The Return of...: Hawks 3, Duckies 1

That's more like it.
It was "only" two goals and one was an empty-netter but the potential effect Brandon Saad's busting out could well be huge.  The expected joy and relief of having finally scored was plainly evident but, almost as good, Saad played with fury, purpose and swagger from there on.  It's not as if he'd been playing so badly up until last night but, when that first goal went in, it's like a switch was flipped.
I'd thought he was lost, perhaps he is found.
Yes, there's more
I don't know what to do about Anisimov.  It felt like he was dragging Kane & Saad down a bit yet, he's pretty good in front of the net, being as he's large and has okay hands.  Is it worth putting up with his lack of speed and his defensive indifference for awhile to see what these three can accomplish?  
Toews and Gustafsson had fantastic games apart from one gacked play....and it was the same play for both of them and Toews very nearly undid his end of the mistake, barely failing to lift Rakell's stick as they bore down on Crawford.  Gus has been a revelation, having upped every aspect of his game to unforeseen levels.  Two months ago I'd written that the roster could only support either Gustafsson or Forsling and not both and, at this point, Forsling will be lucky if Stan Bowman doesn't delete him from his contacts list.  Gus could still use a bit of improvement defensively but he is already ridiculously better than he'd been last year.
Marcus Kruger - penalty minute leader.  Okay, that has to stop.
Luke Johnson - does anyone know what he does?  Schmaltz and Fortin had a few interesting moments last night but Johnson was nowhere around.  Coach Q seems really enthusiastic about Johnson so maybe there's something there and I just haven't spotted it yet.  As it is, he appears to be a downgrade from super-steady David Kampf.
Corey Crawford is The Man.
That is all.

NEXT: The Rangers on Thursday.  Get ready for The Attack of The Killer Zees....or possibly Zeds, with Zuccarello and Zibanejad leading "the charge" in the midst of an icky rebuild.

Left Boy The Return of...

Big Trouble: Ducks 6, Hawks 3

Yeah, big trouble.  Never mind losing the game because, really, does that even matter now?  Even worse is that too many Hawks players are simply no longer invested in the season, the team or each other.
Dumb, dumb plays abounded.  
The so-called first line failed to hit a pass longer than 10ft until late the second period.  The worst of the three was Kane, floating passes not feet but yards off their mark.  
Seabrook was absolutely awful, his lowlight being that old chestnut, the drop pass to no one, this time completely defusing a power play.  
Keith had more poor shifts than good shifts and Oesterle was flat out brutal, with a shiny -4 next to his name to show for it.
You know things are grim when Connor Murphy was the best Hawks d-man, hands down.
And Anthony Duclair - does anyone know what the hell he's trying to accomplish, ever?  The decisions he makes are just baffling.  Please, Stan, don't even think about re-signing the lad.
The goalies gave it a good shot.  Forsberg, naturally, allowed his customary unforgivable soft goal and he really should take more care to keep his stick on the ice, but even with the clutch of good saves they made, neither he nor JF Berube belong in The NHL.  But, that's who we have, right?
Not All Bad?
Of course not.  The Schmaltz line had a pretty good second half of the game, although I have to say that Schmaltz was invisible to me until he scored.  If this season doesn't utterly crush the spirits of Schmaltz, DeBrincat and Hinostroza there's a slim ray of light on the horizon.
And Kampf's trio did well, with the caveat that they have so little ability to score that the effort hardly seems worthwhile, but they sure tried.  Not sure what to say about Matthew "Charlie Bucket" Highmore as he's not done anything dazzling, yet, but he's not giving the puck away, at least.  Until he shows some offensive acumen, though, he may as well be Tanner Kero.

