With the Hawks’ issues and trajectory pretty clearly mapped out now that the exhibition season two-thirds over, this week the focus will turn external to see what in the hell the rest of the league is doing. And today starts with the Hawks’ most direct competition, the Central Division.
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PUCK DROP: 2:30pm Central
TV/RADIO: NBC, WGN Radio
GOPHER, EVERETT?: Hockey Wilderness
While it isn’t the last spike, however minuscule, on the EKG of the NHL season, today’s Stadium Series game is certainly the only “event” left on the Hawks’ schedule before the games really count. Matchups with Dallas and St. Louis will still matter a little more considering the standings (though Dallas’s goaltending will see what they can do about that), and next Sunday’s game against Washington will probably be more hyped. But those don’t take place outdoors, and today’s does. So at least it’s unique.
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Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, NBCSN (National), WGN-AM 720
Labour Issues In The Toy Department: Hockey Wilderness
As the broadcast will assuredly punish the listening audience with 7 million reminders of by puck drop, the first game back at home after a road trip is always a TRAP GAME. And it’s even moreso of one by some moronic logic because the Wild have lost 6 of 7 coming into tonight. Or it could just be that they’re just perpetually mediocre.
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Game Time: 8:30PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, SportsNet (Anglo), TVA2 (Franco), WGN-AM 720
Blood Makes The Blade Holy: Hockey Wilderness
Mark it 2-9 in road Game 3’s now. On Tuesday night the Hawks won their first road game three since 2010 in the second round against Vancouver, and even in that series it was to take a 2-1 series lead. And now for the first time in the Renaissance Era the Hawks have the opportunity to end a series unblemished on opposition ice.
Time to clean up the rest of this preview, with a brief glance at the special teams and then try and guess how it’s all going to go.
On the power play, the Wild have for years been terrible. That changed in the first round, and you can mostly pin that on the presence of Matt Dumba. The Wild went 4-for-12 in the series against St. Louis, which isn’t a lot of chances in a six-game series but certainly is enough power play goals. Dumba had one, and set up one or two more with the cannon he has from the point. It gives them a second point-man with a big shot, with the other being Jason Pominville, who they don’t always use on the point. With Neiderreiter, Vanek, Parise, and Koivu all bodies that can make plays around the net, and the problems the Hawks had with the Predators down low on the power play, this could become an issue.
Box Score (Barf)
Even Summary (Puke)
War on Ice (Spew)
One thing needs to get cleared up right from the get go. Any talk of this being retribution for the Vegas trip or the players being too drunk and/or hungover from it is completely stupid and lazy, and anyone who writes that is stupid and lazy. On any given night a solid handful of players on every team are dehydrated or sleep deprived from nights spent out drinking or chasing things, and to not believe that is to be fooling one’s self.
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Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: NBCSN, TVA, WGN-AM 720
Computer Blue: Hockey Wilderness
If familiarity breeds contempt, then the Hawks and Wild should downright hate the sight of one another at this point after 11 playoff games in the last two seasons on top of the mandatory divisional contests. And even after this one there are still two more matchups in the season series. But a third straight playoff matchup is in doubt if the Wild cannot get themselves turned around in short order.
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Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely: Hockey Wilderness
For the first time since Patrick Kane terminated their season 8 months ago for the second straight year, the Hawks will square off against the Wild. And Minnesota comes into tonight very much in the same limbo as the one that left them looking for any kind of answer over the summer.
vs
Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely: Hockey Wilderness
For the first time since Patrick Kane terminated their season 8 months ago for the second straight year, the Hawks will square off against the Wild. And Minnesota comes into tonight very much in the same limbo as the one that left them looking for any kind of answer over the summer.
at
Game Time: 8:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CNBC, TSN (Anglo), RDS2 (Franco), 87.7FM The Game
What You Want It To Be: Hockey Wilderness
For the second time in as many playoff years, the Hawks will take the brief trek up to St. Paul and the Xcel Energy center with a two game series lead having successfully held serve on West Madison St. And for the second time in as many years, the Wild and their fans figure to treat tonight as a do-or-die proposition within the context of their season.
