Second City Hockey

Two Bits Of News

2010-03-15T21:48:21Z

Two Bits Of News

1. Ovie got a two-game suspension, which sounds just about right to me. He's a repeat offender, and hopefully the message gets through to him, because when he's not pulling this crap he is simply a joy to watch.

2. You DirecTV viewers have VS. back. A deal has been struck, so you can keep your playoff beard growing within the confines of your home.

A Plea

2010-03-15T21:44:09Z

I hesitate to do this, because I am not here to edit what all of you have to say in the comments. The fact that a lot of you are far smarter and funnier than the three of us who write this is what makes this blog so much fun. And you're always free to say as you please. But if I could suggest or ask for the straight-up name calling to stop. Passionate debate is fine, and in fact encouraged. But in midst of that to call someone "fuckwit" or "moron" or any other of the labels I see far too often recently doesn't further debate, and it raises the vitriol level to a point where we are going to turn some people off. I understand sometimes it's needed, and when we get trolls from opposing sites infiltrating our comments we all get annoyed. But we'd probably be best to leave them alone and not acknowledge their presence. So please, feel free to be angry with each other and argue, but let's leave the barroom crap for places like the 300 Level and other messageboards. It's not really what we do here.

Where Do We Go, Where Do We Go Now?

2010-03-15T15:10:15Z

More photos » Nam Y. Huh - AP

A top-pairing Hammer?

Browse more photos »

-As Kills posted last night, Brian Campbell has a broken collarbone, and could be gone anywhere from 6-12 weeks. It kind of galls me that we lose an important d-man for possibly the rest of the season, and I'll frankly shit myself is Ovechkin gets suspended even a game. I've watched the replay a couple of times now, and I don't care how red, white, and blue-tinted your glasses are, it's a straight-up dirty hit. But Ovie will flash that "I'm just an exuberant" guy routine, and skate. But whatever, that's not what I'm here to discuss.

-I'm sure there are some people who can't tie their shoes on Hawks messageboards who are claiming the Hawks won't miss Campbell at all. They probably have never gotten over the size of his paycheck. But this is a major, major problem. Will it affect the Hawks seeding? I don't think so. After this trip, the schedule is basically all non-playoff teams, aside from Phoenix and Scum on the last day (I don't care what St. Louis has been doing recently, they'll have cooled of by the time we get to them). Yes, the pitter-patter of little Canuck feet is starting to get a little louder, but again, the Hawks schedule coming up. We also saw this last year, and oh by the way did you catch the neat trick San Jose pulled this weekend? Yeah, lost to Florida at home and then Anaheim. They're also on the road for the next five.

So, where does this really come into play? Well, it depends on who you get in the playoffs. The Hawks should be able to get past any first round opponent they draw with Campbell or without. But what if Vancouver is waiting in the 2nd? Soupy played his best hockey in that same round against that same opponent last year. He's our main trap-buster, as he's better with the puck than Keith. Or what if it's Phoenix? Same problems, less talent but more discipline.

And assuming you clear that and then have to deal with Detroit/San Jose/Washington/Pittsburgh? You need to be able to get up and down the ice, and 51 Phantom is a huge part of doing that for the Hawks. Maybe he could be back by then, maybe not. Quite frankly, I'm worried.

-So what should Q do? Well, I have no doubts that he'll never consider this, but it would seem the perfect time to split up Seabrook and Keith. Your two best d-men right now are Keith and Hjalmarsson. Keith's game is not dissimilar to Campbell's, so I doubt there'd be much of an adjustment for each of them. Plus, when the game's in the last minute these days, who do you trust more to keep the opponent out, Seabs or Hammer? Move Seabrook down to the 2nd pairing with Johnsson, who has enough mobility to mostly cover for Seabrook's abstract decisions. Then hope and pray with Sopel and Hendry/Boynton/Cullimore/ohmygodithinkimightkillmyself.

Sadly, this all means Keith will not get the minutes-break he probably requires. Will he wear down again like last season? Kim Johnsson is going to play more minutes than was intended. So will Hammer, who's going to get crushed a lot. It means more of Sharp/Buff/Bolland on the point on the power play, because that's so much fun. Aye aye aye.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Let's see, Saturday night road game with no Sunday home game following it, meaning I don't have to work, and neither would McClure on a weekend....you know what that means:

Yep, we're breaking in a new, bigger space for our blog-watches, and debut The Bottom Lounge on Saturday, upstairs. It's at 1375 W. Lake. It's pretty easy to get to via CTA, I think the Clinton green/pink line stop is your best bet, but Ashland wouldn't be too far either. It's also got its own parking lot for those driving, and there'll be drink reps -- which means free and discounted booze for far too many people. The food's pretty good too, so you can come by and have dinner too. There might be some giveaways and goofy stuff as well, so please come on out, because as everyone knows, Saturday Night's good for getting a little action in.

Note: Forklift and McClure have requested that we finally call out The Fifth Feather to show themselves at one of these things. You think you're so much better than us, Bob and John? Well, actually you are by a wide fucking margin, but the point remains....

Brian Campbell Likely Out For Remainder Of Regular Season

2010-03-15T06:00:43Z

More photos » Nam Y. Huh - AP

DON'T YOU DIE ON ME SOUPY! NOT TODAY!!

Browse more photos »

Last year, before the goalie debate was all the rage, the big issue of the year had to be between those who hated Brian Campbell and those who kinda sorta liked him. This year we've all pretty much liked what we've seen from our Ginger Blackhawk though... there's the remaining faction who hold fast to their belief that he sucks though. And now we get to see what this team will look like without him.

Ovechkin's hit crashed Soupy into the boards behind the net and in the process, broke his collarbone. He'll likely miss the regular season and could miss some significant time in the post-season too. The Hawks power play will certainly suffer in the meantime (if that's possible) but the real problem we're going to see is the transition game for the Blackhawks. As Sam noted in the game recap - the Hawks absolutely need a defenseman that can get the play going towards the opponents net - and Campbell is that guy. Expect Kim Johnsson to log some bigger minutes now that Campbell is gone for a while.

Like A Paper Tiger In The Sun: Caps 4 - Hawks 3 (OT)

2010-03-14T20:26:54Z

More photos » Nam Y. Huh - AP

Thanks asshole. Only brought my father to his first Hawks game in 18 years to see you play.

Browse more photos »

So, I've asked both Matt's here, but they're not sure either. I wanted to know if all of you wanted a really angry wrap. Because if you do, let me know in the comments, and I'll be happy to correct this and fake some anger for you . I can do that, being a professional writer and all. Because frankly, I'm not angry. Disappointed? Sure. But I'll try and persuade everyone to see the big picture here, and nothing other than Seabrook's World Tour of Bad makes me worry about April and May. Secondly, cast your mind back to last March. The Hawks stumbled for the first part then too, and had some niggling injuries and we all started to panic. They then ripped through the end of the month and April and you know where that story goes.

Today's game, started much to early, got off to a slightly interesting start when the man we all came to see got ejected. Did he deserve it? Most certainly. Do I think Ovechkin is a dirty player? No, I do not. Over exuberant for sure, and that occasionally lands him on the wrong side of the edge. I haven't scanned the comments, but I bet I would get short odds on some jackass proclaiming the Hawks will be better without Campbell. If 51 Phantom misses significant time, that's a real problem. The Hawks spent 50 minutes without two of the three d-men who transition them, who can push the play, and who make things happen in the offensive zone. That would lead to problems later. It will lead to bigger problems if Soupy isn't back soon. The Hawks need to constantly have someone on the ice who can get them going the other way, it's what their entire game is about. Here's hoping.

Oh, did I forget Toews's goal? I did, didn't I? Well, after another balls-up of a power play was abbreviated by a Ladd crosscheck, Hammer made a beautiful dish to Captain Marvel and he couldn't miss.

The Hawks power play continues to suck balls, and only scored on a 5-on-3 because the Caps were probably exhausted by then. Why they haven't figured out to switch the play from side to side to get the goalie moving is beyond me. Anyway, they were able to Forrest Gump another Toews goal for a 2-0 first lead.

In fact the first two periods were pretty ho-hum. I can only remember two, maybe three, tough saves Niemi had to make. The Caps looked like the team that played yesterday on the road. They looked for all the world a paper tiger. It looked better when Keith and Madden combined on a beautiful goal. Again, the Caps didn't look like they cared all that much.

But that's not the whole story, is it? Even the first five minutes of the 3rd looked pretty run of the mill. Then the walls caved in. Or did they? I didn't see either Hendry's or Fraser's penalty, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. But generally, high-sticking penalties boil down to nothing more than bad luck. Faced with a double minor and then a two-minute 5-on-3, the Caps still required two bounces to go their way. The first was a scramble in front where the puck was everywhere, and the second a rebound off the end boards after the Hawks had killed it all off. Sure, Bolland probably needs to have Backstrom's stick there.

The 3rd goal is the unacceptable one, where you're clearly just not concentrating, lose a battle on the boards and leave Eric Fehr all alone in the slot. After that, the Hawks looked the paper tiger out of gas. And why wouldn't they be? They played yesterday, down Hossa and Johnsson and losing Campbell. The 3rd kind of petered out, and 4-on-4 it was always going to be a struggle. Luckily, Seabrook managed to miss an open and net and then get walked by Backstrom for the winner. So at least we have that to bitch about.

To summarize, the game changed on bad luck and bad bounces. It wasn't a goalie issue. It wasn't massive defensive breakdowns. It wasn't a lack of scoring. I know the totals from the weekend look ugly, and maybe I'm guilty of drinking the Kool-Aid. But again, I didn't see anything this weekend that leads me to believe this team can't go where I want it to, and you do as well. And that's all that matters.

Observations

-Niemi was fine, just as Huet was yesterday. We were talking outside about this, but if Niemi is going to seize the playoff starting role from Huet, he's going to have to significantly outplay him. Today wouldn't be categorized as that.

-Versteeg was flying again, but every time he gets like this I'm just waiting for when he spills over the edge and reverts to country-stupid form that drives us all nuts.

-As perhaps his biggest fan, it pains me to say, but McClure is right about Dave Bolland. The Hawks need so much more from him, and he was invisible today, taking Sharp and Brouwer with him. This has got to change, and sharp-ish.

-Duncan Keith appears to be getting back to the play of earlier in the year, it's just a shame he's got a crash-test dummy for a partner right now.

-Hjalmarsson has an offensive game?

-I'm guessing this will send visiting Caps fans into an uproar, but I would welcome seeing this team in June again. They needed two penalties and some bounces, and a team down a man coming off a game yesterday before deciding to play. Maybe you can make the argument that they only needed one period, and maybe that's true. But I doubt it. Your size and depth is impressive, DC, but nothing that will have me quaking in the late-spring. Sorry.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Didn't do much besides the goals, but how much more do we ask?

I Know It Sounds Funny But I Just Can't Stand The Pain - Caps @ Hawks Preview, Thread, Catholic Mass

2010-03-14T10:06:22Z

Game Time: 11:30 in the goddamn morning

TV: NBC

Radio: WGN

Those Clowns In Washington Did It Again. What A Bunch Of Clowns: Japer's Rink

Mark this day in history, Juggalos. We've had many a game recap written while actively intoxicated. This morning marks the first ever preview written while one of the authors of this "site" is completely gassed up. And because of that, I'm willing to throw caution to the wind at this point, because I've been banned from writing previews due to my recent losing streak when doing so.

So yesterday afternoon's tilt was a cock punch, make no mistake about it. The Hawks played well enough to win for the vast majority of the game, and still came away with jack and shit. Personally, I liked a lot of what I saw, but there was some ugliness peppered in. And none of said ugliness is going to fly against the visiting Capitals. They're the league front-runners for the President's Trophy as basically the early 90's Buffalo Bills On Ice. Part of that has to do with the fact that they play in the Popsicle Division in the Cupcake Conference, but all that aside, this team is the balls offensively. Alexanders Semin and Ovechkin lead the charge, centered by the Swedish Niklas Backstrom. Mike Green and his faux-hawk are the catalyst for it all from the blue line. There are questions about the rest of the defensive corps, as well as the tandem of Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov in net, but what's up front hides a multitude of sins elsewhere. Make no mistake, the big Red, White, and Blue machine is steamrolling into the Madhouse this morning.

