Everything Else

There were more than a few Hawks fans having a a good hearty laugh when coming home from the game last night when they saw Andrew Shaw having yet another meltdown. This time it was in Anaheim, getting himself tossed late in a game the Habs trailed by one goal and could have, oh I don’t know, used a guy with a knack for getting goals from in close.

Of course, now it’s just an figure of fun for pretty much the entire hockey world, though I guaranteed on Hockey Night In Canada’s pregame show on Saturday that Kypreos and Hrudey will use this as an example of true passion and to indict Max Pacioretty as a leader or something (though maybe that’s not totally inaccurate but let’s get to that in a second).

Quite simply, this is what happens when you tell Andrew Shaw, who probably couldn’t spell “NHL,” he’s being rewarded for all the wrong things. What made Andrew Shaw a success here in Chicago weren’t all the yelling faces or the punching people after the whistle or the dirty hits. What made him successful is he never stopped moving his feet, was willing to go to the front of the net (though he really wasn’t all that skilled at it no matter what everyone around here will tell you) and he has better hands than a third liner usually does. It wasn’t Shaw’s attitude or yap that drew a lot of penalties. It was that he just never stopped and would cause turnovers or keep possessions going and eventually put a defender in a bad spot. There really weren’t a lot of retalitory penalties where Shaw wasn’t canceling out with his own roughing call.

However, when you tell him that it’s his passion and fire and yelling that got him four million dollars a year, this is what you get.

Everything Else

Box Score

Natural Stat Trick

Hockey Stats

For most of the previous years, we used to have a good chortle about the first game at home after a long road trip. The beaters would drone on and on about how tough of a game it was, but the Hawks usually always aced it just as they usually did with long road trips. Tonight we saw something of what they meant, as the Hawks were certainly not very good. They ran up against a Panthers team that was certainly inspired though kind of in every direction after the firing of Gerard Gallant. But as we’ve seen, teams that can match the Hawks for speed do give them some issues because there isn’t much of a Plan B with them right now, and there certainly isn’t without Toews whatever form he’s in. The trick only got harder without Anisimov for most of the 3rd period. But as it’s been all season, Crawford held them in and together, and they were able to hold on long enough to win the skills competition for two points. The luck will run out at some point, but that could be at any time.

Let’s get to it.

Everything Else

panthro panther vs 250px-Ozymandias

Game Time: 7:30PM CST
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Uncle Dale’s New Dysfunctional Family: Litter Box Cats

panthers-lineup-card

blackhawks-lineup-card

Dale Tallon just can’t seem to find an organization that doesn’t have dysfunction among the front office braintrust. And after getting kicked upstairs this past summer, his replacement Tom Rowe has now descended to behind the Cats’ bench after unceremoniously launching Gerard Gallant on Sunday after a mediocre 11-10-1 start. And Tom Rowe will make his NHL head coaching debut at the United Center tonight as the Hawks return home from the final Circus Trip ever.

Everything Else

Other than injuries, the sloppiness of the first month of the season, the new rookies around the league, you’d have to say last night’s firing of Gerrard Gallant by the Florida Panthers has caught the most eyes from around the league. On a personal level, I still remember Gallant as a World Class giblet on the 80’s and early 90’s Wings, so anything bad happening to him is always going to bring something of a smile to my face. And yet I can’t get my arms around this one fully.

What we know is that the Panthers have not had much luck with injuries. Huberdeau is still out, Bjugstad has only played five games, and Jussi Jokinen has only played about half the season. That’s half the top six, so no team without elite depth is going to be able to survive that. The Panthers don’t have elite depth (I’m not sure anyone does anymore as the slowing of cap-growth has kneecapped just about everyone). This is nothing new to anyone.

The Panthers have also been bitten by the fact that James Reimer has been terrible, and they really wanted to cede more starts to him from Roberto Luongo due to Bob’s age. That wasn’t the worst idea, but it just hasn’t worked so far in the nine starts he’s gotten.

Everything Else

The Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, dropped to the vicinity of the Western Conference cellar with three losses this past week. There is a logical explanation for the IceHogs lounging near the bottom of the league through 19 games.

Rockford just isn’t that darned good up front. Shall I elaborate? If I must…

Everything Else

Hawk Wrestler vs. King Jerry Lawler

RECORDS: Hawks 14-6-2  Kings 11-9-1

PUCK DROP: 9:30pm Central

TV: WGN

BLACK DEATH: The Royal Half

Projected Lineups

blackhawks-lineup-card

kings-lineup-card

TEAM CORSI: Hawks – 51.0% (11th)  Kings – 53.8% (3rd)

POWER PLAY: Hawks -18.4% (14th)  Kings – 12.7% (26th)

PENALTY KILL: Hawks – Almost listable?  Kings – 81.7% (17th)

Hawks Individual Stats

Kings Individual Stats

TRENDS: Carter has four goals in his last four games… Doughty has four points in the last three

The last Circus Trip comes to a close tonight on Figueroa Avenue, as it usually has. It only feels like the Hawks have been on the road for a month, and I doubt anyone in the organization is going to miss this trip too much. They sit idled at 3-3 so far, so a successful trip hinges on tonight’s result.

Everything Else

Box Score

Natural Stat Trick

Hockey Stats

You have to love this time of year, the routine you know. Time with the family, drink earlier than you’re used to, argument with a family member you wanted desperately to avoid, and then the Hawks collecting two points in Anaheim. I guess I’m said it’s going away. It’s become a fixture of the Thanksgiving holiday. It even happens when the Hawks don’t even play that well.

Oh sure, it’s another win where the Hawks were outshot pretty badly. A lot will be made that they somehow lost 73% of all faceoffs, even though we know now that faceoffs really have no baring on whether you win or lose. Still, that kind of margin would make you notice. It took another heroic effort from Corey Crawford. But after losing two in a row and only scoring one goal in that time, you don’t complain about how the wins come.

Let’s clean it up, shall we?

Everything Else

Hawk Wrestlervs. donald-duck-dunn-620x413

RECORDS: Hawks 13-6-2  Ducks 9-7-4

PUCK DROP: 3pm Central

TV: CSN, NHL-N for those outside the 606

O.C. OBSERVERS: Anaheim Calling

PROJECTED LINEUPS

blackhawks-lineup-card

ducks-lineup-card

TEAM CORSI: Hawks – 51.3% (11th)  Ducks – 48.2% (20th)

POWER PLAY: Hawks – 17.8% (15th)  Ducks – 21.7% (8th)

PENALTY KILL: Hawks – Still not talking about it  Ducks – 82.6% (12th)

Hawks Individual Stats

Ducks Individual Stats

TRENDS: Perry hasn’t scored since Oct. 26th.. Getzlaf has 8 even-strength goals in a season and a quarter

I suppose this could be the last Black Friday the Hawks spend in Anaheim. I doubt anyone is going to complain about it. But this is how it has always worked, and it will do so again this afternoon. The Hawks will arrive at the “Ponda” Center to see a Ducks team that seems pretty intent on shooting itself in the face, both in the GM’s office and behind the bench. And so far, they’re succeeding at it.