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Forty-Six & 2 Ahead Of Me: Kings 4 – Hawks 5 2OT (Kings lead 3-2)

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Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

It’s funny. We’ve been doing this blog for six seasons, and I think if you asked all three of us if there was a game that was simply beyond us, we wouldn’t have an answer. We might have one, which was Game 6 against Vancouver in 2009. But other than that, I really don’t think I’ve seen anything like tonight. Sure, at points both Finals against Philly and Boston reached a ridiculous pace. But there was an element of control in those.

This? This was in-the-red, eyes-tearing, consciousness-erasing shit from just about the 2nd period on. If not the 1st. I can honestly say that at least from the 3rd period on I’ve never seen a hockey game played at that pace. This was going plaid. It felt like I was thrown on an untested roller coaster pumped full of coke and seated next to Ted Nugent. 

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Beard Of The Day – May 26th – Navy Chief Petty Officer Mark “Badger” Carter

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badger

Unlike many of us who are utterly clueless after High School, Mark T. Carter knew that from very early on that he wanted to become a Navy SEAL. After graduating from boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, Carter went on to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training where more than half of the class will not finish. He was given the nickname “Badger” after beating a fellow SEAL in a wrestling match who stood a foot taller than him. After graduating, Carter would quickly move up the ranks serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq. His specialty would be communications, keeping everyone involved in a mission in constant contact, a highly important position

Carter was killed in combat on an undisclosed mission on December 11th, 2007. At his funeral service, Carter earned third Bronze Star in addition to his others along with a Joint Service Commendation Medal with “V” for valor.

I hope everyone gets to spend Memorial Day with someone they love, be good. And to everyone who has or is currently serving, our thanks to you.

Everything Else

This Ain’t No Picnic – Kings vs Hawks Game 2 Preview, Pregame Thread, Junior Prom

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216px-Los_Angeles_Kings_Crown_Logo.svg vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, TSN (Anglo), RDS (Franco), WGN-AM 720
Murray’s Revenge: The Royal Half, Jewels From The Crown, Battle of California

While the common perception was that the Hawks were outplayed on Sunday afternoon despite having a far longer layoff than the put-upon Kings coming fresh off their exhausting 6-2 carpet bombing of the Ducks in Game 7 of the previous series, it doesn’t change the fact that the Hawks have a 1-0 series lead. Though given that this iteration of the Kings has already erased 3-2 and 3-0 series deficits this post-season alone, it remains up for debate just how much that will matter in the grand scheme of things.

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Baby, I’m A Star: Wild At Blackhawks – Game 5 – Preview/Pre-Game Thread/Sales Optimization Meeting

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wildthings @ oldschool

Game Time: 8:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CNBC, TSN (Anglo), RDS2 (Franco)/WGN720
Terms of Psychic Warfare: Hockey Wilderness

After two disappointing games, the series now shifts back to the UC as the Hawks attempt to take back the series lead. I don’t know how many times we’ve said it, or how many times you’ve heard it, but we all know the phrase “It’s not a series until the home-team loses”. That hardly feels like the case though when the first two games were decided by breakout third periods for the Hawks who very easily could have lost either game. On the trip to MN, the Hawks clearly looked like the slower and more beatable team. They simply weren’t close contests, even in Game 4 when at least the score wasn’t too off.

It’s hard to make a case that the sky is falling for the Hawks. On paper, they’re clearly the better team. By just about any way of looking at it, they shouldn’t have a problem with this Wild, even as improved as they are from last year. But that’s hardly the case among the Hawks fans right now. They just got punched in the face pretty squarely in the last two games and it’s hard to not think the Wild may come through as the underdogs. That can easily swing the other way today though. One good period is all it really takes for this Hawks team to pull away from the Wild. If we could not wait til the third, that’d be great.

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If It’s Any Consolation, I Don’t Begin to Understand Them: Wild 4, Blackhawks 2

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Extra Skater

Box Score

Event Summary

I passed out on my couch last night. I was woken up at 2:30 in the morning by a 4 pound chihuahua licking my face. I thought I smelled something funny but was still in half-sleep mode. Once I gathered my bearings I realized there was a nice pile of diarrhea at the edge of the couch and the little dog couldn’t have been prouder of it.

So if you’re wondering how Joel Quenneville feels this morning, just ask me and I can give you a pretty accurate description.

