Chicago Sun-Times

Wild’s defensive style forces freewheeling Blackhawks to muck it up

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:28:39 -0500

Of the myriad things Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane can do on the ice — the spin-o-ramas, the seeing-eye passes, the snapping wristers, the sharp-angle snipes — there’s one simple action that almost makes his skin crawl: dumping the puck in the offensive zone. To Kane, that’s akin to giving up a chance to make something great happen. “Sometimes the best play isn’t really to dump it in and go chase it, go forecheck and hit,” Kane said. “Instead, pull it back and regroup and come back with speed and try to attack that way. Make direct plays. That’s how we …

Blackhawks’ depth played big role in Game 1 victory

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:28:49 -0500

Rotations tend to shrink in the postseason, particularly in the NBA and baseball. But the grind of a Stanley Cup playoff series makes depth invaluable in hockey and the Blackhawks already are showing theirs off. Deep into the first overtime against the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series, the Blackhawks’ third line of Andrew Shaw, Viktor Stalberg and Bryan Bickell and their No. 3 defensive pairing of Johnny Oduya and Michal Roszival applied a master’s stroke to a finger-painting to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 victory and a 1-0 series lead. Shaw’s big hit behind …

Blackhawks have come out hitting in playoffs

Thu, 02 May 2013 02:28:59 -0500

Andrew Shaw’s big hit on Torrey Mitchell that ignited the winning rally in Game 1 of the Blackhawks’ Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Minnesota Wild wasn’t by chance. The Hawks outhit the Wild 40-36 on Tuesday night — an expected uptick from the regular season, and a significant improvement in physical play from last year’s opening-round loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. The Hawks were outhit 247-181 against the Coyotes. They won statistical physical battle only in Game 4 — 41-39 — the game after Raffi Torres knocked Marian Hossa out of the series with a concussion. Shaw led the …

Blackhawks looking to hoist more meaningful trophy

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:45:50 -0500

RICK MORRISSEY: The regular season means a lot when you win the Presidents’ Trophy for racking up the most points in the league. It means that anything less than a Stanley Cup being hoisted will be a disappointment. It means that not making the Stanley Cup Finals will be a colossal failure. Is that unfair?

NHL sets date, time for Blackhawks vs. Penguins at Soldier Field

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:04:00 -0500

The Blackhawks will host the Pittsburgh Penguins in a regular-season outdoor night game at Soldier Field next year. The NHL announced Wednesday the game will be played at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 1. Other outdoor games are expected to be announced soon. The Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field on Jan. 1, 2009 in an afternoon game, as part of the Winter Classic series before 40,818 fans. …

Bryan Bickell’s overtime goal gives Blackhawks 1-0 series lead vs. Wild

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:45:49 -0500

Josh Harding — the goaltender who was an utter disaster in his last start, three long months ago, a last-second fill-in for a suddenly and stunningly injured veteran starter — was brilliant from the outset, aided by teammates fanatically devoted to protecting him. Corey Crawford — the goaltender who was consistently excellent all season, the one clearly determined and seemingly destined to erase the bitter memories of postseasons past, of soft goals and first-round losses — gave up a goal on the first shot he faced all night. A soft one, at that. And that’s how the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs started for the Blackhawks on Tuesday night, with an injury during warmups to veteran Minnesota netminder Niklas Backstrom in warmups, and an early, alarming deficit.

Bryan Bickell scores in overtime to give Hawks Game 1 victory vs. Wild

Wed, 01 May 2013 02:20:56 -0500

Josh Harding — the goalie who was an utter disaster in his last start three long months ago, a last-second fill-in for a suddenly and stunningly injured veteran starter — was brilliant from the outset, aided by teammates fanatically devoted to protecting him. Corey Crawford — the goalie who was consistently excellent all season, the one clearly determined and seemingly destined to erase the bitter memories of postseasons past, of soft goals and first-round losses — gave up a goal on the first shot he faced. A soft one, at that. And that’s how the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs started …

Hawks have huge edge in playoff experience

Wed, 01 May 2013 02:26:50 -0500

Every player in the Blackhawks’ lineup for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals Tuesday had played in a Stanley Cup playoff game before. Nine members of the Minnesota Wild hadn’t. ‘‘It’s probably an emotional level that I’ve never been to in my life before,’’ Wild center Kyle Brodziak said before the game. ‘‘That’s going to be my challenge — being able to put the emotions aside and keep my focus.’’ Even behind the bench, the disparity in experience was jarring. The Hawks’ Joel Quenneville was coaching his 140th playoff game. The Wild’s Mike Yeo was coaching his first (though …

