Everything Else

Box Score

Hockey Stats

Natural Stat Trick

Yes, I’m well aware these aren’t the same movies, but just allow it, all right?

Once again, the Hawks had an ugly period (no, don’t make your menstruation joke here, because as Ash vs. Evil Dead taught us vaginas are powerful and life-affirming and should never be mocked). That one segment kind of colors everything else about the game, perhaps unfairly. The penalty kill remains a tire fire inside of a dumpster fire contained in a landfill fire. But as always, there are things to be learned. Oh, and some bad luck didn’t help the cause. Let’s get to it, shall we? We all have drinking to do.

Everything Else

Radio-Flyer-Classic-Red-Wagon-lg vs. Hawk Wrestler

GAMETIME: 7:30pm Central

TV: CSN locally, NBCSN nationally

WOOTER ICE: Broad Street Hockey

Projected Lineups

flyers-lineup-card

blackhawks-lineup-card

POWER PLAY: Flyers – 0% (28th)  Hawks – 27.3% (12th)

PENALTY KILL: Flyers – 88.9% (10th)  Hawks – 46.1% (Dead Ass Last)

SCORE ADJUSTED POSSESSION: Flyers – 52.5% (8th)  Hawks – 47.9% (22nd)

TRENDS: Ghost Bear has seven shots on Saturday against Arizona, Mark Streit had an 83% CF% on Saturday

After battling through perhaps the two best teams in the West for the season’s first three games, the schedule lightens a bit this week for the Hawks. And it starts with a visit from Cold Ones, otherwise known as the Philadelphia Flyers.

Everything Else

Usually I do this myself, but this year the whole crew is chiming in so you can hang us all out to dry in April. Let’s kick this pig…

Hawks Point Total and finish in the division 

Cieslak – 104 points, 2nd

McClure – 102 points, 2nd (lose on ROW)

Feather – 110 points, 1st

Fearless Leader – 108 points, 1st

Leading Scorer 

Cieslak – Kane, 91pts

McClure – Garbage Dick, 90 points

Feather – Kane, EIGHTY-THREE

Fearless Leader – Kane, 89 pts

Everything Else

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Like this wrap was ever going to come last night.

Normally, you’d come here for some shrewd analysis and a couple insults/jokes about the game. Today I don’t feel like that. Feels like something a little more emotional is needed. For most of the season, I’ve been accused of being overly negative, much too extreme. And you know, that’s basically correct. While I think it is our job to poke holes in common narratives (for instance, the utter hokum that was “Dark Horse Norris Candidate) there have been times where I’ve been sour just for the sake of it. As most of you know, this season hasn’t been all that much fun for any of us here. Whether you agree with that or not, I think we’ve illustrated pretty clearly why so you could understand. The Hawks have made themselves a hard organization to root for, and those complaints and feelings are still very much present. I’ve let that boil over at times, and I know that. I’ve openly rooted for opponents or made it clear I didn’t care if the season ended on Thursday or last night. That’s over the top.

And then games like last night happen, and you are thoroughly reminded why you bothered in the first place.

Everything Else

old_school_blue_l vs. Hawk Wrestler

PUCK DROP: 7pm (so calm down)

TV: NBC

I AM BECOME DEATH: St. Louis Gametime

Done it once, can you do it twice? And then thrice?

The Hawks staved off elimination on Thursday night, essentially letting the Blues punch themselves out in the 3rd period and 1st overtime without landing a knockout blow. The Hawks slowly, slowly made their presence known at the end of the first OT and then were the better team in the 2nd, bringing everyone back to Chicago for a Saturday night on the town. And really, where would you rather spend a Saturday night?

Everything Else

Hawk Wrestler vs. old_school_blue_l

PUCK DROP: Somewhere in the neighborhood of 8:42pm

TV: NBCSN round the nation, CSN here

THE SWORD OF DEMOCLES: St. Louis Gametime

All right, let’s get the positive right here at the top. No team has put the Hawks to the sword at first time of asking since the ’09 Wings. It took the ’11 Canucks four tries, the ’12 Coyotes two, and the ’14 Kings three. Quite simply, when the Hawks haven’t won the whole fucking thing they’ve been just about the toughest out around. And that’s with rosters as or more limited than this one. This is also a Blues team that has one series win to its name in this era. So for proceedings to end tonight, both teams are going to have to do something that has gone against their recent nature.

Everything Else

old_school_blue_l vs. Hawk Wrestler

PUCK DROP: 8:30pm Central (more like 8:42)

TV: CSN here locally, NBCSN everywhere else

JASON HEYWARD FANCLUB: St. Louis Gametime

Blues Stats

Blues War On Ice

This all feels so familiar, mostly because the Hawks were here the last two playoff series they played. They lost a Game 3 at home to both the Ducks and Lightning, the former partially due to some baffling lineup decisions from their coach and the latter because they couldn’t find a way past a goalie who couldn’t move. That was a weird one. Anyway, how will they respond to this Game 3 loss, the first they’ve lost in regulation when leading after 40 minutes in more than two seasons?

Everything Else

bluestrumpet_jersey vs evil empire

Game Time: 2:00PM Central
TV/Radio: NBC, TVA-S, SportsNet, WGN-AM 720
Holidae In: St. Louis Game Time

After having the tide of the series flip on a dime on two controversial goal calls (and one not at all controversial slashing call), the Blues are now afforded with an opportunity to show the hockey world that their continual, perennial faith in them is justified. To show them, yes indeed, this time it will be different.

Everything Else

Boxscore

Event Summary

War On Ice

I suppose if I were on the other side of this (meaning I was about 50 pounds heavier and hell of a lot uglier and I’m not pretty now), I would say that the Hawks have scored one goal against the Blues in about 130 minutes of play the past two games against them. I would say that it doesn’t matter that the Blues are doing exactly what they shouldn’t against the Hawks, i.e. backing up and trapping and grinding, because even with Keith returning for Game 2 he’s still the only trap-buster the Hawks have. I suppose I would say that the Blues probably can play better and they still have a 1-0 lead.

But I’m not on that side, so all I can help but say is, “Haven’t we seen this before?”