Everything Else

Ds Equal Degrees: Hawks 3 – Canucks 2

By 1401

Boxscore

Event Summary

War On Ice

At this time of year, and with the way things had been going, points are pretty much all that matters. You can worry about the style points later. Which is good, because the last two wouldn’t really have any outside of the 4th line and Scott Darling. The Hawks clinched a playoff spot, not that that was in doubt, and can at least claim a mini-winning streak. They did what they had to, even if it was by the skin of their teeth, Dave Mustaine.

On the other side, needing you goalie to bail you out against the dreck of the Pacific Division isn’t going to cause anyone to write songs. The Hawks gave up 15 shots in the 3rd period to a team with four forwards (maybe) and two defensemen that you’d call NHL quality. I think the past two games are more the Hawks struggling to find interest more than anything structural, as past games against better teams probably have been. But whatever changes they have in store we’re not going to see for another two weeks, so let us deal with what is.

Everything Else

Outside The Velvet Ropes: Kings 5 – Hawks 0

By 1638

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

When you play two first place teams in a row, and you lose by a combined score of 10-2, that’s not exactly encouraging. If you chalk it up to the normal nonchalance of the Hawks at this time of year, that’s pretty extreme nonchalance even from them. While this one looks bad, I’m not sure it’s quite as bad as the scoreline would indicate. Although, when they don’t get a power play goal, this has kind of been what it has looked like.

But to the point, in the first two periods when the game was still either tied, within one, or within two, the Hawks got some prime looks from down low. They hit the post twice, they missed the net twice, and had one or two others saved or deflected that on another night would have turned the game in a vastly different direction. Falling behind the Kings is never a good idea because they can just sit around their net and dare you to get shots through from the point, which is what they did basically after Lecavalier scored. But early in the game, the Hawks could have put themselves right there.

Everything Else

Gotta Get In To Get Out: Wings 1 – Hawks 4

By 1285

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

You’ve probably written this wrap in your head before you even get to this. The Hawks aren’t great, Crawford holds a deluge of shots and chances at bay, Hawks get enough from the power play and a couple mistakes from the opponent to make it look like an easy win. I don’t know how many of the Hawks now 41 wins would fall into this category, but it’s gotta be approaching 40% or 50%. It matters not, he is your king.

I thought the Wings would try and come out a little more conservative than they did on Wednesday. Shows what I know, Detroit was even more aggressive this time, though it led to a bad pinch for the first Hawks goal and a penalty for the second that each came on Hawks rushes.

But after that… well you could safely say the Hawks were rolled. From the time Keith scored in the first until Anisimov scored in the 3rd period the Wings had 43 attempts. The Hawks had 20. The Wings constantly buzzed the Hawks defense down low, causing a gaggle of turnovers and mistakes. Their defense held the line and the Hawks couldn’t get past them. They couldn’t play at the Wings’ speed, but it didn’t matter because Crawford was in net. You don’t take advantage of dominance like that, you’re asking for it when playing a team like the Hawks. Sure enough, Hawks get a PP in the 3rd, ballgame. It’s just that simple.

To the bluffs!

Everything Else

You Used To Be Beautiful: Red Wings at Hawks Preview/Can Can

By 1287

1202413387 vs. Hawk Wrestler

PUCK DROP: 4pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, NHL Network, WGN Radio 720

PIZZA!PIZZA!: Winging It In Motown

Red Wings Stats

Red Wings War On Ice

A rare Sunday late-afternoon start will see the Hawks and Wings wrap up their now miniature season-series, because their fans were tired of having to stay up past 11pm or something. It’s not what it was, but the limited engagements does make them feel special in a different way. Beauty is not in permanence, it would seem.

Everything Else

Follow Me To Freedom – Why Brent Seabrook Is Not A Norris Candidate/Even Good

By 1931

We here at the C.I. Labs often like to dispel any myth or the storyline that’s floating around at any given time. What can we say? When we’re not doing that we find children’s birthday parties and go pop all the balloons and steal the cake. It sustains us. It is our oxygen. Yes, we need help.

