My God. It’s full of rhinestones. (Photo: Ali)

To find out why this bedazzled Chicago Blackhawks jersey is relevant, you’ll have to listen to the podcast! Click on the green button below to get started.

Download this podcast (Right-click the link and “Save Link/Target As…” to do so.)

Topics include:

• Last week’s Blackhawks’ games against the Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, and Detroit Red Wings
• Other stuff that happened across the league, including the Jarome Iginla debacle and Sidney Crosby‘s mouth injury
• Questions from the public! If you submitted a question, listen to us answer them!
• The Line Cocktail for this week might make you vomit a little in your mouth.
• This week’s question: What did you think of our answers to the questions posed to us? Were we wrong? Why or why not?
• As always, follow us on Twitter: I’m (of course) @RunsOnDuncan, and Casey is @raedances.

COME BACK. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

So… there wasn’t a Second Balcony Breakdown last week. We explain why at the beginning of the podcast, but to sum it up: technology hated us. But now we’re back and better(?) than ever! Topics include:

• The Anaheim Ducks-Detroit Red Wings game — mostly because Teemu Selanne got a game misconduct(!?)
• The Chicago Blackhawks games against the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks
• Feeling sorry for Patrick Kane
• Michael Frolik on the top line tonight, and why the Blackhawks can’t have nice things
• Brenden Morrow going to the Pittsburgh Penguins, which is an excuse to laugh at the Dallas Stars
• What the Blackhawks could give up to get Jarome Iginla
• Other goings-on around the NHL
• The Line Cocktail this week, which is completely accurate
• This week’s question: Do you have any questions for us? If so, what are they? Please send us something, or else I will be forced to make up questions. No one wants this.
• Make sure you’re following us on Twitter! Casey is @Raedances, and I’m, of course,@RunsOnDuncan.

Click on the green button below to listen.

Download the podcast here. (Right-click and select “Save target/link as…” to download the MP3 to your computer.)

Check out a couple of surprises after the jump!

» Continue reading “Second Balcony Breakdown: Finally, We Return”

A COMPLETELY RELEVANT PICTURE OF PATRICK SHARP THIS WEEK. (Photo: Mel Boysen)

Second Balcony Breakdown makes a triumphant return this week live from Casey’s apartment (which means the sound quality is about 500% better than any podcast that came before it)! Casey was out of the country last week, so we have a lot of ground to cover, including…

• Making Casey’s dad drink his first shot of Jeppson’s Malört
• Working backwards, the Chicago Blackhawks‘ games against the… (deep breath) Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche times two, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, and Edmonton Oilers (again)
• Other happenings around the NHL, including the debate on visors being reignited by Marc Staal‘s injury, the Anaheim Ducks and Ryan Getzlaf‘s baldness contract extension, the Philadelphia Flyers‘ woes, and the Blue Jackets as the Little Team That Could.
• Patrick Sharp‘s insatiable vanity during warmups
• Jonathan Toews‘ spread in Splash magazine (click here for the online article about it — you’ll be able to tell what photos I’m talking about when you get there) and his new nickname, Captain Tiger Beat
• Casey’s experience watching a Belfast Giants-Cardiff Devils game in Ireland
• The best hockey bar Casey has ever been to is in Belfast at the Odyssey Arena, and it’s called Rockies Sports Bar. They have every sort of jersey you can imagine… except for a Blackhawks jersey. Someone needs to get on that. Have the Blackhawks’ people call their people.
• The Line Cocktail for the week, which is the most disgusting one yet.
• Question for this week: I don’t even know — you find it.
• Make sure you’re following us on Twitter! Casey is @Raedances, and I’m, of course, @RunsOnDuncan.

Click the green button below to listen.

Download the podcast here. (Right-click and select “Save target/link as…” to download the MP3 to your computer.)