As for our beloved Men of Four Feathers, if the defense plays anything like they have since mid-January, the Caps are going to drop a 9-burger on them. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook (Biscuit in particular) had better snap to it if they'd prefer to not be embarassed on national american television, even though the numbers at that time in the morning for "our" demographic are going to be negligible. Jordan Hendry has to dress in favor of Brent Sopel if the Hawks don't want to have to put Sopel on IR because of windburn and/or whiplash, considering Scott Hartnell absolutely blew by him yesterday. Up front, Patrick Kane, who appears to be fighting it, needs to fire the puck when he gets a chance since he's been reluctant to do so over the past few games, and any time Dave Bolland wants to make himself noticable as an actual NHL second line center is alright by me. Fortunately, the Ladd/Madden/VERSTEEG! combination has come to life and is picking up a modicum of the slack. Antti Niemi gets the start, and if this isn't a litmus test for all who think he can be THE GUY come the middle of next month, then I don't know what is.

The NBC broadcast crew last week was probably not too far off in setting the over/under for the game at 15 goals, and it will likely prove to be an end-to-end, surprisingly nasty affair (recall the last time Dat Ovechkin Guy was in town two years ago and he and Toews were prepared to skull fuck one another for the entire 60 minutes). You know it's an important game when Fels is bringing his father who is for the most part indifferent to hockey to it. Just for fun, take a sip every time the phrase "Stanley Cup Preview" is uttered during the broadcast. You're guaranteed to be shit-wasted on screwdrivers before the end of brunch. Let's Go Hawks.

Well, The First 57 Were Ok: Morons 2 - Flyers 3

2010-03-13T22:54:04Z

It still applies

View full size photo »

That was the kind of ending usually reserved for when I go to see the Hawks in an opposing building. I know there are probably some people who want me to rant and rave and declare it all over. But I'm just not that upset. It's an awful way to lose a hockey game, and a moronic one, but there are some positives to be taken, which we'll get to. But the first is that for 57 minutes, the Hawks played one of their better games against a team that I still think is going to make some serious noise in the postseason.

Even the though the first 40 minutes were scoreless, they were two of the more entertaining periods of the year. The Hawks carried most of the play, but that didn't necessarily translate into prime chances. The shot totals look imposing, but the Flyers did a masterful job of keeping the Hawks to the outside and clogging shooting lanes. The Hawks could have easily ended up having 60 shots, and still wouldn't have had many opportunities as you would think. I only remember Michael Leighton making a handful of big saves.

And then Brent Seabrook happened. I don't know how much more patience we can have for Biscuit. We're going on three months of ass-hoolery from him. At what point does Q decide to swap Seabrook and Johnsson and let Seabrook find his game against some less pressure and skill? We've got to be able to at least see it from here. Anyway, Seabrook started the events with just a moronic turnover in the corner that Dan Carcillo was only too happy to take advantage of, before he found Simon Gagne all alone in the circle. Why Seabrook was trying a blind pass into the middle when he had all of the sideboards open will be studied by scientists for ages. Truth be told, it was only a matter of time before Seabrook got burned. He was hesitant and out of position multiple times today.

But the Hawks responded, and on the power play even! Q finally realized putting Campbell on the 1st unit would work better, and then the 2nd unit chipped in after some nice play from Brouwer, Versteeg, and Hossa, which Versteeg converted. In fact, Steeger was everywhere today.

It got better. Someone name a Hawk of the past 25 years who had a quicker release than Marian Hossa. Take your time. Leighton never had a chance.

But then Brent Sopel happened. It's fine when he gets beat for speed, I don't expect him to outskate anyone. But to get out-muscled? That can't happen. Credit to Scott Hartnell, he made a hell of a play. But that's Sopel's job, no? To fight off big forwards? Right?

From there, I'm sure everyone assumed the game would fizzle into overtime. Apparently, so did the Hawks. Especially in the last 10 seconds. Look, Toews and Kane not skating back is not something we have to worry about happening regularly (despite what some neanderthals still claim about Kane). They got the ultimate lesson today on why not to. Pronger was all alone in front.

Observations and Ruminations

-This was Huet's best game since December. He was looking for the puck, and looked confident again. Long may it continue. But he's only going to be as good as his defense lets him, and they hung him out to dry in the 3rd.

-This was also Versteeg's best game in some time. He's been great this week, and you can tell because that naive, country-boy swagger is back.

-Brent Sopel absolutely cannot dress tomorrow, or the Caps might score 7. It's not his game.

-It's time to bump Buff off the power play. He's big, yes, but he doesn't fight hard in front of the net or along the boards. Your first unit has to be Campbell/Johnsson behind Daydream Nation and Hossa. Yes, Sharp is a wonderful sniper. BUT HE'S NOT MARIAN FUCKING HOSSA. As weird as it sounds to say about the second leading scoring d-man in the league, Keith is not really a power play QB. His shots get blocked far too often, and he's not as smooth with the puck as 51 Phantom. Put him on unit 2 with Sharp, Versteeg, and Brouwer, and either Seabrook or have one of Q's beloved forwards play point.

-Kane wasn't very good today, but that's been a rare occurrence. He tried to get to cute and obviously didn't hustle at the end. He's looking for Sharp too much, and hence Sharp reverts to that floating thing again, waiting for Kaner to hit his tape. Knock it off.

-The PK was nails, though, against a very good power play.

-I can't express how much I love that Ville Leino sucks. All I heard for far too long was how he was the next Red Wings legend, because everyone's research on him went as far as figuring out that he's Scandanavian and a Wing. So he must be good, right? The dude is brain damage, and it's wonderful.

