During this time of year, particularly at home and against the drecks of the league, any points gained in regulation are to be taken happily. And while the parts of the second and the early parts of the third period reeked of a team taking its foot off the gas against a lesser opponent, the Hawks grabbed a win while inching the Canucks and their fans closer to the sweet release of the season ending.
Observations
- A nice four point night from that Toews guy that people want traded and/or to void his own contract. And was also above water (if only barely) in attempts on ice, 15 to 14. He got absolutely clocked at the dot, however, which is atypical.
- The only unit as a whole for the Hawks who caught the ass end of the shot attempt ledger was the Stroh’s-Kero-Hossa line. In the press this morning, Quenneville was as effusive as he gets about a player regarding Kero, and backed it up by playing him a fair amount against the Sedins. It didn’t work out so well for him, even if they have lost a step.
- We have championed the cause of Michal Kempny here more than should be necessary, but tonight he absolutely earned his benching. An unnecessary hold behind his own net led to the Stetcher goal on the power play, and he got danced around by Bo Horvat for the game-tying goal on his next shift. Even if his partner gummed up the works by once again dropping to his ample belly far too soon as a defensive technique, this is the correct type of teachable moment. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to another protracted absence.
- On the Horvat goal however, the defensive pairing wasn’t alone in blame, as Artemi Panarin displayed a dead-on-balls accurate Kris Versteeg impersonation, trying to stickhandle through three guys at the attacking blue line. Obviously stuff like this is to be lived with given what he can create out of the ether, but Panarin has gotten a little too stickhandley lately, and this is the first time it’s directly bitten him in his Russian ass.
- Cheer up Ryan Miller, it’s supposed to be Bauhaus night over at The Exit.
- While the Preds did the Hawks a favor by beating the Darcy Kuemper led Wild in St. Paul, they’re slowly getting their shit together, and have overtaken the Blues for third in the central.
- Up next on Tuesday will be the suddenly last-place Tampa Bay Lightning, even in spite of all of Steve Yzerman’s genius moves, like signing Alex Killorn through the end of time and continuing to play Braydon Coburn to play hockey. Jon Cooper’s version of a coaching pep talk is bound to include a showing of 9½ Weeks, complete with his own commentary on Kim Basinger’s acting work.
And as a closer, it’s now time for some vital and necessary @HockeyDipshit thoughts about the game
Regulation loss!!!
— ahhhhhh (@HockeyDipshit) January 23, 2017
Horvat & Stecher score, Canucks lose in regulation. Perfect game.
— ahhhhhh (@HockeyDipshit) January 23, 2017
