Everything Else

Box Score
Event Summary
War on Ice

While certainly the most sloppy game the Hawks have played so far this year, it was far and away the most eventful, with four blown leads before things needed to be settled individually. That’s how fickle and weird regular season hockey can be. Contrasting directly against Tuesday night’s near-impeccable performance against the challenging Ducks and walking away with nothing, the Hawks came right back around tonight and sloppily got out of Ottawa with two points. But that, so the saying goes, is why they play 82 of these goddamn things.

Everything Else

Well now that it’s done, it’s probably time to figure out where the Hawks go from here.

But before I head any further, this seems like a good time for a disclaimer or at least a warning. Every judgement we make on the Hawks on this site is viewed through the prism that they demand you view them through, which is anything short of a parade in June is failure. This is the standard they’ve set and the one they’ve asked to be held to. So while issues on the third pairing being the biggest problem is a biggest problem a lot of teams would like to have, that’s not how most teams are judged. I realize the Hawks are very good, will finish north of 100 points and very well might finish north of 110. Believe me, we get it. That’s not really the point. Keep that in mind all season before you threaten to shit in my mouth, which I have to say is a first.

Everything Else

Have to clean up the stuff from last night’s game, so let’s do that.

-The first thing that was obvious is that last night’s bottom pairing of Michal Rozsival and Kyle Cumiskey absolutely drowned against what was basically Montreal’s bottom six and a bunch of Hamilton Bulldogs. No Gallagher, Galchenyuk, Desharnais, Patches, Plekanec, and yet whoever was out against this pairing had their way. Look, I know Rozsival will never look fast, and especially in training camp, but it was hard to not be alarmed. Yes, the games he does play, which won’t be all of them obviously, will be weighted with easy zone starts and opposition. But that doesn’t make me feel better right now, especially with the strong chance that Leddy isn’t going to be around to push the play the other way and save him.

They keep telling me Cumiskey is the surprise of camp, and I see that he can skate pretty well, but he’s playground recess in his own end. His gap to Drayson Bowman was simply awful while Rozie was getting beat to the front of the net, and had it been better maybe that pass is never made. Maybe they’re pumping Cumiskey to soften the blow of any Leddy trade, and he plays the same side unlike Rundblad. But based on what I’ve seen this preseason, that’s not an answer to any question I’m asking.

Everything Else

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.

Everything Else

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.

Everything Else

Rolling right along into the bottom pairing. Oh, I’ve ignored David Rundblad because he played like three games so who knows? And Michael Kostka isn’t here anymore.

Regular Season: 42 games, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points, +7, -0.53 Behind The Net, 17.83 Corsi/60 (+3.4 Corsi Relative)

Playoffs: 17 games, 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points, -2, -0.32 Behind The Net, 5.62 Corsi/60 (+11.9 Corsi Relative)

What We Liked: You know what’s funny? Before we get too deep into the players, it’s odd what a small Corsi number in the playoffs ends up being a plus number in the relative category. It shows you just how much the Hawks struggled in the playoffs and maybe were a bit fortunate to get where they were. Anywho…

Everything Else

sharkticons vs. Hawk Wrestler

FACEOFF: 7pm Central

TV/RADIO: NBCSN, WGN Radio

NEEDING A BIGGER BOAT: Fear The Fin, Battle Of California

After sort of muddling their way through two games in the Tri-State area but still getting three of four points, the Hawks open the 2014 home portion of the schedule tonight with a tilt against Legends Of The Fall  San Jose Sharks. Or what’s left of the Sharks, as they’re extremely beat up. And what isn’t injured may be frozen.

Everything Else

wildthings vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: WGN, WGN-AM 720
Frustrated, Incorporated: Hockey Wilderness

With a three point Florida swing now in the books, the Hawks will return home for only their third divisional game so far this season. Tonight it comes in the form of new divisional opponent Minnesota, who some may or may not remember as being the first stop on a nice little tour last summer.

Everything Else

bluestrumpet_jersey vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM
Baseball’s Greatest Fans: St. Louis GameTime

For the second time in just over a week, the Hawks and Blues will square off in what many are already billing as the preeminent rivalry of the new iteration of the Central Division, and last week’s game down in the Meth Capital of the Midwest certainly didn’t disappoint, with the Hawks coming out on the short end of things in the last minute. Since then, Joel Quenneville has remarked that he still has a bad taste in his mouth about the end of the game, and tonight his squad will have an opportunity to correct that on home ice.

Everything Else

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.