Everything Else

Well, it’s time to get in up to the elbow on everything yellow that comes with the three stars of Tennessee. We’re going to name it that because there were simply no good matchups for the Hawks to find. Had they even won the division that would still mean Minnesota, otherwise known as the West’s best team since January. Or it could have meant the Jets, a team with three wins at the United Center this season and perhaps will have the hardest arena to play in anywhere in these playoffs. The Blues? Probably on paper (which doesn’t include what’s in between their ears) the most solid team out there. So yeah, no good solutions.

So while the Predators are far from anything resembling easy, and have just as good of a chance of winning this series as the Hawks do, it’s probably the one you’d choose for least painful. So let’s get to it. As the Preds are built from the net out, that’s how we’ll comb it.

Everything Else

So I was going to do a Sugar Pile today, and we didn’t really mean to stop doing it. We simply forgot. However, at this point you know who would go where so we’ll save it for the All-Star Break and then pick it up regularly from there. And there’s other news that concerns the Hawks.

Pekka Rinne is going to be out 3-5 weeks, and that’s a very big deal for the Hawks.

Everything Else

predator vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:30PM
TV/Radio: CSN, SN-1, SNP, WGN-AM 720
Dollywood: On The Forecheck, III Communication

While the tradition of the Boxing Day game at the UC has now been lost to the new collective bargaining agreement, and the Hawks have already played once since the Christmas holiday, tonight’s game still has the the look and feel of a game on the 26th despite being on the 29th. It remains to be seen if the crowd will be as raucous, but with two of the top teams in the league going at it for Conference III supremacy nearing the halfway point of the season, there should be plenty to get fired up for anyway.

Everything Else

oldschool at 20140102035032!Grand_Ole_Opry_Logo_2005

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Ghost With A Boner: On The Forecheck, III Communication

Tonight is literally the most important hockey game of the season to this point league wide, with the last two teams without a regulation loss squaring off in Music City. The somewhat surprising Predators holding a slight advantage in the standings in the early going, with a shootout loss in the one more game they have played than the Hawks, and Conference III bragging rights are on the line.

Everything Else

jesseventura3-predator-sofrep vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:00PM CDT
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Ghost With A Boner: On The Forecheck

It never seems to fail, whether it’s a front-loaded or back-loaded schedule, but the Hawks always seem to face the Predators in rapid fire bursts. This year is no exception, with the two teams meeting up tonight at the United Center for the first time this season, followed by another here next weekend before both wrap up the regular season in Nash Vegas on April 12th. But obviously tonight is of more pressing concern.

Everything Else

Roll On: (Chicago Tribune)(Suntimes)(AP)(Blackhawks.com)(CSN)(Daily Herald)(Fox)

Make you humble (Cheer the Anthem)

Crow’s first shutout in 2 years: (Third Man In)

150 (Blackhawk UP)

Lessons learned for Team Canada: (The Globe and Mail)

Sochi Pairings are set…Get ready for Kane vs. Hossa: (IIHF)

The Whale lives: (Blackhawks.com)

Roberto Luongo is a funny ass guy: (The Score)

This is why live animal mascots are dumb: (Huffington Post)