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Game #45 – Flames vs. Hawks Douchebag Du Jour: Anything That’s Not These

By Sam Fels January 7, 2019 1515 0

There are myriad reasons that the NHL isn’t as popular as it could, maybe even should, be. And a lot of them are little reasons. But add them up enough, and the NHL could be a different landscape. And one of them is teams running from their retro jerseys.

Nothing pops on HD television like bright NHL jerseys, at least not ones bordered or splashed with black, on a white ice surface. The Flames’ throwbacks are a prime example. The Oilers’ old blues were. The Flyers orange. The Penguins figured out to go back to their plainer yellow, both home and road, because it contrasts better. The Islanders’ blue is another prime example.

Games on HD TV would grab eyes a lot better if both sets of jerseys pop. Look at the NBA and how their alternates almost always are brighter. Cool college football jerseys go the same route. Cast your mind to what it looks like with the retro Flames and retro Oilers away jerseys looking like on a Saturday night, and how much better it would be if all games looked this vivid.

Look at these beautiful things. Why would you douse them with unnecessary black lining and pants? It shades everything. Deadens. Why would you run from this? Especially as the Flames won their only Cup wearing these, why wouldn’t you hang onto this?

There should be a decree that you can’t wear black unless it’s actually one of your colors. Flyers, Hawks, Ducks, Kings, Sharks, Knights, Penguins and that’s it. Everyone else needs to be brighter, to make the game look better. It doesn’t sound like much, but it would make a bigger difference than you think.

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Game #45 – Flames vs. Hawks: I Make A Lot Of Graphs

By Sam Fels January 7, 2019 1216 0

Game #45 Preview Suite

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Game #45 – Flames vs. Hawks: Lineups & How Teams Were Built

By Sam Fels January 7, 2019 1285 0

Notes: That top line is going to be quite the challenge for Murphy and Dahlstrom. Gaudreau has 11 points in his last four games and Monahan has nine…Rittich can’t quite seem to fully grab the #1 job yet, as Smith got two straight starts after the turn of the calendar, but Rittich has gotten the last one and they won so expect him to go tonight…Bill Peters still hates Michael Frolik…Tkachuk also has seven points in his last four games…

Notes: Wouldn’t expect too many changes. There’s an outside shot that Jokiharju plays tonight as he came back last night, but without a morning skate or practice to bleed him back in Wednesday seems more likely…Delia will start, and he will be busy…Toews’s line absolutely destroyed the bottom six of the Penguins last night, which was curious that they weren’t eventually combatted with Crosby…Caggiula didn’t look helpless, and they’re already making noise about moving him to center, so you can look for Kruger’s name to come up in trade talks…

Game #45 Preview Suite

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High On The Hog: Snapping With Style

By Jon Fromi January 7, 2019 1403 0

The Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate to the Chicago Blackhawks, split a home-and-home with the Central Division-leading Iowa Wild this weekend. The piglets won the back half of the two-game series, exploding for six goals to break a six-game losing skid.

The IceHogs, now 16-15-3-4, remain in sixth place in the Central Division with a .513 points percentage. Rockford is now steeling itself for a Texas road trip that will see the Hogs play in Texas Friday night before games with San Antonio on Saturday and Tuesday.

Roster Activity

The IceHogs get a boost in the form of Dylan Sikura and Andreas Martinsen, who were sent to Rockford on Saturday. Both took part in the Hogs 6-2 win over Iowa Sunday.

In Sikura, Rockford gains speed and play-making ability as the organization tries to get him big minutes at the AHL level. Sikura was leading the Hogs in points when he was called up last month and had an assist on a Jacob Nilsson goal Sunday afternoon.

Martinsen, who cleared waivers before being assigned to the IceHogs, spent nearly all of last season with Rockford, putting up 28 points and bringing a very physical element to the mix. The big Norwegian proved to be a productive player in the AHL and should be a key piece for the Hogs moving forward.

Speaking of forwards, Rockford has 15 healthy forwards on the roster. Nick Moutrey, who played Sunday, is nearing the end of his PTO contract. He has two more games left on that agreement, so expect to see some kind of action taken on Moutrey this week.

Viktor Edjsell has now missed nine games with an injury. His return would further crowd the Hogs up front.