-I don't know if Michael Leighton can keep up this standard, but if he can the Flyers are an intriguing team to watch. They're one of two teams in the East that can skate with the Caps, and they can go the other way too if they need to. No one will fancy catching them in the playoffs.

-Someone should take game film of Scott Hartnell and show it to Jack Skille, and tell him, "Do this."

Player of The Game

He was all over the ice, and it appears the knowledge that he's going to finish the year here has done him a world of good. Oh, and Ladd and Madden can make up for his occasional silliness.

It's Too Early. It Always Has Been, It Always Will Be: Hawks at Flyers Thread/Pub Crawl

2010-03-13T17:50:49Z

vs.

GAMETIME: Noon

TV/RADIO: WGN for both

BROAD SHEET: Broad Street Hockey

These early weekend starts just aren't good for us, so just have a thread. Pretend we did a preview. Have at it.

The Blind Side (Not The One With Sandra Bullock)

2010-03-13T01:45:57Z

With the NHL GM's meetings going on, one of the key issues that they've been addressing is hits to the head. It seems appropriate then that Pittsburgh Penguins asshat Matt Cooke has gone on a skull-cracking spree in the last week. Hawk fans will recall Cooke's actions against Duncan Keith earlier in the year with a dangerous hit, and Duncs didn't take too kindly to it. Observe:

Now take a gander of what Matt Cooke has been up to this week. First, his hit that sent Marc Savard off on a stretcher, and then the hit against Artem Anisimov that finally got him suspended.

There's a recurring theme here: Cooke leveling players when their heads are turned. These are predatory, dangerous hits, and the league is right to try to legislate some manner of rules to prevent them. To trust that they'll be consistent in executing them is obviously erroneous. But this type of hit needs to be eliminated. And while I am growing tired of players having to answer for their clean hits with their fists, Cooke clearly needs to answer for the havoc he's been wreaking, as there is no misconstruing the intent of these hits as anything other than violently injure another player. His elbows are often out, and the opposing player is never looking. Cooke is lucky that after his hit on Savard, he did not have to answer to Zdeno Chara, as Chara would most certainly fed him his own dick had he been in the lineup, and I'm confident he will at his earliest opportunity. I know I'll take a certain degree of pleasure in that when it happens.

Ok, I'm done with my neanderthalism on this issue. Just so I'm not misunderstood, hits to the head=BAD, fighting after clean hits=BAD, answering for dirty hits=GOOD. On the more logical side of this coin, if the NHL is looking to seriously combat the concussion issues in the league, it needs to look at the equipment that its skaters are wearing. Hockey equipment now, particularly elbow and shoulder pads, is stronger now than its ever been, because it's all made with ultra lightweight ultra stiff plastic. These hard capped pads give players an air of invincibility when delivering hits, and the results, as we're seeing above, can be devastating for the recipients of them. The NHL has no problem with setting standards for goalie equipment, or regulating that players have their jersey properly fastened to their pants to prevent injury, it should carry that through to the elbow and shoulder pads. I'm not saying that the padding needs to go back to the level of what we saw in Slap Shot, as the players themselves are bigger, stronger, and faster than they've ever been, but getting the hard-capped pads out of the game would be a step in the right direction.

Adam Burish's Rehab

2010-03-11T22:13:12Z

Matt McClure made his debut on Page 6 on The Indian last night, with a little help from yours truly. Here's his solid effort:

click to enlarge

I'd Make A King Nothing Joke Here, But Metallica Suck Now: Kings 2 - Hawks 3 (OT)

2010-03-11T08:32:49Z

More photos » Nam Y. Huh - AP

This is also known as a "McClure erection".

Browse more photos »

Well, this time they only took off the first half of the second period. Baby steps to the elevator, right?

Actually, this was one of the Hawks tighter games of the past two months. The passing was much crisper, the defensive coverage was -- for the most part -- far more solid than we've seen, and the feet were moving at a pretty high rate. Power play still sucks to high heaven, though.

Anyway, the roof almost blew off when 2:34 in Adam Burish collected Kaner's pass behind the net, circled to the other side and put one out in front for The Sharp-Shooter. Luckily for everyone, Sharp whiffed on the one-timer, sending the Jonathan Quick the wrong way and leaving a gaping hole to put the puck into the net. You could tell the Hawks were feeding off of Burish's energy by just the way they celebrated that goal. You would have gotten very short odds on Burish soon picking a fight after, which he did with Rich Clune. A typical Burish-bout, which is to say it's slightly better than a Fraser-bout.

The 1st continued and ended just like far too many 1st periods lately. The Hawks batter an opponent, the shot-clock says they should be up three or four but they're not, and you head for your intermission piss/beer/smoke just knowing the lack of a lead is going to cost you.

And so it did. The Hawks were on the backfoot for the start of the 2nd, and when Andrew Ladd sort of whiffed on chipping it past Sean O'Donnell who set up Anze Kopitar to set up Dustin Brown (the exact people you don't want to be setting up), Brown was able to pot home a wrap-around that Niemi probably should have had (cue everyone telling me how biased I am and how much I hate Antti Niemi and how I'm going to hell).

It got worse two minute later. After Toews received a somewhat questionable goalie-interference penalty (it was kind of 50-50), Versteeg and Hossa both got caught to one side and left Anze Kopitar all alone on the other. While a wrister from the circles isn't always considered a good goal, Kopitar's shot was a laser and that's why he's one of the standout talents in the league.

Never fear, Iron Madden's here. The best line of the night came through not two minutes later when Madden found Ladd, whose shot rebounded to VERSTEEG!. He needed two attempts, but he got it home. The rest of the period the Hawks pretty much carried.

Before the 3rd, my companion at the game remarked that he thought we would be there awhile, and he was pretty much right. It was very tight, but the Hawks had the better of it. They should have had a power play earlier than they got one, because how Dustin Brown escaped an instigator penalty for starting a fight with Lowen-Brouw, I'll never know. The Hawks got their make-it-up call later when Simmonds was sent off for holding Sopel. Luckily, the refs didn't know that it always looks like Sopel's being held, he's just that slow.

