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  • High On The Hog: Closing The Gap

    High On The Hog: Closing The Gap

    The Rockford IceHogs had a six-game win streak snapped Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The recent success of the ‘Bago County Flying Piglets has brought at least a smidge of hope to an appearance in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

    The Hogs boosted their season mark to 23-20-3-5 with a 7-3 record over the last ten games. Rockford is in a tie for fourth in points with Milwaukee (54) in the Central Division. However…

    …if the season ended today (which it won’t), neither the Hogs or the Ads would qualify for the postseason. Texas is in that fourth position due to its .531 points percentage, the stat that decides the highest-ranking teams in each division.

    In case you are unaware, several Pacific Division teams play 68, not 76 games over the course of the season. This necessitates the use of the points percentage statistic. Since it ranks the teams regardless of how many games in hand one team may have on another, I choose to set the standings in this fashion.

    I guess points will eventually matter in the Central Division after the final day of the regular season. Until that day arrives, I will report the standings (as I have for some time now) according to points percentage. So Rockford is tied for fifth, not fourth place. I am killjoy, hear me roar.

    Actually, there is a lot to be excited about here on our stretch of I-90. The IceHogs still have home-cookin’ ahead of them through this upcoming weekend. They have three division opponents coming in, with the opportunity to keep pushing up North in the standings. There’s the potential of a trade deadline pact that could provide some help in Rockford.

    Plus, some of the boys currently residing in town are beginning to step up.

     

    Pacing A Winning Streak

    The Rockford win streak was anchored by solid defense and some outstanding play in net. However, pucks need to get into the net for a six-pack of wins.

    As needs to be the case with the current roster, the push is communal. Here are some players who have  come to the forefront the last few weeks:

    Luke Johnson

    Johnson (9 G, 8 A), leads Rockford with five game-winning goals this season. He picked up the deciding tally in both IceHogs wins this week. Over the last seven games, Johnson has four goals and a pair of helpers, including two power play strikes. All four of those goals came in Rockford victories.

     

    Dylan Sikura

    The Hogs leader in goals and points this season (13 G, 17 A) was very noticeable during the winning streak. Sikura The Younger put up eight points (2 G, 6 A) in his last eight games and is currently on a four-game points streak. (UPDATE-The Blackhawks recalled Sikura Monday morning.)

     

    Jordan Schroeder

    In 42 games, the veteran has 11 goals and 18 assists on the season. Schroeder is on pace to set a career-high in points, his previous high being 44, set with the Wolves in 2011-12. Schroeder ran his current point streak to five games and has seven points (2 G, 5 A) in his last eight contests.

     

    Lucas Carlsson

    With several injuries on the blue line, the rookie has continued to contribute at both ends of the ice. With eight goals and 17 helpers in 47 games this season, he is a lone assist from tying Darren Raddysh as the team’s top-scoring defenseman. In his last seven games, Carlsson has a goal and four assists.

     

    Dennis Gilbert

    I’m throwing Gilbert into this bunch mostly because of his outstanding evening on Saturday night. Even before the big rookie notched what was a game-tying goal at the time, I was impressed with how aggressive his was in the offensive zone.

    Gilbert sent a personal-best five shots on the Tucson net Saturday, just missing on a couple of attempts and following up on several rebounds. He has 45 shot on the year in 39 games. In his last 15 games, however, he has put pucks on goal 24 times.

    A very nice pass by Gilbert set up Johnson’s eventual game-winner Friday to go with his strong showing the following night. Gilbert may be benefiting from increased responsibility in lieu of several Hogs defenders out of commission at the moment.

    The former Notre Dame skater has consistently brought a hard-nosed style to the ice this season. Gilbert is not a puck-moving type by any means. However, if he can display just a bit more of the aggressive game he showed Saturday on a regular basis, he could be an exciting player to watch.

     

    Roster Moves

    Last Monday, forward Matheson Iacopelli was assigned to the Indy Fuel of the ECHL. Iacopelli, a third-round draft pick in 2014 for the Blackhawks, had a goal for the Fuel Saturday night in a 5-4 loss to the Quad City Thunder.

    At times, Iacopelli has displayed a high-quality shot from the left side. This season, he has again failed to get solid footing in the IceHogs lineup. With his rookie contract set to expire this summer, it’s hard to see the young man back in the organization.

