Seabrook's goal in OT beats Devils

good game.. go blackhawks

The continued stalwart play from Niklas Hjalmarson should make Sopel's elbow surgery a much slower heal. Play-off atmosphere will be with us again Sunday night. We have to face another top goalie, but if we play KISS hockey we can overcome his prowess.

Most importantly the Hawks have gotten over their slump it appears, and knocking off a couple of powerhouse teams the last two games shows alot of character even with the games having to go O.T. However, i think i'll feel a bit more confident once i see how the Hawks play against some of their division rivals, which for whatever reason have made life hard this season for the Hawks.

Versteeg! What a sweet move and shot!

Havlat! Wow, he makes things happen every shift. He is clearly one of the best players in the league. What is Tallon waiting for? SIGN HIM NOW!

And Toews! He is a monster. He routinely takes the puck away from opponents. He did it twice in NJ's zone right before -- and leading to -- the winning goal.

Blackhawks are definitely back! 6 points in a row, 8 of last 10 available. And beating SJ and NJ back-to-back has to be great for confidence.

Can't wait til Sunday night!

Let's Go Hawks!

Well said, Section 319! I wasn't able to attend last night's game, but I saw it on TV, and the Versteeg goal was something to see. Great work on that goal!

Its nice to see them get some momentum - they're going to need it down the stretch. Vancouver has a pair of games vs. Colorado on their schedule, as well as a home game against the Kings. The Hawks see Detroit and Nashville TWICE, and they have a trip to Montreal upcoming on Tuesday.

Of course, if the Canucks stay hot, they're likely to pass Calgary for the 3rd seed. If that were to happen, the Hawks would could hold on to the 4th seed with Calgary as the 5th seed instead of Vancouver. The way things stand now, I'd rather see Calgary in the 1st round, but who knows. Momentum can still shift between now and the start of the playoffs.

Another great win!

Glad to see the confidence returning.

Confidence is an underrated characteristic at times.

GO HAWKS!

The Hawk key components are healthy and hitting their stride...Great game lastnight!They could've made things easier on themselves if the PP were better but who's nitpicking? l o l

Outstanding goals by Versteeg and the straw that stirs the drink,Havlat!

I don't care who the Hawks play. I'm just jazzed to have NHL playoff hockey in Chicago after all these years. Go Hawks!

A great win in very tough playoff like game. Strong play from the defensemen last night kept scoring chances for NJ to a minimum. Offensively Versteeg and Havlat seemed to have the puck all night.

Huge game tomorrow.....

Versteeg and Havlat, sweet goals! I just watched the replay of Havlat's goal about 10 times. What a beautiful wrister! Just nasty, perfectly placed through the traffic. Awesome! What a fun game last night.

Glad Seabrook was able to redeem himself after nearly bouncing his head off ice in his own end! Brodeur might want that one back, though I think he was screened by his defensemen.

As far as The Couv overtaking the Flamers, not sure how I feel about it. Kind of agree with Mel, it doesn't really matter (plus, not much that we can do about it anyway!). The Hawks have dominated Calgary this season, but obviously, the postseason is a different story and the Flames look to be a pretty scary opponent in the playoffs.

Looks like Khabby is back on track!

From the Goalie's Crease: Khabby is just now becoming the netminder he was before the injury. I feel very confident in his ability to be a great playoff goalie. He is moving nicely, not exposing the 5 hole and really beginning to control rebounds. The glove is moving quick also. imo he outplayed Brodeur. Oh, hockey gods please keep Khabby healthy!

313: He's starting to come around, isn't he? The Hawks are going to go as far as Khabby carries them. The playoffs belong to the guys in the blue paint! Their value now becomes very apparent.

Rod from Tennessee wrote:

Most importantly the Hawks have gotten over their slump it appears, and knocking off a couple of powerhouse teams the last two games shows alot of character even with the games having to go O.T. However, i think i'll feel a bit more confident once i see how the Hawks play against some of their division rivals, which for whatever reason have made life hard this season for the Hawks.

At this time of year, winning one goal games is a pretty good test of a team. I thought the Hawks were the aggressor most of the night physically. Good to see.

Can't say enough about Hjarmel, Harjmal-- how about Jarmo?--his play.
Blocked shots, good puck movement, good, well-aimed wrist shot from the point that nearly found twine.

Havlat was superb once again.

Kaner made an excellent defensive play last night that was the exact opposite of his play in NJ that led to the Devils first goal then. This time he stayed with the man instead of peeling off. Good job, Patrick.

great game last night, Brodeur won on his special night last week and last night the Hawks got it back. The goal by Versteeg was so sweet, and Havlats goal as well. just to think they almost scored with 2 minutes to go the puck just didnt bounce our way. HUGE game tomorrow evening

Section 317 wrote:

Well said, Section 319! I wasn't able to attend last night's game, but I saw it on TV, and the Versteeg goal was something to see. Great work on that goal!
Its nice to see them get some momentum - they're going to need it down the stretch. Vancouver has a pair of games vs. Colorado on their schedule, as well as a home game against the Kings. The Hawks see Detroit and Nashville TWICE, and they have a trip to Montreal upcoming on Tuesday.
Of course, if the Canucks stay hot, they're likely to pass Calgary for the 3rd seed. If that were to happen, the Hawks would could hold on to the 4th seed with Calgary as the 5th seed instead of Vancouver. The way things stand now, I'd rather see Calgary in the 1st round, but who knows. Momentum can still shift between now and the start of the playoffs.

Kiprosoff has been shelled in his last 3 games and looks to almost burnt out. If the Flames don't get him back on his game they could drop to 6th or 7th.He is a key to their success and has been pulled in his last 3 games.

Paul: The Kipper is apparently losing confidence from what I understand. A veteran can run into these stretches sometimes. I sound like a broken record here, but the length of the run will be put on Khabby's shoulders. We are fortunate he is a Stanley Cup goalie and knows what it takes. My concern is his health. I wouldn't mind seeing him get a bit of relief after 2 more starts. We can bet money Jimmy Waite and Q are having some goalie sessions right about now. Put up or shut up time is coming.

Great win. Looks like they used the losing string to tighten up, re-focus and re-commit themselves. That's what a team of winners does, not tear themselves apart. Kudos to the coaching staff for keeping them moving in the right direction through it all Calgary looks to be falling apart at the seams - Iginla and Camalleri have stopped scoring, and Bertuzzi has been hurt and isn't a real factor. I expect Canucks will overtake Calgary for the 3rd seed.

Chico17 wrote:

Paul: The Kipper is apparently losing confidence from what I understand. A veteran can run into these stretches sometimes. I sound like a broken record here, but the length of the run will be put on Khabby's shoulders. We are fortunate he is a Stanley Cup goalie and knows what it takes. My concern is his health. I wouldn't mind seeing him get a bit of relief after 2 more starts. We can bet money Jimmy Waite and Q are having some goalie sessions right about now. Put up or shut up time is coming.

Kipper is in trouble from over use. the guy needs a rest to get his head back together. I hope we don't fry Khabby before the playoffs because as he showed in T-Bay when they won the cup he can carry team when he is on his game. I love the playoffs. Once the regular season is over the guys aren't being paid big salaries to play and they are playing for pride and bragging rights. Sometimes it seems the bragging rights are as important as the money to some of theses guys. Sort of like when we played on the ponds or in Peewee leagues when we were kids. I think to be a good player a guy has to be a kid at heart so winning trumps money!!!