Patrick Kane scored a goal against his hometown Buffalo Sabres tonight as the Blackhawks played the second of their back-to-back games at the United Center, winning a surprisingly tight game against the points-wise worst team in the NHL.
Brandon Pirri made his first appearance for the Hawks this season. The long-time Rockford star was due for a chance and it came tonight. He was on the fourth line with Brandon Bollig and Ben Smith.
Part of the reason for the tight score was because of the work of Ryan Miller, the 2010 Olympic MVP, making 38 saves but his team failed to provide any offense until the third period. The Hawks slipped two past Miller though, the first salvo coming from Winston-Salem, NC product Ben Smith, who deflected a Brent Seabrook shot for his first of the season.
The second goal came from Patrick Kane in the second period on a Power Play goal with an assist from Patrick Sharp (who was playing in his 600th NHL game). Drew Stafford got the Sabres closer, but it wasn't enough and the Hawks held off the Sabres for the rest of the game despite a flurry of shots from the Sabres.
We mentioned Ryan Miller earlier, but we cannot ignore the Hawks netminder Corey Crawford. Crow saved 28 shots,showing he's starting to get comfortable in net again. The Hawks also dominated possession and out-shot the Sabres 20-6 in the first period.
The only reason the game was as close as it was, was because of the stellar play of Ryan Miller. And yet for Ryan Miller, it's becoming obvious he's not fitting in at Buffalo anymore. Their lack off offense is not helping him at all. It's a shame, since he's a former Vezina Trophy winner and as I mentioned earlier, Olympic MVP. There was once a (horrible) rumor that the Hawks might trade Patrick Kane for Miller, but it's looking less likely, especially since the Hawks have every intention of keeping the Buffalo native.
As for the Hawks play, I have few complaints. After the bad two-game losing streak, it's good to see the Hawks starting to really gel and come together as a team. This should have been an easy win, but Buffalo is better than their record really indicates, since they do have an exceptional goalie. I want to see how the Hawks build on this two-game winning streak as they head to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Blackhawks Vs Isles Recap: About Time!
After two bad wins, the Blackhawks welcomed the New York Islanders to the United Center for the first of two games in two days at the UC. On the night the US Soccer team beat Jamaica and clinched first place in the CONCACAF qualifiers, the Blackhawks recovered from their two-game losing streak to beat the Islanders 3-2.
There was a change in the line-up tonight. One-time Hawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was placed in goal, presumably to give Corey Crawford some time to rest. Given how Crawford's had a rough couple of games, I can believe that Crawford appreciated the time off. Quenneville also played with the lines, putting Bryan Bickell on the third line and put Andrew Shaw on the second line. Michal Handzus was also placed on the fourth line at center. Brandon Saad joined Kane and Toews on the first line.
The Blackhawks struck first as rookie Joakim Nordstrom put the Hawks up at 9:32 in the first period. It was the first NHL goal for the Swedish Hawk Mafia's newest member. Then the Captain, Jonathan Toews, put the Hawks up 2-0 a couple minutes later.
But the Islanders took advantage of the Hawks' defensive weakness and scored two unanswered goals near the end of the first period. Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo both scored 2 minutes and 56 seconds apart and Okposo's goal came with 4.8 ticks remaining in the first period.
Thankfully, the Hawks regrouped and prevented any more goals. Khabibulin stopped 17 of 19 shots total in the game. Michal Handzus put the Hawks up for good at 6:45 in the second period. This time, the Hawks killed every penalty that came afterwards after three games of a bad penalty kill.
This was the game I had been waiting for! The Hawks did not panic after giving up those two goals in the first period. But, they need to stop giving up goals in bulk, so there's plenty to work on. As for Khabibulin, he's still the Bulin Wall of old, and tonight was win t'ree t'irdy t'ree for him. I think this win was a small, but important step towards repeating a Cup championship. They felt like they'd been robbed of three points in the last two games, so to get both points was big. They play the Buffalo Sabers tomorrow night at 7:00.
In other updates, the Hawks have recalled Brandon Pirri from Rockford and sent Jimmy Hayes down to Rockford. Pirri should play tomorrow night.
There was a change in the line-up tonight. One-time Hawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin was placed in goal, presumably to give Corey Crawford some time to rest. Given how Crawford's had a rough couple of games, I can believe that Crawford appreciated the time off. Quenneville also played with the lines, putting Bryan Bickell on the third line and put Andrew Shaw on the second line. Michal Handzus was also placed on the fourth line at center. Brandon Saad joined Kane and Toews on the first line.
The Blackhawks struck first as rookie Joakim Nordstrom put the Hawks up at 9:32 in the first period. It was the first NHL goal for the Swedish Hawk Mafia's newest member. Then the Captain, Jonathan Toews, put the Hawks up 2-0 a couple minutes later.
But the Islanders took advantage of the Hawks' defensive weakness and scored two unanswered goals near the end of the first period. Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo both scored 2 minutes and 56 seconds apart and Okposo's goal came with 4.8 ticks remaining in the first period.
Thankfully, the Hawks regrouped and prevented any more goals. Khabibulin stopped 17 of 19 shots total in the game. Michal Handzus put the Hawks up for good at 6:45 in the second period. This time, the Hawks killed every penalty that came afterwards after three games of a bad penalty kill.
This was the game I had been waiting for! The Hawks did not panic after giving up those two goals in the first period. But, they need to stop giving up goals in bulk, so there's plenty to work on. As for Khabibulin, he's still the Bulin Wall of old, and tonight was win t'ree t'irdy t'ree for him. I think this win was a small, but important step towards repeating a Cup championship. They felt like they'd been robbed of three points in the last two games, so to get both points was big. They play the Buffalo Sabers tomorrow night at 7:00.
In other updates, the Hawks have recalled Brandon Pirri from Rockford and sent Jimmy Hayes down to Rockford. Pirri should play tomorrow night.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Bears Recap: NOW We're Talking!
Okay, so after a bad sports weekend and a horrible loss for the Hawks last night, I FINALLY get a good result for my team, and that's... Da Bearsss. The Bears beat the New York Football Giants 27-21 in a fairly well-executed game for a Thursday Night Football national audience. The Giants came into the game with an 0-5 record.
Okay, the defense could have been better, but the offense really stepped up tonight. "Good Jay" was in the building tonight, as he threw for 262 yards, completing a total of 24 out of 36 pass attempts, had a passer rating of 106.5 and connected with Brandon Marshall in the end zone twice. As for the defense, well, it could have been better. Now granted, they were missing Stephen Paea, Henry Melton and Charles Tillman, but SIU grand Brandon Jacobs ran for 106 yards and two TDs.
But, the Bears intercepted a struggling Eli Manning three times, including a Pick-Six by Tim Jennings. So I guess there's a silver lining in that cloud. Jennings' second interception sealed the win with 1:54 left in the game. At one point the Bears were up by 13, but a Brandon Jacobs touchdown cut that lead to 6.
Eli himself threw for 239 yards, completing 14 of 26 passes and a touchdown, as well as those previously-mentioned interceptions. He was intercepted 44 seconds into the game and then on the Giants' second drive, on Jennings' pick-6. Brandon Jacobs then scored on a 4-yard run to tie the game.
But the Bears responded, and Jay and Brandon connected on their first touchdown pass to put them up. But then Rueben Randle caught a 37 yard pass from Eli to tie the game. But the Bears took control, and Cutler and Marshall connected again on a 3-yard pass. Robbie Gould kicked two field goals that in the end, put the game out of reach for the G-Men.
Okay, defense aside (which is admittedly struggling and banged up), this was a good game for the Bears. I always like seeing Good Jay showing up, but I would appreciate it if he consistently showed up. That being said, I thought Cutler did an excellent job after two very bad outings in the previous two weeks. As for Brandon Marshall, those green shoes he wore did the trick. I think he should wear them more often, NFL fines be damned.
It's also pretty surprising these Giants are 0-6. They could have easily won this game, but the Bears definitely took them seriously. It's a step in the right direction for the Bears, and hopefully they'll use the extra three days to figure things out before they take on RGIII and the struggling Washington team.
Okay, the defense could have been better, but the offense really stepped up tonight. "Good Jay" was in the building tonight, as he threw for 262 yards, completing a total of 24 out of 36 pass attempts, had a passer rating of 106.5 and connected with Brandon Marshall in the end zone twice. As for the defense, well, it could have been better. Now granted, they were missing Stephen Paea, Henry Melton and Charles Tillman, but SIU grand Brandon Jacobs ran for 106 yards and two TDs.
But, the Bears intercepted a struggling Eli Manning three times, including a Pick-Six by Tim Jennings. So I guess there's a silver lining in that cloud. Jennings' second interception sealed the win with 1:54 left in the game. At one point the Bears were up by 13, but a Brandon Jacobs touchdown cut that lead to 6.
Eli himself threw for 239 yards, completing 14 of 26 passes and a touchdown, as well as those previously-mentioned interceptions. He was intercepted 44 seconds into the game and then on the Giants' second drive, on Jennings' pick-6. Brandon Jacobs then scored on a 4-yard run to tie the game.
But the Bears responded, and Jay and Brandon connected on their first touchdown pass to put them up. But then Rueben Randle caught a 37 yard pass from Eli to tie the game. But the Bears took control, and Cutler and Marshall connected again on a 3-yard pass. Robbie Gould kicked two field goals that in the end, put the game out of reach for the G-Men.
Okay, defense aside (which is admittedly struggling and banged up), this was a good game for the Bears. I always like seeing Good Jay showing up, but I would appreciate it if he consistently showed up. That being said, I thought Cutler did an excellent job after two very bad outings in the previous two weeks. As for Brandon Marshall, those green shoes he wore did the trick. I think he should wear them more often, NFL fines be damned.
It's also pretty surprising these Giants are 0-6. They could have easily won this game, but the Bears definitely took them seriously. It's a step in the right direction for the Bears, and hopefully they'll use the extra three days to figure things out before they take on RGIII and the struggling Washington team.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Blackhawks vs Blues Recap: Oh, Jeez.
The Hawks had a chance to take control of the new NHL Central Division tonight. Instead, they ended up the victims of St. Louis's biggest sports night of the year, losing 3-2 to the Blues on the night the Cardinals clinched a spot in the NLCS. And while it's still only the third game of an 82-game season, this still should have been better.
