Everything Else

Hurricanrana Is Hurricanrana In Any Language: Hawks at Canes Preview/Craft Gin Week

By 1520

 vs. 

RECORDS: Hawks 23-10-5  Canes 15-12-7

PUCK DROP: 6:30 pm 

TV: WGN

HE HIT THE FUCKIN’ BULL, DIDN’T HE?: Canes Country

PROJECTED LINEUPS

ADJUSTED TEAM CORSI %: Hawks – 49.5 (16th)  Canes – 52.8 (5th)

ADJUSTED TEAM xGF%: Hawks – 47.0 (26th)  Canes – 53.6 (6th)

POWER PLAY %: Hawks -19.2 (14th)  Canes – 20.4 (10th)

PENALTY KILL %: Hawks – 74.8 (29th)  Canes – 90.6 (1st)

TRENDS: Teuvo and Aho combined for 11 shots against the Penguins on Wednesday… The Canes rang up a 67% Corsi in Pittsburgh last out

The title is something my friend who wrestles in Chikara told me once. I think it applies to most things.

The last game of 2016 and the last of the two-game swing through NASCAR country comes up for the Hawks tonight. They arrested their small skid last night, averting something a little more definitive, and will attempt to head into West East St. Louis with a little momentum (assuming this Winter Classic actually ever gets played, which it might not).

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“Pred” Backwards Is “Derp”: Hawks at Predators Preview/Brake Alignment

By 1444

 vs. 

RECORDS: Hawks 22-10-5   Predators 15-13-6

PUCK DROP: 7pm Central

TV: CSN

GIMME GIMME THE HONKY TONK BLUES: On The Forecheck

PROJECTED LINEUPS

ADJUSTED TEAM CORSI %: Hawks – 49.8 (15th)  Preds – 52.2 (8th)

ADJUSTED TEAM xGF%: Hawks – 47.0 (25th)  Preds – 52.7 (9th)

POWER PLAY%: Hawks – 18.3 (15th)  Preds – 19.5 (13th)

PENALTY KILL%: Hawks – 74.7 (29th)  Preds – 81.5 (14th)

TRENDS: Johansen has two goals this month… Rinne has given up 30 goals in his last 10 appearances for a SV% of .867

The Hawks take their three-game losing streak, with one point gained, down south the next two nights to take on the Predators and then the Canes to close out the 2016 portion of the schedule. They’ll find a not quite floundering, not quite surging, just kind of quite there Predators team at the Bridgestone tonight. Why we haven’t been saying, “At that confounded Bridge!” every time the Hawks go to said arena, I don’t have any idea but it starts now, big boy!

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The Great Russian Trendkill Sticks Around

By 1601

You have to say the Hawks are learning.

Over the years, we’ve lamented the Hawks fear of A) playing hardball with any of their players who are reaching restricted free agency (or even unrestricted) and B) their irrational fear of an offer sheet. While no two free agent situations are alike, it would appear the Hawks have learned some lessons in losing Brandon Saad or feeling they had to trade others like Our Special Boy (TM).

Tonight, the Hawks have inked Artemi Panarin to a two-year bridge deal, with $6 million a year. It’s about as good as either side could do, if you think about it, given what the constraints were.

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Sell The Kids For Food: Around The Hawks Prospects

By 1467

This is something I haven’t done in a while, and I’ll try and get back to it every so often. As we’ve seen this season, the Hawks are going to be plugging in future holes with kids through the system, because a flattening cap isn’t going to provide them much room for any other method and no big money coming off the books soon. Might even be worse when Panarin cashes in here after the Hawks refuse to play hardball.

Any talk about the Hawks’ pipeline starts with Alex DeBrincat. And don’t you worry, he’s still getting in up the elbow on the OHL, with 60 points in 28 games. His OHL season is going to go on hold for a bit, because he’s on the preliminary roster for the US Junior roster and is pretty much a lock to be on the main one when things kick off on Boxing Day. You’ll actually get to watch him. Should be fun.

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Wounds Won’t Last Long, But An Insulting Song Burns Will Always Carry With Him: Sharks at Hawks Preview/Roadblock Preshow

By 1610

 vs. 

