Franson Placed On Waivers

Blackhawks place D Franson on waivers

Well, I didn't see that coming, but I might well have done now that Coach Q is head-over-heels for Jordan Oesterle.  Franson's most useful role is (was) on the power play and it appears that, between Keith, Oz, Forsling and occasionally Seabrook, The Hawks are sorted out in that department.
Follow up remark: has anyone ever used the word "owns" this many times in this short an article?

Unhappy New Year: Flames 4, Hawks 3

It was one of the most evenly contested games I've seen in awhile but, frustratingly, The Hawks probably could have buried The Flames had they bothered to show up in the first period.  It's the same refrain: they just cannot muster up a full 60-minute effort.  Ever.
It's late, I'm tired and I'm disappointed, so this will be short.
* Jeff Glass was alright, probably better overall than on Friday.  A couple of the goals were honest enough and Giordino's shot for the winner was darn-near perfect, but had David "Baby Huey" Kampf bothered to do something about Matthew Tkachuk's stick we'd be looking at a win, here.  Sharp is sitting out to make room for this buffoon?
* Speaking of M. Tkachuk...I don't like that guy.  That permanent, punchable smirk makes him hockey's Martin Shkreli.  
* Still liking that 2PP unit, for some reason.  Maybe the fact that they only sorta know what they're doing affords them an element of surprise - if they have little idea what they'll do next imagine how little their opponents know!
* Keith was not good yet played 28+ minutes, not at all a recipe for success.
* Wingels has to stop it with the bullshit penalties.  He's gotten the gate three times in the last five games and The Hawks were scored on each time.
* Kempny and Franson both played alright but, with the loss, you know one or both of them will be scratched on Wednesday, right?
* Richard Panik will never score again.  Ever.

Baby It's Cold Outside: Western Canada Tour Vol I and II

Ugh, these left-coast games are killing me.  So far we've seen two games that were more similar than they might appear by looking only at the score, with just a couple of details that led to disparate results.  This is already old news so let's go.

Vol I: Vancouver
Now this seriously pissed me off.  Even with no Burrows and no Bieksa I still have zero use for The Canucks.  The most visible aspect of their fanbase are given to tantrums that qualify as "civil unrest" and they're still booing Duncan Keith every time he touches the puck, presumably because he elbowed one of The Creepy Twins (doesn't matter which one) almost six years.  That's all I need to know about that gang.
Just as frustrating was that The Hawks held the balance of play, took a lot more shots and still lost to these jokers who are ahead of only Phoenix in the standings.  Oy.  So what about them there details?
* Anton Forsberg was rubbish, full stop.
* Forsling and Rutta were both -3 while playing what amounted to second-pairing minutes.  Whether by accident or by design Goose and Roots were out against the Gagner line A LOT and were there or thereabouts for three of that line's four goals against.  I honestly don't remember Forsling doing anything particularly rotten but Rutta was undeniably awful.  They weren't alone where backline fecklessness was concerned as Keith was next-worst after Rutta, but he's Duncan Keith and we won't be seeing him healthy scratched anytime soon.
* Failure to Convert.  The same old refrain - poor shot selection, lazy choices, bad positioning
The Advanced Stats made things seem far rosier than they were and The Hawks got what they deserved.

Vol II: Edmonton
At least here The Hawks played one-half of a great game, beginning with Hartman's late first period goal and petering out midway through the third when EDM went into desperation mode.  As above, the Advanced Stats were fairly similar to the previous game but a few adjustments helped them eke out a win with an effort that was not perfect, but good enough.
* Jeff Glass.  Let's get the feel-good story of the weekend out of the way.  Glass was remarkably solid.  His game appears a little...static, but he's a big guy, moves the puck well and is surprisingly athletic.  He got a bit lucky when he found himself completely out of shape on a couple of plays that The Oilers failed to close, and Strome erred when he had Glass dead to rights.  I half expect him to get lit up in Calgary tomorrow - I hope he doesn't - but his NHL debut was a great story and contributed to the win.
* Lineup Changes.  Kempny and Franson came in for Rutta and Forsling while Hinostroza and Panik replaced Sharp and Anisimov (injured).  The two D-men hardly played and, really, weren't good or bad, their greater contribution being simply avoiding a repeat of The Goose & Roots show from the night before.  Panik remains snake-bitten but he was out there trying stuff, at least.  Vinnie Hinnie and Franson found themselves on the new-look second power play unit and, while Franson simply picked up where he left off before his injury, Vinnie looked alright in that role, even notching a helpie on the third goal.
Sometimes a change is as good as a rest and the changes kind of paid off, this time.
* Ryan Hartman returning to form.  Harts was one of the few Hawks that put in a full effort in Vancouver and he carried that over to Edmonton.  I think he's been playing a lot better, generally, for the last couple of weeks, and Hartman starting to contribute again makes me feel slightly less bitter about DeBrincat being buried on the third, arguably fourth line.  At least Q is trotting out DBC on the power play, where he's had some good chemistry with Schmaltz , particularly.
* Oesterle breaks through.  While he was far from flawless and still leans awfully hard on Keith for safety passes and covering his ass when things go sideways, he did alright.  Paired with Franson on 2PP they kept the puck heading toward The Oilers net relentlessly, but I can't help but feel that persisting with these two is playing with fire - The Hawks gave up quite enough breakaways and odd-man rushes as it was.  I had a feeling that Oz was going to score soon, so it was cool that he finally found the twine against the team that never really gave him a proper look.

