SB Nation - Jonathan Toews

Game Preview: Chicago Blackhawks @ Buffalo Sabres

Rafal Ladysz — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:03:54 -0000

7 days ago: Washington Captials left winger Alex Ovechkin, of Russia, bottom left, misses an open net as Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller is caught out of position during the first period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009. Sabres defenseman Steve Montador, right, watches the play. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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You've got to be lucky to be good and good to be lucky. The Buffalo Sabres were a little of both Wednesday becoming the first team in 11 months to shutout the Washington Capitals. While they did an excellent job of keeping Alexander Ovechkin and company outside of the perimeter, Buffalo was fortunate on a few chances that Washington sent wide of an empty net. And Ryan Miller was there to snag the great opportunities that did head on goal.

All in all, it was the type of win that solidifies a squad as a contender with shot blocking, active sticks and back-checking doing the job. Chicago brings their own brand of firepower into HSBC Arena as the schedule hasn't gotten easier. Substitute Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green with Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith.

The Blackhawks defeated Buffalo last year by a 4-1 scoreline but the Sabres have won three of the past four get-togethers. Chicago is 5-0-1 against Eastern Conference oppositions thus far and Buffalo is 5-0 facing the West. This should be an interesting match-up, not to mention very exciting.

Five thoughts on each team below.

Patrick Lalime and Cristobal Huet are your starting netminders. It was assumed Miller would be in for this one giving the back-up tomorrow's showdown in New York. I can see why Lalime is eager to get his first win of the year against his former team but the Sabres will have to play similar to their shutdown format against Washington. Motivation for the goaltender means nothing if he's hung out to dry.
Chicago has really taken it to another level since the return of Toews and introduction of Hossa. They are 11-2-1 with their captain back in the line-up and the Slovakian has seven points in as many games. By the way, Toews also has 13 points in 14 matches.
Paul Gaustad has begun skating with the team showing progression but there's no timetable for his return. Regardless, this is a great sign as the Sabres have struggled in the face-off circle without Goose. Mike Grier is expected back possibly Saturday after visiting his mother. In practice yesterday, Tim Connolly felt hip pain and wasn't able to withstand the whole session. Lindy Ruff suspects it's nothing serious and that the center should play. Who knows with Connolly though?
Overpaid defenseman Brian Campbell is back for the first time in a different jersey. Last year's contest between these franchises was in Chicago so it'll be his only visit since abandoning Buffalo. Expect tons of boo-birds for Campbell and I'm sure Blackhawks fans aren't happy either with the dollars-to-points ratio.
A goal and an assist were earned by Nathan Gerbe in his first call-up from the AHL. It was only a matter of time before someone got the go-ahead from Portland. As he was instructed to, Gerbe crashed the net despite his lack of size and threw the puck on it from down low for his first career NHL goal. We'll see what he has up his sleeve this time.
Cristobal Huet owns a 14-6-2 record with a .907 save percentage and 2.18 GAA. Known as somewhat of an enigma, Buffalo would be wise to get pucks at him from various angles and positions. Put the puck on net and good things will happen. The Sabres can't waste time attempting pretty plays and cute ideas.
In response to a third period benching Monday, Derek Roy sprung a pair of assists and tenacious two-way efforts against Washington. Leading the team in points, the 26-year-old needs to bring that intensity and skill routinely.
Buffalo native Patrick Kane has his sights on a career campaign with 28 points already in 29 games. He's played the Sabres twice registering one goal. Kane said he expects to get booed in reference to the cab driver incident from the summer.
Ranked third and sixth in penalty killing, it'll be intriguing to see if either can break through with the man-advantage. Thomas Vanek has four powerplay goals while Toews is up to five. Today would be a good time for Vanek to end his scoring slump. Please?
Yet to win with Miller on the bench, Buffalo is in for a fight with these Blackhawks who can beat a goaltender in bunches. I hope Lalime is ready because it could be a long evening if he's even a little rusty and the Sabres play the first frame laid back.

Normally, you'd hope to get a lighter match after taking on the Washington Capitals. However, this is a huge opening for the Buffalo Sabres. What better way to prove themselves as a threat than beating both Washington and Chicago in succession?

As Many As Five Canadiens Hopefuls Vying For Spots On World Junior Teams

Robert L — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:11:28 -0000

Translated from an article by Mattias Brunet in Monday's La Presse

Much was made of the fact last week when Louis Leblanc, the Canadiens first choice in the 2009 Entry Draft was invited to the Canadian World Junior camp for the upcoming tournament.