First, let's start off with the good parts: The Hawks are very dangerous on the Power Play. Both goals came seconds after the Blues scored, and during the Power Play. Also, Corey Crawford, was exceptional, making 31 saves against the Blues. The game itself was a good back-and-forth battle between two very good teams and involved a lot of physical play.
But sadly, the Hawks gave up 3 goals, the last of which they'll want back.
Make no mistake the Blues came to play tonight. They've had to watch the Hawks while they've won the Cup twice in four years and they were no doubt envious of the Hawks' success. They made damn sure every goal the Hawks scored, they earned it.
The Blues opened the scoring on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal on an odd-man rush that beat Corey Crawford. Patrick Kane answered 77 seconds later on the Power Play, which was a dumb penalty given up by the Blues. Then David Backes deflected a Steven Pierangelo shot, which was answered by Toews about 39 second later.
The third period itself was scoreless until 21 second left. The Hawks were going for the jugular against the Blues and looked as if they were about to put the Blues on the brink before a bad Brent Seabrook hit allowed the Blues to go in transition on a 3-on-1 and race up the ice for the score. The Hawks pulled Crawford to no avail and the Blues took the first meeting between the two teams.
Just like with the Lightning game, I'm beginning to wonder if the Stanley Cup Hangover is affecting these players this year. This team has been picked to repeat as champs, yet they keep letting teams get to them easily. If they can't put away opponents, I have a very bad feeling for the rest of the season. The good thing is, it's only the beginning. The bad part is, I want to see them storm out of the gate. Only time will tell, but they had better get their act together, or it's good-bye Lord Stanley.
First, let's start off with the good parts: The Hawks are very dangerous on the Power Play. Both goals came seconds after the Blues scored, and during the Power Play. Also, Corey Crawford, was exceptional, making 31 saves against the Blues. The game itself was a good back-and-forth battle between two very good teams and involved a lot of physical play.
But sadly, the Hawks gave up 3 goals, the last of which they'll want back.
Make no mistake the Blues came to play tonight. They've had to watch the Hawks while they've won the Cup twice in four years and they were no doubt envious of the Hawks' success. They made damn sure every goal the Hawks scored, they earned it.
The Blues opened the scoring on a Vladimir Tarasenko goal on an odd-man rush that beat Corey Crawford. Patrick Kane answered 77 seconds later on the Power Play, which was a dumb penalty given up by the Blues. Then David Backes deflected a Steven Pierangelo shot, which was answered by Toews about 39 second later.
The third period itself was scoreless until 21 second left. The Hawks were going for the jugular against the Blues and looked as if they were about to put the Blues on the brink before a bad Brent Seabrook hit allowed the Blues to go in transition on a 3-on-1 and race up the ice for the score. The Hawks pulled Crawford to no avail and the Blues took the first meeting between the two teams.
Just like with the Lightning game, I'm beginning to wonder if the Stanley Cup Hangover is affecting these players this year. This team has been picked to repeat as champs, yet they keep letting teams get to them easily. If they can't put away opponents, I have a very bad feeling for the rest of the season. The good thing is, it's only the beginning. The bad part is, I want to see them storm out of the gate. Only time will tell, but they had better get their act together, or it's good-bye Lord Stanley.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Blackhawks vs Blues Preview
NBC has been pushing the Blackhawks-Blues rivalry, although it's not without reason or history. With the Red Wings moving to the Eastern Conference, the Hawks won't have chants of "DEE-TROIT SUCKS!" raining down from the rafters as much and they'll need a new rival. That rival is the St. Louis Blues, which essentially makes this the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry with the colors switched.
The Hawks and Blues were big rivals in the old Norris AKA "Black and Blue" Division in the late '80s and early '90s. Their playoff series were tough, physical and heated, their rivalry culminating in a massive series of brawls on St. Patrick's Day, 1991, an event popularly known as the St Patrick's Day Massacre. Six players on each team, which added up to a total of twelve, were ejected. A video of the incident is available on YouTube.
Of course now, the Hawks-Blues rivalry is starting to heat up and tomorrow, the two teams play in their first game of the year. The Hawks are built on speed, quickness, the Blues on big bodies and bruising hits. It looks to be an old Norris Division match-up transplanted into the modern age.
One member of the Hawks who has an interest in this match-up is Brandon Bollig, a St. Louis native himself. He's said that this is one of the games the Hawks have circled on their calenders, and they should come out swinging against the Blues. They'll need to.
The Blues as a whole have only allowed a total of two goals the entire season. The Hawks will have to get past Jaroslav Halak, who looks to be the Blues' starting goalie on Wednesday. The Blues also added top defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Jordan Leopold, so expect the Blues to be pretty defensive. But they also inked forwards Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy for some offensive firepower.
Experts have been picking the Blues to be a challenge for the Hawks, so don't expect an easy victory. The two teams will be very evenly matched. The new alignment also adds weight to this match-up, as the top 3 teams in each division move onto the playoffs, and there's the possibility the Hawks and Blues will meet in the playoffs. I expect the Hawks to win, but it will not be easy at all. In fact, it should be fun.
