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  • Atop The Sugar Pile 10/7

    Atop The Sugar Pile 10/7

    It’s back. Our weekly feature… or one of them, at least. Let’s get to it.

    The Dizzying Highs

    Brandon Saad – Well this was easy, wasn’t it? Four points in two games, and when he wasn’t piling up points on the third line he was dominating pretty much every shift. As we suspected, Saad is relishing being away from the other teams’ top pairings, not that he did all that badly when he had to deal with them last year. A physical force, and turning into a premier power forward right before our eyes. While Smith and Nordstrom have been tested on the top penalty killing pair with Kruger, will it be too much longer before Saad gets his chance? I doubt it.

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  • Morning Links 10/7/13

    Morning Links 10/7/13

    Observations from the start: CSN Chi

    Um posted 5 hours after the above: ESPN Chi

    The shuffle will continue: Trib

    You can’t do that: PD

    Clean up in aisle 113: Deadspin

    They should get Dean Culhane on this, she took more of my hats than I can count: TSN

    Because of course he does: Sportsnet

    **Late Addition** Chip Kelly is now the longest tenured head coach in Philly: PHT

  • Strange Games, Indeed: Lightning 2 – Hawks 2 (Ning win Cutthroat 1-0)

    Strange Games, Indeed: Lightning 2 – Hawks 2 (Ning win Cutthroat 1-0)

    Well, that was weird.

    I had remarked on Tuesday how October hockey can be disjointed, sloppy, and a ragged. It can also devolve into what we saw tonight, which is just strange, like when streets are uneven. Obviously, it’s hard to say the Hawks did much wrong. Holding a team with exactly no shots is how you’d draw coming out in the first period at home, even if you don’t score yourself. Outshooting them by over 20 for the game is another thing you’d settle for.

    And yet, it was only one point. Why? The only reason has to be… THE BISHOP! It’s been a while since the Hawks had a complete goalie steal against them, and this was one. We could moan about the Hawks not putting a team away, but Bishop came up with everything he needed to in the 2nd and 3rd periods to keep the Hawks from getting away. That kept the Lightning it bloop-and-a-blast range, and they found that. The Hawks had their chances, at both even-strength and the power play, but just couldn’t solve… THE BISHOP! We was too late….

    Let’s get to the bullets:

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  • Lightning vs. Hawks Postgame Thread

    It’s Saturday night. You know how we do. Wrap in the morning. Share your thoughts here.

  • Lightning At Blackhawks – Third Period Thread

    Got a new technique – money lets the pieces fit where they fall.
    Privilege – it sanctions everything.
    Security – a net under it all.

  • Lightning At Blackhawks – Second Period Thread

    The threat of everything is when it becomes nothing at all
    Fingers reaching, trophy swelling
    That’s when desire trips me up.

  • Lightning At Blackhawks – First Period Thread

    I cut my nails to the quick.
    But still I was caught with my hand in the till.
    Red-handed.

  • We Are Electrocution: Lightning At Blackhawks – Preview/Pre-Game Thread/Quarterly Review

    Nikola Tesla in his laboratory @ oldschool

    Game Time: 7:00PM Central
    TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
    DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE!: Raw Charge

    Last year, the Lightning were one of the more prolific scoring threats in the NHL. They averaged a  3.06 G/G, third best in the NHL (trailing only Pittsburgh and Chicago). They were led by perhaps the most dangerous 1-2 punch in the league with Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos leading the league in points (60 and 57, respectively) while Stamkos trailed only Alexander Ovechkin in goals for the shortened season. They’re going to be dangerous every time they touch the puck.

    Now, scoring a bunch of goals every game is all well and good but it becomes a major problem for a team when you allow the other team to score the exact same number of goals every game. The Bolts scored 147 goals last year but allowed in 147 for perfectly matching 3.06 G/G and GA/G. Defense should have become a priority in the offseason for Yzerman but it still seems his defense is going to be a hell of a lot better skating forward than backward.  (more…)

  • Central Roundtable

    Central Roundtable

    This is a feature we’re going to try to do about once a month, maybe a little more often. We’ve gathered out blogging friends from around the division to give us a little more insight from those in the know about the teams the Hawks are competing with. Without further ado, this roundtable’s question is what can we expect from each team this season:

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  • Morning Links 10/04/13

    Morning Links 10/04/13

    Community Rankings! Cheer the Anthem

    Another one: Comcast AP

    Coach Q doesn’t agree: Tribune Video

    Its been ten years: CBC

    Bryz back in the Desert…sort of: PuckDaddy

    Yum!! CBS