    Several IceHogs defensemen are still nursing injuries. Blake Hillman, who took a nasty turn into the end boards February 1, was proclaimed to be okay the next day by the coaching staff. Hillman, however, has not played since. He skated in warmups Saturday night but was still a scratch. Also scratched Saturday was D Joni Tuulola, who did return from injury the previous night. Brandon Davidson has not played since January 21, missing the last seven games.

    Luc Snuggerud, who has missed three months with a concussion, may be at a crossroads in his hockey career. It was reported by theathletic.com’s Scott Powers yesterday that the Blackhawks have placed Snuggerud on unconditional waivers.

    Snuggerud, a fifth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, also missed a sizable chunk of his rookie season with a concussion. After putting up 5 goals and 12 assists in 40 games last season, Snuggerud had appeared in just four games this season before suffering his current injury November 6.

     

    Recaps

    Wednesday, February 6-Rockford 2, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1

    Rockford won its fifth-straight game with a pair of first-period goals, riding a fine night of goal tending by Anton Forsberg to the victory.

    Local product Josh McArdle got the Hogs on the board with his first AHL goal just 1:42 into the contest. The play developed after Viktor Ejdsell sent a shot on goal from the high slot. The rebound was fought for in front of the net by Jordan Schroeder and Nick Moutrey, who sent the puck back out to the slot. McArdle pounced on the opportunity, knocking the biscuit past Penguins goalie Anthony Peters for a 1-0 IceHogs lead.

    Just over a minute later, Jarrett Burton beat Darren Raddysh to a Ryan Haggerty pass, leading to a breakaway goal that tied the game. The IceHogs got the game-winner 12:49 into the first, however, converting on a 5-on-3 power play.

    Lucas Carlsson had won a battle for the puck behind the boards after a Raddysh attempt was wide of the net. Dylan Sikura gained possession in the corner, skated it back up top and sent a pass to Luke Johnson at the bottom of the left circle. Johnson didn’t get all of the one-timer, but the shot found its way past Peters for a 2-1 Hogs advantage at the 12:49 mark.

    That lead held up for the remainder of the game, largely because of Forsberg. Rockford was out shot 39-13 in the final 40 minutes, but the IceHogs goalie was up to the challenge. Fittingly, Forsberg was named the game’s First Star for his 45-save performance.

     

    Friday, February 8-Rockford 3, Tucson 1

    Late in the first period, Rockford opened the scoring on a transition goal set up by a long cross-ice pass by Jordan Schroeder. The pass found the stick of Jacob Nilsson, who skated the the left dot before hitting Anthony Louis at the opposite dot for the one-timer. The goal came at the 17:38 mark.

    The Hogs lead doubled 6:27 into the second period after Dennis Gilbert gathered in a loose puck in the Rockford zone. The rookie defenseman slid a stretch pass to Luke Johnson as he entered Tucson ice. Johnson skated to just outside of the right dot before letting fly with a shot that bested the glove of Roadrunners goalie Adin Hill.

    Tucson’s Lane Pedersen knocked home a rebound past Hogs goalie Kevin Lankinen later in the period to cut the lead to a single goal. However, the rookie net-minder would not allow another puck past him on this night, stopping 23 shots to secure the victory.

    Meanwhile, the IceHogs picked up a late insurance goal when Nilsson caught cord on the power play, drifting across the slot and flinging the puck past Hill at 15:09.

    Saturday, February 9-Tucson 5, Rockford 3

    The Hogs put together a rally in the third period from two goals down, tying the game before ultimately losing to end a six-game winning streak.

    Rockford took a 1-0 lead 8:19 into the game with a power play goal from the top of the left circle by Lucas Carlsson. With time running out on the man advantage, Carlsson sent a Darren Raddysh feed past Tucson goalie Adin Hill.

    The Roadrunners quickly responded, tying the game 25 seconds later on Brayden Burke’s ninth goal of the season. New pickup Jeremy Gregoire made it a 2-1 game at the 11:22 mark. Five minutes into the second period, Robbie Russo got a shot past Hogs goalie Anton Forsberg on a power play. Rockford faced a 3-1 deficit heading into the final frame.

    The IceHogs comeback hinged on a roughing penalty by Tucson captain Dakota Mermis, who was called for his mugging of Hogs forward Jacob Nilsson. Rockford took advantage, with Jordan Schroeder catching the top corner of Hill’s net 10:28 into the third period.

