Continuing our look around the NHL, we continue to our own conference with a look at the Pacific Division. I have to say, I really liked the idea of having no conferences whatsoever and re-seeding for the last four teams, but understand why they scrapped it. When the NHL adds two teams — and you know they will — I hope they go back to it. Anyway, let’s look at all the fodder for the Kings.
Two preseason games left, and two at the disposal of our throbbing brains Friday and Sunday. Did we learn anything? Do we ever? Let’s try anyway….
-Let’s get to the biggest debate or competition coming into camp first. And we really haven’t cleared anything up at all. Thanks to Brandon Pirri’s injury (though he’ll play tonight and I bet he sticks around long enough to get a look in the last preseason game, too), Drew LeBlaahhhhhh had a chance to seize the #2 center derby by the throat. I can’t really say he did. He hasn’t been good on draws, and other than his assist to Sharp against Pittsburgh, I haven’t really seen him do much in the two away games. He’s tidy if nothing else, but it’s been far from inspirational.
And it might be that the Saad Experiment is over, because yesterday he was playing on a wing with Toews. If they really wanted to push it they would give him all the game time at center they could. Maybe jumping to conclusions, but that’s just the way it looks. Which is fine, because Saad didn’t show much other than confusion at the pivot anyway, and I want my Rick Tocchet back.
All of which leads me to believe that either Handzus or Kruger is going to be centering Sharp and Hossa (if he can stand up) on Oct. 1. The only way that doesn’t happen is if Pirri blows them away in the next week. But I would bet some combo of Smith, Handzus, Kruger, and Shaw fill out the three spots behind the captain. I’m rooting for Pirri, though. Just cuz.
Should make for a nice Bears pregame thing. Have at it you wankers!
Discuss all the goings-on and non-goings-on here.
Bit of a mini-wrap today for last night’s exhibition, and one of us will do the same for tonight’s tilt in DC (speaking of which, the Hawks aren’t doing the White House visit today, but you know that McDonough isn’t going to miss the chance to do so. The Hawks aren’t back in Washington until April, which is going to look awfully stupid when the playoffs are days away. If you can’t get to the White House within months of winning, don’t go at all).
So my thoughts:
-On to the main question of camp, and I’m obviously biased but I didn’t see anything that makes me think this Saad-at-center experiment makes any more sense than I thought it did to begin with. He had one nice set up to Kane on the power play, which came from the wing. He got drilled on faceoffs, but as we know the Hawks don’t really care about that. But other than that, I didn’t really notice anything. Which tells you something, because last year hardly a game, or a shift, went by where you didn’t notice The General.
It’s preseason for all of us, too. So let’s work out some of our kinks, experiment with new styles, make new friends, and all the rest tonight in our sandbox. Have at it.
They hate it when you say “Exhibition.” Or is that the NFL? They definitely hate it when you say that. Though the NFL knows they’re perpetrating an even bigger scam with their preseason than the NHL does. I mean, the NFL preseason is 25% of the regular season, whereas both the NHL and NBA are less than 10%. Whatever, I’m getting off the rails again.
Anyway, let’s discuss some talking points from last night. Or at least the ones I gathered as I wasn’t there. Though it didn’t take long for the beaters to start complaining through Twitter, did it? Hey guys, you didn’t miss much. The baseball was pretty dreadful. You’re not in Edmonton in February yet.
We’ve been looking inward for a bit now, and you know what happens when you look inward for too long. You start thinking you have complexes and shortcomings that aren’t there, and deciding this or that is the reason you can’t love or can only get off by being spanked with a cricket bat and then you dump all your money to some therapist before you end up sitting on the floor in your apartment with a bucket of chicken wearing nothing more than your underwear as you smear the grease on your chest and….oh, wait, this was just my Saturday night. Ok then…
But sometimes, it’s best to look at everyone else and point out their faults. Well, maybe not best but it sure is a hell of a lot more fun. And it’s easier to blame others for your problems than yourself (unless you’re Catholic). So let’s start that process today by examining what should be the Adams Division or maybe the Northeast except for that thing where the two Florida teams are involved because Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa fans love to go to Florida in the winter if they don’t live there already. Seriously, have you been to that stretch between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami in January? It’s lousy with French-Canadians. They’re everywhere, interspersed with the old Jewish men who constantly looked bewildered. Probably because they are. Oh, and Scum. Because Detroit is so far Northeast.
Going to pause our season preview a bit and just clean up some stuff today.
-I think it’s best to delve into what bothers me most about this whole Saad-at-center thing. I’m not opposed to experimentation in camp, because it’s the best time to do it. And while every beat writer seems to want to race each other in being the first to say it looks pretty good so far, here’s my biggest issue (and it’s not that there are two natural centers right there for the choosing, although it’s close).
The Hawks are not blessed with power forwards. Bryan Bickell is considered one, and at times he is. But as all of you who have watched the Hawks closely for years know, he’s not always. Maybe he will be now with continued top six time, but have we seen him do it for a season?
With actual blades hitting actual ice today, and the temperature dropping below Bikram yoga in hell, it actually feels just a little bit like hockey is pretty close. Not so you could reach out and touch it, but soon enough.
Today I’m going to make up my own question to answer, because that’s just the guy I am. And it addresses who the Hawks will miss most that is gone from last year’s team.