Bickell clutch in playoffs again

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:45:50 -0500

Bryan Bickell was the right player at the right place at the right time. But it’s probably more than just chance that he was the Blackhawks’ hero Tuesdsay night. Bickell took a nice feed from Viktor Stalberg on a sudden two-on-on rush and beat upstart Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding with a nifty forehand-to-backhand move to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 overtime victory and a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference quarterfinal. “Stolly made a great pass over to me. I usually don’t pull those kind of moves, but it worked today,” Bickell said. “I don’t practice that [scoring move] …

Corey Crawford hoping to carry regular-season success into playoffs for Blackhawks

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:58:43 -0500

Somewhere along the line this season, somewhere between training camp and the Jennings Trophy, Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford stopped talking about it. He stopped talking about how the Hawks’ first-round playoff exit last season stung him to his core. He stopped talking about how the memory of those two soft overtime goals by the Phoenix Coyotes’ Mikkel Boedker in Games 3 and 4 drove him in the offseason. He stopped talking about how he wanted to shed his postseason reputation and burnish a new one. Instead, he just let his play do the talking. ‘‘He’s had a great season,’’ winger …

The 3 keys to the Hawks vs. Wild playoff matchup

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:22:01 -0500

MARK LAZERUS: When forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter — two of the top free agents on the market — chose the Minnesota Wild over the Blackhawks (and others) last offseason, it looked as though the Wild was on the verge of becoming a Stanley Cup contender and the Hawks would be stuck in limbo, having done nothing to improve upon two consecutive first-round playoff exits.

Blackhawks don’t want another first-round exit

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:25:28 -0500

First-round losses the past two seasons following the 2010 Stanley Cup championship still haunt — and motivate — the Blackhawks. ‘‘I don’t think anyone was happy with the way things ended last year,’’ said forward Patrick Sharp, referring to a 4-2 series loss to the Phoenix Coyotes in which Marian Hossa was knocked out on a vicious hit by Raffi Torres. ‘‘We’ve waited a long time to get back to this time of the year. We’re excited about it. Can’t wait to get on the ice.’’ ‘‘Even after the Vancouver series two years ago we were frustrated with the way …

‘C’ worthy: Jonathan Toews is playoff leader for Blackhawks

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:25:18 -0500

Jonathan Toews is soft-spoken, with a humble heart and stoic manner. But he still knows he’s Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks’ captain embraces his inherent leadership role, a responsibility built upon a history of coming through when his teammates need him the most. He knows his team is counting on him. ‘‘I always have,’’ Toews said after practice Monday at the United Center. ‘‘That’s what’s exciting about being one of those guys and being a captain. That’s the type of responsibility you want. It’s something you take pride in.’’ Toews has a knack for making a difference. He won the Conn …

Minnesota homecoming king Nick Leddy now looking to make run with Blackhawks

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:18:26 -0500

The media horde bolted through the door to the Blackhawks dressing room toting cameras and microphones, recorders and notebooks, immediately descending on their prey, surrounding him with bright lights and peppering him with familiar questions. About 20 feet away, on the other side of the visitors’ dressing room at Minnesota’s XCel Energy Center earlier this month, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp took off their gear in relative peace and quiet, a stray Chicago-based reporter or two lingering nearby. In Minnesota, Nick Leddy is the Hawks’ biggest star — the hometown boy, the No. 1 draft pick, …

Rookie-laden Hawks tumble in finale; Wild up next in playoffs

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:17:26 -0500

ST. LOUIS — As the clock in St. Louis wound down and the second intermission drew to a close, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville lingered in the dressing room, watching the seconds tick away in Denver instead. The Colorado Avalanche had just pulled their goaltender in a desperate effort to even the score with the Minnesota Wild. The Hawks’ playoff fate hung in the balance. But with about 30 seconds to go in Denver, Quenneville ran out of time and had to head to the bench to coach the third period of the Hawks game against the Blues. It didn’t take …

Fewer practices rationed Hawks’ energy during sprint season

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:11:25 -0500

ST. LOUIS — And on the 99th day, the Blackhawks rested. Well, a lot of them, at least. But while the mass sitting of nearly all the Hawks’ star players on Saturday night was unprecedented, it’s very much in keeping with coach Joel Quenneville’s stated goal — to keep his guys fit and fresh during the compressed season, which featured 48 games in 99 days. That’s why the Hawks held so few practices, saving their energy for game days. And with the playoffs starting Tuesday or Wednesday, Quenneville believes all the days off have paid off. “It’s been good,” Quenne-ville …