Marian Hossa

Chicago Blackhawks winger Marian Hossa probably felt that his first full offseason in three years would be uneventful. What has transpired during the last couple of weeks before training camp has been anything but ordinary for the 32-year-old Slovakian native.  

Once my Cincinnati Reds (I'm sorry Cubs fans who will read this, but we really haven't won that much either. I am not sorry for Sox fans for personal reasons.  We will leave it at that.) fell out of the running, I went all in. I started reading about fantasy hockey for the first time. I began surfing the web for the cheapest Niklas Hjarmalsson jersey (my favorite player for two reasons: a. he looks like The Great Gazoo b. he graces the blessed jersey with my number that I wore for high school baseball).

The Chicago Blackhawks made a splash in the summer of 2009, signing free agent Marian Hossa to a 12-year, $62.8 million contract. At the time, the move was seen as taking another step closer to the Stanley Cup.

Two summers later, circumstances have changed. It's not surprising that a lot of fans have come down with a case of buyer's remorse.

It may seem like Chicago fans have jumped into the Delorean, and put the pedal to 88 miles per hour. The Blackhawks have made the trip back in time (Back to the Future reference) to the past couple seasons, and took care of business in Vancouver in Game 5.

Written off for dead after Game 3, Chicago has come back in dramatic fashion with dominate victories of 7-2 in Game 4, and 5-0 in Game 5.

Finally, 10 months after winning Lord Stanley’s Cup, the Chicago Blackhawks once again resembled a championship-caliber team. With their backs against the wall and defensive stalwart Brent Seabrook scratched due to an “upper-body” injury suffered in Game 3, the defending champs rose up and pounded the Canucks. Relentlessly. For 60 minutes.

Two games have been branded into the historical playoff books so far and players like Carey Price, Alexander Ovechkin, and Pavel Datsyuk are earning their pay.  Meanwhile, other teams are already in a full blown battle for playoff survival. 

The Chicago Blackhawks got some much-needed jolts in their crucial 4-3 victory over St. Louis Wednesday night.

Jolt one was the unexpected return of Patrick Sharp.

Jolt two was the Skate Of God, with Marian Hossa playing the role of Diego Maradona.

Jolt three was the captain snapping home the game winner in overtime.

Last night, once again, the NHL showed its inability to properly govern the game by calling a good goal in the Blackhawks questionable win over the St. Louis Blues at the United Center in Chicago. 

At the 7:52 mark of the second period, with the Blackhawks down by two goals, Hawk winger Marian Hossa (as shown on the video) kicked the puck toward the net, only to have the puck hit the goal post and take a somewhat ominous spin along the goal line to the other side of the net. 

There was an empty feeling in the spring of 2005.

Baseball had started and the NBA playoffs were under way, but for the first time since 1919 there was no pursuit for the most prized trophy in sports: the Stanley Cup.

Fortunately, the NHL returned for the 2005-2006 season, and with it returned two months of excitement every April-June.

This slideshow will examine the ten greatest playoff series since the lockout.

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The Chicago Blackhawks extended their winning streak to eight games tonight in front of a near-sellout crowd at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre with a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.