Everything Else – Page 67 – Faxes from Uncle Dale

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Hungry For The Wolves

By Jon Fromi December 21, 2018 1447 0

The Rockford IceHogs get to take it easy this weekend…sort of.

The Blackhawks AHL affiliate have just one game on the schedule. Of course, that game is in Rosemont with the Central Division-leading Chicago Wolves, who just happen to be the league’s highest scoring team.

The Hogs visit the Allstate Arena Friday night for another in a steady stream of Illinois Lottery Cup meetings with the Wolves. The two teams have split the first four meetings; after Friday, Rockford will clash twice more with the Wolves before the end of the calendar year.

The IceHogs have won both games in enemy territory: the Wolves have taken both contests at the BMO by wide margins. Coming into this game, Chicago is riding a six-game winning streak.

AHL scoring leader Brandon Pirri (17 G, 24 A) was recalled to Vegas this week, so he won’t be around to torment the IceHogs. Rookie defenseman Erik Brannstrom (4 G, 16 A) is also with the Golden Knights.

Rest assured, Chicago has plenty of other scoring options. Tops on that list is Daniel Carr (14 G, 19 A) , who has been on a tear since being sent back to the Wolves. Carr is currently on a three-game goal streak as well as a six-game point streak. He has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in six games since returning to the Chicago lineup.

Rockford is still last in the league in terms of offense. They have raised that average to 2.33 goals per game (compared to 3.98 goals for the Wolves), but have failed to break the three-goal barrier in regulation play in 17 of their last 20 games.

Coach Derek King can take solace in the fact that his team has been making the most of its meager output. Rockford is 6-2-1-1 in its last ten games. The Hogs (.567 points percentage) are currently in a tie for fifth place in the division with Grand Rapids.

Pelletier Returns

Rockford has won three of its last four games, including a comeback victory at the BMO Harris Bank Center against Milwaukee. A welcome sight came that night in the form of William Pelletier, who made his season debut Wednesday. The speedy forward was a key contributor throughout last season. Off-season surgery kept him out of action for the first 29 games of the 2018-19 campaign.

Pelletier chipped in with 14 goals and 15 assists last season. His wheels were utilized on the penalty kill as well as at the offensive end, where the Hogs could employ him to chase down dump-ins and avoid icing calls. For a player on an AHL contract, Pelletier had the full confidence of then-coach Jeremy Colliton. He was a mainstay in the Rockford lineup.

Pelletier made an immediate impact in his first game back with the piglets, getting a secondary assist on Tyler Sikura’s goal against Milwaukee. His presence is going to be felt throughout the roster.

Campbell Represents

It was announced Thursday that defenseman Andrew Campbell has been named a captain of the AHL’s Western Conference All-Star team. The captaincy of both the Eastern and Western Conference teams is awarded by the league in recognition of outstanding leadership and service.

Campbell is not an offensive stalwart. In 24 games with the IceHogs this season, his only mark on the score sheet has been a goal against Manitoba October 28. Campbell has brought some stability to what is a young Rockford defense. With the Hogs penalty kill (85.4 percent kill rate) at sixth in the league and the defense giving up 2.80 goals per game (tied for fifth in the AHL), the 11-year veteran has to be cited as a steadying force on the back end.

Odds And Ends

Viktor Ejdsell sat out Wednesday’s game with a groin issue. He may be ready to play Friday at Chicago, but King wasn’t certain of Ejdsell’s status following the win over the Admirals.

The IceHogs are the least penalized team in the AHL. Rockford skaters spend an average of 10.67 minutes in the penalty box. Defenseman Dennis Gilbert is third in the league in fighting majors after getting into his fourth scrap of the season Wednesday. He and former Hogs defenseman Sam Jardine are among several players four major penalties.

Rockford has gone into overtime in 11 of its first 30 games. Only Milwaukee (14) and Iowa (13) have done so more often. The IceHogs are 0-4 in games decided by a shootout, having gone 1-10 in shootout attempts.

