Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr

And so, the last game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets as Central Division rivals ended the way it started this season — with a one-goal win by the Blackhawks.

(Except this one was via the shootout, which shouldn’t even be a thing, but whatever.)

» Continue reading “Ciao, Lumbus!: Chicago Blackhawks 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 1 (SO)”

Reply Hayesy, Try Again. (Photo: Mel Boysen/flickr)

• The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at 6:00pmCT. The game will air on Comcast Sportsnet in Chicago.
• Previews: NHL, Chicago Tribune, The Committed Indian, Second City Hockey
• Corey Crawford will be in net for the Blackhawks. (@ChrisKuc) Sergei Bobrovsky will backstop the Blue Jackets. (@jrimercbj)

» Continue reading “Warmups: Will The Chicago Blackhawks Win Against The Columbus Blue Jackets?”

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.)

Your first star of the game, Bryan Bickell. Yes, really. (Photo: Mel Boysen/flickr)

The Chicago Blackhawks are now 18-0-3.

I… what? Really?

I mean… I don’t even know what else to say about this.

I am out of words about this streak!

So let’s talk about this game.

…Actually, let’s not talk about the game, because, well — I don’t want to. Go watch the video you know you want to watch — Jonathan Toews‘ unbelievable no-look pass to Brent Seabrook for the winner. Shakespeare would have written sonnets about that pass.

» Continue reading “What More Can I Say?: Chicago Blackhawks 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 3 (OT)”

I’m starting to think that Patrick Sharp should just be our “logo.” (Photo: Mel Boysen/flickr)

Welcome to our newly-renamed podcast, Second Balcony Breakdown! Casey and I would like to thank Fork from HOCKEENIGHT for providing us with part of the name (the “Second Balcony” part). Seriously, go check out HOCKEENIGHT if you haven’t already. Just don’t click the links if you’re at work. You might get fired… or arrested.

Onto the topics, which include…

• Last week’s Chicago Blackhawks games against the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets (we already had a special podcast about the game against the Vancouver Canucks, which you can listen to here)
• Duncan Keith is a weirdo (talking about Brandon Saad‘s “big, hairy” body after the Sharks game). Check out his quotes to Brian Hedger on Hedger’s Twitter, for example.
• Lindy Ruff, and why the Buffalo Sabres are terrible
• Various games around the league, including the shitshow that was the Pittsburgh Penguins/Philadelphia Flyers game, the return of Luocho in the Canucks game against the Detroit Red Wings, and Evgeni Malkin‘s concussion in the Penguins’ game against the Florida Panthers
• The NHL’s proposed realignment plan and why it’s boring (check out my post about it)
• This week’s Line Cocktail Whoops, no Line Cocktail for this week, because we forgot. Next week’s will be a doozy to make up for this.
• This week’s question: With Detroit possibly out of the Blackhawks’ conference next year, who will take their place as their top rival?

Click the green button below to listen. One of these days, I will sound less like I’m talking with a scarf wrapped around my face while inside a tin shed. Hopefully by next week.

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

Only goal scored. Only goal needed. (Photo: Mel Boysen/flickr)

One of these days, sooner rather than later, the Columbus Blue Jackets will learn how to score. Hell, they had a few good chances against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, with only a couple of bad bounces off of the post keeping them off of the score sheet.

» Continue reading “Boring But Effective: Chicago Blackhawks 1, Columbus Blue Jackets 0″

The only guy who was awake the entire game. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

* Shout out to referee Dan O’Rourke, who made that terrible no-goal call on the Blue Jackets in the second period. He ruled that Nick Foligno had made “incidental contact” with Corey Crawford beforehand. Oh. Okay, then.

This was the worst game the Blackhawks have played all season. Fortunately for them, they were playing the Blue Jackets at their Blue Jacketiest. What other team could turn a four-minute power play into a 4-on-3 penalty kill? (I ask you, because I honestly do not know. Jesus, the Blue Jackets are terrible — though, really, they’re less terrible than last season.)

But no matter how they played, they’ve made it to 5-0, which ties the best start in Blackhawks history (the record was set in — you guessed it — the 1972-73 season).

Now let’s all watch Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews make the Blue Jackets look stupid with what would become the game-winning goal.

» Continue reading “5-0*: Blackhawks 3, Blue Jackets 2″

You know Stalberg’s excited. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

• The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at 6:00pm CT. The game will be aired on Comcast Sportsnet in Chicago.
• Previews: NHL, Chicago Tribune, The Committed Indian, Second City Hockey
• Corey Crawford will be in net for the Blackhawks. (@ChrisKuc) Steve Mason will backstop the Blue Jackets. (@jrimercbj)

» Continue reading “Warmups: Don’t Fire The Cannon”

Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr

There are nine active players in the NHL today with at least 900 points: Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Arnott, Jarome Iginla, Jaromir Jagr, Nicklas Lidstrom, Teemu Selanne, Joe Thornton, Ray Whitney…

And now, Marian Hossa, who earned his 900th point on the last goal the Blackhawks would score tonight against the Blue Jackets.

Other milestones the Blackhawks would reach include:

• Patrick Sharp scored his 29th and 30th goals of the season. Not only does he now lead the Blackhawks in scoring, he has also reached the 30-goal plateau for the third time in his NHL career.
• Duncan Keith had a four-point night, a career high.
• The Blackhawks swept a Central Division rival in the regular season for the first time ever. Yes, ever. The last time the Blackhawks swept a division rival was the St. Louis Blues in the 1970-71 season, according to @PK9 (but, of course, it wasn’t the Central Division back then).

Andrew Shaw and Brent Seabrook scored the other two goals tonight. Rick Nash would ruin Corey Crawford‘s shutout bid in the third period, but by then the game wasn’t in doubt.

Jesus Christ, the Blue Jackets are terrible.

I leave you with this — Brandon Bollig getting into yet another dumbass fight, this time with Jared Boll. Whatever.

» Continue reading “900 For Hossa: Blackhawks 5, Blue Jackets 1″

Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr

The Blackhawks take on the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight at 6pm. Previews: NHL, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, SB Nation, Second City Hockey

Corey Crawford will be in net for the Blackhawks, more than likely. Steve Mason will be between the pipes for the Blue Jackets. (@smitchcd)

Nick Leddy turns 21 today. Yes, he’s just now old enough to drink legally in the United States. Remember this the next time you want to berate him, meatballs.

Speaking of Leddy, he’s been finding consistency since being paired with Johnny Oduya. (CSN Chicago)

» Continue reading “Warmups: Happy Birthday, Nick Leddy!”