    Less than a minute later, the Hogs came up with the equalizer. Alexandre Fortin drove into the Roadrunners zone and sent a shot off of Hill’s pads. Dennis Gilbert, who had four previous shot attempts turned away, punched in the long rebound from the left circle and drew Rockford even at 11:08 of the period.

    Unfortunately, a penalty on the Hogs side proved to be the turning point of the contest. Andreas Martinsen somehow avoided a boarding call on Mermis before shoving him to the ice. Martinsen was sent to the box for interference at 15:55; near the end of the subsequent power play, Russo banged in his second goal of the evening to give Tucson a 4-3 lead. An empty netter 30 seconds later sealed the fate of the IceHogs.

     

    This Week

    The Hogs are back at it Tuesday night in Rockford, when they host the Texas Stars. Iowa visits the BMO on Saturday night, followed by a game with San Antonio that will close out this lengthy home stand.

    Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for thoughts and updates on the IceHogs all season long.

     

     

     

     

  • Game #56 – Wings 2, Hawks 5: Sometimes Things Can Just Rock

    Game #56 – Wings 2, Hawks 5: Sometimes Things Can Just Rock

    Box Score

    Natural Stat Trick

    Corsica

    I had an argument with a musician friend a while back. He’s a touch on the hipster side. I told him I had just seen The Kills live. He asked, “What’s the deal with them?” I wasn’t sure what he meant. “Y’know, what’s the deal? What do they mean? What’s going on there?” Finally I told him that not every song or band has to have a deeper meaning or texture to them. Some things just rock or make you dance or make you feel good.

    I’m fairly sure this seven-game winning streak doesn’t mean anything. You can’t give up 40+ shots to the Canucks and Red Wings and convince anyone you’re a team that anyone should locate a giveable fuck about. There’s probably an ugly market-correction coming. It could be next week for all we know, rendering all of March pointless. Or it could come later. Maybe it won’t come at all because hockey is dumb and weird.

    But at the moment, it’s fun! It makes us feel good, at least most of us. It’s certainly more entertaining to watch. So I don’t want to stare at it too hard at the moment. That’s for another time. Because money, love, success, these things come and go. But wins over Detroit, those never get old.

    Let’s do it…

    The Two Obs

    -I want to start with Dylan Strome. He was my subject on Friday, because if there’s a legitimate point to the rest of the season it’s that we want to see signs of what’s to come from new places. And at least in the first period, and flashes in the rest, Strome was making plays all over the ice. We’ve seen his presence in front of the net, we’ve seen a pretty lethal shot, but the last two games we’ve seen the vision that was the main billing when he was drafted. He only racked up two assists but on another day could have had four, and it’s that kind of playmaking that makes you really excited about what’s to come. He has the ability to make the pass/play that only few can see, or conjure something out of nothing. That’s 30 points in 32 games as a Hawk for him.

    -Let’s stick with Strome, because the Wings second goal was another example of what’s not working for the Hawks’s defensively. And this isn’t to single out Strome. Niklas Jensen skates out of the corner along the boards toward the blue line with the puck, with Strome on him. But because Strome isn’t quick, Jensen gets a step. Kahun is covering the point-man, but sees that Strome is beat. But there’s no communication, so they neither switch not stick with their man, and Jensen has a path to the middle of the ice to find Gustav “That’s Good” Nyquist, and we get Cam Ward looking behind him.

    There are a few sticking points for me. First of all, this shit is still happening and all it would involve is more communication. Second, Strome is always going to be hard up in some of these due to footspeed. If he were instructed to to play a little softer, keeping things to the outside, and not worry about trying to win a race, it would be fine. Jensen skating away from the net along the boards isn’t really a problem. It’s when you’re trying to apply high-pressure that it becomes so.

    Under the old, more zonal system, when a player got beat and someone else had to cover for him, he knew the area he had to recover to. He didn’t have to worry about players moving around. He would have must moved to the point while Kahun dealt with Jensen. And it’s not just Strome, The Hawks just don’t have the speed to do what they’re being asked, because they’ll lose most of these races. It’s akin to someone getting broken down off the dribble in basketball. Someone has to help and then someone else is open and then it’s a mess.

