Archive for May, 2010

Stanley Cup preview, by a Blackhawks blogger

May 28th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

The Chicago Blackhawks franchise has come a long way since the lockout that erased the 2004-05 season. Coming out of the one year work stoppage, the team’s core players were Kyle Calder, Mark Bell and Tyler Arnason with prized free-agent acquisitions Adrian Aucoin, Martin Lapointe and Nikolai Khabibulin. To no one’s surprise they finished fourth in the Central Division with 65 points. Five years later, the Blackhawks are the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, the true architect of this team, Dale Tallon, was forced out of his general manager position with the team in favor of Scotty’s son, Stan.

I digress. With the addition of Marian Hossa, the Blackhawks immediately became legitimate contenders to bring home the Stanley Cup. Here they are, one day away from Game #1 of the final’s series, and they are doing it with a twenty-six year old rookie from Finland in net. Coach Q hasn’t looked back after handing the reins to Antti Niemi on March 28th. Niemi has a 12-4 record, 2.33 goals-against average, .921 save-percentage and two shutouts in the post-season.

Not only has Niemi played solid puck, but everyone on the roster is playing to the best of their ability. As the Conference Finals series ended, no one could argue that a single player on the roster didn’t leave it all out there on the ice. The effort is led by their captain and Conn Smythe frontrunner Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith on the blue line. Keith exemplifies this team’s drive and determination. He lost seven teeth in Game #4 in the Western Conference Finals, and playing just shy of 30 minutes in the game. Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien have made huge contributions in this post-season run as well.

Then there is Marian Hossa. This will be his third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, who has been on the losing end the previous two years. He’s a player to watch in the upcoming series. Hossa had stretches this season where the bounces didn’t go his way, then all of a sudden had an outburst of offensive production. We’re on the precipice of witnessing one of his offensive outbursts, and will continue to be a force on the back-check like he has been this post-season.

The Flyers run to the finals has been nothing short of amazing. They got into the playoffs as the 7th seed in the East by defeating the New York Rangers in a shootout in the last game of the season, beat the 2nd seed Devils in five games, came back from a 3-0 series deficit against the Bruins and then trounced an undersized Canadiens team. The fact that everyone on Philadelphia’s roster is healthy could lead to trouble for the Blackhawks. The Flyers have a plethora of capable offensive weapons in Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Daniel Briere, Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux.

Chris Pronger will lead the Flyers physical attack, and will duke it out with Byfuglien in front of Michael Leighton. Pronger will be the catalyst to Philadelphia’s physical attack, which could be another concern to the Blackhawks. I have no doubt in my mind that whatever the Flyers throw at them, the ‘Hawks should be able to adapt to it. They did it in the regular season, and against each playoff opponent.

This could be the last realistic chance the Blackhawks have at winning the Stanley Cup before the looming off-season cap issues force Stan Bowman’s hand. The organization might not have this much talent in one locker room again, and that should motivate everyone to get the job done.

Prediction – Blackhawks in six

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Sweep – Western Conference Finals series review

May 25th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Blackhawks celebrate Cup Finals birth (Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel)

I won’t go as far to say that being swept by the Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals was a choke-job, but the only Shark that showed up in the series was Patrick Marleau. In the four games that the conference finals last, Marleau scored five of San Jose’s seven goal goals and tallied an assist. Outside of defenseman Jordan Hendry, the Blackhawks won the series because it was a complete team effort.

The Blackhawks organization will go to their first Stanley Cup Finals since the 1991-92 season. Stay tuned for the finals preview in the next few days, but for now enjoy reliving the awesomeness that was the (1) Sharks vs. (2) Blackhawks series.

Game #1 – Blackhawks 2, Sharks 1 Defenseman Jason Demers gave the Sharks the early lead when his shot deflected off Duncan Keith’s body into the goal. Antti Niemi stayed cool, and didn’t let the unlucky goal faze him the rest of the afternoon. He didn’t allow another goal, saving forty-four shots allowing his team to steal this first game of the series. Dustin Byfuglien scored the game-winning goal.