* David Kampf?  Never have I seen a player more closely resembling Baby Huey but that's not for now.  I cannot yet see what he brings, to be honest, and was surprised to see the big, plodding centreman on the penalty kill.  Well, he's a big body with good reach, although he never looked particularly physical in either game.  
You know he'll score in Calgary, now, right?

Ten Good Minutes Does Not a Game Make: Stars 4, Hawks 3 (OT)

Aaaand that about sums it up.  The Hawks had a shift here, a shift there and a solid ten minutes to kick off the third period where they threatened, and occasionally scored, but otherwise looked tired a lot of the time.  Not physically tired, either, just worn out mentally.
They displayed zero creativity on the power play, which was unfortunate given the number of opportunities The Stars gave them, there.  Bad passes, no pass at all and a handful of ill-conceived passes when a shot seemed the obvious choice.  There were a lot of lazy decisions made and, really, they were lucky to keep this thing as close as they did.  
There are but a few Bits:
* The power play was awful.  As noted above, they struggled with this for almost the entirety of the game, yet did little to change their approach.  The Stars did a good job of taking away the middle of the ice but that was when a team that's fully invested in the game adjusts their plan to get looks from different areas and not be so utterly predictable.  They really made it easy for The Stars' PK units.  Keith played a whopping seven minutes on the PP and failed to make a clean pass the entire time.
* Corey Crawford made many fine saves yet was beaten on a couple of rather pedestrian shots.  It happens, and he'll be better next time out.

* Cody Franson was brutal and it's time to take a break. I'm unconvinced that Forsling is a better option on the power play but, for tonight, the less Franson, the better.

* The best Hawks tonight, I thought, were Kane, Schmaltz, DeBrincat and Forsling.  None of them were without fault but they were the best of a mediocre lot.  Things sometimes look grim, lately, but consider the experience level of three of those guys and we can agree that the future looks somewhat bright.
I'm still waiting for Coach Q to get DeBrincat into the top six, full time.  Why is this even a debatable issue, for all that Panik, or especially Saad, have accomplished lately?

Sometimes You Eat the B'ar, and Sometimes The B'ar Eats You: Lightning 3, Hawks 2

Could have had this one.  Did The Hawks deserve a win?  Maybe not entirely, but to lose the way they did leaves a bit of a sour taste.  Let's go:
* The Hawks played a near-perfect first period, going up 2-0 courtesy of P. Kane and killing off a raft of penalties, including a big 5½ minutes, a chunk of which was 5-on-3.  Perhaps The Lightning were a little flat in the first but, whatever the case, The Hawks lacked that same jump, particularly on the forecheck and when breaking out, the rest of the way.  
* Patrick Kane potted a pair, both nice goals, but he was also guilty of some exceptionally lazy, impatient decisions.  A careless turnover set up The Lightning's first goal and, here and there throughout the match, he just lacked polish.
* Cody Franson's game was even more a case of extremes, as he had a masterful first period highlighted by his confident, accurate quarterbacking on the power play but, like Kane, had his struggles in the second and third.  Franson was at the crime scene for the first Lightning goal, as well, having "raced" back after Kane's giveaway, only to stand in front of Crawford, accomplishing nothing.  Several times in the last half of the game The Lightning exploited Franson's lack of foot speed, sometimes just letting him spin himself in place.
* The Hawks' breakouts early in the game were terrific, as the D always seemed to catch a forward moving past them with some speed, hitting them with a short, safe pass.  Not so much in the late going though, as Tampa's speedier forwards harried The Hawks' D much of the time, frequently pinching off those head-man passes.

