Back at it on Broadway: NHL
The Gatorade and Alka-Seltzer is stocked: Suntimes
Hawks reacquire someone I thought was going to be good and I was wrong: Tribune
Kane talking about USA Hockey: ESPN
Speaking of American Hockey players: TSN
The IceHogs finished week 21 and started week 22 of the AHL schedule with three match-ups against Midwest Division rivals. In terms of the Western Conference standings, the IceHogs needed to take the majority, if not all, of the points at stake to continue to put themselves in a good spot to make the postseason.
Hossa Ready: Chicago Tribune
Regin will get a shot at 2C: CSN
Crow expects a heavy workload: Chicago Suntimes
Back to his real job: TSN
Time for our semi-regular look at the Hawks prospects that are not in Rockford.
As always, we start in Chestnut Hill where Kevin Hayes is the third-leading scorer in all of the NCAA. He’s at 22-29-51 in just 33 games for an Eagles side that is basically running away with Hockey East and will be a prohibitive favorite when the tournament rolls around in April. Now, there’s one huge caveat here in that Hayes skates on a line with college hockey’s leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau (it’s going to be fucking hilarious when Brian Burke trades Gaudreau for a third-line winger because he thinks Gaudreau “is too small to have sandpaper.”). So how much Hayes’s numbers are a by-product of his center and how much he’s responsible for is a debate one could have all day. Still, it’s pretty encouraging. Anyway, Captain Stairwell managed just an assist this past weekend in a double-header with UMass-Lowell. This was after he managed two goals in the Beanpot a couple weeks back.
The revolving door at 2C spins: ESPN CHI
A blast from the past: Blackhawks
Trade Centre inventory: TSN
What happens in Sochi doesn’t stay there: PHT
Now that we can stop talking about the bigger ice and lineups and other coaches, perhaps it’s time to reset where we are with the Hawks and where it’s going.
The Hawks have a few days here to get the legs back under them, though the seven Olympians who went the route through the weekend probably won’t rejoin practice until Wednesday or maybe even Thursday’s morning skate. Obviously, for a little while the Hawks are going to need the non-Olympians to carry them a bit (a Brandon Saad binge would be most welcome, as well as Andrew Shaw coming in from the cold). I’d also look for Bryan Bickell to be more effective (not that he’s been as bad as everyone wants us to believe) as he really needed more time for his deteriorating knees to heal. Hell, maybe he’ll even crack 10 minutes per game.
It’s finally over. A tournament that will basically be remembered for ruthless efficiency more than any classic hockey has come to a close. And it ended with Canada on top, which it always should have. Sure, it would have been more fun if Sweden could have played them with more than a center and a half, but that’s the way things go. It probably still wouldn’t have mattered.
All the marbles, and then we can get back to normal because we’re all so fucking bored.
Well, that didn’t go well.
The U.S. landed with a Fudd-like thud in the Bronze Medal game, getting stonewalled by Tuukka Rask for two periods before coming apart at the seams in the 3rd to leave an ugly looking scoreline of 5-0. I don’t think it was a 5-0 game, and I don’t think the Finns are five goals better than the Yanks. But that’s what the final tally says for today, and the US heads home with no answers, no medals, and no good feelings.
