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Game #39 – Hawks vs. Rangers: Q&A With Beth Boyle Machlan

By Sam Fels 1952 0

Beth is our Rangers correspondent, and she’s just about thawed out from the Winter Classic. But dying of frostbite is still better than watching the Mets there. Follow her @bethmachlan.

The Rangers are kind of weird. In the past few weeks they’ve managed to beat the Kings and Bruins while also losing to the Senators and Red Wings. They seem to go to OT/SO a lot. Are they just a middling team and this is what it looks like or is it something more?
Here’s the thing about the Rangers. They can beat anyone; they can also lose to anyone. And this isn’t just the unpredictability of hockey. It’s something about the team’s core psyche, if such a thing exists. They often come out for sequential periods looking like completely different teams. I would love to know what goes on in that room, I really would. But even the team that went to the SCF was like this. I call it “Going to the Bad Place.” As for the going to OT/SO … often, it’s that they’re not generating enough shots, and they’re relying on goaltending, not defensive strategy, to stop shots on them. Watch them; they often seem to wait for the perfect chance instead of just bashing the puck at the net, and I’d argue that you have to do both to win hockey games.
It seems like Rangers fans have been bitching about the use of Pavel Buchnevich for a while. But he’s spent most of the season with Kreider and Zibanejad, and he’s third on the team in scoring. What’s the problem here?
The Buchnevich problem is a Vigneault problem. He’s not a 4th line winger, and he seems to pay a higher price for mistakes (demotion, significantly reduced TOI) than, say, Jimmy Vesey. He plays beautifully on the KZB line, but unfortunately that’s kaput now without Kreider. And AV won’t let him get comfortable or develop chemistry anywhere else. It’s irritating, because when he’s confident and in the right place, he is so much fun to watch.
Meanwhile, Michael Grabner, who plays on the bottom six most of the time, is on pace for another 25+ goal season. How does this work?
I said Grabner wasn’t going to cool off, and he didn’t. Who knows why. And this is with him also MISSING some of the most perfect setups I’ve ever seen. That said, yesterday was his first goal in 2-3 games I think, so maybe the run is ending? But no question he ends with 25+.
The Rangers only have one player on course for even 60 points. Do they need to find a way to get a primetime scorer like…oh we don’t know, Max Pacioretty?
I honestly don’t think it’s that they need a goal scorer. I think it’s a system issue. First of all, and I think I said this before … Rick Nash is the unluckiest man in hockey. If his shot can be stopped by a post or a stick knob or a dirty look or a passing pigeon, it will happen. I think the guys they have need to stop with the fancy setups and put more pucks on net. Kevin Hayes is a beast with possession but where are the goals? Rookie Vinni Lettieri scored on a one-timer against Detroit and I swear it was the first one-timer I’ve seen from this team in I don’t know how long. SHOOT THE PUCK. Frankly, I’m more worried about the effect of losing Kreider’s perfect screen.

 

 

 

 

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Game #39 – Hawks vs. Rangers: Douchebag Du Jour – If Brendan Smith Plays In The League So Can I

By Sam Fels 2240 0

Generally we reserve this section for a pest, or goon, or someone who just kills the Hawks. Rarely do we allot this to someone whose mere presence we find objectionable. The fact that he is just there, no matter what he does, leaves us with a look on our face akin to whenever we’re told vanilla ice cream is more popular than chocolate.

Brendan Smith will make $4.3 million this year to play NHL hockey. You, dear reader, will not. And believe us when we tell you that you aren’t that much less qualified to do so than he is.

Brendan Smith sucks. He has always sucked. And really, perhaps we should love him, because without his 2013 Game 6 Tour De What The Fuck in the 3rd period, the Hawks might not come back against the Wings that year. But thankfully, because Smith was wandering around his own zone like he got into the devil ether, the Hawks did. The highlight of course was keeping the Hawks onside for Bickell’s go-ahead goal.

But that’s always been Smith. And yet he keeps getting work. The Rangers gave up two high draft picks to acquire his services last year. And then they signed him to this deal for the next four years. Signing Brendan Smith to do anything for four years other than to clean the dressing room is a fireable offense, or at least it  should be.

This is how much Red Wings glow still exists. Anyone with a handful of functioning neurons knows now that Ken Holland is actually an idiot who just happened to win the raffle a couple times with late-round picks and a wheelbarrow of Mike Illitch’s money. So any player that is a draft pick of that guy should come with huge scrutiny. But no, there are still a lot of GMs who think he must be a stud and the Wings just have too many good players for him to find the lineup.

