2005 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS PREVIEW

---




Straight Ups NHL Money Lines NHL Puck Line Wagering NHL Teasers NHL Proposition Betting NHL Futures "IF" Game Betting IN Game Wagering

We strive to bring you the very best coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks. Included on this site you'll find an NHL team index and resource pages, Hockey Wagering Previews, Standings, NHL Matchups, stats, injuries, transactions, and online sportsbook hockey betting information. It's truly all right here!!! NHL Hockey Guide >>>

2005-06 Chicago Blackhawks preview

(MySportsbook.com) - Success in the National Hockey League often starts from the crease out. That's why new Chicago Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon made his big splash of the offseason by signing Stanley Cup-champion goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.

The Bulin Wall was the anchor of the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2004 run, and he finally gives the Hawks a legit backstop in the wake of the Jocelyn Thibault/Steve Passmore era.

The question is, will he have enough in front of him to succeed?

Tallon tried to answer that question even before Khabibulin was signed, inking former Islanders defenseman Adrian Aucoin to a deal. He also added the rugged Martin Lapointe this year, and vets like Curtis Brown and Matthew Barnaby in 2004.

Tallon and new head coach Trent Yawney are attempting to turn the tide of a club that's only playoff appearances in recent history came in 2002. Yawney replaced Brian Sutter, who was given his pink slip mere moments after the lockout ended. Yawney had spent the past five years coaching the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL after a one-year stint as an assistant with the Hawks.

FORWARDS - In addition to decent offseason moves, what has hockey fans in Chicago excited is the presence of a terrific stable of young forwards. Tyler Arnason, Mark Bell, Kyle Calder and Tuomo Ruutu have already made their marks with solid offensive seasons, and the best is yet to come.

Arnason is a former AHL rookie of the year, and he hasn't disappointed so far at the next level. In 03-04 he led the team in scoring with 55 points (22g, 33a) in 82 games, building on the terrific season he had the prior year. Bell, meanwhile, has steadily improved in his three-plus seasons, while Ruutu is a star in the making. As a rookie in 03-04, the former ninth-overall selection (2001) led the Blackhawks with 23 goals. The 22-year-old winger especially injected life into the team's power-play unit, accounting for 10 goals with the man advantage.

A youngster who has not yet made an impact at the NHL level is Rene Bourque, who adapted nicely to the pro game after a stellar career at the University of Wisconsin. Bourque tallied 33 goals and 27 assists in 78 games for Norfolk a season ago.

One x-factor for the Blackhawks will be the health of Eric Daze. The mammoth winger has shown what he can do when on the ice -- his 38 goals and 32 assists in 2001-02 were a nice sampling -- but his last two seasons have been injury-plagued. The 6-6 235-pounder is among the game's top power forwards, and it would be ashame to see his talent wasted on the injured list again.

The additions of Lapointe, Brown and Barnaby inject some veteran savvy into the young lineup. The rugged Lapointe is a perennial 15-17-goal scorer, while Brown brings with him a terrific resume as a two-way player. Barnaby, of course, is a master agitator, and has posted nice offensive numbers in recent years. And more importantly all three players have been through their share of playoff wars, something that can't be said for many others on the roster.

DEFENSE - The signing of Aucoin was one of the more unheralded NHL additions this offseason. That's fitting, though, because Aucoin has been one of the more unheralded defensemen in the NHL. He is a workhorse who can play in every situation of a game. In 03-04, Aucoin set career highs with 44 points and a plus-29 rating. He was also an All-Star for the first time and averaged almost 27 minutes of ice time per tilt.

The team also added some bulk to the blueline with 244-pound Jassen Cullimore and 227-pound Todd Simpson. Cullimore was a regular for the Stanley Cup- champion Tampa Bay Lightning, while Simpson brings with him a nasty edge.

Tallon brought Jaroslav Spacek back to the Windy City after he spent two-plus seasons with Columbus. He missed much of the 03-04 season with injuries, but in 2002-03 the Czech native posted nine goals and 36 assists in 81 games.

Nineteen-year-old Cam Barker, the third-overall pick in the '04 Draft, could make an impact as a rookie. He put up terrific offensive numbers playing junior hockey for Medicine Hat (WHL), and performed his duty as a hard-hitting defenseman just as well. Look for him to be eased into the lineup, but he is projected to be an anchor-type down the road.

