Everything Else

Follow Me To Freedom – Why Brent Seabrook Is Not A Norris Candidate/Even Good

By 1983

We here at the C.I. Labs often like to dispel any myth or the storyline that’s floating around at any given time. What can we say? When we’re not doing that we find children’s birthday parties and go pop all the balloons and steal the cake. It sustains us. It is our oxygen. Yes, we need help.

The current one going around these days, that I’ve seen far too often from people who should know better, is that Brent Seabrook is somehow a dark horse Norris Trophy candidate. This is ludicrous on a ton of levels, the first being that you can already set the three finalists as Karlsson, Doughty, and Klingberg and Karlsson should win it unanimously and the other two should apologize to him for taking up any of his time. Then Karlsson can worry about making a run at the Hart, which he has a serious case for but will never get because the Senators won’t make the playoffs, or aren’t likely to. But that’s not why you called.

Everything Else

Third Time’s The Charm: Ducks at Hawks Preview/Keepy-Uppy

By 1198

donald-duck-dunn-620x413 vs. Hawk Wrestler

FACEOFF: 7:30pm Central

TV/RADIO: WGN, NHL-N, WGN Radio

RABBIT SEASON: Anaheim Calling

Ducks Stats

Ducks War On Ice

The Hawks will try and break what constitutes a losing streak for them, all of two games, with their third straight home game against an automatic Western Conference playoff spot holder (there’s a title) in the Anaheim Ducks. Both the Sharks and Stars were able to walk out of the UC with regulation wins which is only the second time all season the Hawks have dropped consecutive home decisions (and the first both have been in regulation). In order to snap the streak, they’ll have to do it against an Anaheim team that is no longer the comedy outfit they were in the season’s first half.

Everything Else

Hail, Hail – Stars vs Hawks Preview, Homecoming Parade

By 1368

carls jr star vs evil empire

Game Time: 7:30PM
TV/Radio: CSN, SportsNet Pacific, WGN-AM 720
Jim Nill’s Liberator: Defending Big D

While tonight would be a premiere matchup between the conference’s top two teams jostling for inside position for the division, and both playing a high-octane brand of hockey, none of that is receiving top billing. Even Johnny Oduya’s return to the building after being a key role player on two Stanley Cup teams is a footnote.

Because tonight is Patrick Sharp’s first regular season game in the United Center as a visitor in over ten years.

Everything Else

Angry At Numbers – At The Break: Warn Jen LC, It’s Not Seabrook-Positive

By 1771

A good time to look at some underlying trends for the Hawks at the break.

40.2, 33.9, 29.9, 34.1

That would be Brent Seabrook’s last four games in Corsi. If you’re new to the stat, let me spoil the mystery. That’s real bad. Like, abhorrent. And it’s kind of been the trend for Seabrook all season.

Seabrook’s numbers, other than his offensive output which shouldn’t be dismissed, have fallen off a cliff. Overall, Seabrook has a 48.1% Corsi percentage, far down from his 53.2 career mark. What makes that even scarier is that Seabrook is facing just about the easiest competition of his career since his rookie year. His time-on-ice of competition, which is how some people measure it, is 17.3. That’s down slightly from last year’s 17.4, but in this category tenths of a minute do actually make a difference. His zone starts aren’t really any different from what’s come before either.

Everything Else

Tail Lights: Hawks 0 – Canes 5

By 1251

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

If you’ve watched the Hawks for even just a few years, this was not all that hard to see coming. A single road game before the break. A more than solid effort last out over a division rival that put to rest a mini-losing streak, so there wasn’t really anything to “correct” tonight. A motivated opponent that needs every point it can get with the things that the Hawks struggle with when they’re not all there (a good coach and a mobile defense). A sick captain, and it’s hard to keep a sickness restricted to just one player on a team, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few guys have rumbling tummies or whatever’s bugging Toews. It all added up to an effort where the Hawks looked like they were watching the clock from the opening faceoff. And that’s exactly what we got.

