Everything Else

Superstar Car Wash – Sabres vs Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Open House

By Matt McClure 1295 0

image-sabre_medium vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: WGN, NHL Network (US), WGN-AM 720
Frank Reich and the Comeback Kids: Die By The Blade

There was a time not too long ago when the Sabres were the darlings of the league, when they’re underfunded pluck and skating speed earned consecutive trips to the eastern conference finals, and a president’s trophy in 2007. But, because it’s Buffalo, the centerpieces of that team (Drury, Briere specifically) sought out pastures that weren’t Buffalo, and the team has mostly floundered since, having picked up some laughable contracts along the way.

Everything Else

And So It Begins – 2013-2014 Blackhawks Season Preview – The Line Blender

By Matt McClure 1170 0

It had to come down to this eventually, but it’s time to take a look at how the lines figure to shake out given the roster turnover. At least for how they’ll probably look for the first 10 minutes of Banner Night against Washington, before Quenneville gets impatient and plays Handzus 18 minutes.

The inimitable Laaarmer wants to know:

Saad, Pirri, Shaw, Kruger, Toews. Who’s gonna play where and with whom?
(you all know this is the question you want answered)

Everything Else

And So It Begins – '13-'14 Hawks Preview: The Elderly

By 1074 0

Ok, quick announcement. I honestly thought up until last night that camp started today. And then it struck me as weird that I wasn’t seeing any tweets about South Bend, or about camps anywhere. Only then did I bother to actually look it up again. So it’s next week. Huh. Well what do you know?

So because I was all ready to work on an issue, there actually will be a Bears Preview (sorta) edition of The Indian tomorrow. Keep an eye out.

Right, more preview! More asbestos! More asbestos!

How will the team handle the elderly over a full season (Hossa, Rosival, handzus) – Mighty Mike D

Everything Else

And So It Begins – ’13-’14 Hawks Preview: The Elderly

By Sam Fels 1231 0

Ok, quick announcement. I honestly thought up until last night that camp started today. And then it struck me as weird that I wasn’t seeing any tweets about South Bend, or about camps anywhere. Only then did I bother to actually look it up again. So it’s next week. Huh. Well what do you know?

So because I was all ready to work on an issue, there actually will be a Bears Preview (sorta) edition of The Indian tomorrow. Keep an eye out.

Right, more preview! More asbestos! More asbestos!

How will the team handle the elderly over a full season (Hossa, Rosival, handzus) – Mighty Mike D

Everything Else

You May Ask Yourself, How Did I Get Here?

By Sam Fels 1787 0

I’ll admit it. I lost the faith last night. During the 2nd intermission. I felt the sweet embrace of the end growing within me. I’ve seen it before. I didn’t tweet it, or text my brother or Kills as I might normally do. It felt like last year’s Game 6 again. A brief opening flurry, watching the second period drift away. I was sure it would be followed by a brief spasm of a death rattle, before Scum cleanly and efficiently took the game, season, rivalry, bragging rights, and seemingly everything else away with them.

I should have known better. This team is made of sterner stuff. And Brendan Smith and Carlo Colaiacovo were going to be on the ice. Always a chance with that.

Everything Else

Whichever Way The Wind Blows: Wild 1 – Hawks 5 (Hawks win series 4-1)

By Sam Fels 1282 0

Well, that’s that then. An underwhelming series came to what was pretty much an underwhelming end. Sure, it looks glossy to have an emphatic scoreline, but I find the most encouraging aspect of the whole thing to be Quenneville’s quote that he wasn’t too thrilled with the last two games and feels that that there’s a few levels the Hawks are going to have to reach before we pack up the cats for the summer.

And I have to agree.

The Hawks weren’t great tonight, just as they weren’t great in Game 4. They did enough, some players more so and some less. And though it’s easy to say that you only have to pull out enough to win to beat the Wild when you’re Milton Berle, I don’t think it’s so simple as to just turn it on when you feel the challenge is up to your standards.

Everything Else

Dose of Thunder – Wild 3, Hawks 2 (OT) – Hawks Lead Series 2-1

By Matt McClure 1388 0

With the series now shifting setting to the Twin Cities, the Wild were essentially facing a must-win situation, and decided to change things up a bit from their neutral zone bomb shelter strategy that yielded no results on West Madison.

Even with the Hawks drawing the first marker on a beautiful feed from Patrick Kane to Johnny Oduya right after a Hawks kill, the Wild pressed on. Coach Mike Yeo made no secret about wanting to ratchet up the physicality and make life unpleasant for Hawk defenders, and did just that, sending wave of cannonballing forwards into the Hawk zone.

Everything Else

Outtasite (Outta Mind) – Flames at Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Pest Fumigation

By Matt McClure 1217 0

The Flame vs AltLogo

Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN (Local), NBCSN (US), TSN (Anglo), RDS2 (Franco), WIND-AM 560
Obey The Cowgod: Flames Nation

Tonight will be one of the more unique experiences on West Madison in recent vintage. Aside from the game having literally zero meaning between the long-since eliminated Flames and the home-ice holding Hawks, the game will also like be the final display of one of the marquee-named, if not great goalies of the last decade.

Everything Else

Admitting You Have A Problem Is The First Step: Blues 3 – Hawks 3 (Blues Win Beer Pong)

By Sam Fels 1328 0

The Hawks make it easy these days. Whatever happens, it all seems to be on a recurring theme. So at least I don’t have to come up with something, which we know I suck at. And they are to wit:

-Once again, a 3rd period lead goes poof. Thankfully, the Blues were happy to give it back. This time, it wasn’t a systematic failure , but an individual mistake leading to Cracknell’s equalizer (was it Bolland or Rozsival who whiffed on the shot at the point? Live I thought it was Bolland, and the replays don’t pick up that early.) But the thing is, in the 3rd period, it’s always SOMETHING. Be it an individual mistake, a bad goal, a bad bounce, systematic breakdown….whatever. Enough of it has happened that it certainly can’t be filed under “Shit happens.”