* Corey Crawford was fine given what was going on from time to time in front of him.  He looked a bit disordered at times, but his quickness and athleticism bailed him out.  The Kunitz goal looked pretty soft but, to be fair, Crow likely only saw that one at the last moment, what with the wall of blue sweater in front him and Keith outmanned in front of the net.
* Andrei Vasilevskiy, down in the Tampa nets, was ridiculously good, stoning Saad, Panik as well as Kane on a breakaway.  I'm afraid there's no real remedy for that.
* Jan Rutta made a few nice passes but was otherwise pretty poor.  His lazydogging back to the defensive zone and subsequent failure to cover anyone helped make possible the aforementioned Kunitz goal.
* Forsling had some moments both good and bad, but I still liked seeing him play with more urgency and lot less hesitancy than he had been.
* Connor Murphy, however, played as good a game as he's had all season, with good positioning and a great stick, all while playing a team-low (for d-men) 14 minutes.  I thought Anisimov was pretty good, too, this being the best game he's played in which he failed to score.
* Saad and Panik, once again, each had multiple looks but failed to capitalize.  The explosion is coming, and it cannot come soon enough.
* Sticking with Panik, I wonder if he's camping out too far to the side of the net, hoping for some cross-ice stuff and an easy tap-in, because he's rarely close enough to get after a rebound and often finds himself shooting at a poor angle.
* Finally....the penalty in OT.  It was a weak call, with Schmaltz doing little more than waving his stick in front of the Tampa player, the latter's follow through actually being what initiated contact.  There was no chopping motion.  One likes to think that these things even out over the course of a game and throughout a season, but that was a lousy time for the official to make such a crap call.

In some ways The Hawks actually acquitted themselves well tonight, taking the league's best team to OT and at least earning the consolation point.  If they had managed to maintain the intensity and the control that they exhibited in the first period, though, things could have been different.  Sure, Tampa upped their effort, but that's when The Hawks needed to see them and raise them....but they didn't.  Or couldn't.

Good Enough For The Girls I Run With: Hawks 2, Penguins 1

Here comes a workmanlike recap for a workmanlike game, regardless of who or what deserves anything.  It wasn't a perfect effort but good enough to earn two points and with enough bright spots to make one believe, or hope at least, that The Hawks will be able to muddle their way into the playoffs.  Forward to The Bits.

* Anisimov scores again, and a pure garbageman's goal, at that.  It's been fun to watch Large Arthur do his thing and do it so well, as late, but I spoil it for myself (and everyone else, now) by considering where The Hawks would be if he wasn't scoring by the bucketful.  Aside from DeBrincat none of the other Hawks forwards have had much luck around the net for weeks.  Kane and Schmaltz are both moving the puck well enough, exceptionally well in Schmaltz's case, but not cashing in.  The Toews line look dangerous every night but have little to show for their efforts apart from an empty-netter and an OT goal by Saad while playing with DBC.  You have to think that the pucks will start going in for them...but when?  

                                             The best Hawks' player, once again.

* While the Top Six crushed PIT in possession and chances, which says a lot given that this was a road game and The Hawks wouldn't get their preferred match-ups, the Bottom Six were a sucking chest wound.  Sharp had a dozen or so semi-breakaways but couldn't convert because a) a Penguins D-man always managed to catch him just enough to be a nuisance, and b) Matt Murray's already seen Sharpie's best stuff in summer scrub hockey.  Wingels had one good look in the second but, around that same time, Old Lead Hands Bouma squandered an A+ chance.  Is Kero really not an option over Bouma?
* Forsling had another pretty good game with only a couple of "moments", scored a goal and had that same good, darty stick that he had going against NYR.  The Hawks' D was okay, in general, and that's about as good as we can hope for with this bunch, right now.
* Crawford was tremendous, missing a shutout by a fraction of an inch on a shot that may or may not have ticked off of Keith's stick.
* Two Power Play goals in one game is a victory in and of itself.  The Hawks had good puck movement for the most part and actually got a few shots on net during the PP.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that The Hawks' recent successes and Anisimov's scoring binge is partly due to Franson getting the puck on-net so often, particularly with the extra man.  Seriously, The Hawks haven't had a guy on the back end accomplish that in years.

Off to FLA on Wednesday and too many days off for my liking before that and between the Tampa and Miami games.  Maybe it'll rain and the golf courses will be closed....

Power Restored: Hawks 6, Rangers 3

Early in the first period my electricity briefly went off and I had to horse around to get the furnace restarted.  After reviewing the tapes it was apparent that it was a period worth missing, anyway.  However, as the house heated up, so did The Hawks.  I assume this was entirely coincidental.

* Artem Anisimov.  Yeah, he's slow as hell and isn't so good at those faceoffs but, boy, has he been working the front of the net like a champ the last several games.  As long as his big body is allowed to hang out there his strength and his hands will continue to ca$h in the goals.  Also, while he was below 50% on those faceoffs, he always seemed to win the ones that mattered.  That was as perfect a game as one can expect from Large Arthur.
* DeBrincat was good, finally got some significant power play time and continued to surprise me with his aggressive and often effective forechecking.  More, please, and in the top six, if you don't mind; he's being wasted on the third/fourth line.
* Patrick Kane was better, but he still seems not-quite-right.  His passing has not been up to his usual standards, his shooting mediocre and his judgement a bit suspect for about two weeks, now.  He just hasn't always appeared fully invested in what was going on.  Last night saw an improvement in all those areas, even with a couple of ain't-give-a-damn passes and a pair of simply dumb shots, but he can and will be better.

