Everything Else

I Don’t Even Know What This Is Supposed To Be: Canucks at Hawks Preview/Juice Cleanse

By 974

 vs. 

RECORDS: Canucks 22-19-6   Hawks 29-14-5

PUCK DROP: 6:30pm

TV: WGN down here, SportsNet up there for Hilljack Hockey

CRYING INTO THEIR VAPORIZER: Nucks Misconduct, Hockey Dipshit

PROJECTED LINEUPS

ADJUSTED TEAM CORSI %: Canucks – 47.5 (24th)  Hawks – 50.0 (16th)

ADJUSTED TEAM xGF%: Canucks – 46.4 (28th)  Hawks – 47.5 (26th)

POWER PLAY %: Canucks – 13.2 (29th)  Hawks – 18.1 (16th)

PENALTY KILL %: Canucks – 79.7 (23rd)  Hawks – 75.6 (28th)

The Hawks will entertain the Canucks tonight, a half-hour later than normal for a Sunday because it features on SportsNet’s hilariously weird “Hometown Hockey.” For the uninitiated, every Sunday Rogers sends Tara Slone–who must’ve run over someone’s cat/child to be punished in such a way–out to some Canadian outpost/backwater/truck stop/hobo circle jerk where she gets stared at by a bunch of glassy-eyed, slack-jawed locals who are only slightly intimidated by all the blinking lights of the camera. There they talk about how much they love hockey, shocking for a Canadian city I know, while the children have to wear their gear for four hours and wave to the camera when told, which turns out to be a real task for them, because y’know, CANADIAN. Ron MacLean joins the fun to interview some doddering old codger who barely knows where he is because he spent 10 years toiling for the fucking Golden Seals or something and getting beaten about the head. But he’s from whatever ice-fishing hut they’re broadcasting from, so he has talk about how much they love hockey in this particular section of frozen hell. It’s really something.

Meanwhile, George Stroumboulopoulos kicks it at home with his awesome socks and thanks his lucky stars he doesn’t have to put up with any of this shit anymore.

Anyway…

Everything Else

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

By 963

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

The Old Flame: Hawks at Canucks Preview, Pregame Thread, Late Night Document Shredding Session

By Sam Fels 822 0

vs. 

FACEOFF: 9pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio 720, and TSN for the hosers

SEARCHING IN VAIN FOR MEANING: Nucks Misconduct, Pass It To Bulis

Oh right. These guys. How could I forget?

I think it’s just me, but some of the heat of what had been and might still be the league’s best rivalry has gone out a bit. Might have something to do with the last three season meetings coming after somewhat passionate playoff meetings, and this one doesn’t. Maybe it’s partly to do with both teams coming off first-round exits in last year’s playoffs, and no longer is the target to get past each other but everything is just more focused inward and what each team has to do to go farther. Maybe the rise of genuine threats in St. Louis and L.A. has spread the ire for both sets of fans a little thinner.

Though reading Nucks Misconduct today, I’m guessing they don’t feel the same.