Baby It's Cold Outside: Western Canada Tour Vol I and II

Ugh, these left-coast games are killing me.  So far we've seen two games that were more similar than they might appear by looking only at the score, with just a couple of details that led to disparate results.  This is already old news so let's go.

Vol I: Vancouver
Now this seriously pissed me off.  Even with no Burrows and no Bieksa I still have zero use for The Canucks.  The most visible aspect of their fanbase are given to tantrums that qualify as "civil unrest" and they're still booing Duncan Keith every time he touches the puck, presumably because he elbowed one of The Creepy Twins (doesn't matter which one) almost six years.  That's all I need to know about that gang.
Just as frustrating was that The Hawks held the balance of play, took a lot more shots and still lost to these jokers who are ahead of only Phoenix in the standings.  Oy.  So what about them there details?
* Anton Forsberg was rubbish, full stop.
* Forsling and Rutta were both -3 while playing what amounted to second-pairing minutes.  Whether by accident or by design Goose and Roots were out against the Gagner line A LOT and were there or thereabouts for three of that line's four goals against.  I honestly don't remember Forsling doing anything particularly rotten but Rutta was undeniably awful.  They weren't alone where backline fecklessness was concerned as Keith was next-worst after Rutta, but he's Duncan Keith and we won't be seeing him healthy scratched anytime soon.
* Failure to Convert.  The same old refrain - poor shot selection, lazy choices, bad positioning
The Advanced Stats made things seem far rosier than they were and The Hawks got what they deserved.

Vol II: Edmonton
At least here The Hawks played one-half of a great game, beginning with Hartman's late first period goal and petering out midway through the third when EDM went into desperation mode.  As above, the Advanced Stats were fairly similar to the previous game but a few adjustments helped them eke out a win with an effort that was not perfect, but good enough.
* Jeff Glass.  Let's get the feel-good story of the weekend out of the way.  Glass was remarkably solid.  His game appears a little...static, but he's a big guy, moves the puck well and is surprisingly athletic.  He got a bit lucky when he found himself completely out of shape on a couple of plays that The Oilers failed to close, and Strome erred when he had Glass dead to rights.  I half expect him to get lit up in Calgary tomorrow - I hope he doesn't - but his NHL debut was a great story and contributed to the win.
* Lineup Changes.  Kempny and Franson came in for Rutta and Forsling while Hinostroza and Panik replaced Sharp and Anisimov (injured).  The two D-men hardly played and, really, weren't good or bad, their greater contribution being simply avoiding a repeat of The Goose & Roots show from the night before.  Panik remains snake-bitten but he was out there trying stuff, at least.  Vinnie Hinnie and Franson found themselves on the new-look second power play unit and, while Franson simply picked up where he left off before his injury, Vinnie looked alright in that role, even notching a helpie on the third goal.
Sometimes a change is as good as a rest and the changes kind of paid off, this time.
* Ryan Hartman returning to form.  Harts was one of the few Hawks that put in a full effort in Vancouver and he carried that over to Edmonton.  I think he's been playing a lot better, generally, for the last couple of weeks, and Hartman starting to contribute again makes me feel slightly less bitter about DeBrincat being buried on the third, arguably fourth line.  At least Q is trotting out DBC on the power play, where he's had some good chemistry with Schmaltz , particularly.
* Oesterle breaks through.  While he was far from flawless and still leans awfully hard on Keith for safety passes and covering his ass when things go sideways, he did alright.  Paired with Franson on 2PP they kept the puck heading toward The Oilers net relentlessly, but I can't help but feel that persisting with these two is playing with fire - The Hawks gave up quite enough breakaways and odd-man rushes as it was.  I had a feeling that Oz was going to score soon, so it was cool that he finally found the twine against the team that never really gave him a proper look.

* David Kampf?  Never have I seen a player more closely resembling Baby Huey but that's not for now.  I cannot yet see what he brings, to be honest, and was surprised to see the big, plodding centreman on the penalty kill.  Well, he's a big body with good reach, although he never looked particularly physical in either game.  
You know he'll score in Calgary, now, right?

Big Trouble

Yeah, so Crow is injured again.

Crawford on Injured Reserve

Also, if post-game reports are late or don't come at all it's only because I'll be watching the next few games the following day.  Those Western Canada tours play merry hell with my schedule.

Shambling: Devils 4, Hawks 1

This one falls somewhere between "frustrating" and "sickening", with a dash of "discouraging" tossed in for good measure.  I wish I could have found a photo of a Hawks player stepping on the puck or passing the puck directly to a NJD player, because that would have illustrated what went on tonight perfectly, and I could just stop typing.

* The Hawks played one good period, although the twist tonight was that it was the second period in which they dominated, as the usual pattern is to cobble together an offensive push in the third.  Whatever, the result was the same, although the fact that they regressed in the third was especially stupefying.
* No one made a clean pass outside of the second period, not when it mattered in the slightest, anyway.
* DeBrincat skating on the third line was an utter waste.  Meanwhile, Coach Q pressed on with Sharp, Bouma and Hayden alongside Toews & Saad with predictable non-results.
* Ridiculous turnovers abounded.  Sharp, Hartman, Oesterle (who couldn't even get the puck cross-ice to Keith), Panik and Forsling (twice!) all made horrible, unforced turnovers that resulted in a chance or a goal for The Devils.

Something has to change.  The Hawks penned The Devils in for the majority of the middle frame, crushed them in shots and Corsi (a whopping 63% for) but were done in by 40 minutes of zero urgency, dubious shot selection, very little net-front presence and egregious, unforced errors.  What's more is we have players who can and should be producing chances and goals a lot more than they have been yet, looking at what Saad, Panik, Sharp and Hartman have contributed, what we have is another line+ of guys.  No wonder Q is comfortable inserting Bouma or Hayden on the top line - you can hardly tell the difference.