On a more discreet note, barely a rumble was caused be the announcement that the Canadiens' second choice in 2008, Danny Kristo, received the same from the American junior squad.

While Leblanc is far from guaranteed a spot on the team, it is said that his chances are good. In regards to Kristo, who played for the American juniors in last season's tournament, there is little doubt. He will definitely be on the team and according to Habs head scout Trevor Timmins, "there are chances he could be named captain."

Coach of the American team, Dean Blais noted at the term of the team's development camp in June that Kristo would be given serious consideration for the role.

Last season, Kristo caused a bit of a surprise, makinh the clun while still playing high school hockey. He was the only such player on the team to do so.

His progress as a player this year has been nothing short of stunning. Playing for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, who play in the top NCAA division, and despite his rookie status, he leads the team in scoring with 14 points in 16 games.

Kristo might not be a large specimen at 5' 11'' and 180 pounds, but he is hyper fast, energetic and a constant threat around opposing goals.

"I watched him play in this weekend's Subway Classic, and he was named tournament MVP," states Timmins. "He plays the point on the first unit of the power play at North Dakota. He's a excellent skater with a strong shot who plays with a lot of energy and heart, but it is his defensive game that has most impressed. His play without the puck is at a level I did not foresee at this stage of his career."

The Canadiens' prospect, who was selected late in the second round, was also named the WCHA division rookie of the week for the past seven days. If, as predicted, he does make the U.S. squad, he'll become the ninth player from North Dakota University to play in the World Juniors following players such as Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, Drew Stafford, James Patrick and Brian Lee.

Among other Canadiens prospect hopefuls vying for a place in the tournament will be Russian Maxim Trunev, a fifth round pick in 2008. Despite his yound age, Trunev plays a regular role with Cherepovets of the KHL, having scored two goals and an assist in 23 games.

"Trunev has a good shot at making it, but during the last team tournament in November, he bowed out due to an injury," recalled Timmins.

Another Russian talent belonging to the team is Alexander Avtsin, a fourth round pick in 2009. Avtsin is alsoplaying in the KHL, but has not been invited. Timmins finds the scenario a bit strange.

The Finnish team could see two Canadiens' prospects make the grade. Joonas Nattinen, a 6' 3'' center drafted by Montreal in the third round this past June played in last year's tournament, counting three points in six games. He's said to be a slam dunk for this season's edition, and is currently playing in the Finnish Elite League.

"He's having a strong season, although he suffered a concussions this past week," says Timmins.

Petteri Simila, a 6' 6'' goalie drafted with the very last pick in 2009 may join Nattinen.

"Scouts for the Finnish nationals were in Niagara Falls recently, taking a look at him," notes the Canadiens' head scout. "We'll see what their decision is."

At last season's WJC, the Canadiens were represented by four players, P.K. Subban for Canada), Kristo et Ryan McDonagh with the U.S. team and Nichlas Torp with Sweden. The right to Torp, a sixth round pick of the Canadiens in 2007, still belong to the organization. He's currently playing in the Swedish Elite League.

Coming To Chicago This Summer: Cap Reality

The Falconer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:48:43 -0000

More photos » by Larry Macdougal - AP

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For those of you who don't pay much attention to the Western Conference the big news this week was that the Chicago Blackhawks managed to get three of their young stars resigned this week. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane both signed for 6.3 million per year and Duncan Keith for 5.5 per year. Blackhawk fans were falling all over themselves in self congratulation with the news.

However, the team is going to have to perform "roster reduction surgery" to clear away the foolishness that former GM Tallon committed in the Summer of 2008. This coming summer the Blackhawks are going to have to move a lot of salary just to field a roster of 21 players for the 2010-2011 season. Below is 21 man roster chart of players currently under contract with Chicago and their cap salaries (or Qualifying Offers for RFAs this summer).

A couple of technical notes. RFAs who make under 1 million must be offered a 10% raise in their qualifying offers (which they don't have to sign). Young players on Entry Level Contracts (ELC) will have all bonus money count against the cap next year because it is the final year of the CBA. I have used a 21 man roster instead of the NHL minimum 20 man roster because it is virtually impossible to go with just 20 players. If a guy is out a few days, he doesn't quality for Long Term Injury Replacement, but someone has to to dress--so I budgeted for 21 roster spots. The minimum NHL salary is half a million dollars currently.

OK and now for the really ugly part. If we assume that all of the current Blackhawks RFAs were to simply accept their qualifying offers and no trades were made, then I have Chicago sitting at $66 million in cap hits with a salary cap expected to remain largely unchanged (currently $56.7 million). The team is projected to be over by $8-10 million depending on where the cap is set next season.

