The King Isn't Dead But He Might Be in Trouble: Hawks 3, Kings 0

That was better.
The Hawks may have laid back a little more than I'd like after crushing The Kings in the first period, but I mostly liked what I saw.  Toews scored his first of the year and Large Arthur kept his streak alive.  Onwards:
Hossa was a beast.  Not always fully in control or appearing to have a plan, but he charged hard all evening.  His short pass to Anisimov was brilliant, unexpected and welcome.
The Defense did a good job for the most part, with Kempny looking as comfortable as I've seen him, so far.  Only Soupy's whatever-that-was into Keith's shinpads marred an otherwise excellent showing.
Schmaltz had some of his best shifts as a Hawk tonight. There might just be something there.  I liked the Motte-Kruger-Hartman trio in preseason but I liked Schmaltz in Hartman's stead even better.
The Forwards, in general, did a good job against the fearsome Kings defense, happily taking the middle when those brutes tried to pinch them to the boards.  I didn't catch who Motte scooted between in the second period but I assume they'll be looking at video tomorrow.
The Kings looked rather toothless tonight and, upon inspecting their roster, concluded that their forwards consist of three studs and nine fourth-liners.  As a team, though, they're so darn good defensively that they usually don't pay their lack of depth, so I don't know if this was an off night or if The Hawks have them figured out....all I know is that I didn't expect it to be this easy.

Two in a row for Crawford.  Toews and Hossa were very good tonight, but hopefully this marks Crow getting things fully on-track.

Now We're Even? Hawks 3, Devils 2

I'm getting a little tired of sitting through two periods of lackluster hockey in order to view 20 minutes, or less, of decent effort.  
That's been the pattern, hasn't it?  Fall behind and mount a desperate charge at the end. If that's the way it's going to be, maybe during the Circus Trip The Hawks could switch it up, play well in the first period and be indifferent after that, so I can at least get some sleep.
Anyway, after losing a game they sorta kinda deserved to win vs. Calgary, The Hawks prevailed in a game that could have gone either way, really.  That these close contests have come vs. The Flames and The Devils is a little worrisome, but I have a feeling that The Hawks will be able to play slightly below the level of whichever team they're playing.
Outshot 28-12 in the first two periods, The Hawks lost nearly every battle along the boards, were late on most loose pucks and had the puck squirt through or past their defense a ridiculous number of times.  Also, Jordin Tootoo.
Thanks to a timely double-minor to one of The Devils' key penalty killers and an appropriate amount of urgency, The Hawks stormed through the last half of the third period and OT, outshooting NJ 18-4 and came away with the win.
Why does it have to be this way?

The PK: Yeah, it's terrible that The Hawks kill 3 of 4 penalties and that's an improvement, but I'll take it. During the third and fourth kills they actually looked like they knew what they were doing.

Defence: I thought Seabrook had an exceptional game, and Hjalmarsson's belly flop was a key play. On the other hand, Kempny appeared hesitant all night and Rozsie was back to being Rozsie.

Young Guns: Not their best effort, with Motte being invisible, Schmaltz lacking the stones to take control and Hartman just kind of being in the way a lot of the time.  Probably time for Vinnie H to give one of these guys a break.

New Lines: A non-event.  Observe who was on the ice for each Hawks goal and you'll find it was the same lines as last week.

Panarin was good, Hossa had some moments and Anisimov was where he needed to be to win the thing, but without Crow holding the fort in the first forty minutes nothing else would have mattered.

Throw me that again, Meat

No News is...Not News: Oct.25 Hockey Media (Plus a few whispered words about Monday's Hawks Game)

Canadiens No. 1 in NHL Power Rankings

NHL Standings on this day, one year ago.

After 120 games (9.8%)

NHL
Teams ranked by points over .500		GP	WOT	LOT	GF	GA	P
Montreal Canadiens	+9	9	9 0	0 0	35	12	18
Washington Capitals	+5	7	6 0	1 0	29	18	12
Nashville Predators	+5	8	6 2	2 1	25	16	13
New York Rangers	+4	10	6 0	4 2	28	20	14

And...two months later.

