So much for that LTIR: LGH
Probably in front of the 17th pick of the 2009: CSN AP
Notes from Rock Vegas: TMI
Farewell Brave Lion: HockeeNight
The Pee-Wee team in Garden River is insulted: TSN
This is what happens when you build a rink in the Everglades: CBS
and I don’t present a problem to an unlimited lobster dinner: SN AP
Rapid Overreaction: NHL
Damn Real: HockeeNight
Crow: LGH
Kaner: CST
If the shoe fits: Chicago Tribune
Comcast is allowed to get away with it: SN
Yes it is: ESPN
I do this every year, basically so you lot have cudgel with which to beat me over the head in April. I’m here for you people. So let’s get to it.
Hawks Points Total – 108. They are capable of 115 or 116 but I doubt they escape the injury bug and there’s always the March doldrums they seem to go through that limits their output. Where that puts them in the division? Probably 2nd as I’m guessing the Blues go all out to avoid the Hawks in the 1st round (putting them in prime position to lose to Dallas in the 1st round). Which almost certainly means another tussle with Minnesota. Fun times!
Good-Bye Sweet Prince: Chicago Tribune
Salad is bad: ESPN
The Dragon has been caged: CT
Yet this pisses me off the most: PHT
Just wait: The Score
Have to clean up the stuff from last night’s game, so let’s do that.
-The first thing that was obvious is that last night’s bottom pairing of Michal Rozsival and Kyle Cumiskey absolutely drowned against what was basically Montreal’s bottom six and a bunch of Hamilton Bulldogs. No Gallagher, Galchenyuk, Desharnais, Patches, Plekanec, and yet whoever was out against this pairing had their way. Look, I know Rozsival will never look fast, and especially in training camp, but it was hard to not be alarmed. Yes, the games he does play, which won’t be all of them obviously, will be weighted with easy zone starts and opposition. But that doesn’t make me feel better right now, especially with the strong chance that Leddy isn’t going to be around to push the play the other way and save him.
They keep telling me Cumiskey is the surprise of camp, and I see that he can skate pretty well, but he’s playground recess in his own end. His gap to Drayson Bowman was simply awful while Rozie was getting beat to the front of the net, and had it been better maybe that pass is never made. Maybe they’re pumping Cumiskey to soften the blow of any Leddy trade, and he plays the same side unlike Rundblad. But based on what I’ve seen this preseason, that’s not an answer to any question I’m asking.
It’s been clear to just about everyone who watches the Hawks that the team goes as Duncan Keith goes. He was the league’s best d-man in ’09-’10, and the Hawks won the Cup. He admittedly didn’t care all that much the following season, and the Hawks were much worse off. He struggled to regain that form the following season and the Hawks again went out in the first round. He’s been superlative the past two years, and the Hawks have played until June.
However, last year saw something of a change in role for Keith, who no longer took the top defensive assignments, which went to Ebenholts och Elfenben. That left Keith to beat up on lesser opponents, all the while dragging around Seabrook’s dead ass.
