Bleacher Report - Articles by Robert Ivaniszyn

Blackhawks-Red Wings: Joe Louis Arena Erupts as Punches Fly

Robert Ivaniszyn — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:43:02 -0400

Metaphors linking hockey to boxing are made daily.

It is a sport not shy about fights, and sometimes watched by fans waiting excitedly for them.

However, that is not the reason that parallel is made right now.

In boxing, the first punch is huge for gaining momentum and control of the fight. The little jabs before that are irrelevant—it's that first big haymaker which can win a fight rounds before the final bell sounds.

And as I turned off the TV last night after watching the Hawks fall to the Wings 5-2, I found myself wondering if the howitzer the Wings tried to KO the Hawks with ever landed.

Sure, 5-2 sounds like a dominating game for the Wings—but when you consider that one goal should have been stopped by a freshman college netminder, and that one was a feel-good empty-netter for a Henrik Zetterburg, who has struggled to score since the beginning of the Anaheim series, you have to ask: Was it really so dominating?

I'm not being a 'homer', and saying that it meant nothing that the Blackhawks lost Game One of the Western Conference Finals.. And in no way am I saying that Detroit did not earn their win.

However, even into the early third period, the Blackhawks commanded the tempo of the game and the offensive zone, and the Bulin Wall stood tall and made enough great stops to fill the entire 'Saves of the Week' list.

And going back to boxing—these two contenders went jab for jab, shot for shot, and hit for hit, with no clear winner in Round One. Sure, the Red Wings got the victory, but they did nothing to make at least me believe that this won't be a long and hard fought series.

So here's are the reality of it all:

Detroit are the reigning owners of Lord Stanley's Cup, and they still play like it. They play hard without compromising speed, and their defensive pairings are probably the best in the NHL. They are constantly in shooting lanes, and breaking up key passes.

However, they are old, and Sunday night they looked tired. Osgood was reaching for where he hope pucks might end up, and is at the end of his illustrious career without really knowing how much is in the tank. That being said, he still comes up with save after save with no real explanation as to how he continues to be simply the third-best playoff goaltender of his generation, behind Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur of course.

Chicago is young and hungry, but with that comes inexperience. They make blind passes hoping for the highlight reel as they watch the puck skitter into the corner to be turned over, killing any scoring chance. They cannot generate anything resembling an odd-man rush, and they largely fail to utilize their speed—which is one of their best weapons.

However, their offensive ability is unprecedented, and they play around six to eight different styles of offense effectively over all four lines. Their talent runs deep from line to line, and they are young and resilient. Add to that the explosiveness of Khabibulin's resurgent goaltending, and you may have the formula for a championship.

The result of Game One is in the books, but the outcome of the series is yet to be seen. I still think the Red Wings only delivered a glancing blow when they tried for the early-round KO, but even that can help them carry momentum into Game 2 where they can do serious damage.

If the Blackhawks can bounce back though and keep going punch for punch, and goal for goal with Detroit, this could be one of the more classic playoff series in the modern NHL.

One thing is for sure—hockey pride is back in Chicago and across the country, ESPN is buzzing about these series, and everyone will be excited Tuesday night for Game Two.

Eyeing Another Series Clinch, Chicago Blackhawks Come Home to a UC Riot

Robert Ivaniszyn — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:50:36 -0400

Watching the opening video the Hawks had put together for the playoffs, I can't help but feel that no better song could have been used in the background. "Testify" by Rage Against The Machine hits home with the Blackhawks' season, and with the energy exuded by the fans throughout.

Like the proclamations of faith by the constituents of a Baptist church, the fans have Testified their love for the Hawks, and they in turn have answered the prayers.

Time and time again, they appeared to be on the edge of destruction and Quennville has righted the ship, they have gotten strong leadership from Keith, Havlat, and Khabibulin, and time and time again their young guns like Kane, Versteeg, and Byfuglien have stepped up and done what was needed.

After a worrying two game home series against Vancouver where they struggled to maintain any momentum on their own ice, the Blackhawks went west to Vancouver for Game 5, and they dominated.

They commanded their presence from end to end, and though the rest of the media might not see it as a dominating performance, to go from the lack of energy they had shown on their home ice to running the tempo of the game at GM Place for about 58 of the 60 minutes Saturday night was an impressive turnaround.

They didn't shoot as much as they could have or should have, but when they did, they made their shots count. They played physical, but unlike Vancouver they stayed away from stupid penalties, and when Vancouver sat in the box, they took advantage, scoring two goals over five minor penalties.

So in the end, the keys to clinching their berth in the Western Conference Finals are simple:

First of all, they have to play physical again, from the first drop of the puck. The Hawks went hit for hit in Game Five with the Canucks, and then did them one better. The Hawks' hits, led by Eager, Ladd, and Byfuglien, were clean, concise, and bone shattering.

Second, the Blackhawks need to command the control of the puck once again as they did at GM Place on Saturday, and while still taking advantage of good scoring chances, take more chances as they did in the third period, and shoot more from the perimeter.