After 516 games (42.0%)

NHL
Teams ranked by points over .500		GP	WOT	LOT	GF	GA	P
Dallas Stars	+19	35	26 4	9 2	124	88	54
Washington Capitals	+19	33	25 4	8 2	105	71	52
St. Louis Blues	+10	36	21 3	15 4	92	85	46
Boston Bruins	+9	33	19 3	14 4	104	85	42
Minnesota Wild	+9	33	18 1	15 6	91	80	42
Los Angeles Kings	+9	33	20 7	13 2	84	76	42
New York Islanders	+8	35	19 5	16 5	96	82	43
New York Rangers	+8	36	20 3	16 4	104	93	44
Chicago Blackhawks	+8	36	20 7	16 4	96	87	44
Montreal Canadiens	+7	36	20 2	16 3	105	89	43

Just sayin'.

Are The Leafs Better Off Without Stamkos?

I thought we were done with this?  Evidently not.

First, the very suggestion that a team, The Leafs at that, being better without Stamkos is like saying pizza is better without cheese.

Anyway, it was Stamko's call, so it's not like The Leafs have any bidness leaning back and saying "Yep, we got that one right, guys."  They are fully entitled to order pizza without cheese, though, if that floats their boat.

Babcock Takes Issue when he Learns Don Cherry Called The Leafs' Goalies "Lousy"

I never thought I'd say this, but Cherry's on the money, here.

But Mike Babcock has to have his guys' backs.

Everybody's right, everybody's happy.  Except me, which means it must be time for....

Hawks Notes: Flames 3, Hawks 2 (Oct. 24)

                                                    Fuckin' 'Steeger

This loss is kind of on me 'cos I pointed and laughed at Kris Versteeg in the first period.

But it's not entirely on me.  

I didn't play like I was disinterested for two periods before deciding to make some passes and take shots from reasonable angles.  The Hawks generated as many quality chances in five minutes of overtime than they did in the first two periods combined.  

I didn't allow another two PPG.

I didn't waste a roster spot on Jordin Tootoo, who lobbed two point-blank shots square into the middle of Brian Elliott, and still hasn't made a pass this season.

                                         Things kind of went to hell after this.

What else?

- The Hawks had waaay too much trouble exiting their zone, with a lot of crappy pass attempts and what looked like a severe lack of concentration. The worst example was Keith putting almost nothing on a pass to Campbell behind the net.  What the hell, guys?

- The Schmaltz - Hossa - Hartman spent the entire game as three individuals oblivious to the presence of one another.

- Richard Panik once again played at a third-line level, which was a shame 'cos we sure could have used at least one of those three-foot putts he missed.

- At least Rozsival wasn't a disaster, right?

Leaving It Late: Hawks 4¼, Maple Leafs 4

Just as The Hawks took forever to win this game, so too am I in posting this not-really-a-recap. My excuse is that I watched it on PVR on Sunday; not sure what The Hawks' deal is.

Once again, The Hawks found themselves behind late in the game.  It wasn't so long ago that, in such a situation, one could be confident that any number of players could rise up and be the difference-maker. With this edition of The Hawks, however, such heroics are not as likely to occur as they once were, and that's not really a knock on anyone, it's just the way it is right now.  I wrote last week about patience, and that's what it's going to take to get through this season as the new crop of Hawks gain skills and confidence, as well as the trust of the coach who will not necessarily turn to the young guys when it's time to shorten the bench and push for a late equalizer.
Up until Saturday, Coach Q has been admirably even handed when it came to allotting ice time. Against Columbus, though, a slew of power plays and a late, frantic push in the last half of the third period resulted in Kane playing over 28 minutes, with Toews, Keith and Seabrook also logging massive minutes. I guess it's a cost vs. benefit thing, risking overplaying the key guys to try to eke out a point, while trying to bear in mind the long view, in which the young players are not exposed to the highest pressure situations and the dependable veterans become worn out by St. Patrick's Day.

On the other bench, Leafs head coach Mike Babcock is in a similar yet oddly different situation as he, too, is saddled with a load of young guys but, due to the relative quality of his small crew of veterans, finds himself relying on his future stars as much if not more than his returning players.  Naturally, the quality of The Leafs' youngsters is higher than that of The Hawks', but there's also a greater sense of urgency for Toronto; get these young studs out there in all situations and either live or die with that approach.  On this night that gambit failed, but one can easily picture Matthews, Nylander and Marner quickly evolving into Toronto's own Toews, Kane and Panarin.  Consider Babcock's alternative; keep Marner, for example, on the farm and stick with someone like Brooks Laich?  

