Everything Else

Hauntingly Familiar: Hawks at Blues Game 5 Preview/Pregame Thread/Swingin' Party

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oldschool vs. blue

FACEOFF: 7pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, NBCSN, CBC, 87.7 FM

THOSE WHO CAN’T WRITE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T READ: St. Louis Gametime

Despite what the Blues and their fans might say, I have to imagine there’s at least a small feeling of deja vu (all over again) creeping up from places they don’t talk about at parties today. St. Louis was in this exact position last year, up 2-0 on the defending champs before closely losing both on the road. The Kings went on to take Game 5 in OT when Brian Elliot let in Slava Voynov’s apologetic shot after Barret Jackman got caught on a dumb pinch (sound familiar?). I’m praying the Hawks won’t need OT tonight, but obviously in this series we can’t rule it out by a damn sight.

Everything Else

Hauntingly Familiar: Hawks at Blues Game 5 Preview/Pregame Thread/Swingin’ Party

By 1119 0

oldschool vs. blue

FACEOFF: 7pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, NBCSN, CBC, 87.7 FM

THOSE WHO CAN’T WRITE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T READ: St. Louis Gametime

Despite what the Blues and their fans might say, I have to imagine there’s at least a small feeling of deja vu (all over again) creeping up from places they don’t talk about at parties today. St. Louis was in this exact position last year, up 2-0 on the defending champs before closely losing both on the road. The Kings went on to take Game 5 in OT when Brian Elliot let in Slava Voynov’s apologetic shot after Barret Jackman got caught on a dumb pinch (sound familiar?). I’m praying the Hawks won’t need OT tonight, but obviously in this series we can’t rule it out by a damn sight.

Everything Else

Tweaks Still Needed

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The Hawks got their goalie win last night, and for a team that usually only requires its goalie to do just enough, that’s basically got to be considered a bonus. The Hawks certainly can’t count on Corey Crawford to win the series by himself, and whether we like it or not Ryan Miller probably has one virtuoso performance in him this series as well which the Hawks will have to win anyway unless they plan on being perfect in every other game. Which means there have to be some changes in their game and possibly lineup that they have to figure out. Not that they will, because “Quenneville” is becoming a synonym for “stubborn.” (becoming?)

-I guess it took 85 games, but the moment Michal Handzus was having his name chanted by the UC faithful I guess I finally came to the conclusion that he’s just a necessary evil of sorts. While I still think to a certain extent his fine work on the PK is something of a result of not being quick enough to get into a shooting lane to prevent a shot at all thus resulting in all his diving blocks, I can’t argue with the results on the PK (which is far more important than the power play). I’m sure that’s what Q’s pointing to, and the evidence is that he’s half double-shifting Ben Smith to get him between Hossa and Sharp at times to get more from them. I think we can safely conclude that Q thinks Zus’s PK work is vital, but his work at even-strength is basically something they have to overcome.

Everything Else

Was She Asking For It? Was She Asking Nice?: Hawks 3 – Blues 4 (3OT)

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Box Score

Game Summary

Extra Skater

Well that feels like drunk sex, no? All that labor and you’re exhausted and it isn’t even really that fun but you’re supposed to be there and then you don’t even get the conclusion. Just an odd look and an admission you should probably both go to sleep.

The thing is, the Hawks could have gotten away with it in Game 1. In fact, they probably should have gotten away with it. Because they weren’t terribly good. Their passing was awful, their changes for the last two periods were simply abhorrent (which is not something we’ve seen a lot of in the Quenneville era) and for regulation they basically just looked off. And that’s being kind. Yet still, when you have the lead in  playoff game with less than five to go, you have to see that out. The Hawks cost themselves a game and 42 extra minutes of hockey by not doing so. And they got there by letting a team up off the mat, which actually has been something of a pattern at times.

Everything Else

Atop The Sugar Pile – Regular Season Edition

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I thought I’d knock this out today, with two games to end the season and attendance at HockeeNight’s thing on Saturday making Sunday completely useless. So let’s do our full season Atop The Sugar Pile.

The Dizzying Highs

Niklas Hjalmarsson – I named him The CI’s Player Of The Season in last night’s issue. And for me, everything has basically centered around him this campaign. Yes, Duncan Keith is the main cog in the engine, or maybe even the engine himself, that drives the Hawks game. But Keith was allowed to be that this season because Hammer was so good and earning the top assignments. It allowed Keith to dominate lesser competition, and when Keith is controlling the ice everything about the Hawks’ game opens up.

While we can look at almost every other Hawks and find a portion of their season that dipped or had a slump, it’s hard for me to remember a time when Hammer’s game varied 5% either way. The only time he looked vulnerable was lately when he had to be paired with Sheldon Brookbank. But who wouldn’t? Hammer’s poise defensively and with the puck has been startling to watch when you consider where he was two years ago. He never panics, he’s always in position, and his short but assured passes to the middle simple deflate every forecheck and start the Hawks the other way.

Has he been the all around game that Keith has? No. But he’s the best defensive defenseman on the team this year. He might be the best kept secret in the NHL, but I don’t think it’ll stay that way for much longer.