Posted by TheHockeyGuy on 16th February 2010
Patrick Kane isn’t one to avoid the spotlight.
The Blackhawks winger tends to thrive when the attention is focused his way. As the NHL’s highest scoring American entering the Olympics , Kane will have the eyes of the world watching when the United States plays Switzerland in opening-round action.
He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It only happens once every four years. It’s the highest stage you can play at so it’s pretty exciting,” Kane said Monday before the U.S. took the ice to practice at Canada Hockey Place.
“It’s kind of cool to have the whole country at your back. Not just a city, but the whole country is rooting for you.”
At 21, Kane is the youngest member of Team USA and also one of its most confident. He knows the U.S. is an underdog in a tournament that features powerhouses Canada, Russia and Sweden, among others.
“I’m sure everyone here doesn’t want us to win but that’s the way it is,” Kane said. “We’re pretty excited about the challenge. We’re not coming here just to win bronze or silver. I can honestly say everyone in there wants to win gold.”
Click here to read the full article – By Chicago Tribune
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Posted by TheHockeyGuy on 11th February 2010
As Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville shuffles his forwards to find the right combinations, Kris Versteeg has moved from one line to the next — and seemingly back again.
Versteeg is mired in a 14-game goalless skid, having not scored since Jan. 9 in Minnesota. The different roles each line demands, including some time at center for the usual winger, has the 23-year-old trying to adjust on the fly.
“You don’t want to make excuses but at the same time it’s hard to adjust,” Versteeg said. “You just have to do your best with whatever you’re given.”
Versteeg notched the game-winner Tuesday night in the 4-3 shootout victory over the Stars. He also had an assist on Troy Brouwer’s goal that gave the Hawks a 3-2 third-period lead. The helper was Versteeg’s fifth in the last 14 games and he is a plus-1 in that span. He began the night on a line with center John Madden and fellow winger Dustin Byfuglien.
“Everybody goes through stretches where you aren’t scoring and you’re not productive,” Quenneville said. “You just have to keep fighting through it. I thought (Versteeg) has been better the last two games and got rewarded.”
Still searching: With an 0-for-3 effort against the Stars, the Hawks’ power play has converted just one of its last 24 opportunities spanning eight games. The unit has dropped to eighth in the NHL at 19.3 percent success rate. At home, the Hawks are 28th in the league at 15.4 percent.
Click here to read the full article – By Chicago Tribune
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Posted by GameSetMatch on 4th February 2010
For two seasons, the Chicago Bears’ Devin Hester was the most electrifying return man in the NFL. Now Hester, the receiver, wouldn’t mind getting back to his roots.
“I know what I’m best at,” Hester said Thursday on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000. “The return game is my bread and butter, so if I had to cut back on my receiving and go back to returning, that’s something I would love to do.”
Hester scored 11 regular-season touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns from 2006 to 2007, and brought a kick back for a score in the Super Bowl in 2007. In an effort to get his play-making ability on the field more, Bears coaches turned Hester into a receiver before the 2008 season, and the experiment has had mixed results.
Hester has averaged 54 catches for 711 yards in his two full seasons as a receiver, but his return game has suffered. He hasn’t scored a touchdown on a return since Dec. 30, 2007 against the New Orleans Saints. After returning 31 kicks without a score in 2008, Hester returned just seven in 2009 as Danieal Manning and Johnny Knox got the bulk of the work.
Hester said the coaching staff makes the decisions, and he is willing to do whatever they ask.
Click here to read the full article – By of ESPNChicago.com
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Posted by TheHockeyGuy on 2nd February 2010
With their focus directed on winning the Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks aren’t putting much thought into individual honors.
Their recently completed eight-game trip, however, showcased not only their excellent team play but let everyone else in on a little secret: Duncan Keith is good. Real good.
So good that the buzz around the league has Keith as a leading candidate for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s top defenseman.
Through 55 games, Keith has already established a career high in points (49) and assists (38), both second-best on the Hawks behind winger Patrick Kane. Keith is one goal shy of his career-high 12, set during the 2007-08 season.
“It doesn’t really mean a whole lot to me right now,” Keith, 26, said of the hype about his Norris chances. “It’s obviously nice to hear your name mentioned in things like that with so many great defensemen in the league, but at the same time there’s still a lot of season left to play. There’s no point in really thinking about anything like that.”
Among defensemen, Keith is second to the Capitals’ Mike Green in points, who has 52 in 52 games, third in shots with 143 and sixth with a plus-19 plus-minus rating. Keith is second among all players with an average of 26 minutes, 33 seconds of ice time per game.
Click here to read the full article – By Chicago Tribune
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