The neanderthals in the post-game show had a lot to say about The Hawks' non-reaction to Toews' dust up with arch-nemesis Ryan Kesler.  The notion that Toews needed to respond to Kesler's invitation to drop the gloves is incredibly stupid, but I get it, and maybe it served as a release of sorts for Toews.  The studio goons harped about Toews' teammates' lack of acknowledgement when the captain emerged from the penalty box and Jamal Mayers asserted many times that The Hawks "should be embarrassed".  I think they were embarrassed to have let in two more goals while Toews was indisposed, and I imagine their enthusiasm for the game in general had just about bottomed out.  Sure, a few stick taps would have been appropriate, for whatever little that is actually worth, but I'm also guessing that this team is simply emotionally drained and they cannot wait for the season to end.  The hands and feet go through the motions but the head & hearts aren't there, really.

Back To Our Regular Scheduled Program: Ducks 3, Hawks 2

After being outshot, outhustled and badly losing the Corsi game vs. Vegas on Tuesday, The Hawks really only lost that one in the third period. Tonight, as has been more often the case, The Hawks put the boots to Anaheim in shots, chances, possession...you name it,  yet, they lose again.
One of the Guys in the studio (and they usually are Guys, or goalies, aren't they?) sputtered something about "the all-important first goal".  More horseshit.  
The all-important goal would the third one they score in a game.  Any game.
Because, it seems, almost every big mistake they make results in a goal against.
The goalies are only AHL-quality, after all, so all those breakaways and odd-man chances are gonna cost The Hawks, sooner than later.

That's pretty much it: score three goals in a game.  See what that gets ya.

What Else?
Oesterle cannot miss that open net.
Bouma has no business trying to play with Kane & Schmaltz.
Kempny was pretty poor.  After a solid game in Vegas it was disappointing to see him making things easy for The Ducks forwards.
Toews looked great...until he got within shooting distance of the net.  At that point he either lost the handle, made a poor shot or failed to get a pass to a linemate.
Duclair - I think he played tonight.  I saw him on the bench.
The Hartman Call - Adam Burish needs to settle down.  Sure, the refs got that call wrong, it should have been a 5-on-3, I reckon, but what's the difference?  The Hawks aren't scoring on the power play, anyway, so Burr needs to find another windmill to charge.

Not All Bad?
Saad came out of hibernation, briefly, and Keith finally got a shot through.
Hartman worked incredibly hard and enjoyed some good sequences with DeBrincat.
Wingels, unbelievably, had a decent game, again.

But what it all comes down to is that The Hawks cannot score.  The power play is impotent and their attack, in general, is stale and predictable.  That song remains the same.

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.

About Last Night: Ducks 1, Hawks 0

Isn't it interesting that the last time The Hawks lost it was right after returning from an extended break?  It's water under the bridge, now, but I'm still compelled to peck out a few notes on last night's match.
The Hawks had plenty of jump, I thought.  The legs & lungs were working fine but they weren't always sharp with the puck.  They may have eased off a bit in the second period but there was no sluggishness worth complaining about.
They couldn't complete a play around The Ducks' net, however.  The "plan" revolved around point shots, for the most part, precious few of which made it as far as the net.  There were very few attempts to make a short pass in The Danger Zone and even fewer that succeeded.  Again, just not sharp, in terms of vision, positioning and execution.  Ducks' goaltender J. Bernier faced a load of shots but remarkably few that were truly difficult.  In fact, The Hawks' best scoring chances were attempts that missed the net.
Anisimov was, again, not very good, and it would have been nice if Toews could have won a draw vs. Kesler.  
Oduya's return was about as I'd expected; not spectacular but good enough.
Overall, The Hawks were the better team, far eclipsing The Ducks in shots and possession, but just could not close the deal.  The goal against was a good one, made possible by a greasy hand-off by Logan Shaw and a great shuffle-and-shoot by Corey Perry.  Sure there were Hawks fumbling all over the place and Kruger changed his mind on who he wanted to be checking, but it was as legit a goal as you want to allow.  Maybe if Jurco & Kero didn't linger around in The Ducks' crease after Hossa's near-miss someone could have tracked down Perry, but I doubt it.

Ah, well, we've been on the other end of this stick enough to know that it happens.  Let's call it a warm up and hope The Hawks come out sharper tonight in Murdertown, USA.

