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Every New York Band Is Overrated: Hawks 5 – Islanders 4

By 1406

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When the Hawks were shorthanded, they attempted to tighten things up a bit, though considering how many shots they gave up whenever there was a genuine NHL team across from them, I’m not sure it worked. Tonight was definitely not tightened up, as this was as open of a game as the Hawks have had in a while. It worked as just about all the rest have; goaltending finds its feet and makes some huge saves to prevent a deficit from getting unmanageable, the top line scores, and then some sort of wrinkle. The wrinkle tonight wast that the Islanders for some reason never watched tape on on the Hawks power play and kept leaving the cross-ice pass open, and the Hawks got goals from the Toews and Kruger lines.

Add it all up, and it’s just enough. Let’s clean it up.

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In This Room, Another Lonely Afternoon: Hawks 1 – Flyera 3

By 1213

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On a day that started with possibly the first ever combination of the words “NHL” and “Temple University,” the Hawks got a glimpse of the results their play has deserved lately but Crawford has kept from happening. That’s not to say Scott Darling was bad, he was far from it. But it’s an example of the other-worldly play Crow has had to put forth at time to get the Hawks two points consistently. When you go from other-worldly to just pretty good, the chances these Hawks surrender right now make for less than two points.

And it’s not even as the Hawks were 60 minutes bad. For long stretches they were better, though those came after they were down two goals and could be partially attributed to score effects and having to throw more and more caution to the wind. Given the lineup though, even when the Hawks have the upper hand there are some shifts where they are running around their own end like a kids birthday party where someone gave them all soda. Or they make a mistake at the other line or neutral zone to cause odd-man rushes. Crow’s expected absence for a couple weeks will be an excellent chance to shore this shit up.

Let’s clean it up:

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Looks Like I Pulled A Homer: Hawks 4 – Devils 3 (OT)

By 1411

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If the Hawks weren’t very good to open the contest against Florida, they decided to see how much more the bottom could fall out and still get out with two wins against the Devils. The opening 10 minutes of tonight’s game might be the worst we’ve seen a patch of hockey from the Hawks in years. They were skating in mud, and not the good Mississippi kind. The Devils were three steps quicker all over the ice and worse yet the Hawks didn’t seem all that bothered to do anything about it.

Then again, I guess you don’t have to care when you know that Corey Crawford is almost never going to let a game get away from you. He did it again tonight, pulling off several saves in the 1st that could have basically ended it. The longer the game went on with the Devils in reach, the more chance it would be that their shoddy defense and a not yet full-strength Schneider would crack. One nifty play from Rasmussen to Kruger and the Hawks were on their way.

And for the second game in a row, they blew a third period lead that they’ll be able to cover up with victory in a post-60 gimmick. That’s not a trend you want to count on, but it’ll work for now.

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Now Have Some Delicious Tripe: Hawks 3 – Flames 2

By 1318

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It certainly wasn’t vintage stuff, other than the Flames’ amazing throwback jerseys that they need to wear every game. Not just home games. EVERY. GAME. Once again the Hawks gave up 30 shots. Once again they didn’t muster that many. Once again they were pretty much reduced to one line and what they could come up with on the power play. But this being the Flames, this being the Flames playing their third game in four nights, and this being the Flames without their best player, it was enough. Because Corey Crawford makes sure it’s enough. That’s been the MO, and it’s worked thus far. As long as it keeps working, it’ll provide enough time for the Hawks to figure the rest out.

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Get Yourself A Cooler, Lay Yourself Low: Hawks 2 – Blues 1 (OT)

By 1466

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Most of the season, and certainly during this now seven-game winning-streak, the Hawks have relied on their top six and Corey Crawford to bring home a win. On the surface, that’s what happened in West East St. Louis tonight. They got a goal from Hossa and Pantera. Crow was basically impenetrable. Two points. Dig a little deeper and you’ll see that the Hawks’ top six pretty much got buried on the possession charts. But when Crow is in this kind of form, he basically equalizes everything.