Smith has no positioning. He has no ass. His passing is barely ok. Sure, he can skate, but who the fuck cares when it’s never in any specific direction? He’s a puck-moving defenseman who doesn’t move the puck or play defense. Great.

And if the Hawks can’t directly benefit from his presence anymore, then it’s just upsetting. Maybe the worst part of the Wings fleeing to the East was that the Hawks didn’t get a handful of points simply because Smith was out there performing in a chorus line only he could hear. Damn you, Red Wings.

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Game #39 – Hawks vs. Rangers: I Make A Lot Of Graphs

By Sam Fels 1663 0

All stats at even-strength except where noted. Courtesy of Corsica.hockey. 

Key: CF/60 – shot attempts for per 60 minutes

CA/60 – shot attempts against per 60

CF% – ratio of shot attempts for and against

G/60, GA/60, GF% – goals scored, allowed, and ratio of per 60 minutes

xGF/60, xGA/60, xGF% – “expected goals” i.e. goals team “should” have scored and allowed based on amount and types of chances and attempts created and allowed given neutral goaltending. 

PDO – shooting percentage plus save percentage, used to measure luck. 100 is average.

Time On Ice Percentage – amount of even-strength time player skates

Off. Zone Start Ratio – percentage of shifts started in offensive zone

TOI% of Competition: percentage of even-strength time opponent takes of his team player skates against

 

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Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight – January 2nd

By Sam Fels 1333 0

First Screen Viewing

Lighting vs. Maple Leafs – 6pm

Big night on the slate, and there’s a couple “top of the table” clashes for you. This one in the T.O. has two of the three teams in the East that matter, and that’s if I’m being kind and say the Bruins matter. Not sure anyone in the Metro does either. Anyway, the Lightning are torching the league so they don’t have much to play for. The Leafs are 10 points behind the Bolts, so they’re not catching them in this world. But this is still two teams with tons of firepower and coaches that aren’t morons–even if one of them routinely tastes his own spunk to check for flavor and viscosity. And we can count on the Toronto media to make way too much of this result, especially if the Leafs get trounced.

Second Screen Viewing

Predators vs. Knights – 9pm

At this point, the NHL should have to explain why an expansion team is partaking in a “big game” halfway through the season. Doesn’t really speak to overall quality when a team thrown together with bit parts, stickum, and some hobos can lead a division. But here we are. The best team in the Central, and probably West, seeing if they can get through this Vegas Flu thing. And while we’re on the subject, if it’s truly a matter that NHL players can’t actually resist going out in Vegas until 4am the night before every game, wouldn’t that make them the most unprofessional group ever? Seriously, keep it together and in your pants for one night.

Other Games

Bruins vs. Islanders – 6pm

Penguins vs. Flyers – 6pm

Capitals vs. Hurricanes – 6pm

Sharks vs. Canadiens – 6:30

Devils vs. Blues – 7pm

Panthers vs. Wild – 7pm

Blue Jackets vs. Stars – 7:30

Jets vs. Avalanche – 8pm

Kings vs. Oilers – 8:30

Ducks vs.Canucks – 9pm

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Fights And Attendance Down…Coincidence?

By Jon Fromi 3294 0

The Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, have an attendance problem. This, despite having a young, exciting group of prospects that sit in second place in the league’s Central Division through 33 games.

Through this point in the calendar a year ago, Rockford was averaging 3905 fans a night for 17 home games. In 20 home dates this season, the Hogs are averaging 3515. For the second straight season, the franchise is facing a big drop in attendance.

Why are fewer people congregating at the BMO Harris Bank Center to cheer on the ‘Bago County Flying Piglets? Apparently because they’re not the ‘Bago County Fighting Piglets.

Some of you might find that statement ridiculous. Others may be nodding pensively. How would the absence of fisticuffs be keeping hockey fans from checking out the quality product showcased in the Forest City? Something else has to be the culprit.

The IceHogs are a much better team this season, both in terms of quality of play and win-loss record. They play a fast-paced style for 60 minutes a night. What’s not to like?

Still, let’s speculate. What could be vastly different about this season that the attendance has dropped the way it has?

Is it the power play? Its still abysmal, though Rockford managed a pair of goals on the man advantage this week. Their success rate of 13.3 percent in the last three games actually raised the Hogs overall total for the season. Regardless, that doesn’t seem to be a factor in attendance.

Could it be bad public relations? This is a young, talented and pretty likable team. No scandalous happenings to the best of my knowledge.

