Hope you’re feeling better soon, Hossa. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

I guess I’m supposed to write about how the Chicago Blackhawks finally got THEIR REVENGE!!1!one! on the Colorado Avalanche for ending The Streak, but really — it’s the Avs. The Blackhawks are fully rested. There was no doubt that the Blackhawks couldn’t get it done tonight.

So, instead of being a revenge game, it was more like this:

» Continue reading “Rivalry Schmivalry: Chicago Blackhawks 5, Colorado Avalanche 2″

The one bright spot from the Blackhawks’ last game against the Avs. (Photo: Mel Boysen/flickr)

• The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Colorado Avalanche tonight at 8:00pm CT. The game will air on Comcast Sportsnet+ (CLTV for most cable/satellite systems) in Chicago.
• Previews: NHL, Chicago Tribune, The Committed Indian, Second City Hockey
• Ray Emery will be in net for the Blackhawks. (@TramyersCSN) Semyon Varlamov will backstop the Avs. (Left Wing Lock)

» Continue reading “Warmups: REVENGE!!11eleventy-one!”

Mr. 400 Points (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

• The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Dallas Stars tonight at 7:00pm CT. The game will air on Comcast Sportsnet in Chicago.
• Previews: NHL, ESPN, The Committed Indian, Second City Hockey
• Corey Crawford will be in net for the Blackhawks. (@NHLBlackhawks) Kari Lehtonen will backstop the Stars. (dallasnews.com)

» Continue reading “Warmups: Everybody’s Starry-Eyed”

Watching Coach Q’s face is almost as much fun as watching the game itself.

He should’ve been nominated for “Frolik Navidad.” (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

• The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Nashville Predators tonight at 7:00pm. The game will be broadcast on Comcast Sportsnet in Chicago.
• Previews: NHL, Chicago Tribune, The Committed Indian, Blackhawk Up
• Corey Crawford will be in net for the Blackhawks. (@NHLBlackhawks) Pekka Rinne will backstop the Predators. (Predators)

» Continue reading “Warmups: Screw The Grammys — The Blackhawks Are On!”

RIP LITTLE HOMIE. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Shocking news from the Chicago Blackhawks! Patrick Kane is playing without a mouth guard this season, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“They didn’t have one for me when I got to Switzerland,” said Kane, who played for HC Biel during the lockout. “I could have gone to the dentist and got one, but I forgot all about it. When I came back here, (the Hawks) had some for me to try, but it just kind of felt weird in my mouth.”

The mouth guard hanging out of Kane’s mouth (instead of actually, you know, guarding his mouth) had become something of a trademark for Kane. The last two Kane bobbleheads featured a mouth guard dangling from his lips, and the Blackhawks even used replica mouth guards as a giveaway last season. Guess the Blackhawks marketing geniuses will have to come up with something else now. Maybe a Kane spinning top for all those spin-o-ramas?

» Continue reading “Fresh Brew: Say Goodbye To Patrick Kane’s Mouth Guard”

Can this guy just get a goal already? (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

The fact that the Blackhawks pulled out of this game against the Vancouver Canucks with one point is a minor miracle, considering that the two people on the ice who were awake the entire game were Corey Crawford (which is good) and Brandon Saad (who was the best player on the ice for the Blackhawks for the first two periods, and most of the third).

You know what else is a miracle? The fact that I stayed awake for the entire game. It was a real insomnia-killer for entirely too long.

So, losing to the Canucks is bad. The possibility of losing Dave Bolland for any stretch of time, however, is worse. According to coach Joel Quenneville, Bolland suffered a lower-body injury in the third period when he got tangled up with the Canucks’ Jannik Hansen. He’ll be evaluated tomorrow. Here’s to hoping it looked worse than it actually is.

Birthday boy. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Today is Brandon Bollig‘s birthday. He turns 26 today.

I guess that, since it’s his birthday, I should be nice and not mention that I wish he was back in Rockford, terrorizing the AHL with his limited skills.

I guess I shouldn’t say something like “Whatever you did to Coach Q, Jamal Mayers, please apologize for it so he can put you back in the lineup so we don’t have to suffer through another one of Bollig’s staged fights ever again.”

And I definitely shouldn’t wish Ben Smith a speedy recovery so he can eventually take Bollig’s place in the lineup if Coach Q is determined to keep Mayers in the doghouse for whatever petty, Coach Q-like reasons.

I should just be nice.

So… happy birthday, Bollig. I hope you get to celebrate by watching the game tomorrow from the comfort of Vancouver’s press box. I hear they have good popcorn in there.

(Oh, dammit, that was still mean, wasn’t it? Oh well. I don’t care enough to edit it.)

» Continue reading “Fresh Brew: Happy Birthday, Brandon Bollig!”

Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr

• The Chicago Blackhawks start their six-game Disney On Ice road trip with a visit to the Minnesota Wild tonight at 7:00pm CT. The game will be aired on NBC Sports Network in Chicago.
• Previews: NHL, Chicago Tribune, Second City Hockey, The Committed Indian
• Corey Crawford will be in net tonight for the Blackhawks, because of course he will be. (@ChiTribHamilton) Josh Harding will backstop the Wild. (Star Tribune)

» Continue reading “Warmups: Insert “Wild” Pun Here”

Unless you’re a current Blackhawks player. Then you can f–k right off.

The Blackhawks held their annual Four Feathers Golf Invitational yesterday, and, well — something seemed a bit… off.

Here, take a look at the video and then compare it to last year’s video after the jump.

» Continue reading “The Blackhawks’ Charity Golf Outing Seemed Different”