08-09' Blackhawks (46-24-12) 104 PTS - 4th Seed In The West!

[Cynosure]

Heck of a game...the UC was rocking tonight. I love that we got a few "Detroit Sucks" chants in as preparation for the next home game.

 

Moment of the night was easily Brouwer kicking the crap outta Richards. Atta boy Captain, take a hack at a rookie and then let him knock you around a bit. Great leadership. He was obviously frustrated because the Hawks totally dominated. It's just getting ridiculous at this point - they can do no wrong.

 

Here's that ass kicking:

 

 

Nice lucky uppercut by Brouwer.

[RedFlash]

nice game by the hawks tonight, we probably played our worst game of the year and justly had our asses handed to us.

FIGHT

 

Adams vs. Gratton

 

What a fight! Haymakers left and right... no edge to either' date=' nice fight![/quote']

 

come on, your guy lost this one.

 

i also loved our fourth line, two guys who probably could score goals in a tykes on ice game, and a grinder who belongs in the ahl (powe). toughness is great, but it doesn't have much of an impact on the game when the tough guys are so bad they can't play more than 4 minutes a game. f you stevens.

 

Really?

 

Gratton had a good start but this was pretty dam even...

 

 

For those of you who didn't see it.

 

I watched that fight and homerism aside, I'm sorry truffle, Adams did not lose that fight. So I agree with Cynosure that fight was clearly a draw. I know there are a few Flyers fans who believe Gratton won that fight, but I would disagree. The only thing I could see leading to the Flyers fans POV is that perhaps Gratton landed more punches, but that is countered with the fight that Adams never went down and there was some great shots by Gratton. All in all, that fight is as 50/50 draw.

[TruffleShuffle]

Moment of the night was easily Brouwer kicking the crap outta Richards. Atta boy Captain, take a hack at a rookie and then let him knock you around a bit. Great leadership. He was obviously frustrated because the Hawks totally dominated. It's just getting ridiculous at this point - they can do no wrong.

 

uh, what are you talking about? richards is one of the best leaders in the nhl; that's not my opinion, that's come out of interviews and polls around the league. how many captains are willing to drop the gloves at all, let alone fight guys who are clearly bigger and better fighters than them? richards doesn't fight often but when he does it sends a message to the team; last night he fought to send the message that, while the rest of the team didn't give a crap last night, he sure did.

[Cynosure]

Moment of the night was easily Brouwer kicking the crap outta Richards. Atta boy Captain, take a hack at a rookie and then let him knock you around a bit. Great leadership. He was obviously frustrated because the Hawks totally dominated. It's just getting ridiculous at this point - they can do no wrong.

 

uh, what are you talking about? richards is one of the best leaders in the nhl; that's not my opinion, that's come out of interviews and polls around the league. how many captains are willing to drop the gloves at all, let alone fight guys who are clearly bigger and better fighters than them? richards doesn't fight often but when he does it sends a message to the team; last night he fought to send the message that, while the rest of the team didn't give a crap last night, he sure did.

 

Toews..... once... lol

[sherwood921]

Moment of the night was easily Brouwer kicking the crap outta Richards. Atta boy Captain, take a hack at a rookie and then let him knock you around a bit. Great leadership. He was obviously frustrated because the Hawks totally dominated. It's just getting ridiculous at this point - they can do no wrong.

 

uh, what are you talking about? richards is one of the best leaders in the nhl; that's not my opinion, that's come out of interviews and polls around the league. how many captains are willing to drop the gloves at all, let alone fight guys who are clearly bigger and better fighters than them? richards doesn't fight often but when he does it sends a message to the team; last night he fought to send the message that, while the rest of the team didn't give a crap last night, he sure did.

 

Just not a big fan of two handing a guy twice in order to start a fight, that's all. If you want to fight-fine, I'm all for it. I just don't see the inspiration in two-handing a guy when down 5-1 just to get beaten up. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't get juiced up if the Hawks are down by 4 with 10 minutes left, Toews hacks someone and then takes a few knocks on the chin.

 

I believe that Richards may be a great leader, and I think that Philly team is about 3x as good as they looked last night, but boy did they take some stupid penalties. Is this a regular problem, or was last night a fluke? We had been taking stupid penalties up until recently (seems like since Q benched Kane actually).

 

Regarding the Adams/Gratton fight. Adams had a huge welt on his noggin, it must have hurt when he put his helmet back on. That said, Gratton was keeled over in the penalty box for a while after the fact. I think Gratton definitely got a few better blows in early, but I was impressed that Adams was able to hang with him for the most part. Gotta love bouts where the guys aren't worried about clutching and grabbing but are both just throwing consistently.

[Cynosure]

Sooo.... I need one of those really sick Blackhawks "W" flags... man was that thing beautiful.