SALARY	FORWARDS
6.300	Toews
6.300	Kane
5.275	Hossa
3.900	Sharp
3.375	Bolland
3.083	Versteeg
3.000	Byfuglien
1.550	Ladd	RFA Qualifying Offer
1.200	Kopecky	ELC
1.070	Eager	RFA Qualifying Offer
1.025	Brouwer
0.770	Fraser	RFA Qualifying Offer
	DEFENSE
7.142	Campbell
5.500	Keith
3.500	Seakbook
3.083	Barker
2.333	Sopel
0.700	Hjalmarsson	RFA Qualifying Offer
	GOAL
5.625	Huet
0.800	Crawford
0.500	Bench Player
66.031	2010 TOTAL
56.700	Current Cap Max
9.331	Difference

Ch-ch-changes

The good news for Blackhawk fans is that their young core players were signed last week. The bad news is that several current members of a Cup-contending squad will have to be traded this summer. Let's play amateur GM and see how this works out.

The non-Campbell, non-Huet Scenario

Let's assume that both the Campbell and Huet contracts are too costly to move. In this situation the Hawks need to deal away 4 guys making some serious coin. If they moved Cam Barker ($3.08 million), Dave Bolland ($3.375) and Dustin Byfuglien ($3.0) and replaced them with three players averaging just $0.700 a piece that still leaves the team $2 million over the current cap. Assuming the cap doesn't rise, they would need to a) move either Versteeg or Sharp; or b) exchange their entire checking group (Kopecky, Eager, Brouwer and Fraser) for 4 guys making the NHL minimum. This scenario involves the most carnage for the existing lineup of skaters, as it would essentially gut the team's depth.

The Campbell Traded Scenario

The two most egregious contracts are those given to Brian Campbell (7.142 million) and Christobal Huet (5.625 million). To move either of this contracts Chicago would probably have to include either a 1st round pick or a top prospect to make another team swallow either of them. Let's suppose that Chicago was able to swing Campbell + 1st round pick to Dallas for a pick or prospect. If Cam Barker moves into the top 4 D for Chicago, and a journeyman making .6 million fills Campbell's roster spot, that still leaves them $2.8 over the cap. To clear that much more salary they would have to swap a player making $3.3 million for a guy making the league minimum or basically Dave Bolland or Patrick Sharp.

The Huet Traded Scenario

Most teams only have one starting goalie--there are only so many starting jobs around the NHL. Few teams can afford afford to lavish All-Star money on a non-All Star talent, which means that the Cristobal Huet contract is probably tougher to move than the Campbell contract. But let's suppose for a moment that Chicago can find a taker. Who would take Huet's place? That's a key question and one that is hard to predict. Almost any starter of any quality is going to have a cap hit of $3 million or more. The team might find a cheaper option such as Theodore, Biron or Emery on the UFA market, but those cheaper options come with a serious downside risk. Let's assume that the Blackhawks go very cheap at the goal position and only spend $2.5 on Huet's replacement. That still leaves them $6 million over the cap. Trading away Barker ($3.08), Sopel ($2.3) and one medium priced forward (perhaps Bolland $3.0) and replacing them with players making just $700,000 gets them under the cap with some money for a Hjalmarsson raise.

The Dream Scenario: Campbell and Huet Traded

The least disruptive solution to the Blackhawks depth would be to move both fat contracts next summer. The biggest question is whether they can find any suckers (call Bob Gainey?) or whether they are willing to part with high draft picks or top prospect Kyle Beach to purchase cap space. Assuming that they can make these two ugly contracts vanish and replace the D slot with a cheap defenseman, that would leave about $2-3 million for a starting goalie. This is easily the least disruptive scenario for the current roster--but presumably would come at the cost of future talent (picks and prospects).

Concluding Thoughts

Trying to game plan the future is always challenging. At this point, we have no idea what the final cap number will be (but attendance is flat and tickets are being discounted in many cities). We also have no way of knowing if RFAs like Ladd and Hjalmarsson will demand more money than their qualifying offers. Despite these "known unknowns" I've tried to get a sense of how things might play out this summer in the Windy City.

Up next: Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks

FrankD — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:00:22 -0000

[SBN Chicago Blackhawks blog - Second City Hockey]

If you thought the Blackhawks went crazy this offseason when the front office signed Marian Hossa to a 12-year deal worth $62.8 million then I don't know what to tell ya about the recent extension dished out to defenseman Duncan Keith. In a deal that will go down as the biggest in Blackhawks history, Keith signed a 13-year contract worth $72 million. And interestingly enough, the Hawks didn't stop there.