Not that it matters, because the power play was an utter disaster again. Even 4-on-3 in OT, they hardly looked dangerous. On the winner, the Hawks got lucky it was Brad Richardson on the puck and not someone with, y'know, a clue, because Jack Johnson and another were streaking into the Hawks zone. But Richardson hand delivered the puck to Bolland, who had no trouble finding the Shooter. Why doesn't Sharp always look that good on a breakaway? He absolutely put Quick on his ass.

Observations

-I thought this was Madden's best game for a while. The combo of him, Ladd, and Versteeg really seem to be clicking, and has reinvigorated Steeger's game. I still don't know if he can be trusted on an out and out checking line. But what else would you use Madden for? To be determined...

-Though he had two penalties, and acted like a bitch after Hammer cleanly checked him, Wayne Simmonds is a beast. He was around the puck all night.

-Drew Doughty is too cross-check-y.

-After a couple flashes in a couple games, this is the second game in a row where Bolland-Hossa-Brouwer haven't done anything of note. Keep an eye on that.

-Seabrook didn't burn the building down. These days, I'll settle for that.

Player of The Game

Really only one choice here.

The Sharp-Shooter

King Ain't Satisfied Til He Rules Everything: Kings @ Blackhawks - Preview, Game Thread, Murder Mystery

2010-03-10T21:00:52Z

Game Time: 7:30 Central
TV/Radio: CSN/WGN
Still Missing the Purple and Gold: Jewels From The Crown, Battle of California

In our first podcast, for some reason (read: alcohol) I mentioned that no one on the Kings roster really scared me. Look no further than that for proof that I'm an idiot. Anze Kopitar might not be in the race for the scoring title like he was at the start of the year but he's still a monster. If you weren't in love with Drew Doughty before the Olympics, chances you are now. The Kings are a sneaky good team that will certainly be a candidate for an upset in the first round of the playoffs - unless of course they end up catching the Coyotes and grabbing the 4th spot.

This isn't really a team you want to see when you have the question mark that currently is the Blackhawks goalie. Antti Niemi will get the start and he did have some success against the Kings the only time he faced them.. of course that was last year when the Kings were a pretty different team. The Kings are coming off a dismantling of the Blue Jackets on Monday where their power play scored on half the opportunities they were given and their defense held the BJs to just 11 shots, not even the Hawks at their best came close to that so far this season.

If we see the sloppy Hawks defensive play continue into this game, the Kings aren't a team that will miss many of their chances. While only a few of their players will really stand out, none are really a glaring weakness. Jonathan Quick may only be 2-4-0 against the Hawks in his career so far but he's posting an impressive .916 SV% against the boys in red.

Not exactly what you want to see for a team that's facing some adversity lately, is it? As I mentioned in the post below though, the Hawks will be getting some very welcomed energy from the return of Adam Burish tonight. It's no surprise that he's already running his mouth about getting out there and hitting people - and it's of less surprise that we're glad to hear it. The Kings do have a goon in Raitis Ivanans who could likely send Burish back on the IR if they chose to drop the gloves so Burish should keep his head up if the Kings choose to dress this neanderthal... but he hasn't played since the second of this month so who knows if he'll skate today. Wayne Simmonds is the Kings next leading player and while he probably could still mop the floor with Burish, they're at least in the same weight class.

As usual, Sam and his cronies will be outside the UC selling the Committed Indian before the game and you have no excuses not to buy one. If you're not going to the game - check out the links on the left where you can buy an electronic copy for today's issues.

Burish Will Be Back In The Lineup Tonight

2010-03-10T17:44:44Z

Burish Will Be Back In The Lineup Tonight

Hide the women

Back To The Issues That Really Matter

2010-03-09T19:30:12Z

More photos » David Zalubowski - AP

Pelican's Turn

Browse more photos »

Anyway, back to the ice, which is what we really care about. According to Jesse Rogers, Antti Niemi will start tomorrow's game against LA. In my mind, Niemi then must get almost all of the starts from here on out. Otherwise, Coach Q is needlessly points-chasing, which helped get us in this mess in February. These 17 games left are all about getting the team in playoff shape. First and foremost is getting one of the goalies into a rhythm and finding confidence. They're cemented in the #2 seed, and I don't know of anyone who thinks it's vital to have the #1 seed. Sure, it sounds cool, and the idea of starting every series at home appeals. But you might do that anyway after another San Jose crash and burn, and even if that doesn't happen the Hawks don't require home-ice to dispatch those softies. You're not going to catch the Caps for the President's Trophy. Their conference and division especially are far too weak for them to drop enough points to be caught. So if Q's going with Niemi or bust, that's fine. If this is more goalie-jockeying for points, then I'm going to have to object.

Oh You Were Done? Well Allow Me To Retort...

2010-03-09T18:02:51Z

By now, you've probably all seen it. It's Rob Otto's piece from Michigan Live (mlive.com) about how our Anthem Tradition must go. I debated long and hard about writing anything about it at all (Michigan Tradition dictates you burn down everything on Oct. 30th, so are they even worth my time?), but I can't help it. This is my favorite Hawk tradition, and I'm not going to let some mouth-breather besmirch it without having a say. Time for the Fire Joe Morgan Model:

Listening to the Red Wings-Blackhawks pregame on Sunday reminded me of one of the most awful traditions in sports.

I'm guessing either you were in the office, Rob, or like half the people in Michigan, you've had your TV stolen.

Jim Cornelison belted out his wonderful, booming rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner.

That is true.

The crowd yelled, screamed and clapped through the entire thing. It's something the fans started doing because they were so pumped up before a 1985 Campbell Conference playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers, and have continued it ever since.

And it makes my skin crawl every time I hear it.

While I'm sure you have no problem with Wings fans running down the aisles to throw octopi on the ice during the Anthem. I bet they listen to every word down the stairs, though.

I grew up in a military family. My father was a Commander in the United States Coast Guard and he taught me a deep love of our country, and respect for our flag. That includes standing during the National Anthem with my right hand over my heart and singing the words.

