Faxes from Uncle Dale

Recent Posts

  • The Residents Of Mt. Olympus

    The Residents Of Mt. Olympus

    Well now we know the official numbers of Hawks and who’s going and who’s not. The Hawks will have 10 Olympians in Sochi, barring injury to either them or someone else causing yet another Hawk to fill in (Seabrook and Saad could both be first call-ups in that situation, as could Crawford I suppose but doubt). They are:

    Slovakia – Hossa, Handzus

    Czech Republic – Rozsival

    Sweden – Hjalmarsson, Oduya, Kruger

    USA – Kane

    Canada – Keith, Sharp, Toews

    WE DON’T HAVE ANY COMMIES CUZ WE DON’T NEEDS ‘EM TAKE DAT POO-TIN!

    Anyway, some random thoughts:

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  • Morning Links:1/07/14

    Morning Links:1/07/14

    Captain Canada????NESN

    Sharp deserves it:PuckDaddy

    That’s what happens when your country invented the sport: NHL.com

    A column about hockey and cold weather…..Mind Blowing idea: SunTimes

    Rosy to represent my Great-Grandmother’s Nation: Chicago Tribune

    Hossa and Zus to represent Slovakia:USA Today

    Swiss Trio:IIHF

    Well I think Chicago has seen that first-hand: Comcast

    Actual management potential in Buffalo: Puckdaddy

     

  • Angry At Numbers 1/6

    Angry At Numbers 1/6

    That time again to get a little nerd-y. Or a little more nerd-y than we already are.

    0

    This got some play last week thanks to The Score’s Jay Zawaski. But that’s the amount of goals at even-strength that Patrick Kane has scored with Michal Handzus as his center. And that’s the center he’s played the most with. It kind of defies belief. You’d think Handzus would have been struggling to the bench just once while Kaner was dancing through defenders or something. It just hasn’t happened.

    If you’re interested, and you are, Kane has scored his most even-strength goals with Brandon Saad, the winger he’s played with most, with 7. He’s also scored 7 with Andrew Shaw. This may be something even Joel Quenneville has seen, as Saad has joined Kane on a line the past few games.

    This doesn’t mean that Shaw is the perfect center for Kane, perhaps just the best out of bad choices. Kane scored four even-strength goals with Brandon Pirri, but the seven with Shaw have come in half the amount of time on the ice. Kane’s Corsi% is also about 12 points higher with Shaw than either Pirri or Handzus.

    Why? Harder to pin down. Some could be matchups. We know Shaw doesn’t win any draws so it’s not that. Mostly, it might simply be the mobility that Shaw has and he can at least be somewhere when Kane has the puck. Most of Kane’s production is off the rush and one-on-one. You don’t want him trying to produce on a cycle too often. Shaw can at least keep up.

    Is Shaw a #2 center? Almost certainly not. Honestly, I think he’d be better at wing where his forechecking and getting to the net would be more pronounced by not having to constantly be low in his own zone. But right now, he might be the best solution of what currently is on offer.

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  • Like A Doll's Eyes: Sharks 2 – Blackhawks 2 (Sharks Win Dance Marathon)

    Like A Doll's Eyes: Sharks 2 – Blackhawks 2 (Sharks Win Dance Marathon)

    Box Score
    Event Summary
    Extra Skater

    For the fourth time in a row, the Blackhawks have dropped a game that goes all the way to a shootout. If that really upsets you, sorry. I still just can’t get too worked up about it. The only detriment to this game is that it ruins an otherwise solid performance from Crawford. In the second game of his return to the team, Crow put up a 40 save performance but wasn’t able to stop either shooter in the skills competition. So it goes on this frigid night.

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  • Like A Doll’s Eyes: Sharks 2 – Blackhawks 2 (Sharks Win Dance Marathon)

    Like A Doll’s Eyes: Sharks 2 – Blackhawks 2 (Sharks Win Dance Marathon)

    Box Score
    Event Summary
    Extra Skater

    For the fourth time in a row, the Blackhawks have dropped a game that goes all the way to a shootout. If that really upsets you, sorry. I still just can’t get too worked up about it. The only detriment to this game is that it ruins an otherwise solid performance from Crawford. In the second game of his return to the team, Crow put up a 40 save performance but wasn’t able to stop either shooter in the skills competition. So it goes on this frigid night.

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  • Sharks at Hawks 3rd Period Thread

    Ain’t nobody slowing down no way,
    Ev’rybody’s stepping on their accelerator,
    Don’t matter where you are,
    Ev’rybody’s gonna need a ventilator.

  • Sharks at Hawks 2nd Period Thread

    Your woman’s cussing, you can hear her scream,
    You feel like murder in the first degree.

  • Sharks at Hawks 1st Period Thread

    When your spine is cracking and your hands, they shake,
    Heart is bursting and you butt’s gonna break.

  • Get Out The Chainsaws: Sharks at Hawks Preview/Pregame Thread/Sharknado Discussion Group

    sharkticons vs. Hawk Wrestler

    FACEOFF: 7pm Central

    TV/RADIO: NBCSN, WGN Radio

    NEEDING A BIGGER BOAT: Fear The Fin, Battle Of California

    After sort of muddling their way through two games in the Tri-State area but still getting three of four points, the Hawks open the 2014 home portion of the schedule tonight with a tilt against Legends Of The Fall  San Jose Sharks. Or what’s left of the Sharks, as they’re extremely beat up. And what isn’t injured may be frozen.

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  • Freezin For A Reason – Raising Money To Help Project Rescue

    imageEvery once in a while, we like to try to do something good through this site. It seems more often than not, it involves me doing something physically challenging or painful. This time is no different.

    If you’ve read the actual Committed Indian program or checked our twitter feed. You’ve probably seen us talking about Project Rescue.  Project Rescue is a great non-profit working to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome abandoned dogs in the Chicago area and beyond. And if you didn’t know this, the TOS are all huge dog nerds… not sure about Fifth Feather, I feel like he may be more of a cat guy. The picture above is myself and my own rescue dog Jackson, who I’ve had for close to 7 and a half years now. I’m always looking for ways to help rescue organizations so when I saw Project Rescue was running their annual fundraiser Freezin For A Reason, I thought it was a great way to get involved.

    The long story short version (or TL;DR, in the parlance of our times) – I try and raise money, I jump in Lake Michigan next Saturday, I can’t feel my arms for a few hours, you laugh at me, this organization gets more money to help dogs in need. If you’ve got the means and the desire, you can help me raise money at my fundraising page. Any little bit will help. I’ll post a recap after the event once I regain feeling in my extremities. Thanks in advance!