Everything Else

And Now We’re Done And We Can Go Home: Hawks 0 – Yotes 2

By Sam Fels 1128 0

I’m kind of anxious to get onto the break so I’m just going to hammer this out in the aftermath instead of waiting a bit to reflect as usual. I’m sure you all understand. Let’s get right to it.

-I don’t think the Hawks weren’t interested tonight. The effort was there, which I feared it might not be. What they weren’t was interested in the right ways. What you can’t do against the Coyotes when they’re on their game is fancy-pants your way through the neutral zone and you certainly can’t put your dump-ins where Mike Smith can get it. It’s hard to do, and it takes a fuckton of patience, but you have to chip pucks into the corners or go cross-corner with your dump-ins. The Hawks didn’t do much of either. If you don’t, Smith is going to smother your forecheck by himself.

Secondly, the Coyotes while blocking off the middle of the ice were also determined to outnumber the Hawks in every board battle in their zone. Two guys vs. one, or three guys vs. two. And the Hawks were reluctant to even match them in manpower. They Hawks aren’t blessed with guys who can outwork a numerical disadvantage along the wall. They have Hossa and… well, Hossa. They needed to be a more aggressive in matching the numbers on the wall tonight.

Everything Else

One More Special Message To Go: Hawks at Coyotes Preview/Pregame Thread/Remaing In The Waiting Room

By Sam Fels 1220 0

Hawk Wrestler vs. spacecoyote

FACEOFF: 8pm Central

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio

SORRY, I AM A COYOTE: Five For Howling

The Hawks head into the Olympic break with one more game in the desert against a Coyotes squad that is being kept around the playoff picture thanks to the utter incompetence of the Canucks and Kings. They’ll have to do it a little more shorthanded than they’ve been all season.

Everything Else

Tuesday Grab Bag

By Sam Fels 1388 0

I’ve just got random flotsam and jetsam passing around my skull today, so I’m just going to spit it all out in random fashion.

-Though I worry this might kick off a whole thing here, I really wasn’t comfortable with the Patrick Kane’s grandfather’s passing after last night’s game. I guess it’s news or something you have to mention. But to me, that’s Kane’s private matter to deal with. If he wants to share with the press and public, that’s fine. But it just felt like there was a slightly gleeful… exploitation of that angle? Maybe that’s a bit strong.

Kane’s not the first, or even this season. There was Thomas Tartar scoring in the very same building a day after his father died. And I wasn’t really comfortable with that either. That’s his matter, his grief, his process, and we’re not entitled to know about it. Again, if Tartar was willingly sharing that’s ok. But when I hear on the radio about whether Kane will attend the funeral or not or miss games, that’s too personal for me. I feel like the Hawks could have easily said, “Patrick has a family emergency” or something.

I feel like events like this are shaped and used to make players seem more heroic or determined or something that they can play through grief. But you know, a lot of us use work to get through a hard time or after a loss of someone close. It’s a distraction, gives us something else to focus on for a short time instead of the pain. I don’t feel like athletes are any more remarkable in that way than anyone else. I know I have done this. And those who don’t play, or don’t work, they’re no less worthy of praise for taking the time they need.

It just isn’t any of our business. The information is fine, but the glorification of it, the exploitation for an easy narrative, it just makes me itchy. That’s Kaner’s personal business, not ours.

Everything Else

Tonight We're Gonna Rock It Tonight: Hawks 5 – Camucks 2

By 1129 0

Boxscore

Event Summary

Extra Skater

If you’ll allow me to carry out this metaphor another day, that is. While I’ve said the Hawks have resembled a Spinal Tap show lately, just one or two things going enough wrong to make the whole thing something of a joke, they’re still capable of having Derek Smalls hammer a bass line, David St. Hubbins belting out the lyrics and rhythm guitar, not have the drummer spontaneously combust, and Nigel Tufnel rejoin them on stage to shred a solo.

Ok, I’ve carried that out far enough.

I don’t know that the Hawks game was perfect tonight, but it certainly got better in the last 40 than it’s been for a while. Sure, in the 1st the Hawks were still stretchy-passy happy, but I feel like that calmed down in the 2nd and 3rd. But even in the 1st, the Hawks’ zip returned. They smothered puck-carriers and created turnovers and were quick with the puck and feet. That’s all it takes for the Hawks.

It’s late, let’s get to it.

Everything Else

Tonight We’re Gonna Rock It Tonight: Hawks 5 – Camucks 2

By Sam Fels 1156 0

Boxscore

Event Summary

Extra Skater

If you’ll allow me to carry out this metaphor another day, that is. While I’ve said the Hawks have resembled a Spinal Tap show lately, just one or two things going enough wrong to make the whole thing something of a joke, they’re still capable of having Derek Smalls hammer a bass line, David St. Hubbins belting out the lyrics and rhythm guitar, not have the drummer spontaneously combust, and Nigel Tufnel rejoin them on stage to shred a solo.

Ok, I’ve carried that out far enough.

I don’t know that the Hawks game was perfect tonight, but it certainly got better in the last 40 than it’s been for a while. Sure, in the 1st the Hawks were still stretchy-passy happy, but I feel like that calmed down in the 2nd and 3rd. But even in the 1st, the Hawks’ zip returned. They smothered puck-carriers and created turnovers and were quick with the puck and feet. That’s all it takes for the Hawks.

It’s late, let’s get to it.

Everything Else

Time For Jazz Odyssey: Hawks 4 – Flames 5 (OT)

By Sam Fels 1188 0

Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

Well, it’s gone from just doldrums or boredom to officially a slump. And while the little things that have added up to a loss the past couple weeks have changed from game to game, the overriding theme has been the Hawks just don’t have much jump or zazz. That extra spice that usually carries the Hawks through just isn’t there right now.

It comes in a few forms. Usually it’s the lack of movement in anything or cutting corners. You would lose count if you went back through tonight’s game and counted the amount of times a Hawk just skated past a puck-carrying Flame and took one wave with his stick instead of stopping and trying to actually pick the puck. Against a shot-blocking heavy team, you have to move yourself and the puck quickly to open up lanes. The Hawks repeatedly stood still and then tried a shot. That’s not going to work.

It shows itself in not being above your man or between him and the puck before it gets there. Sharp getting beaten to the net for the OT winner after Leddy chased to the board is just one example. You see it in Hawks not moving toward their d-men to help or on breakouts and instead wait for the puck to come to them. It’s the hope plays with too-fancy passes instead of working to score that result in turnovers.

All of it has the Hawks looking like a Spinal Tap show right now. Sure, there’s flashes of brilliance and good production, but just enough is being cocked up to fuck over the whole thing.

Is it chronic or just a passing virus? I don’t know, I don’t think it’s the former. But the Hawks are in 2nd place now, and the volume on this trip is about to go way up. If the Hawks can’t rummage around and find a couple more bullets in the pocket (because that’s where you keep your bullets?) we could easily be looking at a repeat of 2012’s Trail of Tears.