Getting the job done in Detroit.

The Hawks showed up in Detroit to send a message. Playing with more determination than what we have seen earlier in the season, the Hawks might be adopting some consistency, which has been well over due. This game pretty much summed up what I think is possible out of this Hawk’s squad for the second half. Sure, the Hawks were at the better end of a few bad calls by a weak ref job, though the Hawks felt it at points too. However, overall, the Hawks controlled this game.

There probably is not a better time to play Detroit then when they are out a certain Mr. Datsyuk. Using that to their advantage, the Hawks came out of the gate ready to play. Many worried that the time off might back fire on them, thankfully the result could not be further from that concern. The Hawks came out dominating. In one instance they made 3 line changes while in Detroit’s zone before the Wings could clear. This is exactly what I was talking about in my last post. There is enough talent on this team to give the best of them a really bad headache. Chances were in the Hawk’s favor early, especially seen in a Toews, Kane 2 on 0. But Detroit would catch the first lucky break when Crawford uncharacteristically miss handled a dump at the net. Crawford was looking shaky early on and still found the nerve to make some big saves. Because, even though Detroit was well out shot in the 1^st, the Wings had some good chances.

The Hawks were out shooting Detroit 14-4 when they would get their first PP of the night. After a deflection on a Keith shot, Brouwer would knowingly send the puck to Bolland who was ready and waiting to burry an empty netter. Unfortunately, the Wings would follow with their own PP on a Dowell delay of game penalty. This only allowed the Hawks to show their newly improved PK which almost ended in a shorty when Pisani and Brouwer connected for a wonderful play. Consequently, the Hawks dominate the first. The opportunity to get some good practices in leads to a well played game.

In the 2^nd the Hawks continued the pace and Kopecky delivered on his old team. Some of the things that I was noticing were Keith’s and Seabrook’s play. Keith has started to make Keith-like moves and plays, starting to be the player we all expect. While Seabrook, on the other hand, continues to make clumsy mistakes and fumble the puck. One such play was on a PK when he failed to get the puck out of the zone with a clear opportunity to do so. Leddy and Hendry have brought some relief in that department, showing poise and controlled hands. Leddy’s quick decision making would lead to a PP after he pinched hard off the point in an attempt to keep the puck in the zone. A frustrated Wing then elbowed him in the back of the head on a late hit. The result is Kopecky’s first goal on the night after he beautifully tipped an equally beautiful pass from Bolland. Both of these guys have been big for the Hawks recently and continued tonight.

Many Hawks were on their games today. Toews had many steals and big plays. One such steal by him allowed Kane to rock the crossbar. Howard got just enough of the puck to slightly deflect it up. Howard made a lot of good saves and kept the game from being a blow out earlier than it ended up being. The crowd cheered in Detroit after this certain shot was determined to not be a goal, but one had to wonder if Detroit had much to really be cheering about. However, the Hawks did seem to let the foot off the gas a bit and almost allowed Detroit to tie the game.

And then, Oh man, some exciting hockey. Breakaway by Detroit, big save Crawford, Hossa picks up the puck and ends up driving hard to the net in the opposite end, Howard pokes the puck away from Hossa who continues to struggle offensively. Luckily, going hard to the net like he always does was his good old buddy Kopecky, and GOAL! Kopecky scores his second of the night and obviously loved every minute of it. Then Hossa would make a big steal shortly afterwards and almost send Sharp an easy goal.  3-1 Hawks and into the third.

Last post I mentioned Campbell’s dependable play. What I failed to mention is Hjammer’s part in all of that. “It can’t get past the goalie, if it doesn’t get past me,” is his motto, and I really think that he is keeping some Campbell mistakes from being noticed. Watching him play defense can be a thing of beauty at times.

Detroit brought more pressure in the 3^rd and the Hawks were there to meet it. Knowing they had another big game in the morning might have given them reason to sit back a bit, but you still have to be happy with the result. Right off the bat, Pisani and Bolland almost make it 4-1 on a great play. Pisani had a really great night. Kane also had a surprising night, but more so in the defensive arena of play. And while Crawford might have looked shaky early, he still held on to make the necessary saves to keep Detroit to 1 goal. One such big save on Zetterberg would end up leading to another Hawk’s goal. In this play Kane draws 4 Wings high into their zone, leaving Toews and Brouwer low with only one man on them. Kane makes a nice little pass down low to Toews who quickly finds a completely left open Brouwer. Bing, Bang Boom.

The Hawks finished when they needed to, hit when they needed to, passed and shot when they needed to, and kept the home safe. Lots of reasons to be happy after this one. Keep celebrating, enjoy the moment and then on to tomorrow when the big Hawk’s game will be overshadowed by the Bear’s game.

 

How do you feel about the Hawks?

With 47 games played and the allstar break shortly approaching, the Hawks have 54 points which has them sitting at 8th place, with the Wild only 1 point behind in 9th and the Sharks in 10th 3 points behind. I wonder how this makes you feel as a Hawks fan. Is this acceptable, do you feel comfortable with it, what do you think the present situation of the Hawk’s game is, and what do they need to do in order to be successful this year? Lots of questions, I know, but they are also sort of warranted. After winning the Cup, this team has become quite the conundrum. After keeping the “core” intact for this season, halfway through it we still have no idea who this team is. Not a comfortable place to be if you ask me. However, this team has been hindered with injuries which has definitely impeded on their success. And, one could easily see the Hawks winning in the very least 5 of the games that they have dropped in the 3rd period throughout the year. Those 5 wins would put them in second place with a sure shot at winning the conference. 5 games is all the difference.