Green Like Kryptonite: Stars 4, Hawks 0

Aaaand The Hawks were less than super, anyway.  What do they have to do to beat these Green Bastards?  Crawford has allowed 4+ goals on only three occasions this season and twice it's been to Dallas.  How is that they have The Hawks' number?  Let's see....
* Three Days Off, for whatever reason, has not done The Hawks any favours this season.  It's as if they need to lose one (or more) after a bit of a layoff just to get their sea legs back.  Of course this is ridiculous and should never be the case, but do check it out - their record after 3+ days off is 1-4, and they were not IN any of those losses.
* Little Urgency: puck movement was okay, the shots and shot attempts were there, but positioning was off, there was zero effort to create traffic in front of Ben Bishop and, paradoxically, they allowed The Stars to move through the neutral zone unopposed far too often.  The Hawks just seemed unengaged mentally too much of the time.
* The Goal Against late in the first really seemed to swing the momentum.  After a pretty decent first period, really, that unfortunately concluded with The Stars scoring just as a Hawks penalty expired, The Hawks were done, son.  They didn't even do anything particularly wrong there, either, as Murphy did what he should have done in blocking the cross-slot pass, only to have the puck bounce right back onto Elie's stick, giving him a second chance at getting that pass right.  Just some poor puck luck that emboldened The Stars. Once that kicked in The Hawks didn't really respond appropriately.
* Small Mistakes Cost Big: Seabrook found himself on the wrong side of Seguin twice and the previously-in-a-goal-drought Dallas sniper made him pay each time.  Take those instances away and Seabs actually had a pretty good game.  However....
* Outworked In Their Own End: Dallas actually spent precious little time in the CHI zone yet, when they did, they had their way with The Hawks.  Meanwhile, at the other end, The Hawks had loads of zone time but thanks to the aforementioned failure to obstruct Ben Bishop and an awful lot of indiscriminate, ineffective shooting had literally nothing to show for it.

That's it, that's all.  I'll catch y'all on Saturday for the NJ game in which Sharp, Franson & Rutta will all return to the lineup, the latter two displacing a couple of guys who were not the worst Hawks d-men tonight.  But that's the way she goes, right?

Take Five: Hawks 4, Wild 1

Here's the thing: if Crawford and Kane are playing like they can and should they can obscure a lot of sins committed by their teammates.
Not that the others were bad, 'cos they weren't, it's just that Kane and Crow can practically win games on their own.
The Blackhawks' cause was assisted by a tired-looking Wild team, a group that has scored more than two goals in a game only twice this month, something Hawks fans are all too familiar with, amirite?  The Wild's last three GF were all scored by Matt Dumba, and when that's the current state of affairs any opponent that can scratch together three or four goals is gonna get a W against this Wild team.

* The Hawks don't look that different to me this last 7-10 days vs. the two weeks previous to that, yet they're getting the job done.  Kane is finding the net, finally which, as mentioned above, is critical.  Crawford is back from his injury and playing superbly but, on the flip, the power play is still rubbish.  Puck luck?  A better forecheck?  I'm not sure...it's perhaps too subtle for me to detect.
* Hartman has looked rejuvenated the last few games and maybe that beauty goal he manufactured from nothing will kickstart his offence.
* Kane had two nice goals, both made possible by incredible passes from Schmaltz and Oesterle.  There were a few not-so-great moments for 88, especially early in the game, and he persists in shooting from bad angles, but he did plenty of good stuff, as well, and the puck has been going in so I'll shut up now.

* An OK effort from Oesterle.  With a few games under his belt he's making better passes and is moving the puck forward confidently.  His defensive positioning is brutal and he's muscled off the puck awfully easily but, alongside Keith, he'll get away with a bit of that.
* Forsling & Murphy were quietly effective tonight, tops in Corsi for The Hawks all while starting most of their shifts in their own end.  I was gazing over the Shift Chart to see what kind of competition they were up against and quickly determined it didn't matter - none of The Wild forwards are scoring so one line is just as good/bad as another.
* Tommy Wingels scores again and, while it was an empty-netter, it was a good empty-netter, batting it backhanded 3/4 the length of the ice after intercepting Suter's whiffed pass.

Three days off, now, and then The Hawks begin a run of six road games in a row that includes the Western Canada slog.  Next is Dallas for yet another four-point game.  Rest up boys and don't change a thing.

Of All The Games To Miss: Hawks 5, Jets 1

Yup, missed he entire thing & had only highlights to soothe and entertain me when I rose this AM, so no breakdown, just a couple of notes.
* The Stat Line was practically a dead heat in this one, although WPG pushed their Corsi up in the last ten minutes, doubling up The Hawks on shot attempts after the game was well out of reach.  The one large and interesting disparity, I think, was in Hits, where The Jets allegedly outhit The Hawks 25-2.  This suggests one of two things, the first being a bit of stat inflation on the part of the WPG statisticians, Manitoba being a bit of a lunkheaded "if you can't beat 'em on the ice beat 'em in the alley" sort of environment.  The second possibility that comes to mind is that The Hawks simply paid little attention to that part of the game, choosing instead to hold the puck, move the puck and shoot the puck.  I only have the highlights package to go on, so I'd love to hear someone else's impression.
* Michal Kempny doesn't dress for a month but draws in to notch a goal and a team-high +3 on the night.  He's done his bit, so it's up to Coach Q to conjure up some excuse why Kemps doesn't deserve to play.  
* It's gonna be tough for Richard Panik to find his way back into the lineup.
* Highlight of Highlights: the usually stone-faced Patrick Kane, unable to suppress his surprise and delight over Nick Schmaltz' dirrrrty pass in the second period.

