Everything Else

Someone’s Gotta Make The Outs: Stars 4 – Hawks 3

By Sam Fels 1320 0

We should all be aware of this now. This isn’t the last game the Hawks will loose in truly goofy circumstances. Maybe the Avalanche loss kind of falls into this category, but not nearly as deeply as tonight. When you outshoot a team 50-18, and keep the play in their end for seemingly 7-8 minute blocks, I don’t know what else you can do. That’s not to say the Hawks were perfect, but obviously these are Kari Lehtonen’s two points.

While watching this one I couldn’t help but think of the phrase “drunk on power.” Because that’s what it felt like the Hawks were. In some ways that’s a good thing. They didn’t intentionally fall down three goals, but they certainly never looked like they thought they couldn’t pull it back instantly. I feel like all the revivals on the road trip have the Hawks feeling like there’s nothing they can’t overcome, which is good. But it also feels like that’s allowing them to be sloppy for stretches. Was there a d-man tonight not guilty of a boneheaded mistake? Maybe Keith. And yet they can always light a team up in a hurry when they need it, or it feels like that.

You can’t win them all. Sometimes the other team gets the bounces when you need and you don’t. Nothing to see here. Move on to the bullets.

Everything Else

Someone's Gotta Make The Outs: Stars 4 – Hawks 3

By 1189 0

We should all be aware of this now. This isn’t the last game the Hawks will loose in truly goofy circumstances. Maybe the Avalanche loss kind of falls into this category, but not nearly as deeply as tonight. When you outshoot a team 50-18, and keep the play in their end for seemingly 7-8 minute blocks, I don’t know what else you can do. That’s not to say the Hawks were perfect, but obviously these are Kari Lehtonen’s two points.

While watching this one I couldn’t help but think of the phrase “drunk on power.” Because that’s what it felt like the Hawks were. In some ways that’s a good thing. They didn’t intentionally fall down three goals, but they certainly never looked like they thought they couldn’t pull it back instantly. I feel like all the revivals on the road trip have the Hawks feeling like there’s nothing they can’t overcome, which is good. But it also feels like that’s allowing them to be sloppy for stretches. Was there a d-man tonight not guilty of a boneheaded mistake? Maybe Keith. And yet they can always light a team up in a hurry when they need it, or it feels like that.

You can’t win them all. Sometimes the other team gets the bounces when you need and you don’t. Nothing to see here. Move on to the bullets.

It's so easy
Everything Else

Easy Peasey Japanesey: Hawks 5 – Oilers 1

By Sam Fels 1119 0

We still fear games against the Oilers after the trauma of the ’11-’12 season, especially the carnival ride of the games at Rexall Place that season, but it hasn’t really been the case the past two season. Oh sure, the Oil got one last year at the UC in a total clown college of a game. But other than that they’ve been batting practice fastballs for the Hawks. And you know pretty much whether it will be or not by the 1st period. As soon as Jonathan Toews arrogantly deposited his shorty in the 1st, you knew how tonight would go.

Let’s not wait around.

Everything Else

Some Will Die In Hot Pursuit: Hawks 1 – Avs 5

By Sam Fels 1367 0

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..