Alright then, to the matter currently at hand.
The Hawks are finally starting to look like the team I thought they could be. Not everything was perfectly executed tonight but, refreshingly, there were no catastrophic unforced errors that cost them. Their puck movement was more swift and crisp than it's been in ages, forwards are getting back more regularly and passes were on the mark for the most part.
After a sterling first period there appeared to be a slight letup in the second frame. Much of that was due to COL getting it together, especially their forecheck, and The Hawks took awhile to up their intensity accordingly.
Patrick Kane Had a Big Night, figuring on all three CHI goals and just looked good all night. He's been far more engaged than say, three or four weeks ago, when he was often just going through the motions with no joy, no impetus to excel. Kaner has often connected well with Gustafsson since Gus was called up late last season and, now, Strome is getting in that action. More than any other Hawks, perhaps other than Toews, those two get what Kane is up to and can either get the puck to where he's going to be or get themselves where they know Kane will find them.
DeBrincat Cashed Yet Again and had several other good looks, yet I worry that he's putting all of his chips on the one-timer from the left circle. If and when that gambit fails to work I hope he changes his approach accordingly, lest he fall into the doldrums that befell the previous residents of that patch of ice, Panarin and Sharp.
Collin Delia Was Sublime. My only issue with Delia's play is rebound control as he often pops those straight out into the slot. That, apparently, is the last thing that goalies get right, if they ever get it right, and with a mere five NHL starts under his belt he's barely even started his apprenticeship. That's fair enough.
I Hardly Noticed Seabrook and Dahlstrom tonight and that's just perfect. Big Carl and Murphy played a lot of hard minutes against MacKinnon & Co. and were even on plus/minus which is a big win. As for Seabs, his memorable games in recent months have been riddled with giveaways and other calamities and there was none of that tonight.
Special Teams Were Actually Special again, hitting for two PPG out of five tries and killing two of three PK. The PPG against, scored by Rantanen, was a ridiculously well-placed shot through a screen, so I'm not gonna pin that one on the PK or Delia - some shots are just always going to go in. Puck movement and positioning on the PP started off great but lost momentum as the game progressed, but at least we're getting more zone time, more shots and more goals, generally.
Hilariously, Foley Twice Praised Perlini for not touching the puck and avoiding a too many men penalty, rather than calling him out for jumping the boards way too soon.
John Hayden's Hold on a Roster Spot is precarious right now. His ice time is dwindling and he's one of the few minus players in the last several games. At the moment I'm failing see what he does apart from protect the puck pretty well, but then do nothing productive with it.
Next: The Winter Classic vs. Boston on Tuesday. The Hawks have not fared well in these affairs in recent years but, if they can replicate tonight's first period somewhat they'll be just fine.
John Denver - Rocky Mountain High
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