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How Can You Have Any Pudding If You Don’t Eat Your Meat?: Avs 2 – Hawks 0

By 1165 0

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Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

I would guess that a lot of times, you sign on here after a game expect us to reveal some nuanced view of the game or point out something you may have missed that led to the result or to at least dig deeper than what you’ll get in the mainstream. Tonight is not one of those nights.

This one’s on me and McClure. McClure in the preview and me on the front page of the Indian didn’t spare any words shitting on Varlamov, and then pointing out that probably set us up for a 45-save shutout. Well, reverse the numbers there and that’s what we got. Pat and Eddie can bitch about that bitch Annette Frontpresence all they want, but when you toss 54 shots on net you’re not going to have someone in front for all of them. I’m sure when the shot charts to this one are available, the Hawks will have as many from in close as they have in any other game.

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Early Vacation: Jets 5 – Hawks 1

By 1211 0

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Event Summary

War On Ice

I’ve provided the usual stat pages, but this one doesn’t need much analyzing. I feel it would be somewhat callous to blame the Hawks simply not being at the races in the 1st period on everything they’ve been through the past few days, but I don’t think it’s incorrect either. Considering there’s a three day break after this one, and teams rarely get three days off during an NHL season–the All-Star break is pretty much it–combined with the emotional roller coaster of the past four days, the Hawks can be forgiven for just coughing up a hairball tonight. Especially when you have their record over the past month, which is 13-3-1. That’ll do.

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Friday Foofaraw, Hockey Edition: Oduya, Hossa, Whatever Else

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Before an intense weekend of late-night road hockey (i.e. getting more gassed up than usual for those of us without familial or employment requirements), thought I’d go through some stuff today that’s been on my mind. It’s not an “Angry At Numbers” piece entirely but won’t be devoid of that either.

Last night I referred to Johnny Oduya’s up and down season as something that should genuinely concern the Hawks and their fans going forward. Right now, the entire structure of the defense is dependent on Ebenholts och Elfenben taking on the top assignments. It frees up Keith to be the possession monster that he’s been (even more so than last year) and also gets the third pairing even cozier minutes. And it keeps Seabrook from having to do anything too hard, which is good because he’s still fucking up the lighter assignments he’s getting.

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That’s One Way: Hawks 4 – Flames 3

By 1085 0

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

I doubt you could find a better microcosm of the Hawks’ season so far than this one tonight, the beginning of what will define the early season outlook for the Hawks. Pretty much dominant at even-strength, but a lack of focus and dumb mistakes make it much harder than it needs to be and then eventually barely making it through. The Hawks do enough to look like one of the league’s best while also doing just enough to let an inferior team hang around and then nearly come away with a win (and sometimes they have). It’s not that easy to pull off. The Hawks have basically been Tin Cup this season, having to use the incredible shot they’re capable of when there are much easier options on the table that they simply refuse to take. Hopefully in the end they end up with Rene Russo, in a figurative sense. Maybe literal.

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That's One Way: Hawks 4 – Flames 3

By 1445 0

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

I doubt you could find a better microcosm of the Hawks’ season so far than this one tonight, the beginning of what will define the early season outlook for the Hawks. Pretty much dominant at even-strength, but a lack of focus and dumb mistakes make it much harder than it needs to be and then eventually barely making it through. The Hawks do enough to look like one of the league’s best while also doing just enough to let an inferior team hang around and then nearly come away with a win (and sometimes they have). It’s not that easy to pull off. The Hawks have basically been Tin Cup this season, having to use the incredible shot they’re capable of when there are much easier options on the table that they simply refuse to take. Hopefully in the end they end up with Rene Russo, in a figurative sense. Maybe literal.

Everything Else

Grosse Pointe Blank – Hawks at Scum Preview, Pregame Thread, Cash Grab

By 1358 0

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Game Time: 6:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Mom’s Spaghetti: Winging It In Motown, Abel To Yzerman

And so it begins anew. Not so much the Original Six rivalry that mostly evaporated prior to the Wings finally getting their wish and moving to the Eastern Conference, but more the lamentation of that move and the longing for a rivalry that never really lived up to its own billing in the last 25 years in the first place save for a couple of blips on the radar, and one very emphatic punctuation mark ending it in 2013.  Now, a visit to Detroit is just another date on the calendar, and the only time the Hawks will visit the husk of the Joe this year.

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You Have To Be This Short To Get On This Ride

By 1474 0

Taking a break from eviscerating the players and people who made being a Hawks fan character-building at times, and going to look at the Hawks’ still lingering cap problems for this season.

It’s kind of surprising that Stan Bowman hasn’t, or hasn’t been able to get the Hawks under the salary cap for this season. We were sure there would be a deal at the draft, and there certainly were a lot of talks, as that has usually been Stan’s M.O. Bolland and Frolik were punted there the previous season, after all.

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The Shortest Straw

By 1785 0

With the aquisition of Brad “Religion” Richards, even at the cap friendly number of $2 million dollars for this season, the Hawks are now currently around $2.2 million dollars over the cap while carrying 22 players on the active roster by opening night.

This means that someone is going to have to be voted off of the island in short order, particularly with the Convention coming up in a couple of weeks. If there’s one thing that McDonough and Blunk are conscious of it’s optics, and they’d hate to have a player kissing hands and shaking babies all weekend at the Regency just to have someone’s favorite player launched, even if they technically don’t have to until opening night in October. Add that to the cover that the long holiday weekend will bring tomorrow, as well as the tendency for media types to try to bury bad news on a Friday afternoon, and it would not be the least bit shocking to see someone go tomorrow.