Hawks totally healthy for first time
For the first time all season the Blackhawks will be completely healthy Wednesday night when they take on the Kings at the United Center.
Adam Burish returns after missing the first 65 games following knee surgery while Brent Sopel (lower body) plays for the first time in four games.
While coach Joel Quenneville wouldn’t say for sure who was out of the lineup other than Colin Fraser, it was Tomas Kopecky and Jordan Hendry staying on the ice with Fraser following the morning skate for extra work.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can play in a lot of situations, moving up or moving down, however you want to handicap the line combinations,” Quenneville said. “We have 14 guys (at forward) and every one of them deserves to be playing.”
Quenneville hinted he would keep the line of John Madden, Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd intact after their strong showing on Sunday against Detroit.
That leaves a possible fourth line of Burish at center between Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager.
“We got a lot of candidates that can play there,” Quenneville said. “That line of Johnny Madden, Versteeg and Ladd had a good game last game and was very effective in a lot of ways.”
Last night. My first since the since the desert dogs game in Feb. Had to go see my boy Burish come back. It is simply amazing that a man has complete reconstructive knee surgery and is back on the ice in 5 months. Nothing short of amazing.
Then, within 30 ticks, he has an assist and has a go with Clune! Sharpy mattered, and the Swedish Hjammer was a defensive machine last night. I have no voice at work....the girls in the cubicles next to me have been giggling all day if I have to answer a call.
Most importantly of all! Niemi looked FANTASTIC last night. This my friends is a good sign. I hope he fights hard against Philly Saturday afternoon.
Ohh and 2nd period woes continue, but at least damage was minimized!
Niemi was covering the post, and it went farside. Also that Brown shook off his defender was a bad sign.
Seriously looks like a 220lb cat. There was a save he made last night where from a crouch he jumped up and snagged a puck from an LA slap shot. It wouldn't have actually been on net, (Definitely was up above the crossbar) but damn the boy has hops. I am stoked the way he played last night, seriously, if he has a good afternoon against Philly and Washington this weekend then Q needs to name him the starter for the rest of the rollercoaster ride.
He's super athletic, but he was flopping around like a fish, on his butt the whole night against L.A., and he gives up a lot of rebounds.
I think he should be the guy, too. But they need to coach him up.
By no means did I say he's a stud goaltender. I just like him in the net better than Huet at this time whereas he gives us a better chance to win every night. His rebounds are a problem, but it helps if you're a big athletic goalie to take care of those second chances. I thought he played pretty solid that night while I was there.
Made some very good saves even when LA had traffic in front of him.
I did announce Pat Sharp #1 Star but they said they were going interview Adam Burish &
but then they switched to Sharpie-- As far as pronounciation of names-- The NHL guide is
Not the Bible- Players have a tendency to change & even interpertation by team pr-guys.
I pride myself in trying to get the names right- but thru my "brief" PA career - I prefer to
get the Hawk names & announce Hawk wins!
I grew up with Harvey Wittenberg. His voice is golden and I wish he was still the full time PA announcer. Hearing his announcements of the Blackhawks goals last night brought back memories from the Chicago Stadium during my childhood. Glad to hear he will be back at the mic come Sunday morning when the Capitals come in. As for Gene Honda.....he is brutal. Why does he feel he needs to repeat himself everytime he makes his "One minute to play in the period." announcement. Everything he does sounds like a commercial whereas Harvey comes across as a real fan and you can hear the emotion in his voice! If the Hawks were smart, they'd bring back Harvey full time (if he would want to) and say "See ya" to Gene! We've brought back Pat Foley....now it's Harvey's time!
Yeah, I know, he went over to the dark side with that team no one talks about any more but he was to the national anthem what Kate Smith was to God Bless America. There is no substitute.
I still get chills down my spine when I think of being at the Stadium for the All Star Game at the onset of the 1st Gulf War. A perfect storm of civic pride, patriotism and the greatest fans in the game doing it up for a North American audience (take that Canada!).
Couldn't agree more. He is legendary.
Wayne is better than Jim, but how can you not like how Jim C. extends that hand out when singing and is definitely into it. That's pretty cool. That said though, Wayne does a fantastic anthem as well as O Canada.
Love his exuberance and effort, but what's with the "flair" he's wearing on his lapels? I haven't seen it on camera long enough to see what they are. Anybody know? Armed forces?
