File Under "Incomplete": Hawks 3, Devils 1 and Friday's Big Boy

Straight away, any compliments or encouraging things I might type tonight must be tempered by the fact that The Hawks were playing the dismal Devils.  Anything less than a win tonight would have been unacceptable yet, for two periods, The Hawks took their chances with losing to these oldtimers.

Good
- Ryan Hartman was not terrible.  I expect that his first-shift crushing check on Zubrus may well define whatever career he makes for himself, but he clearly has a good motor and the behind-the-net pass to Bickell was as good a set up as any tonight.  If Hartman shows any indication that he has NHL-quality hands AND he refrains from taking dumb penalties I think we may assume that Andrew Shaw will be dispatched in due time.
- Corey Crawford was solid again and, thankfully, was rewarded with a win.
- Lighter minutes for Duncan Keith for a second straight game.  It's impossible to tell if this is an effort to go easy on the lad or if Quenneville has a beef with Keith.  


Bad
-  Playing Carcillo in lieu of Smith.  What did Carcillo accomplish in his 4:03 ice time?  What did Q think Carcillo would accomplish?  By all means "send a message" if you feel you must, but it's unclear what message this maneuver conveys.
- Only 13 minutes for Sharp, partly because of, I think, the bottom six being reduced to five for most of the game.  Some of those line combos were probably pulled out of a hat.
- Marcus Kruger didn't look good at all, wandering, hesitant and not moving his feet like he usually does.

Ehhhhh
- Yeah, Seabrook had two assists (both secondary, mind) but it seemed to me that after a lot of Devils' chances I saw 7 drifting into view, not in position or being useful in any way.
- Saad was driving hard enough tonight but, boy, he and the puck were not on good terms.
- Nothing apropos of this game, but if Q isn't going to play Teuvo Teravainen the best place for him is Rockford, where he'll at least get minutes on a top line and in all situations.
- Kyle Cumiskey was not great but not a nightmare, either.

                                            Oh, come on, who else could it be?

                                              53% the last four games, bitches.