This is the line that gets me. It's not that I don't respect greatly every man and woman who has served this country. But being the descendant of one doesn't mean you are more patriotic than I am or appreciate being American more than I do (For the record, my father served in the Army, and two separate Generals called him the worst soldier in the history of the US Armed Forces. So I guess I'm Russian, right?) In fact, if your parents are off the boat immigrants who made a better life for themselves here, you could claim to appreciate America more than I do.

I understand it is a very difficult song, and many Americans feel embarrassed to sing it in public. However, if you're not singing you should at least stand in silent reverence until it is completed.

The Chicago fans are doing the exact opposite.

Has this dimwad ever seen video of the 1991 All-Star game? During the 1st Iraq War? We didn't get as loud as we ever have because we were so excited to see the All-Stars. We did it because we knew the troops were watching in Iraq and maybe, just maybe, they could have used the boost.

Their argument is that they are being more patriotic -- that yelling and screaming makes them a part of the anthem instead of just being a silent bystander. I am not buying it.

You're not buying anything, you live in Michigan.

Now, before you think is a "Detroiter hates Chicagoan" piece,

Too late.

let me remind you that fans of plenty of other sports teams disrespect the Anthem as well. Right here in Detroit, there is always some idiot who yells "Red Wings" over "the rockets' red glare." At NHL games in Dallas they yell "Stars" every time that word appears in the song.

In my opinion, it is all disrespectful to the song and what it represents -- the men and women who fought valiantly to make this country what it is today.

Let's be honest here. You don't need a fucking song to make you feel proud of the men and women who fight for this country, and if this doofus had seen the standing ovation we give a member of the military EVERY GAME, he'd know that.

I understand that the screaming at the United Center is tradition, but not all traditions are right.

*cough* Octopus *cough*

Remember what the fans used to yell at Yost Ice Arena? Obscenities abounded in the chants, especially when an opposing player was sent to the penalty box.

Ah, so cheering during the anthem is now on par with telling an opposing player to...um...put his mouth where it would please a donkey most?

It was tradition. It was just the fans getting into the game. But for the parents who brought their kids to the game, it was awful. Complaints abounded and the higher-ups at U-M heard them.

OH WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN???!!!!

The athletic department finally eliminated that particular tradition. Somehow the world kept rotating. Fans kept coming and enjoying themselves. Yost is still a difficult place to play for any opposing team.

From what I've heard, not this year.

It's the same thing that has to happen in Chicago and every other city where our National Anthem is being disrespected.

I have never met a person who didn't think the Anthem was one of the most exhilarating things they've ever experienced. We don't do it to drown out the singer. It's our tribute. Would Otto object to the tradition in Mexican soccer games, where instead of a moment of silence to honor a recently deceased figure they give him an ovation for a minute? That's essentially what we're doing. What if I'm in the can during the Anthem? Am I essentially pissing on the flag, sir?

America is far too full of this bullshit. You don't need a song, or a flag-pin, or a tattoo on your forehead to love this country. It's empty symbolism. In all honesty, I think our National Anthem is half the song that America The Beautiful is or God Bless America. Fuck, I almost agree with Joe Walsh who thinks "Wooly-Bully" should be our national anthem. The best part is I'm sure Otto wrote this simply to appeal to the rednecks of his state (which are basically everywhere outside of Detroit and Ann Arbor). Nothing lather them up but good like pointing out how "liberal, tree-hugging Chicago don't love Uncle Sam".

Your piece is utterly ridiculous, and we Hawks fans take it as an insult. But that's probably what you meant anyway, wasn't it?

Wonders Never Cease

2010-03-08T19:59:57Z

More photos » Nam Y. Huh - AP

No, Kaner. Datsyuk isn't over there either.

Browse more photos »

-I've spent my fair share of time ripping on Steve Rosenbloom, but only because I know that he's capable of writing articles like this. Read it and tell me if there's one incorrect syllable in it. Rosey once was, and can still be, the most hockey-wise columnist in this city outside of the beat reporters.

I was going to write a post today that basically would have echoed this. I said I wouldn't panic until April hits, and I'm going to try and stick by that. That doesn't mean I'm not worried, because I am. While I don't think any of the goals Scum scored could be pinned on Huet alone, he was a long way from brilliant as well.

From where I sit, the goalie situation and the breakdown of the defense lately seem to be a vicious cycle. The d-men are playing scared at times, fearing any mistake or turnover has a decent to good chance of ending up in a goal. On the flip side, Huet especially and Niemi at times look like they're standing on nails, fearing that their d-men are going to leave them exposed at any second. These guys spend minutes at a time doing nothing, and then out of nowhere they are facing prime chances. As one loses faith in the other, it gets worse and worse. I want to believe that if we see improvement from one side, the other will follow suit in a hurry. But the only thing that will make a difference is see it.

-Though we like to make fun, I am a firm believer that you can say whatever you want in our comments, within reason of course. Similarly, I think that once you pay for your ticket (and if you're getting them secondhand you're probably paying a lot) you are free to boo or cheer as you please, within reason again. So I understand the booing of Huet that the drop of a hat, and that's the 19k's right. But what does it have left to accomplish? I am not one of those blind, "love your players no matter what and stupidly cheer them no matter what they do" people, otherwise known as Packers and St. Louis Cardinals fans. But as I and The Fifth Feather said in October, what good will come of turning every game into a road game for Huet? Is that going to build his confidence? I know it'll continue until his play improves, but I'm not sure I see the logic in it any more.

-I'd also like to remind those who are baying at the organization for Huet's contract and how it tied Stan's hands. Cast your mind back to the summer of 2008. Dale Tallon, his assistant Stan Bowman, and John McDonough knew they had a team that was capable of some pretty great things. They also knew they had a goalie who'd put up three consecutive years of puke-worthy play in Khabibulin. They weren't going anywhere with a goalie as bad as Khabby had been. So they decided to upgrade, and whether you like it or not, Huet was the best on the market. He was coming off a stellar display in the spring in Washington (and if he gets anywhere near that form this spring everything's gonna be just fine). Maybe they gave him too many years, I don't know if they overpaid because I don't know what other teams offered. But to keep harping about "the mistake of signing Huet", I just don't see it as a mistake.

