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.