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2011-12 Playoffs
Jonathan Toews: “It’s time to go.”
Apr 12th
And with those 4.5 words, he’s back.
Jonathan Toews officially will play in Game 1 against the Phoenix Coyotes tonight, and may we all rejoice and breathe a sigh of relief. After sitting out 22 games due to a concussion, the Captain will return.
Here’s what he told Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune:
“I’m very excited. I don’t think I’ve gone through anything like this in my career where it’s been touch-and-go for just over two months and you don’t really know when you’re going to feel 100 percent. (And) you’re doing everything you can and it seems to always be the same thing every time you wake up. These last couple of weeks have been really good. I’ve worked really hard not only to get over this but to feel ready and feel well enough to play a game. I’m really happy about that. Not only myself but the rest of the guys are excited to go out there and play.”
Obviously, this doesn’t guarantee anything in terms of wins and loses, but there’s no bad news about finding out Toews will be in the lineup. Does Q send him out there centering Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa? Will he shy away from contact at all? One thing is for certain, the Coyotes aren’t going to go easy on Toews for a single second. He’ll be the target of physical play every shift he’s on the ice.
Either way, things got a whole lot better for tonight’s matchup. See you on Comcast at 9pm.
The Season Starts Now: Blackhawks at Coyotes, Game 1
Apr 12th
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America
It’s finally that time of year, folks. The regular season is now meaningless history. History will be made, starting now. The two month grueling process of hell, otherwise known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs, begins its 2012 chapter.
The Blackhawks start their run in Phoenix. Everyone was begging for the 3-6 seed matchup for the past month. Well, folks, you got your wish. We get to face the Yotes.
Game 1 will need to be a statement game. Mike Smith has been very stingy against the Hawks (and the rest of the league, for that matter) in every game this year. The Hawks will need to score, and they will need to score early tonight.
Jonathan Toews practiced with the team yesterday afternoon and expects to play tonight. I hate to be cynical, but I’ll believe it when I see it. His status seems to change by the hour, which is understandable with finicky head injuries. Assuming Toews comes back, it could give the Hawks the spark they need to score early.
The Yotes are a physical team and will get after you and crash the net. The defense needs to make a statement tonight too. The Hawks cannot let the Yotes win the battles in front of Corey Crawford, leading to an easy tap-in. When you’re facing a tough goaltender like Smith, you cannot give up easy goals. The Hawks’ defense needs to make Phoenix work hard for their goals. If they don’t, they will not win this game or this series.
The Hawks play a quick, open game of hockey, which is the exact opposite style that Phoenix plays. They tend to grind it out. Due to this, Phoenix will look to physically out-battle the Hawks and, excuse my language, knock the Hawks on their asses to slow the game down (see: Minnesota Wild vs. Blackhawks, regular season games 80 & 81). The Hawks can’t afford to get caught up in the post-whistle stupidity and goonery. The Hawks need to keep their cool and play at their level, rather than that of Phoenix.
Lastly, if Toews does indeed come back, the Hawks will need to keep an eye on him. Phoenix will be going after him physically. You can bet your house on it. It will be really important for them to find the right balance of sticking up for their captain, and not getting carried away playing grab-ass. Blackhawks fan-favorite Raffi Torres is nearing the one-year anniversary of his demolition of Brent Seabrook. Just hope he doesn’t try to celebrate the anniversary with a gift for Toews.
Game starts at 9:00 PM Central on NBCSN.
I Would Shave My Beard, but We’ve Become Attached: A Brief History of the Playoff Beard
Apr 11th
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
It is a tradition that has become both a fan-favorite and an essential glue of solidarity between NHL fans and players. The playoff beard. Many fans grow one. Many fans wish they could grow one. Almost all NHL players grow one while they are in the hunt for the Cup. While many of us (myself, included) partake in this superstitious ritual, I would venture to guess that there are some out there who do not know the roots of its tradition.
Nowadays, if someone mentions the New York Islanders, it’s likely going to be a conversation about how terrible they’ve been in the past decade, how Rick Dipietro might be one of the biggest busts in recent memory, how they may or may not get a new stadium, or how John Tavares simply deserves to be surrounded by a better team. It’s easy to forget that the Islanders of the 1980s had one of the most dominant and storied dynasties in NHL history.
In 1980, the Islanders, with the likes of Clark Gillies, Gord Lane, Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, and Ken Morrow, found themselves in the playoffs after an impressive 110 point season. As a sign of solidarity, many of the players decided to grow beards during their Cup run. Well, as fate would have it, the 1980 Islanders won the Cup. In fact, they won the next three Cups after that as well. The Islanders won an impressive 19 consecutive playoff series, while growing the playoff beards. A tradition was born.
Although the beard-growing tradition took a break after the Islanders dynasty ended, it made resurgence in the 1990s and is now a league-wide phenomenon.
We’re Almost There : A Quick Glance At ‘Hawks and The Rest Of The League
Apr 10th
The Leafs will not be discussed in this post. (BLAIR GABLE/REUTERS)
We’re only one horrible, awful work day away from the opening game of the 2011-2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs! The anticipation is certainly building and I know you’ve been reading all about the impending ‘Hawks/Coyotes series. I wanted to gloss over a few things related to the Blackhawks and then get you up to speed with the rest of the league.