Back home on Sunday vs. The Wild, with whom The Hawks are tied on points but behind in the standings, for a so-called four point game.  Gotta get that one.

Sometimes The Cream Rises Even Though It's Gone Sour: Hawks 3, Panthers 2

They didn't really deserve it but The Hawks eked out two more points tonight.  The Panthers outshot The Hawks and made fewer mistakes, but Chicago had just a couple more players be really good at key times.  Corey Crawford outplayed Panthers' netminder Reimer and, while Vincent Trocheck was far and away the best skater on the ice tonight, Kane and Saad were just good enough, just often enough to steal the win.

* Enough Blackhawks fell somewhere between flat-out bad (Forsling, Hinostroza, Bouma) and merely ineffective (practically everyone except Crawford) that most of the game was an uphill battle.  Those that did play well did so only occasionally but, thankfully, had those moments of inspiration at opportune moments.

* I just about plotzed when I saw that Oesterle would play. While he wasn't as terrible as he was on Sunday he still wasn't very good.  It's difficult to have much confidence in a coach that scratches a player for over a month and suddenly gifts the guy with 20+ minutes despite the player wavering between "dogshit" and "laughable".  Imagine how Michal Kempny feels about all this.
* Speaking of Kemps, regardless of how Q feels about him, I guess we might see him soon enough, unless Franson & Rutta make quick recoveries.

How To Play Ten Minutes of Decent Hockey and Get Away With It: Hawks 3, Coyotes 1

There's no way that a game between The Hawks and those chicken-stealing miscreants from AZ should ever be this close.  It was a largely crap effort on the part of The Blackhawks and they were fortunate to get the W as, with the number of chances they were giving up, they were just a deflection or an eephus away from The Coyotes getting back in the game.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, some really quick Bits.
* The majority of The Blackhawks had a pretty indifferent game, top to bottom.  Only one guy was truly bad, but only one or two played a complete game.  I'm pretty sure that the only pass that led directly to a shot on net before Hayden hit Wingels there, almost halfway through the final period, was Panik to Hinostroza in the second frame.  That's pretty bad.  Kane had numerous "ehh" plays that he appeared disinterested in before he even executed them. Saad was stepping on the puck all night.  Keith fought the puck for the entire first half of the game.  Etc.

* At least the third line had some fire in their bellies, with only small factors like no hands (Vinnie Hinnie), no luck (Panik) and not much left (Sharp) preventing them from accomplishing much.  Still, they spent the majority of their time on the ice in the AZ zone, so that's something.

* Crawford was outstanding and, though I'm sad to reiterate it, No Crow = No Win tonight.
* Forsling had another good game.  Not perfect, but very good and superior to all of his fellow D-men.  Murphy had a quietly solid night, as well.
* Jordan Oesterle was very much on the other end of the stick, completely awful in all regards.  His poor passing was eclipsed only by his terrible positioning.  Given that he hadn't played in twelve games this hot mess was as much on the guys that gifted him 20 minutes of ice time as it was on him.  The Coyotes were clearly aware of this, as their forecheckers were on him like poop on a blanket, and Oesterle wilted under the pressure at almost every opportunity.  Crow was extremely diplomatic when fielding questions about Oz after the game, probably biting his tongue, actually, as he had a good view of #82 falling all over the place.
* Schmaltz was another forward who put forth a solid effort for the full sixty minutes, compromised by Kane's indifference until the last ten minutes and Anisimov being a step behind most of the night.

The difficulty level gets pushed from "Beginner" to "Novice" for Tuesday's game vs. FLA.  With a full game's effort from Kane, more of the same from the Hinnie line and Oesterle punted back to the press box The Hawks should be okay.  Probably.

Taking The Scenic Route: Hawks 3, Sabres 2

Yep, they took a roundabout route, but The Hawks got where they needed to go.  As in the last game, The Hawks laid waste to their opponent in terms of shots (51-28) and possession (Corsi 70-30 - oy!) and, just for good measure, let me mention that The Sabres blocked a further 31 shot attempts.  This is the sort of effort that a team that's clicking transforms into an 8-1 win.  Despite the win, however, The Hawks still aren't clicking.  Here are some Bits before bedtime.
* Sure, they finally cashed a power play goal, but the power play is still trash.  The Hawks have had more man advantage situations than any other team this season, so one would think the in-game practice would have aided them in tuning up this aspect of their game but, somehow, this is not the case.  The end of the second PP, late in the first period, sort of epitomized what a bad job they've been doing, with a half dozen passes between the two point men and Kane along the right wing but no shot until Kane took a wrister from a crappy angle to kill the play.  What the hell?
* Sidebar: while he is one of a select few NHLers who can score somewhat regularly from poor angles, why is Kane insisting on only shooting from south of the faceoff dots?  Why must he ensure that scoring will be difficult?
* Sidebar #2: Edzo quipped that Buffalo had the best power play in the league last season but are now 31st and last in that category.  I submit to you this: Cody Franson was a fixture on The Sabres PP last year.  He had no PP time this evening and The Hawks sucked in that department, again.  Just sayin'...
* Alex DeBrincat now shares the team lead in goals but it took 29 games before Coach Q saw fit to start him in the Top Six.  That it took so long for this acknowledgement is just plain stupid.
* Since Seabrook's ice time declined he's been a lot less conspicuous.  I don't know if the lighter workload has benefited his performance or if it simply allowed him less opportunity to make a mess of everything.  His final gesture tonight took the biscuit, though, being either too lazy or just plain incapable of legging out an iced puck and taking a penalty.  If Franson misses any time we'll be treated to more of this, I'm afraid.
* Tommy Wingels wins the bang-for-the-buck prize, with the game-tying shortie (on the aforementioned Seabrook penalty), five shots and 68% Corsi in a mere 7:35 ice time.  What's more, Wingels and his linemates started every one of their shifts in their own end.
* Good bounce-back game for Keith after that steaming pile on Wednesday.
* Jan Rutta was excellent.  Not perfect, but nearly so.  He and Forsling are seeing a lot more of the opposing teams' top lines, too.
I haven't busted this out for a year or more....