The Hawks and Blues were big rivals in the old Norris AKA "Black and Blue" Division in the late '80s and early '90s. Their playoff series were tough, physical and heated, their rivalry culminating in a massive series of brawls on St. Patrick's Day, 1991, an event popularly known as the St Patrick's Day Massacre. Six players on each team, which added up to a total of twelve, were ejected. A video of the incident is available on YouTube.
Of course now, the Hawks-Blues rivalry is starting to heat up and tomorrow, the two teams play in their first game of the year. The Hawks are built on speed, quickness, the Blues on big bodies and bruising hits. It looks to be an old Norris Division match-up transplanted into the modern age.
One member of the Hawks who has an interest in this match-up is Brandon Bollig, a St. Louis native himself. He's said that this is one of the games the Hawks have circled on their calenders, and they should come out swinging against the Blues. They'll need to.
The Blues as a whole have only allowed a total of two goals the entire season. The Hawks will have to get past Jaroslav Halak, who looks to be the Blues' starting goalie on Wednesday. The Blues also added top defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Jordan Leopold, so expect the Blues to be pretty defensive. But they also inked forwards Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy for some offensive firepower.
Experts have been picking the Blues to be a challenge for the Hawks, so don't expect an easy victory. The two teams will be very evenly matched. The new alignment also adds weight to this match-up, as the top 3 teams in each division move onto the playoffs, and there's the possibility the Hawks and Blues will meet in the playoffs. I expect the Hawks to win, but it will not be easy at all. In fact, it should be fun.
Monday, October 7, 2013
What Are Republicans Doing?
First the government shutdown and now this? Boehner's willing to put the debt ceiling on the line just to deal with Obamacare? Oy vey, this is getting crazy. I thought Republicans were crazy two years ago. Now, I'm beginning to wonder of they're down right insane. This is not a game. They're playing with the economic health and vitality of the United States of America here.
Republicans played this game two years ago during the whole debt ceiling debate. They're pretending that defaulting on our loans won't be too bad. Um, didn't they see what happened when Greece went through a similar crisis? I can't believe how crazy they're getting when it comes to our debt.
The Republicans keep on talking aboutr how they want to reduce the deficit and Obama's the worst thing to happen to it. Here's the thing: I KNOW we have a huge deficit, but it's because the last guy caused it!
When George W. Bush came into office, the US had a $280 billion dollar surplus. Eight years of George W. Bush being George W. Bush gave us the deficit we had today. And while Democrats like President Obama did vote against raising the debt ceiling from time to time, they weren't so stupid as to make a big show out of it just because of one law they didn't like. Yes, that's what all this is about, this is about Obamacare! The Republicans don't want to give Obama a legacy, so they're throwing a fit to get rid of it and this tantrum is economically disastrous.
But getting back to the debt ceiling, you know their antics are getting old when the Chamber of Commerce is telling them to knock it off. That's right, the US Chamber of Commerce, the epitome of evil (sorry, humorous hyperbole) told the GOP to knock it off! If you're thinking about the needs of business and the largest business lobbying group tells you to stop, it's probably a good idea.
Honestly, this whole government shutdown thing was doomed to fail for the Republicans. A PPP poll has already shown that voters are thinking about punishing the Republicans for their behavior. But, given that many of these Republicans come from "safe" districts, don't get your hopes up. And if you can, call your congressman and get them to do something about this, because we're playing with the economic health of our country for crying out loud!
Republicans played this game two years ago during the whole debt ceiling debate. They're pretending that defaulting on our loans won't be too bad. Um, didn't they see what happened when Greece went through a similar crisis? I can't believe how crazy they're getting when it comes to our debt.
The Republicans keep on talking aboutr how they want to reduce the deficit and Obama's the worst thing to happen to it. Here's the thing: I KNOW we have a huge deficit, but it's because the last guy caused it!
When George W. Bush came into office, the US had a $280 billion dollar surplus. Eight years of George W. Bush being George W. Bush gave us the deficit we had today. And while Democrats like President Obama did vote against raising the debt ceiling from time to time, they weren't so stupid as to make a big show out of it just because of one law they didn't like. Yes, that's what all this is about, this is about Obamacare! The Republicans don't want to give Obama a legacy, so they're throwing a fit to get rid of it and this tantrum is economically disastrous.
But getting back to the debt ceiling, you know their antics are getting old when the Chamber of Commerce is telling them to knock it off. That's right, the US Chamber of Commerce, the epitome of evil (sorry, humorous hyperbole) told the GOP to knock it off! If you're thinking about the needs of business and the largest business lobbying group tells you to stop, it's probably a good idea.
Honestly, this whole government shutdown thing was doomed to fail for the Republicans. A PPP poll has already shown that voters are thinking about punishing the Republicans for their behavior. But, given that many of these Republicans come from "safe" districts, don't get your hopes up. And if you can, call your congressman and get them to do something about this, because we're playing with the economic health of our country for crying out loud!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Sunday Night Quarterbacking: Are You Serious?
