Blackhawks’ Shaw told to stay out of penalty box in Game 4

Some unkind, impolite words shouldn##Q##t be the catalyst for Andrew Shaw to go from mere agitator to teeth-clenched, unrestrained, blinding rage. “Yeah, that kind of stuff doesn##Q##t usually bother me,” the Blackhawks forward said Wednesday. “I##Q##m usually the one doing that.” But whatever it is that trips Shaw##Q##s wires, whatever … Continue reading

Drew Sharp: Red Wings-Blackhawks series proves Presidents’ Trophy has lost its luster

DETROIT – It##Q##s time the NHL retired the Presidents##Q## Trophy. What##Q##s it good for? It##Q##s unnecessarily treated as a regular-season achievement worthy of raising banners. But all it has done is harvest a false sense of accomplishment in a sport designed for the playoff survival of the hungriest. Chicago##Q##s learning … Continue reading

Blackhawks shuffle power-play lineup

The Blackhawks##Q## power play has undergone yet another reconstruction and this latest incarnation will focus on net-front traffic. After sending out a No. 1 unit that featured an all All-Star group of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith in the first three games of the … Continue reading

Helene Elliott: Sharks hope they can finally live up to billing as Stanley Cup contenders

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Neatly framed but almost forgotten, a front page from the San Jose Mercury News sits against the wall in a room above the Sharks##Q## practice rink. The newspaper photograph depicts a coach and two players, and the headline is bold: “Contenders for the Cup.” The players … Continue reading