Everything Else

Sharks Spotlight: Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo

By 1455

As everyone else in the world falls all over themselves to tell you how awesome Jaromir “I Wear These Pants To Accentuate My Bulge” Jagr is, or the remnants of the eight-year long Teemu Selanne goodbye party are still to be cleared, ask yourself why people don’t feel the same about Joe Thornton? We mean other than when he’s talking about pulling out his cock and stroking it after scoring four goals in a game.

Thornton is about to have his 16th season of 60+ points in the last 17, and the only reason it isn’t 17 straight is he only played 23 games in ‘03-’04 after busting his shoulder. Even Jagr can’t boast that, though he’s seven years older. He is in the top 30 in all-time scoring, could crack the top 20 or even 15 next year and certainly will if he plays another two or three years. Considering he’s still producing, there’s no reason he shouldn’t.

Everything Else

Won’t You Ride My White Horse?: Sharks 3 – Hawks 3 (Hawks Win Sketchfest)

By 1252

Box Score

Event Summary

War On Ice

Natural Stat Trick

They’re certainly racking up the goalie wins. After a very even first period that ended a deserved 2-2, and a quite simply dull 2nd period that ever so slowly turned to the Sharks, capped off by Pavelski’s goal where their top line got to run around the merry-go-round that is the Hawks’ 3rd pairing, Corey Crawford held his team in the 3rd period where they were outshot 11-5, out-attempted 21-10, and basically simply outplayed. But thanks to Crow, they had time for Shaw to make Paul Martin look like a clown for the second time in the game, forcing both teams into the bull-riding show where one bad change let Kane and Toews in. That basically only ever has one ending.

The performances this weekend, and for most of the season, haven’t matched the results. But in the Suicide Squad Central Division the Hawks won’t care because they’ll need all the points they can get. There will be time enough to improve the roster and hence the performances, and to have it on a higher platform would be beneficial.

On to it.

Everything Else

I Don’t Understand How A Heart Is A Spade: Hawks 0 – Sha-arks 2

By 1097 0

I’m relieved I waited until this afternoon to wrap this one up. The anger last night, slightly booze-fueled, was more than it should have been. That’s what happens when you toss away the first game on the trip yourself, because when you just lose one with nothing majorly wrong and you’re suddenly 1-2 on a tough trip things get amplified.

Most of my anger last night was directed at Joakim Nordstrom which is simply wrong and useless. But it felt good at the time I guess. It’s a symptom of perhaps a larger problem, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

There was a lot of angst directed at the Hawks’ sloppiness and that’s not to be dismissed, but going back over the game this morning there’s a pretty good reason why the Hawks had a tough time finding each other and it wasn’t just because it was the second game in two nights, or looking forward to Vegas.

Everything Else

I Don't Understand How A Heart Is A Spade: Hawks 0 – Sha-arks 2

By 1156 0

I’m relieved I waited until this afternoon to wrap this one up. The anger last night, slightly booze-fueled, was more than it should have been. That’s what happens when you toss away the first game on the trip yourself, because when you just lose one with nothing majorly wrong and you’re suddenly 1-2 on a tough trip things get amplified.

Most of my anger last night was directed at Joakim Nordstrom which is simply wrong and useless. But it felt good at the time I guess. It’s a symptom of perhaps a larger problem, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

There was a lot of angst directed at the Hawks’ sloppiness and that’s not to be dismissed, but going back over the game this morning there’s a pretty good reason why the Hawks had a tough time finding each other and it wasn’t just because it was the second game in two nights, or looking forward to Vegas.

Everything Else

No Cities To Love: Blackhawks At Sharks – Preview/Pre-Game Thread/Labor Day Sale

By 1086 0

AltLogo_medium @ shark

Game Time: 9:30 Central
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN720
Aboard The Orca: Fear The Fin, Battle Of California

Both of these teams can beat the snot out of the Ducks. We’ve now proven that. What can they do against each other? Well in the last meeting the Hawks scored 3 goals in just under 3 minutes in the first. It wasn’t a complete dominance though – the Sharks were able to make things interesting and the third period had its moments before Bickell put the game away three quarters of the way through the period.

In their last 10, the Sharks are 6-3-1 and they’ve won their last two match ups. They’re not really challenging Anaheim for the top spot in the Pacific since the Ducks have already built themselves quite a little lead out there. San Jose is firmly in the playoff race as usual though, even if no one really expects them to do much when they get there (except for maybe flame out in some horribly embarrassing fashion again). It’s no surprise that a line with Pavelski and Thornton has been producing. The two have been trouble for a while and Pavelski has goals in the last three games. He’s been pretty much a point per game player when taking on Chicago so he’s certainly one to keep an eye on. On the second line, Couture is actually tied with Pavelski in points but trails far behind him goals, 18 to Pavelski’s 25. Past the two top lines and those threats though, there isn’t much that’s scary in San Jose’s bottom 6, especially since that fourth line still is dragged down by our old friend John Scott. Hertl is still fun to watch but hasn’t quite found his form that he had at the start of his rookie year before he was taken down with a knee injury.

