Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup!
Finally last night the Chicago Blackhawks broke their dry spell of 49 years by winning the Stanley Cup in Philadelphia. They took the series 4-2 by beating the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime 4-3. The final goal was scored by Patrick Kane. What a great night for the Blackhawks who had gone the longest time without winning the Stanley Cup. That record now goes to the Toronto Maple Leafs who haven’t won the Cup since 1967.
The Conn Smythe Trophy went to 22 year old team captain Jonathan Toews.
Of the entire Blackhawks team only three players have had the pleasure of winning the Stanley Cup in the past. John Madden has won two with the New Jersey Devils, Andrew Ladd won one with the Carolina Hurricanes and Tomas Kopecky won one with the Detroit Red Wings.
After arriving back in Chicago for an early morning breakfast, the team headed to the parade route to be met by thousands of appreciative fans.
Well done Blackhawks!!
Blackhawks’ Got Their Grove Back!
What a game! Chicago Blackhawks beat the Philadelphia Flyers last night 7-4 to take back the series lead. The Chicago Blackhawks now lead the series 3-2 and are only 1 game away from winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961. Chicago has not been successful in winning a game in Philadelphia but hope to change that with a win in game 6 on Wednesday night to take the Stanley Cup.
It seems as though the Blackhawks change up of lines have had great results with a 3-0 lead in the first period. Sometimes a shake up of the good old things can work wonders. After a terrible first period for the Flyers, coach Peter Laviolette pulled goalie Michael Leighton and replaced him with Brian Boucher.
With just over 2 minutes left in regulation time, Philadelphia pull their goalie for an extra man advantage. This, unfortunately, gave the Blackhawks an extra chance for another goal. With an empty net, Dustin Byfuglien, scored the Blackhawks 7th goal at 17:55.
With game 6 coming this Wednesday in Philadelphia the Blackhawks will have to go some to pull themselves together knowing their record of losses in Philadelphia. However, the pressure will also be on for the Flyers knowing that only one more loss for them will be the end of their hopes for the prestegious Stanley Cup.
Stanley Cup Finals Tied Up!
Chicago Blackhawks have lost their 2 game lead and are now back to square one. The Blackhawks have now lost 10 consecutive games in Philadelphia, however, they return home to the windy city tonight for game 5.
Chicago cut a three-goal deficit to 4-3 in the third period, but Jeff Carter scored an empty-net goal at 19:35. “We wanted to win at least one on the road,” Toews said. ”We had a lot of success before coming in here. It’s frustrating when you’re that close, but tonight was kind of like Wednesday night where it was too little, too late.”
Besides the fact that the Blackhawks spent too much time in the penalty box, their top three scorers continued to struggle. Maybe they will have to switch their lines around to create more scoring opportunities. Patrick Kane was minus 4 for the night. Jonathan Toews and Dustin Byfuglien had three shots on goal each and failed to score.
“It wasn’t good enough,” said Chicago captain Jonathan Toews. ”I don’t know if it was their crowd that gets them going, but we’ve got to find a way in this building. We need to click better from the start when we come back for Game 6. We’ll be ready for that when we do. We’ll put this one behind us and get excited that we’re playing at home again.”
The Chicago Blackhawks remain confident even after their 2 losses away from home. With the backing of a crowd in excess of 22,000 screaming fans, Chicago should be able to pull off a win tonight in game 5.
What is Philography?
Many people collect autographs to commemorate their favorite celebrities, political figures and sports stars. Few people, though, are aware that there is actually a technical term for this pastime: philography. Of course, whether you opt for a John Hancock from your favorite Supreme Court Justice or some autographed NHL memorabilia is up to you; however, there are some common criteria for gauging the value of all autographed products.
Obviously, one of the paramount concerns is who actually signed the item and how well its authenticity can be verified. The object that has signed also has a drastic impact on the price; a signed piece of legislation or a baseball used in the World Series will predictably be worth more than a signature scribbled on the back of a cocktail napkin. The condition of the autograph and whether it was written in pen or pencil also are considered when determining the value.
NHL Playoffs in Full Swing
With a grueling regular season and an equally arduous postseason, many believe that the Stanley Cup is the most difficult championship trophy to hoist. Over half of all NHL teams make the playoffs, and the team that eventually is crowned champion will have to survive four best-of-seven series. Many players grow beards during the playoffs as a display of camaraderie and symbol of the brutish nature that many believe it takes to excel.