I mentioned urgency, but Toronto's rebuilding will also require patience, as their future Core will make mistakes and often fail to deliver, but all the while they'll be building a valuable base of experience and, ideally, confidence.  To be fair, though, The Leafs have everything to gain from this approach and little to lose - they're not going to slip any further than 30th place, now, are they?  And why shouldn't they just Go For It?  Leaving all the heavy lifting to their better, experienced players, like Kadri, Bozak and Komarov, has not moved them forward at all. While the circumstances are not identical by any means, I'm sure reminded of The Hawks of 2008 and 2009 when I scan The Leafs' lineup.  I'm very interested to see how Toronto continues to build their team, whether they'll restock largely from within or if they take a Stan Bowman tack and insert known quantities via trades or free agency, not only to improve on the ice, but also to assist with leadership as Matthews et al find their feet.
The Hawks, meanwhile, are still heavily invested, talent-wise and money-wise, in eight key players who soak up almost exactly 2/3 of their total salary.  Through the first few games of this season it appeared that Chicago was prepared to let Schmaltz, Motte & Co. learn on the fly, as it were, and let them make all the mistakes they're sure to make and not make them pay for it.  After this weekend and the late-game points chasing that occurred, I'm less sure how firm they are on that plan.  I'm not saying it was wrong to turn to the players you already know and trust when you need a game changer, 'cos you always want to win and you just do what makes sense to achieve that.  I guess I'm just a little concerned that the commitment to the apparent legacy plan isn't as strong as I first believed it to be.  I fear that The Hawks cannot exercise the required patience to avoid the next half-dozen seasons being an uphill battle, with their stars steadily waning and no one ready to step into their boots.

ANYWAY
It was a fun game to watch; lots of goals, some very good play by several players on both sides, with the young visitors succumbing to the somewhat declining but still very capable former champs.
But it's late, in more ways than one, so that's all I'll say about that.

About Last Night: Blue Jackets 3, Hawks 2

Just a few notes of this depressing effort.

Some Things Went Wrong
- The Penalty Kill is shit.  Common sense tells me that this will smooth out soon enough, that this awful run is simply a blip caused by bad bounces, but I expect nothing until I see a) execution on clearing attempts instead of whiffing, flubbing or straight-up passing the puck to the opposition, and b) proper shot-blocks; too many guys are gacking this and then only serve as screens.  
- Kempny looks tired, five game into the season.
- Panarin took three or four shot attempts from basically the same location; one or two were blocked, one or two sailed wide.  Yes, I realize he's had great success launching pucks from the left circle, but so does everybody else.
- Like a poor student cramming for an exam at the last moment, The Hawks mounted their greatest pressure in the final minutes of each period.  Being aware of the seconds ticking down has to make one grip the stick a little tighter, so I wouldn't mind if they don't leave it late tonight.
- Toews played 24+ minutes and Kane played a whopping 28.  On the first night of a back-to-back.  This is what happens when you dress three forward lines.
- His apparent injury notwithstanding, it was terrific to see TVR shambling about and crashing the (Hawks') net.  The fact that Coach Q felt comfortable, nay - determined, dressing him as a 7th D at the expense of a semi-useful fourth forward line suggests that Q hasn't learned a damn thing where TVR is concerned.
- Bobrovsky was fine but I think the media gushing about him stealing a win is overstating matters.  The Hawks were simply not as precise as they need to be, missed many shot attempts and, you may not have heard this yet, the penalty kill is shit.

Rays of Hope
- That was easily Soupy's best game this season.
- To quote Q, TVR "Could be out 'a bit'".  That may sound harsh but I have better things to do than watch this clod try to learn hockey on the fly.
- The Maple Leafs are just now twigging to the fact that Freddy Andersen is not what they thought;  what looks pretty good behind Anaheim's decent defence is revealed to be somewhere between passable and dogshit behind Toronto's not-there-yet group.
- We get to watch the NHL's goal leaders in a head-to-head duel!

                                My name is Roman.  I am a player in the NHL.