Sigh... this hasn't been a good sports weekend for me. The Hawks somehow lost, Northwestern (I didn't go there, but I happen to like them) couldn't keep up with Ohio State and now this. The Bears turned into turkeys today against the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints showed they're one of the best offensive teams in the NFL today. And the Bears, well, they still need some work done. They suffered from multiple pass protection breakdowns and were flagged for 6 penalties while only accumulating a grand total of 12 minutes of possession time.
The offense wasn't real bad, though. Alshon Jeffery had over 200 yards of receiving, a personal record for him, and Jay Cutler was able to protect the ball a lot better. But the Saints defense and big mistakes by the Bears offense combined with Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's schemes, the Saints stopped most of the Bears' drives. Jimmy Graham had 10 receptions for 135 yards, shredding the Bears offense.
The offense only gained two first downs in their first five series, a product of miscues and the Saints defense. The Saints quickly jumped out to a 13-0 lead, helped in part by the Saints blitz play. It took some time before the Bears could finally get on the board, but they had to play from behind the whole game while the Saints offense get having their way with the defense.
Thankfully, they were able to make the necessary adjustments, but by then it was too late. The mistakes that cost the Bears included a fumble by Matt Forte, three sacks on Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett dropping an easy pass on a 4th down situation with just over two minutes left.
I had hoped the Bears could recover from the beating they took last week against the Lions. In a way they did, but the Saints forced them to make the mistakes I keep talking about. When you only have 12 minutes of possession, there's something wrong. Coach Trestman will have to figure out just what happened and make the necessary adjustments.
He's only got until Thursday when the Bears welcome the New York Giants for a Thursday night game. These mistakes cannot be repeated against the Giants, or else this will be a long season with way too many growing pangs.
The Saints showed they're one of the best offensive teams in the NFL today. And the Bears, well, they still need some work done. They suffered from multiple pass protection breakdowns and were flagged for 6 penalties while only accumulating a grand total of 12 minutes of possession time.
The offense wasn't real bad, though. Alshon Jeffery had over 200 yards of receiving, a personal record for him, and Jay Cutler was able to protect the ball a lot better. But the Saints defense and big mistakes by the Bears offense combined with Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's schemes, the Saints stopped most of the Bears' drives. Jimmy Graham had 10 receptions for 135 yards, shredding the Bears offense.
The offense only gained two first downs in their first five series, a product of miscues and the Saints defense. The Saints quickly jumped out to a 13-0 lead, helped in part by the Saints blitz play. It took some time before the Bears could finally get on the board, but they had to play from behind the whole game while the Saints offense get having their way with the defense.
Thankfully, they were able to make the necessary adjustments, but by then it was too late. The mistakes that cost the Bears included a fumble by Matt Forte, three sacks on Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett dropping an easy pass on a 4th down situation with just over two minutes left.
I had hoped the Bears could recover from the beating they took last week against the Lions. In a way they did, but the Saints forced them to make the mistakes I keep talking about. When you only have 12 minutes of possession, there's something wrong. Coach Trestman will have to figure out just what happened and make the necessary adjustments.
He's only got until Thursday when the Bears welcome the New York Giants for a Thursday night game. These mistakes cannot be repeated against the Giants, or else this will be a long season with way too many growing pangs.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
NHL: Game 2: What Was That?
I'm beginning to wonder if these Hawks really are suffering from Stanley Cup Hangover, or maybe I'm just overreacting. Either way, I am not happy with that third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Or that performance, for that matter. At the same time, you may just have to give the Lightning credit.
The first period between the Hawks and Lightning went completely scoreless, even though the Hawks completely outshot the Bolts 11-0 in that first period. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop kept the Hawks off the score sheet rather well.
But come the second period, the Hawks seemed to find their offense. Patrick Kane jumped on a loose puck about a minute into the period and flipped it into the goal mouth to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. About ten minutes later, the Hawks went on the Power Play for hooking. Nick Leddy tried to get the puck on goal with Bishop out of the net, but Brandon Saad took advantage of the empty net to knock it in from the left side.
But the Tampa Bay defense and Bishop ended up tightening their grip after that. Despite a horrid offensive performance, Tampa Bay were able to stay in the game and eventually, Tampa Bay captain Martin St. Louis beat Corey Crawford with a backhander with 9:52 left in the game on a Power Play... seems to be familiar. Then Teddy Purcell scored almost 2 minutes later to tie the game.
The Hawks could not find a way past Bishop and a late rush on goal turned up empty for the Hawks. They could not break through in overtime and in a horrid show, did not score once on Bishop in the shoot-out. The only goal in that shootout came from a former enemy in Valterri Filppula.
Honestly, I'm not sure what happened here. I understand that in a long season, losses are inevitable. Still, if you're gonna lose, I'd rather it be because the opponent were simply better that night instead of you just being bad. The Hawks gave up both goals on the power play and then failed to score in the shoot-out. Look, I know there will be losses, but come on. I'm holding this team to a fairly high standard and the penalty kill needs to be improved and fast.
Of course, on the other hand, I do have to give credit to Tampa Bay. They have a good defensive team and even though they were 0-1-0 coming into this game, they didn't play like a bad team. I expect them to be contenders in the new Atlantic Division in the NHL.
So tonight it was a combination of bad play by the Hawks and good play by the Lightning. The Hawks will need to fix the penalty kill soon, otherwise defending that Stanley Cup will be hard. The Hawks next game is this coming Wednesday at the St. Louis Blues.