Big Weeknight Win

Wednesday, December 19-Rockford 4, Milwaukee 3 (OT)

In one of the more impressive rallies of the season, Rockford dug itself a three-goal hole. The Hogs then climbed out of said hole to post the victory.

The Ads quickly went out to a two-goal advantage. Anthony Richard scored on the power play 1:51 into the game, then doubled that lead on the subsequent faceoff when Jeremy Gregoire sent a shot over the glove of Hogs goalie Anton Forsberg.

Down 2-0 just 2:05 into the first period, things got worse. Milwaukee potted a second power play tally when Tyler Gaudet jumped on a loose puck in front of Forsberg’s net at 13:26.

Late in the first period, Rockford got on the board after Anthony Louis was twice denied by Admirals goalie Troy Grosenick. Jacob Nilsson backhanded the second rebound into the cage at the 19:24 mark. The Hogs skated into the locker room down 3-1.

Rockford was able to cut the lead to 3-2 with a strong second period. Tyler Sikura brought the puck into the offensive zone and sent a pass to William Pelletier, who was making his season debut. Pelletier made a sharp cross-ice pass to Dennis Gilbert at the top of the left circle.

Gilbert’s shot got knocked down in front of the Admirals net, where Sikura completed the scoring play. Throwing the biscuit into the basket at the 9:18 mark, Sikura snapped a seven-game goal drought and got the IceHogs back into the contest.

Rockford made it all the way back 4:20 into the third period after Sikura grabbed a loose puck in the Milwaukee zone and found Joni Tuulola in the high slot. Tuulola sent a pass to Darren Raddysh at the right point. Raddysh’s shot glanced off of the stick of Richard and over the blocker of Tom McCullom, who had relieved Grosenick in the second period, to knot the game at three.

The Hogs capped an incredible effort in Gus Macker Time to claim the third point. Alexandre Fortin picked off a pass attempt along the half boards in his own zone and turned on the jets. With Louis and Jan Rutta in tow, Rockford worked the 3-on-1 rush to perfection.

Fortin and Louis traded passes before Fortin hit Rutta at the left post. The one-timer zipped behind McCullom to bring the evening to a satisfying climax 1:51 into the extra session.

Rutta and Sikura, each with a goal and assist on the night, were the game’s first and second stars, respectively. Pelletier nabbed third star honors. Forsberg made 27 saves, keeping Milwaukee in check until the Hogs could climb back into contention.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Alexandre Fortin-Tyler Sikura-William Pelletier

Anthony Louis-Jacob Nilsson-Jordan Schroeder

Terry Broadhurst (A)-Graham Knott-Nick Moutrey

Matheson Iacopelli-Nathan Noel-Henrik Samuelsson

Lucas Carlsson-Jan Rutta

Dennis Gilbert-Andrew Campbell (A)

Joni Tuulola-Darren Raddysh

Anton Forsberg

Power Play (0-2)

Louis-Nilsson-Schroeder-Carlsson-Rutta

Broadhurst-Fortin-Samuelsson-Sikura-Raddysh

Penalty Kill (Milwaukee was 2-4)

Sikura-Broadhurst-Rutta-Carlsson

Knott-Moutrey-Gilbert-Campbell

Pelletier-Noel-Tuulola-Raddysh

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for frequent commenting on the doings of the IceHogs throughout the season.

Everything Else

Game #37 – You Say It’s Enough, in Fact It’s Too Much, Every Time I Wanna Get Down – Hawks 5, Stars 2

By John Pullega December 20, 2018 2109 0

Box Score

Corsica

Natural Stat Trick

Don’t look now, but the Hawks have put together two quality games. It sure is nice to watch the Hawks plunge the knife every once in a while. Let’s do the bullets.

