Everything Else

Something In The Way – C.I.’s ’15-’16 Season Preview: Scott Darling

By 1258 0

Let’s get back to hockey for the seven minutes before something else breaks.

Much like the backup quarterback in this town, although I suppose that’s a lot of towns (and recently the backup point guard), the backup goalie in Chicago has become something of a revered figure. I’m exactly sure when this started. Hackett over Belfour? Passmore over Thibault? When Khabibulin was stealing all his money after the lockout? Maybe it was two consecutive seasons of Niemi outplaying Huet and then Crawford outplaying Turco. Maybe we’re all scarred from watching Hasek leave after backing up Belfour and just assume every backup is now a multi-Vezina winner in waiting (KEENAN WANTED A TEAM AROUND LINDROS AND HASEK MY GOD!!!!).

It doesn’t hurt when that backup also happens to be from Chicago.

There will be more eyes cast on Scott Darling this year, as some still view him as a path to get some salary cap relief if he can prove to be starter-quality in the NHL (those “some” might be in the front office as well). Will he? Let’s find out (not really)!

Everything Else

Endgame… Maybe

By 1834 0

The gift that just keeps on giving roared awake again late this morning/early this afternoon, as reports broke that the grand jury that was supposed to hear the Patrick Kane investigation/case has been postponed, with reports suggesting it was due to settlement talks between the camps.

At this point, we all know the various reasons both sides could have for seeking a settlement, and to have a debate on it would lead to a lot of yelling and anger on both sides. So I’m not going to do that today. And we don’t know that a settlement is going to happen, though most with a better feel for these sort of things are leaning that way.

But if it were to, there is a practical and then theoretical fallout for the Hawks organization, and Hawks fans.

Everything Else

Something In The Way – C.I.’s ’15-’16 Season Preview: Corey Crawford

By 1296 0

I feel like this is going to be one of the things I harp on all season and you’re all going to get sick of it, so just be forewarned. Other than maybe Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford is probably going to be the most important Hawk this season and the biggest bellwether on how this season goes, good or bad. And for a team that has done its best to take the goalie out of the equation (which they really haven’t done all that well the past two seasons), it’s kind of an uncomfortable spot to be in.

Everything Else

I Hate Myself And Want To Die – C.I.’s ’15-’16 Season Preview: The Overview

By 1514 0

Ok, the title’s over the top and we won’t be sticking with it, but I thought it encapsulated where a lot of Hawks fans are at the moment (although in clearly heavy handed terms).

So over the next month or so, we’ll be going player by player to preview the upcoming season, which is just somehow 35 days away (and we’re sure they’ll go by in a smooth jiffy!).

There will be other posts to wrangle out what’s going on off the ice, but it’s impossible to discuss the Hawks right now on the ice without really considering two forms of them. While it’s hardly anywhere close to the most important part of the whole story, and no one should care all that much right now, the Hawks could look like just about anything depending on how things go.

Everything Else

God, What A Mess, On The Ladder Of Success

By 2293 0

So I was going to kick off our season preview today, but Mark Lazerus’s column today in the Sun-Times is deserving of focus. And a lot of it. There is so much to parse out from it. If you haven’t yet, read it and come back to this.

So let’s take it on in no particular order.

-In some ways, this situation is a lot simpler than it looks, and a lot more complicated in others.

For instance, if Kane is charged, it probably works out pretty easily. He’ll be suspended by the league or Hawks or both, whoever gets there first I would imagine. And he’ll almost have certainly played his last game for the Hawks, unless through the process of finding out what the evidence during hearings and a possible triel is it is glaringly clear he is not just “not guilty,” but innocent (and there is a difference, which it feels like some people don’t get).

Everything Else

The Buffalo DA And Other Notes

By 1712 0

If you haven’t seen it, the Trib today ran a profile of the Erie County DA who will be handling this case, if it becomes a case, Frank Sedita III. I’m almost certainly in above my head when discussing the nuances here, and this post probably best serves as a launch point for the various lawyers who are friends of the site to explain it out better in the comments.

Obviously, to everyone certain things jump out. His “choosiness,” for lack of a better term, is one. But I’m guessing like most other big city District Attorney offices, Erie County’s would have limited time and resources and prosecuting every case that comes into it is an impossibility, especially if Buffalo’s court system is anywhere near as backed up as Chicago’s. I don’t know what the proper balance is here, and I hope someone or a few can hash it out in response to this.

Everything Else

What Matters And What Doesn’t

By 5108 0

Be forewarned, all you “wait for the facts!”-ers, I’m going to talk about this investigation without new information. I know, sickening right? We’ll get through it together, I promise. But some of the stuff I’ve seen over the past few days have left me…


So we had more drivel from The Buffalo News yesterday, or at least mostly drivel. We found out that Kane has a Buffalo cop-as-roadie, which considering his activities isn’t a bad idea in and of itself. Lots of cops moonlight as security in their off hours in whatever fashion. No big deal there. And we certainly don’t want Kane driving around himself, which to his credit I’ve never heard of him doing in Buffalo or here when he’s been out on the town.

Everything Else

One Week In

By 5325 0

It’s been one week since the Blackhawks world was turned upside down by Patrick Kane being investigated for rape. We’ve been in something of a holding pattern since, with only drips and drabs (what’s a drab anyway?) leaking out of the investigation, and some of it on the flimsy side. Let’s try and establish where we are.

-I feel like there’s a section of people that need a civics lesson when discussing thing. Much like the 1st Amendment seems to cause confusion, “innocent until proven guilty” only applies in a certain setting. That would be a court of law, much like the 1st Amendment only applies to the government trying to censor speech. It’s why the NFL or NHL can fine a player for criticizing the referees, as they are a private organization and not a government (well, the NFL might be soon).

Everything Else

Most Hated Opponent – Derian Hatcher by Raskolnikov

By 3615 0

@Raskolnikov is perhaps our longest-serving and most loyal reader, therefore making him probably the weirdest. 

Like most children, I could not properly handle my emotions. I cried for many reasons—teasing from others, being sent to my room for acting out, and, most commonly, my sports teams losing ways. My sadness would be temporarily directed towards the unfortunate circumstances, but after an hour or two, I’d calm down and resume being a typical child. It wasn’t until Derian Hatcher entered the league that I actually held onto my negative feelings after his actions stopped directly impacting me. He was my first hate.