Earlier this week Chicago also announced extensions to both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, each five-year deals worth $31.5 million. While the offseason will likely find the Chicago front office dumping salaries left and right, it's not a focal point at the moment. With Toews, Kane, Keith, Hossa and Brian Campbell playing together for the next five years, Chicago will look to make the first serious Cup run since losing to the Pens in 1992.

November was a pretty solid run for the Hawks. Although the month kicked off with two-straight losses (one was in OT), Chicago put together an impressive eight-game streak to close out the month at 8-2-2. Getting a healthy Hossa back didn't exactly hurt either. The team's 37 points is good enough to put them at the top of the Central division, tying them with Calgary for second in the conference behind only San Jose.

But last night wasn't the sort of performance a team would expect in the wake of all these extensions. Nashville came to town and smacked Chicago around 4-1. Christobal Huet stopped 19 of 23 shots, while Brent Seabrook and Hossa connected with Toews for the only Chicago goal on the night.

Many have already been mentioned, but here are the guys you want to keep your eye on: Patrick Kane (9g, 17a), Duncan Keith (5g, 18a), Patrick Sharp (8g, 14a) and Jonathan Toews (7g, 10a). Also worth mentioning is Marian Hossa, who in five games back has five points (2g, 3a).

Hard to say right now if Huet will get the start in the second half of the back to back, or if instead we'll see the likes of Antti Niemi, who's 4-1-1 on the season with two shutouts.

Last season in the only game between Pittsburgh and Chicago, the Pens held on to force OT and win 5-4 thanks to an Evgeni Malkin PP goal. Toews had a hat trick, with each goal coming on the power play. You may remember the collection of red Blackhawks helmets that came raining down on the ice. (Twice if I remember correctly, since I believe the first goal suspected of being his third was disallowed).

Puck and thread drop at 7:30. Come on by and chat it up.

Nashville Predators pull away in the 3rd, beat Chicago 4-1

Dirk Hoag — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:33:01 -0000

More photos » by Charles Cherney - AP

11 days ago: Nashville Predators' Jordin Tootoo, center, celebrates after he scores the Predators' third goal late in the game as the Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 in an NHL hockey game, on Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Cherney)

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Late goals by Jordin Tootoo and Joel Ward sealed the victory tonight for the Nashville Predators as they won in Chicago tonight, 4-1. Dan Ellis made 34 saves for his second strong effort in a row, on a night when 9 different Preds hit the scoresheet.

You can click above for the photo gallery, and after the jump we've got video highlights, the recap, and advanced even-strength statistics...

Early on, it appeared that the Preds would be doing well just to hang around in this game. Jonathan Toews put on a clinic giving the Blackhawks the 1-0 lead, deking through Dan Hamhuis for the score. Hamhuis earned his redemption just minutes later, however, firing a puck that came up the boards past Cristobal Huet to even the game at 1-1 heading into the first intermission. Chicago carried most of the play, however, with a Shots on Goal advantage of 15-6 after the first period.

In the second, the Preds established good pressure early on, despite losing Kevin Klein for a time after he took an awkward tumble into the endboards. As part of several strong shifts by the line of Martin Erat, Marcel Goc and Jordin Tootoo, Toots gathered in a loose puck and fired it towards the front of the net, where it deflected off Erat's skate for the goal (which stood after a brief video review). The Blackhawks poured it on from there, constantly backing the Nashville defense in and getting several good chances which Dan Ellis turned aside.

In the third, that momentum was still largely in Chicago's favor as the Preds kept backing in and defending the core of their zone, trying to keep the Blackhawks to the outside. Ellis made several excellent stops while not allowing any rebound opportunities, something he's been prone to in the past.

On a rare rush the other way in the final minutes, Tootoo scored just his second goal of the season, blasting a shot by Huet, who looked shaky when the Preds did get their chances. Preds fans didn't even have much time to breathe a sigh of relief, however, as Joel Ward banged home a pass from David Legwand just 35 seconds later to push the lead to 4-1, and a surprising runaway victory for Nashville.

Team discipline once again played a critical role; despite playing a division rival and having to deal with speedy, skilled players buzzing around the offensive zone, the Predators only had to kill off one penalty all night, which they did successfully.

Hamhuis, Erat and Tootoo all ended the night with a goal and an assist each, with six other players nabbing a point including Cal O'Reilly getting his first assist of the season on the Hamhuis goal.