– This may have been the best game Erik Gustafsson has played as a Blackhawk. He started 15 seconds in, keeping a puck that squeaked by Ward from farting across the goal line. That’s the kind of goal that’s been typical of the Hawks of late (and Ward when he’s gotten his chances in the crease), so having Gustafsson tidy it up early was absolutely necessary.

From there, Gustafsson was a force, plowing home a PP goal, setting up Kane’s empty-net backbreaker with a stretch pass from his own zone, and looking downright responsible in his own end. Though his CF% was 44+, when adjusting for score and venue, it sat just north of 50%. Given that he and Keith were on the ice for 24 minutes apiece and played primarily against the Klingberg–Benn–Seguin trifecta, you’ll take that every day. If this is the kind of game Gustafsson can play with any regularity, he could be a second-pairing guy with fringe first-pairing potential. There’s still a long way to go, but you love to see games like this. The offensive potential is there, and it throbs when it wants to.

– Let’s talk about that PP goal. Fifth Feather often says that it’s movement rather than Annette Frontpresence that leads to the best scoring opportunities, and the PP was a perfect example.

The Hawks were set in a 1–3–1, with Strome in front of the net; Gustafsson at the point; and Top Cat, Toews, and Kane going left to right. Rather than handing the puck off to Kane and having all four guys watch him stick handle, the Hawks elected to let Gus take the lead. With Toews roaming around in the mid-slot and acting as a dual retriever/safety valve, Gus, Top Cat, and Kane had more room to play a triangle passing scheme. Kane also had the freedom to skate on either side, with Top Cat and Gus rotating to fill, and that strategy is what led to the goal. With Faska missing his stick, Kane broke the script and skated around him to DeBrincat’s spot on the far-board circle. DeBrincat cycled to the point and Gus dropped lower toward the circle on the near boards as the Stars defense sagged, leaving DeBrincat and Gus all the space in the world to play catch and open a lane. Once Gus got the return pass, he had all the time and space in the world, and it was because the Stars had to keep an eye on Toews in the middle and Kane wherever Kane decided to be.

Sure, Strome was in front screening, but the movement on that PP was something I haven’t seen from the Hawks in a long, long time. It was simply gorgeous.

– Patrick Kane was spry tonight. His backhander in the second was special, and his skating and vision set up the PP goal. That creep can roll.

– Cam Ward had himself a nice game. Sure, he did something you don’t often see—whiffing on covering the puck with his glove, leading to the Stars’s second goal—and he looked stabby and gooey at times, but he made several high-danger saves too. The defense wasn’t nearly as bad as it has been in front of him tonight, which certainly helps.

– I’m not going to be too hard on Carl Dahlstrom, given that he’s been thrown into the deep end. But he probably could have done more to prevent the Stars’s first goal. He got beaten both to and off the puck by a streaking Gurianov, even though it looked like Dahlstrom had a better angle as the play was developing. He then overcommitted trying to stop Benn’s pass after Benn cut back behind the net, leaving Seguin all the room in the world. Although the real culprit on this goal is the Fels Motherfuck, because saying Seguin couldn’t throw a grape in the ocean in the preview was just begging for him to score.

– It mostly worked out tonight, but I’m still baffled that Artem Anisimov gets to play with Strome and Kane. Granted, his pass from the near boards to set up Kane’s goal early in the second was nice. But after that? In the lead up to Seguin’s goal, Strome and Anisimov had a 2-on-1 developing. Watching Anisimov and Strome try to execute a 2-on-1 is like watching slugs fuck. Strome just kept waiting for Anisimov to beat his man, and he may as well have tried to light water on fire. Strome probably should have taken that shot, but you know who would have made it to the spot he needed to be at? Alex DeBrincat, who continues to prove he isn’t a third liner.

– Which means that of course DeBrincat scored on the third line. Credit to Kampf for getting enough of the puck on the faceoff to give Sikura a chance to complete the set play, dropping the puck onto a waiting DeBrincat’s stick and past THE BISHOP! Though the fancy stats don’t do DeBrincat justice, he had a few good takeaways to go with a few bad giveaways. All in all, a definitely-not-a-third-liner performance.

