After needing a shootout to dispatch of the Panthers two nights ago, the Hawks didn’t let the Panthers back into this game. This time, a 2-0 third period lead turned into a 3-0 win. Not dressing Michal Rozsival was a part of it but not the whole thing. Let’s go.
vs 
Game Time: 6:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, SportsNet Ontario, SportsNet West, WGN-AM 720
Florida Men: Litter Box Cats
Rare is the home-and-home in the NHL’s unbalanced divisional scheduling era, and rarer still is its interconference cousin. But that’s exactly what’s in store tonight as the Hawks take on the Panthers once again, this time in Sunrise as the first part of the Florida two-step.
Somewhere, whoever actually runs the Hawks front office should crack open a beer or make a strong drink and breathe a sigh of relief that Patrick Kane’s surgery provides cover today that the Hawks once again missed out on a trade target that would have solved a lot of their problems. And they can sit back and watch as the Kings usurp the era that the Hawks have basically acted that they were entitled to.
It’s a story we’ve had to rehash far too many times the past two years. It’s after the parade, a time when perhaps you have to have the most amount of focus to see through the glow and what must be done. Everything looks a little glossier than it actually is and it’s easy to make a mistake, the ripples of which will be problems for years.
Hey the Hawks play that before every 3rd period at the UC, so I can use it.
Now that we have the cold light of day to refocus on everything, there’s some cleaning up to do.
While some have already begun speculating what the Hawks will do to fill in the gap left by Kane, that’s missing the point. The biggest problem isn’t at forward. It’s still on defense, and that’s where the Hawks focus has to be, for a multitude of reasons.
2 points…: Blackhawks
Not good: CSN
Looking inward: ESPN Chicago
I disagree: PHT
Look who got paid: NHL
Minnesota going for it: TSN
There would be more than enough to talk about in this one if there wasn’t one overriding issue. But seeing as how the Hawks’ entire season is hanging in the balance, there’s not much point in talking about much else at the top here.
From having watched enough of this, there are two outcomes tomorrow. Either Patrick Kane broke his collarbone and misses six weeks, which means he’s ready for Game 1. Or he completely busted it, needs surgery, is done for this season, and you can pack up the cats on this season. That’s what it feels like.
vs 
Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
It Never Snows In Florida: Litter Box Cats
Much like Joel Quenneville’s theory regarding 5-on-3’s, there was a school of thought that this 8 game homestand would go a long way in determining how the Hawks’ regular season will end up. And also similar to Quenneville’s 5-on-3 power play units, this stretch has been frustrating and bordering on motionless, going down to the wire to salvage something other than “unmitigated disaster” as a result. That opportunity presents itself tonight in the form of the Florida Panthers on the front end of a home-and-home, where the Hawks can barely squeak out 9 points of a potential 16 with a win tonight coming off of three straight losses.
