Weekly Blackhawks Recap

Weekly record (Sat. to Fri.): 4-0-0

Overall: 5-1-1

As you may or may not know I happen to be a pretty big hockey fan

so I'll be giving weekly updates on how the best team in the Western

Conference is doing. This week the Blackhawks dominated with an

unbeaten record in four games, managing to put up a couple of very

impressive performances along the way:

Saturday against the Avalanche:

After a couple of high scoring periods this game was tied 3-3 heading

into the 3rd period... and then overtime... and then a shootout. And

apparently they had a hard time deciding it then too because it took

a full NINE rounds for the Blackhawk's Andrew Ladd (who had a goal

previously in the game) to finish this one. This would not be the last

crazy game the Hawks would play this week.

-(NOTE: the Avalanche are 5-1-1, so chalk this up as a quality win

two weeks into the season.)

Monday against the Flames:

You thought a nine round shootout was crazy? In case you failed to

hear about it, Calgary went up 5-0 in the first period. The Blackhawks,

behind strong performances from the two Patricks,Sharp and Kane,

the Blackhawks came back to win it in overtime, 6-5. Kudos to the

whole team on this one, with the notable exception of Cristobal Huet

who has failed to impress so far this year.

Wednesday against Edmonton and Thursday at Nashville:

A couple of easy games here, though the Oilers tried to come back

late it was the Blackhawks game the whole way, and Nashville is...

well... Nashville. The Nashville game is notable as being the first game

this season in which Huet hasn't given up multiple goals (of course he

only had to make 12 saves).

Analysis:

Great week for Chicago, obviously, they went 4-0-0. Nothing too

surprising with Sharp and Kane leading the way in points, with

strong play from Toews, Byfuglien, and Campbell standing out so

far too. The most impressive part about this 5-1-1 start is that the

Hawks are without Marian Hossa, their big free agent acquisition,

and that they have done it with some less than stellar play from

their big acquisition from 2 years ago, goalie Cristobal Huet. The

game against Nashville will hopefully point to better things from him,

mainly because the rest of the team is so clearly championship

caliber. With the Red Wings showing strong signs of age (They are

at 3-3-0) the Blackhawks look like the team to beat in the West.

Observations*

13 tOSU Players are gauging their draft prospects, and for some reason people are shocked. What the hell, people?! If at all possible, every player in the NCAAs should look at their draft prospects. Ohio State has been one of the best schools at helping their student-athletes get drafted soon, and it isn't out of greed. tOSU really is concerned about the possibility of a highly regarded underclassmen getting hurt his Senior year and they will help that underclassmen to get all the information on where they will be drafted as smoothly as possible. This is not bad, damnit. This is good.

The Mitchell Report has very little in it that should concern anyone in Chicago, with the exception of one player, Brian Roberts. When I heard that his name was on the list I immediately checked it out, and I find this?

According to Bigbie, however, in 2004 Roberts admitted to him that he had injected himself once or twice with steroids in 2003. Until this admission, Bigbie had never suspected Roberts of using steroids.

So we're accepting hearsay from Larry Fuckin Bigbie that says that maybe Roberts might have said he did it once? I still want Brian Roberts, Hendry. Get it done.



Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are apparently regular 18 and 19 year olds, albeit with spectacular skill at sliding with style around a large patch of ice. Also, they both live in different people's basements. Okay, I want to be able to relate to my favorite sports athletes, but maybe not that much. (btw I don't live in someone's basement, but I do know several people who do at the tender age of 18... oh shit I'm 18. Wow I'm old enough to where rookies are my age! 100 COCKTAILS to me.)

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Forrest Griffin will coach the two teams on the next season of the Ultimate Fighter, and afterwards they'll fight for the light heavyweight title. BY GOD my two favorite fighters NAY... my two favorite athletes are squaring off in a title fight? Hestermas has come early... or late, considering the fight will be some time in June, probably. But the announcement makes me happier than R. Kelly at a 12 year old's birthday party. Simple, balanced equation:



+



=



+



In other news, the Bears, who are so far out of the playoff picture that the Lions feel sorry for them, are busy convincing us that Orton will do better than he did in 2005. You don't have to convince me, Bears. I know how to fear a God.

Observations*

Tim Tebow won the Heisman. He was obviously the most deserving candidate, so I can't see any controversy stemming from this one. Does the Heisman curse apply to underclassmen? We can't be sure about Leinart just yet, even though he was having a terrible season with the Cardinals before he was hurt. But he has been very underwhelming. However, it is at times like these that I think people should remember that only recently has the NFL decided that QBs have to be great NOW, as in immediately after they are drafted. Let's let Aaron Rodgers be a lesson to us.

Watch a hockey game. It is very difficult if not impossible to explain how enjoyable watching the NHL is without just watching a damn game. The things they do on the ice are nothing short of spectacular. And I'm saying that after the Blackhawks lost. Among the many amazing things they do, pronouncing Byfuglien like Bufflin is by far the most impressive.