– I’m not sure what Dominik Kahun is, but it doesn’t look like he’s bad. He led the Hawks with a 56 CF% on the night. He, Toews, and Saad clicked well tonight. Brandon Saad was a force in the first and good throughout as well. And of course, Toews’s renaissance continues. The Hawks may not have a ton going for them right now, but the top line looks legit.

– Our sweet Irish son was having himself an alright game before Tyler “I completely deserve my last name” Pitlick took a page out of the Tom Wilson Being a Horse’s Ass for Dummies book and drove his elbow directly into his mush. With all the blood spilling on the ice, it looked to be a broken nose, and in a best-case scenario, that’s all it will be. Like Gustafsson, Murphy’s raw CF% wasn’t great (44+), but adjusted for score and venue, it was a robust 51+ despite facing mostly Benn, Seguin, and Klingberg. Small sample sizes be damned: Murphy has been the best Hawks D-man overall, and they can’t afford for him to miss more time.

What’s baffling is that Pitlick didn’t get a call on his cheap shot. He had more than enough time to adjust to the play, which happened smack dab in the middle of the ice as the Stars were starting a breakaway. That the refs missed the call was nearly as egregious as Pitlick’s outright assclownery. Pitlick saw Murphy over his shoulder and drove his elbow into his head anyway. What a dickhead. I hope he has a bad Christmas.

– Brendan Perlini continued his tour de force of being really fast and having no finish. Still, you like his straight-ahead speed, which is obscene at times. THE BISHOP! did a fine job of stuffing him twice on a breakaway midway through the first, but Perlini got his, potting the final empty netter and icing the game.

– Gustav Forsling looked fine tonight. If he can continue to look fine, that would be OK with us.

Two wins in a row feels nice, especially since the Hawks haven’t looked overmatched for the most part. Tomorrow will be a true test against the nightmare that is the Avalanche. Collin Delia would do well to smoke ‘em if he’s got ‘em, because it’s not going to get much tougher than what he’s going to see tomorrow.

But tonight, we said we were hungry and they gave us meat. Get down, make love.

Beer du Jour: Miller High Life

Line of the Night: “Hawks Win!” – Pat Foley with a minute left

Everything Else

Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight – December 20th

By Sam Fels December 20, 2018 1100 0

First Screen Viewing

Lightning vs. Flames – 8pm

Those clad in red will tell you this is possibly a Final preview. The Flames might have to sort out their defensive problems for that to happen, but these are two top-five teams in the league. Certainly it’s a test for Calgary, as the Lightning are humming just about as well as anyone has in years. Some hockey fans have complained they haven’t seen a historically good team like the Warriors in their league. They might have one now, 126 points would be quite the statement, and that’s what the Lightning are on pace for.

Second Screen Viewing

Jets vs. Sharks – 9:30

Now this looks like a preview of what’s to come in the spring. The Sharks are starting to tune it up, They’ve won five in a row and seven of nine, They’ve outscored those last five victims 24-10 in those games. The Jets have won five of six, somehow dropping one to the Kings last out. They’ve won nine of 12. Big night in the West.

Other Games

Ducks vs. Bruins – 6pm

Panthers vs. Maple Leafs – 6pm

Predators vs. Flyers – 6pm

Wild vs. Penguins – 6pm

Red Wings vs. Hurricanes – 6pm

Devils vs. Jackets – 6pm

Canadiens vs. Coyotes – 8pm

Blues vs. Canucks – 9pm

Islanders vs. Knights – 9pm

Everything Else

Game #37 – Hawks vs. Stars Preview/Hard Eight Appreciation Society: The More You Know

By Sam Fels December 20, 2018 2117 0

vs.