Let us not dwell on the past too much, unless of course it involves remembering who won the Cup last year. Let us focus on the here and now. Still in the running for a strong performance in the upcoming playoffs, what element, or elements are key to getting there? I can tell you right now that staying healthy might just be the #1 thing that could lead to success. Having now seen this team play with an uninjured roster and after having some time to get comfortable with it, I like their chances. I like the way they are moving the puck, how they are strengthening up on defense, and controlling puck possession. There are lots to be happy with in the past few games. A possible team identity has showed itself. The Hawks are hard to handle when they keep that puck moving. Strong cycling, a very quick defense with probably the best offensive skill in the league, and a powerful powerplay. The PK has even improved as of late. I think that if the Hawks stick with this game plan that they have a shot.

I am also very happy with Bolland in the last few games as I am sure all of you are too. It reminds us that when all of these guys are playing to their potential just how potent that talent is. Brouwer too has come alive as the season progresses, in a lot of ways becoming the Buf that we all miss. There are a few other guys who I am really happy with too. Hossa on the other hand, is someone that needs to step it up. I think Kopecky is averaging more points per game. Yes, his +/- is at 7 which is decent, but he only has 10 goals and 25 points more then halfway through the season. Injury or not, he has to be better. We need consistent point production out of him. If that were to happen, and the guys who are already producing keep it up, then I see a dominant force to be reckoned with. I guess that not only do I think this team can go deep into the playoffs, I also think that they can be dominant in the playoffs once again. The potential is there.

With Crawford playing great and dependable hockey, the possibilities only increases. I was a huge supporter of Niemi and still am, but there is a huge difference to the way Crawford is playing right now. Having that foundation in net will help them be successful and ease the player’s minds.

Campbell is playing above my expectations defensively. I never thought that I would see him at a + 23. His contribution in that department is a huge reason why the Hawks are even in 8th place. What also surprises me are Keith and Seabrook’s performances, but obviously in the opposite way. Maybe the allstar break will help Keith clear his mind.

A large test stands right in front of the Hawks. After having a few successful games, some time off to work out any other lingering kinks, they now face a challenging weekend. First is Detroit. Win here and prove that you have the right stuff. I would love to see Hossa break out of his little slump here and against his old team. Then onto Philly. Back to back wins this weekend could be the shot to send a message to the league. They have failed a lot of tests this year already. Time to start winning a few.

Oh, and Detroit Sucks! Sorry, I just had to say it, and I really don’t feel that bad about it. I grew up playing and watching way too much hockey. I have always found Detroit to embody a successful club, which only caused me to be more angry about their success. I also played a good amount of hockey in Detroit, and I just hated being there. No offense Detroit, but I dislike you very much. This is the Hawk’s time. Last year and this year, and the next.

 

 

That is much better.

Sometimes you need a little push, a little motivation, a helpful reminder or whatever the hell went on that Hawk’s locker room between the second and third periods to get things going. The Hawks were in need of some steam and that steam helped them find some of the goals missing from Saturday night’s 3rd period and then some extras too. Going into this said period, the Hawks were down a goal. When all was said and done, the Hawks presented the Preds with what can only be referred to as a barrage of shots  in the 3rd, outshooting their opponent 18-5, and left with a score of 6-3. Where the hell has this kind of finish been hiding all year?

The Hawks however, still failed to play a full 60 minutes. The only difference was when they played hard and when they looked like they didn’t want to be playing hockey at all was at different times of the game then we are used to. The Preds came out hard, scored early, and it wasn’t what I had expected. After giving up a game the night before to the same team, you would think that it would fuel a great start. Thank god Bolland and Bickell showed up to play some puck. Bolland had just an outstanding 60 minutes of hockey, keeping his recently renewed play going, and Bickell who is having a great rookie season fed off of some of that mojo. They would pick up the first Hawk’s goal after Bickell made a great play and Bolland finished perfectly.

What followed was a wrath of penalties by the Hawks. The boarding called on Brouwer was a crap call, but the other infractions were stupid stick penalties. The Hawks seemed to be showing their frustration with the always frustrating Predators. Eventually, Mr. Overcommit himself would over commit for the Pred’s second goal of the  night. I really can’t understand how a veteran goalie like Turco can continuously over play a shot. Someone needs to stick some velcro to his butt.

For a while this game seemed destined for disaster. The Hawks went back on the PK a few times, having an obvious attraction to the box. Mistakes were everywhere. They just kept making little mistakes, nothing big, but annoying to watch all the same.

I was starting to get tired of watching the Hawks blow another game. When all of a sudden, Kopecky intercepts a pass and quickly hits a breaking Bolland who has one defender to beat. Things looked unfortunate when I realized the defender was Suter, an olympian and great defenseman. Bolland, riding his hot streak decided to give Suter a little razzle-dazzle though. A fake of the shoulder here, a toe drag there, a sweet move and he finds himself with a highlight reel goal as he tucked the puck between Lindback’s  legs. Simply beautiful. Tie game.

But the Hawk’s love of the penalty box gave the Preds another PP shortly there after. What the hell was up with them? Although the kill looked sound enough to keep them out of big trouble, they still missed a few easy clearing attempts and did not have the usual aggressiveness we love to see on the kill.

