Huet leads Blackhawks to 2-0 win

gosh darn too bad that Brouwer didn't have an assist. If he did it would have been the Gordie Howe hat trick as Eager had Sunday.

Huet. Lookin Good. Better and better with each start after Khabby went down. Yeah, maybe we've got too much dough (something like 29% of salary cap) committed to goalies, but goaltending is what wins, no?

And enough about we need to free up cap space to get this and that. We got all we need: tons of talent. Let these kids gain experience, grow as players and continue to bond as a team -- like Brouwer jumpin in after they run at Kaner. You gotta love it.

Let's Go Hawks!

Khabby getting hurt may have been that proverbial blessing in disguise, since I think it jolted Huet into coming out of his big-contract-funk.

I thought Sopel looked very good on the PK in the first period.......timely shot blocks. He's a better D-man that what he's shown so far this year.

BTW, when is Wiz scheduled back? I thought it was early Dec.

They need a couple of heavyweights. Other teams are starting to take runs at the skill guys, it started last year in the playoff run. that would complete them. "Team toughness" means they're not tough enough.

Huet made some key saves and finally looked like the goalie that is worth 5.25...It was a solid defensive effort....

With the score 1-0 through most of the game kept the excitement level high!! Killing off the 5 on 3 Sens PP was hugh.This game was a complete team effort, blocking shots finishing checks, jumping in when a star player is roughed up, going toe to toe with the Sens tough guy. Seabrook and Keith did a great job against the Sens #1 line. Havlat and the entire third line played a good Defencive game and were a threat to score. What can be said about Toews!! This kid really rocks!! Huet made at least 3 fantastic side to side saves in the first period to keep us in the game. He is starting to look like the guy we thought we were getting when we signed his last summer!!
A team effort everyone contributing and no passengers on this train. The 21,000 plus, another sell out, really boosts the team. Believe me when the guys skate out to a full house giving a standing O is really boosts the adrenaline.Avalanche next. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!

Awesome win. Being a goalie, I love to see the goose egg up on the board, great job Huet. He made about 6 or 7 saves that absolutely kept us in the game and set the pace for a strong defensive effort.

Avalanche next!!! WIIIIZZZZ IS BACK!!!!

The defense was stellar throughout. Even Sopel and Walker looked competent. Buff is getting his mojo working better with every game.
The star of the game, short of Huet, should have been Duncan Keith. He's the real deal and maybe we have a Bobby Orr on our hands. OK, he isn't offensive minded as much as he's the anchor, both ways, when he's on the ice. He must have screwed up at sometime this season and I'm so awed that I missed it, but he seems to have an answer to anything that may start going awry.

Something that seems to be building, too, is the fans getting louder in the appreciation of great penalty kills. They TV cameras, too, are being directed to the right players being given the appreciation. In the past, only the top five players were on camera whenever an event took place. The pregame Sharp interview was another gem.

Manlove for the kids. Another fun Wednesday night for an old Blackhawks fan!

"They're OUR kids, Damnit!"

Wiz is coming back on Friday. The UC was rocking last night. I, like the people I sit by were really confused by that 2nd penality to make it a 5 on 3. The puck was cleared all the way down the ice and it was stuck in between the glass and the netting. That shouldn't have been a penality at least what we all thought. Great to see them kill that penality and the place went nuts.

Huet getting a shutout is huge, he is starting to earn the respect that he needs to get. Kudos to him, great game last night. He made some huge saves. The defense played awesome, and Toews. That guy is wonderful, he strips the puck away from guys and makes it look easy. Buff did the same and was physical. I loved to see how aggressive they were playing.

And like RamRod said Keith played huge again. I am also impressed with Campbell getting more physical. He is having a effect on the team when they have the PP. You can see them skate up the ice with confidence. Keep it rolling.

Also I have gotten this link and story from several other Hawks fans that I talk with. I would love to see a Chicago Paper see if the story is true and if it is print it. Maybe Blogo needs to call the tribune and threaten them to print the story or the editor will be fired?? Well here is the link, enjoy.

http://deadspin.com/5106937/chicago-blackhawk...

