Hawk Talk

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) stops a shot by Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews (19) in the first period. Artemi Panarin and Richard Panik started a four-goal first period for Chicago.  Marcus Kruger and Marian Hossa also scored during the first period as the Blackhawks moved nine points clear of second-place Minnesota with five games left in the regular season. Tanner Nero also added a breakaway goal in the third. Even Patrick Kane picked up two assists to move past Sidney Crosby and into second place in the NHL scoring race. The Blackhawks' domination had them feeling pretty good about themselves two weeks before the start of the playoffs. "It was really good. It was a really good start," said Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford. "I think it's good to know we can play like that," said Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane , "So, let's keep building. Let's try to get this momentum going into the playoffs where we'...

Photo by Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports The Chicago Blackhawks lost their second straight game on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Previously, the Hawks lost to the Florida Panthers. Of  the two games in Florida, the Blackhawks allowed a combined 12 goals and gained one point in the standings as they try to win the top seed in the Western Conference playoff series.  After getting a point against the Lightning on Monday night, the Blackhawks extended their lead over the second place Minnesota Wild to eight points for the number one spot in the Western Conference. The Minnesota Wild  only have seven games left to play in regular season so they have to push extra hard to catch up to the Blackhawks.  Throughout the whole NHL, the Blackhawks are very close in clinching the number one seed. However,  the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins are tied with the Blackhawks at 103 points, but both teams have games in hand on the Hawks. Also,...

Blackhawks center John Hayden is balancing being an NHL player and a college student.   (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune) Blackhawks player, John Hayden, is a Yale student by day and Hawk player by night. As most college students are attending their spring break activities, Hayden is playing with the Blackhawks. The  22-year-old is playing on a line with Jonathan Toews,  while trying to graduate from one of the most prestigious universities in the country with a degree in political science.  Hayden signed a two-year deal with the Hawks and has enjoyed a great start with a goal and two assists in his first four games. However, once spring break ends Hayden has to balance his classwork along with the demands of the Blackhawks.  As Hayden's life becomes busy, he said he is doing well. He stated  "I front-loaded my schedule, so fall was pretty busy, but I'll handle it." This is a crucial moment in Hayden's career, but Hayden and his college co...

Blackhawks goalie, Corey Crawford, high fives teammate Dennis Rasmussen after beating the Dallas Stars. The Blackhawks have been inconsistent in their last three home games  but their leaders pulled through with a win against the Dallas Stars. Patrick Kane scored his team-leading 33rd goal in regulation and connected again in the shootout.  Marian Hossa also scored his 24th goal of the season halfway through the third period. Along with Kane and Hossa,  Artemi Planarian also scored in the shootout.  Kane opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 8:13 of the first. Next, Dallas Stars,  Hemsky tied it at 1 at 12:26 of the second. Then,  Hossa fired a wrist shot through a screen and past Lehtonen to put Chicago ahead 2-1 at 8:37 of the third. Once again, Hemsky scored the second goal of the game with 5:09 left in the third to tie it at 2 which sent it to overtime.  Lastly, in the shootout Kane and Planarian scored. "We didn’t...

Its that time of the year when everyone is asking about playoff tickets. Well Monday, March 27 is the day to buy them.  The Hawks clinched their ninth straight playoff appearance. The team currently leads the Western Conference with 105 points, nine more than the Wild. Single-game tickets for the first two rounds will go on sale at noon on Monday. Tickets will be available only at http://www.ticketmaster.com/  or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Customers are limited to ONLY four tickets. Refunds for any playoff games that are not played will be available at the point of purchase.

Chicago Blackhawks left wing, Ryan Hartman, tries to steal the puck from defenseman Nikita Tryamkin. Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images.   Chicago Blackhawk fans saw a rare sight Tuesday. The Blackhawks lost for just the fourth time since February 1st. The Hawks lost 5-4 in overtime at home to the Vancouver Canucks.  The  Blackhawks are now up six points with nine games left to play. If the Hawks keep playing well, they have a chance to  capture the Central Division and Western Conference titles.  T he Blackhawks were the first team in the Western Conference to reach 100 points this season. The highlights from the game are viewable below courtesy of the NHL.