♦Sean O’Donnell has been skating with Niklas Hjalmarrson this week on the third pair during practice. I can’t be the only person who is a tad apprehensive about this. I understand that this playoff series does not hinge on the play of the 6th ‘Hawks defenseman, but I’m not sure why Dylan Olsen was benched after he appeared to be coming along quite nicely down the stretch. Despite appearing in the final regular season game, it doesn’t appear that Sami Lepisto is going to see much ice time, if any, over the next few weeks either, so that leaves us with OD. Maybe the Blackhawks don’t want to dress two extremely young defenseman (the other being Nick Leddy) in a playoff series, but the burden of proof will be on OD to show he can keep pace in a playoff game. On the upside, the old man has been around the block, appearing in 104 career playoff games. He’s been here before.
♦ It hasn’t always worked out when tried in the past – but Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa are skating together this week in practice. If you’re standing near Keith Yandle and Derek Morris, you probably smell something putrid lingering. We should not forget that Viktor Stalberg and Marcus Kruger elevating their games made this possible. Those two are rolling along great with the always dependable Patrick Sharp. With that second line rolling, the top six of the Blackhawks is as strong as any team in the NHL. Goals will be scored.
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.Takes One to Know One: Blackhawks-Coyotes Powerplay Woes
Apr 9th
Hard to believe they do this less on the PP than we do.
You know how we’d been used to referring to Joel Quenneville’s blender for the better part of his coaching tenture? The Phoenix Coyotes powerplay selections in recent weeks has made that look like a light blend. Granted the team made trade deadline acquisitions among their forwards by bringing in Antoine Vermette but both he and Gilbert Brule have struggled to find playing partners on the man advantage since relocating to Phoenix. I still think the Blackhawks can match up with just about any team in the Western Conference at even strength. The powerplay woes are well documented for those wearing the Indian Head but somehow the desert dogs make the Hawks powerplay look palatable. Here’s what they’ve been working with up front for the last 10 games on the powerplay.
Hawks vs. Coyotes: Reviewing the Season Series
Apr 9th
Look at those glorious 'staches.
Yeah, I know. Everyone says you can throw out the regular season once the playoffs start. Things begin anew and what happened in the past should stay there.
That’s probably how the Blackhawks should feel after going 1-2-1 against Phoenix, including dropping the final three meetings. While most – including myself – still believe the Blackhawks can – and should – win this series, the Coyotes were a giant pain in the ass in 2011-12.
And a quick “Did You Know?” … Joel Quenneville and Dave Tippett were teammates with the Hartford Whalers from 1983 through 1990. As you can see, Tippett also once had as fine of a ‘stache as his boy Q. That’s cute. If I was their teammate and saw them together, I’d call the duo “Q-Tip.” Jokes. I get jokes.
Anyway, here’s a quick rundown of the season series:
October 18 at Jobing.com Arena
Dave Bolland scored a short-handed goal 2:27 into the third period to put the ‘Hawks up 4-2, and they’d go on to win 5-2 to improve to 3-1-1 on the season. Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews, Jamal Mayers and Bryan Bickell also scored.
Taylor Pyatt and Ray Whitney had goals for the Yotes.
The Blackhawks controlled the action most of the way, outshooting Phoenix 15-4 in the first period and 35-16 for the game.
Corey Crawford made 14 saves to earn the win, while Jason LaBarbera took the loss.
Waiting on The Captain: Revisiting the ‘Hawks With and Without Toews
Apr 9th
Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images
Now that Jonathan Toews has been cleared for contact, it’s all up to him when he’s ready to don the Indian head once again. While Thursday would be ideal, the Captain has to be sure not to get Sidney Crosby-ed by returning too soon.
It’s a waiting game the Blackhawks have been playing since late February, and 22 games already have passed since Toews last suited up. I’m sure part of you has gotten used to him not being on the ice – especially given the ‘Hawks haven’t been as bad as expected without him – but it still won’t feel right if Toews isn’t on the desert ice in Game 1 against Phoenix.
A playoff series without the captain is probably the worst thing we expected when all of this came to light, and we’re only days away from having to take the ice without the 2010 Conn Smythe winner.
How much will the ‘Hawks miss him if he doesn’t play? Let’s take a look at some team statistics before and after the concussion. The stats listed before the concussion do include Toews missing a Jan. 24th loss to Nashville with an upper-body injury before suffering his concussion.
Desert Dogs it is: Blackhawks Beat Red Wings in Shootout, Will Face Phoenix in Round 1
Apr 8th
Credit: Andrew Weber, US PRESSWIRE
Hopefully those who celebrate are having a nice Easter Sunday, and you’re about to find out what day the Second Season begins in the Second City. You’ll be seeing a lot of posts around these parts in the coming week with a wide variety of things being covered as the playoffs begin.
For the Blackhawks, the quest for the Stanley Cup begins in Phoenix after Saturday’s 3-2 shootout win over Detroit.
Yes, Patrick Kane made a filthy move in the shootout. It had me taken aback, and his smiling face skating back to the Blackhawks’ bench gave me a nice giggle.
But did that meaningless shot simply mask the disappointment we should be feeling after the ‘Hawks blew a late lead for the second consecutive game? If Kane doesn’t make that move and the Blackhawks lose that shootout, aren’t we going around asking questions about how the ‘Hawks are going to survive in the playoffs, especially if Jonathan Toews isn’t quite ready?
Instead, we’re all “excited” to be playing the Pacific Division champion Phoenix Coyotes, who ended the season with 97 points, four fewer than the ‘Hawks. Avoiding Nashville sounds fun and all, but there’s still the fact the Blackhawks let a chance at home-ice advantage in the first round slip away over the past week.
Now the ‘Hawks get to face Mike Smith, who is pretty much the hottest goaltender in the world right now. Forget that he doesn’t have playoff experience. Some guy named Niemi didn’t have any either. The ‘Hawks were less than a minute away from avoiding him and a Phoenix team that has won five straight games barely breaking a sweat.
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