Faxes from Uncle Dale

Author: Sam Fels

  • Time For Jazz Odyssey: Hawks 4 – Flames 5 (OT)

    Time For Jazz Odyssey: Hawks 4 – Flames 5 (OT)

    Box Score

    Event Summary

    Extra Skater

    Well, it’s gone from just doldrums or boredom to officially a slump. And while the little things that have added up to a loss the past couple weeks have changed from game to game, the overriding theme has been the Hawks just don’t have much jump or zazz. That extra spice that usually carries the Hawks through just isn’t there right now.

    It comes in a few forms. Usually it’s the lack of movement in anything or cutting corners. You would lose count if you went back through tonight’s game and counted the amount of times a Hawk just skated past a puck-carrying Flame and took one wave with his stick instead of stopping and trying to actually pick the puck. Against a shot-blocking heavy team, you have to move yourself and the puck quickly to open up lanes. The Hawks repeatedly stood still and then tried a shot. That’s not going to work.

    It shows itself in not being above your man or between him and the puck before it gets there. Sharp getting beaten to the net for the OT winner after Leddy chased to the board is just one example. You see it in Hawks not moving toward their d-men to help or on breakouts and instead wait for the puck to come to them. It’s the hope plays with too-fancy passes instead of working to score that result in turnovers.

    All of it has the Hawks looking like a Spinal Tap show right now. Sure, there’s flashes of brilliance and good production, but just enough is being cocked up to fuck over the whole thing.

    Is it chronic or just a passing virus? I don’t know, I don’t think it’s the former. But the Hawks are in 2nd place now, and the volume on this trip is about to go way up. If the Hawks can’t rummage around and find a couple more bullets in the pocket (because that’s where you keep your bullets?) we could easily be looking at a repeat of 2012’s Trail of Tears.

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  • Boredom Or Fatigue?

    Boredom Or Fatigue?

    Well we have our first official blip of the season. Actually the whole month has been something of a blip. But this three game losing streak is clearly the nadir. While the Hawks lost some games earlier in the month due to luck or sterling goalie performances, these past three have certainly been “meh” performances. While the Hawks dominated possession for the first 40 last night, it’s not like Al Montoya had to perform cartwheels to keep the Hawks at bay.

    So the question now is whether the Hawks are just bored, or the toll taken from playing until almost July is now coming due. The disheartening thing is that we really won’t have an answer until April.

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  • Jets at Hawks 3rd Period Thread

    Nothing to do with what you think
    If you ever think at all
    Bi-polar opposites attract
    All of a sudden my water broke

  • Hawks at Jets 2nd Period Thread

    Love you for what I am not
    I did not want what I have got
    Blanket acned with cigarette burns
    Speak at once while taking turns

  • Jets at Hawks 1st Period Thread

    Use just once and destroy
    Invasion of our piracy
    Afterbirth of a nation
    Starve without your skeleton key

  • All Lost In The Trade Market

    There’s not much going on today as we roll through into a roadtrip and then the break. So I thought it might be time to delve into a little fantasy. And this year, a trade for the Hawks might be true fantasy. First, they may have already made their “deadline” deal by acquiring Kris Versteeg. That gobbled up a lot of cap space. They still have some, but not a lot. Second, it’s hard to figure out where exactly the Hawks would look to shore up. Certainly not on defense, at least I don’t think so. But what the hell?

    I’m going to assume the Hawks aren’t going to move much of anything off the current roster. You occasionally hear Brent Seabrook’s name get mentioned by some loon, but we know that’s not going to happen. Johnny Oduya’s current bout of what-the-fuck might get his name thrown about, especially as the Hawks are pretty jonesin’ to open up a spot for Stephen Johns. But tossing him into a playoff chase and then playoffs is beyond the realm of possibility. So we’ll work as if that won’t happen.

    According to Cap Geek, the Hawks will have about $1.1 in space at the deadline, meaning they can acquire someone who makes $5 mildo over the entire year. At least I think so. It’s hard to figure with Khabibulin’s LTIR. That doesn’t get banked exactly. So if someone wants to clear this up for me in the comments, please do.

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  • Hawks at Wild 3rd Period Thread

    There you are, ha, ha, I told you so
    Says everybody that we know
    But who hid a radio under the stairs and who got caught out on their unawares?

  • Hawks at Wild 2nd Period Thread

    It was still at the stage of clubs and fists
    When that well-known face got beaten to bits
    Your face was blue in the light of the screen as we watched the speech of an animal scream
    The new party army was marching right over our heads

  • Hawks at Wild 1st Period Thread

    When Johnny comes marching home again
    He’s coming by bus or underground
    A woman’s eye will shed a tear to see his face so beaten in fear

  • Forward My Mail To Me In Hell: Hawks at Wild Preview/Pregame Thread/Bonfire Building

    Hawk Wrestler vs Zakk-Wylde-by-Ivan-Chopik

    FACEOFF: 7pm Central

    TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio

    WILDSIDE, WILDSIDE: Hockey Wilderness

    No time to fret or rest, as the Hawks will turn it right around tonight to take on the Minnesota Wild. Whatever complaints there were about yesterday’s effort can be quickly solved, and the Hawks usually do that in both the second of a back-to-back as well as after a rather tame effort. Generally, they haven’t doubled up the half-hearted outings. And even if they do, they might not need top gear or anything resembling it to get past a crumbling Minnesota team.

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