Looking at the even-strength stats, it's no surprise to see lots of negative numbers; Chicago is an excellent skating team that tips the shot totals heavily in their favor on a consistent basis (tonight the shots were 35-23 for the Hawks). What jumps out to me is the performance of that Tootoo-Goc-Erat line, which clearly had a great night.

Even Strength		Individual Totals					Team Totals While Player Is On Ice
Player	Pos	EV TOI	Shots	Shts Blkd	Missed Shts	Blocks	SOG For	SOG Ag	SOG +/-	Tot SF	Tot SA	Corsi
Jason Arnott	C	14:52	2	0	0	0	5	8	-3	9	14	-5
Steve Sullivan	L	14:22	0	0	0	0	4	8	-4	7	13	-6
J P Dumont	R	13:26	0	0	0	1	1	7	-6	3	12	-9
David Legwand	C	16:21	1	0	0	0	4	11	-7	7	14	-7
Jerred Smithson	R	16:34	1	1	0	0	4	9	-5	7	14	-7
Joel Ward	R	16:40	1	0	1	0	5	10	-5	8	14	-6
Marcel Goc	C	14:11	2	1	0	2	10	8	2	12	15	-3
Martin Erat	R	14:06	1	2	0	0	13	10	3	17	16	1
Jordin Tootoo	R	14:01	4	0	1	0	11	8	3	13	15	-2
Cal O'Reilly	C	8:49	0	0	0	0	2	4	-2	4	7	-3
Patric Hornqvist	R	8:24	2	0	0	0	4	2	2	6	5	1
Ryan Jones	L	7:42	0	0	0	1	2	4	-2	4	7	-3
Shea Weber	D	19:37	0	1	0	2	10	11	-1	14	20	-6
Ryan Suter	D	23:02	2	0	1	1	11	12	-1	15	22	-7
Kevin Klein	D	17:19	0	0	1	2	4	12	-8	9	18	-9
Francis Bouillon	D	18:22	0	1	0	0	1	12	-11	6	18	-12
Dan Hamhuis	D	17:46	1	0	0	1	10	11	-1	12	16	-4
Cody Franson	D	12:26	0	0	1	0	6	6	0	8	8	0

Poll

Who is your Predator of the Game?

Dan Ellis, 34 saves

44 votes

Martin Erat, GWG goal, 1 assist

7 votes

Jordin Tootoo, 1 goal, 1 assist, 5 Shots on Goal

18 votes

69 votes | Poll has closed

Get Rich or Die Tryin' - Toews, Kane, Keith Officially Locked Up Long-Term

McClure — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:47:32 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Phone bill about 2G's flat, no need to worry, my accountant handles that. And my whole crew is loungin', celebratin' everyday, no more public housing.

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After months of speculation, hand-wringing, and gnashing of teeth, Hawks general manager Stan Bowman did what many involved in the NHL thought would be nearly impossible to do - he got his prized talent to extend their contracts, and avoid restricted free-agency.

The numbers that were widely reported were indeed the official ones, and here they are:

Duncan Keith - 13 years, $72 million (Cap hit of $5.53 million)

Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews - 5 Years, $31.5 million a piece (Cap hits of $6.3 million each)

So what does this all mean?

Well, first and foremost on a positive note, the Hawks have wrapped up what they believe to be their core for the next 5 years, that core being Kane, Toews, Hossa, Keith, and Campbell. Not a bad starting 5 skaters by any standards, and every one of them an all star at at least one point in their career, and likely many more to come. Additionally, they've saved themselves the headache of letting other teams potentially offer far more than the Hawks would be capable of in the form of an offer sheet during next June's off-season. While the phalanx of picks the Hawks would receive in return would definitely be an asset (one the Hawks could have traded as soon as they were theirs), it would have stunted the growth of this maturing juggernaut on the ice, and been a big P.R. blow, something the braintrust is far more conscious of these days.

Keith's deal is far and away the most palatable cap hit of the three, and provided he stays healthy, we are all now likely watching the last man to ever wear #2 in the Indian Head. Given his size and the speed at which he plays the game, he could wear down toward the end of that deal, something that's not out of the question after what was shown during last year's post season run. But overall, this is a fine deal. The only major problem with this deal is that much like Toews and Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook have become inextricably linked with one another, and their play feeds from that, and Seabrook is due for a new deal at the end of next year. While it's different skill sets, it's a reasonable argument that Brent Seabrook is just as valuable to this team as Keith, and should be paid accordingly.

