Posts Tagged ‘Jonathan Toews’

Where do the Blackhawks go from here?

November 8th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

It was a big night for Captain Jonathan Toews ended the Hawks’ two game skid Saturday as Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager hosted their old team in Atlanta. Toews contributed to every goal in his team’s 5-4 (OT) win over the Thrashers. He has two goals, two assists and netted the first shoot-out goal. With all of the issues the Blackhawks had coming into this game, it was nice to see the face of the franchise finally step up. Patrick Kane scored two goals of his own, and added an assist.

Saturday’s game in Atlanta was more than just the Toews and Kane show. The whole team played with an edge they lost when Marian Hossa went down with an upper-body injury at home to Los Angeles five games earlier. In his stead, role players such as Viktor Stalberg, Jack Skille and Jake Dowell stepped up, but due to the lack of effort from star players, the Blackhawks went 1-3 before Saturday’s win over the Thrashers.

Over that span we learned a few things about how this organization will be run with Stan Bowman as general manager. We already knew from last year that he’ll shuffle players back-and-forth from Rockford to save a dime, but to force Coach Quenneville to field a fourth line consisted of two defenseman centered by a winger in New Jersey was a little excessive. He saved a few thousand dollars by demoting forwards Ben Smith and Ryan Potulny before the game, which they lost in impressive fashion.

Anyways, the edge that the Hawks played with on Saturday was gone by Sunday. They gave up a one goal lead in the third period when the Oilers were able to score two goals fourteen seconds apart. The Blackhawks were unable to return the favor, and handed Edmonton a 2-1 victory at the United Center. Any sort of optimism following the narrow defeat over the Thrashers vanished, and not even Marian Hossa‘s return to the lineup yesterday inspires hope. The issues that surfaced in his absence are still in the forefront.

Management appears to be detached, constantly spewing the tired rhetoric that they are pleased with the state of their team. The players have become complacent, losing yet another game they took the lead into the third period. And for some reason Quenneville continues to pencil John Scott into the lineup over more talented players. First it was Jordan Hendry on defense, and now it’s Bryan Bickell on the fourth line.

Quenneville’s reactionary move is to always meddle with line combinations, but it’s going to take more moving Tomas Kopecky from the second line to the third or abruptly ending a practice session to incite change. Getting this team to play better hockey in their own zone is like teaching a man how to fish. They will win more games as a result, and the other issues become trivial.

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Paging Brian Campbell

October 25th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

It has always fascinated me how quick momentum can shift within the game of hockey. Not just over the course of a game (example: Blackhawks lose a 2-0 lead going into the second period on Saturday), but how a team’s perception is altered over a weekend (example: Blackhawks lose two games in two days to division foes). Everything was gravy a few days ago, but the Hawks are in the middle of a three-day lay off feeling bitter about the one they let get away.

Following Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Blue Jackets, Jonathan Toews said,

“I have to try not to run my mouth and say things I’m going to regret right now I’m a little worked up right now. This is a similar loss to that game against Nashville in our own building. There’s no way we throw away that game it’s two big division points.

“Giving up a goal with 30 seconds left and taking a five-minute penalty is not the way we want to finish the second period. It seems like that’s when we started letting off the gas pedal. If we’re going to score 2 or 3 goals a night, we have to find ways to be smarter defensively.”

Going into the second period up two goals, the Blackhawks began playing protect-the-lead hockey. If might have worked last year, but that crap don’t fly when you allow 40 shots on the night, as they did against Columbus, with 20 of them coming in the third period. The Hawks are 24th in the league with 34.1 shots allowed per game.

Knowledgeable fans know this, but the following needs to be said for all the meatballs out there, as well as newcomers to the sport. Goaltending is not the Hawks’ issue. The tandem of Marty Turco and Corey Crawford have a healthy .918 save percentage, which ranks eighth best in the league. It’s been the team’s overall defensive play, but it’s the Hawks’ shallow blue line has been exploited.

The return of Brain Campbell to the lineup should help remedy some of the issues regarding the Hawks’ blue line. One obvious reason is that he’ll provide Coach Quenneville with more depth at the position. Nick Boynton will see less than 20 minutes a game on the third paring, Jassen Cullimore will be assigned to Rockford and the oafish John Scott will be a healthy scratch some nights.