How about turnover in the broadcast booth? Rockford is on its third play-by-play man in the last three months. Bob Mills resigned back in October; Mike Peck handled the mic on an interim basis before the club hired Joe Zakzewski. I’ve enjoyed listening to Joey Z and feel like his open style on social media is a big plus to drawing in fans.

Underwhelming giveaway promotions? 4,296 fans showed up to nab free blankets Friday night, down about 1,200 for a similar promotion last December. Seems like the swag is of similar quality as other years.

Sunspots? I guess that’s for the scientists to decide.

Lack of fighting? Hmmmm…could be…

I would guess that its not just the lack of fighting, but the substantial drop in this category over the past three months of action. Here’s how that three-month total has looked over the past few seasons:

2013-14: 15 FM

2014-15: 30 FM

2015-16: 20 FM

2016-17: 17 FM

2017-18: 5 FM

Through 33 games this season, Rockford has been assessed five fighting majors.

Five.

Not fifteen, five. You can literally count them on one hand.

Last year, the IceHogs set a franchise-low in the category with just 39 fighting majors assessed. Keep in mind, that figure was still good for eighth-highest in the AHL. Rockford is last in the league in fights, which is unprecedented.

It’s simple to explain this prodigious drop in glove dropping. Rockford doesn’t have anyone remotely counting as a fighter on its roster (though Matt Tomkins was in a goalie fight last week before being promoted from Indy). Its probably fortunate that more Hogs aren’t getting into scraps…because they’re not good at it.

The lone December fracas saw Laurent Dauphin square off with Duncan Siemens of the Rampage on the 15th. The Hogs center has been wearing a full face shield ever since; a bit ironic as his bout was the least one-sided of any Rockford has been a part of this season…by far.

If Rockford players are going to get into fights and continue to take damage that could lead to missed time, I’d rather they keep their gloves on. The team does not appear to be bringing in someone with pugilistic tendencies anytime soon, so I would expect more of the status quo.

As I have said repeatedly here, the lack of fighting has not diminished my enjoyment of the games or kept me from showing up. I suspect that I am in the minority when it comes to this issue, though.

Maybe that’s assuming too much. However, it wouldn’t shock me if that drop of 400 fans a night consists in some part of folks who want blood every night and don’t feel its worth the drive downtown if they aren’t going to see it.

Based on the advertising I’ve seen this fall, the emphasis on fighting is as non-existent as it is on the ice. Again, that doesn’t bother me a bit.

I could understand a drop in attendance last season. The team was terrible and going nowhere in an awful hurry. This season, I can’t figure it out. The team has been fun to watch even when they don’t win, and they are in great position in terms of the standings right now.

The Rockford fan base has always supported this team going back to the UHL days, good or bad. Why not now? Hopefully the new year brings in some bigger gates as the season rolls on.

Piglets In Net

Rockford completed a three-games-in-three-nights stretch Saturday, showcasing the style of play that we’ve come to expect from this group. The difference lay in the crease, where the Hogs have two very green goalies to choose from for the foreseeable future.

Due to injuries in Chicago (Corey Crawford) and Rockford (J.F. Berube), both of the organization’s veteran net minders are up with the Blackhawks. This leaves the less than seasoned tandem of Colin Delia and Matt Tomkins to backstop the IceHogs.

Delia, signed to an entry deal by the Blackhawks this summer, made his second and third AHL starts against Iowa this week, having just ten ECHL games under his belt with the Indy Fuel. Tomkins, who made his AHL debut Saturday night, had just eight games played with the Fuel. An AHL contract signing by Rockford, the former Chicago draft pick is now in his first stint in Rockford.

Neither rookie is making anyone forget Berube or Jeff Glass, who were adept at keeping some of Rockford’s more aggressive mistakes from showing up on the scoreboard. Delia seemed to spend quite a bit of time off his skates; there may have been reason that he sat in favor of Glass until their was no other recourse but to give him a start this week.

Tomkins showed some smart rebound control but was still torched for six goals in his start against the Wolves. He let a puck drop and roll into his net on Chicago’s first power play goal Saturday, then failed to cover a loose puck in front of him that resulted in a shorthanded tally for the Wolves.

With Berube not available for possibly a couple more weeks, Rockford will have to stay afloat with Delia and Tomkins for the immediate future. The IceHogs have four games this week against division foes. Limiting shots on goal and staying out of the penalty box are going to be keys in each of those contests.

I think Rockford can tread water with the current goalie situation for another week or so. Any further and they may have to find an experienced AHL veteran and sign him to a PTO to sure things up.