Next Three Goals Wins: Hawks 7, Flyers 4 and Tuesday's Big Boy

Some good, some bad, got the two points, so let's just move along.  Here are the juicy bits.
- While I surely cannot say I liked everything about the third period, it certainly was the most interesting twenty minutes of this young season.  Six goals will do that.
- The so-called second line finally broke through, just like they were always going to, tallying five of The Hawks' seven goals, with Kane and both Arthurs notching their first goals of the season.  They seem closer to being back into their usual lock-step after appearing out of sync thus far.
- I liked Schmaltz again, tonight; even if he didn't get to the scoresheet he was thinking about what he was doing out there and not just reacting.
- Seabrook had himself a fine game, highlighted by that greeeasy fake-slap-pass thing to set up Small Arthur.
- Dennis Rasmussen is like a tall, pale terrier.  Totally in a good way.
However
- Those first three minutes of the third period were not only awful, but also indicative of how fragile The Hawks can be, particularly on the PK.
- Panik played like a third liner tonight.  Back to earth, then, Richard?
- The Flyers seemed to really be going after Kempny and Forsling, which is a legit tactic, I guess, and while I only detected one egregious turnover, both Hawks d-men were on their back foot for much of this game but managed to rarely lose their composure.

No matter how many points Kane and The Arthurs racked up, this was always going to be about Marian Hossa.  Congrats on reaching 500 goals, Big Hoss.

Two's The Charm: Hawks 5, Predators 3 and Saturday's (really late) Big Boy

Late again.  Just finished watching the game today, so this will be short & sweet.

More Line Shuffles
Coach Q and Co. made a few more tweaks for the rematch vs. Nashville, notably with Schmaltz centering Motte and Hossa, and Vinnie Hinostroza higher up the chain with Toews and Panik. I expect that, until someone truly distinguishes themselves, we'll see a variety of wingers slot in with Toews and Panik while everyone gets "their turn".

Scott Darling
Generally solid, although he appeared mesmerized by a flurry of skates and sticks on Arvidsson's goal.  His first period, though, was the best of the nine The Hawks have played thus far.

Schmaltz Waltz
Nick Schmaltz hasn't been bad, he really hasn't been....anything. His steal along the boards, dash to the slot and a decisive, accurate shot for his first NHL goal, though, may be a preview of what's in store when he's better adjusted to the tempo of the NHL.

What's The Angle?
Never have I seen so many ill-advised shots taken from ridiculously poor positions. Panarin continues to be the most frequent offender but the worst example was Seabrook's "blast" from about seven feet from the boards, even with the face off dot.  I expect this from the New Boys but I wonder if the team is being asked to shoot, shoot, shoot.

Hartman Out, Rasmussen In
While I was unexpectedly encouraged by Hartman's work late in the preseason right up to his injury, I sure didn't mind Moose's effort last night.  As I stated a week or two ago, he seems to have found an extra bit of speed plus he never stops moving.  Being constantly in motion and with his long reach I'll bet he's a real nuisance to play against.

Hey, it took three games but here we are.  I'm kind of a Richard Panik apologist but, even so, even I picture his true role somewhere on the third or fourth lines, banging, harrying and using his speed to chase down loose pucks.  Any offense he provides would just be a bonus.
Well, maybe he has the hands to play in the Top Six.
Probably not, as his shooting % is currently a gaudy 67%, obviously unsustainable for a career 13% shooter, but hey, he's leading the NHL in goals at the moment, so let's just join him in enjoying the moment. I wrote about Coach Q exercising unusual amounts of patience with his rookies, thus far, and I assume he'll extend the same courtesy to Panik, at least until Kane, Panarin et al see fit to get their collective act together.  

                                    There's a smile!

Too Little, Too Late and On To Tonight

                                          What the hell, Johnny?

Better. 
It was far from perfect, but The Hawks were actually in this game, especially as they got as close as they did with basically three lines.  Their late, frantic effort to even the score was fun to watch, even if it came to nought.
Anyway, enough time has passed since the final horn, so it's seagull-dropping-style observations, today.

The PK
Two games is not a representative sample but, holy crap guys, if you can't kill penalties don't take them.  Apart from the PK forwards laying back a little more than I would like I can't really say what's wrong with this "special" team.  Their Nashville counterparts applied a lot more pressure on the Hawks' point men, but The Hawks kind of make that easy because their power play is still too static and utterly predictable.  It would help, again, if Toews could stay out the box; after Kruger who else is going to win a face off?