RECORDS: Hawks 11-19-6 Stars 17-14-3

PUCK DROP: 7:30

TV: NBCSN Chicago

SOME WERE SHOUTIN’ “TEXAS #1!”: Defending Big D

I don’t know if a team rooted to the bottom of the standings, with the worst goal-difference in the league by open lengths, can have anything resembling “momentum.” Especially when it was only two games ago it gave up a touchdown and PAT while their goalie sank back into the abyss. But hey, the Hawks played what may have been their most solid game all season against the (admittedly beat-up) Predators. And though there isn’t much to make out of the rest of the season, they won’t feel that way. So hence, they will try to build on it in North Texas, facing the same confounding Stars team they always find there.

If you thought the Predators were injury-filled, wait until you get a load of these guys. The Stars have used 12 d-men so far this season. Now you may think, “Wait a minute, the Hawks have used 10! So is 12 really that much!” Well, the Stars have had to go through their entire organizational depth on the blue line because of injuries, not because they’ve populated it with a collection of fuckwits and jackwagons.

John Klingberg has been out for weeks, but he returns tonight, so that’s great for the Hawks. So has Marc Methot and Connor Carrick, though I leave it to you to decide if that means anything, or should. Stephen Johns hasn’t played a game due to concussion problems. Klingberg has obviously been the big miss, as he’s one of the best puck-movers and passers in the league. The Stars base most of their offense on what he can do, and he can’t do anything from the trainer’s room.

And yet, with all that the Stars have been a top-10 team in goals-against at evens and overall. A lot of that is THE BISHOP! having an excellent season. Some of that is Jim Montgomery being able to keep whatever defensive unit he has on a given night playing a tight system. Or maybe it’s still the frame of Hitchcock lingering around. Either way, the Starts have survived.

Up front, it’s basically Colorado-Lite. There’s a great top line here of Jamie Benn–Tyler Seguin-Alex Radulov. While Seguin couldn’t throw a grape in the ocean right now, compared to his career shooting-percentage, these are three players over 25 points. The next forward on the list is Jason Spezza at 18, and he’s sick anyway and might not play tonight either, aside from being three days older than water. This has been the issue for the Stars for years, that they can’t seem to produce a second line, much less a third, that can support the top one. We go into this heavier in the Spotlight, but all the kids the Stars were depending on have basically gone flaccid.

Still, it’s not all doom and gloom, or meh and feh as has been the Stars case. Rookie Miro Heiskanen is making everyone go weak in the knees, and will dovetail nicely with Klingberg as a support, second-pairing player. Taylor Fedun has been an analytic revelation filling in for the depleted defense. Which is a good thing, because when you’re rolling out Roman Polak with a straight face, you’re supposed to be in trouble. And we mean literally “rolling,” because Polak can’t skate. He’s basically what Donkey Kong throws on the ice now.

All that said, the Stars are still aimed for another 88-92 points season without a jolt somewhere here soon, the same kind of season that no on remembers when it’s over. It’s also the kind of season that doesn’t push a team forward. This is not a rebuilding team blooding a lot of new kids. They won’t be bad enough to get a real piece in the draft that can help in the next couple years. They’re not contending for banners. They’re just scenery right now, and that’s the absolute worst place to be.

As for the Hawks, you would think changes would be on the minimum. Cam Ward looks to start, which means Collin Delia gets to deal with Galactus’s playthings tomorrow night in Denver in the form of MacKinnon and Rantanen, which seems a tad harsh for a second NHL start. Given the defensive effort on Tuesday, one would imagine there would be no changes there. So Brandon Manning can continue to blame everyone else while munching popcorn. Marcus Kruger didn’t make the mini-trip, and SuckBag was called up yesterday and he’ll probably slot in ahead of Chris Kunitz, because no one wants to watch Chris Kunitz ever again.

This is where we usually try and include some sort of higher meaning to the game and streak the Hawks are on. There isn’t any. They were enjoyable to watch on Tuesday. Let’s hope they are enjoyable tonight.