 

Hot Line

The grouping of Alexandre Fortin, Tyler Sikura and Andreas Martinsen has been a very effective line for Rockford. This week, that line accounted for four goals.

Sikura, in particular, was excellent. He found the net in all three games and had four points this past week. Fortin put up a goal and two helpers while Martinsen chipped in with an assist and freed up some pucks with his physical presence.

With the Hogs power play as bad as it is, Sikura and his knack for getting to the front of the net sure wouldn’t do any harm. He continues to be a quality signing for Rockford. Sikura has six goals and four assists on the season and carries the second highest skater rating on the club (plus-11).

Rookie Matthew Highmore continues to lead the IceHogs in goals; his hat trick Thursday night puts him at 14 for the season. His 22 points is tied with Tomas Jurco (10 G, 12 A) for the team lead among the active roster.

Defenseman Erik Gustafsson made his return from an upper body injury this week. He had an assist in both Thursday and Friday’s games with Iowa. Luke Johnson broke a six-game pointless streak with a goal and two helpers this week.

 

Recaps

Thursday, December 27-Rockford 6, Iowa 3

Rockford picked up a third straight win, paced by a Matthew Highmore hat trick, some solid defensive play and a bit of puck luck.

The IceHogs got on the board 3:02 into the contest. The opening goal was set up by Andreas Martinsen, who separated a Wild skater from the puck in the corner of the Iowa zone. Tyler Sikura grabbed the turnover, skated toward the right post and hit Alexandre Fortin in the slot for the lamp-lighter.

That 1-0 lead was short-lived, as the Wild returned fire just 12 seconds later. Cal O’Reilly got a pass through Anthony Louis and Erik Gustafsson to Zach Parise. The rehabbing Parise easily found Luke Kunin in the high slot. Kunin’s shot got over the blocker of Hogs goalie Colin Delia to tie the score at a goal apiece.

Rockford took a 2-1 advantage thanks to some hard work by Luke Johnson and Matthew Highmore. Johnson fought for and won a puck battle along the left half boards of the Wild zone. Highmore took a pass from Johnson and wove his way to the left post. The initial shot was stopped by the pad of Steve Michalek. Highmore, however, collected the rebound and flung it home at the 8:47 mark.

Iowa drew even again on a Justin Kloos power play goal 11:30 into the first, then went up 3-2 a couple of minutes later when Johnson whiffed on a pass attempt in the neutral zone. AHL veteran Pat Cannone maneuvered around Viktor Svedberg to the right dot, where he beat Delia’s glove with a wrister at the 14:10 mark. The Wild held that advantage into the first intermission.

The Hogs outshot Iowa 11-3 in the second period. Delia wasn’t real busy in that time, but did make a couple of big stops. It was soon after a point-blank stop on a Kunin attempt from the slot that Rockford evened the score.

Fortin got to a loose puck in the neutral zone and hit Tyler Sikura just short of the red line. Sikura skated hard into Wild territory and fired from the top of the left circle. The shot befuddled Michalek and settled into the basket at 16:59 of the period.

A Nick Seeler holding infraction gave Rockford a man advantage late in the middle frame. For the first time in several games, the IceHogs took advantage. Erik Gustafsson, returning to the lineup for the first time since November 25, hit Tomas Jurco at the top of the left circle. Jurco’s shot ricocheted off of the shin pads of Highmore and into the cage at the 19:29 mark. The Hogs led 4-3 after 40 minutes.

A clearing attempt by Svedberg early in the third period resulted in some insurance for the IceHogs. William Pelletier chased down the puck ahead of his Iowa counterparts to negate icing, then took advantage of a odd bounce off of the end boards to snipe one past Michalek’s stick side. That made the score 5-3 just 2:08 into the third.

Twice in the final frame, Iowa skaters were taken down on the way to breakaway attempts. Both Mario Lucia and Sam Anas were awarded penalty shots and had Delia beaten with an open net in front of them. Lucia’s backhand attempt sailed wide of the cage. Anas had his offering denied by the left post.

The pressure was on for most of the last three minutes, as Iowa pulled Michalek and camped out in the Rockford zone. Ville Pokka was finally able to clear the defensive zone with 48 seconds remaining. Pelletier slid the puck into the Wild zone and Highmore helpfully guided it into the empty net with 43 seconds left.

