Everything Else

The Revolutionary Nature Of The Nashville Predators

By 1302

There’s a few reasons I’m fascinated by the Nashville Predators this season. One, they have my favorite person in the league now in P.K. Subban. They were already one of the more entertaining teams to watch before Subban even arrived. Whether or not John Tortorella was right about Ryan Johansen is something to be studied as well. The idea of them finally breaking through to the later rounds of the playoffs for a fanbase that has become one of the best in the league as well is another reason to watch.

But what I’m really interested in seeing is that I’m not sure we’ve seen a blue line constructed like this before, and what it might mean for the future.

Everything Else

Tell Your Statistics To Shut Up: The Analytics Debate Now

By 1254

Wednesday will kick off our ninth season doing this, and in that time it feels like we’ve gone from one side of the statistical debate to the other. I know we were one of the first to start using Corsi and zone starts and whatever else to try and get to the truth of what we were seeing. And now it feels like we spend a lot of time trying to convince people that yes, Mark Arcobello does indeed suck and stop trying to get us to believe otherwise.

When trying to explain this to my non-hockey inclined friends, I used to try and tell them that hockey was anywhere from five to ten years behind baseball in its statistical revolution. That seems pretty silly now, and there’s a big reason why. If only it were that close.

Everything Else

Culture Club

By 1499

There is a part of me that wants to turn this into a Canadiens blog for next season because their implosion is going to be utterly hilarious to witness and I’m probably going to want to laugh at it every single day. I won’t do that, but I will take the chance to chew up and spit out the latest piece of drivel that GM Marc Bergevin had spill out of that orifice in the front of his face. It was simply more ass covering. Let’s get the quote in full, just to admire how deep in his own excrement he’s actually launched himself:

“Two Stanley Cups in five years. I like guys who don’t like to lose. Everybody likes to win, everybody’s happy when you win. I want guys, when you lose, it gets them inside. It hurts. And then you go back to work the next day.

 I don’t want a guy who walks out of the rink thinking, “Everything is cute, everything is fine even though we lost the game, life goes on.” Yeah, life goes on, but I want guys who feel hurt by a loss. It’s the culture that I want. It’s the Chicago culture, that’s what I want.

Andrew Shaw has it. I was in Chicago long enough to know they don’t take losing with a grain of salt. I want guys who don’t like to lose.”

That’s nice. It’s also utter bullshit.

Everything Else

Let’s Check In On The Neighbors

By 1394

It’s been widely agreed that the Hawks signing of Brian Campbell, especially at that price, was one of the shrewder moves of this offseason. It’s even more so when you consider how many other teams have simply lost their minds and/or torpedoed their own team in the process. The Hawks still lack some bottom six forwards–though apparently that won’t be a problem when Richard Panik tears a whole in the space-time continuum which far too many people think will happen. But what has the direct competition been up to? Let’s check on in.

St. Louis: Last year’s conquerors haven’t exactly vaulted forward from what they thought was their breakthrough. They traded their goalie, finally giving Jay Gallon the job he’s never really grabbed with both hands. They watched Troy Brouwer and David Backes walk, neither a calamitous development. So far they’ve only brought back David Perron, because they simply had to replace all the stupid they lost when Backes beat it for the Hub. They seem intent on trading Kevin Shattenkirk for reasons they can only find in their head, hoping Colton Parayko can take second pairing minutes even though Jabe O’Meester is going to disintegrate sometime in January.

Everything Else

I’m From Canada And They Think I’m Slow, Eh?

By 1678

I guess now we know who Gordie’s parents were, huh?

I don’t have the adjectives or the prose ability to be able to accurately describe what has transpired in the NHL this afternoon. But I’ll take a shot and when it’s over, to quote perhaps my favorite movie villain of all time, “Don’t think that I didn’t try.” But I think today’s trades are a perfect example of just how back’ards most of the league operates and what still matters to far too many teams (wrongly). Again, try and keep in mind that the last two Cups have been won by teams loaded with skill and speed, who beat teams built similarly. And the team that won the Cups when the ones that were loaded with skill and speed still had the puck all the time. This is important.

Ok, so let’s start with Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. By the way, having simply written that four points fell off my IQ.

Everything Else

Keep The Car Running – Canadiens vs Hawks Preview, Ski Binding Tune Up

By 1301

expos vs evil empire

Game Time: 6:00PM Central
TV/Radio: WGN Ch. 9, SportsNet, WGN-AM 720
I Get It, French Class: Habs Eyes On The Prize

Once again in the NHL’s infinite brilliance, with the unbalanced divisional schedule in place, they are wiping out an interconference rivalry within the span of 72 hours. And even this time, two teams with ACTUAL history in the Hawks and Habs (apologies to any of the olds now having ’65, ’71, or ’73 flashbacks) as well as some of the most telegenic threads in the sport not getting a national American audience. Better to keep everyone talking about this John Scott waste-of-breath-from-every-conceivable-angle than to actually promote the product using two heritage franchises with history who both have Championship aspirations.

Everything Else

I Don't Know, Lloyd – Canadiens vs Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Poutine Eating Contest

By 1307 0

Monty-Python-and-The-Holy-Grail-monty-python-16581100-845-468 vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Les Incompétents: Habs EOTP

As the Hawks continue through this meat grinder stretch of the schedule where they are consistently taking on the upper-echelon teams of the league, they will complete their season series with the Montreal Canadiens tonight on home ice. The first meeting up at the Molson Centre didn’t go quite so well for the Habs, and it’s still close enough in the rear-view mirror for them to remember it well.

Everything Else

I Don’t Know, Lloyd – Canadiens vs Hawks Preview, Pregame Thread, Poutine Eating Contest

By 1179 0

Monty-Python-and-The-Holy-Grail-monty-python-16581100-845-468 vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Les Incompétents: Habs EOTP

As the Hawks continue through this meat grinder stretch of the schedule where they are consistently taking on the upper-echelon teams of the league, they will complete their season series with the Montreal Canadiens tonight on home ice. The first meeting up at the Molson Centre didn’t go quite so well for the Habs, and it’s still close enough in the rear-view mirror for them to remember it well.

Everything Else

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

By Sam Fels 1261 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).