On the strength of five unanswered goals, the Red Wings rallied to a 5-4 victory over the Blackhawks on Sunday at the United Center.
The Hawks led 2-0 after one period but Detroit stormed back with five goals in the second against goaltenders Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi to gain the victory.
"When you have a team like that you can't let them back in the game," said Hawks center John Madden, who had two assists. "They're going to hang around and hang around. Some of the goals we gave them -- just blatant turnovers and maybe trying to do too much."
Andrew Ladd scored three goals -- including two in the third as the Hawks tried to rally -- but it wasn't enough.
"Any time you get a lead and you throw it away ... you're throwing points away," Hawks winger Kris Versteeg said. "Those are points you definitely want. You want to be the first-place team in the league and you want to be first in your conference (but) if you keep throwing points away like that it's not going to happen."
Duncan Keith also scored for the Hawks.
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Maybe the hawks couldn't get rid of Huet before trade deadline. Who would really want them. The Bowmans will build a stanley cup winning team, but it takes more than a season to build a consistently good team like Scotty did with the Red Wings.
It wasn't just Huet that played without heart, it was almost everyone on that team... with the exception of Ladd. Kane's giveaway to Datsyuk was pretty bad, but Datsyuk did have an amazing goal that beat the clock to win the game for the Wings. Maybe next time they will beat the Wings.
The award for the stall in the Blackhawks locker room likely to be occupied by another player by the playoffs goes to Huet Locker
Bowman says he's confident with the goaltending we have, he has to say that he has no other choice. The truth is goaltending has cost the Hawks at least 5 games this year and lately it's dreadful. It's taking the wind out of the sails of this talented team, you can see it when Huet gives up a cheapie early in the game. We out shoot teams almost 2 to 1 but either barely win or end up losing the game. How many games have we won this year on goaltending alone? When was the last time you can remember a solid goaltending performance? It's been a long time. I'm not asking for shutouts every game, all I'm asking for is a goaltender that will instill just a little confidence in the team surrounding him...
well, being the "girl in teal" and knowing how WE do in the playoffs every year....a tongue in cheek proposal....everyone got to see nabby in the russia-canada game......so how about this fantasy trade (again joking!)....we trade goalies.......all in fun til we see each other in the playoffs......next time i will be serious..no, i will get serious now..WE HATE DETROIT TOOOO!!!
till next time.....
I used to think the Hawks had a good chance to go all the way. Now, I think they could be eliminated in the 2nd round. They should be able to get by whoever in the 1st round, but after that, it's all up in the air. The goaltending is bad at best. This will be what keeps them from going anywhere.
Todd you are a jackas*...Bowman has not done anything that involves a thought..signing Kane Toews and Keith was a no brainer..Mcdonough has everyone fooled and is all about the $$. If bowman had some guts he would of straightend this goaltending out back in December, instead of waiting until it's too late and failing to make a move. This is the best Hawks team in our lifetime and if the Hawks don't win a stanley cup this year because of the obvious, then he shoud be fired and ran out of town. Todd you must be on Bowmans payroll, bandwagon hawks fan.
John on March 7, 2010 5:11 PM
The numbers don't lie..Huet save%890 brutal...Bowman dropped the ball him and his old man should go back to Detroit..We need goaltending..Bowman and Huet suck
The Bowmans are why the Hawks are where they are, don't post something stupid.
You guys should read Second City Hockey, cause McClure makes a great point. We can all yell and scream about the goalie debate but these are the 2 goalies we have. And let me guess now everyone here will rip me for being a "Huet defender". All I'm saying is it is what it is, I think this team is to good to lose 4 straight in the playoffs.
So like McClure says " With everyone sounding the alarm that the goaltending is going to be this team's undoing, ask yourself this - would you rather see a parade in June, or be right about Huet?"
Now everyone will call AM sports radio and start complaining about the team.
Hawks needed to trade for Tomas Vokoun - he looked good in the Olympics. Huet is not good enough for a Cup run - too many soft goals allowed on few shots.
Huet or Niemi? It doesn't much matter to Esposito. He points to the Hawks' low goals-against average, which was the second-best in the league headed into play Friday.
ALMOST what i have been saying all along. The Hawks would not be able to play their all out offensive game with 35-40 shots a night without confidence in their Goalies. What it does when the Hawks fly to the O Zone is it gives the other Teams a chance to pounce on the puck (Mistakes) and go the other way for an easy breakaway or 2-1 or at the very least a shot the Goalie would not be expecting as much. I Cant believe some of you cant see that.
It's hard to find fault with that.
''What I've noticed is that the team plays with confidence in front of them,'' Esposito said. ''The other players open the game up; they go for it. That shows confidence in the goaltending. They believe in those guys.''
So maybe the non-believers among us need to take a second look. Sure, Huet and Niemi have had a few too many clunkers for comfort. Or maybe, like Esposito said, we're just looking for a weakness.
''They've done it all year,'' he said. ''There is no reason why they can't do it the rest of the year.''
I understand that Dale Tallon made some mistakes in assembling this team, including Huet and the salary cap fiasco.Huet was a poor judgement of talent, but when looked at within the context of all the other good talent he acquired, he did a very good job. Noone can convince me though that he was solely responsible for the salary cap mistake since his assistant, Bowman,Jr., was on the same watch and had opportunity to avoid the pending problem before it occured. He didn't, either out of his own negligence or for whatever reason. Now, the recent failure on Bowman Jr. and his advisor, Daddy Bowman, to acquire any reasonably competent goaltender is gross incompetence of the worst degree. I guarantee you that McDonough will not unload the Bowman Bunch as he did Dale Tallon. Does anyone wonder why McDonough gets the credit for building the Hawks?? A non-hockey guy who just happened to get lucky in arriving at the right time when someone else reconstructed this franchise. McDonough is NOT the reason the Hawks sell-out the United Center every night. ( Hello, Rocky, are you listening?) If anyone reasonably thinks that this team will go as far in the playoffs as they did last year with a better goaltender then they are kidding themselves. What a shame...As far as the media criticizing Bowman--remember what happened to Josh Mora after his comments conceerning the Hawks?
FROM one of the Best Goalies ever.
The problem is not with the goalies, he said; the problem is that people always criticize. It's human nature. The Hawks' record says they're one of the top teams in the NHL, but people still want to find flaws.
''What people are truly talking about is that the goalies are not proven commodities as far as the playoffs are concerned,'' Esposito said. ''But they're both capable. When a team is as good as the Blackhawks are, people are going to look for a weakness. And it's an up-and-down position; there is no in-between. You're either a hero or a bum.''
Iv`e been watching the Black hawk`s all of my life.Iv`e seen alot of good hockey and bad.Huet let`s in alot of bad goal`s even in the game`s he win`s are only because the team in front of him is flawless. The team is awesome the only bad spot is Huet. they won`t go very far in the playoff`s with him,NIeme is a rooky and calling him a bad goalie is nonsence .If it were my choice I would go all the rest of the way with NIeme.Too bad BOwman didn`t get an experienced goal tender,he said he was happy with what they have how could you be with a guy who cant steal a game for you when the team is playing a bad game?? THis guy is a looser And the hawk`s don`t have any option`s. And you can blame the defence all you want but the puck stop`s at the goalie. Unfortunately not our goalie.
The numbers don't lie..Huet save%890 brutal...Bowman dropped the ball him and his old man should go back to Detroit..We need goaltending..Bowman and Huet suck
The bottom line is the Hawks have garbage between the pipes and Stan Bowman should be FIRED for being gutless and not bringing in a competent goaltender. The defense is going to have breakdowns and it would be nice once in awhile for one of our goalies to make a big save. I would take anyone of the leagues back-ups over Critoballs huet...Coach Q needs to get his head out of his a** and start playing niemi more and leave Huet on the bench. The media in this town is too soft and no one will critize Bowman for failing to do the obvious. The goaltending should of been addressed in December and now were stuck with two incompetent AHLers in net. All you moronic Hawk fans who stick up for Huet, go follow soccer because you are an idiot and should not be embarassing yourself with your stupid comments.
Just don't understand why the Hawks didn't make a deal for goaltending. They dropped the ball on this one.
Getting rid of Khabby to keep Huet is just stupid. Huet shouldn't start anymore games. Niemi should be #1.
The goaltending is mediocre at best..yet the Hawks did nothing at the deadline.
It will cost them in spades come postseason time because neither of these guys can handle it.
It's a shame too because with the idiotic salary cap, they are going to have to unload talent next year in an effort to make room to get someone worth a damn.
Mark Liptak
This team is not set up to win this year.
Nice team, no cup.
You know, huet did play bad but the d played like crap also. Remember this though, in 05 when the Sox were up by a bunch of games they played like garbage and let the Indians back in it. Everyone hit the panic button saying " there is no way this team can win a World Series." Then what happens? We clinch, lose one game in the playoffs against the Angels and go on to win the World Series. I would rather the Hawks play like crap now then two or 3 games before the playoffs.
I think that Huet does let in soft goals, but his D isn't helping him. All of you guys screaming for Huet's head and to putting every goal that goes into the net on him haven't followed hockey. Seabs has been playing like garbage and he wasn't even playing well for Team Canada. He has to step it up, personally I would bench him for some shifts on Wednesday and wake him up. We still have a chance to win it all. Lets not be typical Chicago fans and throw up our hands and say all is lost....we did the same thing in 05.
Kane with another blue line giveaway.
"Huet Has 1 bad game out of 4 and he gets ripped"
You kidding? The guy gave up soft goals on Friday and Wednesday. He was AWFUL today. On that second goal he wasn't even in any type of set position to stop the shot from the direction it was coming. Being screened is on thing but not even being prepared for the shot is another.
Play Niemi the rest of the way and stop the goalie roulette, that can't help matters either.
Hawksice, the fact is, neither goalie is good enough to bring this team a Stanley Cup. Our salary cap problems, and Huet's unloadable contract, prevented us from getting a decent goalie prior to the trade deadline.
Our defense has to play an absolutely flawless game for us to win, because Huet and Niemi are completely incapable of stepping up to carry us when the D hjas a mental lapse or has an off night.
Unfortunately, as much as I pray and hope it's not true, our terrible goaltending is going to cost us a Cup this year.
If the Hawks meet the Wings i the first round of the playoffs, this will be another classic Chicago sports ending to the season.
I am sick n tired of these matinee games for NBC that upset the Hawks, they never got their legs till the 3rd period and they seemed like they had no energy so very similar to last years playoffs when they came home looking for the sweep n tie in the series and ended up playing with out energy again !!!!!
The game was all Hawks. Kane made 3-0 in the second period and then the ref overruled it. After that Detroit Sucks got the momentum. Yes, Huet was bad and the defense too.
I´m happy for Ladd, hattrick! LA next.
Here it goes. Huet Has 1 bad game out of 4 and he gets ripped. Niemi has 4 bad in a row and he was the answer. Now that he got ripped also hes not the answer either. Your a joke.
Huet was so bad. Hawks were outplaying them big time, but Huet stopped nothing.
We're going to be paying for that "no trade" at the deadline during the playoffs I'm afraid.
If I were Bowman, I'd send Huet to the minors immediately and call up the best goaltender they have down there. If he doesn't work out, try the next one, and so on. Check the list of recently retired guys - Anything - Huet won't be able to do it. We've learned that the hard way.
Patrick Brain!