http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/23094 Recent articles about Patrick Kane en-us Last season the Blackhawks were relevant and competitive for the first time in a LONG time. Hockey is back in Chicago, baby! Last year was both the rookie campaign AND the breakout year for both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The two 1st round pick rookies made good with the big club and definitely rejuvenated the entire franchise on every level. Dustin Byfuglien was the other big new name for the franchise having a breakout year himself. This year will be a proving year for all three to cement their legacies as high caliber NHL talent. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:43:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/349048 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/349048 Last season the Blackhawks were relevant and competitive for the first time in a LONG time. Hockey is back in Chicago, baby! Last year was both the rookie campaign AND the breakout year for both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The two 1st round pick rookies made good with the big club and definitely rejuvenated [...] Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:38:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348993 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/348993 The Big Six are back and rolling, as is the Melrose Mullet and Pittsburgh's Cup chances. Josh Provost breaks down a year's worth of hockey knowledge into one pretty package. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:20:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346815 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/346815 In roughly one month, the blazing turbines of a rookie race -- which is unfortunately getting ignored from the media -- will cease. Let'??s meet the candidates who will most likely raise some eyebrows for grasping the "Calder Trophy".<br /><br /><strong>Patrick Kane</strong>: The 19-year old Buffalo native debuted his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks. Initial expectations were that Kane would follow in the shadow of the highly touted Jonathan Toews, but that proved to be false. Kane has emerged as the perfect line mate for Toews, feeding of each others raw skill to play the puck with precision, or snipe it top corner. But with a mid-season injury to Toews -- including roughly 5 other regulars -- Kane was counted on to carry the load, and that's what he did. What makes Kane such a tremendous player is his superb vision, prodigious puck-handling skills, and his playmaking abilities. For months he was the leader in the rookie scoring, just recently getting his 57 points surpassed by Washington Capitals rookie Niklas Backstrom, by 1 point.<br /><br /><strong>Niklas Backstrom</strong>: The 4th overall pick in 2006 has emerged as one of the Washington Capitals best players. At 20 years old, he is finishing off a tremendous rookie season centering phenom Alexander Ovechkin. However, do not let such a fact cloud your judgment on him. Backstrom has worked for the opportunity, and heâ??s now taking full advantage of it. He currently leads the NHL in rookie points with an impressive 58 points. His playmaking abilities combined with maturity beyond his years gives a strong indication that Backstrom may very well walk away with the Calder.<br /><br /><strong>Jonathan Toews</strong>: If it were not for a mid-season injury, Toews would be your Calder Trophy winner. He currently holds the best PPG amongst rookies with a .88 (18 G, 43 PTS in 49 games) and if it were not for the injury he would finish with the most goals as well. Toews is a product of solid, dependable two-way play. He is responsible in his own end and hockey sense and offensive creativity is uncanny. With a core of bright young players developing in Chicago, here is your franchise player.<br /><br /><strong>Carey Price</strong>: With Cristobal Huet finding his way on the Capitals, Price is now the undisputed starter in Montreal. Sitting atop the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens are backstopped with a tremendous goaltender in the making that is experiencing the hype of the NHL's most hockey crazed city in just one season. What makes Price such a highly touted prospect is his solid positioning, clutch performances, smooth puck handling abilities, and a huge frame (6'3, 225 lbs.) among other things. In 31 games so far this season, he has posted a .913 SV%, 2.76 GAA, and 16 W to go along with 1 SO. What we must take into consideration is that Price is just 20 years old. The average age of a goaltender making an impact in the NHL is around 25 years old. This should play a huge part in deciding the Calder Trophy winner.<br /><br />The winner will emerge within the list above in my opinion. Some dark horses may erupt near the end, like Peter Mueller or Erik Johnson, but if I was a betting man (which I'm not being a Leafs fan -- unless it's against them) I'd go with the before mentioned.<br /><br />Personally, I am not comfortable even picking a winner, because I believe all of them have a significant shot at the Calder Trophy. Letting this intriguing story play itself out is what ultimately does it justice. Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:41:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337366 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/337366 FIO staff writer Tim Hays breaks down the Top 25 right wingers heading into fantasy hockey drafts this season, including in-depth analysis about the Top 10 and some notes about the remaining players on the list... and don't forget some sleepers listed. Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:20:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332401 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/332401 Breaking down the Top Ten right wings in fantasy hockey heading into the 2008-09 NHL season. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:36:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/330099 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/330099 <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/nhl/players_l/20080319_2/1174.jpg?x=65&y=85&xc=1&yc=1&wc=164&hc=215&q=100&sig=53cwuo1vQaZ6N1q1QZay6w--"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:41:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/315239 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/315239 Long before Jordan's Bulls, Walter Payton's Bears and Chris Farley's Superfans, another franchise ruled the Windy City. The Chicago Blackhawks once had a stronghold on the city and were the fans' pride and joy for the majority of the 20th century. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:54:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295298 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295298 The Star-Tribune is reporting that the Winter Classic will be held in Wrigley Field on January 1st, 2009. The Blackhawks will face the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Detroit Red Wings. It's an Original Six match up. It should be a very good match up with the Blackhawk on the rise with players like Kane and Toews... Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:55:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286367 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286367 Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom and a pair of Chicago Blackhawks — right wing Patrick Kane and center Jonathan Toews — are the three finalists for the Calder Trophy in 2007-08, awarded "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition," the National Hockey League announced today. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:10:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255940 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255940 The Blackhawk fans have to smile about the future of their team in Chicago. With their young talent in Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith the ownership is looking to win for a long time. But now they have gone out and said we want to win next season. GM Dave Tallon wants to make a couple of big signings over the summer and he wants to make sure that those contracts will help not only next year but for years to come. These means the Red Wings might have someone on their tail rather soon. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:33:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/227626 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/227626 In a game the Hawks needed to win, all appeared lost when the Blues' Keith Tkachuk scored on a breakaway following a Kane turnover on a mix-up with Jonathan Toews at the blue line with 1:18 to play to snap a 2-2 tie. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:35:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/216671 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/216671 I took a whiff outside here in Toronto, trying to smell playoff fever. All I got for my troubles was a cold and a reminder that the only playoffs the hometown Maple Leafs will see in April are when the Toronto Raptors play. As we near the conclusion of what has been an incredibly interesting season, let's glance again at the hype. Who lived up to it, and who was your own personal Bear Stearns. Ahh, but wait, there's a catch. This week I concentrate solely on this year's rookie class - one more bow down to Alexander Ovechkin can wait. I am bullish about this class. While it lacks an Ovechkin, Malkin or Crosby, it's a deep talented group that deserves a lot of praise. The NHL is in good shape thanks to this influx of talent. Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:07:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/214787 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/214787 The 2007 Chicago Blackhawks started off in a surprising fashion and over expecations, yet are just about out of chances for the playoffs. Here's five reasons as to why things went downhill. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:51:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/139907 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/139907 Just some quick hits on last night's superskills....hours before today's All Star Game. Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:54:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/105117 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/105117