* Nick Schmaltz was, I thought, the second best Hawk in this game.  Thinking back to around this time last year, he had one move, the old Mats Naslund get-the-zone-curl-back-and-look-for-a-pass schtick.  This year, he hardly ever does that, instead usually choosing to barge deep into the offensive zone, trying to set up camp below the goal line and do his passing from there.  He's just so much more confident, isn't shying away from contact like he had been (which might be a mistake, but that's not for now) and has a much wider array of plays he's willing to try.  If it weren't for Anisimov carrying the mail right now I'd campaign for a DeBrincat-Schmaltz-Kane combo.  Yeah, it would be the smallest line in the NHL, but these three all play bigger than they are, and I wanna have a longer look at Schmaltz setting up DBC.
* Brandon Saad.  I hesitate to say he's been bad, but he hasn't been good either.  Having had only one really good game in the last 3½ weeks should be bugging him as much as it's bugging me.
* John Hayden came through with exactly the kind of goal one expects from him given his location in the lineup.  He was well-positioned and did a great job to lift Shatnerkirk's stick, outmuscle him, and get the shot away.  He could shape up into a pretty effective blunt instrument.

* Goose Forsling.  Despite a pretty shaky first period (from what little I saw and, in his defense, everyone in red was pretty poor in the first) he had his best game in ages, breaking up numerous plays with a good, active stick.  His positioning was decent, too.  Could be an anomaly, but one hopes he's being coached in these areas and is applying himself, finally.
* Cody Franson.  Not perfect, and that back-pass in the first would have gotten Murph or Kemps stapled to the bench for the duration, but he's so good along the other guys' blue line I think you've got to keep him in the lineup.  That low, hard shot has led to many primo rebounds.  How is it that he shoots half as often but records a shot-on as often as Keith and Seabrook?  He just does. 
On the topic of Franson v. Seabrook: that's how you execute a last-ditch bellyflop.  Franson kept his eyes on what was happening and used his stick and/or legs, ultimately, to break up the play, while Seabrook's plan appears to be to flop, hope for the best and take the rest of the night off.
* Jan Rutta just had his two worst games, back-to-back.
* Seabrook played a team-low 16:26 on the back end.  I won't get my hopes up that he's blown his cover and that "circumstances" kept him off the ice more than usual, but a girl can dream...
* Corey Crawford.  He did what he had to do and not much else, keeping The Hawks in it during that abysmal first period, but let a few softies in later on.  That's fair enough, as he's stolen more than his share of games in this young season, but I rather hope it's not something we need to worry about.
* Lance Bouma.  I'm unsure of what he does beyond tearing around, laying a few hits and crashing the net.  He has no shot, hands so hard that every pass bounces off of his stick and he's a bad penalty killer.  Sorry, just had to get that out.

The Penguins, then, on Saturday.  It won't be another 10-1 affair (unless The Hawks are really bad... ha ha) since we won't have poor Antti Niemi to slap around. Better be ready, boys.

Relief: Hawks 4, Hurricanes 3

It wasn't a pretty game by any stretch, but it may well prove to be a turning point for The Hawks or, at least, for a couple of Hawks that, if tonight's result signals a change in fortune, may have gotten a much-needed confidence boost.  Let's see them Bits:
* Alex DeBrincat was the big story tonight, potting two goals and orchestrating a masterful setup on the winning goal.  His goals weren't solo efforts, with each marker made possible by excellent passes but, in each case, DBC was charging the net, in the right location for the pass and made no mistake when those chances came.  His pass to Saad in overtime was just as good, if not better; as the two forwards approached the Carolina blue line, Saad was rapping his stick on the ice for a pass but, to his credit, DBC had the balls to hold the puck, risking putting Saad offside and, at the perfect moment, deftly slid the puck to #20, who found himself one-on-one with Scotty Darling.  This game has certainly lifted a large & angry monkey off the young forward's back, with that gutsy OT play already indicating that his confidence has spiked.  It's worth noting that, while DBC was ostensibly relegated to the fourth line, his first goal came when he was tossed out there with Toews and Panik, while his second was off a feed from Kane, who was double-shifting in Hartman's spot.  Hmmm....

* Saad scored, even after gacking an easy tap-in and missing on a penalty shot.  That was Saad's first goal in four weeks and, in between those goals, he's been absolutely ham-fisted around the bad guys' net.  This, too, could be the event that gets Saad back on track.
* Kane made a pass in the offensive zone that actually mattered.  He's carried the puck as well as ever, lately, but just hasn't been able to hit a linemate in a primo location very often.  That could be down to those linemates not doing enough to get to those good shooting areas, but I wonder if it's been largely impatience or failure to execute on Kane's part.