    The Hawks can’t go back now, but when it’s on the outside the Hawks can play a little more off, or softer, or more toward the middle, whatever term you want. They don’t need to chase to the boards, because they’re too slow anyway. Right now, any team with a modicum of talent and scouting knows that all they have to do is get possession down low, skate out toward the blue line, have the point-man crash down at the same time, and the Hawks are suddenly wasted and can’t find their way home.

    -The only Hawks on the plus side of the possession-ledger were Erik Gustafsson and Slater Koekkoek. I said it didn’t make any sense.

    -But hey, they won without scoring a power play goal. So that’s like, something.

    -People, we have found a blue line worse than the Hawks’! Niklas Kronwall dies like four years ago and it’s just wonderful that the Wings are making noise about re-signing him. He’s 38, and in hockey years he’s 125. Dude got smoked by Dominik Kahun repeatedly.

    -Speaking of Kahun, I think you’ll know the Hawks are ready to be good again when their third line is something like Caggiula-Kampf-Kahun. And he’d be a real weapon down there. Another effective European scouting. Maybe the Hawks should import their European scouts to the pro scouting staff.

    Ok, that’s enough. Seven is better than six.

  • Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks Preview, Cyst Removal – Ordinary Pain

    Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks Preview, Cyst Removal – Ordinary Pain

     vs 

    RECORDS: Detroit 21-27-7   Hawks 22-24-9

    PUCK DROP: 2:00PM CST
    TV/RADIO: NBC Sports Chicago, WGN-AM 720
    JUGGALO HOMIES: Winging It In Motown

     

    If there has been one schadenfraude-drenched upside to the last two years of the Hawks tripping over their own dicks at every conceivable juncture, it’s that the Red Wings have been equally inept, if not more so. Yes, most of the old wounds have healed, as silver tends to do that, particularly when eliminating them on the way to one, but anyone looking for emotional maturity has clearly been reading the wrong publication for over a decade now.

    Entering today’s matinee, the Wings sit 14 points back of a wild card spot with a month and a half to play, essentially left for dead in the Eastern conference they so desperately wanted to play in. Just yesterday they lost another afternoon tilt in Buffalo, their second straight. One of the lone bright spots for the Wings has been Jimmy Howard, who’s had a bit of a renaissance this season with a .914 overall and an excellent .930 at evens, his best since the aforementioned abbreviated 2013 season, but he went yesterday in Buffalo. That means that Jonathan Bernier is likely to get the start today, and suffice it to say that Bernier is a step down from Howard, boasting an .898 overall and a .900 at evens. Even with goaltending taking a downturn league-wide, that’s still not enough from a backup.

    In front of Bernier is a blue line that is somehow even more barren and desolate a wasteland than the Hawks. With no morning skate today, based on yesterday in Buffalo, the Wings will be trotting out a top pairing of Niklas Kronwall and Mike Green with a straight face in 2019, not 2009. Kronwall was always overrated and dirty, and now he’s lost more than a step and a half at 38 years old. Mike Green could probably still make a decent living as a third pairing bum slayer and power play quarterback, but he’s always been an adventure in his own zone and he can’t outscore those problems anymore. Danny DeKeyser is never going to be anything more than “a guy” no matter what the drunk dick from Perth Amboy at the bar shouts, and Jonathan Ericsson makes Seabrook look downright nimble these days. Unfortunately, Trevor Daley is hurt so he won’t be able to be recognized on the UC jumbotron during the first TV timeout.

    Up front for the Wings, there are some decent pieces, but it’s just simply not enough now, particularly in the wake of Henrik Zetterberg‘s retirement. Dylan Larkin is the de facto #1 center right now, flanked by two of the worst contracts in the game in Justin Abdelkader and Gustav Nyquist. Larkin hasn’t quite grown into a true #1 yet, but he’s producing nearly a point per game (51P in 53 games) and certainly has all the talent to put it together by the time the Wings think they’ll be competitive again, and he’s still not even 23. Frans Nielsen centers the second line which features a somehow still employed Thomas Vanek back for a second tour of duty in Detroit (because the first time went so well) and Anthony Mantha on the other side, appears to basically be a Quebecois Hayes brother, providing 20 useless goals a season from a giant frame that intimidates no one. One of the best nicknames in the league and one of the fastest sets of wheels, Greece Lighning, Andreas Athanasiou continues to languish on the third line with known bums Luke Glendening and Darren “Ambulance 43” Helm. The Red Wings also have a fourth line.