On the blue line though it’s a bit of a different story. Brent Burns continues to thrive as a defenseman when going forward. His 36 points put him in the top 5 in scoring for d-men but he’s in a rough spot lately with only 1 point in the last five games. Getting him going the other way can work to your advantage though. San Jose finally wised up a bit and paired him with Vlasic over Meuller. Giving Burns a bit of a safety net when performing his high wire acts. Beyond Vlasic however, the Sharks are a bit of a mess. If guys like Matt Irwin scare you, it’s probably only because you’d imagine he’d be really awful to deal with at party’s. He’s got a face that just looks like he’d talk your ear off for hours about playing Call of Duty while you desperately try to think of a reason to excuse yourself.

In the crease, we’ve got an Antti-0ff! Q opted to go with Crow last night against the league leading Ducks, so we’re going to see Raanta in his first start since the All-Star break. Niemi hasn’t ever been too stellar against the Hawks since his trade but he’s still a goalie that can steal the occasional game.

The Sharks remain a team that will be very good most nights and can look as dangerous as anyone in the league but still remain a team with some major holes. They’ll certainly make the playoffs. They might even win the first round. But I don’t think anyone looks at them as serious contenders for the cup. You’d have thought Doug Wilson was looking to just sabotage the team this year based on his summer but it looks like he even screwed that up. The Sharks are likely at a point where they need to blow the whole thing up and start over but keep holding on to hope.

For the Hawks, well.. just more of last night, right?

Lets Go Hawks

Everything Else

Groundhog Day: Hawks 1 – Sharks 1 (Sharks Win Odds N Evens)

By Sam Fels 1206 0

There weren’t any pictures, so maybe that game didn’t happen?

Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

Sharks-Hawks games are usually one the neutral enjoys most. Two teams that play fast and skilled with stars galore. I don’t think last night is going to fit into that category.

Sure, it was close and at times tense. But both teams were sloppy for most of the game. At times it felt like both teams were afraid to make a mistake. Others they were both playing so frantically and their passing was substandard that it basically looked like a game of hurling in the neutral zone. I suppose that’s what you get when both teams haven’t been playing all that well recently. At least not consistently well recently. What you get is a game that always looked likely to end tied and from there it’s a coin flip.

Everything Else

Looking For The Heart Of Saturday Night: Blackhawks At Sharks – Preview/Pre-Game Thread/All Ages Matinee

By Matthew Killion 1446 0

AltLogo_medium @   sharkticons

Game Time: 9:30PM CDT
TV/Radio: NHLN, CSN/WGN720
Here’s To Swimmin With Bow-Legged Women: Fear The Fin, Battle of California

While the second period in Wednesday’s game against the Canucks was nice, it’s still not clear that the Hawks are completely out of their funk. It was a better game than we’ve seen the past few weeks but it wasn’t all the way there.. take the two goal deficit they had to climb back from. They had a wonky first but were able to calm down enough to make a return to the game we expect them to play.

In the past few years, a game against the Sharks is a meeting of two of the NHL’s better teams. That’s true this time around only this time we’re seeing two teams that are solidly in the playoff picture but neither team is firing on all cylinders recently.

Everything Else

Like A Doll's Eyes: Sharks 2 – Blackhawks 2 (Sharks Win Dance Marathon)

By 1094 0

Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater

For the fourth time in a row, the Blackhawks have dropped a game that goes all the way to a shootout. If that really upsets you, sorry. I still just can’t get too worked up about it. The only detriment to this game is that it ruins an otherwise solid performance from Crawford. In the second game of his return to the team, Crow put up a 40 save performance but wasn’t able to stop either shooter in the skills competition. So it goes on this frigid night.

Everything Else

Like A Doll’s Eyes: Sharks 2 – Blackhawks 2 (Sharks Win Dance Marathon)

By Matthew Killion 1311 0

Box Score
Event Summary
Extra Skater

For the fourth time in a row, the Blackhawks have dropped a game that goes all the way to a shootout. If that really upsets you, sorry. I still just can’t get too worked up about it. The only detriment to this game is that it ruins an otherwise solid performance from Crawford. In the second game of his return to the team, Crow put up a 40 save performance but wasn’t able to stop either shooter in the skills competition. So it goes on this frigid night.