Rockford may elect to send a player or two to Indianapolis for a stretch. Matheson Iacopelli, who has been a frequent scratch, went down to the Fuel around this time last season and made a big impact.

Perhaps one of Rockford’s AHL signings, Henrik Samuelsson, Terry Broadhurst, or William Pelletier get sent to the Fuel. Nathan Noel is another prospect that could get minutes in Indy if the team decides there are too many forwards around for now.

In other roster news, Rockford re-assigned defenseman Neil Manning to the ECHL’s Indy Fuel following Sunday’s game. It would seem likely that the team expects to get back Lucas Carlsson and/or Jan Rutta back from injury before the Hogs fly to Texas. If both are ready to return, expect to see D Josh McArdle return to the Fuel late this week.

Minus Manning and McArdle, the Hogs have eight defensemen on the roster. This includes Luc Snuggerud, who was concussed in a game against Iowa on November 3 and has not played since.

Fuel Notes

A number of players on AHL contracts with Rockford has spent quite a bit of time with the Fuel, who are 18-16 on the season. Indy is in fourth place in the ECHL’s Central Division. Here’s how the season is going for the Rockford signings in Indy.

F Brett Welychka has six goals and nine assists in 19 games with Indy. F Radovan Bondra has four goals and 11 helpers in 28 games, while F Connor Moynihan has five goals and six assists in 24 games.

Manning has played 29 games in Indy, with 17 points (2 G, 15 A). McArdle has a goal and three assists in 26 appearances.

Goalie Matt Tomkins has been in 26 games for the Fuel. He has a 14-11 record to go with a 3.14 GAA and a .910 save percentage. Tomkins has also been named CCM ECHL Goalie Of The Week on two occasions this season.

Recaps

Friday, January 4-Iowa 3, Rockford 0

The IceHogs were shut out for the fifth time in the 2018-19 season on their way to their sixth-straight defeat.

It was a scoreless standoff until the seventh minute of the third period, when Iowa’s Colton Beck sent a wrister from the top of the right circle past the blocker of Hogs goalie Anton Forsberg. Less than a minute later, Will Bitten knocked in a rebound to make it 2-0 Wild. Iowa added an empty net goal by Justin Kloos with 29 seconds remaining in the contest.

Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 26 Rockford shots to record his fifth shutout of the season. The Wild rookie has blanked the Hogs three times this season. Forsberg recorded 31 saves in taking the loss.

Sunday, January 6-Rockford 6, Iowa 2

In breaking their six-game losing streak, the IceHogs scored more goals at the BMO Sunday (6) than in the last six games combined (5). Jacob Nilsson led the way with a hat trick as Rockford finally got some pucks in nets.

Colton Beck spoiled an IceHogs power play with a shorthanded goal midway through the first period. Rockford began the offensive charge early in the middle frame.

Andrew Campbell took a pass from Jordan Schroeder at the left circle. Campbell sent a shot to the net that glanced off of the left pad of Wild goalie Andrew Hammond and tumbled into the cage, tying the score 1-1 at the 1:19 mark.

Iowa regained the lead on the power play, with Justin Kloos getting to the backdoor ahead of Hogs starter Kevin Lankinen. The Hogs trailed 2-1 5:33 into the period but would soon take control of the contest.

Schroeder got to a loose puck in neutral ice and sent it off the half boards and into the Wild zone. Nilsson redirected a nifty backhand pass from Sikura past Hammond at 6:04 of the second to even the score at two goals.

On the subsequent faceoff, the IceHogs got control of the puck behind the Iowa net. Henrik Samuelsson hit Anthony Louis in the high slot. His offering was redirected by Luke Johnson to put Rockford up 3-2 at 6:19 of the second period.

In the final period, Rockford put its foot on the pedal. Louis got things started in the sixth minute, taking a stretch pass from Joni Tuulola and skating down the right side on an odd-man rush. Electing to take the shot, Louis went far side on Hammond and made it 4-2 Hogs at 5:43 of the third.

As time began to run out on the Wild, Nilsson picked off a clearing attempt by Iowa’s Carson Souchy inside the Wild blueline. A few strides and a wrist shot later, the puck settled into the netting behind Hammond and Rockford led 5-2 with 5:17 to play. With help from Andreas Martinsen and Louis, Nilsson completed the hat trick with an empty net goal with 2:49 remaining.

