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But These Go To 11: Canadiens 2 – Hawks 5

By 1471

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

I was thinking tonight right before the 3rd period that at this point, the lack of drama Hawks games have when they lead going into the 3rd have. They haven’t lost one in a the past season and a half, and when they’re taking a two-goal lead into a 3rd, you basically know it’s over. This would be the very definition of hockey 1st world problems, because this is what every fandom wants. The Hawks weren’t particularly spectacular tonight, but they didn’t have to be. But at this point, no team is better at knowing exactly what it takes to get two points out of a game, and once they bunched two goals at the end of the 2nd, it was basically over.

Everything Else

No Man, Seven Minute Habs: Hawks at Canadiens Preview/Leech Application

By 1241

250px-Ozymandias vs. 15452729736_ffba7f9e29_b

PUCK DROP: 6:30pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN for the locals, NBCSN for the outer rim, WGN Radio

THE QUEBECOIS: Habs Eyes On The Prize

Habs Stats

Habs War On Ice

The Hawks will take their scorching performance art piece on the road the next two nights, and into the cradle of hockey. If you don’t believe it is, just ask the citizens of Montreal and Toronto. It’s an Original 6 week for the Hawks. What they’ll find when they get to “The Keg” is a team and fanbase that’s been pulling it’s hair out for so long and so aggressively parts of their brain are flicking out of their scalps. No one does panic quite like the Canadiens.

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What’s The Most Annoying Sound In The World?: Avs at Hawks Preview/Driveway Salting

By 1144

Avalanche Snowman Christmas vs. 250px-Ozymandias

PUCK DROP: 6pm Central

TV/RADIO: WGN for both

ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY: Mile High Hockey

Avs Stats

Avs War On Ice

Our Avs Q&A

It’s the sound of the Avalanche coming to the United Center. Because they’ve won five of the last six here, even though by any measure the Hawks should be painting the walls of their new dressing room with the brains and innards of the Avs. But they don’t seem to here. Certainly not last time, when Semyon “Kiss With A Fist Is Better Than None” Varlamov walked out with his 73rd shutout of the Hawks, or at least that’s how it feels.

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Don’t Play With Your Food: Sabres 1 – Hawks 3

By 1379

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

The Hawks moved to their sixth win in a row with a simple adjustment after 20 minutes, or at least a tightening of their usual plan. But even though the Hawks basically kept the Sabres under their thumb (it’s down to me) from the start of the second, they let them hang around and hang around. And as the Hawks should know by now, they can’t let any team hang around that has Ryan O’Reilly on it, because he will score against them. Luckily, a few minutes later Rasmus Ristolainen let Phillip Danault have far too much space entering the zone, and Danault was only too happy to gobble it up and bury the winner short-side. Throw in another Toews empty-netter to throw the mainstream off his scent of struggles, and you have yet another Hawks win.

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Q&A With Die By The Blade

By 1373

Andy Boron from DieByTheBlade.com was kind enough to answer some questions for us. On Twitter @DieByTheBlade.

Obviously, we’ll start with Jack Eichel. Not getting the press of some other rookies, but 26 points in 40 games is hardly embarrassing. First impressions of your new idol?

Honestly, after watching the 2008-2014 versions of the Sabres that didn’t feature a single superstar forward (Thomas Vanek is a questionable star) watching Eichel is almost indescribable. For a 19-year old rookie, he shows incredible hockey skills, is so unbelievably smooth with the puck, skates like a madman, has a great personality, and has tallied at least 12 incredible goal or assist highlights this season. He’s such a breath of fresh air for Sabres fans that it makes the team’s 29th place standing right now almost inconsequential. Seriously, nobody complains about losses as long as Eichel or one of the other young stars has a strong showing.

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

By 1252

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

Get Loud, “Real” Fans, And Why A Graphic Upsets Me

By 2596

Last night, during the 3rd period I tweeted that I wondered if the “GET LOUD!” graphic that runs every game at that time would insult real Blackhawks fans, and whether or not there were any of them in the building. This angered a few people, and after taking a night to think about it I totally understand why.

The term “real fans” was a poor choice, especially coming from me who has spent a good portion of my seven plus years doing this writing about how newer fans, or ones derided as “bandwagon” were nothing to be feared or loathed, and were also a byproduct of a successful team. You can’t really have the latter without the former. And I don’t recall any of the 5,000 of us who were there in 2006 and talking amongst ourselves particularly enjoying it, except for maybe the shorter lines in the bathrooms. It was hypocritical of me for sure.

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Knights Of The Round Table

By 1374

This is something we told ourselves we were going to do regularly before the season, and like everything else we tell ourselves we were completely lying. But in the interest of everything else we want to do in 2016, i.e. ramp up our content, we’re going to do this regularly. All of us get together to talk about something with the Hawks and something with the NHL. 

What would you like to see the Hawks do in 2016, be it a trade or a change in style or anything else?

Feather: Despite his lack of scoring thus far, Phillip Danault certainly has the look and feel of a guy that fans will be worried about the Hawks being able to afford in a few years. So that’s one less hole they will have to fill. 

The obvious answer on what the Hawks need is on the back end. The problem, of course, is that no one is dealing game-changing defenseman anymore. (The 80s and 90s were pretty remarkable) So instead, they’ll have to find a couple guys who still have value but close to expiring contracts on non-contenders. Like everyone else will be too. 

Or if they truly believe in TVR and Gustafsson, they can let them take their lumps and hope by the time the playoffs roll around, their games will have matured to levels where the Hawks three defensemen aren’t averaging 45 minutes a game. 

Slak: McClure and I have talked about this, seemingly for years, and I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t mention it in his answer – but clearly they need to trade someone who has value in the forward corps for someone who is good enough to play defense. One guy who is coming up as an RFA and doesn’t make a ton of sense as a longer and higher term player on this team is Andrew Shaw. The issue with that is a) I have no idea how other teams value him and b) the Hawks will probably re-sign him, which will enrage our circle of bloggers but delight most every other Hawks fan. He’s just not the kind of guy the Blackhawks don’t usually send away. Seems like a defenseman who can skate and it’s 38 years old would be a nice addition. Hopefully a catastrophic injury to one of their best players isn’t the path to acquiring one.