Everything Else

File Under: Easy Listening – Our Rushed Minnesota Preview Pt. 2

By 1211 0

Sorry kids. Indian duty precluded me from getting this yesterday. But let’s get to it now, Lord knows we’ve got plenty of time before the game tonight thanks to NBC. I always think it’s a great idea to start a game at 8:30 local time on a Friday night. Doubt the UC will be lacking for atmosphere tonight.

Right, the forwards:

Zach Parise-Mikael Granlund-Jason Pominville

This was the formation for most of the Colorado series, even though Mikko Koivu had centered for Parise for most of the season. Granlund is the better playmaker for these two snipers though, and he scorched the Hawks this season with four assists in just three games (he was hurt the other two). Of course, he was able to do that as Q kept tossing Michal Handzus against him, which won’t happen this series (I pray). Granlund was able to feast off Hawks turnovers and cash in on the break, but hopefully the Hawks have tightened that up for good now. He’s a shifty little fucker, with some balls so he’s not going to shy from anything.

Parise is obviously the big gun and brought his A-game at the end of Round 1, almost willing a Game 6 win by himself at home. What scares you about Parise is that his best work comes right around the net, and this type of player has given the Hawks fits before (Daniel Briere scoring 18 goals in the ’10 Final comes to mind). The Hawks don’t really have any crease clearers in their top four, as much as Hammer and Seabrook should be. Parise is too strong and his hands too quick to be completely neutralized by any road grater anyway. He only made an impact in Game 3 of last year’s series, but I’d look for him to do more this year.

Pominville really cooled off in the second half of the season, and only managed an empty-netter in Round 1. But he’s still very effective at ghosting into space to find time for his quick release, and runs a point on the power play where he’s pretty good at getting a shot through. He had his fun against the Hawks early in the year.

Everything Else

File Under: Easy Listening – Our Rushed Minnesota Wild Preview

By 1274 0

They didn’t give us a whole lot of time, did they? About five minutes after Nino Neiderreiter taught the Avalanche about regression and market correction, the NHL announced that Game 1 between the Hawks and the Wild would be on Friday night with Game 2 to follow Sunday afternoon.

While I don’t put too much stock in it, the schedule should give the Hawks something of an advantage. The Wild’s mind might still be in Denver when they show up here Friday (if not their lungs) and they won’t get much more time after that to refocus on Game 2. And make no mistake, they Wild have to take one of the games here this weekend to have any chance. The Hawks are not the Avalanche and are likely not going to biff two road games in a row for the second time these playoffs. So the Hawks may get something of a distracted opponent.

But that doesn’t mean they can start booking their hotels in Southern California just yet. This Minnesota team is better than the one the Hawks curbed last spring, possibly much better, and is playing its best hockey. It’s also coming off perhaps the franchise’s signature win (Andrew Brunette would like a word) and may be riding the high figuring it’s on house money now with nothing to lose. And it’s not exactly like the Hawks dominated the Wild in the regular season.

Let’s go to the tale of the tape, shall we?

Everything Else

Your Minnehaha-Colorado Game 7 Primer

By 1249 0

It’s a loose connection. Wild-Wildlings. But do I really need much of an excuse to post a picture of Rose Leslie? Didn’t think so.

You’re probably tuning in tonight to see who the Hawks will get in the next round. You also may not have caught all of or any of the Minnesota-Colorado series as you were caught up with what the Hawks were doing and you may not be as depraved as us here in watching every single minute of hockey you can. Well, I’m here to help!

It’s funny in a way, as a lot of people were terrified of  Colorado due to the regular season success the Avs had against the Hawks. Well, the Hawks only gained one more point against the Wild this season and yet no one is worried about them. But none of that really matters now and what does is how these two teams are going.

The big fear with Colorado is of course Semyon Varlamov. The Wild haven’t been too scared recently, piercing him for three goals in the past two games and four in Game 1. His one standout performance was Game 3, but Darcy Kuemper matched him step for step and Mikael Granlund got the winner in a 1-0 win in overtime.