Sharp’s quick speed would give the Hawks a much needed PP, but they were unable to convert, although they did send a good amount of shots on net. The Hawks were starting to pick their game up. They were hustling more, and hitting a bit more. Things were looking up.

And then 4 minutes into the 3rd, the Preds score quickly off of a faceofff to the right of Turco. I had given up hope. Figured the Hawks were done given their past play in 3rd period hockey. I never would have expected what happened next. I would have called you crazy if you said that the Hawks would score 4 unanswered goals in the remaining minutes of play. Brouwer even got 2 in less than a minute. His first came off of a rebound on a PP. In desperation mode, the Hawks started throwing pucks to the net more often. This caused a few rebounds and started the offensive engine. Like I said, not a minute later, Brouwer scores again after cycling out of the corner into the high slot and snapping a wrister into the net. Kane provided a helpful pick as Brouwer made his move from the corner. Good heads up play by Kane. Both skaters had equal right to the ice in that situation, so it was not interference.

The Preds started feeling the pressure for the first time in the game and it ended up giving the Hawks another PP. Not what you want to do against the #1 powerplay team in the league. They did not score on it, but they sure did shoot a lot. Shortly after Bickell would burry a shot from the slot after a beautiful pass from Campbell, who is probably the Hawk’s best defenseman this year so far.

What results is a huge win for the Hawks who were in no position to lose. A much different 3rd than we are used to seeing. Maybe the Hawks will figure out how to play a full 60 before playoffs role around. Though you have to be kind of happy with where the Hawks are right now, given their crappy start. It seems like the healthy squad is finding their groove in a lot of ways. Still room for improvement, but I think the Hawks are playing good hockey as of late. I would like to see Sharp scoring even when others are getting the job done, and Hossa really needs to pick up his point production if you ask me.

The Hawks now have some time off. This can be good and it could also be a bad thing. Practices will be crucial, and I need to think up some posts to pass the time with. Time to get ready for the Wings.
//

@#$%, *#@%$@, %^$#@

The Case of the terrible third period returns.

I though that tonight’s post was going to be a positive one that included words about Crawford getting a 3rd shutout in a row. I really expected a win here, and the game was pointing in that direction until about 10 minutes left. Once again, the Hawks not playing the full 60 kicks their butts. Im not even sure I want to say anything about the game anymore. How could they give those points up? They had the Preds dead in their shoes.

Anyway, here is a little recap. It is mostly cheerful until the end.

The Preds came out hard, and they finished hard. In the middle it was all Hawks. The tempo of this game saw a couple 360 turns. Early on it was Crawford that had to make a few big saves to prevent an attacking Pred’s offense from converting. The Hawks were looking lost. Making too many passes, running themselves into turning the puck over, and just making some weird choices on the ice. Things took a while to click. Kopecky had a 2-on-1 opportunity with Hossa, but a strong backcheck by the Preds and a terrible decision on Kopecky’s part turned into a whole lot of nothing for them. The Preds definitely have the ability to throw the Hawks off of their game. Then Toews and Kane come in on a 2-on-1 and Kane doesn’t stay in front of the net after making a pass to Toews. I really can’t understand why not, because if he had the Hawks probably go up 1-0 here.

And then I found myself yelling at Kopecky for another dumb play just before he stripped the puck off the Pred’s defense and finishes a perfect shot over the shoulder of Rinne with a few seconds left on the Hawk’s PP. All of a sudden the Hawks started looking better. Quicker, crisper passes followed by a more determined hustle and the Hawks controlled the next 40 minutes.

The 2nd period started off looking really good for the Hawks, but a defensive blunder by Seabrook led to a PP for the Preds. This led to a whole lot of nothing for Nashville as the Hawk’s PK has started looking much better in recent games. A huge success in the large scheme of the season. Wouldn’t you know it, Stalberg scored tonight. From behind the net even. It came after Dowell made the wrong choice on a rush towards the net. Stalberg was wide open on his left, but he shot instead, to which Stalberg got the puck behind the net and shot it off of Rinne’s shoulder. Maybe Karma is looking in this lines direction with a smile now.

This brings me to a comment that Eddie O made about Stalberg and Skille. He said something along the lines of how Stalberg and Skille showed great skills. Mentioning how both had tremendous speed, but that they were really only 7-12 players on a team with 4 lines, continuing on he said that they lacked the overall talent to play with guys on the top lines. I found this comment to be a bit offsides. First of all, when Stalberg played with Toews and Kane, he was the one who was always making things happen. Secondly, would he have made the same statement of guys like Ladd, Versteeg, Eager, or Buf last year. Because we all know how much more they have been appreciated elsewhere. Just something I felt needed mentioning.

Back to the Hawk’s PK that looks so much stronger lately. On the second PK of the period, Bolland hustled his butt off to get to a puck in the Pred’s zone and it almost caused a shorty. The hustle is what is really making the PK look better. That and how well they are moving around while staying in position. Toews and Sharp had a great moment when they switched sides smoothly which seemed to catch Nashville off guard and caused a turnover. I hope to see more of that.

The Hawks were really bringing the pressure here. It was looking like another possible 4-0 game. Many Hawks missed a few big opportunities though. Sharp missed one in particular on a Hawk’s PP. He sat back-door while Kane fed him the pass. Why he didn’t burry the puck immediately is a real doozy. It would have been the winner. Unfortunately for the Hawks and Sharp, it wasn’t the last big chance he would have and miss on.

