From: scholvin@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (John Scholvin)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Hawks News 11-9
Date: 9 Nov 92 17:03:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: news.1992Nov9.170315.21349
Distribution: na
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.


 
What a busy weekend!
 
On Friday, Hawks GM Mike Keenan announced his resignation.  Details are
sketchy, and Keenan is holding his own press conference today to tell his side
of the story.  Reports from team owner Dollar Bill Wirtz state that Keenan
rejected the 5 year, 2 million dollar contract he was offered three weeks ago
because he wanted to get back into coaching.  Rumor has it that Keenan may
have had a problem with the fact that he did not have as much power as he
wanted within the organization.  Senior Vice President Bob Pulford, Keenan's
predecessor, will now be his successor as GM.
 
Then on Saturday, the Keenan-less Hawks were off to Le Colisee for a rare
afternoon contest with the much-improved Nordiques.  The Hawks prevailed 7-4
in a wild game which featured several lead changes through the first two
periods.  Roenick scored early and often, starting with a goal 14 seconds into
the game and ending up with his fifth career hat trick by the end of the day. 
Other Hawk goals were scored by Matteau, Sutter (in his first game of the
season), Ruuttu, and Graham (empty net).  Jimmy Waite was solid between the
pipes, stopping 24 shots.
 
For Sunday, it was back to the Stadium for the first rematch with the Pens
since the Stanley Cup finals last spring.  Too bad the Hawks couldn't transfer
some of the goals from this game back to some of those games in June.  They
trounced Pittsburgh 7-2.  Belfour was solid throughout, and fantastic during a
second period flurry by the Pens.  Chelios and Smith combined for their finest
defensive performance of the season, limiting the awesome Pens offense to just
21 shots on goal and holding Lemieux to only (!) one goal and one assist.  The
Hawks were down 1-0 in the first, and Graham evened it up with his second
shorty of the season.  After Jagr put the Pens back in front, Michel Goulet
(who has responded well since his scratch last week) tied it up with his first
of three goals on the night.  Goulet was on his way to his 15th career hat
trick, and the Hawks didn't look back. In addition to Goulet & Graham, other
goals were scored by Matteau, Hudson, and Ruuttu.  The game descended into
some silliness at the end, with Smith, Chelios, and Matteau being tossed late
in the third period after Roenick dropped the gloves with Ulfie.  I didn't see
the game (heard it on the radio)...who won this fight?  And if Ulfmeister won,
did Jeremy at least hold his own?  It sounded like it, but it's hard to get an
honest description from Pat & Dale on the radio. :) 
 
OBSERVATIONS:
 
The Hawks scored 14 goals in two games after the departure of Mike Keenan.
Perhaps some of the players are a bit looser without Psycho Mike watching from
upstairs, ready to start calling other GM's the first time they cough up the
puck?...Christian Ruuttu continues to amaze with his work ethic.  I can't
believe this guy was basically given away.  Keenan certainly made the right
call on him...Does anyone else think that naming the new Stadium the "United
Center" is completely bogus?  And is your typical Hawks fan likely to take
advantage of the United ticket counters they will be setting up there?  Of
course, the Bulls do play there, too, and their jet-setting fans might be more
what this is targeted for...The defensive pairings seem to be taking shape:
veterans Chelios and Smith, Europeans Kucera and Kravchuk, and rookies Bennett
and Dykhuis.  Maybe Sutter is finally realizing (like the fans in the second
balcony east end did long ago) that Bryan Marchment has no clue, evidenced by
his scratch Sunday...Everyone is glad to see the return of Brent Sutter at
center.  The coach's brother has four points in two games since returning from
injury, and won some key faceoffs agains Francis in the Pens game Sunday.

-- 
John Scholvin                           |  "Sometimes I wish I was Catholic
scholvin@casbah.acns.nwu.edu            |   I don't know why"
echo Y | del c:\windows\*.*             |       -Cracker