Game #2 – Blackhawks 4, Sharks 2 The Blackhawks took both games at the Shark Tank to start the series, and have been great on the road this post-season. They are 7-1 away from the United Center. San Jose was never really in this game as the Blackhawks cruised to victory, and returned home with a 2-0 lead in the series.

Game #3 – Blackhawks 3, Sharks 2 (OT) This one nearly ended in regulation, but the Sharks were able to extend the game into overtime when Marleau netted his second goal of the evening. Jonathan Toews was the best player on the ice for either team. He had two assists, won 59.3% of his face-offs and set a Blackhawk post-season record for consecutive games with at least a point at twelve games. Dave Bolland was a close second for his breakaway goal in the third period, and feed to Byfuglien from behind the net for the game-winning, overtime goal.

Game #4 – Blackhawks 4, Sharks 2 It looked bleak for the Blackhawks when the Sharks extended their lead to 2-0 in the second period. Duncan Keith just had seven teeth knocked out, and Andrew Ladd was already in the locker room with an apparent injury. Like they proved in many games this season, the Blackhawks can’t be kept down. The Blackhawks scored an ugly goal that was eventually credited to Brent Seabrook, then Bolland beat Nabokov to even up the score, Byfuglien tallied his third game-winning goal of the series and Kris Versteeg clinched the trip to the Stanly Cup Finals with an empty-netter.

The Blackhawks swept the series 4-0.

Next up, the Blackhawks will face the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday at 7pm to begin the Stanley Cup Finals. Here is the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals schedule.

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Changes, they are a happening

May 21st, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

If you stop by often, you may have noticed the absence of game reviews once the post season hit. Well, the reason for that is I’ve decided to take the blog in another direction. I hope to focus more on prospects in the Blackhawk organization, statistical analysis and lame attempts of humor. I’ve done prospect rankings in the past and tracked player in movement in the system in the year since I launched Red Rising. Expect trips to Rockford and maybe Toledo next season, and I plan to attend this year’s prospect camp.

Also, I’ve been writing for the Examiner.com as the Chicago Fantasy Sports Examiner for a few weeks. If you follow me on Twitter you might know that already. Take a gander, and you get to see my ugly mug.

That is all.

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Dale moves on, legacy alive and well in Chicago

May 18th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

It was July 14, 2009 when Dale Tallon was removed as the Blackhawks general manager in favor of Stan Bowman. Tallon quietly served as a senior adviser of hockey operations to the Blackhawks this year. Yesterday, Tallon was hired as general manager of the Florida Panthers. With the way his tenure as general manager ended in Chicago, I’m pleased to see him get another gig with the Panthers. As the Blackhawks play Game #2 of the Western Conference Finals in San Jose tonight, we should remember that Dale is the true architect of this team. Not John McDonough or little Stan Bowman, and the guys in the locker room know this.

Jonathan Toews said this of Dale Tallon yesterday:

“…when I talk to him I always remind him we’re in here thinking about him and we don’t forget the contributions he’s made to this team and this locker room.”

Before Tallon became the general manager in 2005, he spent over twenty years in the organization as a player, in the booth as a broadcaster (radio and television) and in other front office duties. The legacy he will most will remembered for is drafting Jonathan Toews third overall in 2006 and Patrick Kane first overall in 2007. I’ll remember Tallon for his keen eye for talent. Great examples of this ability can be seen in the trades to bring in Patrick Sharp (from Philadelphia for Matt Ellison and 3rd round draft pick) and Kris Versteeg (from Boston for Brandon Bochenski), selected Niklas Hjalmarsson in the 4th round (108th overall) of the 2005 draft and brought in Antti Niemi from Finland in 2008..

The Chicago Blackhawks became a desired location for players because of Dale Tallon. The free agent acquisition of Marian Hossa last summer is a terrific example of the turnaround the franchise experienced four years after Tallon became general manager. Four years ago, a player with the caliber of Hossa would never think about signing with the Blackhawks. Back then the Blackhawks were arguably the worst organization in the NHL, but last November Forbes rated them as the seventh most valuable team in the league. Tallon built a team worth watching in Chicago. A team John McDonough could sell to the masses.

Before the 2008-09-season, McDonough brought hockey legend Scotty Bowman into the fold. Scotty was the father of then assistant general manager Stan Bowman. It was a matter of time before Tallon was shown the door, and management patiently waited for the chance to remove Dale as general manager. That opportunity came last summer when qualifying offers to restricted free agents (Versteeg, Barker, Brouwer, etc.) were improperly filled. It’s a job that general managers don’t carry out, but it happened under Dale’s watch. He took the blame, cleaned up the mess and was removed as general manager days later. Little Stan Bowman was promoted.

There were reports stating that McDonough and Tallon butt heads often regarding who was really steering the ship, and that McDonough resented the attention Tallon received for building a team that made it to the Western Conference Finals last year. Through it all, Dale Tallon was nothing less than a class act. Although it isn’t entirely his fault, Tallon will get most of the blame for the impending off-season salary-cap issues.

Good luck in Florida, Dale.

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(1) Sharks vs. (2) Blackhawks conference finals preview

May 15th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

This is the conference final showdown everyone wanted – (1) Sharks vs. (2) Blackhawks. Let’s get right into it.

Offense – Dany Heatley has been the difference for the Sharks this year. He has the killer instinct that Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau lack. San Jose is just as deep offensively as the Blackhawks, and has had a great post-season from Joe Pavelski. He has fifteen points in eleven games. Advantage: San Jose

Defense – The Blackhawks defensive corps has been affective at clearing Niemi’s rebounds, limiting the number of second chance scoring opportunities for opponents. I don’t see Coach Q changing that defensive scheme for San Jose. Advantage: Blackhawks

Goaltending – For the Blackhawks, Antti Niemi has been what they needed in net. He might not stand on his head every night, but comes up with big saves at even strength and on the penalty kill. Still, Evgeni Nabokov is a ten-year veteran with 293 regular season wins under his belt. Advantage: Sharks

Special Teams – By now you should know about the Blackhawks penalty-kill unit. They are 88.7% on the kill and have scored three shorthanded goals this post-season. Advantage: Blackhawks

Coaching – Sharks coach Todd McLellan is doing something right with a team that usually folds in the post-season. He is in his second season at the helm in San Jose, and his previous playoff experience last year didn’t go so well. Coach Q has 116 post-season games on his resume, and he made the right moves this year to keep a talented Blackhawks team from self-destruction. Advantage: Blackhawks

Prediction – Picking the Blackhawks to win the two previous post-season series has worked well thus far, so why change a good thing? Blackhawks win in six games.

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Next – Blackhawks vs. Canucks series review

May 12th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Luongo exits stage left (AP Photo)

Oh man, this feels good. The Blackhawks ousted those Canucks from the playoffs for the second year in a row. To paraphrase Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk, there are some very happy humans in Chicago with an extra bounce in their step today. What warms my heart the most is that Ryan Kesler was virtually invisible for the entire series. Anyways, the semi-final round between (2) Blackhawks and (3) Canucks is in the books, so here’s your series review.

Game #1 – Canucks 5, Blackhawks 1 Not the way the Blackhawks wanted to start the semi-final series against a good Vancouver team. It was so bad that there was a Cristobal Huet sighting. It was so bad I don’t want to write about the game beyond this point. Canucks took series lead 1-0

Game #2 – Blackhawks 4, Canucks 2 Five minutes into the game the Blackhawks were down 2-0, but Antti Niemi stopped the bleeding and settled down after Brent Seabrook scored seven minutes into the game. The Blackhawks learned they need to create traffic in front of the net in order to beat Roberto Luongo. Patrick Sharp’s shorthanded goal gave his team the spark they needed to steal this game from the Canucks. Seabrook and Sharp would have been better candidates for the ‘First Star’ over Kris Versteeg. Blackhawks tied series up at 1-1

Game #3 – Blackhawks 5, Canucks 2 Coach Q continued to put pressure on the Canucks’ defense and goaltender in Game #2. He moved Dustin Byfuglien back to forward (fourth line in Game #1, defense in Game #2) on the first line with Toews and Kane. It worked. Byfuglien notched a hat trick, and played the best game of his young career. He was physical, determined and battled in front of the net for rebounds. Blackhawks took series lead 2-1