Looked like some unit badges and a medal(!)
Whatever he's wearing, it would be nice to have a feature on it. Especially if it has ties to something special either to him or someone else he's honoring.
No argurement from me. It would be great to bring him back occassionally, but I must admit, I do enjoy Jim's renditon of the National Anthem....as well as Oh Canada.
Based on the fan reaction....I'd love to see a heritage night for Harvey!
As a side note, has anyone noticed how the UC doesn't seem as loud as it was last year? Is this because of the complacency of we the fans waiting for the playoffs? Or as the arguemnent I've made is this due to the Cubdification of the UC? It's now the place to be seen...much like Wrigley. Maybe I'm just plain crazy, but I hope the intensity of the crowd will find it's way back to make it a true "Madhouse on Madison". We need to be the 6th man (or 7th if you include the goalie) once the postseason begins!
And for heaven's sake people....wait for the damn whistle before leaving your seat! enjoy the game...the food and bathrooms will be there after the whistle blows....I promise!
Does the big red sign on the balcony facade reading 'Madhouse on Madison' strike you as a little wrong?
It seems very forced. It seems very disingenuous. Very fake.
I suspect this is the genius of McDoYa who is trying to tell out of town TV viewers what the Chicago fans are all about. A sign cannot even begin to do that.
Besides, I don't ever recall Hawk fans using that term in conversation. They usually refer to it as The Stadium, The old Chicago Stadium, The Barn, etc.. Madhouse on Madison? It doesn't seem to have much traction.
I wanna say that term for the Stadium was coined during the Bulls incredible Cinderella run to the playoffs in the late 70's? House was packed every game, and what a loud raucous crowd.
It still sucks.
I have been a fan since I saw my 1st game when I was 10- Stanley Cup playoffs against Montreal with Billy Reay playing with The Rocket-- My mother was born in Russia but came here when she was 2 ( no help in pronunciations)-- I will be filling in again Sunday against Wash & OVECHKIN?- also the
last 3 home games when Gene is tied up..Hope you all catch my weekly history notes on the Blackhawk web pages-- But As Always -- GO Hawks!
It's an honor having you here. I go back to 69-70 and the epic battles against the Bruins at the Old barn. Will never forget your voice.
Seriously, to me, he's as much Hawk Royalty as any of the other legends! Oh, to go back in time for one more game at the Stadium with Harvey on the mic and some of the greats pushing the puck around the non-NHL regulation ice with Tony O in net... I guess that's what heaven will be if there is one!
Let's not forget the other great voice of that era, the late Lloyd Petit.
"Jerry Korab with a right! A right! Another right!"
I can remember it like yesterday.
Great memories, indeed! I can recall as a tot listening to the broadcasts up in my bedroom and playing out the action with a rolled up sock for a puck. A sheet hanging from the doorway served as a makeshift net. By the time I was ten I had a wicked wrist shot!
I was going to school in Kansas City from the 71-72 season to the 74-75 one. Used to be able to tune in the Hawk radio broadcasts of the weather wasn't too bad.
A little sound of home coming out of thin air.
since the Hawks missed the playoffs the half dozen years before and probably after.
And Al Rollins led this also ran hawk team to 27 wins and their making the playoffs.... the next season he was named the hart trophy winner for most valuable player to his team in 1953-54 .
Well you got me there, Harvey.
I was fortunate enough to see the Rocket but he after the achille's tendon tear he the Rocket I saw afterward was not the same player.
Enjoyed many special nights listening to you call goals for the Hawks over the years. Every game I come to this year and you are on the PA brings back that same feeling from the Stadium. Every stadium shold have their own PA guy. If you go to Cell and Gene makes the calls there so I don't want him doing the same thing at the UC.
Glad you're going to be back again this season! As for Sunday, how about "O-va-chenk-in"? That has a nice ring to it.........
Thanks to you Harvey for all your years of service!
You can pronounce the visitor's name any way you like. In fact, this site can be tapped for suitable replacement names that can be used any time. I'm sure these posters will have plenty of suggestions for our most hated rivals. PG-13 rated of course.
Great to hear Harvey doing the PA work last night. It seemed like old times at the Stadium.
by one of Lincoln Parks finest.