Those are the key items, now The Other Stuff:
* Forsberg was both great and terrible.  He remarkably adept at tracking the puck in close quarters but has let in softies in each game he's played this year.  Tonight marks the first game he's ever won as a starter, so that's over with and perhaps he can just get on with business.
* Did Hartman play tonight?  That stat line says he did, but he was utterly invisible.  While I wouldn't necessarily agree with the move I wouldn't be shocked if he and Vinnie Hinostroza swapped places very soon.  Coach Q seems to have little use for him right now.
* Classic Post-2015 Seabrook tonight, complete with the signature bellyflop "move" (it failed) and, despite being on the ice for two goals against, still managed to emerge +1 for the night and smelling like a rose.  You're not fooling me, tortoise-boy.
* Is Franson hurt?  Did he take another shift after whatever it was that had him in a fetal position in he third period?
* I didn't mind Schmaltz - Anisimov - Kane.  The wingers did some nifty stuff and, all foot speed-related shortcomings aside Large Arthur, with his size and hands, has been pretty good in front of the net, lately.
Okay, New Jersey tomorrow, Crow back in net...let's open the floodgates and get this thing going again.

Front To Back: Hawks 2, Wild 0

                        Large Arthur can erase many sins if he continues to score de goals.

Front
All four lines were effective tonight.  Not all the time, but more often than not.  On the first line DeBrincat had one rotten pass but was otherwise tip-top with sound passing and a solid effort on the forecheck, which doesn't always pan out cos he gives up a lot in size & strength, but his stick and timing are excellent.  The third line had moments good & bad and Sharp had a far better effort than in recent games.  The fourth line was surprisingly aggressive and occasionally dangerous although Bouma, fine in the 1st, was inattentive & yippy the rest of the way.  Wingels had the best scoring chance for The Hawks in the first period.

Middle
Probably the best all-round effort from the D this year.  Franson repeated his Wednesday performance, still awfully slow but rarely beaten due to realizing that fact & positioning himself accordingly.  Loving him on the power play.  Kempny and Murphy were solid; not without errors but when Kemps gacked a clear or made an errant pass, Murph had his back and vice-versa.  Kemps also hit for 6 shots - where'd that come from?

  

Back
Corey Crawford continues to be the most reliable Hawk but, for a change, he didn't have to steal this win.  His presence of mind on The Wild's best chance, in which he refused to panic and back the puck into his own net, demonstrates just how dialed-in he is right now.

If The Hawks can keep playing like this good things will continue to happen.  They'll have to stay in this headspace tomorrow, as Forsberg will almost certainly get the start and, as stupid as it sounds, I fully expect Forsling to draw in at the expense of a guy who's played well in his absence (pick a guy, doesn't matter who).  Regardless of that decision, here's hoping that Forsberg can follow his teammates' lead and have a good bounce-back game after his last rotten start.

Better, But There's More to Be Done: Hawks 3, Phylers 0

Make no mistake, Corey Crawford won this one for The Hawks.  He was simply brilliant and, while the skaters were better than they have been, lately, had Crow not carried the mail against a somewhat depleted Flyers squad, the result could easily have flipped in Philly's favour.  Here are some quick Bits.
* The changes to the top six were interesting and certainly worthy of a longer look, but failed to accomplish anything concrete.  It's difficult to pinpoint what's not quite right with them, as the effort is there but the results have been hard to come by.  Kane appears to be doing the right things but isn't managing to get his passes through, which could be on him or it could be a case of his linemates not being in the correct position.  It's subtle, and probably really frustrating.  Similarly, Saad and Panik have both been driving hard to the net, creating chances and getting some shots, but have not been able to finish.  I mentioned The Hawks not capitalizing on second chances and that was true again tonight: there's either no one within reach of a rebound or they're not in an ideal position to do much with it.  I'm not sure what else to say about that, so hopefully Coach Q has some ideas.
I'd like to see DeBrincat with Toews & Panik again, and also Saad alongside Schmaltz and Kane.  Give those lines at least another game or two and see what develops.

* The slightly altered D pairings were okay.  Franson had some moments, just being a bit unable to keep up, but he rarely stuck his neck out and played within himself for the most part, so that was good.  His work on the offensive blue line, with hard, low shots on net and some fine keep-ins mitigated any speed-related shortcomings.  The rest were generally okay and I can't say I noticed Seabrook much which, given what he's done recently to attract attention, is a small victory in itself.  One thing is certain: on this night, The Hawks D were better than they've been with Forsling aboard.

* Anisimov has been better in recent games but not so much when on his regular line.  Had Sharp not been kicked in the gut tonight I would not have noticed him at all.  The same goes for Hartman - one could argue that he's being wasted on the fourth line, but what's he done lately to warrant being further up the ladder?  It seems that the bottom six are existing, right now, to fill a bit of time and to augment the special teams.
The annoying Wild are up on Saturday, followed by the enigmatic Canadiens on Sunday, so we're sure to see Anton Forsberg this weekend which, so far, has meant a loss.  Tonight may not have been a perfect effort outside of Crawford, but hopefully The Hawks can build on that, get a little confidence back and maybe find a little more chemistry with the new combinations.

