Everything Else

Don't Worry About It. It Happens To All Guys

By 1300 0

In the end, it turned out to be a pretty flaccid trade deadline for the Hawks. It makes sense. They’re capped out and would have had to get awfully creative to acquire another center, which is what they need. And you can understand if not agree running for the shelter of going with last year’s team that won instead of risking fucking it up by tearing off a piece to get another.

But therein lies the problem, at least for me. The Hawks are basically standing still, and the rest of the West aren’t. The Blues, Avs, Ducks, and Sharks are unquestionably better than they were last year (and it’s not Ryan Miller’s acquisition for the Blues, but the growth of Jaden Schwartz and the unholy performance of Alex Steen among others). The Kings might not be better, though Gaborik helps and they might not be as beat up this spring as they were last.

Everything Else

Don’t Worry About It. It Happens To All Guys

By 1203 0

In the end, it turned out to be a pretty flaccid trade deadline for the Hawks. It makes sense. They’re capped out and would have had to get awfully creative to acquire another center, which is what they need. And you can understand if not agree running for the shelter of going with last year’s team that won instead of risking fucking it up by tearing off a piece to get another.

But therein lies the problem, at least for me. The Hawks are basically standing still, and the rest of the West aren’t. The Blues, Avs, Ducks, and Sharks are unquestionably better than they were last year (and it’s not Ryan Miller’s acquisition for the Blues, but the growth of Jaden Schwartz and the unholy performance of Alex Steen among others). The Kings might not be better, though Gaborik helps and they might not be as beat up this spring as they were last.

Everything Else

Lousy Smarch Weather: Blackhawks 5 – Penguins 1

By 1230 0

Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater

I could not have been more excited about the Blackhawks playing at Wrigley Field back in 2009. The Hawks were still on their way up and there was finally energy back in the stands. I gladly paid hundreds of dollars for two tickets for my brother and myself to sit in centerfield, lose all feeling in my toes and fingers to watch the Hawks get off to a fast start before getting demolished at the hands of Scum. This year, while I was tempted to go to the game and even had tickets offered the day before, I couldn’t muster up the same excitment. Whether it was my ongoing headcold or just my disinterest in Soldier Field compared to the iconic Wrigley, I just wasn’t as excited. That doesn’t mean the game didn’t turn to be a pretty exciting and beautiful spectacle though. It just means I was happy to have been watching it from a bar where I only had to walk 5 feet to get a new beer and not worry about whether I would lose a toe.

Everything Else

The Second Conundrum

By 1501 0

I should probably warn you. There’s going to be a lot of teeth-gnashing from the Triumvirate here before the trade deadline about a second line center. Yes, it mostly has to do with Ryan Kesler, and that’s heightened by our unconditional love for that player. Yes, he’s hated by a large swath of Hawks fandom and Hawks players (I can only imagine how icy the handshake between him and Toews would be if he were miraculously acquired). I know he’s not coming, but you always dream. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not a screaming need for the Hawks, and the struggles of the second and third lines the past month (or two?) has highlighted it.

Everything Else

State Of The Union

By Sam Fels 1788 0

Before we pivot for a couple weeks to the international game, it’s a good time to take a look back and see where the Hawks are at the Olympic break.

While there’s a lot of things we discuss from game to game and day to day, admittedly some of it is just to find anything to talk about when a team is as good as the Hawks are. So first things first, let’s get to some of the things that truly do matter for when the playoffs roll around. These aren’t really things like Bollig’s ice time, which shouldn’t matter in the spring (until another OT turnover) or Seabrook’s play (he was really only just ok in last year’s run despite his two OT winners, but Keith was outstanding to negate it) or even the power play (as the Hawks have proven, you don’t need one to win).

Let’s get to it: