A Chicago Blackhawks Site
Bartl
Editor/founder of Cheer the Anthem, season ticket holder in Section 326 and full-time sports writer who lists June 9, 2010, as one of the greatest days of his life. Contact him at jeffrey.bartl@gmail.com.
Posts by Bartl
Eat Crow: Home-Opener Boxing with Blackhawks (3) and Blues (2)
Jan 23rd
Credit: Chris Swede, Chicago Tribune
First things’s first: I can’t begin to explain how excited I am to be doing Boxing again. Sitting in Section 326, Row 12, Seat 9 sporting my Duncan Keith No. 3 Michigan State sweater made me forget about everything that transpired over the last six months. It felt great to be back watching hockey at the United Center, and I can’t wait to get back there Sunday.
As for the game, the Blackhawks’ onslaught of first-period odd-man rushes yielded only a single goal when Patrick Kane put a sweet move on Brian Elliott to complete a 3-on-0 as the Blues napped after a turnover. Somehow, after seemingly dominating the majority of the period, the ‘Hawks were outshot 9-7 and headed into the second period short a man after Marian Hossa took a tripping penalty with less than 20 seconds left.
Goals from Brent Seabrook in the second (originally credited to Keith) and Viktor Stalberg in the third were enough to hold off St. Louis, which made things interesting with a pair of goals in the final period.
Other things…
– The Blackhawks are off to a 3-0-0 start, which would seem pretty arbitrary during an 82-game season. With this campaign already being at the 45-game mark, earning six quick points could go a long way. And if you told me they’d be unbeaten after facing Los Angeles, Phoenix and St. Louis to open the season, I would have asked who replaced your sanity with the optimism of Richard Simmons.
– So, it looks like the Kane trade talk can pipe down for, like, another couple days, eh?
– Corey Crawford was damn good. He made the saves he was expected to make, and then plenty more. He snuffed out St. Louis’ comeback attempt when the momentum shifted and played big during the Blues’ final burst to end the game. There shouldn’t be any question that Crawford gets the start Thursday in Dallas.
– Brandon Saad shook off a slow start and questionable decision-making to have a second solid game. He seemed very timid in the first period but by the third he was very aggressive getting into the Blues’ zone.
– I know I need to accept that Joel Quenneville will continue to dress someone for the sole purpose of him playing roughly five meaningless minutes, but why Brandon Bollig deserves to wear an NHL sweater at this point is beyond me. I mean Christ, even the Blues scratched Ryan Reaves.
Let’s get to the season’s first Boxing, including my channeling into the mind of Jonathan Toews. There’s one image for the summary, another for the box score. Click on each to enlarge….
Opening Night – TBD
Oct 11th
Don’t be alarmed when you turn on the NBC Sports Network tonight at 6 p.m. CST and find Brian Schactman hosting CNBC Sports Biz: Game On!That’s your regularly scheduled programming, thanks to this pissing contest between the NHL and NHLPA.
Rinks in Montreal, Philadelphia, Calgary and Colorado will be empty tonight rather than hosting Opening Night, which is now simply referred to as Lockout: Day 25. The two sides met Wednesday for five hours, and they’re apparently meeting again today. An end to the lockout, though, seems to be nowhere in sight.
From Steve Fehr, special counsel to his brother, Donald:
“I think we’re making progress in a number of the areas that were discussed, which include health and safety, drug testing issues, medical care. They were good discussions. It’s a shame that they are going on in the midst of a lockout when we could be doing it while we’re playing, or we could’ve been doing it a month ago or two months ago.”
Yes, thank you for reminding us how neither side apparently consisting of whining 6-year-olds couldn’t sit down and talk like adults much earlier.
From Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly:
“We had no discussion of the major economic issues or system issues, so that continues to be a disappointment from our perspective.”
This coming from someone representing the owners, who could continue getting their precious revenue by hosting games while negotiating. But no, let’s just shut the whole damn league down. That’ll help you make money, seeing as you’ve already bitched about losing $100 million just from wiping out the preseason.
Two weeks worth of canceled regular-season games begins accumulating tonight, eventually amounting to 82 by Oct. 24. Three previously booked nights at the United Center will now feature an empty arena and five total Blackhawks games will be sucked into the lockout’s black hole.
Tonight is the night the lockout becomes real, and not just some disagreement we thought would’ve been worked out months before it could affect us.
We’re mere days away from more games being wiped off the schedule, and my optimism for a resolution has all but disappeared.
One on One with Former ESPN Analyst and One-Time Blackhawk Matthew Barnaby
Oct 9th
I was able to get in touch with former ESPN analyst and Blackhawk Matthew Barnaby, who signed with the ‘Hawks during the dark days prior to the 2004-05 lockout. During his one season with the ‘Hawks he played with youngsters Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith.
Barnaby addresses his opinions on the current lockout, a possible reason why not everyone has signed to play overseas during the work stoppage and his time spent playing with some current ‘Hawks.
Bartl: You saw three work stoppages during your playing days – a short strike in 1992, the three-month lockout in 1994-95 and The Wipe Out of 2004-05. Viewing this one from the outside, what is it going to take for the NHL and NHLPA to come to an agreement for there to be hockey this season? How long is this going to last, in your opinion?
Barnaby: I was drafted in 1992, so i didn’t pay much attention to it because it didn’t affect me. I was going back to junior. As for 94-95, I got sent to the minors and I can say it was probably a good experience for me to play in the minors, but was certainly happy when it ended to really start my NHL career. I went down to Rochester (AHL affiliate of Buffalo) with a great attitude, played hard. I really didn’t understand much of the economics at that time. In 2004 I know Bob Goodenow didn’t have the pulse of the union. That deal could have been done a lot earlier. It’s too bad because everyone suffered. The differences now really are how much is each side going to get of the $3.3 billion pie. It will take concessions on both sides to get a deal done. I really think this should be the easiest one to do. I say we see hockey in November.
Bartl: What makes this lockout different/similar to the previous stoppages?
Barnaby: The difference of this lockout compared to 2004 is they are fighting over the money. Last one they were battling over different philosophies and a different system. Cap or no cap? That’s a huge philosophical difference. Now it’s about how much of that pie each deserves.
Bartl: There’s been some discussion regarding the public-relations battle being waged between the sides. Does either side have the upper hand at this point, or aren’t there any true winners here?
Barnaby: Both sides try and play to the public to try and get support and force the other side into doing a deal. Negotiations are about leverage. The owners hold the most leverage as they have more money and time. The players have a small window of opportunity to make their money and will never get this money back. Owners know it and also know that negotiations don’t start until checks are lost. In the end there are no winners but I do feel the public is more on the players’ side as opposed to the owners’ in 2004.
Bartl: In the end, which side ends up conceding the most?
Barnaby: The players. They are not going to roll over like we did in ’04. This will be different because they have trust in Fehr and also know what they gave up in ’04. Anything with a salary rollback I don’t think gets a deal done. I think if the revenue sharing is closer to 50-50 then a deal is done. Players are the ones giving back, it’s just how much.
Bartl: What factors do players consider during a lockout in determining whether they play abroad, train back home, etc.?
Barnaby: I had my bags packed in ’04 and ready to go to Sweden. My son Matthew grabbed it as I left for the airport and begged me not to go. That was the end of it. I stayed and waited it out. Trained 5 days a week at the start, then 4, then 3. Then stopped skating once the season was cancelled. If I had to do it over I would have went to Europe because I really felt it hurt my career. I think every player that has the opportunity should take advantage. You aren’t going against your union, but trying to stay in shape and keep that competitive edge.
Bartl: You were with the Blackhawks in 2005-06 following the last lockout and played with a young Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp. Did you see the potential in those guys? Were you surprised the ‘Hawks made such a quick turnaround from 2006 to making the Western Conference finals in 2009, then winning the Stanley Cup the following year?
Barnaby: No, i wasn’t (surprised). I remember telling Dale Tallon when we got Sharpie, ‘Wow how did you steal this guy?’ Highway robbery for Matt Ellison i believe (no offense Matt) .Dunc and Seabs I knew were going to be stars. I knew we had the foundation for a great team and knew Toews was coming into the fold. I was really upset when I got bought out because I knew the future was very bright once a few changes were made and they were. Great kids, great city, great fans and a deserved Stanley Cup.
No Hockey League
Sep 17th
We came back after 1994-95, and again after 2004-05. We’ll be back after this one, too.
There’s been a bit of a hiatus on the site as we focused on our personal lives in the offseason. Leave it to us to start writing when the league is locked out.
I simply can’t be angry. I’ve tried, honestly. I tried to raise my voice and attempted to flail my arms around like a 70-year-old Italian woman telling a story. I even clenched my teeth once when I’d finally heard enough of about the yet-to-be-clearly-defined “hockey-related revenue.”
None of it takes. I’m just trying to cover up my sadness and disappointment that the NHL has been taken away from me, from us. My subconscious knows it.
The main problem? I don’t know where to direct my anger, and that simply depresses me. The owners, the players, Donald Fehr, Gary Bettman. They’re all guilty. Every last one of them. How do I pick a side when they’re all arguing over my money? And that’s exactly what they’re arguing over – our money, the almighty dollar.
The money we invested into attending games, buying merchandise and whatever else to help make the fourth of four major sports in America – where 23 of the 30 teams call home and where the last 18 Stanley Cup champs reside – grow by billions of dollars over the course of the last Collective Bargaining Agreement.
We watched the NFL lose a traditional offseason and the NBA cancel a chunk of its campaign over money, and we hoped the NHL would be better than that, recognizing it’s place among the sports food chain and knowing the risk of losing the casual fan that’s on their way to becoming knowledgeable because of growing interest.
We’re already living in a world where “record growth” is equivalent to “the Stanley Cup Final having less viewers than “Swamp People.” Take that as you wish – even though I personally don’t care – but less fans means less money for everyone.
Not Landing Suter, Parise Disappointing, not Discouraging
Jul 5th
Stan Bowman took his shot(s) and missed, accomplishing a lot more than it seems most of the fan base thought he would.
The Blackhawks’ GM apparently made strong offers to Ryan Suter and Zach Parise to obtain the services of one or both of the most sought-after free agents of this year’s class, but they eventually chose to start anew with the Minnesota Wild and sign identical 13-year, $98 million contracts.
Suter seemed the logical choice given the ‘Hawks struggles on defense last season, and a pursuit of Parise was something that would’ve intrigued us at best. As it turns out, landing Parise was more likely than getting Suter to don the Indian head.
Such is life in the world of high-priced free agency.
End of Season Reviews: Dan Carcillo
May 17th
I don't think knees are supposed to bend that way.
There was a time when Blackhawks fans questioned the signing of Dan Carcillo, fearing his off-the-cuff antics would eventually lead to some potentially damaging incident that validated all the concerns.
After the man appropriately nicknamed CarBomb proved everyone right, Stan Bowman went ahead and re-upped him for two more years, putting fans back in the same worrisome position.
Oh, and he got a raise at that.
Carcillo managed to pack a season’s worth of drama into a mere 28 games – a number cut short by suspensions and a season-ending injury that came while making an illegal hit he’s bound to repeat down the road.
Blackhawks fire Mike Haviland
May 8th
A Blackhawks coach is leaving Chicago, but it’s not Joel Quenneville – yet.
The ‘Hawks fired assistant coach Mike Haviland on Tuesday in a surprising move few saw coming. It’s pretty safe to assume the first head on the chopping block would have been Mike Kitchen, given his responsibilities with the horribly bad special teams.
Al Cimaglia wrote recently he heard Haviland had an “unwritten promise” to succeed Coach Q, but that sure doesn’t seem to be the case now. I’m assuming Haviland was just as surprised as we are.
Then again, the Blackhawks needed a fall guy for another disappointing playoff “run,” and rather than Kitchen, Q decided to let go of supposedly his right-hand man.
So, in a matter of months Haviland went from being a finalist for the Winnipeg job to unemployed. Seems like a tough break.
We’ll be back with an update once we hear from those who made the decision.
End of Season Reviews: Patrick Sharp
May 8th
There’s plenty of discussions regarding the Blackhawks’ financial situation and the money tied up in either under-performing players or long contracts currently on the roster.
But along with Jonathan Toews, some of the Blackhawks’ most wisely spent money is being given to Patrick Sharp – and he proved it once again with another solid season.
The Handsome One underwent an emergency appendectomy in the offseason, welcomed his first child into the world Dec. 10 – then scored the next night against San Jose – missed eight games because of a broken wrist suffered against Detroit on Jan. 8, played through the break the rest of the season, and still finished with a team-leading 33 goals.
He may have had a rough playoff series, but what Blackhawk didn’t?
End of Season Reviews: Andrew Shaw
May 4th
With 2012 just five days old and #ShawFacts unborn, the Blackhawks’ fan base sounded like a group of owls, collectively yelling “Who?!” after hearing Andrew Shaw was being called up from Rockford.
The little-known fifth-round draft pick wasn’t expected to be in the Blackhawks’ plans this season or even next season, depending on who you ask. Hell, I challenge most of you to even recall the ‘Hawks drafting him.