The Hawks' leading scorers 
Panik
Hartman
Kruger
Hossa
which helps explain why they've got a mere 4 goals-for in two games.
The scorers will score, but it's been hard to watch Kane and Panarin try to do it all themselves, with Panarin being ridiculously shooty and Kane holding onto the puck a little too long.  They'll get it together but, until they do, we're going to see a lot more two-goals-for games.

The Line Shuffles appeared to help matters but we're not quite there yet.  Hands up, everyone, who would like to see Schmaltz and Motte flanking Toews tonight. 
And speaking of the lineup, Christmas came early with TVR being a healthy scratch.  Has that ever happened?  There may be hope for this crew, yet.
Regarding Schmaltz, that was a far better effort last night and the best game he's played in The Indian Head, preseason games included.  I'm still waiting for him to actually do something, but I like his patience and his willingness to slow things down when he's able.

Patience & Trust
Last, in addition to Coach Q finally getting the memo on TVR, I'm so pleased to see the amount of trust he's placing in the new players.  Kempny and Forsling have been getting more-or-less regular spins and have mostly acquitted themselves well. Things have not been quite as steady with the new forwards, but Q is at least allowing them the chance to succeed, or fail, at which time he'll have a clearer view of who is going to benefit the team in the long term, which is really the only way he's going to learn this, right?  Yes, he's kind of in a position where it's either give the new players some rope or continue to lean on the six or seven guys that played waaay too many minutes over the last three+ seasons.
If Q continues to exercise patience with his lineup, I'm prepared to be patient, too.

That said, let's get Panik off Toews' wing, please.

Tonight
Ryan Hartman will be "out for a bit" which, in Q-speak, means he's actually hurt-hurt, so I assume we'll see Dennis RasMOOSEn make an appearance tonight, and probably Scott Darling in net.  If they can pick up where they left off on Friday, things'll be just fine.

                                       I wanna get physical, physical...

Out-Everythinged: Hawks 2, Blues 5

Sure, go ahead and try to mitigate this deplorable loss by pointing out "this was really a 3-2 game with two empty-netters."  Sorry, kids, but when one of those empty-net goals is salted away by one of your own players maybe it should count as two goals against.
The bottom line here is that The Hawks played a pretty good six or seven minutes before The Blues got the wind in their sails and took over.  

                        Moments before The Fun Machine took a crap and died.

How did this go so very, very wrong?  I have some ideas (of course I do).
- Imprecision: too many missed passes, rushed passes or no pass at all.  Panarin was probably the worst offender, last night, but plenty of his teammates got in on this act.  Some fall into this group because, well, they're just not good at passing, while the young fellas in particular often looked like they were rushing things, just as they had been doing during the early part of the preseason.  First game yips, maybe?  Let's hope so.
- Chucking: far too many shots were taken when better opportunities existed.  Bad angle shots abounded, and more than a few times an attempt was launched without any apparent awareness of where linemates were.  The stats don't tell the whole story on this, though, since lots of those ill-advised shots missed the net entirely.
- Jordin Tootoo was outplayed by Ryan Reaves, who he was presumably in the lineup to counteract.  I challenge you to say that out loud without tasting bile.
- Idiotic penalties by guys who should know better, and also TVR.
- Did Nick Schmaltz play?
- Seabrook made a few nice plays, mainly out of desperation but never mind because it worked, but what we'll remember about him in this game is the no-look-back-pass-to-who-knows-where that slid into The Hawks' own net.  Dude, a no-look pass behind oneself like that will get most Bantam players benched.

                                       Not your fault, there, Duncs.

It wasn't ALL bad, just mostly bad.
Toews & Hoss were a mixed bag, looking dangerous on many shifts, but also disorganized and, as suggested above, too often hitting skates with their passes.  They'll get their timing sorted, soon enough.
Ryan Hartman's goal was sort of encouraging, yet sort of not, the play beginning with a very good keep-in and finishing with some neat passing resulting in Hartman's first NHL goal.  It could have ended differently, though, as Hartman did what most of the rookies did last night - simply stormed the crease, did not appear to look for a pass and fired an ineffective shot toward the net.  Hartman later chose to shoot from the far-right hashmarks in the third period, a plan which only works if you have Kane, Ovechkin or Lemieux stitched on your jersey.
As I suggested, hopefully the mindless shoot-from-anywhere stuff clears up once the first game jitters subside.
Gustav Forsling had a few very good shifts, especially early on (and thanks for reminding us of that every 30 seconds, Edzo) but faded a bit, mid-game, before being used quite a lot in the late going.  It was a respectable if unspectacular debut.