The current one going around these days, that I’ve seen far too often from people who should know better, is that Brent Seabrook is somehow a dark horse Norris Trophy candidate. This is ludicrous on a ton of levels, the first being that you can already set the three finalists as Karlsson, Doughty, and Klingberg and Karlsson should win it unanimously and the other two should apologize to him for taking up any of his time. Then Karlsson can worry about making a run at the Hart, which he has a serious case for but will never get because the Senators won’t make the playoffs, or aren’t likely to. But that’s not why you called.

Everything Else

Angry At Numbers – At The Break: Warn Jen LC, It’s Not Seabrook-Positive

By 1712

A good time to look at some underlying trends for the Hawks at the break.

40.2, 33.9, 29.9, 34.1

That would be Brent Seabrook’s last four games in Corsi. If you’re new to the stat, let me spoil the mystery. That’s real bad. Like, abhorrent. And it’s kind of been the trend for Seabrook all season.

Seabrook’s numbers, other than his offensive output which shouldn’t be dismissed, have fallen off a cliff. Overall, Seabrook has a 48.1% Corsi percentage, far down from his 53.2 career mark. What makes that even scarier is that Seabrook is facing just about the easiest competition of his career since his rookie year. His time-on-ice of competition, which is how some people measure it, is 17.3. That’s down slightly from last year’s 17.4, but in this category tenths of a minute do actually make a difference. His zone starts aren’t really any different from what’s come before either.

Everything Else

But These Go To 11: Canadiens 2 – Hawks 5

By 1411

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

I was thinking tonight right before the 3rd period that at this point, the lack of drama Hawks games have when they lead going into the 3rd have. They haven’t lost one in a the past season and a half, and when they’re taking a two-goal lead into a 3rd, you basically know it’s over. This would be the very definition of hockey 1st world problems, because this is what every fandom wants. The Hawks weren’t particularly spectacular tonight, but they didn’t have to be. But at this point, no team is better at knowing exactly what it takes to get two points out of a game, and once they bunched two goals at the end of the 2nd, it was basically over.

Everything Else

Moon Is Full Never Seems To Change: Wild 2 – Hawks 1

By 1165

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

Ah, that old first home game after a trip bugaboo. It finally bit the Hawks, even though as McClure pointed out in the preview they’ve actually been pretty good in this situation over the years. Whatever the case, the Hawks’ legs/sense of give a shit/both weren’t quite where they needed to be and an inspired Wild team that was watching its season get awfully icky in a hurry was able to get a deserved win.

The tale for the Hawks is familiar to all by now, and you could write the next few sentences from memory. The Hawks only had a chance at points because of the same factors. Kane scores. The second line is the only consistently dangerous one. A couple moments of individual brilliance. The special teams come up big. Crawford holds them in for the stretch of game where they’re getting badly outplayed. Rinse. Repeat. But none of these are sustainable models for success, and it wasn’t tonight. It’s 25 games now, and the Hawks remain a one-line, one-pairing team. 25 games is bordering on not being a trend anymore.

Shall we go? Yes, let us go.

Everything Else

Back To The Scene Of The Crime: Hawks at Ducks Preview/Bears Celebration Continued

By 1307

250px-Ozymandias vs. donald-duck-dunn-620x413

PUCK DROP: 4pm Central

TV/RADIO: WGN, NBCSN, WGN Radio

DUCK TALES (Woohoo): Anaheim Calling

Ducks Stats

Ducks War On Ice

Some games you know that the opponent has had circled on the schedule, even if the Hawks know better than to make too much of a regular season game. Then again, the Ducks are so practiced at seeing teams that had beaten them in a Game 7 the previous year maybe they don’t make that much of a deal out of it anymore. Either way, the Hawks return to Anaheim for the first time since they got to partake in the annual giveaway of a playoff series in Orange County last spring.