With the game-winner in OT, a pair of helpies and a great effort all night, The Big Boy has got to be Gustav Forsling.  It could just as easily have ended in tears for Goose when he hauled down Jack Eichel, setting up a rare overtime penalty shot, but Corey Crawford capped off his fine game, his first after missing a few with an injury, by denying The Sabres' best player at that crucial moment.  After a pretty rough patch in late Oct - early Nov Goose's confidence appears to be sky-high.  Sometimes the stuff he tries doesn't work out, but having the guts to try and fail will only help him improve and to give him a better sense of his own limits.  Big game for Goose, big win for The Hawks.

Bad Where It Counts: Capitals 241, Hawks -8

Shots: Hawks 39, Capitals 25
Faceoffs: Hawks 55%, Capitals 45%
Hits: Hawks 17, Capitals 15
Powerplay: Hawks 0/4, Capitals 1/3
Giveaways: Hawks 5, Capitals 22
Corsi: Hawks 60%, Capitals 40%

Looks to be a pretty dominant effort by The Blackhawks, apart from the PP, doesn't it?  Yet...
So what went wrong?  Of course I think I know.  Behold!

The Powerplay

What did I say the other day?  Stale and predictable.  Well, let's add slow to that condemnation.  There is zero urgency, no briskness.  Franson returned to the PP and at least got the puck toward the net, as always, but the forwards always seemed to be off in the weeds and never around the net when the puck was there.  The PP has been rotten for weeks and just seems to be getting worse.

Shooting Locations

Half of The Hawks' shots, and most of their attempts on the PP, came from locations where the shooter was on a 30-40º angle to the net.  Only a handful of quality shots came from the slot or high slot.

Goaltending Beyond Corey Crawford

Errors by Keith paved the way to the first two WSH goals but, as he always does and as mentioned before, Anton Forsberg managed to let in an utterly savable shot and out came the hook.  JF Berubé was about as good as he's likely to ever be, i.e. not good.

New Look Forward Lines

I don't have The Answer, here, but Coach Q clearly doesn't, either.  With all those reassignments he still managed to keep DeBrincat and Kane separate.  And Toews - Hartman - Hayden was just a waste of time.  

Who's next?  Buffalo, on Friday, and I predict The Hawks will be outshot 40-20 and win 2-1.  That would make sense in this season that just makes no sense at all.

We're All Tired: Kings 3, Hawks 1

And thus endeth the dark ages in which The Hawks played five games in seven nights, earning a mere four points for their trouble.  It was a grind, for sure, and there were a couple of games that, while I struggle with saying that The Hawks deserved to win them, they could have won 'em just the same.  Tonight's match was arguably the toughest of the bunch, with the puck dropping only about 19 hours after the conclusion of last evening's coin toss/shootout loss, against the LA Kings who had just torn off four straight wins.  It was never gonna be easy.
The Hawks actually looked decent for the middle portion of the game, eventually outshooting The Kings and winning the possession/chances game but, as is often the case, it was a few isolated events that did them in.  Those events will comprise tonight's Bits.

* Anton Forsberg was fine.  If I'm being honest he was actually pretty good, as he made a clutch of saves more difficult than any that Jonathan Quick was asked to make down at the other end of the rink.  But, as it always seems to be, he was beaten by an innocuous looking shot, a floater, that any NHL goaltender should probably have.  Yeah, he was at least partly screened but so's everybody, most of the time.  As athletic as Forsberg is, he seems to always let in one of those floaters.
* Small errors, likely borne out of fatigue, set back The Hawks' cause.  Forsling, paralyzed with indecision and stationary in front of Forsberg.  Numerous drop passes to no one.  Sloppy clearing attempts.  Even if they didn't all result in a goal against these little setbacks still prevent The Hawks from mounting their offense.
* Hayden to the top line.  Sure, Panik is having a terrible time, lately, but if Coach Q is determined to shake things up why in god's name doesn't he slot DeBrincat into that spot?
* No Rest 'til The UC.  Q iced the exact same lineup for every one of those five games in the last week.  Wouldn't that be the time to grant someone a break?  I know we've only got Kero as a spare forward and, really, swapping him in won't have much impact at all, but couldn't Kempny have drawn in for someone?  I guess not.  Why would Q want to mess with what's been working so well *cough* one win in the last week *cough*.
* The power play sucks.  It's stale and it's predictable.
* Finally, to tie those last two points together, lemme point out that, when the power play was clicking not-too-badly, Cody Franson was QBing the first unit.  Now he's not and the PP is garbage again.  Also, if Franson is not being used on the power play....he probably doesn't need to be in the lineup at all.

Better Get Used To It: Stars 3, Hawks 2

Here's the thing: with the announcement today that Corey Crawford will miss "about a week" with an LBI, the reality is that Anton Forsberg will be The Man.  Because he has to be.  Because JF Berubé is awful, historically speaking.
So what do you do if you're the coach, with a super-short turnaround for tomorrow's game?  Forsberg on nearly zero rest, and after a loss that kinda points to him, or Berubé, who is awful?  Historically.

