at 
Game Time: 9:30PM CST
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
The Ol’ Diamondback Sturgeon: Fear The Fin
Now that the All Star wank-fest weekend has concluded in L.A., the NHL resumes what can be construed as the beginning of the end of the 82 game road to nowhere- the month between the the break and the trade deadline. And the Hawks will begin this stretch in San Jose at the start of a six game road trip while looking to correct some mistakes made to some of the also-rans of the league last week.
In this post All Star edition, all four of us are back in the fold, and here to discuss anything but what happened during the weekend, as none of us watched a second of it. There was brief discussion of the useless Top 100 list, as well as more extended league-wide deadline talk, and some interesting reader questions at the end. Listen after the jump.
Much like baseball, the NHL has installed its All-Star break after the middle of the season. You get why, as you wouldn’t schedule the All-Star game on Super Bowl weekend or during the NFL playoffs (though the NHL All-Star game probably makes for a better pregame show to The Big Tilt than the actual pregame show. I guess the Canadiens wouldn’t want to give up that slot thought). Much like baseball doesn’t want to put it’s All-Star game anywhere near the 4th of July. So whatever. It’s a nice marker either way.
So where are the Hawks? Well, in some ways this is the earliest the Hawks have been entrenched in their spot, aside from when they didn’t lose for half a season in 2013. The Hawks only sit four points behind the Wild, but have played three games more, and if the Wild win even one of those they’re going to be awfully hard to catch with how things work. Even if they fell off a bit, Dubnyk is going to get them into overtime just enough to prevent complete collapse. On the other side, the Predators are nine points behind, and even with their two games in hand that’s a massive gap. They’re not getting caught.
You know what’s weird? In the Q era, the Hawks have only finished second in the division once. And that was Q’s first year, when it was a conference system and that really meant being fourth in the conference. Since then it’s been 1st, 3rd, 4th, 1st, 3rd, 3rd, and 3rd last year. Just a note for all of you there.
vs. 
RECORDS: Jets 22-25-4 Hawks 30-15-5
PUCK DROP: 7:30pm Central
TV: CSN
FOR WE’VE GOT NOWHERE TO BE: Arctic Ice Hockey
ADJUSTED TEAM CORSI %: Jets – 49.2 (20th) Hawks – 50.0 (16th)
ADJUSTED TEAM xGF%: Jets – 50.6 (14th) Hawks – 47.5 (25th)
POWER PLAY %: Jets – 17.7 (17th) Hawks – 17.6 (18th)
PENALTY KILL %: Jets – 76.8 (27th) Hawks – 75.8 (28th)
Interesting position the Hawks find themselves in here. Having won three of four, and with the break right on the heels of this one tonight, you wouldn’t be surprised if they played this one with sunglasses on and Bermuda shorts underneath their pants (I assume this is how Panarin has been playing the last month). On the other, the Hawks are coming off a bad loss on Tuesday, losing in regulation when leading after 40 for the first time since Daley was in charge or some shit (no, not Trevor, moron). Backing that up with an in-division loss would certainly put a small pall (see what I did there?) over the vacation time. But then again, this is still a game in January. So you tell us.
There are a couple ways you can look at tonight’s final meeting between the Winnipeg Jets. You can stick your head in the oven as you watched the Hawks give up another 3rd period lead late and then followed it up by surrendering the go-ahead goal a few seconds later.
Or you can acknowledge that perhaps this is the luck of hockey and this sort of thing happens sometimes after 78 games in a row of holding 3rd period leads.
Either way, it kinda sucks.
We’re getting into silly season now. We’re 34 days away from the deadline, and with the Hawks having their “bye week” in the middle of it soon, we know the chatter is going to heat up. There have been names already being tossed around, except almost all of them would be a complete waste of time. So let’s toss out a few players that aren’t going to do anything for anyone before we get to ones that could actually help.
Jarome Iginla – Old, slow, not good anymore, and would be too heartbreaking if it didn’t work.
Patrick Sharp – Will be out for the season if he encounters a stiff breeze, also stationary, and still small matter that most of the dressing room still hates his guts.
Shane Doan – Seriously?
All right, now that’s over, we can get on to something a little more substantial.
The trouble with games in the middle of January, especially when the All-Star break is becoming clear in the distance and you know a lot of these guys are dreaming about beaches, drinks with little umbrellas in them, and whatever else, is that you’re not going to learn much. We know the Hawks are a flawed, good team. We know that they’re giving up chances at a rate that we haven’t seen, and we know they need their goalies to bail them out consistently. We also know there are some nights they just don’t give a shit. They’ll take what’s on offer if it’s there, but if things get away from them they’ll probably just shrug it off because it’s not the priority. You got all of it tonight.
Oh, and they also keep sending out a large collection of toe jam on their blue line that’s going to cost them a goal or two every night.
vs.
Game Time: 7:30PM CST
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Cliché Guevara: Raw Charge
As this stretch of the schedule lurches ever forward like a herd of Fifth Feather John’s beloved zombies, the Hawks welcome a team that is basically walking dead to the United Center for the penultimate game before the All Star break in the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning.
When Steve Yzerman didn’t get the Detroit GM job back in 2010, as Ken Holland got an extension, there were some in Michigan who weren’t too pleased. Not that it’s gone all that well since for the Wings (god that’s so much fun to write), but they may want to come to terms with how it might have gone worse. Stevie Y might have no clothes.
A lot of the shine for Yzerman was generated that he picked the gold medal team for Canada in Vancouver in 2010. Combine that with his playing days and there’s not much more that’s going to turn the Canadian media into a yellow puddle. But let’s be honest here, you kind of have to fuck up royally to not get a great Canadian squad (Rob Zamuner and Kris Draper, anyone?).
In Tampa?
On this week’s edition, John makes his triumphant return while Cieslak is doing god knows what in Vegas. We discuss the Hawks recent goaltending NON-troversy, as well as Artemi Panarin channeling Kris Versteeg and we eventually get around to what the hell is afflicting tonight’s opponent, the visiting ‘Ning, and what it’s symptomatic of league wide. Grab a listen after the jump.
