Congrats you got a shutout! I wish I could say you earned it but yeah… (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

I said at the end of my game two recap that the Blackhawks who played the first thirty minutes of game two had to get on the plane to Boston. Unfortunately, it looks like we got the boys who played the last 30+ minutes instead. Not surprisingly it didn’t go well for the visiting team.

Earlier in the day, while sitting in my office, I thought about the fact that game three between the Blackhawks and Bruins was tonight and then starting praying there wouldn’t be overtime. All of a sudden I got an instinct there would be a shutout and I didn’t feel good about it. I should’ve gone with that gut and not bothered watching the game.

First off, huge news from the pregame as Marian Hossa apparently got hurt in warm-ups and was a late scratch leading to Ben Smith entering the lineup after not playing a game since the last game of the regular season (his only game in the NHL this year) and missing warm-ups. Talk about walking into a tough situation. He played fine and sadly, I’m not sure if Hossa being in the lineup would’ve made a difference. I just hope it isn’t serious and he’s back soon.

Speaking of not serious, Zdeno Chara wiped out during warm-ups and Milan Lucic fell on top of him knocking his helmet off. Apparently he needed stitches to the back of his head but was still in the lineup. I get that hockey players are tough and it takes a lot for them to miss a game at this point in the season, but the fact the Bruins let him back on the ice bothers me. Stitches to the back of the head equals quiet room to me and there wasn’t enough time for him to be in one. I get these guys want to win the Stanley Cup but if you drop dead a year later was it really worth it?

Sorry…stuff like that just pisses me off. Anyway, onto the game.

» Continue reading “Blackhawks Remain In Chicago, Replacements Shutout In Game Three”

I know I should put a picture of Rask here because he was awesome tonight but so was Sharp and this is a Hawks recap so Hi Patrick! (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

The Blackhawks knew what they had to do tonight. They had to come out and take it to the Bruins to make them work for a series split heading back to Boston. And they did that…for thirty minutes. I guess with how long game one went, they forgot the game is sixty.

I have nothing bad to say about the first period. The Hawks dominated in every aspect. Six minutes in they were up in shots 5-2 with the chances at 3-0. Seven minutes in the Bruins took a penalty and while the Hawks didn’t score on it, they actually had chances and looked competent out there. (Apparently it was only Ference’s second penalty of the playoffs which Doc Emerick was surprised about since it’s round four. Someone might want to tell him he only played one game in round 2.)

» Continue reading “Hawks Waste Opportunity To Go Up 2-0, Head To Boston With Split”

Yes Rozsival is in the wrong uniform but thought the photo was fitting since the guy on the left took shot for game winning goal and the one on the right had quite a good game. (Photo: slidingsideways/flickr)

There were severe storms brewing outside the United Center all night but that didn’t stop the Blackhawks and Bruins from creating storms of their own on the ice. (Okay, that was cheesy but I had to mention the weather somehow since all I kept reading was how they could hear the thunder inside the arena while the game was going on. That’s some loud thunder.) And while it took quite some time, I don’t think the fans minded the storms when they finally were able to leave the arena.

Many wondered if there would be a feeling out process during the first period between two teams who hadn’t seen each other since 2011. The answer? Not a chance. Both teams came out ready to play a hard-hitting, physical game as if they were long time rivals who hated the mere existence of their opponent. Usually I would say that favors the Bruins but I think the Hawks more than held their own.

» Continue reading “Almost Two Full Games + One Tip = Hawks Win In Triple OT”

(via Dallas Stars Instagram)

As the regular season winds down and playoff dreams are on the verge of coming true, pausing to recognize one of the biggest milestones at the start of any player’s NHL career seems like a fine idea. So far this season, 86 rookies have hit the twine behind goaltenders across the league, each with their own story to tell about the goal they scored, and each with a smile as big as the moon when they realized the puck was in the net.

