Moving right along down the depth chart we now come to perhaps the most stable unit of the post 2010 era, Dave Bolland’s third line. While Bolland has never truly become the force of nature that his numbers in junior or his paycheck would have suggested, that he has become one of the premier checking forwards in the NHL is still a victory in and of itself.However, the line he’s been a fixture on is not without its flaws, Bolland included, and it will need to find consistency in short order for this abbreviated season to be a successful one for the Hawks.
Moving right along down the depth chart we now come to perhaps the most stable unit of the post 2010 era, Dave Bolland’s third line. While Bolland has never truly become the force of nature that his numbers in junior or his paycheck would have suggested, that he has become one of the premier checking forwards in the NHL is still a victory in and of itself.However, the line he’s been a fixture on is not without its flaws, Bolland included, and it will need to find consistency in short order for this abbreviated season to be a successful one for the Hawks.
You probably missed it, they only slipped it out on Twitter. No fanfare or the like. But the Moriarty to my Holmes, the Skinner to my Bart, the Liam Gallagher to my Damon Albarn, Sean Gallagher (wow, that Gallagher analogy really works then!) of St. Louis Gametime has given up his post as head of both publication and blog.
I know a lot of you didn’t care for SLGT, either paper or blog, but they’ve been a fantastic foil for pretty much our entire existence. There is no outpost we share a bigger bond with. In their more honest moments, McClure and Killion would tell you that possibly the best night of this blog was one we spent in St. Louis drinking with the SLGT staff (a night that included GMH screaming at the top of her lungs for us to do shots with her, the look of utter shock on the bartender’s face when her question of my college roommate of how many glasses he would need with his pitcher of Bud was answered with, “glasses?”, and of course Kills and McClure slow-dancing with Killion demanding he had to lead).
Kane is back in Chicago: (Blackhawk Up)
A Fast Start? (Suntimes)
Good for the League: (Sportsnet.Ca)
Datsyuk joining Kovy: (Russia Today)
Yakupov could be special: (ESPN)
The Right Way: (CBS SPORTS)
Odds for us degenerates: (Puck Daddy)
Let’s keep this ship rolling right along. We get to the first “hole” the Hawks have, and that’s the second line center. They have wingers who fit here, Marian Hossa and Viktor Stalberg (and before you start, 21 goals without a PP one makes you a second line winger on most if not all teams). You could have Brandon Saad here as well, because I think this is where he’s ending up. We know Kane will end up here at times, and that Patrick Sharp probably should but won’t. But for now, let’s go with how it pretty much looked like last year, and that’s Stalberg-Kruger-Hossa.
Right, to it.
Let’s keep this ship rolling right along. We get to the first “hole” the Hawks have, and that’s the second line center. They have wingers who fit here, Marian Hossa and Viktor Stalberg (and before you start, 21 goals without a PP one makes you a second line winger on most if not all teams). You could have Brandon Saad here as well, because I think this is where he’s ending up. We know Kane will end up here at times, and that Patrick Sharp probably should but won’t. But for now, let’s go with how it pretty much looked like last year, and that’s Stalberg-Kruger-Hossa.
Right, to it.
So I know I said next week, but I just couldn’t wait any longer. It’s been so much fun to write about hockey again that I just want to dive in head first, put my face in and blow. It’s fucking taco night around these parts!
This year, with our compressed time-frame, instead of going player by player, we’re going to go unit-by-unit (cue adolescent snickering…which is kind of the official theme of this blog). So all four lines, the extra forwards, all the defensive pairs, goaltending, special teams (wait til McClure lets loose on these). Or at least what we project these units will look like. But we’ll get around to everyone.
The theme this year is just an excuse to post that picture of Ted Knight and think about the wheelbarrow of coke he had with him at all times. I think we’re all ok with that.
Usually we go from the net out on these things, but I’m tired of that. So let’s start with the BIG GUNS! (Number #1)
So I know I said next week, but I just couldn’t wait any longer. It’s been so much fun to write about hockey again that I just want to dive in head first, put my face in and blow. It’s fucking taco night around these parts!
This year, with our compressed time-frame, instead of going player by player, we’re going to go unit-by-unit (cue adolescent snickering…which is kind of the official theme of this blog). So all four lines, the extra forwards, all the defensive pairs, goaltending, special teams (wait til McClure lets loose on these). Or at least what we project these units will look like. But we’ll get around to everyone.
The theme this year is just an excuse to post that picture of Ted Knight and think about the wheelbarrow of coke he had with him at all times. I think we’re all ok with that.
Usually we go from the net out on these things, but I’m tired of that. So let’s start with the BIG GUNS! (Number #1)
Owners Ratify CBA:(TSN)
SoCal on January 19th: (Chicago Tribune)
Your Captain is waiting:(Comcast Chicago)
Consequences and Repercussions:(Chicago Suntimes)
How Scum will adjust without Lindstrom:(NBC SPORTS)
Everyone’s Drunk Irish Dad is out of a Job:(CBC)
Blame Luongo:(Sportsnet)
Yesterday we went through what the division had been up to before hibernation. Today, let’s swing around the rest of the conference. And we can pretend the Eastern Conference doesn’t exist, because for this season it really won’t. At least not until late June. And if the Quenneville-Kompon-Kitchen axis of dumbassery (QuenneKompchen?) shows all of its strength, that won’t be our problem anyway.
Are you ready? Let’s roll.
