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.