Pecka Rinne is a dominating goalie. He can be really intimidating to the opposition when they look and find no holes to score on. He happened to be off his game tonight and the Hawks still couldn’t burry it. They let him get his bearings back. The Preds looked really defeated in the early parts of the 3rd. A win seemed inevitable and the Hawks became a little too content with the way things were going. They had out scored their opponents 11-0 in the past 8 1/2 periods up to this point and were ready to ride a hot goaltender to another victory. The problem is that they forgot how quickly a 2-0 game can become a 2-1 game and then a 2-2 game. Curses flew out of my mouth as a weird play resulted in a 2-1 game. Crawford had no chance and his streak of no goals was ended at 176 minutes. I still did not expect the worst. The way the game was going the Hawks would still win 2-1 or maybe 3-1. Nope, wrong again. All of a sudden the Preds had life and they started making the Hawks look very stupid for allowing this game to stay so close.

Kopecky would miss a chance in all alone on Rinne with a horrible move, and then Toews lost a rare faceoff that allowed for a blast from the point. Game tied, Hawks blow 2 points and the game heads into overtime. Not wanting a shootout situation against Rinne, I hoped for a quick 4 on 4 win. Things looked promising when Sharp was hit with a pass that sent him in all alone on a breakaway to which his move was seen coming from a mile away. Needless to say, the Hawks lost and gave 2 points to a team that was already sitting above them in the standings.

My big factors of this game. Toews was out of sorts tonight. He made a few too many plays that were very uncharacteristic. Also, Sharp didn’t score when given the chances. His goal contribution is a large factor in wins this year. And the most obvious was letting a dead team get their life back. Another 3rd period loss.

Puck That.

Back to Back Shutouts!!!

Even mister bad karma himself Jack Skille scored in this beauty of a game. No doubt, this team is playing a better brand of hockey right now.

First Period:

The Hawks started out the game by taking the puck hard to the net. Before the game even started, Q talked about his excitement over the pace that established the past game. Getting pucks quick and hard to the net had a lot to do with that pace.  After a penalty the Hawks lost a step or two and Crawford had to make a few tough saves. But the Hawks regained their momentum with a play that found Keith very much open on the point after a shifty maneuver by Kane along the boards. A blast on net followed by a huge rebound and Brouwer, who had been found laying on his butt twice in front of the net already, picked up the rebound by going hard to the net and slides it under Budaj. Not a minute later the Hawks make a quick and simple movement into the neutral zone, dump the puck deep and win the race to it. A helpful bounce ends up finding Bolland on the back door with an empty net.

The Hawks continued a strong pace which then somehow led to being shorthanded again. This allowed the Hawks to showcase what seems to be a new and improved PK system which involved winning battles man to man all while staying in a more composed system. And it came complete with some solid goaltending. Crawford, who was finally verbally mentioned as the Hawk’s #1 goaltender by Steve Conroid had another strong period and game. Maybe even stronger was the performance from the Bolland line who overpowered the Av’s in many instances. The Hawks did much of their winning last year from great cycling abilities and seem to have found success with it again this year finally. Successful cycling leads to puck possession and the Hawks seemed to have it in the 1^st, although they were somehow out shot 9-7. Small note: Leddy was double shiftedin the 1st and I am not so sure it was the best idea. Although he is playing great hockey, he is still young and he later made a few mistakes. He might not be ready for that kind of pressure yet Q.

The Second started again with the Bolland line looking so very impressive. I like how the Hawks are finally using that speedy defense to establish a much more efficient breakout. Leddy made a great move in one instance that almost allowed for a Hendry rush that looked promising. Both are willing to take hits rather than throw the puck into a bad situation. Again, the defense on a whole is better for the play of these two young individuals.

I can’t say enough about how well the Bolland line was playing here which was largely due to a really effective backcheck. Bolland had more to say about it though when he delivered a beautifully sick pass to Pisani after wheeling and dealing into the zone complete with a self pass off the boards. His Pass to Pisani had to be perfect since 2 defenders surrounded him, and it was even better than that, it was magnificent. The line who was challenged with the job of stopping one of the most potent scoring lines in the league was giving a lot more to the cause.

Kane was looking to razzle-dazzle the crowd the use of his spin-o-ramas that continued throughout the game, maybe a bit too often, but fun to watch all the same. Kane seemed destined to score a goal, adding to the excellent puck movement of the 2^nd period and almost helping Toews get his 100^th goal on a brilliant rush into the attacking zone. A 2^nd period that was confusingly ended early. With 2:07 left on the clock, the period was ended early due to cracked glass. Something I had never seen happen until this point.

The third or should I say second started with a weird feeling to it. The Av’s knowing that the Hawks were prone to giving up games in the third came out ready to play. A big chance came early for the Avs after Leddy failed to get the puck out and then lost the battle. What ensued was a long stretch of the puck in the Hawk’s zone. Stalberg would finally get the puck out and was then taken down from behind, was somehow able to keep stick handling all the way through it and no call was made. A shame, because with the exception of the Bolland line, the Avs were putting on the heat. A PP would have fit nicely into the big picture there. I know every Hawk’s fan was worried even with the 3 goal lead. Then with a little bit of hustle and a big rebound, Skille put the game a bit more out of reach for the Av’s. Nice to see Skille and the fourth line get one. We all know they deserve it.