Game #37 Preview Suite

Everything Else

Game #37 – Hawks vs. Stars Spotlight: The May Never Be Ready For Primetime Players

By Sam Fels December 20, 2018 1809 0

You have to hand it to the Dallas Stars. It seems every couple of seasons, maybe more often, they’re ready to shed their skin. First they were going to be the Run n’ Gun n’ Fun team under Lindy Ruff. Then when that didn’t go anywhere they were going to be a more solid unit under Ken Hitchcock that took its limited opportunities while boring the lower intestines out of everyone. And then that didn’t work so they went outside the box to the University of Denver for Jim Montgomery. And lo and behold…they’re on pace for the same 85-92 points they seemingly always get and never go anywhere. They’re just south of the Wild in the consistency standings, and right there with them in the “Never Do Anything That Matters” standings. Kind of symbolic.

While Jim Nill always wins the Best Offseason GM Award, nothing ever seems to really change on the ice when the season starts. The thought was that Hitchcock was too conservative for the modern game, and that he didn’t really get through to younger players who want to get up the ice more often and faster than Jabba The Hitch would ever be comfortable with.

And yet so far this season, under the supposed forward-thinking Montgomery, the Stars get less attempts, less shots, less goals, and less chances than they did last year under Hitch. They’re not even getting as good of goaltending as they did, and wouldn’t you know it, they’re on pace for 89 more irrelevant points as a team that neither makes them a contender or puts them anywhere in the draft to make a difference next year.

So what’s the problem here? It’s not the top line, which has produced every year as long as Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have been together. Now they have Alex Radulov joining the fun. It’s not the goalies, as Ben Bishop has a .920 this year and has been more than solid in his time in Texas.

So scrape beneath that just a bit, and you see the young players that the Stars have pinpointed and hoped would pick up the secondary scoring, and you start to find some answers.

Devin Shore: Second round pick in 2012, point-per-game or thereabouts for three seasons in the NCAA. Had injury problems in his first season as a pro in the AHL but still was a point-per-game when he was around there. Has put up 24 goals and 55 points in two NHL seasons and this year is on pace for…the same 13 goals and 32-ish points that weren’t enough to be a second line player in the first place.

Radek Faksa: 1st round pick in 2012. Impressive numbers in junior. Good enough in his first season as a pro to spend half the year in Dallas. 17 goals last year in his first full-season in the NHL, looks set for bigger things. On pace for barely 14 goals this year while only just averaging a shot-on-goal per game.

Mattias Janmark: Picked up from the Red Wings in what was thought to be something of a steal. Very good numbers in Sweden. Went from 15 goals to 19 goals last year and looked to be a genuine second-line player. Has two goals this year and like Faksa, is barely registering a shot per game.

Brett Ritchie: 2nd round pick in 2011. Two-time member of Canada’s WJC team. Bounced between the AHL and NHL for a few seasons. Put up 16 goals last year in his first full foray into the big-time. Has two goals this year and is basically a 13th or 14th forward.

Val Nichushkin: Looked to be a real ass-kicker in his rookie year with 14 goals in ’13-’14. Missed almost all of the next year with a terrible injury, never really looked recovered the next season, fucked off back to Russia for two years, and has yet to score this term.

Honka! Honka! (Julius Honka): 1st round pick in 2014. Tore up the OHL in his one year there. Always thought that Ruff and Hitchcock wouldn’t give him the time of day because of just being a young d-man. Has four points this season though with some promising underlying numbers. Stars needed him to push the play beneath John Klingberg and especially in his absence. Hasn’t really happened. Now behind Miro Heiskanen on the depth-chart

And once again, the Stars are a top line, Klingberg (when healthy) and that’s it. They hope they’ve cracked the code on defense with Miro Heiskanen, and maybe they have But until they finally produce a second line from somewhere, they seem destined to be scenery in the Central Division.