Lankinen made 31 saves in picking up the victory for Rockford. Nilsson, Johnson and Louis were named the Three Stars of the game.

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for game updates, news and analysis on all things Rockford throughout the season.

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Game #44 – The Pastrami’s Pilin’ High While You’re Comin’ Down – Hawks 5, Penguins 3

By John Pullega January 6, 2019 1967 0

Box Score

Corsica

Natural Stat Trick

There’s probably nothing that will completely take the sting of today’s Bears game away for diehards, but the Hawks sure did their damnedest anyway. They continue what’s been a surprisingly comical dominance of the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning their 10^th straight against them since 2014. And they did it on the backs of Cam Ward and Chris Kunitz. Fucking strap in.

– Every time Colliton starts Cam Ward, I want to lose my ass entirely. I usually do. But in four of his last five, Cam Ward has looked at the very least solid. Tonight was no different. It’d be hard to pin the first two goals on him. The first resulted from Toews losing his man in front while Murphy and Dahlstrom covered theirs. On the second, Keith and Anisimov got caught ogling Bryan Rust in the corner, leaving Guentzel all the space in the world to leak one past Ward off Letang’s point shot. The third goal he probably should have had. But 31 saves on 34 shots against the hottest team in the league—which also had an extended 5-on-3—ought to get you the win, and tonight it did. Ward played well.

– When Chris Kunitz and Duncan Keith both score game-tying goals in the same game, it’s probably wise to check to see which direction the screaming wind that will claim our souls is blowing from. But here we stand, alive and relatively well, following these signs of the apocalypse. Kunitz’s goal came off a slick Dahlstrom stretch pass to Kruger on the far boards. Kruger then backhanded it to a streaking Kunitz, who potted it over Casey “I’m a good guy according to a bunch of stupid jackoffs on Twitter” DeSmith’s dumbass glove. Anyone who gives up a goal to 39-year-old Chris Kunitz is automatically not a good guy. I don’t make the rules (yes, I do).

Keith’s goal was a simple snap shot from the point off a Seabrook pass. It’s been so long since we’ve seen this happen that I was certain they’d wave it off out of principle. While Keith’s goal doesn’t entirely make up for the fact that he had a dogshit game outside of it, it helps. It’s still a nightmare watching him get beat to his spots night in and night out. Tonight though, you’ll take the good with the bad.

– Speaking of good, the power play is good now. Write it down, you heard it here first officially. The Hawks scored much the same way they have been on the power play since Colliton’s actual genius brain put the current PP1 together: Toews roamed in the middle, forcing the PK to turtle into him, giving Gus, Kane, and DeBrincat more room to wreak havoc. Kane’s pass to DeBrincat was art that appreciates over time, and this is just what the PP does now.

– After a slow start, Garbage Dick came to life. First on the power play, then on the game winner, which came after extended pressure from the power play. On both goals, Kane slipped a pass from the far circle, though the slot, to a waiting Hawk. In the second case, Dylan Strome didn’t have to do much but tap it in. This is the pass Garbage Dick almost always looks for, but with the way Colliton is drawing plays up, there’s more room to work with.

– The Penguins have a Top 5 power play in the league. The Hawks killed off all of their attempts, including an extended 5-on-3 that saw Ward make several outstanding saves. The Hawks also had a 51+ CF% overall. You might say the win was a fluke, but none of the underlying numbers really suggest that. The Hawks just straight-up beat the hottest team in the league.

– In the grand scheme, Brandon Davidson probably isn’t an answer to any question you’re asking besides “Who’s that one guy who kind of sucked for the Hawks in 2018–19 who missed 25 games due to knee surgery?” But after tonight, maybe you let Forsling spend some more time in the press box with his “upper torso injury” (MORE LIKE LACK OF HEART, MY FRENTS). He and Brent Seabrook led all Hawks in CF% tonight, with a 53+ and 56+, respectively. Because fuck anything that makes sense.