Most goalies do not like a backup role and are usually not at their best until they play regularly. There have been exceptions historically around the league, but it certainly appears that Huet is not one of them. He is simply playing much better because he IS playing! He is, in my opinion, beginning to show some of his skills. He was cutting the angles much better, playing the puck with more confidence and most importantly, controlling the rebounds. He was simply smoother in all aspects. He was really practicing the "L" Theory" that Steve McKitchen, former goalie coach of the Leafs espouses which is puck possesion, corners with elevation and keep it in front. He was ranked 13th in the depth chart last year by Goalies World magazine and had a 32-14-6 record with a .920 save percentage with a GAA of 2.32 with the Habs last season and we all know what the did with the Caps in the playoffs. I am going to stick my neck out and say he will fine if he continues to play. If he goes back to the bench, who knows? My grade: a definate A. GO HAWKS!!

Nice win, Huet looked great. It seems he is really starting to settle in. Only complaint is that Kaner has to learn how to stop high sticking. Other then that great game. Nice to see Brouwer with a goal even if it is an empty net it all looks the same on the stat sheet lol.

Yea talking about backup goalies. Take a look at Craig Anderson a local boy who went to Stevenson I think and played with us for a year or 2. He is playing great hockey and was a backup.

I love the pairing of Walker and Sopel, Walker looked great. Question for ya guys though now with Wiz back and his salary who gets sent down? I mean I wouldn't want to break up Walker and Sopel since they seem to have some chemestriy. Any thoughts?

Evan: Anderson is from Park Ridge and is getting his chance with the Panthers. He is playing outstanding. A great success story of a journyman who earned a starting role and making the most of it. He is only 27 and looks to have a chance of a great future in the league!

Thanks, Tim, for that link. Another reason to love these guys. Someone mentioned that story to me at a Thanksgiving gathering but I never saw a story on it.

The penalty to Keith was interesting, but by definition, a correct call.

The rule says that if you are in your own end and shoot the puck out of play, without a deflection from another player or the glass, it is a penalty. It just happened to be that he sent the puck out of play by shooting it the entire 200 feet....haha.

Thanks Chico, I knew he was from the area (I know it says Springfield, but I'm here for grad school lol) He is looking amazing for Florida. Do we the Panthers this year? I forgot.

Tim - Hockey Rules wrote:

Also I have gotten this link and story from several other Hawks fans that I talk with. I would love to see a Chicago Paper see if the story is true and if it is print it. Maybe Blogo needs to call the tribune and threaten them to print the story or the editor will be fired?? Well here is the link, enjoy.
http://deadspin.com/5106937/chicago-blackhawk...

Wow, this story actually brought tears to my eyes. I am proud to be a fan of this franchise. Leadership stories like this are what our kids are supposed to read about in the papers about the professional athletes that they admire. Unfortunately, the stories that we often constantly do see in the media are about incorrigable behavior by temperamental prima donas who never do win the brass ring because of their own faults.

Bryan I was looking up that rule and when they made it I seriously doubt that they ever thougt that would happen. We were dumbfounded when they called it. By the way in the 2nd period did you guys see when the sens player fell to the ice and was laying on the ice motioning to the ref trying to get a penality called and the ref blew him off by shaking his head no.

I am glad to see that the refs were not biting on the "diving" that the sen players were doing. I just wish that it would have backfired on them and had the diving penality called.

I heard from the ticket people at the game last night that Wiz was to be back on Friday night. But in the Daily Herald it says that he will play on Sunday night. So I really don't know when Wiz is coming back, but it will be soon.

Thanks for the link, Tim. You knew I would have to comment on it, didn't you?

I wouldn't give them saint-hood, but, try to imagine this kind of team in the NFL or NBA or even MLB!

I loved the one comment: "Sadly, the ghost of Bill Wirtz demanded that this story be blacked out in Chicago." More likely is that Blago is a fan of all Chicago sports teams, except the Hawks, and demanded the blackout to avoid the negative comparisons.

"TOK, D!"