Tonight: Blackhawks
Look who is back to back: CSN
Circus circus: CST
Kane on a run: DH
3-3 ASG: PD
Category: Everything Else
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Toews, TVR, Trevor, Other Ts
For what feels like the first time this season, things have died down a bit with the Hawks news-wise. No injuries, no roster decisions, no turmoil-inducing losses, and just heading off on a roadtrip. Probably also helps calm things down now that the Bears are at least somewhat interesting, shifting attention (even if they’re not actually good). With two weeks on the road, a couple things to look for and watch.
-First, while no one on the main beat ever wants to say it, we haven’t shied from pointing out that some of the Hawks even-strength woes are a result of Jonathan Toews’s “struggles.” The Hawks are still a negative team overall at 5-on-5, which is a weird thing to say about them even at this point in the season. And then you realize the Hawks’ power play has been bailing them out at time and you nearly pass out.
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Page 8s And Thank Yous
My page 8 game in the Indian lately has been strong, so because there isn’t much going on let’s all have a chuckle. For those who might not know, Page 8 in our gameday program is basically where I get to go all comedy or sadistic, depending on your point of view. It’s a chilling view into what’s left of my mind.
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High On The Hog: Weekend Sweep In Iowa
The Rockford IceHogs, the Blackhawks AHL affiliate, have yet to drop a game to Central Division rival Iowa this season. The Hogs ran their record against the Wild to 5-0 this season with a sweep in DesMoines this weekend.
Rockford is 9-3-1-1 and in second place in the Central Division. There is a lot of credit to go around for what is now a ten-game points streak. Dennis Rasmussen and Bryan Bickell (see after the jump) both had a pair of goals over the weekend. Mark McNeill is on a five game point streak and Ville Pokka has six points in his last four games.
However, not all of the IceHogs are off to a hot start.
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What the World Needs Now is Another Folk Singer: Blackhawks 4, Flames 1
It’s weird that a first ballot Hall of Famer would make such a difference, huh. Regardless of the opponent, Duncan Keith being in the lineup makes everything look much better. From the defensive pairs to zone exits, the Hawks were efficient tonight in ways they have only been for small spurts this season.
Now if only that Jonathan Toews could get going, maybe this season is salvageable yet. I kid.
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Hell Came To Breakfast, Stayed For Lunch – Flames vs Hawks Preview, Car Winterization
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Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, SportsNet 1, WGN-AM 720
Rodeo Clown Convention: Matchsticks & Gasoline, Flames NationThe Jack Adams Award for the best coach during a given season has in recent vintage gone to numbnuts coaches who have helmed teams who drastically outscore their woeful posession numbers. Last year’s winner, Bob Hartley, proved no different as the Flames made a surprise entrance into the post-season and actually won a round against the hilariously mediocre Vancover Canucks. But as so often proves to be the case, a new season provides a violent market correction, and this year’s iteration of the Flames is not an exception.
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Castle Numbskull – Blackhawks 4, Blues 2
That was certainly a throwback. I was almost sure those kinds of games were pretty much relegated to the past but apparently David Backes’ mere presence made everyone so angry tonight that we took a trip back in time. A feisty one for sure, but one in which the Blackhawks answered their head coach with an important divisional road win.
It’s a late-hate so let’s just get to some observations about this one.
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He Left It Out Back On The Highway, I-55: Hawks at Blues Preview/Dog Training
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PUCK DROP: 7pm
TV/RADIO: WGN For both
THOSE WHO CAN’T WRITE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T READ: St. Louis Gametime
When you’re a team that is still trying to settle at least half the roster, and you have two returning d-men who have been out at least a month, you’d probably prefer a softer landing than traipsing down across Big Muddy into the gaping maw of the hellscape that is West East St. Louis. But you don’t get to raise objections once the schedule comes out (unless you’re Detroit), so that’s the task ahead of the Hawks tonight.