Back To Plan A, Then? Hawks 3, Ducks 2

Yes, Plan A, in which The Hawks get outshot, outhustled and walloped in possession, yet still win.
I can't explain it, but after coming up empty in the last two games, which were decent efforts in many ways, I'll take it.  How about some Bits?

With Toews out The Hawks' lines hit the blender before the game even started and we saw two completely new units.  The Hinostroza - Hartman - Hossa trio was quite unexpected and were a lot of fun to watch.  They were disorganized, slightly out of control and The Vin Man cannot win a draw to save his life, but all that storming around amused me to no end. Hartman actually potted his goal while skating with Kruger and Rasmussen, as Jordin Tootoo had exceeded his alloted 4 minutes of ice time, but I liked the TRIPLE H line just fine. They had pretty soft assignments, but Hino and Hartman were the only Hawks forwards north of 50% possession.
On the other end of the stick, Schmaltz - Motte - Panik were, apart from a couple of isolated looks, pretty bleh.
Patrick Kane rejoined The Arthurs, of course, and they were The Hawks most dangerous line, naturally, accounting for most of the offense during The Hawks one truly dominant stretch, the middle of the second period.
Corey Crawford bounced back with a convincing performance, just as expected.

With two points and a superior effort in Toews' absence, Saint Stomare has agreed to spare Patrick Kane from any imminent apocalyptic situations.

Good thing you didn't blow THIS kid off there, Kaner.

Blockbuster! (Or: This is What We Got For Patrick Sharp?)

This morning, The Hawks traded Ryan Garbutt to Anaheim for Jiri Sekac.
Just to get it out of the way, The Hawks have now netted Jiri Sekac and Rob Scuderi in exchange for one of the most dynamic players to wear The Indian Head.  Yeah, yeah, salary cap, bla bla bla... it still bugs me.  Were there that few GMs interested in Sharp?  

Anyway...
What We Lose:
Very little, as it turns out. Garbutt had the lowest shooting percentage of any Hawks player who has bothered to score a goal this season, despite having hurled more shots on net than Panarin or Anisimov, among others, and possessed the worst plus/minus rating on the club. He had a look on the Toews line and spent a very short period in the PK rotation.  He was a healthy scratch a handful of times, as well.  Garbutt had another year on his current contract which is now Anaheim's millstone.

What We Gain:
Hard to say. Sekac put up okay numbers while with Montreal last season (7G, 9A in 50 games) considering the ice time (not much) and the quality of his usual linemates (rarely good).  It appears that Sekac was unable to infiltrate Bruce Boudreau's Inner Circle (or possibly even his Outer Circle, if that's a thing), even after a brief audition on The Ducks' second line.  He missed about six weeks with an ankle injury and has been a healthy scratch off and on during the last week+.
Sekac is smallish "skill" player who is believed to have considerable offensive potential.  As he will likely enter The Hawks' lineup alongside Rasmussen and Panik he's not going to be lining up with premier talent but, that said, it's certain that Ras and Panik just got a better linemate.  Did that make sense?  I wouldn't be shocked, either, if Sekac gets deployed in Desjardin's spot on the third line, but that seems less likely due to the Des/Danault/Teravainen trio playing rather well together.
Money-wise it's a push, with Sekac earning a few bucks more than Garbutt, but that contract expires this spring, so Stan Bowman gets to Try Before he Buys.

                                                Drinks....drinks for all my friends...

File Under "Good Enough": Hawks 3, Ducks 2 and Friday's Big Boy

Despite only one line working well and general confusion, lack of cohesion and a pair of idiotic penalties, The Hawks took the two points when raw talent prevailed over lunkheadedness.  Also, The Ducks.  Here's what I thought I saw.

