Everything Else

Will There Be Enough Water?

By 2240

Ok. Guess we’re going to have to drop the Kesha songs as titles. Shame, I was really enjoying it.

It’s important to make the difference clear between concern and panic. Concern is completely warranted, as losing the first two games at home and not scoring a goal in the process certainly is a new trick for the Hawks and ups the degree of difficulty to a level that will surely impress the Ukrainian judge. A lot of concern is fine, too. Watching the Hawks come up with a stale beer fart in a spot we’re used to seeing them respond is jarring.

But panic? C’mon. The Hawks lost their first two home games last year too, and pushed that to a Game 7 that they lost by the width of two posts. Sure, that series being a loss isn’t exactly something you’d draw inspiration from. And in their comebacks in the past, they rarely had to start them on the road. So again, a new trick. But it’s not like the Preds have picked some secret underbelly here. So let’s try and clean it up and see what’s what.

Everything Else

Blah Blah Blah: Predators at Hawks Game 2 Preview/Rug Cleaning

By 1735

 vs. 

Preds lead 1-0

PUCK DROP: 7pm Central

TV: NBC 

WHY DID YOU KILL THAT BIRD, ASSHOLE?: On The Forecheck

Projected Lineups

It’s almost as if it’s scripted these days. We’ve seen it before. Whatever playoff game the opponent simply packs it in their zone, traps just outside the offensive blue line, crowds their own crease, and we hear all the same things from the Hawks and the media covering them. “Traffic.” “Take away his eyes.” “Be harder (PHRASING).” “Annette Frontpresence.”

And it’s not that all of this is wrong. It’s just that you wouldn’t hear any of it if Anisimov isn’t rusty and buries one or two of his chances, or a shot into that said traffic bounces onto someone’s stick or past Rinne. It’s not like the Hawks have to make massive changes, and we don’t know if the Predators will or not either.

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Beard Of The Day – April 15th: Peter Quill

By 2324

While the Hawks don’t need to save a crumbling galaxy from an all-consuming enemy, they do need to get creative tonight against what could be a very robust force. No one does it better than Peter Quill, or Star Lord, as he’s not above going nefarious to achieve his goals. Which sometimes involves bedding alien girls. But hey, we all have our tastes. If the Hawks have to send out a dick message to get even in the series tonight, so be it.

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Beard Of The Day – April 14th: Hugo Weaving

By 2595

You hear that name and of course you think, “And tell me Mr. Anderson. What good is a phone call if you’re unable to…speak?”

But if you’re in the know, you know that Hugo is an extremely wide-ranging performer, with the other end of the scale being Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, of course. He’s also been signature characters Elrond and V, and there probably won’t be another actor who performs a monologue where 75% of the words begin with V and we can’t see his face. And if there is, it certainly won’t be nearly as striking.

The Hawks will have to be just as flexible, and able to go in every direction tomorrow night to get past what seems to be a Preds team intent on being obstinate.

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Boots & Boys: Predators 1 – Hawks 0 (Preds lead series 1-0)

By 1738

Box Score

Natural Stat Trick

In the aftermath of this one, and even really during it, I saw a lot of citing of how much time the Hawks had off, combined with not even really trying in the last week, and how bad they are when they get a lot of rest. I don’t know that this is really a viable excuse. After all, the Preds had to keep trying throughout the season and they capped it off by losing to the fucking Jets. But we’ve been down this road with the Hawks before, including against this very team seven years ago. The Hawks are rarely totally sharp in a Game 1 in the first round, and couldn’t save this one tonight even though it was sitting there like a pig on a spit. The Preds almost certainly won’t be so lucky next time.

But we did learn some things tonight.

Everything Else

Aloha – Game 1 – Predators vs Hawks Preview, Instant Re-Finance

By 1694

 vs 

Game Time: 7:00PM CDT
TV/Radio: CSN, NBCSN (US), TVA-S2 (Canada), WGN-AM 720
Golden Showers: On The Forecheck

The long national nightmare is over, The Chicago Blackhawks are once again playing hockey games that matter. And they’re doing so from their most advantageous position in four years, with home ice for as long as they remain in the Western Conference playoffs. For those counting at home, under Joel Quenneville the Hawks are 11-1 in series wherein they have home ice, the lone outlier being the 2014 Western Conference Final, which took to Game 7 in OT to end. That also remains the only series that the Hawks have ended up losing wherein they have taken Game 1. The road is laid out for them, and the first step is tonight on West Madison against the Nashville Predators.