Game #37 Preview Suite

Everything Else

Game #37 – Hawks vs. Stars Q&A: Taylor Baird of DefendingBigD.com

By Sam Fels December 20, 2018 2092 0

Taylor is the editor-in-chief at DefendingBigD.com. You can follow her on Twitter @TaylorDBaird.

The Stars switched from Ken Hitchcock to Jim Montgomery before the season. What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed from the two coaches, other than the team playing hockey that doesn’t feel like an existential crisis?

It’s hard to tell what Monty wants this team to be as they’ve been absolutely devastated by injuries on the backend. They’ve been without John Klingberg for 6+ weeks, longer for Connor Carrick and Marc Methot. Stephen Johns has yet to play a game this season. At one point, 12D on the depth chart was playing in the top six at the NHL level. That is…less than ideal. They’ve been one of the best defensive teams even with all those injuries, so it’s safe to say being responsible in their own end is part of the identity. The offensive side of the puck is less clear, as Dallas relies on their blue line to generate offense, and with that position decimated by injury…

Seems like everyone is awfully excited about Miro Heiskanen down there…

All aboard the Heiskanen hype train! He looks like a veteran out there, and as he’s been thrust into a 1D role with all those injuries, he’s only grown in confidence. He has the trust of the coaching staff and is a big part of the Stars being a top 10 PK team. His game is already close to complete, and he’s drawn comparisons to Nicklas Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer. He’s only 19.

The Stars have been waiting for a bust-out from the likes of Faksa, Janmark, and Shore for what feels like forever. Is this all they are by now?

Maybe? Faksa seemed to have a bit more spark when he was shifted to wing last game, so maybe his scoring comes back a touch. He’s still one of the best shutdown forwards the Stars have, and having a guy that’s been in the discussion of Selke nominations last season is not anything to sneeze at. Janmark and Shore are likely what they are now, though if they had a more shoot-first linemate maybe they’d find some apples more often as they both make some good plays.

Tyler Seguin‘s shooting percentage seems to have cratered. Just bad luck or is there something in his game?

He’s having the worst of luck. He’s not going to shoot at a career low percentage for too long. He’s due for a hot streak, and there’s no better time than the present to get that going with Dallas finally getting some time at home instead of spending like 30 of 52 days on the road or something.

Game #37 Preview Suite

Everything Else

Game #37 – Hawks vs. Stars Douchebag Du Jour: Jamie Goes South

By Sam Fels December 20, 2018 1602 0

We ran this last year, but it’s one of our faves. So as a Christmas present, we give it to you again, just like Jamie wouldn’t.

Last time these two met, we went down on what makes Jamie Benn so angry. We got to the bottom of what might be irking him, to see if we could lap up what make Benn tick. Maybe, if we played our cards right–took it down, if you will–we could bring his problems to their knees. Sometimes, you just have to put your face in there, y’know? You can’t just expect things to come to you. Put your love out there, and you’ll get it back. Give if you want to receive, as it were.

But we couldn’t quite bring it through. Benn is leading the Stars in penalty minutes, speaking to his inner frustration, which he just can’t seem to open up. The bile is rising, but he can’t taste it. If Benn could just sink down into it, and see what he can’t get to. Maybe if he just took a look, and tried to solve his problems, things would just open up for him. And then he could be a player no one ever dreamed of.

That’s the thing with sports, in order to achieve all you can you have to realize there are things under the surface that you have to face. That you have to conquer. You have to do things that at first seem distasteful, maybe even gross. You have to push yourself through, no matter what might get stuck in your teeth. Maybe you’ll feel surrounded, maybe it’ll be dark and hot and you won’t know exactly what you’re doing. But then you just close your eyes and guess, and sometimes it works. Maybe this is why Jamie Benn has never seen a conference Final. He’s never gotten “halfway,” if you will.

But until Benn is willing to go where he hasn’t before, he’s never going to taste victory.

Game #37 Preview Suite