Chicago Blackhawks

Is the Sixth Seed Detroit's Best Hope?

April 1, 2012

It may be difficult for some fans to acknowledge but Detroit is faltering in the late stages of the season and are looking less and less like a true playoff contender. Detroit is 2-6-2 in its last 10 games and has not regained its form since the return of Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Franzen and Howard.

The Nashville Predators beat Detroit easily 4-1 Friday night thanks to the strong play of Pekka Rinne and production from their recent additions. The Red Wings quickly lost their outside chance to catch the St. Louis Blues and take the Central Division title for themselves and are now one point behind Nashville and tied with Chicago, however the Wings do have a game in hand. Detroit is 2-3 aga...

Blackhawks clinch playoff spot and find power switch on their power play in Nashville

April 1, 2012

Maggie Avila

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Sometimes things are sweeter when you have to work for them and they don’t come so easy. As a fan of hockey, I have to say this game had it all & then some. In a game that saw the Hawks running away with the game to start and then have it come down to a nail biting finish is what hockey is all about. Who says the playoffs start on April 11th? I think they’ve already begun.

The Blackhawks held on to defeat the Nashville Predators and in the process secure themselves a ticket to the playoffs. Unlike last year they determined their own fate and did not leave it on another team's sticks. The Hawks have learned from past mistakes which says a ...

Blackhawks seek to clinch playoff berth in Nashville

March 31, 2012

Hockeybroad

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Two seasons ago, the Blackhawks and Predators battled their way through the first series in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was an unforgettable series, marked in particular by Game 5, where Marian Hossa scored a dramatic overtime goal that helped tip the series in Chicago's favorite. The rest of the season is history, of course, as the Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Last season, the Predators made team history when they reached the second round of the playoffs for the first time. This year, they'd like to go a little further - perhaps even all the way. Last night's win for the Predators was the 500th for head coach Barry Trotz, the only coach in Nas...

Blackhawks Inch Closer to Playoff Spot with Win Over Blues

March 29, 2012

Matt Cefalu

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The Blackhawks made another important stride towards claiming a playoff spot tonight with their 4-3 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues at the United Center.

Bryan Bickell, Andrew Brunette and Patrick Sharp scored in regulation and Dave Bolland's shootout tally provided the game winner for Chicago over their division rivals. Corey Crawford made 20 saves for the Blackhawks and stopped all shots in the shoot out.

Despite the late game surge by St. Louis to tie the game with less than two minutes in the third to force overtime, Crawford was able to best Blues' netminder Jaroslav Halak as Chicago downed St. Louis for the second time in as many meetings. ...

Blackhawks look to tune out Blues in final meeting

March 28, 2012

Maggie Avila

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In their final meeting of the regular season, the Blackhawks will look to close out the series with their Central division foes. The Hawks have the edge in the series 3-2 coming into this game. The last confrontation with these two saw the Hawks skate away with a 4-3 win in a shoot out at the United Center. Both teams are coming into this game with exactly the same record in their last 10 games of 6-2-2.

The Blackhawks are looking to get as many points as possible in their final five games to secure a playoff berth and distance themselves from other Western Conference teams. The Blues while they are leading the league are looking to secure more points as well to c...

Blackhawks scratch a point out of the Devils in the shootout

March 28, 2012

Hockeybroad

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Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford spoke of New Jersey goalie Marty Brodeur before the game. The future-HHOF goalie had been one of Crawford's idols when he was growing up in Montréal; the idea of one day growing up and playing against him was a seemingly impossible thing. But here he was, ready to take the ice vs. Brodeur.

Brodeur was drafted in 1990. He got his first call ups to the NHL during the 1991-92 season. To compare how long he's been in the NHL, Blackhawks rookie Andrew Shaw was born in July 1991. He owns just about every goalie record in the NHL, and #30 will be retired in New Jersey the second he decides he's done playing. But until that day comes, he...

Blackhawks Head to the Garden State to Battle Devils

March 26, 2012

Matt Cefalu

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The Chicago Blackhawks recent stretch of outstanding play came to a screeching halt on Sunday evening when they were pummeled by the Nashville Predators...again...by a score of 6-1. The Blackhawks now look to move past the embarrassment and hope to rebound tonight against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.

These two teams haven't played one another since November 2010, when the Devils skated away with a 5-3 win at the United Center. Chicago looks to avenge that loss and will have to find away to contain not only star sniper Ilya Kovalchuk, but also his American cohort, team captain Zach Parise.

Despite the recent loss to the Nashville Predators, th...

Blackhawks stumble to Predators 6-1

March 25, 2012

Maggie Avila

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In an important game that could determine teams playoff positioning the Blackhawks just did not have anything going for them. Still missing captain Toews and Montador and Kruger still out themselves with upper body injuries and Duncan Keith out serving his suspension you knew it would be a tall order for the Hawks to overcome Nashville. The Predators have had the Hawks number all year and now lead the series 4-0-1 with only one game remaining in Nashville. The Hawks have not been able to solve Pekka Rinne all year.

The game not only was a four point swing it enabled Nashville to jump ahead of Detroit as well in the 4th spot in the Western Conference standings. The only consolation f...

Central showdown in Chicago tonight

March 25, 2012

Hockeybroad

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Going into tonight's game, the Blackhawks are just 1-4 against the Nashville Predators, and they'll still have one more game to play against these division rivals at the end of the week. The Hawks are also down one of their best defensemen, as Duncan Keith sits out the first of five games in his suspension after a high hit against Daniel Sedin in last Wednesday's game vs the Canucks. Team captain Jonathan Toews is closer to returning but still also watching from the sidelines, as are defensemen Steve Montador and Sami Lepistö, and forward Marcus Krüger.

Nashville won 3-1 over the Winnipeg Jets in their own building last night; but they're just 2-3-1 over their...

Shaw Continues to Come Up Big for Hawks

March 22, 2012

Matt Cefalu

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It appears as though the Chicago Blackhawks are peaking at just the right time.

Chicago's 2-1 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on Andrew Shaw's game-winning goal tonight marked their fifth win in a row, improving their record to 8-1-1 in their last ten games.

With the victory, the Blackhawks are now tied in points with Nashville for fifth place in the Western Conference playoff race, though the Predators have one more "Regulation Plus Overtime Wins" as the tie-breaker. However, the Blackhawks are currently only one point behind Detroit, but they would need two points on Sunday against Nashville and a Red Wings loss on Saturday to claim fourth place.&nb...