Wow, wins over the Wild and Jets in the span of three days. You’ll tell your children about it someday. If you talk to your children. Which you probably shouldn’t, because really, what do your children have to say? Nothing, that’s what.
The first period was about as well as the Hawks have played all season, and they were completely all over the Jets and easily could have had four or five goals if it wasn’t for Connor Hellebuyck spasming competence for the first time since… well, the last time he played the Hawks. Fucker.
The second was not so good, but at this point I think we’ve all given up the dream of the Hawks putting 60 minutes together. The swarm/mess that the Jets style is lends itself to swing wildly from one pole to the other in terms of possession and dominance, and once they get going they can be hard to turn around.
But the third saw the Hawks shut it down fairly well. They didn’t generate as much as you’d like but Crawford wasn’t required to perform the same miracles as the 2nd, even though the Jets had twice as many shots. She’s a funny old game.
Let’s clean it up.
The Two Obs
-I tend to think Paul Maurice is a good coach. So it must be that his players simply don’t listen to him, which would still be a fireable offense. The first was an excellent showcase in how the Jets don’t adhere to any kind of structure or system, and the Hawks had so many open looks from deep in the Jets’ zone it was beginning to look like a champagne room.
Of course, Dustin Byfuglien is the leading cause of this. I know all the numbers suggest he’s a plus d-man, but I’m sure he absolutely sucks. Pick your highlight: being the first in the one trying to save an icing, or helping to give away the opening Hawks goal by steaming ahead into the neutral zone when possession wasn’t clear and it’s not like there was a rush on. It’s a wonder his partner hasn’t broken a stick over his head yet.
-Speaking of terrible defensive mistakes, here’s TVR outside the hashmarks along the boards, and then not beating it back to his goal where two Jets forwards were to make for the only Jets goal that mattered. It’s a wonder how he keeps getting away with shit like this.
-Brian Campbell’s best game of the season?
-I don’t know that playing Keith over 25 minutes is really a keen strategy, with a speedy team awaiting tomorrow, but I guess there’s the bye after it.
-Once again the kid line was pretty dynamic, throwing up very pretty possession numbers as well.
Not much else to tell from this one. On to Edmonton.