Randy Moss horrifies me. Not only does his elbow have more talent in it than the last 24 Chicago Bear quarterbacks, he also apparently owns a cloak of invisibility. There is no other possible explanation for how wide open he was. Also, note to Steelers: they're throwin to WELKER. I can only imagine the stupidity preparing to flow from the mouth of Bill Simmons.


Adrian Peterson is human?! I am Jack's surprised kidneys. Also surprising, tWWL's link to AD's page is linked to the Chicago Bear's Adrian Peterson bio. Are they really that hard to tell apart?

This fight was amazing:


Huerta vs. Guida. Youtube it, download it, beat down Dana White's door to watch it, it doesn't matter. This fight was the best fight I've seen since Griffin vs. Bonnar, no kidding. Also, is a tattoo a prerequisite to fight in the UFC?

*Now with more guanine!

Byfuglien isn't a curse word?

Memo to all Chicago sports fans:

Please sit down. This information will be shocking. Hockey still exists.

Still sitting? Back in your chair yet? Good. Now for the real shocker...



The Blackhawks are good. Like, really good. Last night Dustin Byfuglien scored 3 goals (they call that a hat trick, for those of you who forgot hockey existed) in the first fuckin period. And that was AFTER the Blackhawks were up 2-0. Do the quick math and that has the Blackhawks up 5-0 in the first. Damn. But this was no one game wonder, Chitown. Check the standings:

Western Conference
CENTRAL	GP	W	L	OTL	PTS	GF	GA	PP%	PK%	HOME	AWAY	L10
Detroit	25	17	6	2	36	85	61	22.0	84.9	10-2-0	7-4-2	5-4-1
Chicago	25	14	9	2	30	77	69	20.2	83.7	8-5-0	6-4-2	6-2-2
St. Louis	23	14	8	1	29	59	52	13.9	89.6	9-3-0	5-5-1	7-2-1
Nashville	23	12	9	2	26	68	68	14.3	80.6	7-3-1	5-6-1	6-2-2
Columbus	25	11	10	4	26	63	62	15.4	88.5	7-3-2	4-7-2	3-5-2
NORTHWEST	GP	W	L	OTL	PTS	GF	GA	PP%	PK%	HOME	AWAY	L10
Vancouver	25	14	9	2	30	68	60	18.7	80.3	7-6-1	7-3-1	7-1-2
Minnesota	25	14	9	2	30	67	64	18.2	82.9	9-4-0	5-5-2	5-5-0
Colorado	24	13	10	1	27	69	71	13.8	80.6	10-2-0	3-8-1	4-5-1
Edmonton	26	11	14	1	23	64	79	10.5	85.1	7-7-0	4-7-1	6-4-0
Calgary	26	10	13	3	23	70	80	14.8	77.2	6-7-2	4-6-1	4-6-0
PACIFIC	GP	W	L	OTL	PTS	GF	GA	PP%	PK%	HOME	AWAY	L10
Dallas	26	13	9	4	30	75	69	22.7	87.1	7-3-2	6-6-2	6-2-2
San Jose	24	12	8	4	28	63	54	18.1	89.9	4-5-2	8-3-2	5-2-3
Anaheim	27	12	11	4	28	66	76	13.3	79.6	8-3-3	4-8-1	6-3-1
Phoenix	23	11	12	0	22	57	70	13.4	81.2	4-7-0	7-5-0	5-5-0
Los Angeles	24	10	13	1	21	66	76	18.3	78.7	6-7-0	4-6-1	3-6-1

-Yes, that's right, the Blackhawks are second, not just in their division, but in their league.

-Now for another shock: I like hockey. It's the single hardest sport in the world to play and it's very fun to watch. The only time it isn't fun to watch is (or was) when you were a Blackhawk's fan, because they were equivalent to the Quad Cities' own UHL franchise: The Quad City Mallards:



-However, now they have a strong core of young talent, and they aren't taking four years to start to win like the Bulls. For your convenience, the Blackhawk's team leaders and stats for their best players:


RW, Patrick Kane:
#1 pick overall in last year's draft
7 goals, 20 assists: 27 points
Team Leader in Assists and Points

RW, Patrick Sharp:
3rd NHL season, acquired from Philadelphia 3 years ago
12 goals, 8 assists: 20 points
Team leader in Goals

C, Jonathan Toews:
#3 pick overall in last year's draft
10 goals, 10 assists: 20 points
Team leader in awesomeness. Seriously, watch him skate, then watch Crosby skate. I ain't sayin, just sayin.

C, Robert Lang:
14th NHL season
6 goals, 14 assists: 20 points
The wily veteran among incredibly talented youngsters

G, Nikolai "The Bhulin Wall" Khabibulin:
11th NHL season
Saved Goal pct: 90.6%, Goals against average: 2.7, record: 10-6

And there are several good defensemen, counting Dustin Byfuglien who scored the first period hat trick.

-In short, Chicago, it's hockey time again, and I couldn't be happier. This is the sport that God has sent to us so that we might find solace after the NFL season. Hail the baby Blackhawks! Hail hockey!



That's Toews (Pronounced Tayvz). He is that good.

And that's a game winner in a shootout by Kane