Faxes from Uncle Dale

Recent Posts

  • That Much Further West – Hawks at Canucks Preview, Pregame Thread, Scream Therapy

    oldschool at Lumberjack_Song

    Game Time: 9:30PM CDT
    TV/Radio: WGN, TSN, WGN-AM 720
    The Truth Is Out There: Nucks Misconduct, Canucks Army

    With last night’s OT loss to the hapless Flames in Cow Town, the Hawks are officially in the midst of their longest losing streak since the 9-game debacle that nearly completely derailed the 2011-2012 season. And while things aren’t nearly that dire yet, the Blues have already tied the Hawks for first in the Central and have games in hand, and the road trip prior to the Olympics takes a much sharper turn toward icky starting tonight with their old friends the Canucks. Though given the state of things in Vancouver of late, just how icky can be debated.

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  • Pigs in Zen: Ad-ing Up the Points

    Pigs in Zen: Ad-ing Up the Points

    The end of week 17 of the AHL schedule was packed for the IceHogs has they had to play three games in three nights—all against the Milwaukee Admirals. With Milwaukee having four games in-hand on the Hogs, it was very important for Rockford to grab the majority of—if not all of—the points at stake.

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  • Morning Links 1/29/14

    Morning Links 1/29/14

    Stretched in the Dungeon: HockeeNight

    Couldn’t keep up in the Stampede: Chicago Tribune

    Pirri knew what it took: Suntimes

    Fears about Sochi: New York Times

    How the Glowpuck revolutinized how you watch Sports: Slate

  • Time For Jazz Odyssey: Hawks 4 – Flames 5 (OT)

    Time For Jazz Odyssey: Hawks 4 – Flames 5 (OT)

    Box Score

    Event Summary

    Extra Skater

    Well, it’s gone from just doldrums or boredom to officially a slump. And while the little things that have added up to a loss the past couple weeks have changed from game to game, the overriding theme has been the Hawks just don’t have much jump or zazz. That extra spice that usually carries the Hawks through just isn’t there right now.

    It comes in a few forms. Usually it’s the lack of movement in anything or cutting corners. You would lose count if you went back through tonight’s game and counted the amount of times a Hawk just skated past a puck-carrying Flame and took one wave with his stick instead of stopping and trying to actually pick the puck. Against a shot-blocking heavy team, you have to move yourself and the puck quickly to open up lanes. The Hawks repeatedly stood still and then tried a shot. That’s not going to work.

    It shows itself in not being above your man or between him and the puck before it gets there. Sharp getting beaten to the net for the OT winner after Leddy chased to the board is just one example. You see it in Hawks not moving toward their d-men to help or on breakouts and instead wait for the puck to come to them. It’s the hope plays with too-fancy passes instead of working to score that result in turnovers.

    All of it has the Hawks looking like a Spinal Tap show right now. Sure, there’s flashes of brilliance and good production, but just enough is being cocked up to fuck over the whole thing.

    Is it chronic or just a passing virus? I don’t know, I don’t think it’s the former. But the Hawks are in 2nd place now, and the volume on this trip is about to go way up. If the Hawks can’t rummage around and find a couple more bullets in the pocket (because that’s where you keep your bullets?) we could easily be looking at a repeat of 2012’s Trail of Tears.

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  • Third Period Thread – Hawks at Flames

    And we’ve forgotten what it used to be like.

  • Second Period Thread – Hawks at Flames

    So let’s get rolling, rolling out of this shitty yellow light. ‘Cause we’ve been droning and droning through this parade of identical days. Nothing changes, it only rots away.

  • First Period Thread – Hawks at Flames

    We talk a lot in crappy cars and restaurants and shitty bars. We ain’t trying very hard but we got that fucking bark, we talk a lot. We’ll talk the talk, and talk the shit. Mo’fuckers would be feeling it if they could hear the epithets and the rejoinders that we spit.

  • Yukon Ho! – Hawks at Flames Preview, Pregame Thread, Storyboarding Session

    AltLogo at flames atlanta

    Game Time: 8:30PM CDT
    TV/Radio: CSN, TSN, WGN-AM 720
    Lanny McDonald’s Mustache: Flames Nation, Matchsticks and Gasoline

    For those taking solace in the fact that at least the Hawks were being jettisoned somewhere even colder as a reward for their performance in the third period on Sunday against the Jets, there’s bound to be a more than a little disappointment in the fact that it’s a full 40 degrees warmer in Calgary than in Chicago at press time. The line to put one’s head in a microwave forms to the left.

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  • Morning Links 1/28/14

    Morning Links 1/28/14

    Back on the big club: ESPN Chi

    Tonight in Canadian cow town: Blackhawks

    Good time to go:  CSN

    The silliness will probably continue: PHT

    Robbery: PD

  • Boredom Or Fatigue?

    Boredom Or Fatigue?

    Well we have our first official blip of the season. Actually the whole month has been something of a blip. But this three game losing streak is clearly the nadir. While the Hawks lost some games earlier in the month due to luck or sterling goalie performances, these past three have certainly been “meh” performances. While the Hawks dominated possession for the first 40 last night, it’s not like Al Montoya had to perform cartwheels to keep the Hawks at bay.

    So the question now is whether the Hawks are just bored, or the toll taken from playing until almost July is now coming due. The disheartening thing is that we really won’t have an answer until April.

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