Having Campbell back on defense will bolster the Blackhawks’ transition game, and overall play in the offensive zone. Puck possession was key to last year‘s success, which Campbell played an important role in that aspect of their game. Controlling the puck they way they did was why they out-shot opponents in almost every games, and why the Hawks had the fewest shots against last year with 25.1 per game.

Campbell skated for the first time this weekend since injuring his knee, and should be game ready to play in a week or two.

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Eight fantasy relevant Blackhawks, plus sleepers

October 1st, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Fantasy drafts are well underway, and the Blackhawks have eight players that should find their way on to a team in every possible format. For the purpose of this article we’ll stick with the standard 6 x 4 category league. Goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty-minutes power play points and shots on goal for skaters, and wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for goalies.

Patrick Kane (RW) – He led the Blackhawks in scoring last year, and is poised to break the century mark in his fourth season. Kane has pin-point accuracy with his wrist shot, and could see 35-plus goals on Chicago’s top line. Not much of a scrapper, but he can produce in each category. Kane has the potential to be the best fantasy right winger this year. (2009-10: 30 G, 58 A, +16, 20 PIM, 29 PPP and 261 SOG)

Marian Hossa (RW) – Despite playing on the second line, Hossa can produce a point-per-game, had the potential to reach the 40-goal plateau again and rack up the shots on goal. He has dropped on many draft boards because he only played about two-thirds of the season (57 games) recovering from shoulder surgery. Hossa would be a steal if he fell to third round. (24 G, 27 A, +24, 18 PIM, 7 PPP and 199 SOG)

Jonathan Toews (C) – Notoriously a slow starter, the fantasy hockey world hopes Toews’ hot stick that propelled Team Canada to a gold medal and Blackhawks to the Stanley cup hasn‘t cooled. Two seasons ago he was snakebit, and last year he suffered from post-concussion symptoms. Despite playing at the deepest position, you’re going to want to grab him early. Expect big things from Captain Serious. (25 G, 43 A, +22, 47 PIM, 22 PPP and 202 SOG).

Duncan Keith (D) – He may not be the fantasy juggernaut that is Mike Green, but the reigning Norris Trophy winner will be a top point producer on defense. There isn’t much selling needed when it comes to Keith. He’s one of the hardest working players out of the ice each night, and he won’t have any trouble living up the lofty expectations. Keith it near or at the top in every category. (14 G, 55 A, +21, 55 PIM and 213 SOG)

Patrick Sharp (C,LW) – Playing on the Blackhawks’ second line with Hossa for a full season will add to this already solid fantasy value. As will the duel position eligibility at center and left wing. Sharp will help owners across the boards, minus the penalty minutes. The pretty boy doesn’t like to get his hands dirty. (25 G, 41 A, +24, 28 PIM, 16 PPP and 266 SOG)

Marty Turco (G) – Turco is no longer the elite fantasy goalie he once was at the ripe age of 35, and is far from worthy of being drafted anywhere in the first five rounds. He’ll be productive for the Blackhawks because of their puck control style of play. Turco will be a great No. 2 goaltender on any fantasy roster, and should start anywhere between 55 to 65 games. (22 W, 2.72 GAA, .913 SV% and 4 SO)

Brian Campbell (D) – 2009-10 was a bit of a down season for the puck moving defenseman. Owners can normally rely on Campbell for 50-plus points this year. He was forced to miss a handful of games down the stretch because of a broken collarbone. Campbell will be the quarterback of the first power-play unit, and see around 20 minutes a night per usual. (7 G, 31 A, +18, 18 PIM, 11 PPP and 131 SOG)

Brent Seabrook (D) – Much of what Seabrook does on the ice doesn’t translate to the fantasy game, and he will never the sexiest fantasy defenseman. He’s still young, but with five full seasons in the league don’t expect a jump in offensive production. Seabrook will have a point total in the 30s, but his stellar plus/minus rating gives him value. He will also rack up a decent amount of penalty minutes and see time on the power-play unit. (6 G, 24 A, +20, 59 PIM, 6 PPP and 129 SOG)