    As for the Men of Four Feathers, Thursday night marked their sixth win in a row, which no one is sure if it means a goddamn thing yet. They did so giving up 40 shots to the equally putrid Canucks and had to get to the bullshit that is 3-on-3 to decide things. But points are points, considering that A) this draft isn’t that deep past Jack Hughes, and B) the league is going to rig that he plays for his home town team anyway, which just happens to be the Hawks’ opponent today. The one thing that continues to hum along for the Hawks is the power play, and fortunately the Wings’ PK is only marginally better than the Hawks’, though Jonathan Bernier has been relatively respectable on the kill with an .883 save percentage.

    Lines from Saturday’s skate appeared the same as the last game, but it was notable that Corey Crawford briefly took the ice and partook in team drills if only for about 20 minutes sharing a net with Collin Delia, which would seem to indicate that Cam Ward would get the start. What a time to be alive.

    The Hawks didn’t get any favors from the Blues on Thursday or the Wild yesterday, but it’s still too goddamn early to be scoreboard watching in that regard. A tank is basically out of the question at this point, and it’s better for the players already on this roster to develop by winning, particularly against eminently beatable teams such as this Scum bunch. Take care of business. Seven is better than six.

    Game #56 Preview Suite

    Preview

    Spotlight

    Q&A

    Douchebag Du Jour

    I Make A Lot Of Graphs

    Lineups & How Teams Were Built

  • Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks Spotlight: Dylan Larkin Finally Points The Way

    Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks Spotlight: Dylan Larkin Finally Points The Way

    We can thank Dylan Larkin for one thing. And that’s putting end to the always-horseshit “The Red Wings Let Their Prospects Overmarinate” myth. The hockey media peddled that fucking thing for like a decade, and it eventually turned out that the reason they did all that is their prospects were middling at best, fuckwits at worst. Or did Tomas Tatar, Tomas Jurco, Anthony Mantha, Xavier Ouellet, Luke Glendening, and a host of others go on to redefine the sport and we just missed it?

    Larkin was one of the few who never spent a minute in Grand Rapids, breeding ground of legends apparently, because he’s an actual player and quite possibly an actual star. Larkin went straight from Ann Arbor to Detroit, and put up 45 points as a rookie on the wing. He further proved that chances are if you’re worth a shit, you get to the NHL directly and quickly and don’t need “seasoning” on the bus in the AHL, especially at forward.

    Larkin’s future was always at center though, and his move there proved rocky at times. He had the husk of Henrik Zetterberg to shield him as best he could, but his first attempt in the middle led to an unsightly -28 and just 32 points, while carrying a 44.3 xGF%. The learning curve was steep, let’s say.

    Things improved last year, as Larkin set a career-high with 63 points, improved his metrics to above the team-rate, as the Wings finally put him with a non-pylons, ones like such as Tatar or Mantha, and put speedster Andreas Athanasiou with him.

    This year things have taken off, as without Zetterberg around Larkin has joined Gustav Nyquist in his contract-push (or trade-push), and they’ve combined to make Larkin one of the more effective centers around. He’s almost at a point-per-game, with 51 in 53 games. And his metrics are glittering. Larkin’s relative-CF% is fifth in the entire league, and second among centers behind only Sidney Crosby. His relative-xGF% is in the top-20, and fourth among centers in the league behind Kevin Hayes, Crosby, and Patrice Bergeron. Not terrible company to be around.

    As the game speeds up, that should only suit Larkin more, whose main weapon has always been speed. Larkin has benefitted from slightly cushier zone-starts this year, but not slanted terribly in that direction. Imagine what he could do if he literally had one d-man who could get the puck up to him consistently, which the Red Wings don’t currently possess.

    Moving forward, getting Larkin on an extension before William Nylander reset the market is going to be a boon for Detroit. Larkin is only making $6.1M for the next few years, which for a #1 center is nearly criminal. It also helps cancel out some of the galactically dumbass deals Ken Holland has handed out in recent years, such as Justin Abdelkader‘s, or Frans Nielsen‘s, or Danny DeKeyser‘s. The Wings don’t really have anyone to pay up this summer, unless they decide they want to re-sign Nyquist for some reason. The year after should get interesting when Anathasiou comes due after getting screwed over by the team last time he needed a deal, as well as Bertuzzi the Younger.