Delia stopped 15 of the 18 shots he faced to pick up his first AHL victory. Highmore and Sikura were awarded the game’s first and second stars, respectively.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Alexandre Fortin-Tyler Sikura-Andreas Martinsen

Anthony Louis-Tanner Kero-Tomas Jurco

Matthew Highmore-Luke Johnson (A)-William Pelletier

Graham Knott-Laurent Dauphin (A)-Matheson Iacopelli

Robin Norell-Ville Pokka (A)

Erik Gustafsson-Darren Raddysh

Carl Dahlstrom-Viktor Svedberg

Colin Delia

Scratches-Luc Snuggerud, Robin Press, Brandon Anselmini, Jordin Tootoo, J.F. Berube

Power Play (1-3)

Highmore-Kero-Jurco-Louis-Gustafsson

Fortin-Johnson-Raddysh-Dahlstrom-Pokka

Penalty Kill (Iowa was 1-4)

Highmore-Kero-Dahlstrom-Svedberg

Johnson-Jurco-Gustafsson-Norell

Sikura-Martinsen-Dahlstrom-Svedberg

 

Friday, December 29-Iowa 5, Rockford 3

Some third-period fireworks created a bit of excitement, but the Hogs couldn’t complete a three-goal comeback despite out shooting the Wild 48-30.

Rockford got on the board quickly. Iowa goalie Steve Michalek fought off a Laurent Dauphin put-back attempt after Erik Gustafsson put a shot on net. The puck made its way out to the waiting stick of Matheson Iacopelli. With a wide-open net to aim for, Iacopelli drove home his sixth of the season at 2:51 of the first period.

Iowa scored the next four goals of the contest, starting late in the first when Mario Lucia stuck in a rebound past Hogs goalie Colin Delia to tie the game on the power play. Iowa’s man advantage struck again when Luke Kunin one-timed a Ryan Murphy pass into Delia’s net 1:34 into the second.

At the 8:31 mark, Delia was left to defend a three-on-one rush that ended with an easy tap-in for Lucia. A little over two minutes later, a turnover by Rockford’s Darren Raddysh wound up in the back of the Hogs cage, courtesy of Landon Ferraro.

Down 4-1, it appeared that 4,296 folks who braved the elements to catch the action at the BMO would be able to get a head start home. That’s certainly how it looked for the first ten minutes of the final frame. However, in a span of 25 seconds, the IceHogs suddenly made it a hockey game.

It started off an offensive zone draw midway through the period. Tanner Kero flipped a backhand past Michalek, set up by Anthony Louis, for his first goal this season with Rockford at 10:41. On the subsequent shift, Tyler Sikura deftly redirected a Ville Pokka blast from the point. The puck eluded the Iowa net-minder and the Hogs had cut the lead to 4-3 at 11:06.

Rockford gained a power play with 2:25 remaining for a last shot at the equalizer. Once they established control in the Wild zone, Hogs coach Jeremy Colliton brought Delia to the bench for the extra skater. Soon after, Pokka had his shot attempt blocked by Kyle Rau. The two skaters raced to the loose puck. Rau got enough stick on it to get it into the empty net to close out the scoring at 18:58.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Alexandre Fortin-Tyler Sikura-Andreas Martinsen

Anthony Louis-Tanner Kero-Tomas Jurco

Matthew Highmore-Luke Johnson (A)-William Pelletier

Graham Knott-Laurent Dauphin (A)-Matheson Iacopelli

Robin Norell-Ville Pokka (A)

Erik Gustafsson-Darren Raddysh

Carl Dahlstrom-Viktor Svedberg

Colin Delia

Scratches-Luc Snuggerud, Robin Press, Brandon Anselmini, Jordin Tootoo, J.F. Berube

Power Play (0-6)

Highmore-Kero-Jurco-Louis-Gustafsson

Fortin-Johnson-Raddysh-Dahlstrom-Pokka

Penalty Kill (Iowa was 2-7)

Highmore-Kero-Dahlstrom-Svedberg

Johnson-Jurco-Gustafsson-Norell

Sikura-Martinsen-Dahlstrom-Svedberg

 

Saturday, December 30-Chicago 6, Rockford 2 

The Wolves took a 1-0 lead at the 7:29 mark. Brandon Pirri’s power play tally came right off of a Wade Megan faceoff win. Pirri sent a screamer to goal from the high slot that rookie Matt Tomkins appeared to absorb. However, the puck got away from the Hogs goalie, struck his left leg, and rolled across the goal line to give Chicago an advantage they would hold into the first intermission.

Rockford had an early power play opportunity in the sandwich stanza. However, it was the Wolves who wound up taking advantage. Mackenzie Meachern was stopped by Tomkins, who failed to get his glove over the puck in front of him to gain a stoppage. Before he could make a second attempt at covering, Anthony Louis tried to clear the puck into the corner. The attempt banked off the skate of T.J. Tynan and slid past Tomkins for a 2-0 Chicago lead at the 3:24 mark.