Until we get a logo, you get a picture of Patrick Sharp. (Photo: David Kindler/flickr)

This week’s The Quiet Room with Casey and Kat is our longest one yet (over an hour!), since we had a lot of feelings on last week’s games. Topics include:

• Last week’s Chicago Blackhawks games against the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings
• Other games around the NHL, including the San Jose Sharks/Columbus Blue Jackets game (hahaha)
• Broadcast teams around the league, and why Chicago is spoiled in that regard despite our snark on Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk
• Why Brandon Bollig is useless (this seems to be a recurring theme)
• This week’s Line Cocktail, which is illegal in most states
• This week’s question: Do you think that coaches discourage staged fights during nationally televised games? Why or why not? 
• Alternate question: This podcast needs a new name, since The Quiet Room is already in use by another podcast. Give us a new name.

Click the green button below to listen. Hopefully, the sound quality will improve by next week.

Download the podcast here (To save this to your computer, right-click the link and “Save target/link as…”)

This is all you really need to know about this game. Let’s be honest. The Blackhawks dominated the Ducks so thoroughly that even John Scott was recognized for his (admittedly decent) play.

Even though I’m still in the midst of my Thanksgiving hangover, the Blackhawks forced my hand by winning this game.

So here’s a recap made up entirely of GIFs and macros, because writing is for sissies.

1st Period: The Blackhawks are down 3-2 after giving up two goals in the first two minutes of the game.

Exactly.

» Continue reading “This Post Needed To Be Made: Blackhawks 6, Ducks 5″

Blackhawks defeat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in the shootout.

My love for Patrick Kane is platonic, but it’s still love.

—

So, this game started off pretty terribly. I mean, it was a good pace through the first twenty minutes (not the breakneck pace that was the two Avs games, but a good pace nonetheless), but then Baldy Ryan Getzlaf scored on the power play not even a minute into the second period, and that sucked.

Then this happened.

Watch that. Then rewind it and watch it again. Kane’s spin-o-rama pass to Hossa was so beautiful, Shakespeare would’ve written sonnets about it.

Kane made another great pass later in the period… unfortunately, it was to Teemu Selanne, who scored his 640th goal on Kane’s ill-timed turnover to put the Ducks up 2-1. However, he made up for it in the third with a pass to Sharp, who slapped it home to tie the game 2-2. It would stay that way through the end of the third and into overtime (Hossa drew iron for the last play in OT), so now it was on to the shootout — the bane of every Blackhawks fan this season so far. If you don’t recall — before this game, the Blackhawks lost two previous games that had gone into the shootout. Not only that, but they were 0-6 in shootout attempts.

But not tonight.

After Corey Perry was denied by Crawford, Toews went top shelf on Hiller instead of his usual five-hole move — and it worked! Selanne then scored on Crawford, though, tying the score. Bolland went in as the second shooter, but didn’t manage to score. Fortunately, neither did Getzlaf. The game was on Kane’s stick.

What a beauty.

As much as this game was about Kane tonight, I would like to give a special shout out to my favoritest player ever Brent Seabrook, who was out there for 29:13 tonight (longer than anyone else on the team, including Duncan Keith), registering seven hits and three blocked shots. It might not show on the scoreboard, but I see you doing work, Seabs!

—

» Continue reading “I Love You, Patrick Kane: Blackhawks 3, Ducks 2 (SO)”

October 25, 2011

8:30 PM ET/7:30 PM CT

Comcast SportsNet Chicago, PRIME

Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 4-1-2
Points: 10
Western Conference Standing: 5th
Central Division Standing: 2nd

vs.

Anaheim Ducks
Record: 4-3-0
Points: 8
Western Conference Standing: 8th
Pacific Division Standing: 3rd

The enemy’s Aerys site: NONE

—

» Continue reading “A Daffy Situation: Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks”

The second-best thing to being here? (Photo: Cheryl Adams/flickr)

If you can’t catch the Blackhawks on CSN Chicago or WGN, and you don’t have Center Ice, don’t fret — you’ll still have a lot of opportunities to catch the Blackhawks on national TV. They will be exclusively on NBC or Versus (which will be re-branded as NBC Sports Network on Jan. 2) 12 times, while one game will be aired both on NBC Sports Network and CSN Chicago. The Blackhawks will also be on the NHL Network six times this season.

