A lot of this game was hard to watch. No flow, too many pucks run up the boards or down the ice in a panic and some pretty tired-looking guys in the third period required even a viewer to grind this one out. There's really only one big story here, but here are a couple of Bits:
Large Arthur is indicated as day-to-day with a something-something body injury.
Kempny: I now only notice him when things go sideways for him, which happens less and less all the time. It's easy to forget he's there and, for a guy playing the style of game he does, that's ideal. This was not one of those games; I saw that thing he did there, falling on his ass...
Nick Schmaltz got another look on the top line...for awhile. He was absolutely invisible, replaced by Panik mid-game, and only re-entered my consciousness during a lackluster power play late in the game, one in which he was included because The Arthurs were unavailable for various reasons. Still, I get that Coach Q was dealing with a tight game vs. a divisional rival, as well as a shorter and shorter bench.
Jaden Schwartz: So he really does exist.
Small Arthur, well rested after cooling his heels for five minutes after sparring with Upshall, threaded the puck through three bodies and Jake Allen for the win. Oddly enough, this wasn't even that hard a shot, especially for Mr. Quick-Release, just exceptionally well placed. He was buzzing late in the game, having clanked one off the crossbar, earlier, so it was little surprise that he managed to cash when it counted most.
No Crow, no win. Crawford made several excellent saves but none more timely nor as spectacular as the toe save on Tarasenko in the third. Once again, Stormare smiles upon The Hawks`All-Universe netminder.
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