- Andrew Shaw does a few things very well but it's starting to look like the stupid things he does outweigh the couple of pluses he brings.  His two penalties were just plain dumb and not borne out of desperation or even anger.  This is of zero consequence, though, as he'll never miss a shift, will he? Luckily, Ryan Getzlaf is apparently just as stupid as Shaw.
- Trevor Daley hit the goalie twice today, which is progress.
- I understand that when things aren't working, for whatever reason, it's incumbent on Quenneville to jostle things up a bit, but Toews skating with Shaw & Garbutt is just bad human resources. They will undoubtedly find some small successes here and there but this cannot be a long term solution. Hossa with Dano and Kruger is less bad, but what does Kruger offer offensively apart from a handful of opportunistic goals each year?  The scorers need to be with scorers; let them ride out this rough patch, get used to each other again, and let comes naturally to these guys happen.  Dano and Hossa showed a little chemistry today, I thought, so it's a shame Toews wasn't able to join in.  Even Teravainen would be a better choice centering The Slovaks, but of course he was playing wing with Desjardins and Mashinter.  What the hell?
- I guess those nice things I said about Tanner Kero were all crap since he was scratched while the barely ambulatory Mashinter remained in the lineup.  Whatever success and fine reputation Quenneville has earned loses it's authenticity when galoots like Mashinter, Bollig, Burish and Eager remain on the lineup card.
- The Ducks suck. They have a few fine players and their goaltender played well enough today, but any team that leans on Shawn Horcoff for 18 minutes and carries another four guys that are basically dead weight are going to underwhelm more often than not.
- Once again, the "second" line carried the mail today, with many even strength shifts looking like The Hawks had a man advantage.  The other lines weren't awful, but none of them got much going for more than an isolated few moments or a shift here and there.  I don't know how long they'll be able to get by with only one line clicking.  
- Crawford was better than the boxscore suggests, as he was left swinging on the Cogliano breakaway and Stewart's goal was a fluke on a pass that Stewart screwed up.  These things happen and it's nice that he won't have to take the fall for a game he was actually decent enough in.

Tough one, today.  Anisimov was dangerous all day, Kane had entire shifts where he just did whatever he felt like doing and Seabrook notched three helpies, but I liked the complete game that Keith played today. As well as from scoring the tying goal he was moving the puck exceptionally well and making good passes in all zones.

                                             Lovin' those orange sweaters, though.

The Last Minute Kid PtII: Hawks 1, Ducks 0 and Monday's Big Boy

Late with this because PVR, again, and this is old news by now so I'll get after it quickly.
- One goal each game is unlikely to be enough on most nights.  The Hawks were outplayed for much of this game, outshot by a large margin and, when chances did arise it was the golden hands of Shaw, Kruger & Co. missing the net altogether.  Well, at least the fourth line was getting chances, right?
- The second line actually wasn't bad, occasionally.  Panarin shoulda coulda scored there in the third but thanks to the wording in NHL Rule #72 goaltenders may pretty much push the net any old place whenever they like.  Andy Moog would have loved that.
- And then there's Corey Crawford.  If The Hawks insist on grinding out these 1-0 games I guess he has to be there, but we all know he's not going to notch 30 shutouts this season, is he?  
- The look on Corey Perry's face when he failed a stuff-in had me smiling for half an hour.
- Despite The Ducks' shoot-fest, once again, The Hawks' D was quite good for the most part.  Svedberg had some moments, Daley made a drop pass to nowhere and Rundblad had the nerve to try to skate his way out of trouble, but none of this was calamitous.  Hey, we're three-for-three since Keith went down so I'm not complaining.

I think that, going forward, I'll only record the OT period, and only the first minute of that.

                                                What took so long, Johnny?

Duck Hunt Concludes: Hawks 5, Ducks 3 and Saturday's Big Boy

Two things came to mind as The Hawks put away The Western Conference Final in Anaheim yesterday:
- In Games 6 and 7, when they needed to win, The Hawks rarely looked troubled. They endured a few feisty moments by The Ducks but not much more than that.  Where was this in the first five games of this series?
- Maybe it was inevitable that this series HAD to go the full distance, just so Bruce Boudreau could lose yet another Game 7.