After the jump, check out the national TV schedule and plan your life accordingly. All times are CT.

» Continue reading “Blackhawks Will Be On National TV 13 Times; Bill Wirtz Keeps Spinning In His Grave.”

Blackhawks lose to the Red Wings 4-3.

Not quite the win and get in scenario you imagined.

But no worries, they found the back door with help from the Wild.

__

Game 82 and everything comes down to this one game. It gave me a stomachache just thinking about what the implications of this game meant. With either a win or end in overtime, or a shootout, and no worrying about the Dallas Stars, the Blackhawks are in. A win in any form, finish 5th and play the Anaheim Ducks, who ended the season on a tear in the first round. Lose in overtime, or in a shootout, finish 6th and face the San Jose Sharks, last season’s Western Conference Finals foe. Lose in regulation, which means no guarantee of making the post-season and start sacrificing to the hockey gods so that the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars in regulation or extend the game to a shootout. If the Stars do lose? They slide in with the 8th seed and prepare for a first round date with the Vancouver Canucks. Remember I mentioned this in a previous post?

As they have all season, the Blackhawks took their fans on a roller coaster. Not a kiddie coaster either, but one with loop-de-loops, corkscrews and sudden drops all at 60 mph.

There was a sudden rush of hope when Michael Frolik scored the first goal of the game in the 2nd period, only for the Red Wings to storm back with two quick goals less than two minutes later.

Drew Miller made the lead two just before two minutes into the 3rd period, but Brent Seabrook cut the lead to one again. Dan Cleary restored the two goal lead again  four minutes later before Duncan Keith brought the Blackhawks within one again; a little over halfway through the final frame.

The Blackhawks kept fighting back, but they just couldn’t find the equalizer. Then there was a glorious power play with about three minutes left in the period, an interference call after Jonathan Toews was hauled down by Jonathan Ericsson. It was the power play of all power plays, if there was ever a time for the Blackhawks somehow 4th ranked power play to get it together it was now. Just pushing the game to overtime would mean the Blackhawks would have a spot in the post-season.

But they couldn’t convert. With the clock running down and just seconds left the puck bounced around the feet of Duncan Keith out in front of the net, but to no avail. Time ran out on the game, but this time, too seemingly on the Blackhawks’ season.

It was too little, too late. It looked like the Blackhawks had squandered the season just as they had squandered many games this season that would have kept them out of this desperate, must-win situation. This was to be the heartbreakingly fitting finale to a disappointing season. They had control of their own destiny and couldn’t get it done. If they missed the playoffs, they had no one to blame but themselves. They would deserve it.

There was one sliver of hope for the Blackhawks minuscule playoff hopes though, if the Wild could beat the Stars, a playoff spot would be theirs.

I for one was already going through the stages of grief on Twitter and had reached acceptance. I avoided everything but the Blackhawks Twitter updates to my cell phone about the Wild/Stars game. I figured there was no way another team would let a win and get in situation get away from them. I didn’t want to watch the last nail in the coffin to the Blackhawks lackluster season that was completely out of their hands.

Well things happen in threes and to round out both Carolina and Chicago’s inability to win and get in, Dallas did the same. Minnesota did the Blackhawks the ultimate favor and beat the Stars 5-3.

Thank you very much, Minnesota (via wild.nhl.com)

The Blackhawks were the last NHL team to punch a ticket to the playoffs. They snuck in the back door, and now the Blackhawks are set to face none other than the Vancouver Canucks for the third straight year in the playoffs.