– There’s no reason Dylan Sikura should be in the AHL while Artem Anisimov gets to do anything other than not play NHL hockey. Fuck the contract and whatever other excuse you want to make for Wide Dick, he unequivocally sucks. He brought up the rear in possession with a putrid 34+. The next closest was Garbage Dick with 40+, but guess who didn’t make two assists on game-changing goals? Just fucking offer him for Darnell Nurse at this point. What’s Chiarelli gonna do, say “No, that’s not a good trade for me” for the first time in his entire life? I know he has an NMC or NTC or whatever, so if you can’t get rid of him, just bench him. Sunk cost.

Folks, this is not a drill: The Blackhawks are only six points out of a playoff spot, because parity is fake, the NHL is a vile urinal, and they’ve played a few more games than everyone else just about. Regardless of where they finish, there’s hope for this team yet, and that’s before you truly incorporate guys like Boqvist, Jokiharju, Mitchell, Beaudin et al.

It may not make the hurt of this year or today’s Bears game go away, but it’s something to build on.

Booze du Jour: Tin Cup & High Life

Line of the Night: “The Blackhawks are within striking distance of the playoffs.” – Kathryn Tappen

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Game #44 – Hawks vs. Penguins Preview/BEEEAARRRRSSSSS: This Is How You Do It

By Sam Fels January 6, 2019 1694 0

vs.

RECORDS: Hawks 15-21-7 Penguins 23-12-6

PUCK DROP: 7pm

TV: NBCSN

MUNCHIN’ ON A JOE, DICK, AND STANLEY: Pensburgh

While it’s easy to look at the Kings and Hawks, two recent main forces in the NHL, falling on hard times, throw your hands up and say, “Well, that’s just the price of being good for a while,” the Penguins keep putting their thumb in that eye. And when it looked like the Pens would join the Hawks and Kings in the has-been room, they go and ruin it all by doing something stupid like ripping off 10 of 11 since the last time these two met. That has seen them tied atop the Metro division again, with the Capitals, and we’re going to do this dance forever.

It’s not much of a secret how the Penguins managed it. Matt Murray came back from the wilderness and hasn’t lost. Since that Hawks game that he missed, Murray has gone 7-0-0 while giving up just nine goals. Casey DeSmith, despite being a woman-beating dickhead, has backed him up ably, and hence it’s nearly impossible to score more than one or two against the Penguins of late. You can win a lot of games like that.

At the opposite end. having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin sure helps. Crosby has gone off for 29 points in his last 17 games, taking Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust–he of the hat trick the last time we saw the Pens–along with him. Phil Kessel has returned to the third line, though his combo with Derick Brassard has been just short of a disaster. That’s almost all Brassard’s fault, who has just not fit in The Steel City at all, at least not at center. Kris Letang is also molten-hot, and he’s basically all their drive from the back end as the bottom two pairings are a lot of construction horses in the form of Olli Maatta, Jamie Oleksiak, and Jack Johnson (he the name you know).

Given the state of the Metro, there’s little reason the Penguins can’t get back to a conference final, and if Murray is going to be like this then they could go farther. Obviously he’ll have to be that level to get past the Lightning. But a goalie and star power is just about all you need to make a run in the NHL. The Penguins have both right now in spades.

To the Hawks, Cam Ward will take tonight’s start with Collin Delia going at home against the Flames tomorrow. So duck. Drake Caggiula will make his Hawks debut tonight on the fourth line, which is where he should be. His inclusion led to the demotion of Dylan Sikura, which makes us make a frowny face. Though Sikura hadn’t scored, his metrics were really good, he’d showed and understanding with Alex DeBrincat, and Brendan Perlini just doesn’t have the same dash. But whatever, he’ll probably be back soon. Chris Kunitz seems to be drawing back in in a place where he played, throwing a useless veteran a bone for reasons we wouldn’t understand and don’t want to hear. Henri Jokiharju would likely be back tomorrow, no later than Wednesday for sure.

This is not the time to be playing the Penguins, and especially at the Not-Igloo where they will get their matchups and will harass a Hawks defense that simply can’t escape its own zone. That three-pass bullshit the Hawks still insist on using to breakout will get them slaughtered tonight, so they need to play the Pens game and get it the fuck out and get it the fuck up the ice. Otherwise the Penguins loaded forward corps is going to go nuts. If the Hawks do that, it should be at least a fast, entertaining one. Until Cam Ward melts from the inside.

Game #44 Preview Suite

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Game #44 – Hawks vs. Penguins Spotlight: Jake Guentzel, A Friend In Need?