Kane and Toews are a far more curious case. Their identical deals appear to be far less than the hometown discount many thought they'd give, and they also did not receive the "Blackhawk For Life" deal that had been hypothesized. Not only that, but the two of them will be completely unrestricted in their primes, at 26 and 27 respectively, and their salaries are likely to skyrocket even from their current lofty amounts.

From a wider perspective, these deals show that a) Stan Bowman believes his Cup window with this core is 5 more seasons, and b) Bowman is betting the house on his drafting ability. As mentioned above, when Kane and Toews are due, they will likely have a lot deeper resumes than they do currently, and will be expected to be paid as such, with potentially even harder cap hits. And it's possible that at that point that one of the golden children does decide to take his services elsewhere.

To the second point, with all of these big-hit contracts now on the books for quite a while, that means Bowman and the Hawks will have to divest themselves of some of the mid-range contracts currently on the ledger, and get younger and CHEAPER. We've all discussed the candidates to be sent packing for the sake of cap relief, and fuck knows those are our favorite discussions to have in the comments, but realistically, it stands to reason that not much will happen until the conclusion of this season. But, for those interested, keep an eye on the farm and in junior (which the Fifth Feather does a great job of doing for you- read them), as they will be replacing a couple of the Men of Four Feathers you are currently watching- particularly with now-a-priority Niklas Hjalmarsson and Andrew Ladd also restricted this summer. If you're not paying attention to the numbers that Kyle Beach and Shawn Lalonde are putting up right now, you'd be well served to- because Stan Bowman and his crew are.

While we were a little shocked at how high the numbers were at the SCH offices, particularly in comparison to some other names and their respective salaries elsewhere in the league, rest assured that we're thrilled to finally see the Hawks reward and retain such valuable assets and excellent hockey players. And now that this is finally done, it'll be nice to focus on the on-ice product, one that we're all seeing has the potential to produce something very special this spring and into the summer.

Thursday links: Staying up late to watch hockey edition

averagejoe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:00:24 -0000

Late-night West Coast games are the worst. I remember being a kid and only being able to watch the first period and being forced to go to bed without knowing who won. Glad I'm all grown up and can stay up past 10 p.m.

Blues news

Blues vs. Sharks tonight. Never forget 2000. [CBS Sports]
The Blues are helping out with Big Brothers Big Sisters program. [Blues]
Alex Pietrangelo is a victim of his youth. [Belleville News-Democrat]
The Blues power play coaching duties are being passed around to everyone on staff. Why not have Al MacInnins offer a few tips? [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Keith Tkachuk explains a comment he made about the Blues effort against Columbus. Is this the leader I've heard so much about? [STLtoday.com]
Alex Pietrangelo will be playing for Team Canada in the World Juniors. [NHL]
Four others will join Pietrangelo at the World Juniors. [Blues]

Hockey news

Big night in the NHL on Thursday. [Yahoo! Sports]
Your results from last night. [Yahoo! Sports]
From Gallagher: A documentary on the 1960 U.S. Olympic hockey team — it looks pretty bad ass. [Forgotten Miracle]
Several NHL teams celebrated Movember. Zach Bogosian looks awesome. [Puck Daddy]
The Canadiens have traded Kyle Chipchura (who?) to the Ducks for a fourth-round draft pick. [ESPN]
The Rangers claimed Erik Christensen off of waivers and placed Steve Valiquette on waivers. [ESPN]
How cool is Tomas Vokoun? He's not mad at all with Keith Ballard and joking about his injury. [TSN]
The Blackhawks are expected to announce the signings of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith soon. Didn't this happen already? [ESPN]
Jonas Gustavsson is out of Montreal, will see a cardiac specialist in Toronto. Not good times for Leafs fans. [TSN]
Alexander Ovechkin says he won't change his style — in fact, he's going to play harder. [TSN]

Other links

Christmas Vacation is a holiday classic. Here's why. [I-Mockery.com]
Restaurants shouldn't skimp on hiring copy editors. [Bad Menu]
Ever wanted a branding iron? Have $38.00? Now you can turn your lighter into a 5-character branding iron. [Shapeways]

Video

From Cozmcphsish comes a video that made me laugh way, way too hard.

Risky Business Fail

Game night tonight. Come back for the Game Day Thread.

gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

Hawks 3, Blow-Jays 3 (Hawks win staring contest after 11 arduous rounds)

McClure — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:45:18 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

Was it ever in doubt?

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I apologize for not getting this up sooner, but I was out enjoying myself before, during, and after the game last night because a very prolonged period of unpleasantness finally came to a close at work.