A Half Effort and Zero Reward: Nathan MacKinnon 6, Hawks 3

Oh, to have just ten minutes back from that game.
In that ten minutes (more like 11, but whatever) Colorado scored four times, took what seemed like half of their total shots and pulverized The Hawks in puck possession.
It didn't help that The Hawks were shorthanded most of that time but, hey, you make your bed, right?
Otherwise, The Hawks weren't completely terrible.
Some quick Bits:
* Anton Forsberg was not sharp.  Circumstances were not ideal, with the penalty parade and several coverage errors in front of him but, really, 3 of the 5 GA looked soft from my angle.  Another poor start will possibly cause a phone to ring in Rockford.
* Nathan MacKinnon simply ran amok.  When he decides that's what he wants to do there's not much you can do about that.

                                           This is not how it looks, but it may as well be.
* Poor Coverage and Soft Play - the first GA was a double-shot, with Rutta taking way too much time doing whatever he thought he was doing behind the net, while Forsling stood idly between two COL Players, not covering either of them.  On the third COL goal it was a gamble lost by Kempny that led to the Av's breakout, and he and Sharp were thereabouts when MacKinnon tapped the goal in, but as spectators, watching but not actively checking anyone.  It didn't help that Seabrook had given up his gap and resorted, yet again, to laying himself out.  On the fifth GA, the guy in the most dangerous place on the ice was the only one not being covered.  All small mistakes with big consequences.
* Too Many Odd-man Chances - yes, this again.  I have no problem with the D joining the rush, and they've been doing that a lot lately but, when the puck inevitably comes back toward The Hawks' zone there is One Guy Back more often than not.  It seems to me that the D needs to tone down their offensive adventures and/or The Hawks' forwards need to ensure that someone hangs back to support the lone remaining D-man.  As it is there appears to be very little communication in this regard.
* Forsling was hurt in the first period and left the game.  Truthfully, The Hawks played better after he left.  Coincidence?  Let's see.

                                                            Crow's lament.
Was there anything GOOD to say about this game?  Sure.
* Cody Franson was excellent, full-stop.  More, please.
* Crawford, in relief, was very good.  He didn't see a lot of action but he did make a tough pair of saves on a shot-rebound combo in the third.
* Shots-for and Possession - all very good.  The missing piece element here is turning those shots & chances into goals.  That, and not having every single error end up in a goal against.

Two Halves of The Coin: Hawks 2, Predators 1

How can a team dominate for half of a game and be completely out-to-lunch for the other half?  It drives me nuts, but it is what it is, right, because we're stuck with Seabrook.

The Hawks came out in the first with a little fire and generated a few almost-chances, but then tripped all over themselves for the remainder of the period and all of the second.  And that second period was an absolute horror show, in which no one could make a pass and the puck was turned over countless times, all while Coach Q fiddled with the second and third lines.  Seabrook was the worst offender with several passes to no one, including a drop pass to....Corey Crawford while his teammates were poised to break out.  I expect he has "33" burned into his retinas as he was left huffing and puffing while Mags Arvidsson streaked away from him at seemingly every opportunity.
Yet, they hung in and hung on, and a timely keep-in by Franson followed by some fine board work by Hayden set up Sharp's backhand goal.  The momentum had swung in The Hawks' favour enough that, by the time they reached overtime, only a bad bounce or a gack of the highest order would deny them the win.  The four shifts in the OT period were their best all night, epitomized by the excellent give-and-go between Saad and Kane.
Here, have these bits.

* No Crow = No Chance:  Crawford was outstanding, once again, especially in close.  Maybe he'll finally get some credit for being one of a handful of truly elite goaltenders without the tiresome disclaimers about "the great defense in front of him" 'cos in recent years it hasn't been that great at all.
* Anisimov wasn't super but he was better than in recent games, getting a few looks whilst stationed in Pekka Rinne's kitchen, and his breakout pass to Panik was superb.  He was actually better when he slid down the order to join Sharp and Hayden.
* Hartman is no center-man but he did alright in the late going and, with DeBrincat alongside he and Kane, the second line put together a string of solid shifts in the third.  The indication is that Schmaltz will be back for the next game but, if not, I wouldn't mind seeing this trio again, or even DeBrincat in Hartman's spot.
* While Franson was caught flat-footed once or twice his offensive acumen was welcome in the late-going, as well.  He made several nice keep-ins and kept the puck heading toward the Nashville goal.  That oughta earn him another game, I'd say.
* Kero's fish-out-of-water state was never more evident than when he goofed up the three-on-two late in the second period.  He does what he does pretty well, but an offensive threat he is not, so to expect more than what he can realistically deliver is just unfair to everyone.
* Toews' line seemed on the wrong side of it for most of the night.  Toews looked creative on the power play with Kane, as well as in OT, but he and his usual linemates generated precious little.  That's just going to happen, sometimes, and I refuse to believe that their honeymoon is over.

Alright, job done, and a wee break before venturing to The Midwest's worst city.  Hey, at least David Backes won't be there to re-injure Schmaltz, right?