I told you once at a govenatorial fund raiser, i would "quit going" when you quit going, and and the stars aligned for both of us with retirement, except I don't get to come back as you do.
I got your back, Harvey!
Brief, eh?
It still thrilled me last night the minute I heard your voice.
I am pleased everytime I hear 'ya.
I guess we are firm in our love for team and that includes you, as the first time I heard the new kid on the mike, I was angered and saddened, but don't want any Xm radio talking head talking stuff about "my" announcer. (I do that!)
Hey, and i seid i wasn't sure!
Great that you are here!
Brief, I AM gonna use that. My brief time as a hawk fan.
(No man love comments fellas, please!)
I love, love, love, love, love, Harvey!! How's that for man love? It's like I'm ten again listening to him on the mic and there's not too many things in the world that can make me feel ten again... One of the greatest things about one of the greatest venues in sports (the Chicago Stadium) was Harvey's pipes and I hope to be able to continue to hear him at the UC for as long as he cares to continue to thrill us, even if on a temporary basis... The Sox guy is a true professional and has pipes of his own, but nobody does it with the flare Harvey brought to the game... Something about the understated excitement in his delivery that just always did it for me as a Hawk fan. Blackhawk GOAL...!! I absolutely love the guy!
are sometimes just what a player "says' his name has been (mis) pronounced his entire life.
Like Buff, and there are actually two visiting town announcers that call kris VERRRRR STIG the same way I have heard him pronounce it.
The one I still scratch my balding head about is Tomas CO-PECK-EEE.
The "pets sky" like gretsky isn't there, but maybe in Slovakia it is in there?
The older guys, from Damen and Superior that I started out my hawk game attending with, called the Big M Frank MA-HAL-AH-VICH, so I tend to make my own way of saying the name, and you gotta figure out what I am saying. Of Course I don't get paid for correctness.
I know I pronnounce my last name incorrectly for 40 some years until my daughter found and corrected me until I sometimes say it the proper ethic way.
joketime(and Weezard is not much different from Wizard!)
I also don't understand regarding Kopecky... Where does the S sound come from?
where is the sound.
I think I would pronounce my name C PECK EE, not the way they say it with the ski in it.
I got your back... Just don't announce a penalty on me for being the third man in! Like I said, I LOVE the guy! If I had my wishes you'd do 41 plus the playoffs!! Long live Harvey!
Over a mouth ago, on some show on the Satelette Radio they were playing, over and over the butchering of various (I believe) Edmonton players (Russians I believe) names by Harvey Wiitenberg, who gets brought back out of retirement to co-announce, maybe on Heritage nights.
I quickly dashed off an email to the show, expalining that harvey was only an honorary returee, and that they might have been correct in their assessment that "each announcer only has to look in the NHL guide before the game for proper pronunciation, etc, rip, rip rip, but he was there for the past, and maybe get a little pass on the names becasue he was there for us to enjoy hearing his nostalgic voice agin, and not the regular as they implied.
Well, maybe Harvey needs to be a little more careful. Last night I "thought" I heard him announce Patrick Sharp the number one star, but then say the post game live on-ice interviewwas with Patrick Kane.
Not a bigee, and I want to hear Harvey occasionally, but he has to be mindful that he can now talk slower and more carefully!
Right and wrong... He said the interview would be Burish who played his first game when in fact it was Sharp who was the #1 star.
I chuckle to myself when I hear Harvey murder a name but I love the guy as it's like going back in time listening to him announce... Blackhawk GOAL... His 25th of the SEASON, scored by #18, DENIS SAVARD, assisted by #28, STEVE LARMER, and #20 AL SECORD, AT 15:15... Goal by Savard, assisted by Larmer and Secord at 15:15!
Moving Buff off the Madden line makes sense. He is effective in some ways but I think he hurts your line because he is a bad puck mover. His passing is 4th line quality which is why he always has so few assists. Its hard to keep the play alive when your passes are bad. I think he was the problem with that line.
Hope he fits in well on the 4th line. This may be where he belongs.
There's some truth to your observation, Martin7. But in the playoffs expect line/player juggling. Recall Sharp played on fourth line vs Vanc. Sharp needs to get his game unwrapped -- the blogs on him are accurate -- what's wrong? Also, certainly the team defense will improve because players have to be accountable in playoffs. Big Buf grin ear to ear about playing hard to a media sort -- twirls his finger in the air -- I'll be there come playoffs. He said that early season to a media person/it was not in print or on air/it was said more or less as a confidentail aside. So yeah, he'll never be exactly what you want. I still stand by my launch him after playoffs. See if you can get something like an exchange of first round picks (inside top ten, top seven ?).
