Blackhawks Sweep Sharks For Stanley Cup Berth

Dustin Byfuglien's second game-winning goal in a row has the Chicago Blackhawks in their first Stanley Cup Final since 1992.

Byfuglien's power-play goal with 5:55 remaining capped a two-goal rally and gave the Blackhawks a 4-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon.

The victory capped a four-game sweep and gives Chicago a chance to play for its first championship since 1961.

Here's the Brent Seabrook goal that started the momentum swing for Chicago...
((HT: CBC/NHL/Fel0096))


And here's the Dustin Byfuglien goal that put Chicago ahead for good...
((HT: NBC/NHL))


The Blackhawks host the Eastern Conference champ, either Philly or Montreal, when their series concludes...

Wisniewski gets a 8 game vacation...

Well, the carnage continues. There was another viscious, injury causing hit last night in the NHL and it didn't take long for the league to act. Last night in the Chicago/Anaheim game, Brent Seabrook of the Blackhawks was knocked silly by former teammate and current Duck James Wisniewski. Seabrook, according to reports briefly lost consciousness and was helped from the ice. Two Blackhawk teammates went after Wisniewski later in the game.

The original story from the Chicago Sun-Times is RIGHT HERE

((Brent Seabrook's head hurts//Courtesy: chicagonow.com))

Wisniewski, who had been suspended in November for a hit, was disciplined today by the NHL. He will be sitting for the next 8 games.

The play, which had Wisniewski skating some 40-plus feet to find Seabrook and then level him is another indication that the NHL needs to do something...and soon. Yes, they've discussed running at players and hits to the head, but they aren't going to be able to wait until the season ends to address it. Well...let me restate that, they shouldn't, the heat gets turned up each time this happens. However, the league has turned a deaf ear or been very slow to react whether the players or fans call for something or not. Whether this is the play that turns the tide remains to be seen, but if you are in Vegas...don't put any money on it.

For those who haven't seen it, here is the play in question. Thanks HockeyWebCast/You Tube:

Tear Down The Bulin Wall...???

Darren Dreger of TSN in Canada is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks are looking to move goalie Nikolai Khabibulin- and fast.

As of right now, the Blackhawks are two-and-a-half million dollars over the newly minted US$56.6-million number and need to move some freight. Dreger maintains, and those of us at OSG HQ have agreed for a while now, that the LA Kings is the likely destination. Khabibulin ((pictured, thanks yahoosports.com)) is set to make US$6.75-million in the last year of his current deal, and has told anyone willing to listen that he wants to play the lion's share of the games for whatever team he plays for in 2008-2009.

With Cristobal Huet:
A)Also in net,
B)Making a million dollars less and,
C)Under contract for three more seasons

That ain't happening...

With Khabibulin in Los Angeles, the Kings get:
A) A Number One goaltender, which Jason LaBarbera is not...
B) Closer to US$32-million which is STILL seven million dollars short of the NHL-imposed floor-level number for salary cap purposes...

((Ed. Note- Seems like an Atlanta/Nashville move trying to underspend, but we digress))

But, then who do the Kings move to Chicago...?

The Hawks need a winger that can stay with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The answer, to the chagrin of Kings fans ((if there are any left)) would be Young Star Anze Kopitar. Kings fans would, then, disappear if Kopitar left the building. The level of "care" Kings' owner AEG would have is, probably, slight.

Kopitar is still under his entry-level deal where, with bonus money thrown in, he will make close to US$900,000. He is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of the 08-09 season.

Salary figures in LA also lean toward a Raitas Ivanans or a Matt Ellis, but neither has the pop a Kopitar does.

Six weeks ago, the Toronto Sun reported on the possibility of a three-way dance among the Kings, Hawks, and Senators. Kopitar goes to Chicago. Andrej Meszaros and Martin Gerber go to Los Angeles. The Sens get Khabibulin and either Brent Seabrook or Cam Barker. Meszaros, however, may have thrown a monkey in that wrench by signing an offer sheet with an undisclosed franchise Thursday for US$5-million per season. The Sens, acknowledging a contract negotiation impasse, could match and then pull a sign-and-trade if the Sun's info was anywhere close to correct to keep this paragraph accurate.

Choose your dance partner and start the carnival music...
Here's a sample of what someone could be getting very soon...