Against All Odds: Wednesday's Big Boy (Hawks 4, River Scum 1)

You know your team will lose games, a few if they're an elite team or a lot if they're The Oilers, but there are certain games you really don't want to lose.  Any game against St. Lewis falls into the latter category, not just because giving up a four-point gap against a divisional rival is a poor result, but also because....St. Lewis.
I felt a great deal of trepidation heading into this match, mostly because Antti Raanta scares the heck out of me.  I still believe that he will be a middling-to-good-possibly-very-good goaltender at the NHL level, but his challenging style is challenging my nerves and I always feel like he's one scouting report away from being walked around eight or nine times some night in the very near future.
I also have this lingering fear that the Richards-Kane-Versteeg combo will regress to the mean, or jump the shark or be exposed as a line that should not and cannot work.
Fortunately, I appear to be worrying prematurely, as Raanta was fine - not at all perfect and still a little scary - and 91-88-23 continued to do whatever they're doing that clearly works very, very well.  It didn't seem entirely easy, but I can't decide if The Hawks let off the gas now and again, as The Blues enjoyed stretches in which they outshot The Good Guys quite decidedly, or if they were just messing with them.  

I still believe that playing with Kane is making Kris Versteeg appear far better than he has any right to as Kane, I believe, is making the most of some pretty dodgy passes but, hey, he's there and the job is getting done.  Versteeg is welcome to wear The Belt anytime he racks up three points.  I would even consider commissioning some Big Boy suspenders for him if this becomes a regular thing.

                                        Success begins with a hearty breakfast.


In other news, The Hawks have returned Adam Clendening to Rockford and summoned Klas Dahlbeck.  I knew I'd get that right, eventually.  Also, I've been spelling Clendening's name wrong for three months.  I feel shame.