Faxes from Uncle Dale

Tag: Kris Versteeg

  • See You In The Shallows – Ducks vs Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Sensitivity Training

    oc ducks vs oldschool

    Game Time: 7:00PM CDT
    TV/Radio: CSN+, NHLN (US & Canada), RDS, WGN-AM 720
    Mommy’s Little Monster: Anaheim Calling, Battle of California

    Whether anyone wants to believe it or not, this Ducks team enters tonight’s tilt on West Madison only two points off what was a record pace from last year’s Hawks team during an abbreviated campaign. But then again, last year’s Ducks weren’t off far off that pace either, and they ended up bowing out in 7 games to Scum. A longer season should reveal more truths about both squads, with the two teams squaring off this evening.

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  • We Comb Our Hair Like Maurice Richard: Blackhawks 1 – Canadiens 2 (OT)

    We Comb Our Hair Like Maurice Richard: Blackhawks 1 – Canadiens 2 (OT)

    Box Score
    Event Summary
    Extra Skater

    Flat, bored, slow, disinterested… whatever you want to call it, the Hawks simply weren’t in this one pretty much from the national anthems (and I really love hearing “Oh, Canada” sung in French). Taking two back-to-back penalties for tripping Daniel Briere leading to pretty much a full four minutes short handed throws off the entire game, especially since Q had hit the blender to try and spark a team that has hit a slump in the last few games. Instead of settling in with their new teammates, they were running around on the kill and saw the Habs outshoot the Hawks 10-7 in the first.

    Things didn’t improve in the later frames as the Hawks gave up 12 shots in each frame without breaking double digits for themselves. This wastes a pretty phenomenal effort from Crawford as he returned to his hometown and stood on his head. It’s not terribly often that you’ll see the losing goalie get a higher star than the winner in a low scoring game.

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  • Night Of The Living Dead: Avs 2 – Hawks Touchdown And PAT

    Night Of The Living Dead: Avs 2 – Hawks Touchdown And PAT

    I don’t know that you learn anything from a night like this. When the opponent clearly is still stowed away neatly in the overhead against the Hawks, it’s going to be over in a hurry unless the Hawks are also a couple tacos short of a combo plate. Sadly for the Avs, the Hawks most certainly were not.

    This game was probably over when it was scheduled and the Avs weren’t allowed to travel until this morning. While I wrote into tonight’s Indian how I thought the union’s call for a three-day Christmas break was harming the league (no exposure at a time when everyone’s sitting around begging for a distraction from their family), I understand wanting Christmas Eve and Christmas day at home with loved ones. I would have thought extending it to Boxing Day would save everyone the hassle of traveling on Christmas night. But to extend a travel ban through the next day? You’re essentially sentencing more than a few teams to be up against it, and Colorado was one of them. I don’t think it’s asking too much for teams to be allowed to fly into town the night of the 26th. It would give them more of a fighting chance.

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  • Wolves In Wolves' Clothing – Kings vs Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Eye-Witness Testimony

    centerpiece-king vs oldschool

    Game Time: 6:00PM Central
    TV/Radio: WGN Ch. 9, WGN-AM 720
    Kids Of The Blackhole: The Royal Half, Jewels From The Crown, Battle of California

    In the six-ish months since last season’s Western Conference Finalists last met, not a lot has changed. Both teams are in the thick of things in a ridiculously competitive and re-aligned western conference, with the Kings performing their usual puttering act through the first half of the season despite excellent underlying possession metrics. However, the men manning the cages tonight are a far cry from what anyone would have envisioned early last June.

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  • Wolves In Wolves’ Clothing – Kings vs Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Eye-Witness Testimony

    centerpiece-king vs oldschool

    Game Time: 6:00PM Central
    TV/Radio: WGN Ch. 9, WGN-AM 720
    Kids Of The Blackhole: The Royal Half, Jewels From The Crown, Battle of California

    In the six-ish months since last season’s Western Conference Finalists last met, not a lot has changed. Both teams are in the thick of things in a ridiculously competitive and re-aligned western conference, with the Kings performing their usual puttering act through the first half of the season despite excellent underlying possession metrics. However, the men manning the cages tonight are a far cry from what anyone would have envisioned early last June.

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  • Bringing The Donuts: Hawks at Wild Preview/Pregame Thread/Lizzy Caplan Appreciation Society

    andre-dawson vs. Zakk-Wylde-by-Ivan-Chopik

    GAMETIME: 7pm Central

    TV/RADIO: CSN for the locals, NHLN for the outsiders, WGN 720 for the dead

    WAITING FOR THE GOPHERS: Hockey Wilderness

    The Hawks embark on a pretty ridiculously packed schedule the next 10 days here. There’s three games in the next four days, five in the next eight, and seven in the next 12. Only after the 17th’s trip to Nashville will the Hawks get as much as three days off. And the roster is looking a bit stretched tonight with both Michal Handzus and Andrew Shaw not making the trip.

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  • Angry At Numbers

    Angry At Numbers

    Usually this space is dedicated to parsing out some statistics at the individual level to help make sense of this goofy ass sport. However, given that this is the first real opportunity to assess things at the 24 game mark, which some may recall as being relatively significant last year.

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  • Morning Links 11/25/13

    Morning Links 11/25/13

    Gamesheet from Saturday: NHL

    Advanced Metrics from Saturday: ExtraSkater

    Nine Seconds: Hockeenight

    Circus Observations: CSN

    Hossa home: ESPN

    Detroit Swimmers: PuckDaddy

  • Supporting Caste – Hawks 6, Jets 3

    Supporting Caste – Hawks 6, Jets 3

    It feels repetitive at this point, but given this is the third time this month that these two teams have played, it’s not surprising that once again the Hawks and Jets followed the same template.  Hawks control early, let the opposition off the mat in the second, then say “fuck this” with time to spare and cruise out with two points.

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  • Morning Links 11/19/13

    Morning Links 11/19/13

    Circus Trip: Hockee Night

    Raanta ready to help out: Chicago Suntimes

    Salary Cap Superman: Second City Hockey

    John McDonough everyone: Blackhawks. Com

    Kane better behave in Sochi: CSN

    The outdoor czar: Puckdaddy

    How the hell is this quantified! TSN