Anyway, tonight saw a better effort from the skaters, at least.  They had moments of greatness and some of utter fecklessness, but so did Dallas.
The Anisimov line was deadly all night but were stepping on the puck a bit, their passes being just a tad off when they most needed to be spot-on.  The same was true for DeBrincat; generally excellent but slightly out of sync, somehow, at the most crucial moments.
Tonight's Corsi numbers were not flattering for Forsling & Rutta but I'll suggest that they were better than what that indicates.  Not at all perfect as they both had little bobbles that spun off into Dallas chances (and a GA for Faksa when Goose's failed stick check had him badly out of position) but they made their share of great plays, too, and Rutta was heroic in OT.

Surely a frustrating night for the team and especially for Anton Forsberg. The Faksa goal was possibly savable and he was schooled in the shootout by a couple of super-smart & extremely deceptive players but, otherwise, he outplayed his highly-rated counterpart, Ben Bishop.  Yet, no result.
Stick him back in there tomorrow, give him a crack at getting it right.  If it starts badly, well, there's always JF Berubé.  Even if he is awful.

Ten Good Minutes Does Not a Game Make: Stars 4, Hawks 3 (OT)

Aaaand that about sums it up.  The Hawks had a shift here, a shift there and a solid ten minutes to kick off the third period where they threatened, and occasionally scored, but otherwise looked tired a lot of the time.  Not physically tired, either, just worn out mentally.
They displayed zero creativity on the power play, which was unfortunate given the number of opportunities The Stars gave them, there.  Bad passes, no pass at all and a handful of ill-conceived passes when a shot seemed the obvious choice.  There were a lot of lazy decisions made and, really, they were lucky to keep this thing as close as they did.  
There are but a few Bits:
* The power play was awful.  As noted above, they struggled with this for almost the entirety of the game, yet did little to change their approach.  The Stars did a good job of taking away the middle of the ice but that was when a team that's fully invested in the game adjusts their plan to get looks from different areas and not be so utterly predictable.  They really made it easy for The Stars' PK units.  Keith played a whopping seven minutes on the PP and failed to make a clean pass the entire time.
* Corey Crawford made many fine saves yet was beaten on a couple of rather pedestrian shots.  It happens, and he'll be better next time out.

* Cody Franson was brutal and it's time to take a break. I'm unconvinced that Forsling is a better option on the power play but, for tonight, the less Franson, the better.

* The best Hawks tonight, I thought, were Kane, Schmaltz, DeBrincat and Forsling.  None of them were without fault but they were the best of a mediocre lot.  Things sometimes look grim, lately, but consider the experience level of three of those guys and we can agree that the future looks somewhat bright.
I'm still waiting for Coach Q to get DeBrincat into the top six, full time.  Why is this even a debatable issue, for all that Panik, or especially Saad, have accomplished lately?

What Happened?: Predators 3, Hawks 2

Not *really*.  I was just too tired and filled with ennui to type last evening.
So, briefly, this one could have gone either way, as The Hawks outshot NSH and had their measure in the possession dept., yet no joy.
Here's How:
* First Goal against - Seabrook had three opportunities to break up the play that ended with the puck behind Anton Forsberg, and he gacked all three chances.  Seabs subsequently played a mere 14:48, undoubtedly the least he's played when not injured, ill or tossed out in a decade.
* Pekke Rinne was masterful.  He robbed Kane three times in the first period, alone.
* Hawks Offense became inverted - when your two least score-y forwards are the ones that get your goals t'is a strange night, indeed.
* High Weirdness with Coach Q: just when you think he's got it kinda figured out (i.e. finally sparing us 20+ minutes of Seabrook) he ends up leaning on Wingels and Sharp whilst trying to get the equalizer late in the game.  Really, Q?
* HOWEVER, Q was sufficiently unimpressed with Richard Panik that he earned only 8:14 playing time.  This gives me no satisfaction as I'm a bit of a Panik fan BUT, if Q follows through on this partial benching it could pave the way for Alex DeBrincat to join the Top Six.  That would be exciting and maybe even worth having wasted a game.

As It Should be: Hawks 7, Ducks 3

Anything less would have been unacceptable, as The Anaheim Ducks are not-so-mighty these days with 5½ forwards injured, having to elevate several Guys into their top six.  To put anything over on The Hawks they would have had to lock down the middle of the ice, look for opportunistic goals and lean on their defense.  Well, The Hawks owned the puck tonight, rarely letting The Ducks touch the thing until the game was out of reach, and the Anaheim defense was pretty awful.  Let's get some Bits.
* The big story, offensively, was the third line finally breaking out, with Sharp and Hartman each notching their first points in November and Alex DeBrincat cashing in three times.  For Harts and Sharpie it was speed and determination with a side of feckless D on the part of The Ducks (how many times did Fowler gack a simple pass tonight?).  As for DBC, he had superb positioning and anticipation all night as he notched the hat trick. Two of his three goals were in the midst of line changes, with Schmaltz and Kane getting primary assists on two of those goals, but he had several good looks along with a goal while skating with Hartman and Sharp. DeBrincat is now third in Rookie Scoring, all while playing most of his minutes on the third and fourth lines.  And speaking of minutes, he's averaged three-to-five fewer minutes per game than the other rookies atop the scoring leaderboard.  Now imagine DBC in The Hawks' top six.

* Patrick Kane's passing mojo appears to be back with two of his three helpies being off laser-guided tape-to-tape passes through Ducks defensemen. On his opposite wing, Nick Schmaltz had another wonderful game, racking up three points and using his speed and superior puck control to create chances.  Who would have thought that this kid would be routinely succeeding with simple dump-and-chase gambits?
* John Hayden had another strong game.  One shift in the first period was particularly amusing, as he must have circled The Ducks' zone three times before being relieved of the puck.
* The Hawks' defense had an okay game.  Connor Murphy caused a turnover that soon resulted in a Ducks goal, although the goal itself was more the product of Seabrook choosing to tip the puck into his own net rather than cover either of the Anaheim forwards within his reach, but Murph was otherwise excellent.  Rutta and Forsling played two very good periods before coming a bit unraveled in the third period, while Keith and Franson were as advertised, Keith being solid but unspectacular and Franson having his usual good/bad moments.
* Not the best outing that Corey Crawford has had, lately, but one could forgive him for not being fully engaged in the game as he was only tested occasionally until the third period.