The PK would be tested again soon later when a delay of game was called against them. They accepted the challenge with another dominant kill and followed it with a dominant shift involving Kane, Hossa and Kopecky. This led to a PP for the Hawks that started off looking great, but ended up allowing the Avs to catch a breakaway. Crawford stood very tall and even showed a bit of emotion between the mask. You never see much out of Crawford in facial expressions. He has kinda got that stoic thing going on. Definitely something valued in a goaltender. Foley mentioned that Crawford has gotten a reputation for watching player video tapes which does not surprise this fan very much. He wants this job. I say he keeps it, given that he just produced back to back shutouts.

The result is nice to see, and the game was even nicer to watch. The Hawks matched speed with the fastest team in the league. This seems to be the kind of play that they feel the most comfortable with. Besides the great play of the Bolland line and Crawford, I thought that Brouwer looked great, He was hitting hard and his line also contributed greatly to the puck possession game.

1 down, 5 to go in January.

 

January

After a decisive win, the talk has turned to the schedule ahead of the Hawks. They face the Avs on Wednesday night, then the Preds back to back over the weekend, and then separated by 5 days until the Wings game on the 22nd.

I want to see them take the next 4 games. The Hawks are in no position to lose games (especially to these teams), they have done enough of that already. If they want to show that they are ready to make the playoffs, and then be a contender, it might be necessary to manufacture a long winning streak here and now. The Hawks only have 6 games for the rest of January. The difference between the 4th place and 13th place team is 2 games. The Hawks have played more games than any team below them, and a loss could send them down to that 13th spot. January has now become a huge opportunity to get some rest between games and bring the very best in every game they have. I would love to see them win through the rest of the month obviously, but the reality is that there is little room for missing an opportunity at points.
With the space between games, the Hawks have the ability to work on the game plan that seems to have worked most recently. Completely healthy for the first time, a few new faces on the bench that have replaced the “beef” on the team, and a healthy amount of speedy skaters, the Hawks have the pieces to be successful. Crawford continues to look better with every game, and he is surely on cloud 9 after Sunday’s win. Role through the Av’s, match their speed and play with the necessary determination to then continue through the Preds.

My personal belief is that the way the Hawks played against the Isles will help them beat the Pred’s trap. They looked to have made a choice to be a fast team and win that way. The defense were able to move the puck more quickly and the wingers were holding a bit deeper in the zone. When forced to, they dumped and chased, winning those races to the puck. This is a great way to play the trap. It involves less variation in the neutral zone which is where the Hawks have been caught in previous outings.

The number 1 focus should be the PK. Maybe that requires bringing Johnson up to play as a winger in Pisani’s spot. I think Johnson brings more options to the team and could be a huge help in the mental aspect of the game too. Fix that, stay out of the box and continue to take advantage of the PP. Things look good. The Wings are without Datsyuk at the moment, though they still faired well against the Nucks, having no Datsyuk come the 22nd could be a huge gain for the Hawks.

If the Hawks can win through January, dropping only 1 or no games at all, they will be in a much healthier place come Allstar Break. That could change the whole perspective on this team. Also, keep in mind that they play the Flyers before February.

Let’s Hear it for the……..

Hawks! Lets here it for the big win, and jumping into 6th place from 11th in the standing, keep it going for Crawford’s big shutout, keep it going for the “core” players, for puck possession, and keep it going for Leddy and Hendry on the D. There are some happy humans in Chicago tonight, and with good reason.

While there are a few things to be less excited about in this game, I really want to focus on the positives mostly. I missed a good portion of this game because I had a game of my own, in which the result was nowhere near as enjoyed as the Hawk’s game, but the reasons for and big points of the win were fairly obvious. I even thought for a moment that Q might be a reader on PuckPowWow, because it seemed that a few things we talk about here were utilized on the ice tonight.

Puck possession my friends. If you have it, you are much more likely to win. Through a quick and dominant cycling of the puck, quick and simple hockey, getting the puck down low and then winning the battles, the Hawks spent a great deal of the night with the puck. Then, they were smarter and more poised with it. Much better than games in the past.

Maybe they took their queues from Leddy, who shows a composure well beyond his years. Enjoy it while he is here folks, because he is elite and will be worth a pretty penny in the near future. How it took so long for the administration to realize that Hendry is a great player is really hard to understand. Having finally noticed his skating abilities and quick reactions, Q seems comfortable with him being a common fixture on the team. Together, he and Leddy make a very quick defensive pairing, and taking notes from discussions in the last post, they allowed for a smoother transition game. These two were huge factors in the win.

Even though the Hawks won 5-0, the Isles still managed 29 shots on net including a few that were destined for the back of it. Crawford was huge! His contribution to this big win is priceless and credit is much deserved in his 1st shutout of the year, 2nd in the NHL. Especially early on in the game, the Isles had some big chances. In total, he probably made about 5 or 6 superstar elite saves, including one in the 1st on a breakaway after Leddy was beat and earlier on a shot after Campbell made a terrible turnover. Crawford is making a big believer out of me. I doubt the outcome is so positive without his confidence in the net. The score was only 1-0 after the first after all.

Another big factor in the early parts of the game was getting 2 PPs right in a row and connecting for a goal on the second of them.