The first period between the Hawks and Lightning went completely scoreless, even though the Hawks completely outshot the Bolts 11-0 in that first period. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop kept the Hawks off the score sheet rather well.
But come the second period, the Hawks seemed to find their offense. Patrick Kane jumped on a loose puck about a minute into the period and flipped it into the goal mouth to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. About ten minutes later, the Hawks went on the Power Play for hooking. Nick Leddy tried to get the puck on goal with Bishop out of the net, but Brandon Saad took advantage of the empty net to knock it in from the left side.
But the Tampa Bay defense and Bishop ended up tightening their grip after that. Despite a horrid offensive performance, Tampa Bay were able to stay in the game and eventually, Tampa Bay captain Martin St. Louis beat Corey Crawford with a backhander with 9:52 left in the game on a Power Play... seems to be familiar. Then Teddy Purcell scored almost 2 minutes later to tie the game.
The Hawks could not find a way past Bishop and a late rush on goal turned up empty for the Hawks. They could not break through in overtime and in a horrid show, did not score once on Bishop in the shoot-out. The only goal in that shootout came from a former enemy in Valterri Filppula.
Honestly, I'm not sure what happened here. I understand that in a long season, losses are inevitable. Still, if you're gonna lose, I'd rather it be because the opponent were simply better that night instead of you just being bad. The Hawks gave up both goals on the power play and then failed to score in the shoot-out. Look, I know there will be losses, but come on. I'm holding this team to a fairly high standard and the penalty kill needs to be improved and fast.
Of course, on the other hand, I do have to give credit to Tampa Bay. They have a good defensive team and even though they were 0-1-0 coming into this game, they didn't play like a bad team. I expect them to be contenders in the new Atlantic Division in the NHL.
So tonight it was a combination of bad play by the Hawks and good play by the Lightning. The Hawks will need to fix the penalty kill soon, otherwise defending that Stanley Cup will be hard. The Hawks next game is this coming Wednesday at the St. Louis Blues.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Native Bechdel Test: Brilliant!
Okay, first off, for those who don't know, the Bechdel Test is a test, thought up by Alison Bechdel in the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. In it, one character comes up with their criteria for watching a movie: 1. It must have two or more female characters, 2. who have at least one conversation, 3. about something other than a man or men. While not the end-all-be-all of strong female character litmus tests, it is a good way of ensuring that your women characters are independent and well-represented.
Now then, on to the focus of this blog post. I was on the website Tumblr recently and I came across this post by a user called wolfpangs, who's come up with that they refer to as the "NDN Bechdel Test". It goes like this: "1. Is there an NDN (Native American) in this work of fiction? 2. Is this set in the 20th or 21st century? 3. Is the NDN character just a regular person livin' life (as opposed to serving the protagonist as a spiritual advisor)?"
I gotta say, I loved it immediately. There could probably be a couple changes (like if there is no Native character), but other than that, I think this might be a great idea to ending common cliches when it comes to depiction of Native Americans.
If you've read my blog you've probably noticed my review of "People of the Longhouse" by the Gear family, where I praise them for their (violently) accurate depiction of Native tribal life. I have also written short stories about the Native character Ritchie Metoxen, whose main focus in life is to be a hockey player.
Now, like the original Bechdel Test, this is likely not the end-all-be-all of depictions of Native Americans. But, it's a great start. If you look at a lot of depictions of Native characters (outside of Native-produced media) they usually fall under the "mystical" Indian or "noble savage". Think Pocahontas.
I hate those depictions.
In their attempts to positively portray Native Americans, writers end up perpetrating another stereotype. If you're going to positively portray a Native character, do like I did and just show them to be a normal, every day average Joe more worried about their grades than whether or not their spirit advisee is succeeding.
So, props to wolfpangs for coming up with this idea. I think more authors and scriptwriters should take this into account when writing Native characters--or any other ethnic character, too! The best way to write any character is just to show them living life as we all do! What's so hard about that?
Now then, on to the focus of this blog post. I was on the website Tumblr recently and I came across this post by a user called wolfpangs, who's come up with that they refer to as the "NDN Bechdel Test". It goes like this: "1. Is there an NDN (Native American) in this work of fiction? 2. Is this set in the 20th or 21st century? 3. Is the NDN character just a regular person livin' life (as opposed to serving the protagonist as a spiritual advisor)?"
I gotta say, I loved it immediately. There could probably be a couple changes (like if there is no Native character), but other than that, I think this might be a great idea to ending common cliches when it comes to depiction of Native Americans.
If you've read my blog you've probably noticed my review of "People of the Longhouse" by the Gear family, where I praise them for their (violently) accurate depiction of Native tribal life. I have also written short stories about the Native character Ritchie Metoxen, whose main focus in life is to be a hockey player.
Now, like the original Bechdel Test, this is likely not the end-all-be-all of depictions of Native Americans. But, it's a great start. If you look at a lot of depictions of Native characters (outside of Native-produced media) they usually fall under the "mystical" Indian or "noble savage". Think Pocahontas.
I hate those depictions.