The Hawks will be halfway to Nashville by now with the third back-to-back of their season coming tomorrow.  One expects that Anton Forsberg will get the start and that, after taking much of the third period off tonight, The Hawks will still have the legs to keep up with the second-place Predators.

Better When I'm Not There: Hawks 4, Panthers 1

So, I got home with about three minutes remaining in the first period and immediately hear Steve Konroyd remark "this is probably the best period The Hawks have played all season." Well, I missed it, and the rest was....okay, I guess.  But that's the way it goes, isn't it?  I hesitate to say that The Hawks let up when they have a lead, but rather that they don't always continue to press the point once they're ahead.
Not that it mattered tonight; The Hawks did what they had to do and not much more, which is entirely appropriate given the busy week ahead of them.  I have a few Bits for yis.

* The Toews line kinda ran wild with The Panthers' brain trust choosing to pit their best all-around line and top D-pairing against the Anisimov trio.  As I said, I dunno what went on for most of the first period but, once they were behind by a couple of goals, the Trocheck - Bjugstad - Haapala line weren't checking a whole lot as they tried to mount some offense.  How did that go, you ask?  How about a goal and a pair of helpies for Toews, a couple of points for Saad and, while he failed to make it to the scoresheet, Panik crushed a whopping 86% Corsi.  The cherry on top was Toews' goal - maybe not the prettiest but certainly one of the most fun goals I've seen in awhile, with the captain backhand swatting a puck out of the air past Roberto Luongo.  

* Despite the high shots against The Hawks' defense were decent enough, with Keith, Rutta and Murphy putting forth solid efforts.  Forsling and Franson each had a few not-so-good moments, but nothing ruinous.  Hardly noticed Seabrook, which I'll chalk up as a positive.
* The Hawks' fourth line had an...interesting night, consistently generating chances (or almost chances?) and somehow capitalizing on their effort only once.  What am I saying - Bouma and Wingels, for all their hard work, will only score the odd opportunistic goal.  Hayden has okay hands and is very determined in front of the net but often struggles to keep up with his speedy if unfocused linemates.  Konny quipped that this trio have been playing more or less third line minutes lately and, if that's the way it's going to be, one hopes that they could cash in a little more often.  That said, these guys were +1 and all three sported Corsi numbers north of 60% so, ultimately, I have nothing to complain about.

* Crawford had yet another near-perfect outing, with only a kinda soft goal against to detract from a an overall great game.  He actually worked harder than he should have, with FLA mounting several brief but intense attacks in which he was forced to make two or three saves in rapid succession.  

The Hawks now face a week in which they'll play five times over seven days with two back-to-backs, so we're gonna see Anton Forsberg at least once, maybe twice.  Like I said last week, it's felt like it's only a matter of time before the Toews line busts out, and this would be the perfect time to do it.

Sometimes You Eat the B'ar, and Sometimes The B'ar Eats You: Lightning 3, Hawks 2

Could have had this one.  Did The Hawks deserve a win?  Maybe not entirely, but to lose the way they did leaves a bit of a sour taste.  Let's go:
* The Hawks played a near-perfect first period, going up 2-0 courtesy of P. Kane and killing off a raft of penalties, including a big 5½ minutes, a chunk of which was 5-on-3.  Perhaps The Lightning were a little flat in the first but, whatever the case, The Hawks lacked that same jump, particularly on the forecheck and when breaking out, the rest of the way.  
* Patrick Kane potted a pair, both nice goals, but he was also guilty of some exceptionally lazy, impatient decisions.  A careless turnover set up The Lightning's first goal and, here and there throughout the match, he just lacked polish.
* Cody Franson's game was even more a case of extremes, as he had a masterful first period highlighted by his confident, accurate quarterbacking on the power play but, like Kane, had his struggles in the second and third.  Franson was at the crime scene for the first Lightning goal, as well, having "raced" back after Kane's giveaway, only to stand in front of Crawford, accomplishing nothing.  Several times in the last half of the game The Lightning exploited Franson's lack of foot speed, sometimes just letting him spin himself in place.
* The Hawks' breakouts early in the game were terrific, as the D always seemed to catch a forward moving past them with some speed, hitting them with a short, safe pass.  Not so much in the late going though, as Tampa's speedier forwards harried The Hawks' D much of the time, frequently pinching off those head-man passes.

* Corey Crawford was fine given what was going on from time to time in front of him.  He looked a bit disordered at times, but his quickness and athleticism bailed him out.  The Kunitz goal looked pretty soft but, to be fair, Crow likely only saw that one at the last moment, what with the wall of blue sweater in front him and Keith outmanned in front of the net.
* Andrei Vasilevskiy, down in the Tampa nets, was ridiculously good, stoning Saad, Panik as well as Kane on a breakaway.  I'm afraid there's no real remedy for that.
* Jan Rutta made a few nice passes but was otherwise pretty poor.  His lazydogging back to the defensive zone and subsequent failure to cover anyone helped make possible the aforementioned Kunitz goal.
* Forsling had some moments both good and bad, but I still liked seeing him play with more urgency and lot less hesitancy than he had been.
* Connor Murphy, however, played as good a game as he's had all season, with good positioning and a great stick, all while playing a team-low (for d-men) 14 minutes.  I thought Anisimov was pretty good, too, this being the best game he's played in which he failed to score.
* Saad and Panik, once again, each had multiple looks but failed to capitalize.  The explosion is coming, and it cannot come soon enough.
* Sticking with Panik, I wonder if he's camping out too far to the side of the net, hoping for some cross-ice stuff and an easy tap-in, because he's rarely close enough to get after a rebound and often finds himself shooting at a poor angle.
* Finally....the penalty in OT.  It was a weak call, with Schmaltz doing little more than waving his stick in front of the Tampa player, the latter's follow through actually being what initiated contact.  There was no chopping motion.  One likes to think that these things even out over the course of a game and throughout a season, but that was a lousy time for the official to make such a crap call.