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One Month In And Nobody Knows Nothin’

By 1588

This week will see the NHL season move into its second month. While the Hawks are one of the hotter teams in the league, that doesn’t mean we truly know what they are. Yes, they sit atop the West, but you don’t need to look any farther than who they are tied atop the conference with to know how weird the season has been. That would be the Edmonton Oilers. And no one thinks they’re really that good. So what the hell is going on here?

For matters close to town, what’s funny is that the Oilers probably deserve their spot atop the West more than the Hawks do. Edmonton is plus in Corsi and Fenwick, though just barely, where the Hawks are not. The Oilers have a plus shot-share per 60 at evens, and the Hawks are dead-ass last in that category. That isn’t good. If you go by xGF%, and whether you do or not I won’t complain, the Oilers are only slightly outplaying their even-strength performance where the Hawks are massively doing so. What a strange world indeed.

Quite simply, pretty much everything about the Hawks is something of a mirage right now. They have the league’s highest PDO by three full points over Minnesota. Their even-strength save-percentage is a full two points ahead of Montreal’s. We know this. In fact, they could be something like last year’s Canadiens, except they have way more top end talent than the Habs did last year.

And yet I can’t sit here and say it’s totally false.

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Choice Nugs – Hawks 4, Avs 0

By 1303

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It really is amazing what a little time to get into the flow of things can do for a top heavy team at forward, especially when the vast majority of them played in a useless exhibition tournament right up until the start of the regular season. But since the first weekend of the season, the right names have been appearing on the score sheet for the Hawks, and as a general rule, standings points follow.

So it should be no surprise that with Toews, Hossa, Hossa again, and Panarin with the markers the Hawks walked away with a W.

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Over The River And Into The Muck: Hawks at Devils Preview/Peep Show

By 1262

 vs. jon_lovitz-devil-snl-46_2

GAMETIME: 6pm Central

TV: WGN

SPRINGSTEEN SUCKS: In Lou We Trust

RECORDS: Hawks 3-3-1  Devils 3-2-1

PROJECTED LINEUPS

blackhawks-lineup-card

devils-lineup-card

SCORE-ADJUSTED CF%:  Hawks – 51.3% (10th)  Devils – 50.1% (13th)

POWER PLAY: Hawks – 19.2% (16th)  Devils – 23.8% (9th)

PENALTY KILL – Hawks – Awful (Dead Ass Last)  Devils – 90.0% (5th)

TRENDS: Hall has three goals and four points in the past two games, Kyle Quincey… still sucks

The Hawks will embark on a road game for only the third time this season and the last time this month. They’ll be looking for their first point on the road as well. They’ll have a pretty big chance against yet another non-descript Devils team. In fact, the Devils officially changed their name to “The Non-Descript New Jersey Devils.” You didn’t notice, because no one notices anything the Devils really do.

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Maybe They’re Lookin’ For Answers – C.I.’s Season Preview: Can Patrick Kane Repeat Last Year?

By 1398

Well, probably not. But these posts can’t be three words long.

It’s amazing what can happen for a player like Kane when he gets an actual line with which to play. After spending years with the likes of Michal Handzus and Andrew Shaw and Kris Versteeg or centering a line or whatever other jokers and punters the Hawks could drudge up rather than just playing him with Toews, Kane got Brad Richards two years ago and finally a center and other winger in Panarin and Anisimov. It resulted in an Art Ross and Hart Trophy.

And the Hawks needed all of it with Saad and Sharp gone, Hossa falling off, Toews not being able to produce a top line’s production all by himself, and basically no bottom six for most of the season. The problem for the Hawks is that they might find themselves in the same bind again this year. And this time, other teams are not going to be fooled by the names of Toews or Hossa and leave their best out against them instead of Kane’s line.

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Maybe They’re Looking For Answers – C.I.’s Season Preview: The Left Wing Problem

By 1463

I never know quite what to do with these season previews. To go player-by-player gets monotonous for you and for us, but there isn’t really way to do something every day either. We’ve tried multiple paths, so this year we’re just going to blend them all. Over the next couple weeks before Meth County shows up on the 12th to kick things off, we’ll look at certain players, certain questions, and certain other factors on how this season will go. We can’t be contained.

So today, it feels right to look at the Hawks biggest problem, and that’s their forward depth and specifically, who the fuck is playing  the left side on any of these lines?