As I mentioned above, the Hawks used their quickness to overpower the Isles. The Isles were out a few big names in the defensive department and the Hawks exploited that well. Hopefully it is something that can continue against healthier teams. They will need that movement against the Avs come Wednesday.

The core was on tonight. Facing a lot of negative critiques lately, they answered with a furry of points. Kane, Sharp, and Hossa all scored. And guess what, they were all off of one-timers. Beyond just scoring though, they seemed to have a better grip on themselves and showed much more confidence with the puck. Kane especially, he was on his game. The Hawks obviously need the “core”to show up on a more consistent basis. Finally being a healthy squad could have a big part in it, but we need this to continue no matter what. Their ability to be so effective brings me to my next and last point of the night.

Ice-time. Something that I have been watching very carefully over the past first half of the season. I feel that Q has often focused on the core players too much, and placed too much pressure on them in games. He has ignored that the team has a lot of talent beyond just those guys. Maybe it had something to do with the score of the game, but either way, Q utilized his bench tonight. First of all, Leddy and Hendry were both 16+ minutes each. We might see a lot less mistakes from our big guns on defense if this continues. I feel a large reason for Kane’s success was his ice-time. Coming in at 15 minutes, a far cry from his 20 minutes in previous outings. To compare that with Dowell’s 13+ minutes helps put the whole thing in perspective. Skille and Stalberg were both at 11 1/2 minutes, much more than their 5 minutes in the last game. Towes was only at 17 minutes, and no core player in the offense was above 20. Again, the score going into the 3rd has some effect on this, but my hope is that Q gets the bigger picture here. His team was good tonight, but they were not perfect and the good practices must continue.

The mistakes need to be singled out and worked on. The pace of what we saw needs to continue, players need to continue to understand their roles, and they also still need to up the physical aspect of the game. They seemed less worried about making mistakes tonight, but they still happened and that needs to be pointed out. Crawford had to make too many huge saves to seal this big win. But enough, Im tired and I have a big day tomorrow.

Peace, and Go Hawks!

 

2 Points.

Making a point can be hard sometimes. People can become offended easily in conversations when your point backs them into a corner and proves them wrong. I often find it best to try focusing on the good things in an attempt to soothe over the counterpart, then as smoothly as possible, slide in the negative or critical view point at hand. Still, many will be offended, simply because we humans (even happy humans) have a hard time admitting we are wrong.

My point is, oh crap….., I forgot my point. Well, the Hawks must have it because they picked up 2 of them tonight. Through all of our critiques and rants about the performance of this team, and even though they almost lost that point, the one man who we have been very critical off in the past, made his presence heard and did the best he could to earn those 2 points.

At the risk of sounding too negative, this game was kind of boring. Which might also feel like a vacation to many of us. The game was boring, because the Hawks kept things a bit more simple. They kept the offense simple, the breakouts careful, and tried to keep the defense strong. Early in to this one, you could feel the tension. Things are at a breaking point, moves have been made, the players are weary of their jobs. We have brought up the point that it could be wise to take it easy this year, focus on building the youth and not throw all of our eggs into one basket again. While this might have been a sensible reaction to winning the cup, this Hawk’s administration is not going to sit back and watch their successes come crashing down when the Hawks fail to appear in the playoffs.

It was interesting to me when the post-game interviews featured a smiling Q-Stache. My personal opinion of the game was one of mixed reactions, happy for the overtime win, but confused on what I saw. Q’s reaction hints at a possible attempt to be more positive about the Hawks and maybe we can do the same.

What I saw in this game:

First off, Leddy was in a Hawks uniform. Not only that, but he saw a decent amount of ice-time. Not only that, but he was pretty freakin good to watch too. He and Hendry both had extremely sound games tonight. A big factor in the eventual win. Both showed quick reactions, strong skating, nice passes, and a determination that kept the Sens away from their net. Both of these guys possess great offensive capabilities and I think we might see fireworks in their futures.

As I briefly noted, the Hawks kept things simple. Getting pucks to the net was a choice made in most situations. Besides Kane’s sweetness in the 3rd, some drives to the net by Hossa, and a surprising amount of fancy stick-handling from Kopecky, the Hawks looked liked a very straight forward team.

Some mistakes were made. Crawford had to stand tall after Keith was caught pinching – resulting in a 2 on 0. Keith might have been out of position, but his hustle added to the result in that situation. On a whole, I thought Keith looked much stronger tonight. His smarter play and the Leddy move had a lot to do with the Hawk’s successes tonight.

Someone that I thought had a bad night was Sharp. He made a decent amount of uncharacteristic plays. Seemingly unsure of what to do with the puck, he caused a few turnovers, one that led to a powerplay for the Sens and an eventual goal. That makes it 4 times in a row that the Hawks have allowed a goal when shorthanded. You can even extend that to 5 times if you count the last minute of play when the Sens had the extra attacker and scored. ( I wonder if that would have ended differently if Leddy and Hendry were on the ice?)

Overall, this was a victory. I will not repeat the noises and words that came flying out of my mouth when the game finished regulation tied, but they were nicely balanced by the beautiful goal that Kane scored in the 3rd. Kane seemed to feel better as the game continued and a big goal was scored by a “core” player. Again, honestly, I am going to have to go with Kopecky as having the most surprising night though.