By Sam Fels January 6, 2019 1472 0

Last week, the Penguins signed Jake Guentzel to a five-year extension starting next season, totaling $30M. Pretty simple stuff as he was coming out of his entry-level deal. He put up 22 goals last year, on pace for over 30 this year, and players that put up those kind of numbers in their first few years get paid around $6 million. Clean and easy.

Not so much. Looking a little deeper, Guentzel has been Sidney Crosby’s main running-buddy since he came up to the NHL halfway through the Penguins second Cup season of ’16-’17. And their numbers together are great. But due to injuries or line-shuffling, Guentzel has spent enough time away from Crosby that we can see what he really might be. And his numbers away from #87 are downright terrible. Take a look:

Corsi-percentage with/without Crosby: 55.9/47.8

Shot-percentage: 56.1/48.3

Scoring-chance percentage: 55.0/46.7

High-danger chance percentage: 54.6/44.9

27 of Guentzel’s career 46 even-strength goals have come with Crosby, so he has managed to score with others. But obviously, those rates of possession are noticeable.

The real question for the Penguins is how much trouble does Guentzel’s new deal affect whatever else the Penguins want to do going forward. This is not a team that’s going to be going through a rebuild anytime soon, and any year with both Crosby and Malkin still playing is a year the Pens are going to try and win. The Penguins only have about $10 million in space next year and only around 14 players signed. While Derick Brassard and Riley Sheehan haven’t done anything in black and gold that’s going to cause anyone to write any fanfic about them, their roles of #3 and #4 centers are going to have to be filled. The way Casey DeSmith has bailed out Matt Murray this season, he’s going to get a raise or the Pens are going to have to find another backup.

The prospect line isn’t gutted but isn’t gushing either, with Kasper Bjorkqvist and Nikita Pavlychev looking to join in the next year or two. But neither look to be huge difference makers. This is all going to result in more Phil Kessel trade rumors to open up even more cap space for whatever the Penguins deem they need. More centers? A second-pairing d-man who isn’t an affront to society like Jack Johnson?

Then again, there’s no reason that for most, if not all, of the five years Guentzel is signed he’s going to play with Crosby. Which means he’ll produce. And you’ll get your $6M worth. But couldn’t a lot of players? Will the Penguins be tempted to put future kids on Crosby’s line to give them a softer landing? Will Guentzel have to move aside if they do, and will he produce if he does? Maybe Hornqvist’s name comes up as well. But both Kessel and Hornqvist score wherever you put them. Guentzel can’t really make that claim.

It would have been the ballsiest of calls to cash in on Guentzel, whose value would have been highest this year or before the season. And you don’t just move a winger that Crosby clearly likes playing with. You find your savings elsewhere. Either way, Guentzel probably owes Crosby a few nice dinners out now that he’s rich.

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Game #44 – Hawks vs. Penguins Q&A: The Kessel Run In 12 Parsecs

By Sam Fels January 6, 2019 1621 0

The Kessel Run writes for Pensburgh.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Gbehanna.

When we last saw the Penguins, they were struggling and just outside the playoff spots. They have ripped off 9 of 10 since. What’s been the difference?

I think the biggest difference to the Penguins’ change of play since the Dec. 12 game has been the goaltending, and the reemergence of Matt Murray to what looks to be his pre-injury / Stanley Cup-winning form. Since Murray’s return on Dec. 15, he’s gone 7-0, with a .959 SV% through the month of December. Casey DeSmith has also held his own, winning three out of his last four games since the Pens last met the Hawks. Winger Bryan Rust has also exploded on the score sheet since then, alleviating the pressure of the top stars, notching a hat-trick in that loss to Chicago and tallying eight goals and 13 points to close out December.

The Pens just re-upped Jake Guenztel for five years at $6 million per year. Good deal?

Jake Guentzel has been a constant alongside Sidney Crosby for a while now, and he’s even made a name for himself with his crazy goal-scoring prowess in the postseason. I think every Penguins fan knew an extension was coming. It was just a matter of when and figuring out how Guentzel’s new deal would affect the team’s salary cap with so much money already locked up to big-name guys. Luckily, the salary cap looks to be increasing next year, which was one of the reasons GM Jim Rutherford was able to get the deal done now. Given Guentzel’s consistently positive possession metrics, his knack for scoring big goals, and chemistry with Sid, $30 million over the next five years looks like a great deal for all parties.

