Q101 The Alternative
Q101 (formerly on Chicago radio @ 101.1 FM) The Alternative - Chicago's New Rock Alternative - Everything Alternative - Chicago's Alternative - Gen X - Generation X
Thank God that the Blackhawks are finally back on track. After that 9 game losing streak the Hawks almost found themselves out of the playoff race. But then a miracle happened in New York….. It was the perfect setting. Madison Square Garden, the world’s most famous arena. The Hawks were desperate to break their miserable losing streak while the Rangers were looking to continue their dominance as the best team in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
But then all of a sudden, the Blackhawks snapped out of their funk and finally broke the losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers. And ever since then the Blackhawks have come back to life. They are aggressive on offense, they’ve improved on defense, and Goalies Cory Crawford and Ray Emery are on top of their game again.
I truly believe that the winds of change are upon us. I truly believe the Blackhawks are ready to return to glory. I truly believe that the Hawks are ready to make another championship run. And I truly believe that this losing streak was to prepare the Blackhawks for greatness.
Currently they are back to 6th in the Western Conference playoff standings. The Hawks have a really good chance to improve their streak to 7 in row as their next three games are against the three worst teams in the Pacific Division {Dallas, Los Angeles, Anaheim}. They wrap up the month of February at home against Toronto.
It will be a tough game but having the home ice advantage will be a huge help. All in all, I can very easily see the Blackhawks finishing the month of February 3-1. I can also see the Hawks cracking the top 5 of the playoff standings. Yes it was a hard losing streak, but every great team goes through some type of adversity.
But to the Blackhawks nation I say don’t panic. This was just a minor setback in a major operation, things will continue to get better. The Blackhawks will reclaim what is theirs in 2012. ONE GOAL!
You can follow me on Twitter: @GabeSalgado82
You can friend me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GabeSalgado82
I am also on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/gws1182
Boys will be boys right? These boys are between the ages of 19 and 21 but say say they were just having some fun.
Who wouldn’t like an ice rink in their back yard. It’s quite popular these days actually. You can get the plans online. It’s the ultimate midwestern hockey players dream! So what did the young men do that was so wrong?
Anyone who’s eve tried this endeavor, or filling up a swimming pool, knows a regular hose takes forever. These guys are no dummies. They knew if they left the garden hose run all night and day it could still take days. They sprung into action, borrow a fire department hose and hooked into the fire hydrant near their house.
We have to give them an “A” for effort. The bummer is, you naturally have to get permission from the city before you mess with their hydrants. Overall, the cost to the boys was about $350…but now with court costs and fines it might be a little higher. The roughneck hockey players from Tinley say it was worth it….they have clean ice to play on now.
Note to the hockey crew from Tinley… Looks like you guys did a GREAT job there. Nice work indeed. I bet parents in the suburbs and in the sticks would hire you to build a rink for their kids. This time, make sure you dot your “i”s and cross your “t”s with the local municipalities though…but you might be onto something! IF you need some help getting started, call your friends and Q101….we’d be glad to help you!
FULL CHICAGO TRIBUNE STORY
The swollen black eye that Patrick Kane sported in the final press conference of last season spoke volumes for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Despite losing a lot of talent in a slew of offseason moves after winning the 2010 Stanley Cup, what the Hawks missed the most was grit and veteran leadership. After a short summer, they got off to a slow start in defense of the Cup and seemed to be on the wrong side of puck battles, hard hits and scraps in front of the net.
In short, the Hawks felt like they got pushed around a little and didn’t like it. To remedy that, Blackhawks Vice President and General Manager Stan Bowman set out this summer to make Chicago more abrasive, hoping the addition of some sandpaper would open the ice for the core of skilled stars still in place.
Just before free agency started, Bowman acquired veteran blueliner Steve Montador in a trade with Buffalo and worked out a new contract with him. Bowman then inked forwards Jamal Mayers, Andrew Brunette, Daniel Carcillo and Brett McLean, plus veteran defenseman Sean O’Donnell — each to one-year contracts — on the first day of free agency.
“I’m eager to see how the new players fit into the mix and really to see our team get off to a better start,” Bowman said. “Last year we were playing catch-up for a lot of the year after a slower start than we wanted. The guys that were here last year are hungry to get back on the ice. They’re certainly ready to go and prove this is going to be a good season for us. We’re going to be more difficult to play against and that’s going to hopefully help some of our more offensive players.”
The result already is being seen early in training camp, as Mayers and Carcillo are working on a line together — with Carcillo already stirring things up.
The Hawks feel good about the situation in goal as well, with Corey Crawford the unquestioned starter following a strong rookie season.
Chicago lost a lot of puck-moving ability by trading Brian Campbell to the Florida Panthers, but the Hawks still feel good about their defense corps — which should run eight deep on the roster.
All told, the Hawks feel refreshed, re-stocked and ready to make another serious charge at a deep playoff run.
The forward position is really the only spot open for prospects.
The most likely to make the jump to the NHL are Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger, both of whom played in the seven-game first-round loss to the Vancouver Canucks last season. Otherwise, it’s just a matter of Hawks coach Joel Quenneville figuring out line combinations.
Chicago remains loaded with talent at the top, with captain Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Kane and Patrick Sharp leading the way — but the Hawks also added to it by signing the 38-year old Brunette, who makes up for his skating deficiencies with a big body and great hands.
Another new face is that of Rostislav Olesz, a former first-round pick of the Florida Panthers whom the Hawks received in the Campbell trade. Olesz hasn’t lived up to being the seventh pick of the 2004 draft, but he’s still 25 and has looked strong early in camp while playing on a line with Brunette and Toews.
There are some questions as to whether Sharp — who’s out while recovering from an emergency appendectomy — will be used as the second-line center or play wing on the top line. Either way, Sharp usually finds ways to be effective.
Third-line center Dave Bolland isn’t having any hold-over symptoms from a concussion that kept him out of the last few weeks of the regular season and first three playoff games, and his line — including forwards Bryan Bickell and Michael Frolik — will be looked upon to provide energy and production.
The fourth line likely will feature Carcillo and Mayers on the wings, with the center yet to be determined. This is the line Bowman and Quenneville hope will erase some of those bumps and bruises the Hawks incurred as the targets of physical play last season.
“There’s a lot of options,” Quenneville said. “We have a lot of options as far as who’s going to be playing with who at the end of it. We’re already talking about the depth we have up front and some of the decisions we’re going to have to make as we go along here.”
While Campbell’s huge contract caused salary-cap issues, his puck-moving abilities, offensive skills and speed surely will be missed. Still, the defense corps that Bowman has put on the ice looks solid from top to bottom.
A rested and refreshed Duncan Keith will likely once again play with Brent Seabrook on the top pairing, while Quenneville will have a number of options to skate with Niklas Hjalmarsson on the second pairing — though it most likely will start being Montador.
The third pairing likely will be chosen on a game-by-game basis from Sami Lepisto, O’Donnell, Nick Leddy and John Scott.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got eight guys on the back end that look like they’re NHL-caliber experience or depth-wise,” Quenneville said. “There could be some (tough) decisions you’ve got to make.”
READ MORE OF THIS STORY, INCLUDING THE GOALIE NEWS HERE
Source: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=589113
There are currently no events to display.