In their attempts to positively portray Native Americans, writers end up perpetrating another stereotype. If you're going to positively portray a Native character, do like I did and just show them to be a normal, every day average Joe more worried about their grades than whether or not their spirit advisee is succeeding.
So, props to wolfpangs for coming up with this idea. I think more authors and scriptwriters should take this into account when writing Native characters--or any other ethnic character, too! The best way to write any character is just to show them living life as we all do! What's so hard about that?
Thursday, October 3, 2013
NHL Fighting: A Catch-22
On Tuesday, Montreal Canadiens enforcer George Parros got into a fight with Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Colton Orr. An enforcer in hockey is a guy whose job is to get into fights. Well, these two enforcers did, but something happened.
It was basically a fluke accident, which you usually don't see in hockey fights, but is very much a risk. Parros slipped and crashed head-first into the ice. He was carried off the ice with a concussion.
There is a popular saying "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.” Fighting is a major part of the appeal of hockey, aside from its emotional and physical intensity. But Parros's injury is starting to stir debate among fans and journalists about whether fighting has any place in hockey.
There are already a few heavyweights calling for less fighting in the game. Among those is Tampa Bay Lightning GM and former Detroit Red Wings great Steve Yzerman, who told The Dreger Report that players should get a game misconduct penalty for fighting. Also among these voices are Scotty Bowman, who is one of the greatest NHL coaches of all time, Ray Shero of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jim Rutherford of the Carolina Hurricanes. Bowmen tweeted that players should be polled as to what to do about fighting.
Those players polled recently went 98 percent in favor of keeping fighting in the game. Since the players have to approve any bans, it's likely not going to be approved. “It’s part of the game. It always has [been], and I think it always will be,” said Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil.
And of course, there's the fans. While a few fans might not like the idea of fighting being the main draw to hockey, many more casual fans are drawn to the fights and to have fighting banned from the league might push them away.
Basically, the NHL is in a catch-22. They want to ensure the safety of their players, but they know that the players and fans want to keep fighting. Right now, I don't see fighting going anywhere. One thing I know can be done is to manage fighting.
Right now the NHL has already taken steps to manage fighting. They have a new rule that tacks on an extra 2 minutes to the usual five for fighting if a player removes his helmet prior to a fight. A lot of good that did Parros, though it should be noted that from this season on, all rookies entering the league must wear a visor, but anyone who doesn't wish to as allowed to keep going without a visor. Parros was one of those grandfathered players. It's possible a visor could have lessened the impact, but it's rather suspect.
The NCAA already banned fighting. Anyone who gets into a fight is kicked out of the game on the spot. I've watched a couple college hockey games and I must say I rather enjoy it, so perhaps banning fighting wouldn't be the end of the world, but as I mentioned previously, the fans and players won't stand for it.
I personally enjoy fights. But I don't want anyone to get truly, seriously hurt by fighting in hockey. I hope that the NHL and NHLPA can come up with a plan to reduce the risk of fighting in the league or else someone might end up getting in a worse situation than George Parros.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Government Shutdown: Can I Complain?
Trust Congress to screw things up monumentally. Oh, don't worry House Republicans, I'll get to you, but right now, there's enough blame to go around. Actually, you know, what? Forget it, this is all the Republican Party's fault, and for a very good reason. Sure, Senate Democrats should have done a better job negotiating, but when there's only one other option that the Republicans have offered, there's little wonder.
All this is because the Republicans wanted to defund/repeal the Affordable Care Act. They've tried to repeal the act more times than Presidents! And, they couldn't control themselves. Case in point, Republican leadership was reportedly unhappy with Ted Cruz making his nearly day-long publicity stunt about Obamacare.
And speaking of Republican leadership, the Washington Post notes that House Speaker John Boehner isn't even in control of his own caucus (this observation has been made by many an observer, so it's hardly new). Boehner originally wanted to fund the government, but the crazies (Teabaggers) in his caucus made him go along with Ted Cruz's defund Obamacare idea.
Republicans have been complaining about the Government for years ever since Obama took office. They didn't like the idea of a Democrat being in charge, so they started throwing temper tantrums to get what they wanted. It didn't quite work out for much of that period, except when they took control at the state level and well, let's just say the result is pretty hard to decide if it's popular or not.
The last time this happened in 1995, it lasted 28 days. The last government shutdown was because of a budget dispute between Newt Gringrich's Republican party and President Bill Clinton. Given how President Obama is universally hated among anyone right of Neil Peart, I don't feel confident this one is going to end any time soon. Sorry everyone who wanted to visit Yosemite (and bad timing, Google!)!
If you want someone to blame, blame House Republicans. Their stubbornness was too much and they should have just agreed to a simple budget compromise to keep the government running. But NNNNNOOOOOOOOO! They had to be the ones who refused to compromise! Yeah, great work, dummies. We'll see you next November.
All this is because the Republicans wanted to defund/repeal the Affordable Care Act. They've tried to repeal the act more times than Presidents! And, they couldn't control themselves. Case in point, Republican leadership was reportedly unhappy with Ted Cruz making his nearly day-long publicity stunt about Obamacare.
