Blackhawks 2010-2011 season

[17 Seconds]

such a valiant effort to set up the 2-on-1 for the other team

[kujay]

Gritty.

[17 Seconds]

it's hilarious that toews is still only 23

[Butterscup1679666578]

great, great win. play a full game though plz.

[Flames24Rulz]

As long as we keep winning games, everything will take care of itself. /Tim McCarver

[kujay]

Such a weird finishing schedule with so many games left against Eastern teams. At least we won't have to worry about going to OT and giving away those points.

[biittner77]

As long as we keep winning games, everything will take care of itself. /Tim McCarver

 

1st period tonight one of the announcers said "The more they play in their own zone the worse off they are."

[UMFan83]

I feel so dirty, but I am rooting for Detroit to beat LA. It's 2-1 Detroit in the 1st right now. If the Wings can get a regulation victory, the Hawks will be tied with the Kings for the 5th seed with equal games played. (kings hold the tiebreaker with 1 more win).

 

Also right now, the Hawks currently have the 2nd best goal differential in the West, up +29 to +28 over Detroit up to the minute and 4th best differential in the NHL, behind Vancouver (+58), Boston (+46), and Philadelphia (+44). For comparison purposes, the Hawks finished with a goal differential of +62 last year.

 

Here is the the 4-12 playoff chase for anyone too lazy to google it.

 

              GP  PTS  W
4. Phoenix     64  76   33
5. Los Angeles 62  74   35 (playing right now)
6. Chicago     63  74   34
7. Calgary     64  73   32
8. Dallas      62  72   33
--------------------------
9. Minnesota   63  72   33
10.Nashville   63  72   32
11.Anaheim     63  71   33
12.Columbus    61  68   31 

 

I only included Columbus because they have played 3 less games then some teams.

[Flames24Rulz]

As long as we keep winning games, everything will take care of itself. /Tim McCarver

 

1st period tonight one of the announcers said "The more they play in their own zone the worse off they are."

 

Yeah, I heard that too. Brutal.

[Old Style]

Some tense moments in the 3rd period, but the shorty put us as ease. Keep winning, guys. This is fun.

[kujay]

Some tense moments in the 3rd period, but the shorty put us as ease. Keep winning, guys. This is fun.

 

With the top scorers clicking, we just need a few of the lower down guys to kick it into gear. Bolland, Brouwer and Frolik, it's time.

[Banedon]

San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi signed a four-year, $15.2 million extension on Tuesday.

[Butterscup1679666578]

lol

[UMFan83]

I forgot, what were we offering him last offseason? 2.75m for 1 season? That's awesome for him. It looks like it can be said he made the right decision now. I couldnt see the Hawks handing out that kind of contract to him anytime soon.

[Banedon]

lol

 

He's a SC winning goaltender, man!

[sneakypower]

makes the 2/$4.5M it took for Wings to lock up Howard look like a fantastic steal

[NewUserName]

Niemi has played real well since his poor start. I still wouldnt pay him that much

[kujay]

And all along we thought Niemi's agent screwed him.

 

That's a pretty nice contract to get for a hot month.

[kujay]

The Blues did the Hawks no favors last night against Calgary. Didn't even make them work, maybe wear them out a little for tonight.

 

Overall there were too many three-point games last night. Regardless, if the Hawks win tonight, they will finally have a small bit of breathing room.

[UMFan83]

If the Hawks win tonight, regardless of regulation or OT they will be in a 2 or 3 team tie for 4th place, with a game in hand on Phoenix, and if we beat Calgary in OT, 2 games in hand on them, so based on tiebreakers, we would own that spot.

 

10 days ago, did anyone think we'd be in position to take over the 4th seed so soon? Good job, but no let downs. Keep it up.

[kujay]

10 days ago, did anyone think we'd be in position to take over the 4th seed so soon? Good job, but no let downs. Keep it up.

 

Nothing we had seen to that point made us think they had a 5-game winning streak in them. Now I think they have a 6-game streak in them.

[squally1313]

The way I look at it, we had ground that we needed to make up, and in the last 10 games or so, we made that ground up.

 

Now it's basically a 20 game season with 9 teams going for 5 spots. Yeah, there might be some slight advantages in points or games played, but I think the Hawks are on pretty even ground with everyone right now.

 

If you look at it that way, it's hard to be too worried. The eye test, the numbers, analysts....I think pretty much everything points to the Hawks having close to the best team out of the group, besides maybe the Kings (also, not coincidentally, on a hot streak to get back into the race). We just need to play to our ability, and we'll be fine.

[UMFan83]

We just need to play to our ability, and we'll be fine.

 

Well that's been the problem all year. All year we've shown flashes of what we expected this team to be only to see them fall flat on their faces and end up back at square 1 again. This stretch of taking points in 9/10 games is the most prolonged stretch of this kind of play in a long time, so it is very encouraging that we haven't seen a turn in the other direction yet.

 

On paper though, we clearly should be on of those 5 teams that gets in, and most likely towards the top.

[kujay]

Sweet Jesus, what a goal.

[Exile on Waveland]

That was so pretty.