 

Can't even find a picture of the damn thing, though.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I guess if we absolutely had to name the winner, the Flyers guy got the better of it slightly, but it was awfully close.

 

Wild without Gaborik tonight I read.

 

Five points back of Detroit with two games in hand. With this team, I'd say that's the equivalent of 2 points back. So if we take care of business tonight, we could move into a functional tie by winning in Detroit.

 

In the end, I just don't see us catching it, but I like the fact that's worth talking about.

[Cynosure]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/maryophotography/blackhawks%20dec%2010%2008/12100800.jpg

[RedFlash]

I guess if we absolutely had to name the winner, the Flyers guy got the better of it slightly, but it was awfully close.

 

The only reason why I would give the Flyer guy the advantage, because it look to me that he landed a couple of more punches then Adams. As for the welt on Adams noggin, that doesn't mean Grattong "won" the fight, it means he got in a good shot in on Adams. I still maintain the fight between Adams/Gratton was pretty much a draw.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The Blackhawks have scored 3.58 goals per game, second in the NHL, .01 behind Boston for the top spot. They are averaging 2.39 against per game, good for fourth in the NHL. Anything can happen with an inexperienced team in the playoffs, but this is a Cup contending team right now.

 

Kane still on pace for 105 points, and unless I'm completely brainfarting that'd be the first Blackhawks 100-point season since Roenick. He's been much better defensively this season too, from what I've seen. He's not going to be physical, but he can play Gretzky-style defense of being in the right position to disrupt passing lanes and grab loose pucks.

[bcl412]

The Blackhawks are good, really good. I went to the game last night, the UC was packed and loud and the Hawks really fed off the energy. If it weren't for Biron they would have scored 8-9 goals. The drive home sucked though, that entire state of Illinois between Bettendorf and Chicago was covered in the thickest fog I've ever seen.

[Cynosure]

Nobody likes that flag? :(

[UMFan83]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/maryophotography/blackhawks%20dec%2010%2008/12100800.jpg

 

White Sox fans have to love the Cubization of the Blackhawks.

[RedFlash]

White Sox fans have to love the Cubization of the Blackhawks.

 

It's only fair the Cubs get the Blackhawks, seeing as the White Sox get the Bulls, via Reinsdorf.

[TruffleShuffle]

that team whose ass you kicked just got shut out and thoroughly outplayed by the blue jackets last night. we've gone directly from a hot streak into a slump.

[kujay]

That flag is awesome. I can't believe some enterprising SOB hasn't already printed up and sold a ton of them for the Winter Classic.

 

I start to think before every game that the Hawks should win. But sooner or later a dud is coming. I'd just like to see them carry a 10-game streak into Wrigley.

[gflore34]

Is it safe to say the Sun is beginning to set on the Red Wings dominance of the Central Division and Western Conference? Yes, they have a very good record this season but, I don't believe they're quit as good as it might suggest.

[Drew Doughty]

Is it safe to say the Sun is beginning to set on the Red Wings dominance of the Central Division and Western Conference? Yes, they have a very good record this season but, I don't believe they're quit as good as it might suggest.

 

i guess. in 06-07, they only won the Central by 3 points over the Preds anyway. they could still catch the Sharks. i don't think it's particularly likely that the Hawks will surpass the Wings, though it's certainly not impossible (6 points up with 3 games at hand is hardly a hill to climb, really). i think everyone thinks the wings are underachieving right now rather than overachieving, though.

[Cynosure]

Is it safe to say the Sun is beginning to set on the Red Wings dominance of the Central Division and Western Conference? Yes, they have a very good record this season but, I don't believe they're quit as good as it might suggest.

 

i guess. in 06-07, they only won the Central by 3 points over the Preds anyway. they could still catch the Sharks. i don't think it's particularly likely that the Hawks will surpass the Wings, though it's certainly not impossible (6 points up with 3 games at hand is hardly a hill to climb, really). i think everyone thinks the wings are underachieving right now rather than overachieving, though.

 

I agree...they are playing terrible and still pulling wins out of their asses.

 

However, people are not realizing that the season isn't even halfway over yet.

[sneakypower]

defensively, the Wings are underachieving for sure. Kronwall, Stuart and Lebda are the big culprits. Osgood's been spotty thus far as well.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I've given up on the idea that the Red Wins will ever have a downswing.

[Cynosure]

Not very fond of 5:00 starts, but GO HAWKS! Who's around?

[manbearcub]

Lets catch the Wings.

[Cynosure]

HAWKS GOAL

 

1 - 7:14 - Byfuglien scores (6), assisted by Toews (18) and Versteeg (18).

 

Hawks lead 1-0.

Edited December 28, 2008 by Cynosure

[manbearcub]

Pressure, pressure, pressure. It never stops.

 

 

 

2-0!!!!