And speaking of Republican leadership, the Washington Post notes that House Speaker John Boehner isn't even in control of his own caucus (this observation has been made by many an observer, so it's hardly new). Boehner originally wanted to fund the government, but the crazies (Teabaggers) in his caucus made him go along with Ted Cruz's defund Obamacare idea.
Republicans have been complaining about the Government for years ever since Obama took office. They didn't like the idea of a Democrat being in charge, so they started throwing temper tantrums to get what they wanted. It didn't quite work out for much of that period, except when they took control at the state level and well, let's just say the result is pretty hard to decide if it's popular or not.
The last time this happened in 1995, it lasted 28 days. The last government shutdown was because of a budget dispute between Newt Gringrich's Republican party and President Bill Clinton. Given how President Obama is universally hated among anyone right of Neil Peart, I don't feel confident this one is going to end any time soon. Sorry everyone who wanted to visit Yosemite (and bad timing, Google!)!
If you want someone to blame, blame House Republicans. Their stubbornness was too much and they should have just agreed to a simple budget compromise to keep the government running. But NNNNNOOOOOOOOO! They had to be the ones who refused to compromise! Yeah, great work, dummies. We'll see you next November.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
NHL Game 1: Hawks Win!
It seems like just yesterday that the Hawks stunned the crowd in Boston to win the Stanley Cup. My, how time flies when you're waiting for hockey to come back. The Hawks opened their season against an always-stacked Washington Capitals club looking to continue the streak of Stanley Cup champions who lose on the day of their banner-raising. The result was a heck of a game.
While the ceremony itself was beautiful, the game itself was pretty intense. It was a tight, back-and forth game for much of the game. In the end, the score read 6-4, but that was a very indicative scoreline. At one point, the Caps lead 4-3 over the Hawks before three third-period goals saved the team.
Brandon Bollig opened the scoring for the game, season and his career in the first period, before Alexander Ovechkin evened the score showing just how good he is. But Patrick Kane scored an equally-impressive goal that put the Hawks up 2-1 just 24 seconds later. Michael Grabovski took advantage of an out-of-place Duncan Keith to pull the Caps even, but Brent Seabrook, who was left all alone, put the Blackhawks back ahead.
The Caps tied the game again on the PP (seems to be a pattern) but Brandon Saad scored on the Power Play to keep the Hawks in the lead. The Caps eventually took a 4-3 lead, but the Hawks came back and won. Johnny Oduya scored what would be the winning goal on his 32nd birthday!
As for the Hawks play, I thought it was impressive considering how emotionally jacked up they must have been. Considering how the NHL is trying to increase scoring, I thought they responded well each time the Caps scored. Heck, they had a comeback, for cryin' out loud!
The Power Play seems to have improved. Saad's PP goal came on fantastic pass from Marian Hossa. Heck, their Penalty Kill was pretty impressive, aside from the PP goals the Caps (who are the best PP team in the league) scored. The Hawks managed to kill a 5-on-3 Penalty late in the third period and Corey Crawford stood on his head to stop the Caps.
The offense of course, was phenomenal. Brandon Bollig is not known for scoring, but the St. Louis native scored his first NHL goal in a most-fitting way. Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Brent Seabrook and everyone who scored did their part.
It's only the first game, but I like what I saw. This is still very much the team that won the Stanley Cup in June and they're looking for a chance to repeat. Whether or not they will is in question, but judging from what I saw tonight, they'll be pretty good this year.
While the ceremony itself was beautiful, the game itself was pretty intense. It was a tight, back-and forth game for much of the game. In the end, the score read 6-4, but that was a very indicative scoreline. At one point, the Caps lead 4-3 over the Hawks before three third-period goals saved the team.
Brandon Bollig opened the scoring for the game, season and his career in the first period, before Alexander Ovechkin evened the score showing just how good he is. But Patrick Kane scored an equally-impressive goal that put the Hawks up 2-1 just 24 seconds later. Michael Grabovski took advantage of an out-of-place Duncan Keith to pull the Caps even, but Brent Seabrook, who was left all alone, put the Blackhawks back ahead.
The Caps tied the game again on the PP (seems to be a pattern) but Brandon Saad scored on the Power Play to keep the Hawks in the lead. The Caps eventually took a 4-3 lead, but the Hawks came back and won. Johnny Oduya scored what would be the winning goal on his 32nd birthday!
As for the Hawks play, I thought it was impressive considering how emotionally jacked up they must have been. Considering how the NHL is trying to increase scoring, I thought they responded well each time the Caps scored. Heck, they had a comeback, for cryin' out loud!
The Power Play seems to have improved. Saad's PP goal came on fantastic pass from Marian Hossa. Heck, their Penalty Kill was pretty impressive, aside from the PP goals the Caps (who are the best PP team in the league) scored. The Hawks managed to kill a 5-on-3 Penalty late in the third period and Corey Crawford stood on his head to stop the Caps.
The offense of course, was phenomenal. Brandon Bollig is not known for scoring, but the St. Louis native scored his first NHL goal in a most-fitting way. Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Brent Seabrook and everyone who scored did their part.
It's only the first game, but I like what I saw. This is still very much the team that won the Stanley Cup in June and they're looking for a chance to repeat. Whether or not they will is in question, but judging from what I saw tonight, they'll be pretty good this year.
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