But there was Shaw, a 180-pound ball of energy unexpectedly ready to make an impact.
And from his first game, that’s exactly what he did. Shaw provided the grit and tenacity we’d hoped to see from more experienced players while also packing a scoring punch. Sure, there are deficiencies in his game. He has plenty to learn, and that aggressiveness he showed ended up costing him in the playoffs, but Shaw provided a pleasant surprise for the ‘Hawks by getting an early jump on his career.
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The Lockout-Shortened Sprint: Looking Back at the NHL Through 48 Last Season
Jan 23rd
Posted by Bartl in 2013 Commentary
1 comment
Credit: Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune
It’s not rocket surgery. Getting off to a good start in a season shortened because of children’s antics is paramount. And after three games, the Blackhawks have done what’s necessary.
Sweep a back-to-back against the defending Stanley Cup champions and the team that knocked them out of the playoffs? Check.
Dominate the majority of a home-opener versus an annoying division rival? Check.
It’s difficult to say “There’s a long way to go” when we’re already at the 45-game mark. And if you did, it’s really only half-true anyway. While 45 games means there’s plenty of time for the standings to shift, it also means there’s little margin for error if a team isn’t on pace with the rest of the conference’s top eight from the get-go.
Here’s a look at the 2011-12 playoff picture after each team played 48 games:
West
*Detroit – 32-15-1 – 65
*Vancouver – 29-15-4 – 62
*San Jose – 28-14-6 – 62
St. Louis – 29-13-6 – 64
Chicago – 29-13-6 – 64
Nashville – 28-16-4 – 60
Los Angeles – 23-15-10 – 56
Minnesota – 23-18-7 – 53
________________________________
Colorado – 25-21-2 – 52
Dallas – 25-21-2 – 52
Calgary – 22-20-6 – 50
Phoenix – 21-19-8 – 50
Anaheim – 18-23-7 – 43
Edmonton – 18-26-4 – 40
Columbus – 13-29-6 – 32
East
*Rangers – 31-12-5 – 67
*Boston – 32-14-2 – 66
*Washington – 26-19-3 – 55
Philadelphia – 29-14-5 – 63
Pittsburgh – 27-17-4 – 58
Ottawa – 26-16-6 – 58
New Jersey – 26-19-3 – 55
Florida – 22-15-11 – 55
______________________________
Toronto – 24-19-5 – 53
Winnipeg – 22-20-6 – 50
Tampa Bay – 21-23-4 – 46
Montreal – 18-21-9 – 45
Islanders – 19-22-7 – 45
Buffalo – 19-24-5 – 43
Carolina – 16-24-8 – 40
Take a quick look at the final standings. While 15 of the 16 playoff teams remained the same (Phoenix replaced Minnesota, we’ll get to that in a minute), the playoff matchups were much different.
If last season ended after 48 games, Detroit would have ended up with home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs, starting with a Minnesota team in the midst of what would turn out to be a horrible collapse.
Instead, Detroit ended up as the No. 5 seed and went on the road to start its series with Nashville, which it lost in six games. Rather than Minnesota parlaying its hot start into a playoff berth, it fell completely apart and ended up 12th in the conference.
On the other end of the spectrum, Phoenix would have been headed home after a rough 48 – three games before it began an 11-0-1 tear that propelled it back into contention. The Coyotes wound up winning the Pacific and making the franchise’s first appearance in the conference finals.
Save for Philadelphia-Pittsburgh, each first-round playoff matchup would have been different in both conferences in a shortened season.
Simply put, a quick start leaves less time to blow it (Minnesota). And if you struggle off the bat, there’s less time to make an epic run and recover (Phoenix). It’s not groundbreaking, but important to note nonetheless.
If last season ended after 48, we wouldn’t have had to endure that shitty nine-game losing streak that began with Game 49 and contributed to the Blackhawks dropping to the No. 6 seed to face a red-hot division winner in the first round.
It’s not so unfathomable to be discussing how their 3-0-0 start to this season is a solid move toward a nice playoff standing by shortened-season’s end. Yes, there’s plenty of time left and a bitch of a six-game road trip upcoming.
Still, there’s no reason to dismiss how far the Hawks’ fast start can take them in the grand scheme of things. But if the ‘Hawks fart away nine games again with little time to recover, it could be the difference in hosting the opening playoff game to watching the postseason on their expensive couches.