Fraser on Toews: TSN
More like healing: Comcast
Keeping the kids close: Chicago Tribune
Not worried: Globe and Mail
I’m hesitant to do yet another post about the neanderthal way of thinking about hockey, because I feel that it would just add to the cacophony of idiocy we’ve already heard. And yet we can’t let it go away without addressing. I guess.
Here’s why people want some sort of “justice.” Because it was a name player. It was the Hawks’ best player. It was the Hawks’ most important player. It leaves a fan feeling raw. Why? Because no one else’s most important player went down like that last night. Or recently. Sidney Crosby takes hits all the time, he’s still playing. The Hawks had just lost Patrick Kane to a freak accident, basically. It feels unfair. You want to “set the world right” in some way after something that feels unfair.
If you’ll allow me to veer away from hockey for a moment, our first issue this season of The Ivy Drip is now out. And I’ll let you have it for free, because I’m good like that. Try it out, and if you like it sign up for the rest of the season.
Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater
The Blackhawks have already made the postseason – that much we know. They haven’t done themselves any favors the last few games but thanks to other teams dropping points as well, they’re at least guaranteed their 6th consecutive playoff season. So that’s something nice. All that’s left to do is wait and see just where they’ll fall in the seeding and find out how their first round opponent will be.
Oh… and figure out if Jonathan Toews will be part of this year’s postseason run.
You told me baby you had time to kill
But then you tossed me out like an overdue bill
You left in a hurry with a guy from the band
On a one way ride to the promised land
Top of the pops
Two time, two-ton hangover king
The bride wore black
We were ready to swing
Too far gone to stop-top of the pops
Big plans, big time, everything
Downtown pawn shop
Bought us a ring
Heading for the top-
Top of the pops
vs. 
FACEOFF: 6:30pm Central
TV/RADIO: NBCSN, WGN Radio
YINZER YAHOOS: Pensburgh, The Pensblog
Two darlings of the midseason that have started to cough and wheeze (well, “started” isn’t correct but you get it) meet up tonight near the confluence of the Monongahela River and the Allegheny that form the Ohio River (I’ve watched far too much baseball in my life). While the reasons for the loss of titan status for both, they’ll recognize the struggles of each other.
Jonathan Toews: “Everyone seems to be a part of the bad habits that are kind of running contagiously through our lineup.”
DING DING DING. That also applies to the captain himself, though obviously he’s taking it upon himself as well.
Tonight was a perfect microcosm of what’s been this Hawks team lately, and honestly for most of the season at this point. Structurally they are off, not allowing them to play the game they need to, but their star power enables them to have a chance to win. Either Hossa, Sharp, and Toews drag them by the gonads to victory, or they lose. Lately, it’s been the latter more often. It’s disheartening because we all thought after being truly thumped last night due to structural problems there would be a response. There usually is from the Hawks. Tonight, they got worse. WAY WORSE.
And tonight, another layer of simple laziness was added to the mix (or is it lethargy?). The same breakout bullshit we’ve seen all year was still present, with forwards doing a flash mob in the neutral zone instead of breaking in packs and being available for their d-men to easily find. The Hawks then added a simple refusal to get back and pressure the Ottawa forwards from behind, consistently subjecting their d-men to odd-man rushes and open ice. Even Toews was guilty, as he wasn’t exactly busting it back to help out with Spezza in the middle of the ice for what really was the killer third Sens’ goal.