The Sleepers –

Troy Brouwer (RW) – Brouwer will have the role of being the muscle somewhere within the top two lines in Chicago. Coach Quenneville will need him to battle in the corners and in front of the net each night. As a result his penalty minutes and goal totals should be on the rise this year. Brouwer could see time on the power-play as well. (22 G, 18 A, +8, 66 PIM, 13 PPP and 116 SOG)

Dave Bolland (C) – There might not be anyone on this roster with as much to prove as Bolland at 24-years-old. There are lofty expectations for the pivot, who signed a long-term deal with the Blackhawks last summer. Bolland is coming off a season where he missed 43 games due to back surgery, and showed signs of what could be. From all accounts, Bolland is going into the season healthy. Oh, and there is a chance he centers the second line with Hossa and Sharp. (6 G, 10 A, +5, 28 PIM, 2 PPP and 52 SOG)

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2010 Norris Trophy winner: Duncan Keith

June 23rd, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Duncan Keith with his James Norris Trophy

As expected, Duncan Keith won the 2010 James Norris Trophy for being this year’s top defenseman in the league. Since the trophy’s first appearance in 1954, three other Blackhawks have won the award. Past winners were Hall of Famer Pierre Pilote (1963, 1964 and 1965), Doug Wilson (1982) and Chris Chelios (1993 and 1996). It’s easy to say Keith is in good company.

Keith was at or near the top of every relevant statistical category for defensemen. Aside from taking a puck to the face in the San Jose series and losing seven teeth as a result, he’s had a great season. A Olympic gold medal, a Stanley Cup victory and the Norris Trophy. He was also voted to the First All-Star team with Patrick Kane.

Other Blackhawks getting award votes

- Jonathan Toews was fourth in the Selke voting with 408 points with 17 first place votes.

- Patrick Kane was seventh in the Hart Trophy voting, and was twelveth in the running for the Lady Bing.

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Three days later

June 12th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Hjalmarsson kisses the Cup at celebration parade (Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel)

It’s early Saturday evening, and it took me this long to shake the Stanley Cup hangover – as well as last night’s. It took a couple glasses of water, bottle of Gatorade, two Advil and some fast food to heal this wounded soldier. Three days later, I’m back at my keyboard and ready to write.

When Patrick Kane scored the Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime, I wasn’t too sure what just happened. Kane put the puck on the net, under Michael Leighton’s pads and it disappeared. Each player on the ice-surface (aside from Kane) was in suspended animation, waiting for the ref to make a call – any call. What took seconds in real time, felt like minutes. I still don’t know if the goal lights went on, or a call was made. I was in shock. Teams I like don’t win things.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt empty. The ten months of my life that were dedicated to the 2009-10 Blackhawk season came to an end. It would disturb most people how many hours of my day were spent watching, reading and writing about hockey. My girlfriend would love to argue she played second fiddle to the Blackhawks. I was a little bummed that I couldn’t get excited about playoff hockey. By the time I finished my morning coffee, the feeling left me.

The rest of the day was great. I couldn’t get enough of the videos, stories, pictures and the ingenious @wheresthecup Twitter account. Everyone I saw walking around the city seemed to have an extra bounce in their step, and donned something Blackhawks related. I stopped by a major sports merchandise outlet later in the day to pick up a gray Stanley Cup champions t-shirt. The four tables designated for them were picked clean of everything but XXL. I’m still without one.

Anyways, the size of crowd that made it downtown for the parade was amazing. Nearly two million people braved the humidity to gather along the parade route to congratulate the Blackhawks, and catch a glimpse of the Stanley Cup. Every demographic was represented in the crowd – young, old, black, white (you get the picture, right?). Unlike the White Sox winning the World Series in 2005, or Barack Obama’s Presidential election victory in 2008, this was something the whole city could celebrate together. And I think we needed it.

With the Cup returning to Chicago after a 49-year draught, Patrick Kane (or anyone else on this team) will never have to pick up his own beer tab in this town ever again. We learned that Cristobal Huet was finally good at something – opening and closing the bench door. Best of all, hockey is back in the Second City.

Enjoy this as long as you can. Soon the buzz around the Blackhawks will turn to the salary cap issue that was only complicated when Jonathan Toews earned at $1.3-million bonus for winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Thank you Rocky, John, Scotty, Stan and especially Dale.