Before I go and drink Draino allow me to review my predictions from last weekend:
1) Toews would be partnered with Hossa and Panik - check.  Sure, Panik scored but, other than that, he ran around being Richard Panik, which i am not fundamentally opposed to.  I like Richard Panik...just not in the top-six.
1a) Motte would draw in for Panik.  Not yet.  Soon.  Or, more likely, Schmaltz, as Motte and Kruger actually work alright together, so far
2) Hartman would make the team, Schmaltz would not.  Not quite, as Schmaltz managed to make the cut, which I'm fine with 'cos of that whole thing about giving these young men a chance to succeed.  I fully expected Mashinter to stick, though, which sent me on the wrong path.
3) Keith and TVR would make up the first pairing - check, but almost certainly because Hjalmarsson was suspended.  Let's see what shakes out on Friday.

Meanwhile, this is too hilarious to not share:
Matthews Retires as Greatest Leaf in Franchise History

The Business Side of Hockey and Some Other Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Let's Not Kid Ourselves
Soon-to-be-ex-NHLers Brooks Laich and Ondrej Pavelec declared their understanding of "The Business Side of Hockey", suggesting that salary cap considerations led to their waivers/demotions.
What about being Bad At Hockey?  Would that have any bearing on their situations?

                                     Those high ones count as two shots on net.
Cujo II: Time For Your Shots
I just read that Brian Elliott led the NHL in save percentage last season with .930.  I am not suggesting that Elliott is a poor goaltender, as he is a quite capable goaltender, but I am suggesting that the same sort of shenanigans that allowed Curtis Joseph to sport some gaudy S% stats back when he played for St. Loomis may again be in play.  If Carter Hutton leads the league in that category this year we shall launch an inquest.

                                                 I've made a huge mistake.
Sell Me the Steak and Spare Me the Sizzle
The Montréal Canadiens seem to be spending a lot of energy trying to get Habs fans to like Shea Weber.  Guys, those maniacs will still watch your games and buy hats & stuff even if they hate the guy.  This should be, at best, a minor concern, far behind 1) If Carey Price gets hurt again we're fucked, 2) What the hell is Andrei Markov doing? and 3) My coach's ego is ten times the size of his intellect but I hired him so I'll look stupid if I fire him, right?

One More Spin: Blues 2, Hawks 1, Preseason Schedule Mercifully Over

Well, that was as boring as a Devils/Coyotes matchup on a Tuesday night in January.

I fully expected The Hawks to test drive some young wingers with Toews tonight, and assumed Hossa would come out and do a few laps, but neither star even dressed for the game.  In fact, The Hawks went with four 4th lines, essentially, for one last look at the handful of fellas still in the running for the 2-3 forward spots, as well as an opportunity for the aspiring d-men to get a leg up in a very tight competition for a roster spot that may not even exist.

Since this was an entirely flat, unexciting game, I offer these unentertaining observations.
- It was somewhat gratifying that The Hawks kept up with a Blues squad that consisted entirely of actual NHL players.  Sure, Bouwmeester and Schwartz sat out, but since Schwartz misses half the games, anyway, we'll call this a viable Blues lineup.
- I see no reason for Nick Schmaltz to make this team.  Evidently, he played 17 minutes tonight and somehow avoided being noticed at all.
- As flat as The Blues were they were still that much better than some of the lineups The Hawks have faced in this preseason, and that put the performances of some of the Hawks Hopefuls into perspective.  Fortin and Hinostroza found themselves with a lot less time and space in which to work, and Forsling, for the first time, really, looked a little less confident and a bit rushed.  Motte was better; not as dynamic as in his last two games but he didn't look out of his depth.  Hartman looked okay, I thought, but the role he's auditioning for is not terribly dependent on controlling the puck.
- I sincerely hope that putting Tootoo out there with the net empty was a going-away present from the coaching staff.

