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avalanches vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, TVA, SN1, SNO, WGN-AM 720
The Banquet Beer: Mile High Hockey

Amid the blowing snow propelled by wind carrying sub-zero chills, the Hawks will host the Colorado Avalanche for the first time this season on the west side. And though the Avs have predictably and hilariously fallen squarely on their stupid asses this season as basically everyone thought they would, they have still always been problematic for the Hawks even when they have sucked to (mile) high heaven.

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AltLogo at avalanches

Game Time: 8:30PM CDT
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
The Blasting Room: Mile High Hockey

For being in the same division for the first time ever, it sure feels like the Blackhawks have played the Avs 45 times already this season. But in reality, tonight will close out the first ever divisional season series between these two clubs, with the sixth and final meeting coming tonight at the Pop Can in downtown Denver.

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Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

I suppose a semi-letdown after the Stadium Series game should have been expected. I’m told that our favorite go-to terms “energy,” “intensity,” and “flat” were being thrown around the postgame show, which is what all the media run to when the Hawks lost a close game. Yeah, maybe the Hawks weren’t in the red but I don’t think they were totally listless either. In fact, I didn’t really have much of a problem with the effort or the way the Hawks played. They got Maple Leafs-ed tonight, as the Avs were ruthless on two big mistakes from the Hawks. One was Keith’s misplay of a pass, and then Oduya’s pretty stupid penalty. And of course, once again Semyon Varlamov is basically the difference.

Sure, when the Hawks are a combined 1- 3-3 against the Avs and Blues — with it looking pretty likely they’ll have to get through both in April — that doesn’t feel good. It can be a little scary, even. But I don’t know if it’s indicative of how things would go in the spring. In a twist, the Blues are 1-10 against the California teams and Vancouver where the Hawks are 6-0-3. Again, I don’t know that means anything.

It’s still early March, and the Hawks showed some signs of tightening up their game. It’s got to get better, but it probably will.

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images vs AltLogo

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, RDS, WGN-AM 720
Rocky Mountain High: Mile High Hockey

As the hockey world anxiously awaits tomorrow afternoon’s trade deadline even amidst the flurry of activity this afternoon (particularly in Anaheim), there still remain games to be played tonight. One of which will be the first time the Hawks will be indoors on West Madison in over a month to take on the ever irritating Avalanche.

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avalanches vs AltLogo

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
The Stickiest of the Icky: Mile High Hockey

As difficult as it may be to compute, the Hawks tonight will play game 49 tonight of the 2013-2014 season, now surpassing last year’s abbreviated campaign, still four days shy of a year from when that season started . They’re currently only 7 points off their record pace of last year (though Friday’s guests the Ducks are only 2 back), though it feels like it’s been a a bit bumpier ride so far. But with a full 82 on the docket on this go-around, longevity will once again be rewarded, which is something the visiting and upstart Avalanche are beginning to deal with themselves.

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In a season where I’ve begged coach and players to look at the big picture and not react game to game, I’m going to try and take the same tack. Sure, some of us wanted this one a little more than we might for any other regular season game. That’s because A) it’s always satisfying to see a team getting too much hype get its market correction (and I saw nothing tonight that convinced me the Avs won’t, as weird as that sounds in a 5-1 dry heave) and B) because the Avs are a garbage organization that deserves that correction. But it didn’t happen, and I don’t want to kick things over games in November.

And that scoreline tells a story that I’m not sure the game follows. Credit to Colorado who were opportunistic and their goalie Drunky McPunchPunch was stellar (must be easy at home where it’s easier to imagine the puck as a woman’s face). Just because you present a team with most of its chances doesn’t mean they don’t have to convert them and the Avs did.

But the Hawks… well, it was there. Could have been so much different. If one very important player wasn’t huffing paint, it very well might have been. Let’s get to the bullets..

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oldschool at Semyon Varlamov Avalanche

Game Time: 8:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Innocent Until Proven Guilty: Mile High Hockey

After their Stanley Cup win in Game 25 of last year, it was hard to imagine the Colorado Avalanche as getting any more irritating. Fortunately, they’ve gone and exceeded basically everyone’s expectations, as has been wonderfully articulated by the Fifth Feather on this site. But far be it from me to miss an opportunity to pile on.

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at

Game Time: 8:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN+, WGN-AM 720
Rocky Mountain Way: Mile High Hockey, JibbleScribbits

Just nine short days after finally putting an end to the Hawks’ history season-starting streak in emphatic fashion, the Hawks return to the scene of the crime in Denver tonight to take on a somehow worse-off Avalanche team that now finds itself in the Western Conference basement.

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Well it’s over now. But I can breathe somehow.

I think those are important words to remember. I don’t get the impression anyone is really anyone is losing their shit right now, but just in case. Nothing of any real importance was lost tonight. 45 out of 50 points would be telescopically ahead of “acceptable.” What happens in June will still define what’s gone on so far as special or trivia.

Moreover, if this is what makes the Avs season, let them have it. We have bigger fish to fry. There was a time when they used to. It’s obvious they don’t know. The laugh at the end will be more satisfying. And though I’m no mathematician, I’m pretty sure if the Hawks win 21 of every 25 games in regulation from here on out, we’ll have smiles on our face.

Also, we didn’t learn anything tonight we didn’t already know. Or see anything we hadn’t seen. Or get something we didn’t suspect might be coming.

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@

Game Time: 8:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN+, NHLN (US), WGN-AM 720
That John Denver’s Full Of Shit, Man: Mile High Hockey, JibbleScribbits

And so the second half of this shortened season begins same as the first, with the Hawks on the road. In this case, it’s not quite as far west as before, with the Hawks taking on their soon-to-be divisional opponent Avalanche in Denver on the tail end of a home-and-home.