BAH.BAH..BAH!!!LG
Weak Ruble:TSN
This could be a movement:SI
The guy wearing #16 helps:SN
What does this mean for the Floptastic Mr.Smith? PD
Riot Retrospective:SBN
Not exactly how you draw it up, morons.
The Hawks got two points in just about the most unconvincing fashion tonight, giving up 44 shots to the Hurricanes (who to be fair, put up 38 in Minnesota not too long ago). And when the Hawks give up that many shots, you know something is structurally or fundamentally wrong.
Tonight, and for the second night in a row, the Hawks decisions with and management of the puck was a few zip codes away from suck. I lost count of how many times in the neutral zone they chose the wrong pass or option, or how many times they simply whiffed on either making or receiving a pass. And it was everyone. Even Toews looked like he was trying to juggle chainsaws on quaaludes at the other blue line tonight.
When the Hawks are this careless and sloppy with the puck, it basically tears down their whole defensive game. Because that is built on them standing up at their own blue line with furious back pressure forcing teams to make plays and decisions a whole lot quicker than they want to. But when the puck is just turned over, they can’t do that because their forwards get caught and beat up the ice, and hence the defense have to sink back and guard against giving up a 4-on-1 or something. They have no support from the forwards so can’t get aggressive. And that’s how they get trapped in their own zone.
at 
Game Time: 6:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Mike Krzyzewski Is A Charlatan: Canes Country
A late season road trip playing out the interconference schedule now has the Hawks taking their only swing through NASCAR country this season. And really nothing has changed since these teams saw one another three weeks ago other than the fact that the Canes are actually eliminated.
Just a quick note today. For those who don’t know I do a Cubs version of The Indian, it’s a digital weekly that comes out every Monday during the baseball season (sometimes Tuesday, depending on days off and/or hangover) via email. It’s just $35 for the whole season right now until Opening Night. You can sign up right here. Certainly will be an interesting Cubs season to write and read about, that’s for sure. And sorry Sox fans, but you wouldn’t want a non-fan writing about your lot. Ask Fifth Feather real nicely, maybe you can convince him.
We don’t need to wait around to analyze this one. In a way, this was a good thing. I, and possibly others, possibly the Hawks themselves, had let Wednesday’s win fill our head with dreams and we had to have them all. As my compatriot McClure quickly pointed out, there is no such thing as an important win before April. The Hawks found that out with authority tonight in Texas. Everything that was good in New York was bad tonight.
While the record without Patrick Kane could still be considered gaudy, you’re still talking about a team that’s managed 22 goals in those 10 games. That’s simply not good enough. It’s been shutout three times. It seems when the top line doesn’t binge, they’re not going to score more than two (Sharks meltdowns not withstanding). And each line has its issues, and we’ll get to that in a moment.
at 
Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Dale Hansen Rules: Defending Big D
A scatterbrained, slapped-together late season road trip has the Hawks now turning south from Manhattan to Texas tonight before turning back east for games against Carolina and Philly. And the Hawks find themselves thrust back into the conversation for the Central while the Stars are all but eliminated.
It’s Friday, it’s nice out, you don’t particularly want to read another breakdown of the third line or whatever, and I don’t particularly want to write one. So I thought I’d just share some of the stuff I’ve done on The Indian’s Page 8 lately, because they’re funny. So have a laugh, leave work early, and grab a golden ale of some kind. And leave that IPA shit to the hipsters.