I had hoped to draft up something for the opening night lines & pairings, but the situation is so cloudy I just don't know if it's even worth doing.  I will make a few specific predictions, though.
- Despite all hopes and expectations otherwise it will be Toews, Hossa and Panik on opening night.  When Panik washes out Motte draws in.
- Hartman and not Schmaltz makes the cut, which suits me 'cos it always takes me several tries to type "Schmaltz".  Does that leave room for Hinostroza?  I guess that depends on how many D The Hawks end up carrying.
- Keith and TVR on the first pairing, because....well, I have no explanation for it apart from an increasingly dark world view.  Okay, they'll say some shit about "balance".

Alright, that's it until Wednesday, unless I receive some intel from The Hawks' practices.  Which I won't.

Better, But Not There Yet: Hawks 6, Wings 1

In a reversal of the previous match between The Hawks and The Wings it was The Hawks who iced a slightly more representative lineup, a group that ran wild on a largely inexperienced Wings squad. The talent disparity was most evident when comparing their respective defense corps, and it didn't help that Jimmy Howard was brutal, either.

The Good
- We saw the best outings from Hinostroza, Hartman, Panik and Fortin, so far.  Hino' appeared to slow things down a little and it made him more effective, as he took that extra fraction-of-a-second to look for a play rather than simply storm toward the net.  Hartman had a strong game, but I'm still unsure that he's among the dozen-best forwards available who aren't Tootoo or Mashinter.  Panik was Panik, and it worked in this case, but let's not get too excited; his goal was an absolutely perfectly placed shot, which might occur once in 200 tries for the hardworking forward.  The hockey media is, somehow, still talking Panik up as a potential linemate for Toews but, if that's even remotely a good idea, then why not Desjardins? They each fill a similar role and Des', as impossible at it sounds, may have the better hands. Panik works at a higher speed but are they really all that different when you look at what they each accomplish?  I am not advocating for Des' to end up on Toews' line, but picture Desjardins on Toews wing and tell me if Panik really belongs there, too.

Fortin has spent the preseason buzzing around, looking industrious as hell, but too often trying to do it all himself.  His infrequent pass attempts have been poor, his vigor has often left him out of position after his solo charges down the wing & behind the net fail, and he's been a chucker of the highest order. One can see the urgency with which he's approaching his duties and, if what he's doing works, that's great, but when it fails to provide a result it just appears...I dunno...desperate.  Last night he tried to do a little less and accomplished a little more.
- Gustav Forsling is just so damned poised.  I'm unsurprised that Gustafsson was dispatched to Rockford, as Forsling provides everything Goose brings, but better.  He's quicker, more precise and makes far better choices. Goose is a little bigger but has played as if he were a smaller man, anyway, so he'll get no credit for size.  Forsling belongs in the lineup, every night, but more on that in a little bit.

The Bad
- Jordin Tootoo.  I guess there's way to get out of this, is there?
- TVR.  Oh I wish, how I wish, I could believe that The Hawks will play their six best defensemen on opening night...and beyond.  I keep telling myself that I need to understand that TVR will stick, he'll play, and there's nothing I can do about it, but it's not easy when he just sucks nine nights out of ten. This is the reason Ville Pokka isn't getting a longer look...not Forsling or Kempny, but The Hawks wasting a lineup spot on that slug, TVR.

The Indifferent
- Nick Schmaltz.  Yes, I do see that he tipped-in a goal last night but, apart from that, what's he done?  I like his puck control and his apparent confidence, but I have to say that he's being outshone by Motte, Hino' and even Fortin.
- The Hawks packed a tour bus with guys heading to Rockford.  As mentioned, above, the only sorta surprise there was Pokka, but it is pretty crowded on defense, he's not going to supplant TVR or Rozsie, so he may as well get busy in Rockford.  Well, at least there's no longer any sign of Kero, Baun or Svedberg.  The only remaining fellas with no apparent shot at the lineup are Mark McNeill and Ivan Nalimov.

Other News
- Cody Hodgson, age 26, retired from hockey.  There was a time that I would have taken gleeful delight in any scenario in which the Canucks fail, but this is actually a pretty sad story.  Thanks to an alleged misdiagnosis of a back injury and subsequent nerve damage, Hodgson was compromised physically and in terms of his confidence at arguably the worst possible time in a young player's career.  The guy shoulda coulda been great.
- Barrett Jackman. I couldn't be more pleased that this mouth-breather's long con has come to an end, as I'm pretty sure the Best Before date on this goof reads "2009".