Seriously, when it really mattered, The Hawks did (almost) exactly what they can and should do, with their best players sticking to their respective scripts and the role players filling in the blanks.  I can honestly say I have no complaints about any Hawks player in Game 7.  Here are the bits:
- Hjalmarsson and Oduya were shot-blocking monsters; their timing and positioning may never have been this good.  It was kind of a pity that Oduya got flipped inside-out on Perry's goal but he's often struggled with speed coming up on his left.
- More than ever before it feels like as long as Jonathan Toews lives and breathes The Hawks cannot be counted out.
- I guess no one needs to worry themselves about Saad and Hossa swapping lines screwing up the chemistry;  Saad's linemates hooked him up for 5 shots, Hossa had 6.
- No one should be too concerned with Crawford allowing three goals, either.  Kesler's was on an incredible shot, Perry's came about as a result of Johnny Oduya falling all over himself and Beleskey's...well who cared at that point?
- I hesitate to say that Quenneville outfoxed Bruce Boudreau but, holy crap, a 10 year old kid with a copy of NHL'08 would have chosen better line matches than Boudreau did.  Let's see if he insists on trotting out the Getzlaf line opposite Toews next year, assuming he's still employed.

Saving the best for last? I think so, and I also think that Patrick Kane caused The Ducks to just stand mesmerized.  Well, not really, but he did do pretty much whatever he wanted to do and created chances practically every time he touched the puck.

                         Speak softly and carry an expensive, exotic-materials stick.

Goin' Back to Cali: Hawks 5, Ducks 2 and Wednesday's Big Boy

That'll do, right?  There's so much to like about tonight's game. The result, obviously, but it was also a relief to see the guys that need to be great really carrying the mail tonight.  Not every great performance showed up on the scoresheet but I like to think that those guys' efforts have been recognized.

- The Vulgar Display of Power - tonight marks the first game since May 3rd, Game Two vs. Minnesota, in which The Hawks won, or lost, by more than a single goal.  Well, now's the time...

- Wasn't crazy about The Hawks circling the wagons in the third but they're always gonna do that, aren't they?  

- Rundblad in for Timonen; whatever, but it just makes me wonder, once again, what Q's thinking when he inserts a replacement player and doesn't bother using them.

- Frederik Anderson was not good.  There's absolutely no guarantee that'll happen for a third game in a row.

- Getzlaf & Perry both being -3 on the night was just a bonus and, again, probably not gonna happen on Friday unless Bruce Boudreau is vain and stupid enough to try to match his top line with Toews' trio.

- Winning faceoffs = getting first crack at controlling the play.  The Hawks were a gaudy 66% tonight.  Hell, even Richards & Shaw were north of 50%.

Duncan Keith was the whole package tonight and, no matter how much press his elevated icetime gets, he not only just keeps ticking along, I think he's getting better.  A couple of sweet passes, saving a goal in the third and, the most of all, lulling The Ducks into a hypnotic state in the lead-up to Saad's goal.

                                                      No sleep 'til Anaheim.

About Last Night: It's All to Do Now

It wasn't all bad, but it wasn't good enough and, frustratingly, not nearly as good as it can be.

• On that tack, it was gratifying to see Toews recover from a so-so effort earlier in the game to give The Hawks a chance at OT.  I guess that's what we need and expect from him, though, isn't it?
• Bickell needs to be removed from the second line, possibly from the roster.  Whatever mythical playoff mojo he's possessed in the past deserted him sometime during the MN series.  His bungled shoot-in, basically the hockey equivalent of a lay up, is inexcusable.  It doesn't end with Bickell, though, 'cos Quenneville continues to trot him out on a line that has, lately, been compromised by Bickell's secret injury/ lack of concern / whatever and Richards' inconsistency.  If Q insists on continuing with Bickell in the lineup I wonder if swapping Kane and Saad might be worth a try.
• Seabrook looked awful on the winning goal but, to be fair to him, he was alone, trying to turn around in the face of two Ducks entering the zone with speed and was probably unsure who would have the puck when he stopped spinning.  Yeah, it would have been better if he took away the passing lane rather than chase the puck carrier, but it was a lost coin-flip as much as anything, I think.
• Another positive; at least we can expect Teravainen and Vermette to remain in the lineup.  Vermette's touch pass on TT's goal gave me chills.
• The Ducks are still very beatable but only if The Hawks refrain from the lazy, thoughtless stuff that so often lead to a puck behind Crawford.  They can do it, let's see if they will do it.