RECORDS: Sharks 19-11-1  Hawks 21-8-4

PUCK DROP: 6pm Central

TV: WGN, NHL-N outside the 606

CHUM: @ItWasThreeZero

PROJECTED LINEUPS

ADJUSTED TEAM CORSI %: Sharks – 52.5 (8th)  Hawks – 50.1 (15th)

ADJUSTED TEAM xGF%: Sharks – 53.2 (6th)  Hawks – 47.5 (20th)

POWER PLAY: Sharks – 17.8 (14th)  Hawks – 18.4 (14th)

PENALTY KILL: Sharks – 81.7 (17th)  Hawks – 73.3 (30th)

TRENDS: Joel Ward was a healthy scratch in Montreal… Brent Burns leads the league in shots

After quashing whatever was being vocalized from St. Louis about being a competitor in the West, the Hawks will welcome the San Jose Sharks tonight, and these two look for all the world to be headed toward each other again in deep spring. So while there’s no such thing as statement games, if you want to toss around the phrase “playoff preview” it’s actually somewhat apt.

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And You Just Don’t Get It You Keep It Copacetic: Hawks 6 – Blues 4

By 1825

Box Score

Natural Stat Trick

Hockey Stats

Let’s try something different tonight. I’m sure you all come here and expect a certain form for the game wrap, as you should. But quite frankly, I’m tired of writing of the same game wrap for games against the Blues. So let’s try prose.

They’re so scripted. It’s so easy. We know what they are, and though they keep screaming that this time will be different, it really never is. Oh sure, they’ll point to last spring as proof that the tide has turned. But seriously? They don’t give you banners for reaching the conference final. They don’t give you banners for beating a seriously flawed team that in previous incarnations has won the trophy your team could only fantasize about three times. So here we are.

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He Left It Out Back On The Highway, On 55: Hawks at Blues Preview/Online Driving Class

By 1546

 vs. 

RECORDS: Hawks 20-8-4  Blues 17-10-4

TV: CSN

THINK DEXTER FOWLER HAS TOO MUCH FUN: St. Louis Gametime

PROJECTED LINEUPS

ADJUSTED TEAM CORSI %: Hawks – 50.1 (15th)  Blues – 52.4 (10th)

ADJUSTED TEAM xGF%: Hawks – 47.5 (21st)  Blues 51.9 (13th)

POWER PLAY: Hawks – 19.0 (15th)  Blues – 21.9 (7th)

PENALTY KILL: Hawks – 73.3 (30th)  Blues – 88.2 (2nd)

TRENDS: Tarasenko has 14 points in his last eight games… Allen has made over 30 saves just twice in 25 appearances

After getting a couple looks at one of the East’s best over the past week in the Rangers, the Hawks will spend the weekend amongst the West’s aristocracy, or at least what’s supposed to be the aristocracy. The Blues tonight and the Sharks tomorrow are both teams, along with the Hawks, that are supposed to be around longer than it takes at the DMV come the spring.

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Angry At Numbers -12/16

By 1635

Feels like it’s that time again. Let’s get nerdy!

.969/.929

These are the Hawks’ even-strength save-percentage at home and then on the road. Let’s be clear, the road mark is more more than acceptable. It’s why the Hawks are one of the few teams in the West to be above .500 on the road. Still, it’s a tad weird.

You can understand why skaters would have differing home-road splits. Get better matchups at home, maybe more beneficial zone starts. Goalies are susceptible to the same differences in the colors and the whites, i.e. familiar surroundings, routines, whatever else. But they face the same matchups no matter what.

You’d think with the difference in matchups going your way at home and not at home that the Hawks might be a more defensively leaky team on the road. But it doesn’t appear so. They give up just about the same amount of attempts per 60 between the two, 53.7 off of Madison St. vs. 53.6 on it. Scoring chances? 9.7 on the road per 60 vs. 9.0 at home. xGA60? 2.7 on the road and 2.4 at home.

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Every New York Band Is Overrated: Hawks 5 – Islanders 4

By 1417

Box Score

Natural Stat Trick

Hockey Stats

When the Hawks were shorthanded, they attempted to tighten things up a bit, though considering how many shots they gave up whenever there was a genuine NHL team across from them, I’m not sure it worked. Tonight was definitely not tightened up, as this was as open of a game as the Hawks have had in a while. It worked as just about all the rest have; goaltending finds its feet and makes some huge saves to prevent a deficit from getting unmanageable, the top line scores, and then some sort of wrinkle. The wrinkle tonight wast that the Islanders for some reason never watched tape on on the Hawks power play and kept leaving the cross-ice pass open, and the Hawks got goals from the Toews and Kruger lines.

Add it all up, and it’s just enough. Let’s clean it up.