vs. 
FACEOFF: 6:30pm Central
TV/RADIO: NBCSN, WGN Radio
WINTER AND JULY 4th: Die By The Blade
The schedule has slowed down a bit here, with two days off before and after this game before it ramps up again at the end of next week. And it slows down in terms of opposition, or at least seemingly, as the Hawks travel to face the league-worst Sabres, who have now been stripped of most if not all their assets that weren’t tied down.
Distraction Free: Chicago Tribune
Lots to Not Lots: Cheer the Anthem
Well I think we have a new nickname for Brandon Saad: Hockeenight
Steamrolled: Second City Hockey
Seguin cleaned up: http: TSN
The Best of Scum: ESPN
Let the overreaction commence! Chicago Tribune
The Hawks get faster: NHL
I can only imagine his tweets and privacy will increase: TSN
Fat Tuesday: Sportsnet
This is fantastic: SCH
I suppose a semi-letdown after the Stadium Series game should have been expected. I’m told that our favorite go-to terms “energy,” “intensity,” and “flat” were being thrown around the postgame show, which is what all the media run to when the Hawks lost a close game. Yeah, maybe the Hawks weren’t in the red but I don’t think they were totally listless either. In fact, I didn’t really have much of a problem with the effort or the way the Hawks played. They got Maple Leafs-ed tonight, as the Avs were ruthless on two big mistakes from the Hawks. One was Keith’s misplay of a pass, and then Oduya’s pretty stupid penalty. And of course, once again Semyon Varlamov is basically the difference.
Sure, when the Hawks are a combined 1- 3-3 against the Avs and Blues — with it looking pretty likely they’ll have to get through both in April — that doesn’t feel good. It can be a little scary, even. But I don’t know if it’s indicative of how things would go in the spring. In a twist, the Blues are 1-10 against the California teams and Vancouver where the Hawks are 6-0-3. Again, I don’t know that means anything.
It’s still early March, and the Hawks showed some signs of tightening up their game. It’s got to get better, but it probably will.
While we were celebrating Hollywood: Chicago Tribune
The Least: Hockeenight
Stan not focused on trades: Chicago Suntimes
Snow Globe moments: Comcast
HA!! Schnieder’s Law: Puckdaddy
Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater
I could not have been more excited about the Blackhawks playing at Wrigley Field back in 2009. The Hawks were still on their way up and there was finally energy back in the stands. I gladly paid hundreds of dollars for two tickets for my brother and myself to sit in centerfield, lose all feeling in my toes and fingers to watch the Hawks get off to a fast start before getting demolished at the hands of Scum. This year, while I was tempted to go to the game and even had tickets offered the day before, I couldn’t muster up the same excitment. Whether it was my ongoing headcold or just my disinterest in Soldier Field compared to the iconic Wrigley, I just wasn’t as excited. That doesn’t mean the game didn’t turn to be a pretty exciting and beautiful spectacle though. It just means I was happy to have been watching it from a bar where I only had to walk 5 feet to get a new beer and not worry about whether I would lose a toe.
I should probably warn you. There’s going to be a lot of teeth-gnashing from the Triumvirate here before the trade deadline about a second line center. Yes, it mostly has to do with Ryan Kesler, and that’s heightened by our unconditional love for that player. Yes, he’s hated by a large swath of Hawks fandom and Hawks players (I can only imagine how icy the handshake between him and Toews would be if he were miraculously acquired). I know he’s not coming, but you always dream. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not a screaming need for the Hawks, and the struggles of the second and third lines the past month (or two?) has highlighted it.
Hossa Ready: Chicago Tribune
Regin will get a shot at 2C: CSN
Crow expects a heavy workload: Chicago Suntimes
Back to his real job: TSN
Well, that didn’t go well.
The U.S. landed with a Fudd-like thud in the Bronze Medal game, getting stonewalled by Tuukka Rask for two periods before coming apart at the seams in the 3rd to leave an ugly looking scoreline of 5-0. I don’t think it was a 5-0 game, and I don’t think the Finns are five goals better than the Yanks. But that’s what the final tally says for today, and the US heads home with no answers, no medals, and no good feelings.
