Everything Else

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

By 1232 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 Sam Fels 1336 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

Atop The Sugar Pile – Post Circus Trip

By Sam Fels 1348 0

Haven’t done one of these in a bit, so we’ll kind of wrap up the past two weeks instead of just the previous one. And boy is there so much to get through.

The Dizzying Highs

Duncan Keith – I mean, what else is there to say? Did you know he’s only taken two minors on the year? As for the absurd amount of assists he’s racking up, I can’t help but feel it’s all a result of his defense. He’s not a playmaker or kickstart my heart rusher like Karlsson or Subban (though he skates as well). Keith’s assists mostly spring from closing down opposing threats quickly and rapidly getting the puck up to the forwards to do their thing. It’s why 17 of his 24 assists are secondary. In his Norris year he put up 69 points. The next two years when his defense definitely slipped, he couldn’t muster more than 45. Last year he was just about on pace for 50 over a full year when his defensive game returned. You know he’s playing his game on the back end when he’s racking up points on the other.

Everything Else

The Sweet Part Of The City: Blackhawks At Stars – Preview/Pre-Game Thread/Food Regret

By Matthew Killion 1099 0

AltLogo_medium @ dallas-stars-l-green05

FACEOFF: 7:30pm Central
TV/RADIO: NHLN, CSN/WGN 720
Texas Is The Reason: Defending Big D

Last time we saw the Stars, just earlier this month, they were starting to right the ship after a bit of stumble out of the gate. They had three straight victories (albeit all in OT/SO) and were looking to climb their way out of the basement of the Central division.

Well that hasn’t worked so much. They’re still in the basement but don’t let that fool you. They’ve got 26 points, which would actually tie them for second if they had the fortune of playing in the Metropolitan Division instead of the Central. It would also put them in the playoffs in the East as whole, instead of third to last as they are in the West. So it might be shit luck but they’re still going to need to get better if they want to play past 82 games this year.