Everything Else

Boy, there’s a lot to get to here, so let’s just jump into the bullets, shall we?

-Let’s get to the most pressing issue. Why the fuck can’t the United Center spell, “Lightning?” It has a fucking T you dummards!

Ok, now that’s out of the way…

-Where to start? We’ve spent some time bemoaning the Hawks habit of sitting on leads, or doing their best to blow them, or straight up blowing them. It didn’t feel like that tonight, and I recognize how stupid that sentence sounds now. But the Hawks weren’t under siege until a Rozsival penalty, where both Toews and Saad went to block a shot and didn’t. Then it’s just a one goal game and all it takes is a puck squirting out of a board battle and one shot.

The Hawks did manage 13 3rd period shots. They pressed, they forechecked. Where they got themselves in trouble was straight up declining two 3rd period power plays that could have ended it. Instead of stepping on the throat, the Hawks played with their food. That was a problem last year and has been this year, where the Hawks just use a 3rd period PP with a lead to run the clock instead of cutting the jugular. They should stop that.

Everything Else

OH Yes!! All our problems are solved: (SunTimes)

Sharp isn’t worried: (Daily Herald)

Game Preview: (Blackhawks.com)

Oh and Sharp has free time for the ladies: (Puckdaddy)

Kesler is back: (Sportsnet)

So Matt Cooke must pay: (Ottawa Sun)

What if the IOC,NHL and NHLPA all crap in our cocoa puffs:(US of Hockey)

Evander Kane and the race problem: (Puckdaddy)

Sportsmanship personified in Russia: (RT)

This needs to happen..Also click on the figurine link: (Daves Geek Ideas)

Everything Else

at

Game Time:
9:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, NHL Net (Canada), WGN AM 720
Cage In The Water: Fear The Fin

While ten games into a season might be too soon for a “measuring stick” game in any other year, for this shortened campaign, that’s equal to over 20% of the entire season. Given that circumstance, it’s entirely appropriate for these two teams to use tonight to judge where they’re going for the rest of the year. Tonight features a matchup of the two best teams in the conference, with a grand total of 5 points lost between the two out of a possible combined 36, and a single solitary regulation loss.

Everything Else

Ahh yes, the late game wrap the next morning. What a fun time these things are. The Blackhawks kept up their impressive point streak to start off the season but for the second time in a row.. fell in the skills competition.

For all the hype we may put on these games, this one turned out to be a pretty lackluster affair. There were plenty of runs on Keith (too be expected and pretty understandable), strong play from both goalies, lots of awful power plays and then a silly little shootout

Everything Else

Well, I guess you can’t win them all. Maybe you can win all the ones you don’t tie. Let’s see if that can be done.

But after all is said and done (and before they make me run), there isn’t too much to get upset about. Which is weird, because just about the time I was going to start getting itchy about how the Hawks were getting pressed into waffles at even-strength in the 2nd period, one penalty kill turned it around and the Wild were chasing shadows. The 17-6 shot-difference in the last two stanzas would be evidence of that.

Still, all that possession and territorial advantage didn’t lead to a barrage of chances, which I guess is a little worrying. But not all that much. I suppose it could be argued that the Hawks got better as the Wild got more tired, having played last night and in their 3rd game in four nights. But the Hawks will find that a lot this season, as well as the reverse.

In the end, the width of the crossbar kept the Hawks from extending the shootout where they might have won it. Or might not have. It’s a fucking shootout. Just flip a coin and be done with it.

Everything Else

Well, I guess you can’t win them all. Maybe you can win all the ones you don’t tie. Let’s see if that can be done.

But after all is said and done (and before they make me run), there isn’t too much to get upset about. Which is weird, because just about the time I was going to start getting itchy about how the Hawks were getting pressed into waffles at even-strength in the 2nd period, one penalty kill turned it around and the Wild were chasing shadows. The 17-6 shot-difference in the last two stanzas would be evidence of that.

Still, all that possession and territorial advantage didn’t lead to a barrage of chances, which I guess is a little worrying. But not all that much. I suppose it could be argued that the Hawks got better as the Wild got more tired, having played last night and in their 3rd game in four nights. But the Hawks will find that a lot this season, as well as the reverse.

In the end, the width of the crossbar kept the Hawks from extending the shootout where they might have won it. Or might not have. It’s a fucking shootout. Just flip a coin and be done with it.