Everything Else

Fine, I'll Do Your Job For You

By 1640 0

While everyone associated with the Hawks was in a tizzy over Jonathan Toews’s injury and mourning the end of this season figuratively, another somewhat important story slipped through the cracks.

We all noticed, and so did the NBCSN broadcast (you think the CSN one would have?), that on Sunday night Michal Handzus basically didn’t play the second half of the game. He was on the bench, but we didn’t know if he was hurt or simply benched.

We now know that he was benched, though we had to pry that out.

Everything Else

Shadows Of The Empire – Scum vs Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Green Vomit Cleanup

By 1328 0

galactic_empire_emblem vs rebel-small

Game Time: 6:30PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, TSN2, WGN-AM 720
Mos Eisley Cantina: Winging It In Motown, Abel to Yzerman

For the first time since Game 7 last may, the Red Wings will visit United Center ice. Between then and now, more than a couple events of note have happened, including the Wings’ long-awaited move to the Eastern Confrence so that the people of Detroit don’t have to stay up late watching their team and risk not being on time the next morning for the jobs they don’t have.

Everything Else

Don't Worry About It. It Happens To All Guys

By 1261 0

In the end, it turned out to be a pretty flaccid trade deadline for the Hawks. It makes sense. They’re capped out and would have had to get awfully creative to acquire another center, which is what they need. And you can understand if not agree running for the shelter of going with last year’s team that won instead of risking fucking it up by tearing off a piece to get another.

But therein lies the problem, at least for me. The Hawks are basically standing still, and the rest of the West aren’t. The Blues, Avs, Ducks, and Sharks are unquestionably better than they were last year (and it’s not Ryan Miller’s acquisition for the Blues, but the growth of Jaden Schwartz and the unholy performance of Alex Steen among others). The Kings might not be better, though Gaborik helps and they might not be as beat up this spring as they were last.

Everything Else

Don’t Worry About It. It Happens To All Guys

By 1165 0

In the end, it turned out to be a pretty flaccid trade deadline for the Hawks. It makes sense. They’re capped out and would have had to get awfully creative to acquire another center, which is what they need. And you can understand if not agree running for the shelter of going with last year’s team that won instead of risking fucking it up by tearing off a piece to get another.

But therein lies the problem, at least for me. The Hawks are basically standing still, and the rest of the West aren’t. The Blues, Avs, Ducks, and Sharks are unquestionably better than they were last year (and it’s not Ryan Miller’s acquisition for the Blues, but the growth of Jaden Schwartz and the unholy performance of Alex Steen among others). The Kings might not be better, though Gaborik helps and they might not be as beat up this spring as they were last.

Everything Else

Swiss Miss: Second Round Wrap And Quarterfinal Preview

By Sam Fels 1178 0

We finally have the quarters set, and it finally feels like the tournament is really starting. We’re going to get some games that could be a thing, especially Russia-Finland. The Czechs and Yanks could be a better game than at first blush, and of course it’ll never happen but we’d all laugh forever if Canada somehow found a way to lose to Latvia. Though Ted Nolan would probably be never allowed in the country again. Which wouldn’t make it any harder than it’s been for him to get and keep a head coaching job, really.

So what went down? Slovenia ghosted past Austria and I’m really not sure that should have happened. But Slovenia has been a very spiky team this tourney, and even though Austria has the slightly better pedigree they just haven’t looked like anything resembling a threat. I guess you can’t handicap things by counting up the NHLers like you do with ex-Cubs in the World Series. Anze Kopitar had himself a night.

Everything Else

An Example For All: Bruins 2 – Hawks 2 (Hawks win Beer Pong)

By Sam Fels 1372 0

Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

I don’t want to get too extravagant or over the top here, but I can’t help but smile at how the Hawks and Bruins demonstrated everything good the sport can be a little more than 13 hours after Vancouver and Calgary pretty much embarrassed everyone involved with it. Because today was as good a game as the regular season can produce. And it involved none of the bullshit that sometimes comes with teams with a history.

It was fast, it was passionate, it was physical at times, both teams traded periods of having the upperhand. Big saves, big hits, nifty passing, defensive responsibility, it wouldn’t have looked out of place in late May. If there’s any downside, it was just another illustration that a contest like this is somewhat sullied by having it end in a skills competition. It easily could have ended 2-2 and I doubt anyone would have walked out of that building feeling like they didn’t get their money’s worth.

Everything Else

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

By Matt McClure 1329 0

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.

Everything Else

Angry At Numbers 1/6

By Sam Fels 1523 0

That time again to get a little nerd-y. Or a little more nerd-y than we already are.

0

This got some play last week thanks to The Score’s Jay Zawaski. But that’s the amount of goals at even-strength that Patrick Kane has scored with Michal Handzus as his center. And that’s the center he’s played the most with. It kind of defies belief. You’d think Handzus would have been struggling to the bench just once while Kaner was dancing through defenders or something. It just hasn’t happened.

If you’re interested, and you are, Kane has scored his most even-strength goals with Brandon Saad, the winger he’s played with most, with 7. He’s also scored 7 with Andrew Shaw. This may be something even Joel Quenneville has seen, as Saad has joined Kane on a line the past few games.

This doesn’t mean that Shaw is the perfect center for Kane, perhaps just the best out of bad choices. Kane scored four even-strength goals with Brandon Pirri, but the seven with Shaw have come in half the amount of time on the ice. Kane’s Corsi% is also about 12 points higher with Shaw than either Pirri or Handzus.

Why? Harder to pin down. Some could be matchups. We know Shaw doesn’t win any draws so it’s not that. Mostly, it might simply be the mobility that Shaw has and he can at least be somewhere when Kane has the puck. Most of Kane’s production is off the rush and one-on-one. You don’t want him trying to produce on a cycle too often. Shaw can at least keep up.

Is Shaw a #2 center? Almost certainly not. Honestly, I think he’d be better at wing where his forechecking and getting to the net would be more pronounced by not having to constantly be low in his own zone. But right now, he might be the best solution of what currently is on offer.

Everything Else

Must’ve Needed More Gatorade: Hawks 2 – Islanders 3 (OT)

By Sam Fels 1116 0

Extra Skater

Box Score

Event Summary

Guess the NYE hangover hadn’t quite cleared.

The Hawks were pretty much where they needed to be in the first, smothering most Islander threats and outshooting them 12-5. Sure, a silly pass from Johnny Oduya to a covered Bryan Bickell at the red line and Bickell being forced into a turnover while Bangkok Dangerous marched off into the sea of green let Casey Cizikas in to give Long Island the lead. But the Hawks could feel good about how they played.

But for the last 40, the Hawks were all over and left far too much space for an Isles squad that isn’t bereft of weapons. The two goals they gave up from there came to the top line, which is exactly what you can’t do against this team. Sure, they fought back to tie it but were always asking for trouble in just being all over in their own zone. Not shocking the game ended when Patrick Sharp came too far over to deal with John Tavares, and left US-snub All-Star Kyle Okposo to rifle one home. That’s how the Hawks had been in their zone all night.

To the notes: