Everything Else

Trying To Find A Balance – Wild vs. Hawks Preview, Daylight Savings Spring Ahead

By 1330

 vs 

Game Time: 11:30AM CDT
TV/Radio: NBC, TVA-S, WGN-AM 720
Makes No Sense At All: Hockey Wilderness

Late season, weekend matinee games suck out loud regardless of the two teams involved. The thought process behind having them is clear, with both college and pro football shuttered for their respective seasons, and baseball yet to move north from Arizona and Florida, there is a void that can be filled by the Winter Tenants for viewership when there’s really only Law & Order: SVU reruns on elsewhere. But the vast majority of hockey games are played at night, and professional hockey players, like all athletes, enjoy their ya-ha time after a game and generally keep later hours. There is always at least a 24 hour break going into them so it’s not totally cutting into physical recuperation the way Thursday Night Football does, but circadian rhythms are still fucked with, and now past the deadline there are many teams who are just playing out the string. Couple that with the overall quality of the league due to a flat salary cap, and it’s left an absolute dogshit product on the ice on par with Thursday Night Football by any absolute or relative measure. And on top of that Daylight Savings just kicked in, so now two teams who at least on paper who are still jockeying for the top spot in the Central and the West, are effectively facing off at 10:30AM local time, all for the sake of courting viewers that the NHL is never going to grab. Nice work everyone.

Everything Else

Why Do Guys Like You And Me Know What A Bernier Is?: Ducks 1 – Hawks 0

By 1156

Box Score

Natural Stat Trick

Well that’s a funny looking strike.

These are the games that really annoy fans like you and us, and not because the Hawks got goalie’d by the Ducks backup. That happens. It’s hockey. This is why it should have been Andy Warhol’s favorite sport, because any jamoke in the gear can have his night. Bernier’s actually been really good the past few appearances, so whatever.

No, what’s annoying is you’ll see a bunch of utterances and belches from players and coaches about how they didn’t get traffic, or didn’t get the greasy goal, or their shot selection is off, because no one can ever admit the guy in the other crease was just better than everyone else. There was nothing wrong about what the Hawks did tonight. They had traffic. They had chances. Another night, they go in. This was not another night. Move on.

Anyway, guess we’d better clean it up.

Everything Else

Voices Scream, Nothing’s Seen: Ducks at Hawks Preview/Spice Garden Class

By 1129

 vs. 

RECORDS: Ducks 34-22-10   Hawks 42-18-5

PUCK DROP: 7:30 pm Central

TV: CSN

GOT A RIDE AND A REASON TO IGNORE YOU: Anaheim Calling, Also Jen Neale of Puck Daddy tweets about the Ducks a lot @MsJenNeale_PD but she’s a gross girl who eats her own boogers and possibly worms so don’t talk to her

Probable Lineups

ADJUSTED TEAM CORSI %: Ducks – 50.2 (18th)  Hawks – 51.2 (9th)

ADJUSTED TEAM xGF%: Ducks – 52.2 (7th)  Hawks – 49.1 (18th)

POWER PLAY %: Ducks – 19.0 (16th)  Hawks – 19.4 (15th)

PENALTY KILL %: Ducks – 84.8 (6th)  Hawks – 76.9 (27th)

It came a little later than usual, thanks to injuries, but the Hawks are going to have their usual “New Toy Night” tonight after the trade deadline, as Johnny Oduya will bring that life-affirming beard back out onto the UC ice tonight, opposite his muse of yore (if two seasons ago can be considered “yore.” I’m not too clear on what the qualifications on “yore” are) Niklas Hjalmarsson who will also return from tonight.

Everything Else

The Long Con

By 1501

In the aftermath of last night’s entertaining tilt with the equally fast and dinged up Penguins, the Hawks held practice today in anticipation of tomorrow night’s home tilt against the Islanders and then Saturday night in Nashville. And while it was for the most part an ordinary late-season practice, the organization showed its hand a bit in the process.

Everything Else

Johnny Kick A Hole In The Sky

By 2272

Yes, that is a Chili Peppers reference and yes, there was a time when the Chili Peppers were good. It’s far off in the distance now, most of you were probably not born or forgot there was a time when you were young. I know I have. But I swear to you, there was a time. And it was more than the time Anthony Kiedis shot himself in the foot in Point Break, which is assuredly the first joke McClure will make and I’m going to beat him to the punch.

BUT THAT’S NOT WHY YOU CALLED.

The Hawks did address defensive depth tonight, something that had been rumored they were thinking about which confused us all, just a bit. They acquired Johnny Oduya from the Dallas Stars for the gimp they’ve been keeping in the cellar known as Mark McNeill, a 4th round pick that can become a 3rd depending on how the spring goes for the Hawks, and the Stars will retain 50% of O.D’s salary. Make your joke about Jim Nill’s water retention here…

Everything Else

Hail, Hail – Stars vs Hawks Preview, Homecoming Parade

By 1258

carls jr star vs evil empire

Game Time: 7:30PM
TV/Radio: CSN, SportsNet Pacific, WGN-AM 720
Jim Nill’s Liberator: Defending Big D

While tonight would be a premiere matchup between the conference’s top two teams jostling for inside position for the division, and both playing a high-octane brand of hockey, none of that is receiving top billing. Even Johnny Oduya’s return to the building after being a key role player on two Stanley Cup teams is a footnote.

Because tonight is Patrick Sharp’s first regular season game in the United Center as a visitor in over ten years.

Everything Else

Stars Q&A With Daryl Reaugh

By 1440

Yep, that’s right bitches. We got Razor! Enjoy.

Let’s start with what everyone wants to know: How have Sharp and Oduya fit in down there?

– They’ve been exactly what they were imported to be. Patrick has been almost exclusively a right winger (till the last few games) so he’s been forced to adjust from his most comfy side and has bounced around from line mate to line mate, but through it all his 2-way game and championship calm has helped immensely. In addition, he’s been a smart, accommodating voice from inside the room for our media and a real asset on an improved PP. Oduya has brought that same champion pedigree to the team. Watching him go about his business I find it hard to believe your ‘Captain Serious’ is a more focused dude than this guy. Wow! 100% bidnass! As you might imagine he’s been a good penalty killer/shot blocker (but he’s only one guy…Stars PK is 21st) and he has formed a nice stable 2nd pair on D with Demers. Both have made the Stars internal community more professional.

Everything Else

I’m Contributing To The System, The Break Down Scheme: Hawks at Stars Preview/Stocking Stuffer

By 1176

250px-Ozymandias vs. Bowie Starman

PUCK DROP: 7:30pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio

THEY’VE GOT A WALL INSIDE THEIR HEAD: Defending Big D

Stars Stats

Stars War On Ice

Here it comes.

The storylines are going to drip off this one, more so that most regular season games. First, you have the Hawks getting their first look at the West’s best so far, the Dallas Stars. They will certainly have had this one circled in the DFW area. Second, the first regular season reunion between the Hawks, Patrick Sharp, and Johnny Oduya. Third, you have two of the best lines in hockey, the one of Seguin-Benn-Guest Star (Get it?) and the SuperPAK line for the Hawks. It certainly has a lot going for it for a game still in the first half of the season.

(And none of it will keep me from going to see Star Wars tonight, but that’s not why you called).