Everything Else

It’s Ned Ryerson: Avs 3 – Hawks 0

By 1354

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

This Used To Mean Something, This Used To Be Important: Canucks at Hawks Preview/Gould Burial

By 1326

Lumberjack_Song vs. 250px-Ozymandias

PUCK DROP: 6pm Central

TV/RADIO: WGN for both locally, Sportsnet for the hosers

WHISTLER REFUGEES: Nucks Misconduct, Canucks Army

Canucks Stats

Canucks War On Ice

The Hawks continue this homestand against the trash of the Western Conference, the Preds were the only surefire playoff team on it and that wasn’t even technically part of the homestand, against what used to be their tastiest rival the Vancouver Canucks. Now? Just a bunch of has beens, whosits, and weird twins.

Everything Else

I Wish I Was In Dixie, Hooray! Hooray!: Hawks at Predators Preview/Sandwich Building

By 1166

250px-Ozymandias vs. Leary

PUCK DROP: 7pm

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio

GIMME GIMME GIMME THE HONKY TONK BLUES: On The Forecheck

Predators Stats

Predators War On Ice

The ol’ home and home. This used to be a staple of the NHL schedule when you had to play everyone in your division 12 times or whatever it was back in the day. They were usually on Saturday and Sunday nights, and the Sunday nights at the Old Stadium against either the North Stars or Leafs generally became something our Lord Jim Ross would describe as “Looks like a Saturday night on a payday weekend in Muskogee!” Why yes, I do have a requirement of how many times I use that phrase per season. And yes, I did go the long way round to get to it today. And I don’t care!

Everything Else

Monty And The Hawks

By 1859

I didn’t have time to get to it yesterday, but this lawsuit from Steve Montador’s family against the NHL should make for interesting viewing, particularly here in Chicago. That is if it were every to get to a courtroom, which I simply can’t fathom it ever will, and neither will the much larger class-action one that 80+ former players are a part of. There’s no way the NHL could have this kind of testimony or evidence out there. The NHL could not absorb a massive award like the NFL can, and the NFL hasn’t even found theirs quite yet.

But what if the Hawks’ medical team, or even coaches, had to testify? Or what if we could see the depositions they might have to give? I would be very curious indeed.

Everything Else

Not A Good Day To Be A Bad Guy: Preds 1 – Hawks 4

By 1518

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

One or two more and this could a habit! Anyway, sorry for the delayed wrap. A flat tire cost me the urge to do it last night. I need that Bond auto-inflate tire from Tomorrow Never Dies. Or all of them. All those cars probably had that feature. Anyway…

The Hawks once again got a win with their do-it-all second line merely adding an empty-netter, though they were the best on line on the ice for either team most of the night. Unlike Sunday’s win though, this one is thoroughly pinned on Corey Crawford, who might have had his best game of the year. And not only that, he made it look easy at times. Without him, this probably looks a lot different.

The Hawks got goals from other lines as well, if you can believe that, to keep the spiraling Preds… well, in a spiral. Downwards. Though it is possible to spiral upwards. But we rarely use that term for that motion. Whatever. Let’s get to it:

Everything Else

Fireside Chat

By 1365

Feather is on a tropical vacation this week… or he’s hiding until the heat dies down, though I suppose it could be both, so I’ll take this little rant for the day. I’m sure he won’t mind, and if he does I’ll just drop dime on him and I won’t have that problem ever again!

-When we’re supposed to be doing the stuff we’re supposed to be doing but not, McClure and I basically talk about other teams in the NHL. And everyone loves to say every team has this crippling flaw or that one, and it’s been hard to pinpoint a team where you go, “That’s the team coming out of the East/West.” And of course, doing so in the first week of December is always folly, because there are injuries, trades, dips in form (especially goalies) and vice versa coming.

But man, it’s getting really hard to look past the Washington Capitals.

Everything Else

Point Taken: Hawks 3 – Senators 3 (Senators win Bull Riding Competition)

By 1146

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

I’m sure some air raid sirens are going off in the hinterlands of Hawk-dom, less than a week after everyone was beaming from a 3-1-2 Circus Trip. It’s now three “losses” in a row, even though the Hawks got points in two of them. But this wasn’t like the Kings or Wild, where the Hawks deserved to either get only a point or lose outright. They played well after the 1st, there were signs of life from Toews and Hossa, and yet more brilliance from Kane and The Sons Of Rasputin. This time however the penalty kill didn’t come through as it has, putting the Hawks up against it. And when you give Karlsson a look in overtime, no matter how much he doesn’t like the format, you’re pretty much asking for it.

Everything Else

Clean Up For Trudeau: Hawks at Senators Preview/Mountie Costume Party

By 1209

250px-Ozymandias vs. senator clay-davis-sheeeiiiit

PUCK DROP: 6:30pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio

CANADIAN GUB’MINT: Silver Seven Sens, Bonks Mullet

Senators Stats

Senators War On Ice

It seems a bit cruel of the NHL schedule makers to have the Hawks go out on the road for two straight weeks, get a taste of home for all of three days, and then punt them back up to the Canadian capital (capitale) a mere day later. Quite the tease. But such is the task put before the Hawks, and seeing as how things went pretty well on the road (deserved or not) and didn’t at home on Tuesday, maybe it’s a good way to get their game back on track. Whatever their game might be right now.