Everything Else

Whatever: Wild 2 – Hawks 2 (Hawks win Cowboys And Indians)

By 1057 0

Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

Well they won’t box up the video of this one and send it off to Toronto for safe keeping. This one looked every bit like two teams missing some key players who really don’t have much on the line just getting through the schedule. But I suppose when you’re missing two of the five best players in the league and then are stripped of one of your top four, you’ll take the points however they get there. So it goes.

And in reality, I liked the Hawks’ structure tonight for the most part. They were hitting the line with five, they were coming all the way back to be available, and when they do that they really keep the other team from getting sustained pressure. The Wild had their moments, but I don’t feel like Crawford ever had to be a poltergeist to keep the puck out of the net. Sure, he still looked behind him twice but those were results of some fluky bounces and deflections.

Of course, a deviation from that structure is what caused the tying goal, but we’ll get to that.

Everything Else

Moving Like A Tortoise Full Of Rigor Mortis: Blackhawks 1 – Wild 2

By Matthew Killion 1476 0

Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater

With only 31.2 seconds left on the clock, Patrick Kane fired a puck over the shoulder of Kuemper. It was the first and only time the Hawks found the back of the net tonight and was also just about the only thing that you can put down as a positive for the night. With Kane’s goal, his first Dec 28th, the Hawks avoided being shut out for the first time since a loss to the Kings on Feb 25th back in 2012.

Funny that Sam’s opening paragraph of the preview today was filled with such guarded optimisim (“they might not need top gear or anything resembling it to get past a crumbling Minnesota team”) because nothing resembling top gear was even approached until a last minute flurry to save their ass. The Hawks took lazy stupid penalties, couldn’t be bothered to adapt their plan of attack and couldn’t get a second chance to save their lives.

And in the end, it still has all the stink of a mid-January game that no one will remember in a few weeks after the Olympic hullaballoo dies down. If the Hawks continue to play like this, the rest of the season is going to be a long maddening stretch… but there’s no reason to think it’s anything more than a blip as the Hawks look forward to the ride home for their last game at the UC until March 4th.

Everything Else

Forward My Mail To Me In Hell: Hawks at Wild Preview/Pregame Thread/Bonfire Building

By Sam Fels 1204 0

Hawk Wrestler vs Zakk-Wylde-by-Ivan-Chopik

FACEOFF: 7pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio

WILDSIDE, WILDSIDE: Hockey Wilderness

No time to fret or rest, as the Hawks will turn it right around tonight to take on the Minnesota Wild. Whatever complaints there were about yesterday’s effort can be quickly solved, and the Hawks usually do that in both the second of a back-to-back as well as after a rather tame effort. Generally, they haven’t doubled up the half-hearted outings. And even if they do, they might not need top gear or anything resembling it to get past a crumbling Minnesota team.

Everything Else

Bringing The Donuts: Hawks at Wild Preview/Pregame Thread/Lizzy Caplan Appreciation Society

By Sam Fels 1186 0

andre-dawson vs. Zakk-Wylde-by-Ivan-Chopik

GAMETIME: 7pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN for the locals, NHLN for the outsiders, WGN 720 for the dead

WAITING FOR THE GOPHERS: Hockey Wilderness

The Hawks embark on a pretty ridiculously packed schedule the next 10 days here. There’s three games in the next four days, five in the next eight, and seven in the next 12. Only after the 17th’s trip to Nashville will the Hawks get as much as three days off. And the roster is looking a bit stretched tonight with both Michal Handzus and Andrew Shaw not making the trip.

Everything Else

Everybody Had To Pay And Pay: Hawks at Wild Preview/Pregame Thread/Shiva For Lou

By Sam Fels 1069 0

Hawk Wrestler vs. EW_Ygritte_promo_shoot_a

FACEOFF: 7pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio 720

BEYOND THE WALL: Hockey Wilderness

Ah, the old divisional back-to-back. Back before a lot of you became fans (no judgement, honestly), this used to be a staple of the hockey season. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, it felt like the Hawks and Leafs did this on Saturday and Sunday nights at least 15 times a season. That’s why those Norris Division games turned into such bar brawls, because these guys got so sick of each other. Not sure we’re there yet with the Wild.