John Madden

Hold all of your questions, please. In fact, stop the presses. Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman wouldn't normally be ready to give a complete evaluation of his team after 20 games anyway, but he is reserving any and all judgment until Marian Hossa not only makes his Hawks' debut, but makes an impact in the lineup.

I am pleased for sure because I think that's something we stress and that's been a strength of Joel's as a coach   -Stan Bowman

 

The Chicago Blackhawks begin their annual circus trip tonight with the opener of a six-game swing against the Calgary Flames at Pengrowth Saddledome. The Blackhawks trip out west couldn't come at a worse time, though, as Chicago's 4-3 overtime win over San Jose at the United Center on Sunday was the club's seventh straight at home. The 'Hawks wrapped a perfect four-game homestand with the victory and are 10-2-1 as the host this year.

We showed some courage and determination down 3-1. That's what we're all about   -Cristobal Huet

 

That scenario is supposedly in play for first-year Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman as he moves toward completing contract extensions for Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith . Of course, Bowman was going to get these deals done because Toews is a young Steve Yzerman , Kane is a crafty goal scorer and Keith is the team's shutdown defenseman. Since the salary cap was introduced in 2005, the vast majority of teams have chosen to tie up their indispensible players long-term.  

It's a good bet the Calgary Flames have had Thursday's date at the Pengrowth Saddledome circled on their calendar for a month. That's because it marks a shot at redemption against the Chicago Blackhawks, who memorably overcame a 5-0 deficit to beat the visiting Flames 6-5 in overtime on Oct. 12. "It stings all the way through and we're embarrassed," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said after the loss.

It stings all the way through and we're embarrassed   -Jarome Iginla

 

The Chicago Blackhawks begin their annual circus trip tonight with the opener of a six-game swing against the Calgary Flames at Pengrowth Saddledome. The Blackhawks trip out west couldn't come at a worse time, though, as Chicago's 4-3 overtime win over San Jose at the United Center on Sunday was the club's seventh straight at home. The 'Hawks wrapped a perfect four-game homestand with the victory and are 10-2-1 as the host this year.  

Not everyone reaches the quarter point at the same time in the NHL, and with an 82-game schedule, it's impossible to pick the exact moment when one-fourth of the season is in the books. But that doesn't mean we can't take a look back at the first seven weeks of the season with a nostalgic and critical eye and see what we've learned. His 12 wins, 1.77 GAA and .939 save percentage lead the League.  

It's been more than a month since the Chicago Blackhawks won a road game. They'll get plenty of chances to end that drought in the next 10 days. Though the Blackhawks are opening their annual circus trip having lost three straight on the road, a perfect homestand and their recent dominance of the Calgary Flames should have them confident going into Thursday night's matchup.

We feel we can win any night, against any team   -Brent Seabrook

 

This past Saturday, sometime between watching Texas destroy Baylor and cringing as Jimmy Clausen was doing his best Ron Powlus impersonation, I was having an old school video game sesh with my buddy Stokes. Now when I say old school, I am not talking about Madden 2000. After reliving the '86 World Series and trying unsuccessfully to give Bill Buckner his well-deserved redemption through the majesty of RBI Baseball, a gentle glow caught the corner of my eye.  

Brent Seabrook scored 41 seconds into overtime, lifting the Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night, Chicago's seventh consecutive home victory. The Blackhawks went 4-0 on a homestand that included games against the Western Conference's three top teams - San Jose, Colorado and Los Angeles. Chicago begins a six-game road trip Thursday night.