Preseason Game Four: Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

WRONG: Yesterday I supposed that The Hawks may have narrowed down the number of guys they're seriously looking at, only for them to ice a lineup made up almost entirely of Guys.  Who are these Guys?  Why are there so many Guys?  

WRONG: Last week I wondered if Luke Johnson was a Real Thing.  Based on his invisible man act tonight, in which he was somehow -2, I would say he is not.  At least not yet.

WRONG: TVR.  -3, flubbing passes, wandering around like a lost child.  Please make it stop.

GOOD STUFF: Ville Pokka looks like he knows what he's doing.  He never appears rushed, makes a nice first pass and protects the puck reasonably well.  The timing is all wrong for him, though, with TVR and Rozsie soaking up two roster spots, as well as Kempny looking likely to make the team and Forsling making a case for a longer look.  
Brandon Mashinter showed off that suddenly-there speed tonight with a dash to the net and a breakaway goal.  Luckily, it was a straight line to the net, but good for him, anyway.

All in all, The Hawks looked like a team composed of Guys, most of whom will be forgotten in a week or two.  With only four kinda regular players in the lineup, this is what you get.

Preseason Game III: The Preseasoning

Game Three of The Hawk's preseason schedule featured a slightly more representative lineup than the previous two matches, with about half of the skaters being fellas that are assured a spot on the opening day roster.  On the other bench, St. Loomis had a similar ratio among their forwards, but these were bottom-sixers, to a man, while their D consisted of Shattenkirk and five Guys, so they were up against it from the get-go.
And so, it was a 4-0 win, some capable goaltending and a better sense of where The Hawk's forward corps really are.

Tyler Motte: I texted something to the effect of "inveterate chucker" on Friday, an observation reinforced about 300 times by Pat & Edzo unfailingly pointing out that Motte had more shots on net than anyone in the first three games.  Yet no goals, and not really any decent chances, to speak of. These two very different goals are encouraging, though; good positioning and excellent hand-eye stuff for the first, and a sweet forecheck on Shattenkirk that manufactured a breakaway goal.
Still, I still wouldn't mind seeing the kid pass the puck before Q inevitably slots him alongside Toews.

Jordin Tootoo: Okay, we get it, he's still got all that heart & desire and shit, but he still can't fight, score or skate with the puck worth a damn.  Why was this contract signed?  This should have a "PTO and we'll see" sorta deal.

Mashinter & Rasmussen: Since were certainly stuck with Mashinter it's at least good to see that he's somehow found a little extra speed.  Sure, he still needs the width of the rink to execute a turn, but I'm trying to make the best of this.  Moose looked quicker than usual out there, as well, and was uber-aggressive on the forecheck.  I'm still unconvinced that he's got the finish to secure a lineup spot but he's doing all he can to nail that down.

Nik Hjalmarson: I barely noticed him until he laid out Ty Rattie with an uncharacteristic headhunter type hit.  He'll be speaking to the league office about that on Monday.

Vin Hinostroza: A better effort from him in this one, darting around all evening and getting a couple of good looks.  He's quick and has good puck control, but he's still not breaking through at all.  I suspect he simply lacks the deception that Panarin & Kane, for example, possess.  Hinostroza might work out alright or he might be another Kris Versteeg...looks good enough but something just isn't quite there.  

Ryan Hartman: Enough, already.  He'll probably make the damn team, too.

Ville Pokka: My first look at him and I didn't mind what I saw, as he appears assured and poised. Yet, I saw nothing special, and I suspect this competent averageness will keep him out of the mix.

Michal Kempny: At first (second?) blush, this could be a guy that Q could slot into any of the three pairings, although I still have reservations about his top speed.

Gustav Forsling: Better in each game, so far.  He was more successful in skating his way out of trouble in this game, but let's see how he does against some real NHLers as we get closer to Go Time.

It looks like Q & Co. have already narrowed down who they want to inspect more closely, so I expect to see a similar group of guys tonight vs. Detroit, maybe with Kane & The Arthurs replaced by Toews + ??