A deep sense of dread fills my heart in playing the Canucks again in the playoffs, as they’re my least favorite team in the NHL. But it should be quite the series, as these teams have no love lost as I’m sure the Canucks don’t forget being knocked out of the playoffs two years on the same day.

The Blackhawks have been handed an incredible opportunity and there’s nothing left for them to do but seize the moment. Anything is possible in the playoffs. Seeding? Records? They don’t matter anymore.

So buckle up, it’s time for another roller coaster ride, this ride even more vomit inducing than the last. Get your buckets and garbage cans ready.

It’s the best time of the year, it’s time for the NHL playoffs.

__

Box Score:

1st Period
NONE

2nd Period
05:18: CHI Michael Frolik (11) Wrist Shot – Assists: P. Kane (46)
06:56: DET Tomas Holmstrom (18) Slap Shot – Assists: none
07:58: DET Pavel Datsyuk (23) Wrist Shot – Assists: D. Cleary (20) & T. Bertuzzi (28)

3rd Period
01:56: DET Drew Miller (10) Wrist Shot – Assists: V. Filppula (23) & J. Hudler (27)
04:07: CHI Brent Seabrook (9) Slap Shot – Assists: N. Hjalmarsson (7) & V. Stalberg (12)
08:11: DET Danny Cleary (26) Wrist Shot – Assists: T. Bertuzzi (29) & B. Rafalski (44)
11:22: CHI Duncan Keith (7) Backhand – Assists: P. Sharp (37) & M. Hossa (32)

__

Captain Force of Nature watch: Even, no points and 15-28 (54%) at the face-off dot. He drew the interference call for the power play late in the third but his line was gassed and couldn’t get the equalizer.

Duncan Keith plus/minus rating watch: -1. Man did he ever get away with some high sticks today. He was making sticks fly out of Red Wings hands anytime he touched them. He got away with one on Franzen, who probably could have avoided being cut if he was wearing a visor.

Coach Q face color watch: Started with radical red with the games implications and then rose quickly from scarlet to maroon to brick red.

Post-game quote from @TramyersCSN:

Q: “We wanted to avoid (relying on) Game 82. Now we have to root for Game 83.”

Quenneville on being in this position: “I should call the Rangers. This is certainly not where we want to be.”

Q on Wild game: “We’ll be watching with our fingers crossed and rooting like crazy.”

Toews: “The fact that we’re completely at another team’s mercy right now, I can’t believe it.”

Sharp: “It’s a horrible feeling to be sitting here. You’re helpless. But we’ll watch that (Stars) game and see what happens.”

Kane: “We didn’t do our job. That’s what it came down to.”

Keith: “It’s not in the situation we wanted to be in but it’s the one we put ourselves in.”

Post-game video: Joel Quenneville, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith

__

Bonus WE’RE IN THE PLAYOFFS! Goodies:

Videos: Patrick Sharps talks to NHL on the Fly about getting into the playoffs, the Blackhawks thank you video to the fans.

Joel Quenneville’s reaction to making the playoffs via @TramyersCSN:

“I’ve never been more excited about a hockey game that I didn’t particpate in in my life.”

“I was celebrating like a 5-year-old at a birthday party.”

Said Q on Troy Brouwer traveling to Vancouver with the team: “Nobody would like to play in that series more than Brou.”

Q&A from the Blackhawks with Coach Q on the playoffs, Dave Bolland’s status and more.

From the Wild after knocking out the Stars from the playoffs via @Russotrib:

Jose Theodore: “Coach Q in Chicago, he knows I’ve got his back.”

A video of a young women (in a Habs shirt?) showing the Stars a nice golf swing after the Wild score their 5th goal to seal Dallas’ fate behind Marc Crawford.

First Round Playoff Schedule via blackhawks.nhl.com:

All playoff games will be televised on CSN Chicago according to @TramyersCSN. For radio broadcasts games 1, 2, 4 and 7 are on WIND and the rest on WGN.