Everything Else

All The Heavy Lifting: Blues At Blackhawks Game 6 – Preview/Pre-Game Thread/Spring Fling

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bluestrumpet_jersey @AltLogo

Game Time: 2:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CBC, NBC, RDS/87.7FM
Wondering If They’re Still Doomed To Repeat It: SLGT

By now, I’m sure you’ve read countless articles about the similarities between this current series and the Kings/Blues one from last season. Unless of course you only read this site for all your Hawks news, in which case, thank you, I guess. The similarities are pretty striking but don’t for one second think anything is a given in this game. While the Hawks record in elimination Game 6’s is stellar they must still focus on all the little things to fend off a team like the Blues who are going to be sure to throw everything they’ve got at the Hawks to bring the game back to St. Louis for one more go around.

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Hauntingly Familiar: Hawks at Blues Game 5 Preview/Pregame Thread/Swingin’ Party

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oldschool vs. blue

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.

Everything Else

Hauntingly Familiar: Hawks at Blues Game 5 Preview/Pregame Thread/Swingin' Party

By 1237 0

oldschool vs. blue

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.

Everything Else

Standing In The Middle Of Nowhere, Wondering How To Begin: Blues 3 – Hawks 4 (OT)

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Box Score

Event Summary

Extra Skater

It’s about 10 hours later and I’m still not sure how to sum up what went on last night on Madison. It was about three games in one, much like Game 2 was. The swings in this series are about as violent as I can remember, not from game-to-game but within the games. It’s not just one team controlling play and then the other, but each team is taking turns absolutely throttling the other. Maybe that’s what you get when you have two fragile teams? And I can’t believe I’ve described the Hawks that way, but it certainly feels like that with the way they’re finishing periods.

So many strange things, topped with this felt like doom even though the first 38 minutes of this one were probably the best the Hawks have put together this series. It certainly was possession wise. The Hawks after one had a team Corsi % of 81%. Before things went stupid at the end of the second, the even-strength scoring chances were 7-1 for the Hawks. At 2-0 and rolling, they had this in their pocket (very strangely, they were doing this while getting crushed at the dot. And then when the Blues turned all this around in the 3rd, they were getting crushed at the dot).

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The Sound Of Science: Blues At Hawks – Preview/Pre-Game Thread/Flea Circus

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bluestrumpet_jersey @AltLogo

Game Time: 8:30PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, Channel Formerly known as Vs, CBC/87.7FM
Schlafly Drinkers: SLGT

Here we are coming off the Blues best game of the series and the Hawks worst but yet we also saw the Hawks eek out a win, largely on the back of one Corey Crawford. After just barely getting a desperately needed win, there are still plenty of questions up in the air. Fels did a great job of covering most of them surrounding line up changes and other ideas in his post yesterday. There were some glaring and some minor issues we saw on Monday night so the question now is, will Q do anything to address them?

The answer, of course, is no. No he won’t.

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Tweaks Still Needed

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The Hawks got their goalie win last night, and for a team that usually only requires its goalie to do just enough, that’s basically got to be considered a bonus. The Hawks certainly can’t count on Corey Crawford to win the series by himself, and whether we like it or not Ryan Miller probably has one virtuoso performance in him this series as well which the Hawks will have to win anyway unless they plan on being perfect in every other game. Which means there have to be some changes in their game and possibly lineup that they have to figure out. Not that they will, because “Quenneville” is becoming a synonym for “stubborn.” (becoming?)

-I guess it took 85 games, but the moment Michal Handzus was having his name chanted by the UC faithful I guess I finally came to the conclusion that he’s just a necessary evil of sorts. While I still think to a certain extent his fine work on the PK is something of a result of not being quick enough to get into a shooting lane to prevent a shot at all thus resulting in all his diving blocks, I can’t argue with the results on the PK (which is far more important than the power play). I’m sure that’s what Q’s pointing to, and the evidence is that he’s half double-shifting Ben Smith to get him between Hossa and Sharp at times to get more from them. I think we can safely conclude that Q thinks Zus’s PK work is vital, but his work at even-strength is basically something they have to overcome.

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Get It Together There, Grouch: Hawks at Blues Game 2 Preview/Pregame Thread/Purple Wedding

By 1132 0

Hawk Wrestler vs. old_school_blue_l

PUCK DROP: 2pm Central

TV/RADIO: NBC, 87.7FM

GOOD GOD DON’T GO HERE: St. Louis Gametime

Guessing the legs will still be a little sore even two days after playing a game and two-thirds, but the Hawks will have to find the juice anyway as they look to even this series. While it’s not absolutely vital it would certainly behoove them to do so. I had hoped that the Hawks could jump on what had to be a fragile team after St. Louis’s finish to the season and get them questioning themselves from jump street. They couldn’t do that, so the challenge gets a little tougher with the Blues finding their feet a little. Certainly Ryan Miller will take a lot out of his performance in the last four periods of Game 1.