The stars aligned for Dallas Stars forward Alex Chiasson when he scored his first goal in his second NHL game on April 5 against the Anaheim Ducks. It was the beginning of a five game scoring streak that saw him rack up a total of 7 points in his first six games, concluding with the game winning goal in the April 13 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Not only was it a fantastic personal feat, but it set a new franchise record for the Stars.

» Continue reading “The Hawt Trophy: Show Us Your Pucks! Again!”

#BostonStrong

Last week’s events in Boston hit hard not just for Boston residents, but everyone who was paying any attention. Hockey players were no different.

» Continue reading “They Said WHAT- #BostonStrong Edition”

You may remember me from such fights as:

• Jay Rosehill vs Mike Rupp on October 10, 2009
• Jay Rosehill vs Brandon Prust on December 5, 2011
• Jay Rosehill vs Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblonde on April 15, 2012
• Jay Rosehill vs Chris Thorburn on April 6, 2013

Oh, you get the idea. Rosie is pretty fantastic. If he’s been on your team you know how hard it is not to love him. When he returns as a member of the opposition, say with the Flyers, and winds up scrapping with one of your team’s heavyweights, say Colton Orr, you know it even more with all the tugging that suddenly starts happening to your heartstrings. Did I mention how fantastic he is?

» Continue reading “The Hawt Trophy: Jay Rosehill”

2012-13 Score Net Cam #NC6

There are times in a game when there’s nothing better than seeing those rare zip-a-dee-doo-dah shots taken by a net cam. They’ll tell us where the puck was, who crashed the net, and provide the “I didn’t do it” and “It wasn’t me” voices on the ice with a “Stop being so silly” slap of photographic evidence. They can also capture some fantastic moments from outstanding goaltenders, utterly lousy goals and garbage goals where the puck seems to dance around in the blue paint, mocking everyone on the ice before sliding past the goal line.

» Continue reading “Hump Day Hockey Cards: Through The Net Cam, and What Score Found There”

Let’s admit it, trades can suck. They shock you, they put players on teams you despise, they break your heart when you realize your team will be stacked up against their former teammates who won the Stanley Cup with them only a few seasons ago. Even worse? Say hello to your division rival.

Such was the case when Michael Ryder was recently traded from Dallas to Montreal. Morontreal? But why?! He’d already been there. Why put his fans through that again? But now we sit and watch him doing well and even if he’s on that damned Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge you can see he’s doing well and heck, he’s back on an Original Six team… right? Sort of.

» Continue reading “The Hawt Trophy: Michael Ryder? Oh Yes B’y!”

Now that NHL hockey’s been back on track for a while, it’s time to properly celebrate the 60th season of Hockey Night in Canada and honestly, when you think of HNIC who do you think of first? I know, I know, Don Cherry. But who’s a close second? You can admit it. You’re tuning in to be entertained by the class clown, delightful hand-talking analyst and former Bruins fan favourite, ass kicker #42 P.J. Stock.

» Continue reading “The Hawt Trophy: P.J. Stock, Fer Shure”

He da man.

After a few months of stacking small piles of hockey cards all over my apartment, I finally had the chance to spend some time to properly organizing overthinking my card binder. Rather than coming up with a specific plan or actually putting any cards into the binder, I decided to look at Marty Turco cards on eBay because TurcoMania still runs wild in my heart.

It was then that I stumbled upon the “You Da Man” Marty Turco card pictured above. I had somehow forgotten about the 60 card Sidelines subset that made its appearance in the 2009-10 Upper Deck Be a Player Signature Series set. When the set was released, Sidelines cards weren’t anything new for hockey card fans or collectors with or without a sense of humour.

The 1992-93 Pinnacle Sidelines Subset (which I will get to at some point) was very informative. How would I have ever known that Luke Richardson was a rocket builder? And other cards popped up here and there with news about what players were doing off the ice, many of them related to the sport of golf.

Let’s relax, unwind and take some time to enjoy a few of the anecdotes and guffaw inducing moments brought to you by a handful of the 2009-10 UD BAP Sidelines cards.

» Continue reading “Hump Day Hockey Cards: You Da Man, Marty Turco”