Last night's game was a little bit more wide-open than we've come to expect out of Columbus, which one would think would play into the Hawks' favor. And for the most part it did (from my perspective), with the Hawks dictating the play, despite being severely outshot in the first period. The first period also contained a slick shorthanded goal from VERSTEEG!, who performed the same toe drag move twice and managed to fake out three Blue Jackets, including goaltender Steve Mason.

Columbus took the lead on two unanswered goals in the second, neither of which was as pretty as VERSTEEG!'s, but they certainly got the job done. The second goal is one Cristobal Huet would undoubtedly like to have back, as a weak shot from a fading-away Sammy Pahlsson eluded him. Patrick Sharp would even the score on the man advantage, however, off of a feed so sweet from Patrick Kane that he actually had time to flub the pass, shank the shot, and still bury it.

I didn't get back to my seat in time to see Kris Russel's goal, so if you need a description of it, I'm sure you can find it elsewhere on the intertubes. However, the power play once again equalized things about four minutes later when Jonathan Toews redirected a Duncan Keith shot from the point. There were never any real threats going either way for the remainder of the game, both in regulation and OT.

Once again, the Hawks found themselves involved in a marathon shootout, mostly due to their own ineptitude. With Coach Q electing to defend first, Huet rose to each challenge, giving the Hawks a chance to end the spank-fest with the puck on their stick. However, the Hawks, for all the skill they possess, look like a dachshund dry-humping a throw pillow in the shootout. Only Marian Hossa dented the twine before Brent Seabrook, who is starting to have a knack for OT theatrics, mercifully ended things with a backhand that got past Mason.

Observations

I like beer

Player of the Game

While he did let in a softie against Pahlsson, stopping 10 of 11 in the shootout is quite fucking impressive.

Game 27 Preview: Jackets head to the Windy City to face the Hawks

Mike MacLean — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:03:19 -0000

by Jay LaPrete - AP

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After snapping a five game losing streak, the Jackets are in Chicago to take on the 'Hawks. On paper, this doesn't look good for the Jackets. It's the second game of a back-to-back, Rusty is out of the lineup with a groin tear (Mathieu Roy will play tonight, he's up from Syracuse on emergency recall), and tonight is the home debut of Hossa.

That said, the boys should still have some momentum from last night. It was a gutsy performance, and maybe the victory against the Blues was the tonic needed to get the Jackets back on track. Chicago is a great team from top to bottom. Their one question mark heading into the season-goaltending-seems to no longer be an issue with the strong play of Huet.

In my opinion, and likely many other share this opinion, the Hawks have the best defense in the NHL. It will be tough to score tonight, but the Jackets do have the weapons needed. Umby is playing his best hockey of the season, and Brass is looking better and better each game. If Voracek can build off of the strong game he had last night, look for that line to produce tonight. That would allow Nash and Juice to do their thing offensively-Huselius has been putting up serious points lately as well.

This is an imprtant game for the checking unit. I haven't seen much from Chimmer all season, and he needs to bring a physical element tonight. Mike Blunden hits everything that moves, and he'll need to continue doing that tonight against the 'Hawks potent forwards. Sammy was a Blackhawk for a brief period last season, and I look for him to have a strong game matching up against either Toews or Versteeg.

Fearless Prediction: Goal from a CBJ defenseman.

Game Time: 8:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Second City Hockey

Game Page: Blue Jackets vs Blackhawks Coverage

TSN Preview: Blue Jackets vs Blackhawks Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

The Blue Jackets snapped a five-game losing streak last night with a 5-2 win over the Blues. It should be a loud crowd tonight in United Center. The Blackhawks are back off a six-game trip, Marian Hossa makes his Chicago debut and coach Joel Quenneville goes for his 500th victory.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
R.J. Umberger	Derick Brassard	Jakub Voracek
Jason Chimera	Samuel Pahlsson	Michael Blunden
Raffi Torres	Derek MacKenzie	Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin	Anton Stralman
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Mathieu Roy

Steve Mason

Mathieu Garon

EXTRA: Alexandre Picard

INJURED: Fredrik Modin, Andrew Murray, Derek Dorsett, Rostislav Klesla, Marc Methot

Chicago Blackhawks

Patrik Sharp	Jonathan Toews	Marian Hossa
Dustin Byfuglien	Kris Versteeg	Patrick Kane
Andrew Ladd	John Madden	Troy Brouwer
Ben Eager	Colin Fraser	Tomas Kopecky

Duncan Keith	Brent Seabrook
Brian Campbell	Cam Barker
Niklas Hjalmarsson	Brent Sopel

Cristobal Huet

Antti Niemi

Chicago Blackhawks 2010 Olympic Preview

Matthew Dirt — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:00:13 -0000

by Jeff McIntosh - AP

I don't think it's possible to take a picture of Toews on the ice without some stupid look on his face

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We've covered the Olympics on here a few times before and it's safe to say we're all a little concerned about them. All of the SBN Hockey blogs have once again teamed up though to give everyone a good glimpse at who on the teams they cover could be heading to Vancouver for two weeks in February to play for their countries. Please check out the other sites info on this page - it's a good read

We here are SCH are already pretty late with this preview so here we go..

