Everything Else

The Path Is Clear, Now You Must Walk It

By Sam Fels 1225 0

Yeah, I know. The light out of the darkness is looking awfully faint, if it can be seen at all. There’s an overwhelming urge to start declaring who takes the fall, who doesn’t, what changes need to be made going forward, what went wrong, all that.

But really, this is not over. Maybe it feels like that to you, but the margins of this 3-1 deficit just aren’t all that large. To overturn it, a massive transformation doesn’t have to be engineered. In fact, a lot of the Hawks are doing already is all that needs to be done. It just can’t be interrupted.

Last night, aren’t we essentially talking about the difference in Leddy and Kindl taking the exact same shot from the same place, both hitting the inside of the post, one going in and one going out? That’s pretty much what separated teams last night.

You can’t win all three games tomorrow night. You can only win the one. So how do the Hawks go about doing that?

Everything Else

Panic In Detroit: Hawks 0 – Detroit 2 (Detroit leads 3-1)

By Sam Fels 1372 0

So much to say when so confused and so shocked.

I don’t think anyone, whatever side you’re on, though we’d find ourselves here. While the temptation is to start pointing fingers and do the postmortem, we’re not there yet. Because after two very close games, the Hawks have come up on the wrong end for small reasons. Let’s try and parse out how they got here, who’s responsible, and why they’ll come back in this series (and they will).

Most arrows in the quiver are being aimed at Q. Most of them are justified, some aren’t. The rest are being aimed at Toews. Mostly fair too. But for the first time tonight in the 3rd with a 2-on-1, Toews deferred when he shouldn’t have. That’s discouraging. But it’s not the end of the tale.

Everything Else

I Guess You Have To Have A Problem If You Want To Invent A Contraption: Hawks 1 – Scum 3 (Scum lead 2-1)

By Sam Fels 1328 0

Well isn’t this fun?

Let’s get some things out of the way first, because they probably need to be addressed. It’s not over. It’s not fucked. Quite simply, and maybe it’s just my opinion, but the Hawks are where or very close to where they need to be. There will be a lot of panic these next two days, they will be Chinese water torture, but if you can find a reasonable Wings fan they will tell you that nothing is cinched up here.

Will Thursday be fun? Oh god no. By the time puck drop hits you’ll be in cold sweats and Johnny Walker Blue won’t even get you out of it. Will you sleep between now and then? No, probably not. But we’ve been here before. I thought it was over down 2-1 to the Preds in 2010. They answered. They’ll answer again. Not even that much has to change.

Everything Else

Making Love In A Firefight: Hawks at Wings Game 3 Preview/Pregame Thread/Brake Pad Replacing

By Sam Fels 1161 0

Hawk Wrestler vs. chevy-volt-destroyed-crash-no-fire-628

FACEOFF: 6:30pm Central

TV/RADIO: NBCSN, CBC for the hosers, WGN 720am

REVERSE METATRON: Winging It In Motown

For the first time in this playoff run, the sphincters are tightening just a bit. The Hawks face some actual adversity. While this isn’t a must-win game for them — any of the two in Bailout Town will do, really — you wouldn’t want to be around if the Hawks actually trail in this series. Combined with a bounce back needed from the condor egg the Hawks laid on Saturday afternoon, and we all could use a fiery effort tonight.

Everything Else

If You Can Hear A Piano Fall: Scum 4 – Hawks 1 (Series Tied 1-1)

By Sam Fels 1380 0

After Game 1 Mike Babcock declared that the 4-1 scoreline was perfectly justified to represent how the game went. After Game 2, Joel Quenneville was just as assured that this 4-1 scoreline was indicative of what went on. Both were perfectly correct.

While it’s hardly cause for panic or tearing one’s hair out (if you’re unlike me and have any), Detroit was the far better team today. At times, it felt as if the Hawks felt as if it would be as easy as it was in Game 1 for the final 40 minutes. However, that completely discounts that they’re playing the DETROIT RED WINGS. While it’s something you can’t quantify, no matter the talent or speed deficit, the players on that team do come with a bathtub of pride and are not simply going to let anyone have their way.

Yeah, I know. That speaks to a “flatness.” But that’s a component today. The Hawks were just simply not working as hard as Detroit, who made it clear they knew they had to have this game (which they did). The Hawks didn’t match that. That’s not the whole reason they lost today, but it’s definitely part of it.

Everything Else

We’re Going To Be Friends – Scum vs Hawks Game 1 Preview, Pregame Thread, Tux Fitting

By Matt McClure 1093 0

Mordor vs Minas_Tirith

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, CBC (Anglo), RDS (Franco), The Loop 97.9FM
Little Too Tall, Coulda Used a Few Pounds: Winging it in Motown, Abel to Yzerman

It had to be this way, didn’t it? While it was thought that the final regular season tilt between the Hawks and Wings was going to be the swan song for the rivalry before Scum headed east, that belief was strengthened by Minnesota’s ineptitude in the final week with their plummet to the eighth seed. But a funny thing happened on the way to Mordor, as the Wings were able to off the on-paper contender Ducks in seven games, and so it has now come to pass. One last dance before bidding adieu, with actual stakes attached.

Everything Else

We're Going To Be Friends – Scum vs Hawks Game 1 Preview, Pregame Thread, Tux Fitting

By 1035 0

Mordor vs Minas_Tirith

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, CBC (Anglo), RDS (Franco), The Loop 97.9FM
Little Too Tall, Coulda Used a Few Pounds: Winging it in Motown, Abel to Yzerman

It had to be this way, didn’t it? While it was thought that the final regular season tilt between the Hawks and Wings was going to be the swan song for the rivalry before Scum headed east, that belief was strengthened by Minnesota’s ineptitude in the final week with their plummet to the eighth seed. But a funny thing happened on the way to Mordor, as the Wings were able to off the on-paper contender Ducks in seven games, and so it has now come to pass. One last dance before bidding adieu, with actual stakes attached.