In some ways The Hawks actually acquitted themselves well tonight, taking the league's best team to OT and at least earning the consolation point.  If they had managed to maintain the intensity and the control that they exhibited in the first period, though, things could have been different.  Sure, Tampa upped their effort, but that's when The Hawks needed to see them and raise them....but they didn't.  Or couldn't.

Good Enough For The Girls I Run With: Hawks 2, Penguins 1

Here comes a workmanlike recap for a workmanlike game, regardless of who or what deserves anything.  It wasn't a perfect effort but good enough to earn two points and with enough bright spots to make one believe, or hope at least, that The Hawks will be able to muddle their way into the playoffs.  Forward to The Bits.

* Anisimov scores again, and a pure garbageman's goal, at that.  It's been fun to watch Large Arthur do his thing and do it so well, as late, but I spoil it for myself (and everyone else, now) by considering where The Hawks would be if he wasn't scoring by the bucketful.  Aside from DeBrincat none of the other Hawks forwards have had much luck around the net for weeks.  Kane and Schmaltz are both moving the puck well enough, exceptionally well in Schmaltz's case, but not cashing in.  The Toews line look dangerous every night but have little to show for their efforts apart from an empty-netter and an OT goal by Saad while playing with DBC.  You have to think that the pucks will start going in for them...but when?  

                                             The best Hawks' player, once again.

* While the Top Six crushed PIT in possession and chances, which says a lot given that this was a road game and The Hawks wouldn't get their preferred match-ups, the Bottom Six were a sucking chest wound.  Sharp had a dozen or so semi-breakaways but couldn't convert because a) a Penguins D-man always managed to catch him just enough to be a nuisance, and b) Matt Murray's already seen Sharpie's best stuff in summer scrub hockey.  Wingels had one good look in the second but, around that same time, Old Lead Hands Bouma squandered an A+ chance.  Is Kero really not an option over Bouma?
* Forsling had another pretty good game with only a couple of "moments", scored a goal and had that same good, darty stick that he had going against NYR.  The Hawks' D was okay, in general, and that's about as good as we can hope for with this bunch, right now.
* Crawford was tremendous, missing a shutout by a fraction of an inch on a shot that may or may not have ticked off of Keith's stick.
* Two Power Play goals in one game is a victory in and of itself.  The Hawks had good puck movement for the most part and actually got a few shots on net during the PP.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that The Hawks' recent successes and Anisimov's scoring binge is partly due to Franson getting the puck on-net so often, particularly with the extra man.  Seriously, The Hawks haven't had a guy on the back end accomplish that in years.

Off to FLA on Wednesday and too many days off for my liking before that and between the Tampa and Miami games.  Maybe it'll rain and the golf courses will be closed....

Power Restored: Hawks 6, Rangers 3

Early in the first period my electricity briefly went off and I had to horse around to get the furnace restarted.  After reviewing the tapes it was apparent that it was a period worth missing, anyway.  However, as the house heated up, so did The Hawks.  I assume this was entirely coincidental.

* Artem Anisimov.  Yeah, he's slow as hell and isn't so good at those faceoffs but, boy, has he been working the front of the net like a champ the last several games.  As long as his big body is allowed to hang out there his strength and his hands will continue to ca$h in the goals.  Also, while he was below 50% on those faceoffs, he always seemed to win the ones that mattered.  That was as perfect a game as one can expect from Large Arthur.
* DeBrincat was good, finally got some significant power play time and continued to surprise me with his aggressive and often effective forechecking.  More, please, and in the top six, if you don't mind; he's being wasted on the third/fourth line.
* Patrick Kane was better, but he still seems not-quite-right.  His passing has not been up to his usual standards, his shooting mediocre and his judgement a bit suspect for about two weeks, now.  He just hasn't always appeared fully invested in what was going on.  Last night saw an improvement in all those areas, even with a couple of ain't-give-a-damn passes and a pair of simply dumb shots, but he can and will be better.

* Nick Schmaltz was, I thought, the second best Hawk in this game.  Thinking back to around this time last year, he had one move, the old Mats Naslund get-the-zone-curl-back-and-look-for-a-pass schtick.  This year, he hardly ever does that, instead usually choosing to barge deep into the offensive zone, trying to set up camp below the goal line and do his passing from there.  He's just so much more confident, isn't shying away from contact like he had been (which might be a mistake, but that's not for now) and has a much wider array of plays he's willing to try.  If it weren't for Anisimov carrying the mail right now I'd campaign for a DeBrincat-Schmaltz-Kane combo.  Yeah, it would be the smallest line in the NHL, but these three all play bigger than they are, and I wanna have a longer look at Schmaltz setting up DBC.
* Brandon Saad.  I hesitate to say he's been bad, but he hasn't been good either.  Having had only one really good game in the last 3½ weeks should be bugging him as much as it's bugging me.
* John Hayden came through with exactly the kind of goal one expects from him given his location in the lineup.  He was well-positioned and did a great job to lift Shatnerkirk's stick, outmuscle him, and get the shot away.  He could shape up into a pretty effective blunt instrument.