Game #4 – Blackhawks 7, Canucks 4 Captain Serious, Jonathan Toews, followed Byfuglien’s hat trick with one of his own. He had a total of five points in the win. It was made possible due to the attention Vancouver paid to Byfuglien due to his performance in the previous game. I died a little inside admitting that. The Canucks were undisciplined, and the Blackhawks capitalized by scoring on four of the eight power-play opportunities. Blackhawks up 3-1

Game #5 – Canucks 4, Blackhawks 1 The Blackhawks abandoned the style of play that allowed them to beat the Canucks in the last three games. They didn’t create much traffic in front of Luongo, and he had an easy night in net. Blackhawks still up 3-2

Game #6 – Blackhawks 5, Canucks 1 My unhealthy obsession with Troy Brouwer has been well documented in tens of posts on this very blog, and last night my boy Troy tugged at everyone’s heart strings when he scored the first goal of the game. He hasn’t been the same player since he missed the final four games of the season to be with his ailing father. Troy, I know you don’t read this crappy blog, but my thoughts are with you and your family. Blackhawks win series 4-2

Next up, Coach Q will prepare his squad for the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Final showdown. This was where the Blackhawks made their exit last year. Thanks to the Sharks, there won’t be a rematch against the Evil Doers of Detroit (sarcasm-o-meter at zero). At the time this was written, the date and time for Game #1 between the Sharks and Blackhawks isn’t set. We must be patient and wait for the East to finish the second round games. The NHL could learn something from the NBA when it comes to post-season scheduling.

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I can only think of Byfuglien’s trade value

May 7th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

The American-born Dustin Byfuglien re-introduced himself to the Canucks last night in the Blackhawks 5-2 win in Game #3. He played the best game of any Blackhawk this season, and easily the best game of his career. Byfuglien was a one-man wrecking ball on the ice Wednesday night. He went to the corners hard to win puck-battles, crashed the net for rebounds and used his size to intimidate. As a result, he notched a hat trick. Playing on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane didn’t hinder his performance.

It seems as though Byfuglien can only play up to this level once a year. Luckily for the Blackhawks that one time a year coincides with the semi-final round of the playoffs (see series preview, intangibles).

Being a big picture kind of guy, I can’t help but think of Byfuglien’s trade value when has those rare games where he puts it all together. What his trade value would be is beyond me, but it couldn’t be much higher than it is right now. Maybe, I’m just a dreamer. I do spend an inappropriate amount of time fantasizing about general managers sitting at a conference table with their scouts, assistant general managers and assistants to the general managers putting together a pitch for Byfuglien’s services in the off-season. Most of the time it happens to be Brian Burke sitting at one end of the imaginary conference table.

I should probably qualify my opinion of the big guy by informing those who stumbled upon this site for the first time, I’m not a member of the Dustin Byfuglien fan club. I’ve been known to successfully steer a friend or two away from purchasing a #33 jersey. My dislike of the Blackhawk forward/defenseman is fueled by the texts my dad sends me every time Byfuglien scores, on top of the fact that he is inconsistent and there are two or three more players on the Blackhawk roster that can already do his job better. I’m tired of the Byfuglien learning curve.

I know I’m not the only one who finds it hard to watch Byfuglien play productive hockey. The only thing I think about is why we don’t see this more often. The last time Byfuglien made a difference in a game was when he turned on the afterburners to beat Rangers’ defender Matt Gilroy to tally a game winning overtime goal.

For the sake of the organization I hope he keeps playing well for a couple reasons. If he continues to play like he did in Game #3, Byfuglien will help the team advance in the post-season. His trade value will stay relatively high as well.

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Joel Quenneville jumps to conclusions

May 3rd, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

This morning I received an e-mail from my source in the front office. He told me that assistant coach Mike Haviland caught Coach Q using a ‘Jump to Conclusions’ mat Sunday morning. Haviland came in to work to pick up a jacket he left behind after the 5-1 loss to the Canucks. My source said that Quenneville was in ready position to jump when Haviland entered his office. Apparently he was livid with what he saw, and that a head coach would make decisions in this manner. Haviland went to Stan Bowman first thing this morning to file a complaint. My source was able to take a picture with his camera phone before it was incinerated, and then passed it on to me. Now, I pass it on to you.

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