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Blackhawks try to move on from losses to Wild

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Toews just wanted to put the past two games behind him and focus on what lies ahead.

What else can the Chicago Blackhawks do?

The defending champions had a chance to complete a sweep on the road. Instead, they came home tied 2-2 with the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference semifinals, with Game 5 of the best-of-seven series Sunday.

“Just have a real short memory and remind ourselves how good we can be in our building,” Toews said. “It’s playoff hockey — it’s not supposed to be easy. There’s going to be some moments where your stomach drops. That’s the way it goes.”

The Blackhawks looked like they were in good shape after taking the first two games at home, but whatever control they had in this series got ripped from their grasp once the series shifted to Minnesota.

The Wild simply dominated Chicago on their ice, where they’ve played well all season, taking Game 3 4-0 and following that up with a 4-2 victory in Game 4. Jason Pominville scored, Matt Cooke provided a spark in his return from a seven-game kneeing suspension and Minnesota improved to 5-0 at home in the playoffs after going 26-10-5 there in the regular season.

“When our backs are against the wall, this group comes out fighting,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said.

That’s something the Blackhawks have done their share of during a run that’s produced two Stanley Cups since 2010, most recently winning four straight in the opening round against St. Louis after dropping the first two games. While they’re not exactly on their knees, they are staggering a bit.

Giving up four goals in back-to-back games was certainly not what they envisioned. They managed just 20 shots Friday compared to 31 for Minnesota, did not come up with enough loose pucks and were unable to establish an attack against the Wild’s defense.

“We’ve got to get some bodies at the net,” coach Joel Quenneville said Saturday. “So the goalie, when we do shoot the puck, there’s some traffic there.

“I think in the zone, I thought we had some zone time there that things didn’t materialize where we were able to get shots on the net. Whether you’re getting 20 shots a game or 30 shots a game against this team … if you get quality off of that, the quality you’re going to get is by traffic at the net. … (Friday’s) game, you’re not going to get many shots if you don’t come up with many loose pucks like we were unable to do.”

He said the Blackhawks “have to be grittier” and win some of the “one-on-one battles and (be) stronger in the puck area.”

Quenneville juggled the lines, putting Ben Smith on the first group with Toews and Bryan Bickell and inserting defenseman Nick Leddy back into the lineup in an effort for more speed and flow. It didn’t work.

Now, the series is all even.

“Obviously, they’re a great team, they’ve got a lot of skill. We’re going into a pretty hostile place to play a game on Sunday,” Cooke said. “We’ve got to go in, we’ve got to enjoy this for five or 10 minutes and quickly move on. We can be better, we know we can be better. We can go out and play harder and we’re going to have to do that in Chicago.”

The Wild did what they had to do at home. But can they duplicate it in Chicago, where the Blackhawks have dominated? They’re unbeaten there in the playoffs, like Minnesota, at 5-0 after going 27-7-7.

“We have to be careful how we handle this,” Yeo said. “It’s great that we won the game, real happy about that, real happy to be even in the series, but we know that there’s a lot of work ahead of us still.”

The Wild will be a bit short-handed, with Keith Ballard (upper-body injury) and Matt Moulson (lower-body injury) not making the trip.

Ballard was injured on a hit from Brandon Bollig while retrieving a loose puck. The veteran defenseman was in his second game back after missing nearly two months because of a lower body injury.

On Saturday, the NHL suspended Bollig for two games for the hit. He received a minor penalty for boarding in the second period Friday night.

Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw will likely remain sidelined because of a lower-body injury he suffered in Game 1.

“He’s progressing,” Quenneville said. “I think he felt better the last couple of days. It was an encouraging sign.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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