GOALTENDING - Khabibulin has been among the NHL's elite netminders since his days in Winnipeg. He was the primary reason the Lightning were able to be so aggressive on the attack, because they knew he was a solid insurance policy if the play broke down. His presence will be a pleasantry in the wake of the debacle that was 03-04. Due to injuries, five goaltenders -- Thibault, Passmore, Michael Leighton, Craig Anderson and Adam Munro -- saw time in the Chicago crease at one time or another.

In 55 regular season games for the Cup champions in 03-04, Khabibulin went 28-19-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average. He turned it up a notch in the postseason, going 16-7 with five shutouts and a 1.71 GAA en route to the chalice.

Expect either Leighton or Anderson to serve as the backup, meaning Khabibulin won't have experience behind him like he had in Tampa with John Grahame. That will likely translate to a heavier workload.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - Tallon has jumped into his new gig head first, with the intention of making the Blackhawks successful sooner as opposed to later. He added the best goaltender on the market and one of the top defensemen, as well as solid compliments for a crop of young forwards. If the aforementioned youngsters can continue their development and an impact player like Daze can remain healthy, Chicago should find its way back to the postseason.

MySportsbook has all the lines on all your favorite sports!

Since their launch in 1997, MySportsbook.com has been recognized as a safe and secure provider of online gaming services - offering both a virtual casino and online sportsbook. This track record has made MySportsbook.com one of the top and most reputable online gaming companies in the world. Promo's Include Neteller SignUp Bonuses, Free $10 NHL Bet, Betting Specials, and their NHL Bet Promos are the best you'll find anywhere online.

Click Here To Bet On The Chicago Blackhawks Today With Our Recommended NHL Sportsbook - MySportsbook.com - The Best Online NHL Sportsbooks - Better Than Vegas - (10% Money Bonus When You Deposit)

BODOG.COM - Chicago Blackhawks betting sportsbooks

World’s Most Comprehensive Online Sportsbook, Casino and Poker Site Leads Trend for Wagering on Big-Time Events

Bodog.com located in San Jose, Costa Rica, is federally licensed by the Costa Rican and UK governments. One of the pioneers in the field, Bodog.com is the top-ranked US facing online gamblíng brand, with highest site traffic amongst multi-product US gaming web sites. Bodog.com, valued at over US $1 billion and ranked in the Power 10 online companies by eGaming Review. Bodog.com is turning into a marketing giant with their ads prominently displayed in Esquire magazine for starters. They are definatly here to stay. BoDog.com is always coming up with contest, promotions and awesome ideas for ways to improve their book for the player. They are a top NHL Bet website and have a 20% bonus with a 1 time roll over which you will not find anywhere else on the Net.

Click Here To Bet On The Chicago Blackhawks Games Today - Bodog NHL Sportsbook Lines - (10% Free Money Bonus On Deposit)

Betcris.COM - Chicago Blackhawks betting sportsbooks

Costa Rica International Sports (CRIS or BetCRIS.com) is a recognized industry leader since 1985.

BetCRIS provides safe, legal, and secure sports wagering on sporting events, as well as horse racing, casino, poker, and bingo from any location in the world, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. "Where The Line Originates" BetCRIS Sportsbook provides up-to-the-minute NHL news coverage and information for Hockey enthusiasts around the world. NHL News, NHL schedules, NHL match-ups, NHL stats, NHL standings, NHL scores, injuries and analysis. Receive a bonus every time you place a sports bet, win or lose. Every time you make a sports bet you will receive 1 betpoint for every dollar wagered. Betpoints will accumulate in your betting account until you decide to redeem them for great prizes, including free plays, sports pagers, & more! Whether you are wagering from your office computer or calling from the comforts of your home you can rest assured Betcris will be first class, and all accounts are completely confidential. All you need to do is open an account online or by telephone and concentrate on picking winners.

Click Here To Bet On The Chicago Blackhawks Games Today - Betcris NHL Sportsbook Lines - (20% Free Money Bonus On Deposit)

NOTE: BoDog.com, MySportsbook.com, and Betus.comare our live Stanley Cup Betting matchups partners, and bring you up to date nhl and olympic hockey odds and lines, as well as great Stanley Cup Betting action, NHL sportsbooks action, and multi-sport parlay entertainment. These companies in our opinion are the best NHL sportsbooks online with great hockey matchup information, including NHL betting odds, LIVE NHL lines, fantastic customer service and fast payouts. Click the links to go to Bodog, Betus and My Sportsbook today, and bet Bet online in their NHL hockey sportsbooks today. Click any of the links in side the VIP sports information area including, NHL matchups, NHL previews, NHL standings, NHL live scores, and more today.

Chicago Blackhawks Preview | Stanley Cup Lines | Hockey Sportsbooks