The NHL playoffs have been underway for over a week now and, somewhat surprisingly, there won’t be any sweeps in the first round. The Canadians and the Penguins, the two squads that met in last years finals, both have a secure 3-1 advantage over their opponents in the first round. While the NHL may not get the same media attention as the other professional sports leagues, there is certainly no shortage of diehard fans sporting NHL merchandise this time of year.
The Real Mighty Ducks
Like many kids from of my generation, I was first introduced to hockey via the movie ‘The Mighty Ducks.’ While it is by no means a cinematic masterpiece, for a young kid, being on Gordon Bombay’s peewee hockey team is a fantasy. Looking back on the film, it is hard to comprehend the impact that it has had on the landscape of hockey.
Sure, the movie spawned a legion of young hockey fans, but it left its mark indelibly by spurring the creation of the Anaheim Ducks hockey team. The Disney Corporation used the series of films at a catalyst for introducing and marketing their Anaheim Ducks hockey team, driving sales of Ducks hockey jerseys and other memorabilia.
Team Traditions
In the world of professional sports, it seems like some organizations alter their logo or color scheme on an annual basis. Whether this is to redefine their image or simply to force people to purchase new merchandise (probably the latter), it is difficult to keep up with this every changing landscape. However, there are some teams so rooted in tradition that to change their logo would be heresy.
The NHL is rife with these organizations that represent the foundation of the game. Teams like the Bruins, Canadians, Maple Leafs, etc. have hardly—if ever—altered their original NHL team logos. Call me old-fashioned, but I admire the tradition and historic appeal of these classic teams.
Home Team Spirit
Living in San Jose, the sporting scene is severely limited. Being from Texas, I grew up a diehard football fan, and while the Raiders and the 49ers are close by, it is difficult for me to consider them hometown teams. In an effort to satiate my local sports appetite, I began following the San Jose Sharks on a regular basis a few years ago.
At first, I didn’t even understand the game, but now hockey has grown into my favorite sport. It has all of the hitting and physicality that I love about football, except there are far fewer stoppages during game play. I have even dedicated my TV room to the hometown Sharks and equipped it with NHL lamps, posters and other memorabilia
Two For Two! Canada’s Mens and Womens Hockey Teams Take Gold!
She shoots she scores! He shoots he scores! With the wrap up of Olympic hockey Canada has swept the podium! The womens’ hockey team took their gold medal first followed by the mens’ team today.
Watching these games was a fantastic experience for many Canadians. The 2-0 win for the Canadian Women’s team over the United States on Thursday made it 3 Gold Medals in a row for the Canadians. Marie-Philip Poulin scored both goals and Shannon Szabados made 28 saves. After burying their goalie, the Canadian women’s team received their gold medals.
It was a huge disappointment for the United States as they took the silver medal. One would think that they would have been happy to receive a silver medal, but for these women it looked like they were in last place. As they were presented with their silver medals quite a few of them had tears in their eyes. It wasn’t until the end of the line when the medals were presented to two goalies when true Olympic spirit showed through. What wonderful smiles and excitement from those two women.
What an exciting game for the men’s team today. The Canadians had a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals scored by Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry. The United States got on the board with a goal from Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler in the second period. The United States pulled their goalie with 1:30 left on the clock. It looked as though it was all over for the United States until Zach Parise scored with 24.4 seconds left in the game forcing a 20-minute overtime period.
This game was definitely an “edge of your seat” type of game. With the Olympic Gold Medal up for grabs by either of these teams it was anyone’s game. But with a flick of a stick Sidney Crosby fired the puck into the American’s net. And the crowd went wild! Canada Hockey Place was full of red Canadian Olympic Team Jerseys that looked like a huge red sea. And the crowds continue to go wild all over Canada! What a great performance!
NHL Breaks for Olympics
The last few weeks, hockey fans from around the globe have shifted their attention from the NHL season to Olympic competition. Unlike baseball (where professional players don’t compete in the Olympics) and basketball (which doesn’t interrupt the NBA season), the NHL goes on hiatus for the Winter Games. This makes Olympic hockey one of the most competitive—and entertaining—winter sports to watch.
The NHL is one of the most diverse professional sports organizations, with many of the top players coming from outside of the United States. This breadth of talent means that many countries have legitimate hopes of reaching the medal podium. So until the Olympics are over, trade in your NHL gear for some hockey merchandise from your native land.