There is more to be said, such as how Brouwer was moved to the Toews line in an attempt to protect the captain (unfortunately this move seemed a bit late, as Toews had a slow night), how Skille’s karma got him again after his speed won him a slight breakaway, or maybe how Pisani was robbed stone cold after a brilliant pass from the ever confusing Bolland. However, I digress, and leave you pondering how it is that Toews can score continuously on the shootout with the same shot. Nice to see Kane follow his lead and just take the easy shot too.

Seeing Stars

Well, I guess I’ll start off here being Captain Obvious and state that this is not how a team makes it to the Stanley Cup Finals let alone defends the title. Reinstall Ladd, Versteeg, Buff, Eager, Sopel and Madden and the result is likely a win for the hometeam even with the same first period. No doubt the Hawks caught some bad breaks tonight and could have easily potted at least four goals. But, as a glass half empty kind of guy, I tend to believe the breaks generally favor the team that is doing the most right things and that clearly was not the Hawks tonight.

First period the Hawks were stifled in every sense of the game that mattered. They turned the puck over constantly, struggled to get the puck deep in the offensive zone, let the Stars own the space in front of Crawford, took two penalties and gave up two goals. Both goals came from letting players creep into scoring position in front of the goal and even though both were not “strong” goals they counted just the same. That it was only 2-0 after one is probably the most positive thing that could be said. Second period was a complete reversal of the first and in addition to really working hard, the Q random line generator maybe had something to do with the Stars not matching up well and the Hawks tied it up at 2. They carried the momentum into the third, but got whistled for a very unfortunate penalty when Ott took a totally embellished bitch dive. Though the Hawks were protecting the house much better by now, Hammer went down to block a puck and had the puck gone cleanly through his legs, it looked like Crawford was dead on his positioning. Instead, the puck hits Hammer’s right knee guard which redirected the puck to Crawford’s left as he was going right. To their credit, the Hawks kept hustling and generated some really good scoring chances. Then, right before the final two minutes, Hendry took a high stick in the face and the Hawks got a final power play. With Crawford pulled, the Hawks generated some chances, but seemed to perhaps struggle with trying to work a sixth guy into the mix. For a final screw job, it turns out that the empty netter was scored by Steve Ott who was the one who actually should have gone to the box for the high stick.

Quick bullets on the game: As stated above, they sucked bad in the first. Though it didn’t last, the first line was Brouwer, Toews, Hossa, 2nd Bickell, Sharp Kopecky, 3rd Pisani, Bolland, Kane 4th Scott, Johnson, Stalberg. Kane with shutdown guys baffles me. Is he still hurt? Is Q trying to teach him a lesson? Edzo alluded to talking to Kane and Kane more or less saying he’s not a 100%. After Williams got in his face last game, this marks the second game now that Kane has drawn the attention of an opposing player and has had several after whistle jaw sessions. Stalberg totally beat Lehtonen and continues to be snakebit. After Burish flopped on Crawford after a whistle, Foley noted that Sharp skated from center ice to jab him with the stick a few times while the Hawks D kinda stood there. Overall, I don’t think either team tonight was physical in a game changing way. To me, the Stars looked like they knew what they wanted to do and are playing like a team that is headed for a playoff run instead of a team of asshats that has nothing to look forward to other than making big hits. As for the Hawks, they still look like a .500 team.

So, with the season now past the half gone mark I wanted to open up discussion on what has transpired since the quarter pole. With the exception of the four games where the Hawks played their best hockey of the year minus some top talent (and against playoff teams to boot) there hasn’t been a whole lot to cheer about. On many nights, this team does not play it’s best hockey when it’s best players are on the ice. Some nights it’s stupid blind passes. Some nights it’s complete lack of willingness to hit people (St. Louis?). Some nights it’s way too much cuteness and hail mary stretch passes and frequently, it’s taking entire periods off. Most of us here are in agreement in feeling that Q’s line management isn’t helping either. So, even though I asked where to now at the quarter pole, I feel kind of like we are still in the same spot. In reality, the Hawks currently sit in 9th place and 7 of the 8 teams ahead of them have played fewer games. On the plus side, two teams ahead of the Hawks are both sporting goal differentials that are negative and they are not likely to stay where they are playing that way. Be that as it may, just looking at tonight’s contest, I think it’s clear what separates a contender from a hopeful.

Some weeks back, I made reference to the wings and by so doing invited our friend wonteam to counsel us on what it means to be a winner. In restating something most of us have said at one time or another, the theme of expectation rose to the top. After stating, “We want to win the cup”, the Hawks organization backed it up with free agency signings, good scouting and taking the chance on firing a player loved coach. From no playoffs to WCF, the Hawks set an expectation that they would finally win a cup and they succeeded. And then it was all gone. What I questioned at the quarter mark wasn’t whether winning now should be a top focus because of course it always should. Instead, what I was questioning was what needs to happen to take the next step to being a dominant, perennial contender. Watching the 24/7 series has been very interesting to me, especially the stuff on the Caps. Last year they kicked major ass in the conference and took and early exit in the playoffs. Rather then come back and play the same way, they have taken a very different route to try and become a better defensive team. Even in the midst of a well documented losing streak, they have stuck with it, their captain has bought into it and they finally seem to be righting that ship. The contrast to the Hawks right now is what bothers me.

