Everything Else

In Starlit Nights I Saw You: Blackhawks 2, Jets 0

By 1304

Box Score

Event Summary

War on Ice

Natural Stat Trick

Coming off their worst performance of the year in Nashville, the Blackhawks for two periods showed what it looks like when they give a crap about a game during the slog of the regular season. The Hawks were efficient in their breakouts, were drawing penalties because they always had the puck and had complete control of the game.

The only way the Jets were going to draw a point was if they were able to get pucks past Corey Crawford in the third when score effects took over. With the way Crawford has been playing, that’s a pretty tall task.

So the Hawks took two whole points from a divisional opponent and in the short term, took 4 out of 6 in their last three games. Which is pretty good, I think.

Everything Else

Game Was At 7, Kids: Hawks 1 – Preds 5

By 1780

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

Sorry for the delayed wrap. Because both the Hawks and Jets played last night and then again tonight, I had to get to work on the program for today pretty immediately after the game and everyone else had commitments. Not that I can add much to that full body dry heave the Hawks put forth last night.

While the broadcast tried to bend over backwards to claim the 3rd period was somehow redeemable in that the Hawks threatened a team sitting on a three-goal lead and then a two-goal lead which became a three-goal lead again, nothing will make up for the complete no-show that was the 1st. And fans and teams can dismiss it as just a bad day at the office, but it’s not like the Hawks haven’t made this a habit this season. They have been simply overrun in periods quite regularly. Off the top of my head, by Minnesota, by Ottawa, by Anaheim, arguably L.A., certainly in Edmonton and Calgary, and that’s basically just in the past month. It’s no secret how, and it started on the first shift last night. Get the puck behind TVR and Seabrook, pressure them, and they’re going to have an awfully hard time getting out. Same story for the third pairing. And when any line but SuperPAK isn’t starting in the offensive zone, they aren’t creating much. Any decent coach can figure this out.

Everything Else

I Wish I Was In Dixie, Hooray! Hooray!: Hawks at Predators Preview/Sandwich Building

By 1159

250px-Ozymandias vs. Leary

PUCK DROP: 7pm

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio

GIMME GIMME GIMME THE HONKY TONK BLUES: On The Forecheck

Predators Stats

Predators War On Ice

The ol’ home and home. This used to be a staple of the NHL schedule when you had to play everyone in your division 12 times or whatever it was back in the day. They were usually on Saturday and Sunday nights, and the Sunday nights at the Old Stadium against either the North Stars or Leafs generally became something our Lord Jim Ross would describe as “Looks like a Saturday night on a payday weekend in Muskogee!” Why yes, I do have a requirement of how many times I use that phrase per season. And yes, I did go the long way round to get to it today. And I don’t care!

Everything Else

Monty And The Hawks

By 1857

I didn’t have time to get to it yesterday, but this lawsuit from Steve Montador’s family against the NHL should make for interesting viewing, particularly here in Chicago. That is if it were every to get to a courtroom, which I simply can’t fathom it ever will, and neither will the much larger class-action one that 80+ former players are a part of. There’s no way the NHL could have this kind of testimony or evidence out there. The NHL could not absorb a massive award like the NFL can, and the NFL hasn’t even found theirs quite yet.

But what if the Hawks’ medical team, or even coaches, had to testify? Or what if we could see the depositions they might have to give? I would be very curious indeed.

Everything Else

Not A Good Day To Be A Bad Guy: Preds 1 – Hawks 4

By 1512

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

One or two more and this could a habit! Anyway, sorry for the delayed wrap. A flat tire cost me the urge to do it last night. I need that Bond auto-inflate tire from Tomorrow Never Dies. Or all of them. All those cars probably had that feature. Anyway…

The Hawks once again got a win with their do-it-all second line merely adding an empty-netter, though they were the best on line on the ice for either team most of the night. Unlike Sunday’s win though, this one is thoroughly pinned on Corey Crawford, who might have had his best game of the year. And not only that, he made it look easy at times. Without him, this probably looks a lot different.

The Hawks got goals from other lines as well, if you can believe that, to keep the spiraling Preds… well, in a spiral. Downwards. Though it is possible to spiral upwards. But we rarely use that term for that motion. Whatever. Let’s get to it: