Sherwood Sure Does Make a Goalie-Proof Goalie Stick

If you don't like the shootout, this wasn't your night. The two teams spent three periods trading goal for goal, and ended regulation time in a 3-3 tie. No one could find the back of the net in OT, so the much-maligned shootout was needed to see which team would skate off with the extra point. In what is becoming a 2009-10 Blackhawks traditon, this happened:

Can you really take the shootout seriously when the D-men are shooting? Also, isn't it weird that Seabrook had his name called before the "4th forward" known as Brian Campbell? I know Cambell isn't a shooter, but I thought we would see him in there before Seabs. Coach Q said Seabrook's name was getting a lot of support from that side of the bench as the shootout dragged on. Good job by Quenneville for taking his players considerations to heart. That trust goes a long way in team chemistry.

Final Thoughts

• The double curl-and-drag by Versteeg on his goal was a symphony of patience and skill
• Huet continues to prove that he is a goalie that is "lights out" when his confidence is high. His save on Chimera in the shootout was phenomenal.
• You got to feel bad for Steve Mason, a little. He played a hell of a game, and stopped 9 shots in the shootout. Adding insult to injury, he couldn't manage to break his goalie stick. He gave it two good whacks against the boards, but those people at Sherwood make a fine product. 

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5 Things to Know: Columbus

1. Marian Hossa will make his United Center debut tonight. After the game, fans will be encouraged to exchange all their Havlat merchandise for a discount on "Hossa" jerseys and collectibles. Havlat things will either be sent to Africa or ceremonially burned in a pile at center ice to please the groin-god.

2. Joel Quenneville could win his 500th game tonight. He's got 307 with the Blues, 131 with the Avs, and 61 so far with the Hawks. That's good enough to earn him the #2 spot of Puck Daddy's "Top 10 Coaches of the Past Decade." Plus he was a Hartford Whaler, just sayin'.

3. Steve Mason has been terrible. The 2009 Calder winner and Vezina nominee is lucky to be 9-6-4 because his .892 SV% and 3.38 GAA is so bad, it makes Manny Legace look like Roberto Luongo. He played last night, so look for Garon to start.

4. Blackhawks will don their new-but-not-so-new third jerseys. They're a modified version of the Winter Classic jerseys, with the only difference being that they added the little "C" with crossing tomahawks on the shoulders. They're a copy of a copy of Chicago's 1934-37 sweaters. The Hawks wore this uniform in between their cup winning years of 1933-34 and 1937-38, so I really don't get why it was chosen. However, I happen to like them a lot.

5. Columbus has partnered with Bob Evans! The BJs will now feature Ohio's own Bob Evans delicious meat products at the Nationwide Arena. They're also planning a promotion called the "Bob Evans Honorary Captain." I think this involves watching the pre-game skate from the penalty box, while throwing sausages at the opposing team. In related news, Kyle Wellwood has demanded a trade to Columbus.

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Our Hero's Commercial Debut: "One Goal"

Off-Day Malaise / Distractions

Now that the holiday is over with, we can start settling back into our normal routine of boredom and self-loathing. The Blackhawks seemed to be missing a step in the SoCal portion of the circus trip, but I equate that more to being tired that anything else. They played two talented, well-rested teams in Anaheim and Los Angeles. The fact that they escaped the Staples Center with a point was a relief, considering the Kings came out of the tunnel with guns blazing. 4-1-1 is a great record to come home with, and the Hawks will look to close in on the first-place Sharks with the help of a very favorable December schedule. I leave you with this very awesome video I found today on Youtube-

Happy Holidays

Nothing really to say about the Ducks game today. They have been struggling. We should win. I wasn't planning on posting today, but Puck Daddy proposed a new mascot for the Maple Leafs today named "Angry the Fist." Once I stopped laughing, I had to come up with a prototype, but I didn't have a lot of time. Enjoy!

Is This It?

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This is the day I've been waiting for since the season began. This is the day when the Blackhawks add a true superstar to their already high-octane offense. Marian Hossa will make his Blackhawks debut tonight against the top team in the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks. Hossa is a 40 goal-scorer that will arguably be the most dynamic player to wear the indian head since Jeremy Roenick. He is not the European ballet dancer that elegantly skates the puck into the zone, avoids contact, and tries to make a fancy pass or shot. Marian Hossa may have been trained amidst the towering peaks of Slovakia's Tatra Mountains, but he learned how to play the physical North American game in the rough and tumble Western Hockey League (WHL). Hossa is more comparable to Rick Nash than his countryman, Marian Gaborik. You're not gonna knock him off the puck like a Marty Havlat. Hossa will fight in the corners, and usually win. As a goal-scorer there are few better.

The only negative chatter amongst fans and media is that Hossa will hurt the chemisty of this team. How does adding an offensive dynamo, with no history of Heatley-esque behavior, ruin the chemistry of a team? There are speculators speculating that he will stunt the growth of Patrick Kane. Why is no one talking about all the skills and wisdom Hossa can pass on to a very young player like Kane? Let's also clear up a little misconception that is floating around in cyberspace. Wingers have to switch sides frequently throughout their careers. Hossa is TEMPORARILY playing with Toews and Kane. In an ideal world, Hossa will be centered by the injured David Bolland. For now, Kane will have to live with being on the left. It's not a big deal. The final slander that needs to be addressed is that Hossa is some type of a-hole that hops from team to team in search of a cup. Well, why don't we criticize Raymond Bourque more for essentially doing the same thing? The media loves a darling, and the Penguins were last year's feel-good story in the NHL Of course you need a villian as a counterbalance, and Hossa was the easy target (mostly because Datsyuk can't speak English, and Lidstrom has no emotions at all). The truth of the matter is that Marian has been a good man and teammate throughout his career.  

The last championship Hossa was a part of was in the WHL. His team that year? The Portland Winterhawks. Their emblem? A copy of the Blackhawks' indian head. In his first and only year with Portland, he led them to a WHL and Memorial Cup victory. The city of Chicago is hoping his luck wearing this crest continues.