    Still, with Larkin looking like a top line center, Filip Zadina arriving next year along with another top-five pick (most likely, and #1 if the NHL can rig it so which you know they will, because Jack Hughes must stay home), and the Wings might not be the figure-of-fun they’ve been lately. Which is really sad for everyone.

     

    Game #56 Preview Suite

    Preview

    Spotlight

    Q&A

    Douchebag Du Jour

    I Make A Lot Of Graphs

    Lineups & How Teams Were Built

  • Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks Q&A: Kyle From WIIM, Who Like Us Won’t Grow Up

    Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks Q&A: Kyle From WIIM, Who Like Us Won’t Grow Up

    Kyle has been the editor over at WingingItInMotown.com as long as we’ve been doing this, which means he hasn’t gotten any more of a life than we have. And we thank him for that. Follow him on Twitter @KyleWIIM.

    Well, the Red Wings seem to get how this whole tank/rebuild thing is supposed to go, or at least the Eastern Conference has made it so. How do you feel about where the Wings are?
    The Red Wings are two, maybe three players away from being back in the thick of things, I think. They’ve got a decent crop of young talent in the juniors, and a few youngsters starting to make names for themselves in the NHL.
    If they can lock up a top-three pick this year, they’ll be in a good spot.. Problem is, they need to work on the books. Too much cap space spent on old players. That hogties them to try and make a splash in the free agent market if there’s a big name out there.
    Dylan Larkin’s switch to center last year was a little itchy. Seems to be going better this time. What’s the difference?
    He’s just a special player, and the team has embraced his ability to be the straw that stirs the drink. Putting him with Gustav Nyquist and Tyler Bertuzzi has been a magnificent decision.
    Is Yzerman slotting in at GM over the summer fait accompli?
    I think so, but it could realistically happen. I comes down to Ken Holland. What’s he going to do? Obviously the organization is happy keeping everyone where they’re at.. So it really comes down to him.
    Andreas Athanasiou already has a career high in points and will soon in goals. What’s been the difference for him this year, and does the team still hate him?
    Team doesn’t hate him, I think they’ve just been very critical. Again, he’s been put with the right kind of players, and being put in the right situations. For a long time, I think the team believed his best skill was speed, and while it is definitely one of his best abilities, his playmaking ability has really shined this season.
    What will the Wings be doing before the deadline?
    If I’m a betting man, I’m guessing they stand pat. They’ve got a ton of NTCs to deal with, and it’s just been so gosh damn quiet that I find it difficult to see something happening. Then again, maybe the quietness should hint that something is in the works.
    They should really be pushing to sell players like Jimmy Howard, Luke Glendening, and even Gustav Nyquist.

     

    Game #56 Preview Suite

    Preview

    Spotlight

    Q&A

    Douchebag Du Jour

    I Make A Lot Of Graphs

    Lineups & How Teams Were Built

  • Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks Douchebag Du Jour: Again With A Bertuzzi

    Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks Douchebag Du Jour: Again With A Bertuzzi

    We don’t know what it is with Detroit and Bertuzzis. For some ungodly reason, maybe because they thought they knew better than everyone else or still do, Todd was allowed to be on an NHL roster for at least three years longer than he had any right to be. He was the prototype for Chungus Lucic. He scored like, a playoff goal once, and Ken Holland used it as proof that the Wings had rehabilitated him for season upon season. The dude got his ass beat by Dan Carcillo once, for fuck’s sake.

    So of course it was only natural that the Wings would draft his nephew, because why have one when you can have two for twice the asshoolery? He’s been a decent enough contributor we guess, and we’re not sure he’s quite the shithead the elder Bertuzzi was, but look at this jackwagon…

     

    So yeah, he has to be, and he did rack up 133 penalty minutes at Grand Rapids one year. So it’s in him if not always on display. Hockey creates idiotic dynasties all the time, as you can see when you attempt to watch any Sutter kid trying to play hockey without choking from laughter/sadness if they’re on your team. Tyler had one big year in the OHL, but just about everyone has a big year in the OHL, especially in their fourth go-around when they’re older than everyone. If his last name was “James” he would have been a sixth-round pick, if not undrafted altogether.

    But the Bertuzzi legend continues in the Motor City. They’re going to prove…something, if it kills them. Good thing they suck now so even if they do no one will notice.

