Poor Teuvo:ESPN
Its like the Narrative writes itself:ST
Sweet Shirt Wiz: LGH
Never Tell Me The Odds!!! TSN
Ok now you have my attention:SN
That was easy: GnM
Just remember MSG has lots of stairwells: ABC
Engine Engine Number 9, On The New York Transit Line…
Sorry, the point here isn’t to quote Black Sheep, as much fun as that would be. All season, we’ve documented the problems with the Hawks’ defense. Myself, McClure, Jen have come here and trotted out various numbers to demonstrate Oduya’s decline, Rozsival’s inability to move, and the various problems with Rundblad.
Essentially, the Hawks have three top pairing d-men, which is good. All of Keith, Hjalmarsson, and Seabrook would comfortably be on the top pairing of most if not all NHL teams. They also have three bottom pairing d-men in Oduya, Rozsival, and Rundblad, and that’s probably being kind to Rozsival and Rundblad who almost certainly should be rotating in as #6 or #7 d-men. Tim Erixon is now the new Kim Johnsson, and is dead.
4-5: Blackhawks
Rough night for 5 & 32: ESPN Chicago
He should always have a real C: Trib
Good thing Carcillo got his 5:43: 670
Hope it doesn’t end like this: CSN
It seems no one likes them: PD
A Kane to Buffalo trade finally happened: TSN
And they weren’t done: PHT
I thought it was pretty cute when the Hawks pulled off two of their better wins this season last weekend against division opponents. I thought it was encouraging that they did it by stripping things down to basically their most elemental level, i.e. being defensively secure and concentrating on their breakouts and taking the chances when they showed themselves.
Little did I know the Hawks would go total fucking prog rock for the first two games of a homestand that could have spun the meaning of this season. It went from three chords and three minutes songs to everyone getting a fucking solo, which is why the Hawks have basically coughed up a hairball for at least 4.5 periods of the six on this homestand already.
vs 
Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, SportsNet, WGN-AM 720
Dude, Is That Thing Cashed?: Nucks Misconduct, Canucks Army
Instead of playing up the blood feud between these two teams as has been customary during pieces like this over the years, what is now hot to do is lament how there is neither any sizzle or any steak to these matchups. Realignment and Mike Gillis torpedoing a perennial contender have made these games now just another date on the calendar for the most part. But that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a critical game for both squads tonight.
vs
Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, SportsNet, WGN-AM 720
Dude, Is That Thing Cashed?: Nucks Misconduct, Canucks Army
Instead of playing up the blood feud between these two teams as has been customary during pieces like this over the years, what is now hot to do is lament how there is neither any sizzle or any steak to these matchups. Realignment and Mike Gillis torpedoing a perennial contender have made these games now just another date on the calendar for the most part. But that doesn’t mean that this isn’t a critical game for both squads tonight.
The Rockford IceHogs were stripped of the lead in the AHL’s Midwest Division by the Milwaukee Admirals this past weekend. Rockford dropped both ends of a home-and-home with the Admirals and stirred up some bad blood to boot.
The IceHogs played both games without Brandon Mashinter, who was serving a two-game suspension by the AHL for an elbow to the head of Chicago’s Jani Hakanpaa January 31. The infraction was not penalized on the ice but was later drew the ire of the league. Mashinter returns to action as IceHogs forward Cody Bass begins serving a two-game suspension for leaving the bench to try and engage Milwaukee forward Michael Liambas Friday night.
The IceHogs and Ads nearly started a pre-game brawl of Slap Shot-proportions Saturday at the BMO center, with three bouts taking place during the game itself.
3-2: Blackhawks
Hoss: ESPN Chicago
Can’t get much closer: PHT
Power play problem: CSN
This may be a thing: TSN