Why hasn’t Derick Brassard worked out? It seemed a perfect fit on the third line.

Derick Brassard becomes more polarizing with each passing game. Jim Rutherford even called Brassard out for his lack of overall production since the trade. Was this done to try and light a fire under Brassard? Who knows. However, Brassard holds a sub-50 CF% on the season, which blows given the role he has on the team. While his linemates have been shuffled around, he’s just never looked comfortable for whatever reason on the third line. Possibly due to more defensive responsibilities on more of a “checking” line. When given the off chance to move up the lineup, to play on Crosby’s left wing for example, he’s said he loves playing there with Sid. But everyone knows that’s not why we traded for him. He was supposed to be that cornerstone in the bottom-six like Nick Bonino was during the two Cup runs, but Brassard has never found his groove. Only time will tell if he’s shipped out in a package or something along those lines before the trade deadline.

What do you think the Penguins will do before the deadline and what will the spring look like for them?

Jim Rutherford’s favorite unofficial holiday may be the NHL Trade Deadline. Rutherford has never been shy of making a deal, especially while in Pittsburgh. With that said, there are a few moves I could see the veteran GM making to bolster his team for another championship run. Trading the aforementioned Brassard is a package deal may be a possibility if Rutherford feels he’s not getting anything out of him. Young defenseman Olli Maatta is another player whose name has been floated around in recent weeks and months as part of a larger package deal. Realistically, I could see Rutherford looking to bolster his defense again by swapping Maatta for a different face. The same goes for Brassard and the third-line center role. Whatever value both players have now and leading up to the deadline remains to be seen. As you may know, Rutherford has already shipped out the Penguins’ top prospect in Daniel Sprong earlier in the year, so prospect depth isn’t really a strength the team has for wheeling and dealing. The team has its 2019 1st-round pick still with them, so that may be a vital piece in whatever Rutherford decides to do.

It will be another interesting spring for sure. After the horrendously slow start the Penguins were on, they are now riding a season-defining eight-game win streak at the moment. Wins are more crucial as the season draws to a close, obviously. With goaltending looking better and better with each game, the Pens are in position to close out the 2018-19 season in pretty good shape, with their eyes on yet another Stanley Cup.

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Game #44 – Hawks vs. Penguins Douchebag Du Jour: Casey DeSmith Is A Trashbag You’ll Never Hear About

By Sam Fels January 6, 2019 2282 0

So here’s a scenario for you, and one that you might want to prepare for. Matt Murray can’t ever dislodge Casey DeSmith from the starter’s role in the Penguins crease. Because of the mediocre nature of the Metro, and the star power of the Penguins, they could get to a conference final without a huge struggle. And the narrative will of course be how the Penguins unearthed yet another young goalie, and how they just keep going like a machine. “How do they do it?” everyone will ask. Worse yet, DeSmith may get lauded heavily, and perhaps even touted as a redemption story.

That’s because Casey DeSmith is a piece of shit.

As University of New Hampshire, DeSmith was arrested for viciously beating his girlfriend while drunk. He repeatedly jumped on her, as well as punching her. DeSmith was suspended and eventually dismissed from the UNH program. DeSmith was able to avoid jail-time by going into alcohol and anger counseling, as well as community service under a diversion agreement.

Of course, you’ll never hear this mentioned about DeSmith, as most hockey media will dismiss anything in college or juniors as “boys being boys.” That doesn’t mean that DeSmith should be barred from playing hockey or even the NHL, given that the case is now closed. Though it makes one wonder why the Penguins were in such a hurry to sign him.

But it should be a part of any story about DeSmith, but it never is. It’ll be cataloged as an “obstacle” that DeSmith had to overcome on his way to NHL glory, no different than an injury or struggling play or the like. DeSmith can be a successful goalie, and we can separate what he did from that. But what shouldn’t happen is that being ignored, and given the disgusting nature of his crimes, it’s something he should have to carry as well. If the NHL and the media alike were ever serious about this issue, he would.

But listen to any broadcast struggle to talk about Austin Watson now, and you know we’re a long way from that.

Game #44 Preview Suite