Back came the IceHogs. Capitalizing on a sloppy line change by the Wolves, Tyler Sikua scooped up a loose puck between the benches and struck out for the Chicago zone with Alexandre Fortin on his left side. Wolves goalie Kazimir Kaskisuo was forced to hold his ground; Sikura zipped his shot to the far side to cut the lead to 2-1 4:25 into the second.

The Wolves got another power play goal midway through the period when Tomas Hyka was left open at the doorstep. However, late in the period, Rockford responded with a power play strike of its own.

Luke Johnson started and finished the play, gaining possesion in the neutral zone and hitting Darren Raddysh crossing the Wolves blueline along the right side. Johnson made a beeline for the slot, completing the give-and-go at 18:26 to get Rockford back to within a goal entering the final period.

Unfortunately, things got kind of ugly in the final 20 minutes of the contest. Chris Casto and Hyka scored within 71 seconds of each other in the early part of the third to go up 5-2. Rockford continued to skate hard, but the game was effectively over at that point. Wade Megan closed out the scoring for Chicago late in the game on a 3-on-2 rush.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Matthew Highmore-Luke Johnson (A)-William Pelletier

Alexandre Fortin-Tyler Sikura-Andreas Martinsen

Anthony Louis-Tanner Kero-Tomas Jurco

Graham Knott-Laurent Dauphin (A)-Matheson Iacopelli

Carl Dahlstrom-Viktor Svedberg

Robin Norell-Ville Pokka (A)

Erik Gustafsson-Darren Raddysh

Matt Tomkins

Scratches-Luc Snuggerud, Robin Press, Brandon Anselmini, Jordin Tootoo, J.F. Berube

Power Play (1-5)

Highmore-Kero-Jurco-Louis-Gustafsson

Fortin-Johnson-Raddysh-Dahlstrom-Pokka

Penalty Kill (Wolves were 2-5)

Highmore-Kero-Dahlstrom-Svedberg

Johnson-Jurco-Gustafsson-Norell

Sikura-Martinsen-Dahlstrom-Svedberg

 

A Little Four-Play: Previewing This Week

Rockford hits 2018 running, with four games this week. It gets started Tuesday when Cleveland comes to the BMO. Friday, the Hogs visit Grand Rapids, who has yet to defeat Rockford in six tries this season. Rockford hosts Cleveland again Saturday night, then takes on Milwaukee at the BMO Sunday afternoon.

Currently, the Monsters are a good team to be facing twice in a five-day span. Cleveland is scuffling right now, having won just twice in its last ten games. They’ve lost four straight going into Tuesday’s game.

The Monsters are limping along offensively, scoring just 2.24 goals per contest (that’s last in the AHL). Their power play is keeping Rockford’s unit out of last place in efficiency, though not by much.

With just two road wins this season, Cleveland is a optimal club to come to your building while you’re nursing a pair of young goalies. Center Carter Campner leads the club in goals and scoring (7 G, 13 A); rookies Mike Koules (7 G, 6 A) and Sam Vignault (6 G, 6 A) are the only other current Monsters with double digit points.

Cleveland also is using a rookie duo in net.  Matiss Kivlenicks (3.38 GAA, .874 save percentage) and Ivan Kulbakov (4.17 GAA, .869 save percentage) have been the Monsters tandem for the past month.

The IceHogs are 12-1-1 at the BMO against the Monsters over the last five seasons. This Cleveland team is ripe for the picking right now. Rockford needs to take advantage and get all four points.

Rockford hasn’t seen the Admirals since November 11, when they won 5-2 in Milwaukee. The Ads hold a 3-2 edge in head-to-head match ups this season, including both games played at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

Leading the way offensively for the Ads is Bobby Butler (13 G, 12 A). Emil Petterssen (8 G, 16 A) has two goals and four apples against the Hogs this season. Anders Lindback has been very good for Milwaukee this season and will likely be the man in the cage Sunday.

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for updates and thoughts on the IceHogs all season long.

 

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Game #38 – Hawks vs. Flames Preview/Seaweed Facial: Goodbye ’17, You Know What I Mean

By Sam Fels 2357 0

 vs. 

