Everything Else

What Is Eddie O’s Agenda?

By Sam Fels 1936 0

Today I’d like to move discussion off-ice, as we haven’t done that in a while. If you’ve read this blog for more than a day, you know that we like to have our fun and take our shots at the Hawks’ broadcast. At least the television side of it, as the radio broadcast really couldn’t be more top-notch. Though I haven’t sampled a large array of radio play-by-play men, I can’t imagine there could be anyone better than John Wiedeman. Troy Murray has become a very astute analyst after a rocky start to his broadcasting career, and host Judd Sirott is as passionate as they get (and if you can hear him talk off-air, you’d know exactly what I mean. I’m still scarred from a rant he went on in front of me when I was about 13 on Adam Creighton).

But the TV broadcast has entered the bewildering zone.

Everything Else

Nous sommes La Guilde Lollipop: Hawks at Habs Preview/Pregame Thread/Poutine Appreciation

By Sam Fels 1294 0

Hawk Wrestler vs. poutine-quebec_38038_600x450

FACEOFF: 6pm Central

TV/RADIO: WGN for the locals, NHLN-US for the non-locals below the 49th, CBC Hockey Night In Canada for non-locals above the 49th (PATRICK SHARP GOOD ONTARIO BOY!!!), WGN Radio

RIBBIT, RIBBIT: Habs Eyes On The Prize

It’s been something of a wonky January for the Hawks so far. They’ve been collared by the Blues in the division, and there hasn’t been a performance that you’d want to frame. Off their game in New York and New Jersey, not allowed to get into their game by San Jose, and off again versus the Rangers. Hey, the weren’t going to be excellent all year and this is the part of the year where things just begin to tighten up. But after tonight the Hawks will have four home games to try and straighten out what slight quirks have developed. But first tonight in the home of hockey (at least that’s what the residents would tell you).

Everything Else

I Want Their Game… Off: Rangers 3 – Hawks 2

By Sam Fels 1252 0

Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

It’s been obvious to anyone that’s been paying attention that the Hawks’ game has been off since the turn of the calendar, if not a little before. Sure, Sharp and Hossa and Toews covered it up in New Jersey, and have at other times. But they certainly weren’t near their best on Long Island, or in New Jersey, the Sharks kind of dictated play on Sunday, and here we are tonight.

The Hawks had their spurts. The 2nd period, or most of it, was one-way traffic. But they didn’t start well, Crow gave up a couple goals he’d like back, and the 3rd was just kind of… meh. They thought about winning it, they didn’t really look like they wanted to until it was too late.

I don’t think it’s anything other than a midseason malaise. You knew there’d be a dip somewhere. The Hawks used to make it in March. Maybe it’s now. But some factors that we’ve been talking about were once again on show.

Everything Else

The Residents Of Mt. Olympus

By Sam Fels 1466 0

Well now we know the official numbers of Hawks and who’s going and who’s not. The Hawks will have 10 Olympians in Sochi, barring injury to either them or someone else causing yet another Hawk to fill in (Seabrook and Saad could both be first call-ups in that situation, as could Crawford I suppose but doubt). They are:

Slovakia – Hossa, Handzus

Czech Republic – Rozsival

Sweden – Hjalmarsson, Oduya, Kruger

USA – Kane

Canada – Keith, Sharp, Toews

WE DON’T HAVE ANY COMMIES CUZ WE DON’T NEEDS ‘EM TAKE DAT POO-TIN!

Anyway, some random thoughts:

Everything Else

Morning Links:1/07/14

By Joe DeTolve 1367 0

Captain Canada????NESN

Sharp deserves it:PuckDaddy

That’s what happens when your country invented the sport: NHL.com

A column about hockey and cold weather…..Mind Blowing idea: SunTimes

Rosy to represent my Great-Grandmother’s Nation: Chicago Tribune

Hossa and Zus to represent Slovakia:USA Today

Swiss Trio:IIHF

Well I think Chicago has seen that first-hand: Comcast

Actual management potential in Buffalo: Puckdaddy

 

Everything Else

Angry At Numbers 1/6

By Sam Fels 1529 0

That time again to get a little nerd-y. Or a little more nerd-y than we already are.

0

This got some play last week thanks to The Score’s Jay Zawaski. But that’s the amount of goals at even-strength that Patrick Kane has scored with Michal Handzus as his center. And that’s the center he’s played the most with. It kind of defies belief. You’d think Handzus would have been struggling to the bench just once while Kaner was dancing through defenders or something. It just hasn’t happened.

If you’re interested, and you are, Kane has scored his most even-strength goals with Brandon Saad, the winger he’s played with most, with 7. He’s also scored 7 with Andrew Shaw. This may be something even Joel Quenneville has seen, as Saad has joined Kane on a line the past few games.

This doesn’t mean that Shaw is the perfect center for Kane, perhaps just the best out of bad choices. Kane scored four even-strength goals with Brandon Pirri, but the seven with Shaw have come in half the amount of time on the ice. Kane’s Corsi% is also about 12 points higher with Shaw than either Pirri or Handzus.

Why? Harder to pin down. Some could be matchups. We know Shaw doesn’t win any draws so it’s not that. Mostly, it might simply be the mobility that Shaw has and he can at least be somewhere when Kane has the puck. Most of Kane’s production is off the rush and one-on-one. You don’t want him trying to produce on a cycle too often. Shaw can at least keep up.

Is Shaw a #2 center? Almost certainly not. Honestly, I think he’d be better at wing where his forechecking and getting to the net would be more pronounced by not having to constantly be low in his own zone. But right now, he might be the best solution of what currently is on offer.

Everything Else

And Here Come The Pretzels: Blackhawks 5 – Devils 3

By Matthew Killion 1309 0

Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater

This kind of explosion in the third period is exactly what makes this team so much damn fun to watch. While there were chances on both sides of the ice in the first, it remained a pretty even and quiet game. There were shifts where both teams threatened but neither goalie or defense was going to give anything up. So after the first remained scoreless with relatively few shots and the second period ended tied at one it seemed like it could end up being a “next goal wins” scenario. Then the third started and the goals flooded in 3 of them in about 4 minutes. It was a blink and you’ll miss it scene. When the Hawks can smell blood in the water, they can usually capitalize. It’s just where they left off last year when they scored those two goals in 17 seconds. It doesn’t happen every game (like most games against the Blues this year unfortunately) but the Hawks can make good teams look very silly and they can make mediocre teams look worse. While the Devils were able to claw their way back into this one. After Hossa’s wrister you could easily have put it in the books.