The Defence beings: Cheer the Anthem
The I-55 series: Chicago Tribune SCH
Good problems to have: Chicago Suntimes
Dave Chappelle has a line about this:TSN
Shameless plug for my good friend Ken Oda, who called the longest game in Modern Era Tier 2 Jr. Hockey: NAHL
Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater
In all likelihood this game will end up not mattering much in the final standings, nor will it have any effect on the outcome should these two teams end up meeting again about a month from now. However, it did serve to prove that the Hawks at least are capable of skating even one of the leagues top teams with mostly worker bees if they actually move up the ice as a five man unit.
Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater
In all likelihood this game will end up not mattering much in the final standings, nor will it have any effect on the outcome should these two teams end up meeting again about a month from now. However, it did serve to prove that the Hawks at least are capable of skating even one of the leagues top teams with mostly worker bees if they actually move up the ice as a five man unit.
vs. 
PUCK DROP: 11-Fucking-30 in the AM
TV/RADIO: NBC, TSN2, 87.7FM (This is where David Kaplan orally farts now, in case you were curious)
BELCH: St. Louis Gametime
I’m sure when NBC flexed this game to another Sunday morning coming down they were hoping for a deciding tilt in the Central Division. What they’ll get is basically two entrenched team, one that’s coming off an utter disaster and another mental meltdown and one that’s missing two of the five best players in the league that is basically just trying to get its game in order. It’ll be a passionate affair as these contests always are, but considering the start time and the lack of much riding on it, probably not exactly what the execs were hoping for.
Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater
With both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane missing a concurrent, protracted amount of time for the first time in their careers, the Hawks could probably be forgiven for looking a bit adrift during this final kick, which they are apparently conceding to a certain degree anyway. But other than a few brief stretches over the past two nights, that hasn’t been the case, and they’ve been learning to adapt while earning 4 points in the process.
Fantastic: HockeeNight
Yup:SCH
Call it whatever you want: Chicago Tribune
Clutch in the shootout: SunTimes
A new look: TSN
Well they won’t box up the video of this one and send it off to Toronto for safe keeping. This one looked every bit like two teams missing some key players who really don’t have much on the line just getting through the schedule. But I suppose when you’re missing two of the five best players in the league and then are stripped of one of your top four, you’ll take the points however they get there. So it goes.
And in reality, I liked the Hawks’ structure tonight for the most part. They were hitting the line with five, they were coming all the way back to be available, and when they do that they really keep the other team from getting sustained pressure. The Wild had their moments, but I don’t feel like Crawford ever had to be a poltergeist to keep the puck out of the net. Sure, he still looked behind him twice but those were results of some fluky bounces and deflections.
Of course, a deviation from that structure is what caused the tying goal, but we’ll get to that.
Week 26 of the AHL schedule featured the IceHogs playing three games in three nights over the weekend. The IceHogs needed to win at least two of their three games, especially with the three contests all being against Midwest Division teams.