RECORDS: Hawks 18-14-5   Flames 18-16-4

PUCK DROP: 8pm

TV: WGN

FRIENDS OF CAL AND GARY: Flames Nation

The Hawks will close out 2017 in southern Alberta, because honestly where would you rather be, and for the most part 2017 has been a year the Hawks and their fans won’t shed any tears over. It started back with some brilliant hockey in the middle of last season, but ended with a humbling, if not downright humiliating, playoff defeat and a stop-start half season to this one. Things have to get better when the calendar turns, that’s for sure.

What they’ll find is a Flames team that is just about as weird and stop-start as they have been. Before the season, looking at the Flames top four and at least their top two lines, you thought if Mike Smith could at least be competent (a big ask) they should challenge for the top of the Pacific. And the thing is, Mike Smith has mostly been competent. His backups have been anything but, but Smith has been ok. And yet the Flames still find themselves complaining that the goggles do nothing.

It’s been more than one problem for them. For one, that top four hasn’t been THE TOP FOUR you would have expected, at least not until of late. Mark Giordano and Dougie Hamilton (a grown man named “Dougie”) have been beyond excellent, but for the first two months T.J. Brodie and newly-acquired Travis Hamonic couldn’t find the A-button on a Nintendo controller. They’ve somewhat regulated of late, but it hasn’t been the bread and roses Flames fans hoped for.

Secondly, the Flames have been especially agoraphobic in front of the net — i.e. terrified of putting the puck in an open space. They can’t score. Both on the power play and at evens, they have some of the lowest shooting percentages in the league. Their underlying numbers are where you want them to be, they should be scoring more, and yet they’re putting it everywhere except where it should go like it was post-prom.

Combine that with Jaromir Jagr being hurt and old and thus unable to give the Flames a representative third line, and you see the problems. He’s moved to replace Michael Frolik on the 3M line now that our beloved Fro’s bottom jaw is currently a jigsaw puzzle. A couple promising kids in Jankowski and Bennett are trying to give the Flames a third option at the moment.

Still, with Gaudreau-Monahan-Ferland and the 3M line that’s more than a lot of teams have. And the Flames are going to have to find another option because Smith’s numbers have declined as the season has gone on. Odd for a goalie who is 35, I know. And we still aren’t really sure if head coach Glen Gulutzan Glenross is a Moron or Not A Moron.

As for the Hawks, the lineup will remain the same as it was on Friday, including Jeff Glass in hs hometown. Again, this is a great story but asking for more than what you’ve already got from him seems an awfully big risk. On another night, with that rebound control, Glass could have given up a touchdown. He might not be so lucky tonight, and Anton Forsberg has not been bad outside of a couple of ugly outings. Vancouver certainly had nothing to do with him, so what are you doing to his confidence? He’s clearly the more important of the two going forward.

But hey, we get more Kempny and we get more of that intriguing third line with the three kids. So let’s not head into the new year bitching that much.

The Flames and Hawks are going to be competing for the same wild card spots, or at least that’s how it looks. So these two points are going to matter when we total it all up in April. After biffing Vancouver hardcore, the Hawks simply can’t here.

 

 

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Game #38 – Hawks vs. Flames: Spotlight – Mikael Backlund F**CKS

By Sam Fels 1938 0

We occasionally like to spend time discussing what the Selke, and Norris, award would really look like if voters didn’t used outdated methods to find their winners. Of course, this is all pie in the sky stuff. Hockey and “evolution” are infrequent dance partners. Perhaps one day we’ll get our King-Felix-wins-Cy-Young-with-13-wins moment, but it seems unlikely.

If it were to happen, Mikael Backlund may be the one who wins it.

For too long, coaches of the Flames were too fixated on what Backlund couldn’t or didn’t do. As a first round pick, he was (perhaps rightly) expected to be a #1 center who scored a ton. It wasn’t Backlund’s fault that until the arrival of Sean Monahan, there really wasn’t anyone else around to do the job. So it was foisted upon him at time, and it didn’t go so well. Backlund’s first six full seasons in the NHL never saw him amass 50 points, as well as deal with some serious injury issues. It looked to be that he was a bust.

It took the arrival of Bob Hartley, himself hardly a genius, and further expounded upon by current coach Glen Gulutzan Glenross to really unlock what Backlund is. And that’s one of the league’s best checking/possession centers.

If you’ve been tuning into hockey for the past couple seasons, you’ve probably heard all about the 3M like of Backlund, Michael Frolik, and Matthew Tkachuk. They have been the biggest human shield line in the league. The Flames routinely send this unit out in its own end and against the toughest competition, and they routinely send the play the other way. Over the past three seasons, Backlund is fifth in the league in his relative Corsi. But of all the other players in the top ten, Backlund and his linemates get by far the worst zone starts, barely getting 40% of their shifts to start in the offensive zone. They have the biggest hills to climb, and they climb farther than just about anyone else.