I question if he can ever be an effective top six forward on a consistent basis. He'll get his hits (checks) in most games, but he isn't a force. Maybe he would be a force if someon wants to put him on a "all big line" like Anaheim employs with Perry/Ryan/Getzlaf. i DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE WOULD CARE TO COMMENT ON THIS -- Bufuglien being launched. But I know there are some who probably agree. By the way, one who would likely agree and lives outside Detroit area: what is your prognosis for the development of J Ericsson on Wings defense? Can he be a solid second pair or better (years down the road)?
The big question mark for playoffs are: 1). the performance of the blueline crew (Campbell game-to-game; Seabrook solid again; Keith not taking as many risks; some defensemen take man off puck when able to, not always poke check; 2). Sharp re-appears & Versteeg steps up game -to- game. Bolland hasn't been good enough since his return, but I think he'll be ok; 3). Well would like to see Boyton experiment in playoffs (as a veteran, he could make it work); and 4). Everyone knows we hope our goalies play up to their capability.
Each playoff team has its list like the above. We could EASILY be one and out if too many of these things aforementioned don't work out. Believe it ! Other: So Chelios was recalled. What a joke. Though probably would perform better than Cullimore. He's hanging on and could never make any NHL roster no injuries considered. He's a weak 6th d-man, offering lots of smarts to get by. Maybe won't hurt you too bad except in one -on -one he'll be overmatched by quicker skater.
for a hawk forward that they no longer want that is not a core player.
You would need to give them more ...two or more....
Cup this year with the lousy goaltending situation, he should be given an office on the 5th floor of City Hall on LaSalle, and the Irish dictator can take a walk.
A guy who can accomplish that can certainly manage a well oiled machine, right?
Should be a great game tonight. Also happy that #37 is back in the lineup (my favorite Hawk) because we were missing that gritty element he brings to the table. That's a great line combo for tonight w/Burish, Buff and Ben Eager...should be the most physical 4th line in the league...hopefully with this line setting the tone, we won't have any trouble protecting our stars from the other team's enforcers.
Ooooooh, man-o-man.
Burish, Eager, and Big Buff is a line that could do some damage, boy-o.
No one expects Burish to score 50, and sure he takes a bad penalty every now and again, but he also DRAWS bad penalties and gives the team something--perhaps the only thing--it's missing: a nasty edge.
Great first shift for Burish. Got his fight, which was fine, but more importantly did it with some smarts and didn't put LA on the PP, where they're on a big-time roll.
I haven't seen anyone comment on the Barker/Johnsson deal now that each team has had their new player for a while. Looks to me like both teams should be happy at this point.
Since the trade
Barker played 5 games, scoring 1 powerplay goal, and two assists and has been +4. His icetime is much higher, in the ballpark of 20-21 minutes a game. I guess the clean slate was good for him so far.
Johnsson played 6 games and also scored 1 goal and two assists. He is a +5 and still getting decent minutes.
Time will tell how this plays out in the long run and we'll see how Barker progresses with Minny, but kudos to him on a decent start in a new city.
If we did not have the 7 million dollar man that can't play defence, Barker would still be a Hawk
...and the Havlat signing is looking like a pretty good pick-up for the Wild as well.
Good for Stewy, and good for the Wild.
That team has a great owner and a fun fanbase.
The Wild could be dangerous in a couple years.
And unless something has changed recently, the Wild have sold out every game since the franchise started. Not too shabby. I think they will start to put some better teams on the ice in years to come and we'll see less defensive Minnesota squads in the future.
Time to stop complaining about the goaltending situation. It is what it is, and none of you are going to change it with the constant criticism at this point. Let's hope for the best. This team will ready come playoff time to protect the crease.
Go Hawks.
But asking a Hawk fan to stop complaining about the goaltending is like asking a guy with a concussion to stop whining about his headaches.
But asking a Hawk fan to stop complaining about the goaltending is like asking a guy to stop complaining about the quarterback position on the Chicago Bears.
Just think real hard!