Chicago Blackhawks clinch playoff spot

according to TV telecast, they clinched no worse than 6th.

What I really liked about this win was the Hawks took the first chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win. No fooling around or backing in.

And miracle of miracles, the Trib actually put the Hawks on the sports headlines.

Hope Sharp is OK, we will need him for the playoffs, no matter what position the Hawks end up in.

Playoffs --- Woo Hoo! Just need Sharp healthy!

Whose kids are these?

Congrats to the Hawks, its good to have you back in the playoffs!
Now lets just hope that this slump theyve been in ever since the Winter Classic is finally over and theyre ready to make some noise again.

So why are the stupid cubs playing a preseason game "above the fold" on the web for the trib? the hawks are nowhere near the trib's web site today!!! do trib editors read these comments? or if they do, they don't care.

if you look at the nytimes.com site, their version of their first game is minuscule compared w the trib's!! It's their park not ours!

good, tough game and good to see more consistent intensity and checking-

Celebrate !!!! What i find as important as anything about this win, is it was against a team which historically has given the Hawks fits, and is fighting for their playoff lives themselves. The Hawks seem to have calmed down somewhat from their slump they were riding, and actually are playing like a team which feels they belong in the playoffs. I can't express how impressive the last two victories seem to be, when they've beaten two division rivals who both are fighting for playoff berths. Let's not kid ourselves either, as division rivals have been tough on the Hawks this season. So, yes i'm happy for the Hawks first playoff trip in 7 years. Job well done guys; let's keep it going.

Happiness is a warm puppy,a cold Labatts ( if Rammer hasn't bought the entire production for the next month) and the Hawks in the playoffs!!Pahlson has goals in back to back games and is skating like he is healthy. Hope Sharpe is OK for the playoffs.With Khabby playing the way he has been and the guys get on a roll and the hockey gods smile on us and, and, and, who knows what can happen. I just bought a new Buddah to put in my entrance so maybe he is a good luck omen( not really superstitious but ya never know). In any case the real season is ready to start and everone is back in the starting gate sooooooooo lets see what happens GOOOOOOOOO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry for the babbling post but I am keyed for the play offs for the first time in 7 years.

Great! Playoffs! I just hope this team doesn't coast the rest of the way just because they clinched a spot..Fourth seed still needs to be clinched! Congrats!GO HAWKS!

OH MY, What a great game. After Havlat scored the empty netter the place went nuts. We were all standing and cheering, it was great. I get home from the game and waiting for me are my PLAYOFF TICKETS!!!! How sweet it is to have the team we love in the playoffs. Hope that Sharp is ok and will be ready for the playoffs. I still can't believe it, the Hawks are in the playoffs.

Paul - I am going to pick up some Labatts this afternoon. Will be a great day to have a few Labatts in celebration of the Hawks clinching a playoff spot.

The Trib's coverage of the Hawks this season truly shows just how inept and rudderless this sports section is. Why I keep coming back to read glorified AP reports from the United Center, I have no idea. You have access, how about some insight every once in awhile?

And the Tribune needs to do a much better job in promoting the Hawks. come on guys they win the game, are in the playoffs and the story is buried.

And we keep beating the dead horse that is the Tribune....Hey Tim what is/has the coverage been like in the Tribune newspaper?

congrats you Hawks.
A trivia question or maybe not so trivial. Who are the leading scorers while playing at even strength? Havlat-57, Toews-44, Bolland and Ladd tied at 43,Versteeg-35, Keith-32 and way back in 7th place Kane-31 with his +/- of minus 5. Campbell is 9th at 25 and minus 1. Sharp, who missed many games is 8th at 26. Of these top 9 players only Kane and Campbell are negative on +/-. Q, are you paying attention?

The only paper in chicago that covers the Hawks and makes them like a priority is the Daily Herald. The Sun-Times had a 4 week special on Fridays for 4 weeks with a picture of Toews, then Kane, then Campbell, finally Sharp. It was pretty cool, but nothing from the Tribune. BFM and I talked to the rep from the Hawks a few games ago and we talked about the Tribune's coverage. To them it is a mystery cause WGN has the games on radio and TV. So go figure.

As far as the +/- goes I was looking the other day at several teams and they all have players with a minus rating. Look Kane and Campbell are going to have to step it up for the playoffs but Campbell has been playing better lately.

Hawks fans to Dale Tallon, Sign Marty Havlat to a long term deal. What are you waiting on, get it done and stop screwing around. We want Marty to be here for a long time. Have you all seen him, he is checking and crashing into the boards. The perfect beard is a very good player.

Pahlsson has been great as of late. Seems like he is starting to get into game shape. To all the people that were negative about the trade and saying the negative stuff. come on this is what we needed and wanted.

it would be AWESOME if this made the front page of the trib.......but no ones cares :(

Thanks to Dale Tallon and his staff for putting this team together! Great job last night boys!!!

Tribune doesn't make the Hawks the top story because the Hawks don't generate the traffic that the other teams do. They tried in December with the Winter Classic but I'm sure even the Bears were getting more views leading up to Jan 1.

It's frustrating to watch but hockey in Chicago is repairing itself faster than anyone could have imagined. After that, maybe the NHL (Gary Bettman) can repair itself and have games on the TV channel that goes out of its way to cover everything but hockey.