Backlund has also added a scoring touch he didn’t have before. He put up 53 points last year and is on pace to break 50 again this year, with a bit of hustling.

This is the type of player more GMs should be seeking out, or converting underperforming centers to be. When most hockey minds think of a checking center, it’s some mattress like body that wins a lot of draws, blocks a lot of shots, but essentially is a trench for their team. Yes, they’re hard to pass but they’re also hard to move forward off of. Backlund is in the Marcus Kruger school. And there are others out there who could play this role.

Of course, some of this might be a problem for the Flames in the summer, as Backlund goes UFA. At 28, it’ll be his best chance to cash in long-term, and the Flames aren’t swimming in cap space .They can probably hand him most of Matt Stajan’s money that’s coming off the books and think that’s enough, but do they pay him as the #2-3 center that he is? Or the unicorn that he actually is? It’s a decision that’s going to be generating a lot of debate in Calgary, between cleaning the horseshit out of everyone’s boots.

 

 

 

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Game #38 – Hawks vs. Flames: Q&A With A Drunken Rodeo Clown

By Sam Fels 2276 0

We don’t know what it is Mike Pfeil does. He claims he works at Hockey-graphs.com but we’re pretty sure that’s a front. We do know he lives in Edmonton, we’re sure we don’t know why, and we’re more sure he doesn’t know why either. Anyway, he’s a Flames guy, further proving just how lost he is as a human. But he found the time to answer our questions, which doesn’t say much for him either. 

It’s been a disappointing first half for the Flames. What has been the problem(s)?
Luck, the lack of stolen vaccines from the provincial government, and some roster/usage issues. Hitting post, after post, after post is exhausting; Mike Smith letting in some weirdo goals (that he’s known for) can be tiresome; a lackluster power play at times; a penalty kill that cratered (and made my PK project difficult); and some awful roster management have been factors. All that said I put more stock on the lack of stolen vaccines being provided.
 
Did moving to Calgary give Travis Hamonic brain worms?
Are we so sure he didn’t get them while he was in Long Island? I’m pretty sure most drinking water in New York state is contaminated given the cretins that exist out there. He’s also from Manitoba originally and that place has lots of mosquitoes so maybe they laid mosquitoes in his brain, too.
He’s getting better though and I think “adjustment” period of playing with a guy like TJ Brodie has been hard. Brodie loves to skate and jump up in the rush while Hamonic prefers more conservative means to being involved. Part of the improvements have come from Gulutzan’s deployment of the pairing (more on-the-fly usage versus actual zone starts) which has helped immensely. Plus you know hockey terms like poise, confidence, composure, tenacity, pugnacity, all the nacities, and his shaft is firm.
 
Jaromir Jagr, seven points in 19 games. One goal. Can you believe signing someone closer to 50 than 40 hasn’t worked out for the Flames?
Injuries, no training camp, and playing along side Hawk alumni member Troy Brouwer will do a number on your counting stats. Still, I’m worried that a gust will break his hip and we’ll have to send him to the nursing home up north. From a fan perspective – whatever is left of that in me – I want him to succeed, but the cold number-loving analyst has made me question whether or not it’s best to play him every night he is available.
Every time we watch the Flames the broadcast mentions how much they miss Kris Versteeg. That can’t really be true, can it?
It’s tricky because on one hand I love the dude, but it’s a bit of a media-driven narrative. From a locker room/glue guy/intangibles angle yeah he’s missed. The tangible aspect he brings was from a power play perspect; Dave Cameron and Gulutzan used him on the first unit as a zone entry guy and half-wall option in the 1-3-1. He’s nowhere close to where he was last season or even during his prime but he has value even if he’s fast approaching Martin “Pelvic Mesh Imploding” Havlat territory.
 
Why is Matthew Tkachuk such a shithead? Typical rich kid stuff? Or did Dad teach him “well?”
He’s the equivalent of the Dreaded Laramie from the Clickhole quiz “Which One Of My Garbage Sons Are You?” He’s out on the ice yelling “Saab demolition” at every opposing player and spray-painting ISIS on their cars. There’s definitely that reputation established, but every team  wants someone like him. Tkachuk is really fantastic blend of shit heel antics and legitimate hockey skill — anyone who tells you he’s a passenger on the 3M line is a cop. If he keeps it up and his point production continues to improve he could be a top-end winger in this league.

 

 

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