When I wrote the quarter pole stuff, I was admittedly already thinking about next year. Looking at the perennial teams out there, (a list that is bigger then just the wings) they come in and do the same things night in and night out and find a way to make what they have work. When the Hawks lose, it is almost never in a game where they played hard for 60 minutes and just got edged out and arguably this is a holdover from last year. Looking ahead, I don’t see how Stan can keep this team as it is when what it is isn’t working. However, that is likely to be the issue of the summer rather then the issue now. Since most people don’t like the idea of talking about the future because it signals throwing in the towel, I’m curious to hear what other people think needs to happen right now to make this team a respectable contender for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.

 

Hope you didn’t miss this game. Hawks 4, Kings 3

There is almost too much to say about this game that it makes it hard to focus. It had everything: end to end action, lots of PP goals, a terrible start by the Hawks, a great finish by the Hawks, the return of Toews, good calls and bad calls, everything under the sun, and a finish that has Hawk’s fans smiling ear to ear.

It was announced that Toews would miss 2 weeks after his injury in the Blues’ game. Apparently someone screwed up, because it was more like 2 games. Or, they forgot to factor in that Toews is a super hero who can skate down buildings as seen in his new allstar game commercial. Pretty simply, his loss was felt hard, and his return was felt even harder.

Although, the Hawk’s start was less than promising. It was terrible in fact, just about as bad as it comes. The Kings had 10 shots on net eight minutes into the game with the Hawks yet to get even one. Crawford was asked to be really big early, and he in turn asked for some assistance from the post. I had some questions regarding the starting line-combos, but I am still tired from last years harping on the subject, so I will just keep my mouth shut. The Hawks go to the box early on what I saw as a pretty questionable call. Early PP for the Kings and they convert shortly after Seabrook made a terrible turnover. A wicked deflection in the King’s favor and the Kings have the lead. They would continue to dominate well into the period, but only muster up 1 lonely goal. They looked like the Hawks did in last night’s 3rd period.

Then Bickell takes another penalty for the Hawks (another weak call if you ask me), the Kings miss an empty net, they hit a post, and Crawford makes another huge save. The Hawks look like they needed assistance getting the puck out of the zone. Making bad passes, throwing the puck into any direction without cause, and have a problem transitioning from offense to defense. Keith, Campbell, and Seabs all make a few bad choices as things really start to look dim for the Hawks, captain or no captain.

Then the Hawks get a powerplay after Kane hugged a King’s player from behind. I can’t really make sense of the call, but I will take it, as Hossa makes a strong move to the net and scores on the resulting PP. This came after Toews made a great play to keep the puck within the Hawk’s possession. Ending the period tied 1-1 after getting so drastically outplayed was a huge factor in this game. The Hawks had luck on their side.

The Hawks start the second much better and looking like a totally different team. Crisper passing, shots on net, Hossa hits the crossbar after a nice series of passes, and things are looking up. Then Kopitar takes a delay of game penalty, Hawks go on the PP which starts off looking really promising as well. Kane gets the puck on the far side, looks to shoot, and then decides otherwise, making a pass across to the other end for an awaiting Sharp who drives it home. Hawks go up 2-1 thanks to the powerplay.

Some notes: It was good to see Hendry again on the D. He is a very strong skater and uses it to be smart, but also aggressive in many situations. Pisani had a great game. Kane looked much better (hustling harder, nice passes), though his ice-time was also lessened tonight. Kopecky also had a strong performance, and Sharp would add 2 goals to his run for the scoring title this year. At this point in the game, the Hawks had 2 PP goals, Hossa and Sharp had scored, and they were winning. Things had very quickly turned in their favor, because those factors usually spell win for the Hawks.

The Kings would tie the game again late in the 2nd after Skille failed to do something that he usually excels at, which is getting the puck down low. He and Stalberg saw a very diminished amount of shifts tonight, only recording 5 and 7 minutes of play. In the last minute of 2nd period play however, Hossa and Toews put on an impressive show of skills on and dominate the Kings for the remainder of the period. No goals result, but the message is sent regardless.

Fueled by Kopecky power, he and Sharp produce the go-ahead goal in the 3rd. Say what you will about Kopecky, and I agree that he makes a ton of mistakes, but the guy has energy and gets himself involved in the play. He and Sharp practically forced this puck to the net and Sharp drove it home for his second on the night.

Consecutive penalties spell disaster for the Hawks later on. 3 in a row actually. The 3rd being on Toews and lands the Hawks short 2 skaters for about half a minute. A miss calculated face-off placement by the refs helped the Kings convert on the man advantage. All the while Toews and Q seemed extremely pissed off on the matter from their respective benches.

Toews would use that fire to fuel a game-winning goal after he cleaned up some garbage in front of the net on his next shift out of the box. He shows us just how important he is to the Hawks with this goal. A great game played in all aspects and he gets the goal that counts the most. He came back not a moment too soon, and you really have to wonder how that even happened in the first place. Is it his determination to the game, his ability to heal fast, or the need for him on the ice?

The game was not over just yet, even though a holding penalty on Hendry against the Kings promised to put it out of reach for the trailing team. The Hawk’s defense looked a lot less sound than you would have hoped for a team protecting a 1 goal lead. Eventually, the Kings got a prime opportunity with 13 seconds left, but Crawford was there to say no with a big glove save and put the icing on a great Hawk’s win.

This was big. I have little expectations for the future as the Hawks play seems to wavier much like the tide of this game tonight. It would be great to see them find a positive momentum for more than 3 games. Maybe a finally healthy roster can help that along. Every point matters down the stretch, especially those against teams like L.A. So, for now, we are all happy humans.