Beat 'Em At Their Own Game: Hawks 3, Canadiens 1

For a few years, now, The Montréal Canadiens have iced rather uneven teams, with much of their lineup populated by Guys, often relying on All-Universe goaltender Carey Price to steal wins more often than not.  Well, tonight the skate was on the other foot, as Corey Crawford continued his dominance of The Habs by thoroughly "Pricing" MTL in their home opener.

Make no mistake, The Habs have a number of truly fine players beyond Price; Shea Weber has yet to fall off the cliff as I had predicted he would, Pacioretty and Drouin are good all-rounders and Paul Byron is an underrated gem, despite being so small that he can order from the Kids Menu without argument from his server.  Even Tomas Plekanec, at age 63, continues his sterling two-way game.  Then we get to The Guys....Benn, Petry, Shaw, Mitchell and so on...marginal at best and too often entrusted with tasks beyond their grasp.  Spare a thought, also, for Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk, two talented youngsters who have endured so much mismanagement and mind fuckery that you wonder why they haven't bolted to The KHL to sweat it out until their contracts expire.

My point is that, between the brace of below-average skaters, promising players being crushed by the weight of expectation and a front office that allows the Montréal media to influence their decisions, far too much is left to Carey Price who, somehow, has yet to crumble under this enormous responsibility.  The Canadiens are not nearly as good a team as they are made out to be.

ANYWAY
The Hawks barely played well enough to win this one, but an indifferent effort by Price and an outstanding performance by Crawford allowed them to slip out of la Belle Province with another two points in the bag.  Here are ya Bits:

* Ah, so much gushing over Alex DeBrincat potting his first pro goal but, apart from that and the helpie he picked up later, he didn't really have an outstanding game, otherwise.  Still, it's great that he was able to contribute and perhaps he'll get a little confidence boost as a result of tonight or, better yet, maybe tonight's efforts will be enough to earn him a look alongside Kane.
* The second line was essentially rubbish again.  Yes, Anisimov scored, finally, albeit on a tap-in that anyone but myself could have completed.  Hartman has been nowhere since the moment Schmaltz went down on Saturday and, for some ungodly reason, Kane spent a chunk of the game skating alongside Hayden and Wingels.  I get that the second line was flailing but, man, there has to be a better option than deploying Kane with the fourth-liners.

* In the feel-good story of the fall, however, the first line continues to steamroll over everything in its path. Their backcheck has been solid, their forecheck relentless and their offensive awareness shockingly apt.  The two quick, pinpoint passes that led to the Saad goal were beautiful to behold.  While other parts of The Hawks' lineup have struggled these last couple of games Toews, Saad and Panik have been consistently excellent, all the more important with the other lines being such a mess at the moment.
* I didn't mind Franson slotting into Murphy's spot.  Sure, The Habs had him running around a bit in his own end but, really, he wasn't any worse than Murphy has been at times and, surprisingly, no slower.  The big upside with Franson tonight was that The Hawks had another option on the power play; Franson's shot is hard, low and he doesn't waste any time unleashing it, and his cross-ice pass to DeBrincat was borne of equal parts skill and nerve.  I'll take my chances with Franson's shortcomings if he can bring this 'zazz on a regular basis.

I'm still deeply concerned about the wide-ranging effect of Schmaltz's injury.  If this is what happens when a second year forward who played only half the time last year goes down.....well, Toews and Co., as well as Corey Crawford, had better be prepared to carry the mail.  A Lot.  

Hawks Preseason PT. XXIG?: Bubble Boys

Last night was always going to be tough with The Hawks trotting out only a handful of players who are sure to make the squad, whilst Boston iced a far more representative lineup.  That said and given the number of grinder-types that Coach Q loaded up on, they acquitted themselves reasonably well, outshooting The Bruins and occasionally looking capable of stealing the game.
Anyway, I am compelled to peck a few words on specific players that are in the hunt for a roster spot.

Cody Franson showed me nothing that a few younger, quicker candidates possess.  Pass.
Laurent Dauphin is better than I expected.  Quicker & shiftier than Kero but lacking Kero's situational awareness and passing skills.  I don't see Dauphin making the cut over Kero but he could be a useful firehose in case of injuries or even as the 13th forward.
Bouma / Tootoo / Wingels were really only visible when they coughed up the puck.  Pass, pass and pass.
Hayden made a case for sticking around.  I still think he's making it up as he goes along a lot of the time but that's stuff he can learn, whereas you can't learn BIG and he does have good hands.  The bottom line is that I'd far rather have Hayden around than any of the three Guys mentioned above.  A Hayden - Kero - Hino fourth line would suit me fine.
Forsling did himself no favours last night.  I still think he has an inside line on a roster spot but, based on his last couple of games, Rutta and Oesterle are equally deserving of the opportunity.
Jordan Oesterle: maybe punching above his weight?  I haven't minded him at all, so far, for what he is; decent wheels and hands, maybe a little wander-y and a bit lightweight, but calm and patient with the puck.  He did well last night, running on fumes at the end of a too-long shift, to get the puck close enough to Kero to set off the Hayden goal.
Rutta was okay, too.  He's poised, for sure, but maybe a little too daring, trying stuff he's been mostly able to get away with but, once the season starts for reals, would likely result in him looking at the numbers on his opposition's back.  Not a lock by any stretch but The Hawks are sure giving him every opportunity to crack the squad.
Alex DeBrincat suffered some, apart from Kane & Schmaltz (already?) but I think The Hawks have to at least try him in the top six to start the season.  And no lower down the order - top six or Rockford, sink or swim, 'cos his destiny is top three, so there's zero point in deploying him with Guys who won't complement his skills.