     

    Game #56 Preview Suite

    Preview

    Spotlight

    Q&A

    Douchebag Du Jour

    I Make A Lot Of Graphs

    Lineups & How Teams Were Built

  • Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks: I Make A Lot Of Graphs

    Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks: I Make A Lot Of Graphs

     

    Game #56 Preview Suite

    Preview

    Spotlight

    Q&A

    Douchebag Du Jour

    I Make A Lot Of Graphs

    Lineups & How Teams Were Built

  • Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks: Lineups & How Teams Were Built

    Game #56 – Red Wings vs. Hawks: Lineups & How Teams Were Built

    Notes: Jimmy Howard started yesterday in Buffalo, so it’ll be Bernier today. He shut out the Sens the last time he started, but he had given up 16 goals in his last four starts before that…Larkin has five points in his last four…Kronwall is a free agent at season’s end but has said he does not want to go anywhere, so the Red Wings can’t cash in on him…Athanasiou doesn’t have a goal since January 6th…what the fuck kind of doofus spells his name “Cristoffer?”

    Notes: Only changes should see Dalhstrom come back in for Koekkoek, who was not good against Vancouver…After his late-game penalty Perlini would normally be scratched but the Hawks aren’t carrying an extra forward…Ward’s turn in the net if they’re splitting starts…Saad continues to kick in skulls, and he did it without Kampf on Thursday. Was one of the few Hawks above water in possession…Caggiula had five shots at even-strength against Vancouver…

     

    Game #56 Preview Suite

    Preview

    Spotlight

    Q&A

    Douchebag Du Jour

    I Make A Lot Of Graphs

    Lineups & How Teams Were Built

  • Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight – Weekend Of February 8th-9th

    Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight – Weekend Of February 8th-9th

    Might be easier to just knock the weekend’s slate out at once, so let’s to it:

    First Screen Viewing

    Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens – Saturday, 6pm

    I don’t like it anymore than you, but of this weekend’s offerings, the Auld Rivals from Up North is probably as good as you’re going to get. And with the way both teams are playing, it’s even better. The Habs took it to Winnipeg last night for their fourth win in five games, their eighth in 10, the Leafs have won four of five, and only a point separates these two in the standings, which means the world may finally get the Leafs-Canadiens playoff series they realigned 25 years ago to get. No really, that’s why they did it. With that in mind, this usually pretty spicy affair gets a little more ghost pepper.

    Second Screen Viewing

    Penguins vs. Lightning – Saturday, 6pm

    The Lightning have gone into something like autopilot lately, trading wins and losses for the last nine games as they’ve run away and hid from the division and conference. You know when you get shut out at home by the Blues that your give-a-shit meter isn’t near the red. The Pens are still fighting off the Jackets and Islanders and Caps in the Metro, and suddenly there’s a big, red thing in the rearview from Raleigh. Losing five of their last seven isn’t helping their case. and suddenly things are getting a touch desperate in Iron City. The visit of Sid and Co. you would think would snap the Lightning out of their doldrums, if only for a night.

    Other Games

    Saturday

    Kings vs. Bruins – 12pm

    Red Wings vs. Sabres – 12pm

    Wild vs. Devils – 12pm

    Avalanche vs. Islanders – 12pm

    Ducks vs. Flyers – 12pm

    Predators vs. Blues – 1pm

    Jets vs. Senators – 1pm

    Stars vs. Coyotes – 3pm

    Sharks vs. Oilers – 6pm

    Panthers vs. Capitals – 6pm

    Flames vs Canucks – 9pm

    Jackets vs. Knights – 9pm

    Sunday

    Blues vs. Predators – 11:30am

    Avalanche vs. Bruins – 2pm

    Jets vs. Sabres – 2pm

    Hurricanes vs. Devils – 2pm

    Wild vs. Islanders – 2pm

    Lightning vs. Panthers – 6pm

    Maple Leafs vs. Rangers – 6pm

  • Strome If You Want To, Strome Around The World

    Strome If You Want To, Strome Around The World

    As we’ve remarked often during these three weeks, perhaps too much, this six-game winning streak and playoff “push” are fun, entertaining, but they are empty calories. Nothing much about the Hawks structure has changed, at least at even-strength, and giving up 40+ shots to the equally confused and inert Canucks is further proof of that.