Pack Your Bags

Patrick Kane (USA) - Kaner is an absolute no-brainer to play for the Americans. Kane is just one of the many young stars like Phil Kessel, Bobby Ryan, T.J. Oshie, Erik Johnson and maybe even James van Riemsdyk that could be leading the Men's team back to glory (or at least relevancy). As we've seen throughout this season, few players in the NHL (and therefore the world) can match Kane's vision and IQ out on the ice. It'll be an uphill battle for the USA team to get to any medal rounds but it's players like Kane that will give them a chance.

Marian Hossa (Slovakia) - According to NHL.com - there are only 12 skaters in the NHL from Slovakia that have played this year so my knowledge of who is going to be on this team is pretty damn limited. Regardless, from what we've seen in just 2 games, Hossa would be a lock to make any team in the country so Slovakia is sure to love having him.

Tomas Kopecky (Slovakia) - As I said above, there are very few players from Slovakia who have made it to the NHL - so somebody like Kopecky is pretty much a lock. While he wouldn't make other power house teams, or most teams really, he's a pretty good lock for the Slovak team.. so good for him.

Nearly A Lock

Jonathan Toews (Canada) - I debated putting Toews in the "pack your bag" category but since he's not a 100% sure thing, I thought he should go here. There's very little doubt that Toews will make the team, especially given Yzerman's fondness for Captain Marvel. The fact that Toews might not crack Canada's top 4 centers tells you how deep their team is going to be. With Toews' injury earlier in the year and not exactly lighting the world on fire so far, his stock may have dipped slightly but there's still very little chance we don't see Toews on the team.

Duncan Keith (Canada) - Keith is almost certain to join the team in Vancouver as well - we know that Keith is one of the best defenseman in the league and I'm sure Yzerman does too. Keith is 4th overall in points for d-man and 3rd overall if you take out the Czech Tomas Kaberle.. Keith logs big minutes against tough competition in all situations. It'd be surprising to see him miss the games.

Work To Do

Dustin Byfuglien (USA) - Buff rode an outstanding end of the regular season and even more impressive playoffs to get himself an invitation to the Men's Olympic Hockey Camp this summer. However it was pretty clear to anyone who went there that Buff was at least a step behind every other player in that camp. Brian Burke has an unexplained soft spot for tough guys who can't do much else (read: The current Maple Leafs) - so there's an outside shot that Buff makes the Men's squad. If he had played with the same intensity we saw late last year I think he'd be much closer to making the team but instead we've seen him revert to the player who takes games off at a time, only to have a shift or two of interest. Probably won't be enough for him to make the team but weirder things have happened before..

Brent Seabrook (Canada) - I don't know if Biscuit actually has much "work" to do but he's a dark horse at this point to make the squad. If he could be assured to play with Keith I think they'd obviously be a force during the games. It's not a stretch to say those two are at least in the top 5 of defensive pairs in the league and having a pairing with that level of familiarity could give the Canadian squad a major leg up over players that rarely ever get to play with their teammates for any extended periods of time. I'd think it'd be foolish not to take him but I'm biased...

Patrick Sharp (Canada) - Sharp got off to a red-hot start this year - 9 points in his first 6 games. He's settled down a lot though with only 12 points in the games since that start. Canada's absolutely loaded with snipers that are better than Shooter. He'd pretty much be a lock to make the US squad but the Canadian squad might just be a bridge too far.

Niklas Hjalmarsson (Sweden) - I don't really know much about Olympic hockey squads - I enjoy watching it when it happens but don't follow the build up too far beforehand. So I don't know what Hammer's shots are but in my slight research on the issue, I've only seen Hammer's name thrown out there on message boards so I'm thinking he doesn't have the greatest shot to make the team for Sweden. The Swedes won the gold last year so their team is going to be tough to crack but we've seen how Nintendo has upped his game from the start of last year, especially in the playoffs. If he can play there I don't see a reason why he wouldn't be a great addition to the Swedish team.