Canucks & Beyond

Entries with the tag: chicago+blackhawks

Why Chicago Will Win Game 3, And Other Nonsense

by Alanah McGinley on 05/05/09 at 12:02 PM ET
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Reasons Chicago Will Win

Dustin Byfuglien is an incredibly useful s.o.b.
The Blackhawks never heard of Roberto Luongo. Or if they have, they recently decided he has no particular mojo they need to be concerned with. (Luongo Schmongo. Someone just get out there and smash the guy with the stupid helmet.)
Playing in their home town, the ‘Hawks are undefeated this playoffs. Further, their crowd is likely to be intimidating and loud.
The Blackhawks know how to respond to adversity (games 1-2), but Vancouver has no idea. The Canucks were given a ‘free pass’ to get this far. They can’t handle the competition.
Canucks have lost important defense - like Sami Salo. Plus, no one else seems to be playing much defense, either.
Canucks have no answer to the breakout stretch pass.

etc etc.

Sounds depressing when summarized like that. But a quick check of the Canucks crystal ball provides an alternate way of looking at things…

Filed in: playoff hockey, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: chicago+blackhawks, playoffs, vancouver+canucks,

Nothing About This Will Be Easy

by Alanah McGinley on 04/30/09 at 02:07 PM ET
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I was accused many times of being a “cocky” Canucks fan on Tuesday, for my whimsical breakdown of the Canucks/Hawks series. And I was a bit cocky… but that was before game day. Once that arrogance was drained from my system, I was able to revert back to my natural state of existence: a terrorized, vodka-infused, historically downtrodden, glass-half-empty, Vancouver Canucks fan.

The Chicago Blackhawks, unlike the St. Louis Blues, scare the sweet bejeezus out of me.

Filed in: vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: chicago+blackhawks, vancouver+canucks,

Why Chicago is the Best Opponent

by Alanah McGinley on 04/28/09 at 04:23 PM ET
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I’ll admit to being one of those misguided sad sacks who had dreams of reliving all the bright moments of 1994 in this 2009 playoffs. In my fantasies, the Vancouver Canucks would leave a trail of road kill in their wake, littered most brightly with Calgary Flames sweaters and tragically-suicidal oil country executives. But alas, Chicago has taken care of that fun stuff already, and with San Jose’s (fully expected, planned and scheduled) implosion, we now move on to bigger and better things: the ruination of the Chicago Blackhawks.

However, after pondering this state of affairs for a bit, I’ve decided I’m pleased with this new direction. For one thing, 1994 obviously lacked a fully happy ending, so perhaps it’s time to let that sleeping dog die. And for another, there are many points of optimism in this new direction—in both the fallout of the first round and in the upcoming series against Chicago’s team of grade schoolers—which I’ve listed below. Trivial and petty things really, but this is playoff hockey… complex and rational commentary is overrated.

Here are some of the positive outcomes of round #1, and Vancouver’s future assault in round #2, that come to mind:

Filed in: obnoxious hockey blogging, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: chicago+blackhawks, stanley+cup+playoffs, vancouver+canucks,

Sweet Home, Chicago

by Alanah McGinley on 04/11/08 at 07:14 PM ET
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I realize plenty has been said this season about the resurgence of the team (and the brand name) that is the Chicago Blackhawks, but I really can’t get enough of it. Not that I have any personal allegiance to that club, but who hasn’t sympathy for the trials and tribulations of those fans?

It’s a great story for the NHL in general, but most particularly for those faithful Chicago fans whose patience has been severely tested over so many years; their original six franchise mired in the backwards-thinking policies and business practices of an old guard that couldn’t grasp the relevance of how modern sports marketing had evolved beyond the 1960s.

Filed in: | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: bill+wirtz, chicago+blackhawks, rocky+wirtz,

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

by Alanah McGinley on 01/04/08 at 03:27 AM ET
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I found the video below via the Deuce of Davenport:

Some people were born to be comedians, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman James Wisniewski is not one of them. He shows his lighter side in this mini-movie entitled “Don’t Quit Your Day Job” where he plays the role of the caretaker of a hotel.

Deuce goes on to describe what you’re about to see as essentially a cinematic “train wreck” and really, he’s not far wrong.

But full points to Wisniewski for the effort—it’s not his fault that this train kinda crashes:

Filed in: dumb stuff, nhl general | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: chicago+blackhawks, James+Wisniewski,

Hockey Soup

by Alanah McGinley on 11/15/07 at 02:20 PM ET
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Without any common theme, some random odds & ends stories and related NHL commentary from this past week.

First, about the head injuries:

Filed in: nhl general | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: boston+bruins, chicago+blackhawks, eric+lindros, jiri+tlusty, toronto+maple+leafs,

NHL Team Owners We Love to Hate

by Alanah McGinley on 09/24/07 at 02:52 PM ET
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Last week I pointed out Players We Love to Hate from Jonah Keri at ESPN. This week it’s time for the team owners to hit the hot seat.

And the first NHL team on the list—and in the blackened hearts of Chicago fans everywhere, no doubt—is Bill Wirtz:

5. Bill Wirtz, Chicago Blackhawks: Estimated to be worth nearly $4 billion, “Dollar Bill” is the embodiment of the greedy, frugal owner who refuses to invest in his franchise and instead watches it fall into ruin. His refusal to pay Bobby Hull and Jeremy Roenick led to both players leaving Chicago. He’s also presided over the departures of Chris Chelios, Dominik Hasek, Phil Esposito, the Sears Tower, Wrigley Field and Lake Michigan. As a final slap in the face, Wirtz has blacked out Blackhawks home games for years.

You can check out the rest of Keri’s story for some other dark choices, as well. (Specifically, numbers 11, 13, 16, 17 and 31.)

Filed in: business of hockey, nhl general | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: chicago+blackhawks,