Their defense consists of great point shooters, namely Keith, Campbell, and Seabrook, and they can't be afraid to light the fuse on the cannons they have.

Third, along with physical and commanding play, they need to pull the packed crowd at the United Center into the game early.

I have personally felt the energy and the sheer crowd presence of a sold out UC, and it almost moved me to tears to see the passion that has returned to support the team I have for so long held so near and dear to my heart.

My hope would be that every man, woman, and child who leaves the Heartpounding Confines on West Madison cannot exchange excited retellings of the game as they walk to their cars because their voices will have ceased to exist.

Fourth, and last, they need to control the tempo of the game. In Game 5, they established that this is their series to lose now, with Vancouver taking stupid penalties, and the Hawks staying out of the box and keeping their emotions in check.

Even if the Hawks were to lose Game Six, which at this point would be a decent shock with the energy and charge they bring to the UC tonight, if they command the tempo of the game, they can carry that remaining momentum into GM Place for Game Seven.

In honor of this Game Six, and possible clinching of a Conference Finals berth, I propose a new song to serve as the opening for the Hawks tonight: “Riot” by Three Days Grace.

The heart and the passion has returned to Chicago hockey, and these young Blackhawks have answered the call for a decisive rush to the finals, and a chance to once again hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.

So now it's our turn Chicago, lets continue cheering, “refusing to go down”, and let's start a riot as the Chicago Blackhawks clinch a Conference Finals berth for the first time in almost 15 years.

-- Robert I is a freelance fiction writer, sports analyst, poet, and political cynic. His Blog can be found through his facebook LiveBlog or at Our Lives In Retrospect. His sports writing can be found at Bleacher Report.

Chicago Blackhawks Fans, Please...Don't Despair—Yet

Robert Ivaniszyn — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:16:50 -0500

I've been a Chicago sports fan my entire life, lending the majority of my devotion to our beloved Chicago Blackhawks.

Even at 19 years of age, it starts to get tough, frustrating, tiring, and begins to feel hopeless. With the post season meltdown of the Cubs fresh in many Hawks fans' memories, we have watched the first 16 games of the '08-'09 NHL season with hope and excitement.

We hope that Toews will stay free of injuries and continue his dominance as one of the premier young centers in the game.

We cheer for each goal Calder Memorial Trophy winner Patrick Kane scores, and we cringe at the sight of every hit Martin Havlat takes, hoping each shift won't be his last of the season.

And surely some of us shed a tear when Denis Savard, our pride and joy, was removed from duty as head coach.

But, now that the first two months of the season have come and passed, we look back at the beginning that was and wonder what it all means. I think I can sum it up in three words:

Consistency and Shootouts

First off, let it be known that I for one feel that having a short four on four overtime period followed by a shootout decide games in the NHL is the most ridiculous idea in overtime rules since the NFL decided it was fine to determine the winner of a football game based on a coin flip.

That being said, and with all the credit to the both the Hawks' offense and goaltending, how can we have gone to five shootouts, six total overtimes, and only win one of those games?

If a championship, or even a playoff berth for that matter, is the goal of this organization, those numbers are going to improve quickly. Being forced into OT is one thing, but only winning one out of every six OT games is not going to allow you the pleasure of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup come the spring of '09.

On the other hand, the Blackhawks have been plagued by consistency. You may scratch your head wondering why I used the verb “plagued.” Consistency is supposed to be a good thing in sports...right? Well, it is...sometimes. When a team continually flips between being consistently great and then consistently terrible, there's not a whole lot of good in that.

When they are on, they are fantastic. The offense runs well, they're consistently scoring powerplay goals for the first time in my natural born life, and the penalty killing units play smooth and effective.

Just take a look back at the games they played against the Oilers (W 3–0), Avalanche (W 6–2), and Flames (W 6–1), with both goaltenders playing great between the pipes. The Edmonton win being the icing on that three layer cake of great hockey with Khabibulin earning the season's first shutout for the Blackhawks, even after many of us were sure had played his last games in the red and black last season.

The passes were crisp, the shots were hard and precise; in shades of Bobby Hull and everyone's favorite flower, Daisy Daze, the Hawks played smart yet physical hockey from end to end.

And then the other shoe drops.

Before you know what hit you, the last place St. Louis Blues have beaten you twice in overtime, you've given up four goals or more in five different games including six goals...twice. You wake up in bed, one fifth of the season gone, lying next to a 7-4-5 record wondering what is was you did the night before that you so desperately want to forget.

When they're on they're on, but conversely, when they are off, they are like three week old egg salad you're still forced to eat, and with every passing minute you wonder how much more bad passing, complete lack of forecheck, and flat out terrible goaltending you can stomach.

The question that comes to mind is this: “How can such a strong team be so consistently inconsistent?”

The answer is...well...I'm not quite sure.

Talent like the Blackhawks have usually either turns into at minimum a consistently decent team, or a total bust; however, rarely do they fall anywhere in between, much less what we've experienced so far this year.

Typically in sports, with the NHL being no exception, teams that are bad tend to just be bad and vice versa, assuming that a few anomalies are going to occur as the season goes on.

