The Playoffs for the Blackhawks?

Last years’ Stanley Cup Champs have had a rollercoaster year full ups and downs, which gives true diehard fans something to worry about come playoff time, when one loss could mean the end of a season. So, once again I put the question to our team at Gunzo’s Hockey Headquarters. What are the chances that the Chicago Blackhawks will make it into the playoffs, and if so, how far will they go this year? This is what they had to say:

“Call me an optimist but after last year, I think my Blackhawks can do anything. So they haven’t had a great year, that’s what I love about the playoffs you get a second chance to turn a whole season around.”

“I think they will make it into the playoffs, and they could make it to the conference finals.”

“Right now, like the Blackhawks play, it is a coin toss. They will most likely make the playoffs, but with inconsistent playing, especially at goal tending I don’t see them going too far. I thought this year would be an adjustment, with the core players and new players stepping up to a well above 500 team, but I’m afraid that they just can’t get comfortable in front of Turco or Crawford.”

“The chances of the Blackhawks making the playoffs are good. They need to play great hockey, but once they make the playoffs I can see them going as far as the second round and then running out of gas.”

“The Blackhawks have a slim to none chance of making the playoffs. However if they make it, I think they will beat Vancouver in the first round and lose in the second round.”

“We will definitely make the playoffs, but we probably won’t go further that the second round. But I don’t look at that as a bad thing, because we’ve lost so many players this year. I think next year could be a championship season.”

Concussions in Hockey

Concussions in the NHL have nearly doubled this season, affecting more than 10 percent of the league's players. From the NHL to minor hockey, there is public outcry for action. Is the standard hockey helmet insufficient, or is it the player’s careless disregard of their opponent's head?  I asked some of the guys down at Gunzo’s Hockey Headquarters, and this is what they had to say:

“The helmets are more than adequate for safety’s sake. What needs to happen is a crack down on bad hits.”

“No helmet can prevent your brain from slamming into your skull, but a properly fit helmet can help reduce the impact. The biggest problems that cause concussions are ill fitting helmets and dangerous hits which include but aren’t limited to: blindside hits, head-shots, elbows, sticks, punches, etc. I believe that concussions aren’t fully preventable but as hockey players we can lower the risk by playing smarter. Keep your head up, pay attention to your surroundings, and ease up on players in a vulnerable position.”

“They should always be trying to improve the helmets, because they could always be better. A lot of the hits aren’t hits to the helmet; they’re hits to the face where you wouldn’t be protected anyway. Change out all the seamless glass because its harder and less giving.”

“Changing the design of helmets will do little to prevent concussions. The size and speed of today’s’ players’ combined with the post lock-out rule changes (eliminating the two-line pass rule, to crack down on obstruction) is the cause of the increase in concussions. The only thing that will reduce the frequency of concussions is for the players to show more respect for each other. That being said, hockey by its nature is a fast, physical, and sometimes violent game, which inherently lends itself to the possibility of injuries. No amount of changes in equipment or rules can change this fact without changing the game completely.”