With yet another off day at hand, giving the Kings an apparent much-needed respite after having less than 40 hours to recoup from their Game 7 (even though Sunday was their first game outside of the state of California in a month and their first night in a hotel in nearly 3 weeks), it’s time to look at some more nerd numbers to render actually watching the game unnecessary.
Just cleaning up some discussion points from Sunday’s opener.
-While some are claiming the Hawks won yet another game where they were outplayed for long stretches, I’m not so sure. Yes, the 2nd period wasn’t pretty (and that’s something the Hawks will have to correct), but everything around that looks pretty all right. The first period saw the Hawks better in Fenwick 10-7, and the 3rd period was even at 6-6.
What is more encouraging is that once the Hawks took the lead, the shot-attempt per Fenwick was only 11-8 in favor of the Kings. Being even in the 3rd when the Hawks had the lead they weren’t completely bombarded, though maybe it felt like that at times. We know this was an issue against the Blues, and against the Wild the Hawks actually didn’t have the lead that much late (only in Game 5 did they protect a one-goal lead late, and once they did they were out attempted 12-5).
We lamented about the shell in the first two rounds, but yesterday the Hawks saw it out through suffocating, aggressive defense which then got the killer goal as the Kings pressed at the wrong time (thank you, Jake Muzzin!). I like that.
Crawford..Crawford..Crawford: Hockeenight
88 made it 8: Chicago Tribune
75% percent chance of an Original Six Cup Winner: NY TIMES
Christ, I hope not: HuffPo
Go Habs Go: Gazette
Game 7’s are tougher: 538
Hello Seattle: TSN
Fancystats vs. Eye-Test II: MCHOCKEY
This is going to be truly awesome: Deadspin
Pitt Rolls: TSN
The “reformed one” returns: MST
Swedish Silence: CSN AP
Still confident: Chicago Daily Tribune
Iron Mike happy behind the once Iron Curtain: CBC
The Hawks got shut out tonight by Ilya Bryzgalov. Let’s let that sink in for a minute. And once it soaks in… um, can you bathe from the inside out? I guess we’ll all have to turn ourselves inside out and soap up that way.
Once again, the Hawks decided that a Game 3 wasn’t all that important. But honestly, I didn’t have too much of a problem with the first 40 minutes. In some ways it felt like a Floyd Mayweather fight. Work through the first few rounds, time your opponent’s punches, survive a couple hooks, and then slowly take away everything they do and move away in the later rounds when they’ve run out of ideas and tire.
The Hawks forgot the last part, though they did the first part ok. And they forgot the second part because of a couple lazy/non-aware plays.
The first goal sprung from a lazy and ill-advised shot from Michal Rozsival. Rozie got the puck on the point with no Hawks between him and the goal and three Wild players there. Both Kruger and Saad were waiting below the goal-line for the puck to be cycled again. Instead, he flipped a wrister so limp it might as well have been my dead grandfather’s member that was easily cut out.
This started a rush the other way, which in truth the Hawks should have had covered. But Kane lost Haula for just enough time (not sure it would have mattered as Haula is a much faster skater than Kane but considering Kane’s head start…) to bat home a saucer pass from Justin Fontaine.
The second resulted from more incompetent work after a center ice faceoff. I swear, the Hawks committed 87 icings in the St. Louis series right after center-ice faceoffs, and tonight they went the other way. Kruger lost Granlund in the middle, Seabrook was faked into a swim right along with Crawford. And that’s basically game.
Let’s get to the points:
I’m back and no I didn’t get pushed into the Grand Canyon by my wife!
3: ESPN
Shaw out: Chicago Tribune
Penguins Win: Sportsnet
Fountain of Youth: TSN
Kings win: LA Times
I think this is awesome?? Puck Daddy
Finalists for the players MVP: Globe and Mail
Thought it was a good time to do an off-day Angry At Numbers.
40.9, 59.1
These are Marcus Kruger’s Corsi percentages in Game 1 and Game 2. I’m not sure they actually signify anything at all, other than in Game 1 Kruger was dealing with Mikko Koivu for most of it and in Game 2 that switched to Mikael Granlund. I assume this will be something Minnesota will notice and they will try and get Koivu out against him again in Game 3. Though this could be a result of the Hawks sitting back for a lot of Game 1 and no so much in the second game. Just a juxtaposition. Kruger has also struggled at the dot this series, winning 30% in Game 1 and only 45% in Game 2. Considering the amount of times he starts shifts in the defensive zone, it’s a small worry.
1.50, .951
Corey Crawford’s goals-against average and save-percentage during this six game win streak. Also, the Hawks hadn’t won as many as six in a row since the end of November.
Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater
Entering into last night’s contest, the Hawks under Joel Quenneville were 5-0 in Game 5’s where the series was tied 2-2, and 10-2 in Game 5’s of any scenario. Make it 6-0.
vs. 
FACEOFF: 7pm Central
TV/RADIO: CSN, NBCSN, CBC, 87.7 FM
THOSE WHO CAN’T WRITE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T READ: St. Louis Gametime
Despite what the Blues and their fans might say, I have to imagine there’s at least a small feeling of deja vu (all over again) creeping up from places they don’t talk about at parties today. St. Louis was in this exact position last year, up 2-0 on the defending champs before closely losing both on the road. The Kings went on to take Game 5 in OT when Brian Elliot let in Slava Voynov’s apologetic shot after Barret Jackman got caught on a dumb pinch (sound familiar?). I’m praying the Hawks won’t need OT tonight, but obviously in this series we can’t rule it out by a damn sight.