* Goose Forsling.  Despite a pretty shaky first period (from what little I saw and, in his defense, everyone in red was pretty poor in the first) he had his best game in ages, breaking up numerous plays with a good, active stick.  His positioning was decent, too.  Could be an anomaly, but one hopes he's being coached in these areas and is applying himself, finally.
* Cody Franson.  Not perfect, and that back-pass in the first would have gotten Murph or Kemps stapled to the bench for the duration, but he's so good along the other guys' blue line I think you've got to keep him in the lineup.  That low, hard shot has led to many primo rebounds.  How is it that he shoots half as often but records a shot-on as often as Keith and Seabrook?  He just does. 
On the topic of Franson v. Seabrook: that's how you execute a last-ditch bellyflop.  Franson kept his eyes on what was happening and used his stick and/or legs, ultimately, to break up the play, while Seabrook's plan appears to be to flop, hope for the best and take the rest of the night off.
* Jan Rutta just had his two worst games, back-to-back.
* Seabrook played a team-low 16:26 on the back end.  I won't get my hopes up that he's blown his cover and that "circumstances" kept him off the ice more than usual, but a girl can dream...
* Corey Crawford.  He did what he had to do and not much else, keeping The Hawks in it during that abysmal first period, but let a few softies in later on.  That's fair enough, as he's stolen more than his share of games in this young season, but I rather hope it's not something we need to worry about.
* Lance Bouma.  I'm unsure of what he does beyond tearing around, laying a few hits and crashing the net.  He has no shot, hands so hard that every pass bounces off of his stick and he's a bad penalty killer.  Sorry, just had to get that out.

The Penguins, then, on Saturday.  It won't be another 10-1 affair (unless The Hawks are really bad... ha ha) since we won't have poor Antti Niemi to slap around. Better be ready, boys.

Back To Earth: Devils 263, Hawks 5

So, it was another one of those deals when almost every defensive mistake ends up in he back of The Hawks' net.  First, Forsling, inattentive and overmatched.  Then, Oesterle, too soft twice on the same play, with a side of Bouma floating instead of taking away the passing lane.  Next, Hayden coasting back to The Hawk's zone even while Andy Greene "sped" past him.  After that, Saad standing and watching, Rutta pantsed by Hall, Oesterle weak again, although precipitated by Kempny's terrible breakout attempt and, finally, Rutta convinced that merely placing his hand on Miles Wood's back would slow him down.  As score-y as Rutta was tonight his defensive effort was garbage - dude nets three points and ends up -1 on the night?
The Hawks outshot, outchanced and made fewer turnovers than the Devils, but they were so lackadaisical about containing the Devils' forwards it was always going to end in tears.

The absolutely best part of this game was Pat Boyle slipping in "The Devils were sporting Full Wood tonight...."
I'll just bet they were.

Relief: Hawks 4, Hurricanes 3

It wasn't a pretty game by any stretch, but it may well prove to be a turning point for The Hawks or, at least, for a couple of Hawks that, if tonight's result signals a change in fortune, may have gotten a much-needed confidence boost.  Let's see them Bits:
* Alex DeBrincat was the big story tonight, potting two goals and orchestrating a masterful setup on the winning goal.  His goals weren't solo efforts, with each marker made possible by excellent passes but, in each case, DBC was charging the net, in the right location for the pass and made no mistake when those chances came.  His pass to Saad in overtime was just as good, if not better; as the two forwards approached the Carolina blue line, Saad was rapping his stick on the ice for a pass but, to his credit, DBC had the balls to hold the puck, risking putting Saad offside and, at the perfect moment, deftly slid the puck to #20, who found himself one-on-one with Scotty Darling.  This game has certainly lifted a large & angry monkey off the young forward's back, with that gutsy OT play already indicating that his confidence has spiked.  It's worth noting that, while DBC was ostensibly relegated to the fourth line, his first goal came when he was tossed out there with Toews and Panik, while his second was off a feed from Kane, who was double-shifting in Hartman's spot.  Hmmm....

* Saad scored, even after gacking an easy tap-in and missing on a penalty shot.  That was Saad's first goal in four weeks and, in between those goals, he's been absolutely ham-fisted around the bad guys' net.  This, too, could be the event that gets Saad back on track.
* Kane made a pass in the offensive zone that actually mattered.  He's carried the puck as well as ever, lately, but just hasn't been able to hit a linemate in a primo location very often.  That could be down to those linemates not doing enough to get to those good shooting areas, but I wonder if it's been largely impatience or failure to execute on Kane's part.

Those are the key items, now The Other Stuff:
* Forsberg was both great and terrible.  He remarkably adept at tracking the puck in close quarters but has let in softies in each game he's played this year.  Tonight marks the first game he's ever won as a starter, so that's over with and perhaps he can just get on with business.
* Did Hartman play tonight?  That stat line says he did, but he was utterly invisible.  While I wouldn't necessarily agree with the move I wouldn't be shocked if he and Vinnie Hinostroza swapped places very soon.  Coach Q seems to have little use for him right now.
* Classic Post-2015 Seabrook tonight, complete with the signature bellyflop "move" (it failed) and, despite being on the ice for two goals against, still managed to emerge +1 for the night and smelling like a rose.  You're not fooling me, tortoise-boy.
* Is Franson hurt?  Did he take another shift after whatever it was that had him in a fetal position in he third period?
* I didn't mind Schmaltz - Anisimov - Kane.  The wingers did some nifty stuff and, all foot speed-related shortcomings aside Large Arthur, with his size and hands, has been pretty good in front of the net, lately.
Okay, New Jersey tomorrow, Crow back in net...let's open the floodgates and get this thing going again.