    However this season ends, what we should watch for is what will be important in the seasons to come, and the immediate ones. We don’t know how long-term the Hawks “plan” is, and we can only hope it’s only about the next two seasons, maybe three. At some point you’re just not going to get this from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews due to mileage, and as of now there isn’t anyone to take those prominent roles (with a possible caveat for Alex DeBrincat, but he’s still a rhythm guitarist right now, though a really good one). You’re already not getting it from Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, and as we’ve labored over and over to express, no one has stepped into those skates yet either.

    Thus, it’s pretty critical to see if there are players stepping up into crucial support roles for the next couple of seasons. And perhaps no more important than Dylan Strome.

    #2 center has essentially been a black hole for the Hawks ever since Patrick Sharp decided he was too pretty to play there somewhere around 2012 or 2013. They’ve gotten away with it at times, had a brief respite when Brad Richards was here for a year, and then fooled everyone into thinking they had it solved when Artem Anisimov was watching Kane and Artemi Panarin perform “Spider-Man: The Musical” every night along with all of us. The Hawks tried to convince themselves, us, and probably even Nick Schmaltz himself that he was the long-term answer, and then Schmaltz honestly played himself out of being the answer.

    So the Hawks turned to Strome, and you have to say the results are encouraging so far. How encouraging? Let’s deep dive:

    As a Hawk, Strome has put up 27 points in 31 games, which is just about as solid production as anyone would want out of a second-line center. The fear at the top would be that he’s only piling up power play points, but he’s got eight points on the man-advantage, leaving 21 in 31 for evens. His 2.26 points per 60 minutes of even-strength ranks him among centers solidly around names like Eric Staal, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Sebastien Aho, and Mathew Barzal and his missing “T.” These are names you definitely would want as a second center.

    Metrically, Strome’s numbers are pretty ugly, which is the worrying part. As a Hawk, Strome’s CF% is 44.7%, his scoring-chance percentage is a barf-tastic 26.8%, and the high-danger chances at 36.7%. Overall, his xGF% is 43%. Strome has benefitted from the Hawks shooting 13% when he’s on the ice. Now, to be fair, Strome has exclusively played with either Kane or DeBrincat, and when those two are on the ice chances are the team will shoot at a higher rate than normal. That’s why they do what they do. So you can kind of assign that to always being the case. Strangely, Strome’s metrics go up when he’s away from Kane, though they aren’t great with just DeBrincat either.

    If you want to be encouraged, over the last 10 games Strome’s CF% is 47.0%, which is just about the team-rate. You’d love him to be better than the team rate, but we’d also like the team-rate to be better and while he’s still finding his way in the NHL you’ll settle for him not bringing anyone down. For now.

    As we said when he was acquired, Strome barely had a half-season of experience at the NHL-level, so he’s essentially finishing a rookie season right now (79 games). If you were to cut it there, a 17-26-43 rookie season would hardly be categorized as a failure. And you see passes like last night and you can see greater things in the future, though obviously one of them came at 5-on-3 and yeah, you should be able to pick out great passes with that much space. Still, the second one though…

    There are clear deficiencies in Strome’s game. He’s not quick, and he’s still getting buried defensively at times. While Strome can work hard to at least smooth out the former, the latter is going to be something else. And because he’ll never be fleet of foot, his learning curve and instincts are going to take longer to develop because he’s going to have to steal the first step in his head. You can see how it would work with assists like last night. He’s also a big body and could lean on more guys than he does, but we’ll chalk that up to learning the ropes still. That will help him in the defensive end, where he can cut guys off on the boards or get into them to prevent having to footrace them wherever.

    Much like the team, the results Strome is getting are encouraging but the process underneath it makes you tug your collar a bit. Giving Top Cat and Strome a diligent worker like Kahun has been a real benefit to them, and that’s probably something that will have to continue to happen (though it’s at this point I wish Saad were more comfortable on the right side because you really wonder what they could accomplish with Kahun’s/Saad’s work-rate and Saad’s greater offensive instincts). Let’s hope Coach Cool Youth Pastor doesn’t get line-juggle-y again, and with a winning-streak there’s no reason he would. If these three put another good 10 games together, we’ll feel even better.

    Overall, there’s more to be happy about with Strome than not. And he looks like he can be a real piece in the seasons to come, which is really where the Hawks focus needs to be.