But, as a fan, having your beloved team be “streaky” is a double edged sword. On the one edge, when they're winning, they tend to keep winning and it's fun and exciting to watch. But on the other edge, you are just waiting for them to trip over their own shoelaces and let you down period after period, game after game; torturing your poor fan's soul for days on end.

However, all other analogies aside, I leave Hawks fans around the world with this message, hang on to your hope...for now, or rather, don't despair...yet.

It's easy, especially in economic and athletic climates such as these to give up all hope at the first sign of weakness. I beg you, don't throw in the towel just yet. I can't tell you how this all will end. The Blackhawks are a talented team with strong players and a lot of potential.

Who knows? Come April, the Hawks could end up being like that Campbell's soup stock on the NASDAQ that keeps going up despite anyone expecting it to.

Just promise you won't come after me if they go the way of Bear Stearns.

Carlos Zambrano's Win over Milwaukee Should Shift Focus to Weekend Series

Robert Ivaniszyn — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:18:51 -0400

Anyone with cable TV and the slightest sports inclination knows that ESPN has been shellacking the dead horses of three subsequent sports stories over the past week: the Brett Favre debacle, Manny Ramirez trade rumors, and the currently ongoing National League Central four-game showdown series between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers.

And yet, the seemingly warranted buildup to this pivotal series seems all for naught as the Chicago Cubs, under the pitching of Ted Lilly, Chad Gaudin, and rotation ace Carlos Zambrano, have taken the first two games.

Game One: Cubs 6—Brewers 4

The stage was set for two good, if not great, pitching matchups in these first two games, starting with Ted Lilly against the Brew Crew's newly acquired ace C.C. Sabathia.

The pair of lefties pitched well into the ballgame, both coming out of the game after giving up the lead in the bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh innings respectively.

The Brewers reclaimed the lead on a solo home run from Russel Branyan in the bottom of the seventh. But after Solomon Torres walked both Soriano and pinch hitter Mike Fontenot, Derrek Lee slashed a double into the right field corner to score the winning run, with an insurance run being added on an RBI single by Mark DeRosa.

The Cubs' bats defrosted quickly after their tough road trip and short four-game homestand following the All-Star Break where it appeared that the Lovable Losers couldn't buy a hit with double what they pay Soriano. They found timely hits, and a long solo blast by Mr. Soriano to get the win in a tug-of-war battle, 6-4.

Game Two: Cubs 7—Brewers 1

After the ninth inning nail biter on Monday night, Tuesday's matchup of Zambrano and Sheets promised to be a pitchers' duel into the late innings, and for the first half of the game it did not disappoint.

Only one run had been allowed by the start of the sixth inning on an RBI single again by DeRosa, scoring Aramis Ramirez who had reached third base on a double and a wild pitch.

However, in the top of the sixth inning, the floodgates opened. After seven-straight hits to start the inning, when the dust finally settled the Cubs were on top, 7-0. The Brewers would plate one run in the ninth on an RBI double by Mike Cameron to score Russel Branyan who had drawn a two-out walk from Jeff Samardzija, finishing with a final of 7-1.

What all of this means for the Cubs is that they have guaranteed themselves the full share of first place in the NL Central when they square off against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field this weekend, regardless of what happens in these next two games.

The collective gasps and cries of, "We want to sweep them!" from diehard Cubs fans can be heard from here. Rest assured, I am not trying to say they should roll over and play dead.

Both teams will face sub-par opponents in each of their next two series. Yet the disparity can be seen when noticing that the next true challenge of the Brewers comes two weeks from now in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. After this they will spend the rest of the month mopping up the lower reaches of the Central Division.

This is excluding a two-game mid-week series in St. Louis, whereas the Cubs play the aforementioned Cardinals in a weekend series at Wrigley. The Cubs then will finish out the month swapping opponents with the Brew Crew, and capping off August with a four-game home series against the NL East Middleweight Philadelphia Phillies.

Sure, the Cubs can play their collective hearts out and take three of four, or even sweep the Brewers in Milwaukee this week. But what does that leave in the tank for next week and the weeks beyond?

Whereas Milwaukee is all but finished with their season series against the Cardinals, the Cubs still have three subsequent three-game series against St. Louis.

The Cubs no doubt have the harder schedule looking to the end of the season, and during that span need to hold off the Brewers, who could easily regain their surge as soon as the Cubs' bus pulls onto I-94.

Just as they have had to with Kerry Wood of late, the Cubs and Lou Pinella need to be thinking long haul here. Otherwise they be remembered as akin to the 1969 Cubs who fell short in the late throws of a dominating season and were overtaken by a surging underdog in the division.

Baseball, unlike football and other sports, has an extremely long season. Each team and player needs to prepare not only in spring, but before and after each game. And unlike college football's BCS system, the World Series doesn't factor in strength of schedule.

Robert I is a freelance fiction writer, sports analyst, poet, and political cynic. His Blog can be found through his Facebook LiveBlog or at Our Lives In Retrospect. His sports writing can be found at Bleacher Report.