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.

Shaw will be in the lineup tonight. (Photo: Mel Boysen/flickr)

• The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Los Angeles Kings tonight at the United Center at 7:00pm CT. 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. (@TramyersCSN) Jonathan Quick will most likely backstop the Kings. (@lakingsinsider)

» Continue reading “Kings For A Day: Chicago Blackhawks Vs. Los Angeles Kings”

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…”)

Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr

• The Blackhawks are taking on the Los Angeles Kings today. Previews: The Committed Indian, NHL, Chicago Tribune
• Jonathan Toews did not practice yesterday, since he had the flu. However, he’s in today. (Chicago Tribune)
• Corey Crawford is in net for the Blackhawks. (Daily Herald) Not surprisingly, Jonathan Quick will be in net for the Kings. (@DennisTFP)

Happy birthday! (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Later on today, the NHL and NHLPA will (probably) sign a Memo Of Understanding to formally end the lockout.

Today is also Marian Hossa‘s 34th birthday. Coincidence? Yes, probably. But we’ll wish him a happy birthday, anyway.

» Continue reading “Fresh Brew: Hossa’s Birthday; Blackhawks Unofficial Schedule Leaked”

We’ll have to wait a bit longer for Shark-Eyes Toews on UC ice. (Photo: Shay Haas/flickr)

Well, this is annoying.

According to John Shannon of Sportsnet, the Blackhawks will open their season on January 19 at 2:00pm CT at the Staples Center, where they’ll take on the Los Angeles Kings.

Now, I’m not just miffed because the Blackhawks get to watch another team raise their Stanley Cup banner. I’m more annoyed at the fact that they’ll open their season in California, come back and play a few games — and then they’re right back on the road from January 30 to February 10 for the Disney On Ice road trip. The NHL scheduling monkeys strike again!

The Fraser family (via @adamjahns)

I was upset when Colin Fraser left Chicago.

Not because he was anything special when he was here (the “best” thing about his hockey playing was his face’s ability to absorb fists) — but because he was shipped off to the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers! For a draft pick! Now the Oilers are poised to be one of the most exciting teams in the league in the next couple of years, but two years ago, it was like sending someone to Columbus.

The Blackhawks’ front office might as well have texted him “LOL BYE” when it it happened. Hell, they probably did, the bastards.

So off Fraser went for a lackluster season in Edmonton, which got him traded to the Los Angeles Kings — a trade that almost didn’t happen because Fraser had a broken ankle that needed surgery. The Kings, however, took a chance on Fraser and let him stay in LA.

Now Fraser is the lynchpin of the Kings’ fourth line — a line that coach Darryl Sutter named after him — and is hoisting the Stanley Cup for the second time. Who would’ve thought that about a guy who didn’t even play in one game during the Stanley Cup Final two years ago?

So congratulations to you, Fraser. Hope you, Carli, and little Calder get to enjoy this night.

And maybe next year, the Blackhawks can get their heads out of their asses and get back to winning the Stanley Cup again.

Who knew he'd be the one ex-Blackhawk left in the Stanley Cup Finals?

Before Colin Fraser was in the Stanley Cup Finals with the Los Angeles Kings, writing blogs and scoring goals — he was on the Blackhawks, mostly warming the bench. However, he did get a lot more time in front of the camera during Blackhawks TV, and his BHTV shining moment was probably this interview with some of the other Blackhawks on the subject of Mario Kart.

» Continue reading “From The Vault: Colin Fraser And Mario Kart”

Better luck next time in the shootout Kruger. (Photo: Cheryl Adams/flickr)

The image burned in my brain from this game is the Blackhawks giving up a 4 on 1 that of course led to a Los Angeles Kings goal, so I decided to come up with a list of positives instead.

• Dustin Brown didn’t score a hat trick and neither did any other King.
• The Blackhawks didn’t get shutout. They actually scored two goals.
• They got a point, which is crucial to them staying in the playoffs.
• Ray Emery is playing solid in net.
• Jonathan Toews will be back playing soon.
• A win against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday will be more satisfying anyways.

Oh-duya like his GWG from Friday against the King Henrik & the Rangers? Yes, yes we do. (Photo: the_mel/flickr)

The Blackhawks take on the Los Angeles Kings at 7pm CST on NBC Sports Network.

Tonight the giveaway is a Patrick Kane mouth guard… remember kids it’s to protect your teeth and not a chew toy. (Chicago Blackhawks)

Ray Emery will be in net for the Blackhawks. (@TramyersCSN)

Jonathan Quick will likely backstop the Kings though it is not confirmed. (Left Wing Lock)

Injury Report: Niklas Hjalmarsson returned to the lineup on Friday in the 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. Jonathan Toews is out for tonight but has his return slated for Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. If he wants to take more time to recover though, I think that’d be okay. Like maybe a week from now against the Capitals? Michael Frolik returned to practice Saturday after missing the previous two with the flu. (Chicago Sun-Times)

A reminder that Duncan Keith‘s charity Keith Relief has Benefit Event & Concert on March 14th. A VIP ticket is just $250 and you’ll get to see Blackhawks as bartenders. This event sounds like all kind of awesome and all for a good cause! (DuncanKeith.com)