Blackhawks Banter 1-10

BLACKHAWKS BANTER 9 Over the summer previous general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, Stan Bowman made an easy trade.  This involved sending Mikael Hakkarienen to Vegas, and receiving Vezina winning goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.  Hakkareinen saw no time in the national league, and only appeared in several games for affiliate team in Rockford. On the other hand, Fleury is nearing the end of his hall of fame career and has many accolades tied to his name including three Stanley cups.  Among his new teammates in Chicago, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews also share the the title of three time Stanley cup champs.  Coming off of a win in Long Island on Sunday evening, Fleury is now on the hunt for his 500th career win.  He will get the start tonight as the Blackhawks take on the New York Rangers for the second time this week.  Kevin Lankinen was in the net on Saturday night in the 2-3 loss, but Head Coach Derek King is hopeful that Fleury can lead his team to bu...

BLACKHAWKS BANTER 8 In a thrilling performance on Sunday night, Chicago’s goaltender Marc Andre Fleury recorded his 499th career win.  Puck dropped at the brand new UBS Arena, as the New York Islander hosted the Chicago Blackhawks in their second meeting of the season.  The first matchup took place in Chicago when the guests took a win in regulation, so it seems New York was being just as polite of a host.  Brandon Hagel put the away team on the board with a power-play goal towards the end of the first period.  The Islanders would return to the ice after the first intermission, and even out the score.  Unable to get ahead in the remainder of the second, the Blackhawks would do so in the third.  Dylan Strome recorded his second goal of the season, and brought the lead back to the visiting team with his unassisted effort.  As the Chicagoans began to celebrate their victory, New York’s Noah Dobson scored his first of the season with just four seconds left...

BLACKHAWKS BANTER 7 Head Coach Derek King took a full squad of skaters on the Blackhawks three game trip, but was probably not expecting all that could’ve happened following Thursday night’s win over the Capitals.  Between Thursday and Saturday, King lost three essential skaters.  Defensemen Connor Murphy was placed in concussion protocol, and his pair partner Jake McCabe had to leave the team for a family matter.  Jujhjair Khaira was also not on the ice due to a non-covid related illness. These absences forced Chicago’s coaching staff to make some adjustments, against a very good New York Rangers team.   Previously scratched, Reese Johnson would see time on ice as he drew in for Khaira on the third line.  With Riley Stillman still recovering from an injury, Ian Mitchell was recalled from the Rockford IceHogs early morning before the game.  Mitchell would be paired with fellow rookie Wyatt Kalynuk, and Seth Jones was skating with his younger brother Caleb f...

BLACKHAWKS BANTER 6 In the midst of a “re-build” season, the Chicago Blackhawks management refused to handle anymore losses.  On Saturday November 6, head coach Jeremy Colliton was relieved of his coaching duties and replaced by interim Derek King.  King spent the last several seasons behind the bench with Chicago’s AHL (American Hockey League) affiliate team in Rockford, IL where he had opportunities to develop players for the main squad.  A day after his “call up” King was thrown into the United Center in front of nearly seventeen thousand fans who were desperate for a win, and a hopeless, unconfident, team that was just barely breathing.  We will never know what happened in the locker room that Sunday afternoon, but it seemed like a switch flipped for the twenty two man roster.  For the first time all season the Blackhawks won a game.  It felt like a miracle to anyone who witnessed it.  Emotions filled the United Center, some laughed, some cried tea...

BLACKHAWKS BANTER 5   Late Monday evening the Blackhawks released a statement regarding a player swap with their AHL affiliate of the Rockford Icehogs. Philipp Kurashev will spend some time in Rockford while Josiah Slavin will likely make his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in their upcoming road trip.  In 19 games this season, Kurashev has five assists but has not been able to find the back of the net so far.  The Switzerland native skated in his first game with Chicago at the beginning of the previous season, making his league debut on January 15, 2021, and scoring his first goal in the following game.  Although Kurashev played a big role within the lineup in his rookie season, the Hawks have gained more experienced forwards including the return of Captain Jonathan Toews, and fellow center-man Kirby Dach. Under former head coach Jeremey Colliton the Swiss-Russian player got a significant amount of playing time at the beginning of the 2021-2022 campaign but was visibl...

BLACKHAWKS BANTER 4 After a Thanksgiving day practice, the Chicago Blackhawks hosted their St. Louis neighbors on Friday afternoon at the United Center.  For the first time all season the Hawks overcame a significant two point deficit to beat their longtime rivals.  Alex DeBrincat scored in overtime from a pass by Patrick Kane to conclude the Black Friday game.  Instead of witnessing the excitement from the comfort of my couch, as I’ve been able to do for the last few games, I was running around the venue at 1901 W. Madison.  Following a successful interview, I was hired to work for the Fan Event Experience team in early November. I plan to pursue a career in the sports business, so I am grateful for any hands on experience I can gain.  Due to an extensive road-trip, Friday happened to be my first day of work.  I don’t think I fully expected being throw into action right away, but I wouldn’t have wanted to start any other away.  Upon arrival, one of my...

BLACKHAWKS BANTER 3 On Friday night the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Arizona Coyotes at home in a game honoring the United States Armed Forces. With Derek King in just his third game behind the bench, the previously winless team was able to pick up their third straight victory.  With the team slowly picking up momentum people are finding reason to return to the United Center, Friday’s meeting attracted 17,828 fans.   In the opening 20 minutes, both teams remained scoreless and couldn’t find the man advantage on power play opportunities.  After coming back from the locker room for period 2, the Chicagoans picked up the pace when Patrick Kane connected with Alex DeBrincat for a goal that would put the Blackhawks at a point lead.  As the United Center exploded in cheers, the frustrated Coyotes requested a challenge.  Following a five minute review of the play, referees confirmed that the”the goal on the ice stands”.  This cost Arizona a player, as they were p...

BLACKHAWKS BANTER 2 As hopeful fans piled into a sold out United Center on Tuesday the night, The Blackhawks welcomed nearly 20,000 people back with a 1-4 loss to the New York Islanders.  The 532 consecutive sellout game was set to begin with a pre-game show at seven, where all players and coaches were introduced.  Fan favorites included the leadership squad; Connor Murphy, Alex DeBrincat, and Patrick Kane.  When number nineteen was introduced, a standing ovation overtook the announcer’s voice, as captain Jonathan Toews took the ice for the first time since March 2020.  Toews took last season off to focus on his health, although he never disclosed what was going on the Blackhawks family stayed hopeful for his return.  As a three time Stanley Cup champion, 19 is a big presence in the center for the Chicago team and was a missing piece in last season’s lineup.  Nicknamed “Captain Serious” Toews is a highly respected player in the league, and has won over the ...

BLACKHAWKS BANTER The Chicago Blackhawks opened their 2021 campaign on Wednesday night against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.  The home team immediately took an advantage, scoring three points within the first ten minutes of the game.  Chicago is adjusting to a new line-up, that features six notable newcomers including; Tyler Johnson, Seth Jones, and Marc-Andre Fleury.  However it seemed that the strong defensive additions didn’t help the team achieve a result, as the pairing of Jones and Calvin De Haan were unable to slow down the Denver offense.  Hope came back to Blackhawks fans when Dominik Kubalik scored the first goal of the season late into the first period, putting the team on the board with 1-3.  The Avalanche quickly responded with their fourth goal of the evening, to keep their three point lead.  The third period brought out more energy from the Chicagoans, and they were visibly more confident.  This helped them keep Denver at four, while...