Evening Up: Hawks 5, Ducks 4 and Saturday's Big Boy

That felt like two mini-games to me, the first of which lasted 48 minutes and was dominated by The Hawks.  Part Two, however, was a different story, as Anaheim took over for much of the final 37-or-so minutes.  It wasn't even that The Hawks looked especially bad, either, isolated moments aside...they just didn't press consistently like I thought they should.  I suppose being touched up for three goals against in less than a minute can take the wind out the old sails.
Some notes:
- Toews- Saad - Hossa had a pretty nice first half but they seemed the most affected by the momentum swing.  
- Vermette - Sharp - Teravainen picked up right where they left off before the stupid interruption of Game Three.  Here was The Hawks' best possession line and, fittingly, the authors of the winning goal.  Anytime Q considers tinkering again there should be someone nearby to shout GAME THREE into his earballs.

Yup, despite Toews having a good night against Kesler, Saad finally breaking through with some points and Vermette's beautiful second-effort goal, the belt returns to Corey Crawford.  Crow was the best Hawk when it mattered most.

                                                                    Yoink.

Don't Make Me Choose: Hawks 3, Ducks 2 and Something a Little Different

Allow me to break pattern today in recognition of The Hawks pulling off a W in the longest game in franchise history.  Also because I'm tired and lazy and don't care to think too hard on this.

While several Hawks not specifically mentioned here had great games I'm going to call out a few fellas who really made a difference last night...er, this morning.

                                                              I am smiling.
Marcus Kruger, obviously, but not just by dint of his clutch goal in the wee hours.  The Serious Swede spent much of his time on the ice following Ryan Getzlaf around and, apart from one wee hiccup, managed to keep the Ducks' captain more or less subdued.

                                       I think I've already used this pic at least twice.
Corey Crawford.  Any game that includes 60 saves is worth a mention.  Nothing more could be asked of The Hawks' most consistent player.

                                                  Goooooooooooaaaaaalllllllll......?
Sometimes with Andrew Shaw you don't know what you're going to get.  In the worst case, he can be distracted, petulant and a liability.  Thankfully, come playoff time, we're usually treated to Shaw at his best; pesky, determined and having an uncanny knack for making precociously well-timed plays.
His non-typical choice to barge into The Ducks zone on the winning play was a large factor in that all coming together.

                                                            And the...fourth star...
Have I mentioned lately that I am loving The Hawks' fourth line?  Andrew Desjardins made some excellent choices last night, the most critical of which led to a third puck in The Ducks' net. 

Duck and Cover: Hawks Win 4 - 1 and Friday's Big Boy

I'm not sure which scenario disturbs me more; that The Ducks are somehow in 1st place in the NHL or that The Hawks are not.  Maybe it's a case of right-place-right-time but The Hawks have owned Anaheim this season, winning three matches handily and losing a 1-0 game in which John Gibson stole a win for the waterfowl.  Where are The Ducks picking up all these points?  Looking at their roster, especially their defence, there's not a lot there past the top line.
As for The Hawks, they seem to find ways to chuck two points away pretty often.  Maybe every good team in the NHL is guilty of this from time to time but, holy crap, The Hawks have wasted a lot of pints this season by simply not applying themselves as they could and should.
Enough of that.  We got the points tonight and without a lot of effort, it seemed.

There were a couple of likely suspects tonight but, with assists on all four goals, this evening's Big Boy is Patrick Sharp.

Oddly, Google Images provides twice as many photos of Sharpie in street clothes than in hockey gear.  It took me 45 minutes to get this.