Everything Else

Double Dip – Penguins vs Hawks Preview, Frequent Flyer Miles Redemption

By 1279

budicepenguintin vs evil empire

Game Time: 7:00PM
TV/Radio: NBCSN, TVAS, WGN-AM 720
Thanks Mean Joe: PensBurgh

In its infinite brilliance, the NHL schedule makers have once again knocked hammered out an interconference season series in the span of 28 hours, give or take with the time zone differential. Naturally tonight’s telecast will be the one that is nationally broadcast as a RIVALRY game, one which will likely feature the very telegenic goaltending of two backups, which seems appropriate given all of the announcements surrounding the All Star Farce earlier today.

Everything Else

A Tough Crow To Hoe: Hawks 2 – Penguins 2 (Hawks Win Rodeo Clown Competition)

By 1243

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

Well it was certainly better than Sunday’s what-have ya.

It started out a little slow, as the 1st period was certainly a tame affair with the Hawks trying to play “a good road game” (hockey term) and the Penguins still a little antsy about everything they’re doing these days. It would need a goal to open up, and it got one when Cullen, Malkin, and Kessel all watched Brian Dumoulin pinch down from his point and thought to themselves, “Boy his point is open, someone should do something about that.” That led to a YeastMode & The Douche (thanks to Anthrax that might be the official new name) on a 2-on-1 and that only ends one way.

Everything Else

I’m Contributing To The System, The Break Down Scheme: Hawks at Stars Preview/Stocking Stuffer

By 1240

250px-Ozymandias vs. Bowie Starman

PUCK DROP: 7:30pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio

THEY’VE GOT A WALL INSIDE THEIR HEAD: Defending Big D

Stars Stats

Stars War On Ice

Here it comes.

The storylines are going to drip off this one, more so that most regular season games. First, you have the Hawks getting their first look at the West’s best so far, the Dallas Stars. They will certainly have had this one circled in the DFW area. Second, the first regular season reunion between the Hawks, Patrick Sharp, and Johnny Oduya. Third, you have two of the best lines in hockey, the one of Seguin-Benn-Guest Star (Get it?) and the SuperPAK line for the Hawks. It certainly has a lot going for it for a game still in the first half of the season.

(And none of it will keep me from going to see Star Wars tonight, but that’s not why you called).

Everything Else

It’s Ned Ryerson: Avs 3 – Hawks 0

By 1338

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

They didn’t even have to play this game.

Because we’ve seen it already. We saw it twice last year. We saw it twice the year before that. And the year before that. If you’ve watched the Hawks for any length of time, though you might not have fully admitted it, you knew deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties how this one was likely to go.

Jammy, annoying Matt Duchene goal followed by his rich kid punchable face smile. Another Avs goal from some jamoke that isn’t on their top line or top pairing, this time Zach Redmond (but it could have been Holden or Guenin or Skille or Mitchell or anyone else, it really doesn’t matter). The only variable is whether the Hawks would toss a ton of shots at Varlamov or just a bunch. Not that it matters, because we already know he’s going to stop them all. In the meantime the Avs top players will basically run wild over an either uninterested or ill-equipped or both Hawks team.

And so it went. It’s hard to think of another matchup that feels quite as scripted as this one. Anyway, to it…

Everything Else

End of Phase 1: Hawks at Canucks Preview/Pajama Party

By 1192

250px-Ozymandias vs. All_canucks_logos

PUCK DROP: 9pm Central

TV/RADIO: WGN, CBC, Sportsnet, WGN Radio 720

GARBAGE THROWERS: Nucks Misconduct

However it might have looked, most teams will take three of four points on the road and call it job done. While it came against two of the worst teams in the West, and the performances were borderline abject, the haul was not. The degree of difficulty gets turned up starting tonight. I mean I guess it does. The standings say it does, except I can’t figure out what it is the Canucks do well.