-One thing I'm relieved about with the goalie debate is it provides cover from people noticing that Brian Campbell's play has dropped off. While he hasn't been terrible (though he certainly was yesterday) he's certainly no where near the level he was in December and January. When the Hawks were really rolling, Campbell was one of the bigger reasons why. He constantly had the Hawks in transition and was a one man trap-buster. Now he's a little more hesitant and his passing isn't is crisp. Here's another thing the Hawks need to see back to its highest level in the next five weeks.

They Threw Me Out Of Church - Scum 5, Hawks 4

2010-03-07T21:48:51Z

More photos » Nam Y. Huh - AP

Jelly or syrup, Cris?

Browse more photos »

If this were a Spinal Tap album, we could derisively call this one Shit Sandwich. This afternoon's middle frame is going to cause a great deal of hand wringing, gnashing of teeth, and for renewed sentiment to rename everyone's favorite side dish to "Freedom Fries", but we'll get to all that in a little while.

While the first period was fairly evenly played, the Hawks emerged with a 2-0 lead goals from Duncan Keith and then Andrew Ladd. Keith fired a shot from the left point that was redirected on its way in, and Ladd capitalized on a horrendous giveaway by Valteri Filppula in the circle to the left of Jimmy Howard which he snapped high over Howard's glove. While Scum did have a few stretches of prolonged possession in the Hawks zone, the vast majority of those chances came from the outside and were swallowed up by Cristobal Huet.

Then everything that could go wrong for the next 20 minutes of play did. Patrick Kane appeared to score on a Hawks power play which would have put them up 3-0 and we may have heard Alex Van Halen's jungle drum cadence softly in the distance. However, the goal was instantly waved off by referee Steve Kozari, explaining that Dustin Byfuglien interfered with Howard. Buff wasn't penalized, and the replay showed he did not touch Howard at all, but Toronto couldn't overturn it, and the game remained 2-0. Moments later, Tomas Holmstrom was actually penalized for interfering with Huet on an eerily similar play, but Dave Bolland was sent along with him for a tripping call. Understandably, both benches were pretty perplexed as to why the plays were called completely differently. Quickly into the 4-on-4, Keith's stick jumped up and whacked Johan Franzen in the mouth (though with his horse face, no one would really notice if there were any damage), and Scum when to work on the 4-on-3. Brian Rafalski fired one past Huet from the left point, and while Huet was slightly screened by Brent Seabrook, he was completely under-committed to the angle the shot came from. Nicklas Lidstrom followed suit from the right point on the subsequent 4-on-4 to tie the game, same story from Huet, except with the screen coming from Felon Bertuzzi. Jason Willams filled a gaping 6x4 after Huet whiffed on gloving a goal mouth pass from Jared Leto, and a bad pinch from Brian Campbell led to a 2-on-1 against Niklas Hjalmarsson who overcommitted to puck-carrier Bertuzzi, which gave Filppula a one-on-none with Huet after receiving the pass, and once again twine is tickled. At that point, with 22,000 strong seething with bloodlust, Quenneville gave Cris the hook. Antti Niemi didn't fare much better against Pavel Datsyuk, who converted a breakaway in the dying seconds of the frame after knifing the puck away from Patrick Kane just inside the Detroilet blue line. Forty minutes played, 5-2 Scum.

As per usual, the Hawks did indeed make a game out of it, with Ladd tallying his second early from Kim Johnsson on a shot from the right circle again, which gave the Hawks a definite spark. Reforming The Unholy Alliance of Toews, Kane, and Hossa on the top line to get something going, the Hawks dictated the majority of the play, with several prolonged periods of sustained pressure, forcing Howard to make a couple of key glove saves. Ladd would turn the trick with about eight minutes to go, redirecting a Keith shot that was the result of a clean faceoff won by John Madden. With the comeback flurry in full effect, the Hawks who saw the best chances were Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky on a sequence where Hossa picked up a rebound in the slot and skated to his right on his backhand trying to wait out Howard and ended up having no angle. He slid the puck back through the crease where Kopecky was out front waiting to whack it home, but his stick was tied up by the Scum defense to prevent the comeback from completing. A late-ish power play for the Hawks yielded nothing, and numerous attempts at pulling Niemi for the extra attacker were shot in the foot by offsides and icing calls. Hawks lose an ugly-ish one 5-4 to Scum. God. Dammit.

Observations

To the torch-wielding mobs who have been calling for Huet's ouster, as well as those now questioning GM Stan Bowman's judgment on standing pat on this week's trade deadline, congratulations. This is clearly the excuse you needed to continue to sodomize this dead horse, and I hope it feels good feeling as though you're right- fuck knows I get off on being right on those rare occasions when I am. I have no defense for Huet's recent play, and today's showing is absolutely inexcusable. But it's these two goalies from here on out, whether we like it or not, so it's absolutely pointless to be complaining about it at this point, it's just verbal masturbation, almost to the point of actually enjoying seeing what happened today transpire. With everyone sounding the alarm that the goaltending is going to be this team's undoing, ask yourself this - would you rather see a parade in June, or be right about Huet? So have your catharsis in the comments here about today's game, but please, for the love of fuck, spare us from the relentless goalie "debate" over the next three days. It's one game.
Dovetailing from the above statements, Cris was not alone during the meltdown. Tape of the play of all six d-men from the middle frame should replace waterboarding as the preferred form of torture for interrogation.
It's SCH policy to not bus-toss officiating, but today's game was dogshit. From the inconsistency of the game-changing goaltender interference calls, to the non-calls on Bolland and Hossa getting roped down on seperate occasions to Howard's left in the third, to a couple iffy offsides calls, it was a sub-standard job by the zebras today.
....but that's not to say the Hawks could have done anything had those calls been made. The power play is still fucking clown shoes.
Given the time left and the way the game had been going for the Hawks, Patrick Kane should have hauled down Pavel Datsyuk from behind as soon as he pick-pocketed him at the blue line and taken the penalty. Datsyuk was short of center when he first became all alone, which would have nullified a penalty shot being called. Take the two minutes going into the 3rd period and try to kill off the penalty.
Speaking of Datsyuk, while it's excruciating to admit, as Lucky Pierre McGuire relentlessly pointed out, the guy is flat out fucking amazing with how he can separate the man from the puck with stick checking.
Go get you some, Andrew Ladd. Not only were his three goals the primary source of offense today, but he nearly had a fourth later on in the same shift he tallied his third on another redirection, and he was an animal physically as well.
Also in the physicality department, it appears that Hammer is feeling a little better, as he is once again initiating contact instead of just absorbing it, as evidenced by his massive check behind the Hawk net in the third period.
With this performance coupled with their first stretch of consecutive off days with a full squad after the Olympic break, expect Coach Q to skate the boys' asses ragged, or at the very least verbally tear them up worse than a kleenex at a snot party.