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Wait Til You’ve Tried Crow And Other Thursday Notes

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I had a bit of a discussion on this on Twitter on Monday, as I was watching yet more slobbering over Jonathan Quick and I was drinking. My best Twitter debates tend to come when I’m at the bar and I have time to kill. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

Anyway, the narrative once again is that Jonathan Quick is dragging the Kings kicking and screaming through the playoffs. And I suppose that blue line beneath Drew Doughty does need some bailing out from time to time. But it got me to thinking:

59 games – 35-24, 8 shutouts, .928 SV%, 2.12 GAA

46 games – 27-18 3 shutouts, .925 SV%, 2.03 GAA

The top is Quick’s career playoff numbers. The bottom is Crawford’s. As you can see, other than the shutouts they’re almost identical. Ah, but I’m sure people will point to the Conn Smythe that Quick got and Crow doesn’t have. Ok then.

Quick’s 2012 run – 16-4 .946 SV%, 1.41 GAA

Crawford’s 2013 run – 16-7 .932 SV%, 1.84 GAA

Obviously, Quick’s run to the Cup was a little better, but not by all that much. And in 2012, Quick’s last three opponents didn’t finish in the top half in the league in scoring (and Vancouver was without Daniel Sedin courtesy Duncan Keith and Ryan Kesler was being held together by duct tape and hope), whereas last year’s Kings and Bruins both finished in the top half in scoring. We could easily make the argument that Crow had a tougher path to the Cup than Quick did.

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Inside Dr. Weird’s Island

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Now that we’re a little separated from last night, I want to try and be as even-handed about Q’s decisions (in this series and in the past) as I can be. It won’t be easy, but if we all work together I think we can get through it.

While Q scratched Nick Leddy for Sheldon Brookbank last night, it didn’t end up working out as a straight swap. As you’ll see from last night’s Extra Skater, Brookbank hardly played with Leddy’s usual partner in Rozsival at all. Brookbank took most of his shifts with Duncan Keith, and like they were in the St. Louis series they were highly effective, at least in terms of possession. Brookbank and Keith were both over 70% in Corsi-percentage, a full 18% above the team-rate for the game. Brookbank didn’t see the highest level of competition either when on the ice, as he mostly saw Brodziak and Niederreiter but there wasn’t a specific matchup either coach was chasing.

Rozsival spent most of his night skating with Johnny Oduya, and they weren’t so lucky. While Rozsvial was above water in overall Corsi, he was below the team-rate. Meanwhile Oduya was completely buried. As far as forwards these two saw it was basically spread out all over the map, as Q couldn’t chase matchups and Yeo didn’t seem too interested when they were on the ice.

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I’m A Bad Motherfucker And You Know This: Blues 1 – Hawks 5 (Hawks win series 4-2)

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Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

All series long, we kept saying and thinking that at some point the Hawks were going to grab this by the scruff, play their game, and wipe the Blues right out of the equation. We saw flashes of it. The first 38 minutes of Game 4, but that was undone by 15 minutes of pissing down their leg. There were moments in Game 5, but that was undone by surges by the Blues. Then you started to worry that the Hawks didn’t have it in the holster any more, that something was missing.

And then the 3rd period happened.

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Hauntingly Familiar: Hawks at Blues Game 5 Preview/Pregame Thread/Swingin’ Party

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oldschool vs. blue

FACEOFF: 7pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, NBCSN, CBC, 87.7 FM

THOSE WHO CAN’T WRITE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T READ: St. Louis Gametime

Despite what the Blues and their fans might say, I have to imagine there’s at least a small feeling of deja vu (all over again) creeping up from places they don’t talk about at parties today. St. Louis was in this exact position last year, up 2-0 on the defending champs before closely losing both on the road. The Kings went on to take Game 5 in OT when Brian Elliot let in Slava Voynov’s apologetic shot after Barret Jackman got caught on a dumb pinch (sound familiar?). I’m praying the Hawks won’t need OT tonight, but obviously in this series we can’t rule it out by a damn sight.

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Who’s Your John Druce?

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For those new to our site, this is something we do on the eve of every playoffs. John Druce was a workman-like winger for the Capitals. In 1989-1990 he managed eight goals during the regular season, but then rode a 31.8% shooting percentage in 15 playoff games to score 14 goals. Basically, it’s who is going to be the surprise for the Hawks this spring?

A couple words on the candidates. Bryan Bickell is not on it because he’s put together three straight good playoff performances and really wouldn’t be a shock if he does again. Brandon Saad is on the list because last spring he only scored in Game 1 of the Final. So we still await the first dominant playoff performance from the Marquis.

The rest are pretty explainable. So who you got?

Who’s Your John Druce?
  
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