chicago Blackhawks as they get an improbable victory over the New York Rangers by a 4-2 score.  Rangers goaltender Martin Biron gave up 3 goals on his first 3 shots and was down 4-0 after just 10 minutes of play.  Despite his poor play, Henrik Lundqvist remained on the bench.

Jonathan Toews scored on a penalty shot just a minute into the game after Rangers defenseman Dan Giardi covered the puck in the crease.  Nick Leddy scored a minute later and Patrick Sharp notched one at the 4:00 mark of the 1st.  For good measure, Marian Hossa got a breakaway goal at 9:38.

The Rangers answered early in the 2nd period however as Marc Staal powered a shot from the point past Corey Crawford 3 minutes in.  However, this would barely put a dent in the Hawks.

It was a mostly uneventful 3rd period though New York got a late goal from Carl Hagelin.  It certainly wasn’t enough to overcome the giant deficit.

This is the Blackhawks team that is built around offense.  While the defense has been middle of the pack this season, all it takes is a solid effort to succeed.  The scoring will always be there as they are one of the most feared teams up front.

The Hawks, despite going 1-8-1 over their last 10 games, remain in a prime playoff position.  Competing in the Central division makes this all the more impressive with frequent opponents like Detroit, St. Louis, and Nashville.

Goaltending has been the only question for the Blackhawks this year, and never was it more evident than over the past 3 weeks.  Rumors are flying about a potential deal with the Buffalo Sabres for Ryan Miller.  Who the Hawks would give up is questionable, but it certainly poses a question as to the direction the Sabres are going.

This was a huge victory for Chicago, not only to get some momentum going (they play at NHL worst Columbus on Saturday), but it shows they can play against one of the NHL’s best…and dominate.

For the Rangers, who are at the top of the East, this is not the type of loss you want to have.  The defense looked outmatched, the offense looked stagnant, and Martin Biron looked dreadful.  The good news, is that it was just one game.  No goaltender in my opinion is better on breakaways/penalty shots than Lundqvist and Biron faced two of those tonight.  Every losing team needs an excuse right?