Player of the Game

While I normally prefer not to name a player of the game after a Hawk loss, Andrew Ladd's performance today definitely needs to be acknowledged.

Because School Starts Much Too Early, And This Hotel Wasn't Free: Scum at Hawks Preview/Thread/Sunday Brunch

2010-03-07T11:30:14Z

vs.
GAMETIME: 11:30am. Christ.

TV/RADIO: NBC, WGN 720

VOICE OF EVIL: WInging It In Motown

Because Killion can't be trusted to wake up early enough to get this done, because McClure is on a serious losing streak whenever he does the preview, and because I'll be spending all morning on Indian duty, I'll get this up now. I can't believe the NHL would bend over so far backwards to have a game start before noon. But then again, I have a problem of overdosing on logic. 11:30!!! I can't stand it. It'll be intriguing to see how the early start affects the atmosphere and the play on the ice. Will it all be sluggish? Or will it still have a Wings-Hawks feel? Will Kane be too hungover?

The 1st period against the Canucks was the most gratifying period of hockey at the UC this year. Watching Luongo throw two separate tantrums in 20 minutes makes me giggle in places I didn't know could giggle. Sadly, the Hawks didn't have the same desire to put up 10 as we did to see them do it, and turned it off for the next forty. This time of year though, it never hurts to take your breathers where you can. Huet will start this game, and Adam Burish's return will wait at least one more. So expect a fourth line of Tomas Kopecky, Ben Eager, and Dustin Byfuglien again. Which is fine with me, as the demotion seems to have finally lit a fire under Buff. We'll set the over/under at 3 minutes gone in the 2nd when Kopecky loses his helmet.

Detroit fans are finally facing the fact that maybe, just maybe, they might miss the playoffs. They currently hold the 8th seed, with Calgary one back and St. Louis three back at the time of writing. They're finally all healthy again, and in outclassing the Preds on Friday showed some of the form that keeps us up at night. But it's also the same bunch that got donkey-punched on Wednesday by the same Canucks team that the Hawks just undressed. Jimmy Howard is officially the #1 for the run to the postseason, because Chris Osgood has redefined the term "awful" this year. He'll have plenty of time to memorize his stats these days on the bench.

The injuries have cost Scum a lot, but it doesn't tell the whole story. It may be illegal to mention this, heaven forbid anyone actually criticize a Wings player, but Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are headed for their lowest point-totals since the lockout. When the Wings needed these two to carry them through injury-ravaged waters, they only sort of did. That's why they're 22nd in the league in scoring. Yell about their supporting cast all you want. If they're so dependent on that supporting cast, then are they not as good as we first thought?

We all still expect the Wings to wake up at some point and charge up the standings. But we've been saying that since January. It hasn't happened. Yet. Still, I don't want to see the Machine get all the parts working tomorrow.

Have at it through the night.

I'll Dive On This Grenade...

2010-03-06T16:52:56Z

McClure was supposed to get this, but I can only assume he's still face down in a pile of vomit on a stripper's lap. So allow me to do the honors....

Your Hawks-Canucks Wrap:

If You Want Blood, You Got It: Canucks at Hawks Preview/Thread/Wine Tasting

2010-03-05T19:41:52Z

vs.

GAMETIME: 7:30pm

TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN RADIO 720

CANADIAN COUNTERPART: Nucks Misconduct

Well, won't this be quite the tasty affair, hmmm? Is this the Hawks biggest rival at the moment? Surely the team that hates them the most, and probably the one they have the most distaste for. However they feel, the Hawks must turn up their game if they want to avoid getting horsed tonight, as the Canucks have found their "A" game pretty quickly after the break. They rolled Scum in Detroit on Wednesday, 6-3, with even blimp Kyle Wellwood looking useful. Kesler had a big game too, so the crap we've seen against the Isle and Oil is just not going to fly tonight.

With Iron Madden coming off injury (but playing tonight), look for Toews to draw the Sedins on every even-strength shift. There are no doubt that Captain Marvel can handle it, but I worry about Kane being asked to cancel out what is currently the best line in hockey right now. Then again, offense is the best defense, and the way this line controlled Thornton-Marleau-Heatley in the last game against San Jose leads one to believe they can do it again. Coach Q could also give Bolland and Hossa that assignment. Should make for interesting watching.

However, these Canucks are more than one line, for once. Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler prowl on the second line, and both are headed for 30 goals seasons. Below that is Mikael Samuelsson, who's been a pain in the ass for years, and he's got 22 goals. Needless to say, it's a stern test. The Nucks are a little beat up on the blue line, as Willie Mitchell and Kevin Bieksa miss out to have a talking contest in the pressbox. They missed the last game between these two as well, and that didn't go so well.

I'll be interested to see how Alain Vigneault plays this one. Do the Canucks trap and try and swallow the Hawks in the neutral zone as they have in previous visits? Or with their new-found scoring depth, and recent Hawks struggles against an aggressive forecheck, do they go toe-to-toe? I can't tell you who to sock it to. Can't wait for faceoff.

If you're headed to the game, remember to pick up an Indian so I can afford beer, and if you're not going, remember that you can now sign up for that night's issue right up until faceoff. God bless these fancy new phones!