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2010 Conn Smythe winner: Jonathan Toews

June 9th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Commish. Gary Bettman presents Jonathan Toews with the Conn Smythe Trophy (Getty Images/Jim McIsaac)

Jonathan Toews was the first Chicago Blackhawk to win the Conn Smythe Trophy since it was introduced in the 1964-65 season. As you already know, the ‘Hawks won the Stanley Cup four years before in 1961. Ironically, the first recipient of the award was Montreal Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau – a player that Toews is often compared to.

The 22-year old captain of the Blackhawks keeps adding more hardware to the trophy shelf. Toews has two World Juniors Championship gold medals (2006, 2007), a World Champioships gold medal (2007), an Olympic gold medal (2010) and added a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy last night. He is the newest/youngest player to join the Triple Gold Club.

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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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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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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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Series review – Blackhawks beat Predators in six

April 27th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

End game (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

Going into the first round series against the Nashville Predators, I don’t think anyone would expect them to have been this tough. Per usual, the cream always rises to the top. The Blackhawks won the series 4-2, and will face the Vancouver Canucks in a rematch from last year’s second round series. Both teams will be out for blood, but more on that later. To close out the first chapter of the post-season, here is your (2) Blackhawks vs. (7) Predators series review.

Game #1 – Predators 4, Blackhawks 1 Nashville goalie, Pekka Rinne, stole this game. He stood on his head all night, and the Blackhawks were outworked as well. The Blackhawks had a 1-0 lead going into the third period, but J.P. Dumont scored two consecutive goals to give his team the lead. Dumont’s first was a lucky floater over Antti Niemi’s right kicker. The Predators added two empty-netters to boot. Predators led series 1-0

Game #2 – Blackhawks 2, Predators 0 Niemi earned his first post-season shutout, and the first by a Blackhawk rookie in franchise history. Patrick Kane created enough offense for the Blackhawks by scoring one goal and one assist in the game. The Blackhawks defense wasn’t so good in this one, but luckily for them neither was the Predators offense. Series tied at 1-1

Game #3 – Predators 4, Blackhawks 1 This game was riddled with bad play and stupid penalties from the Blackhawks (see Dustin Byfuglien’s hook of Martin Erat that led to a penalty-shot goal). The Predators were easily the better team in this game, and backed the Blackhawks into a corner. Rinne had another game where he stood on his head. Predators led series 2-1

Game #4 – Blackhawks 3, Predators 0 This game was a must win for the Blackhawks, and Brian Campbell was rushed back into the lineup in hopes of being a catalyst to the Blackhawks offense. A couple bigger names finally showed up in the series – Patrick Sharp scored two goals, and Jonathan Toews added one. Oh, Niemi earned his second shutout with better defensive play in front of him then in Game #2. Series tied at 2-2

Game #5 – Blackhawks 5, Predators 4 (OT) The closing moments of the game will be what anyone remembers from this series. Marian Hossa’s questionable hit on Dan Hamhuis resulted in a five-minute major penalty for boarding penalty with just over a minute left in the game, and the ‘Hawks were down by one. Patrick Kane scored a shortie (Niemi was pulled for the extra man) to take this one into overtime. The Blackhawks penalty-kill unit kept the Predators scoreless while Hossa sat in the penalty box finishing out his sentence. Seconds after returning to the ice, Hossa scored the game-winning goal. Blackhawks led series 3-2

Game #6 – Blackhawks 5, Predators 3 After regaining control of the first round series in the previous game, the Blackhawks came out strong in the first period. They had the lead 3-1 before Jason Is-Nott-Good-At-Hockey scored two unanswered goals to tie the game at three goals apiece. Shortly after, Toews scored on the power play to give his team the lead. His goal held up, and John Madden added an empty-net goal for his first point of the post-season. Blackhawks won series 4-2

Series MVP: Brent Sopel – The Blackhawk defenseman played a huge role on the penalty-kill unit. The guy has biggest balls on the team, willing to put his body in the line of fire every chance he got. Sopel was even praised by Barry Trotz for his work on the kill. The unit that twenty-six for twenty-seven in shorthanded situations. He was also instrumental in the sequence of events that led to Hossa’s game-winning goal in Game #5.

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