5-1: Tribune
Fuel to burn: Cheer the Anthem
Gamesheet: NHL
Advanced Metrics: Extra Skater
This is probably going to be important: TSN
No more NHL coming up after Sportscentre:PuckDaddy
at 
Game Time: 8:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Keystone XL Pipeline: Copper & Blue
Tonight in the northern most professional sporting arena on the continent, the Hawks will reach the median point of their annual Circus Trip, having taken four of a possible six points so far. Naturally, they’ll catch the hosting Oilers in the midst of their most competent stretch of the year to this point, as if this team didn’t already give the Hawks issues.
Gamesheet from Saturday: NHL
Advanced Metrics from Saturday: ExtraSkater
Nine Seconds: Hockeenight
Circus Observations: CSN
Hossa home: ESPN
Detroit Swimmers: PuckDaddy
Thanks for pardoning the Saturday night wrap. You know how these things go.
While the players said different on both sides, and there was still some yapping and some gatherings after whistles, there’s definitely some heat out of the Hawks-Canucks rivalry. As more and more distance is put between the Playoff Trilogy, and each team has more and more its own things to deal with, that’s going to continue. It was always a rivalry built on this crop of players, and the more they change then it will fade out.
That doesn’t mean last night’s win didn’t feel particularly good, because it did. Maybe it’s partly because it was Vancouver, and maybe it was beating another team almost certainly using the game as a measuring stick. It was weird, until taking the lead I thought the Hawks were carrying most of the play. But as soon as they were up 2-1 it was bunker time, even though they weren’t the team that had played the night before. But whatever works, right?
at 
Game Time: 9:00PM Central
TV/Radio: WGN Ch. 9, NHLN (US), CBC (Hosers), WGN-AM 720
Blackfish: Nucks Misconduct
Now the circus trip moves to its most western destination in British Columbia, where where the Hawks and Canucks will renew acquaintances and rekindle what’s now left of one of the more volatile rivalries within the boundaries of Lockout 2.0 and Lockout 3.0.
vs. 
FACEOFF: 7pm Central
TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio 720
SO VERY, VERY COLD: Arctic Ice Hockey
WHERE YOU SHOULD WATCH: At The Piggery (Irving and Ashland) With Us
For the second time in a week, the Hawks will look to bounce back after an ugly loss, however bad you actually believe Tuesday’s loss to be. On Sunday, they returned from the skewering in Nashville to smother the Sharks. Needless to say, the Jets are not the Sharks. See what I did there?
Organizational round-up Wednesday is what it’s become. Let’s get to it, starting in the juniors up in the hinterlands.
In the Q, Dillon Fournier was a -1 in two games for Rouyn-Noranda. He was also named to the QMJHL team for the Subway Series against Team Russia. For those who don’t know, the Subway Series is six games, two games each from an All-star team of each junior league, against Team Russia. It’s a sort of precursor for Canada to see who will compete for the World Junior roster. From what I’ve seen Fournier won’t be making Team Canada, but I suppose you never know. On the year Fournier is 7-10-17 and +16 in 22 games.
Also in the Q at Victoriaville, Brandon Whitney went 1-1 in two stars, but only gave up four goals total (two in each) on 73 shots. The numbers on the year are still unsightly, at 3.62 GAA and .896 SV%. But the poor kid is seeing over 40 shots per game, so he may be puck-shocked soon.
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..
at 
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.