The picture's getting a little clearer.

Preseason III: The Preseasoning

Just a few quick notes to keep things current.

Saturday: The Hawks were goalie'd, pure and simple, and at both ends of the ice, with CMB's Korpisalo turning away 50 shots and The Hawks' JF Berube allowing three softies. That, barring disaster, will likely be the last time we see Berube in a Chicago jersey.

Lines 1-3 each had several excellent shifts, although all three units struggled with consistency.  There was some nice puck movement with Kane-Schmaltz-DeBrincat, but also plenty of occasions in which Schmaltz and DeBrincat skated themselves into trouble and couldn't find their way back out.  Only Kane seemed to have any consistent awareness of where his linemates were.  It's early days yet.

Toews worked hard along the walls but hardly exerted himself otherwise, which is fine.  Richard Panik did his thing - dynamite when it works but kinda silly to watch when it doesn't, and it didn't work a whole lot in this game.  Saad was a sledgehammer.

Sharp and Anisimov are already signaling some significant chemistry which, with Hartman re-inserted, gives The Hawks a damn good third line.  Somebody get Dr. Terry to wrap Sharpie's head in Bubble Wrap™, stat.

As much as I like the idea of John Hayden stepping in and being a versatile big body, I don't think it'll be happening this fall.  Hayden either goes all-out, crashing around with no apparent plan, or he stands around, watching, and there's rarely anything in-between.  A few months in Rockford would do him good, I think.

The fourth line gonna be the fourth line and, with so many Guys still in camp, could "feature" any number of spare parts guys.  I was going to type a few sentences about Alexandre Fortin's obvious skill mitigated by him having no clue how to employ it, but he's been dismissed to Rockford, so maybe another time.  Riddle me this, though: what, exactly does Tomas Jurco do?  He's not especially quick, hasn't much of a shot and all it takes is a stern look to separate him from the puck.  Yeah... I'll pass on that.

As for the defense, it's hard to say much about last night's group of guys, as they really weren't troubled much.  I thought all three of the guys who are competing for a spot played well enough. Rutta is maybe a little quicker than I gave him credit for and Pokka played a simple but effective game.  Either guy could likely step right into the third pairing, maybe higher for Rutta.
The competition is very much ON, too, as I still believe Rozsie will pack it in sooner than later, and it looks as if Cody Franson has been released from his PTO? (I can find no mention of this but he no longer appears on the team roster) The Hawks have options and they aren't all terrible.

Postscript: well, it's Monday and Cody Franson is in The Hawks' lineup, so I dunno why he's not on the active roster.  Of course, tonight's roster insists that Luke Johnson is playing and that Jordan Oestrle is not, so who knows what the hell's going on...

Blackhawks Preseason Notes: Week One

I'll refer to this often, I expect: It's Only The Preseason (IOTP)
As such and as always, it's tough to determine if what you see in one of these games is real or a mirage, what with the uncertainty of the quality of the players assembled on the opposite bench.
Nevertheless, here are a few takeaways after a pair of easy wins over CMB and DET.

1. Brandon Saad is good to go.

2. Patrick Sharp is, as expected, a step slower than I'm used to seeing.  His puck protection on his semi-breakaway tells me that he's aware of this, though, and realizes what he needs to do about it.
3. Alex DeBrincat is awfully small but appears to be equally slippery.

                                      Eddie Munster-lookin' mofo.

4. More PTOs: John Mitchell (told ya), Drew Miller and Mark Fucking Stuart quietly arrived and are attempting to hook onto a team that probably has no space and no use for any of them.  Mitchell is great at the dot but after observing him on Tuesday I've concluded that his faceoff acumen alone won't open the door nearly wide enough.
5. Cody Franson was steady & unspectacular on Tuesday, although he seemed even slower than I recalled him being.  With Stan's latest defense project, Jan Rutta, and Ville Pokka likely having his final shot at making The Hawks, Franson's place on the team is far from assured.  
6. It's still way too early to be talking about line combos, but Sharp + Hartman looked fine. I mention this only because those two do seem destined to start the season together.
7. On that tack, I'm seeing forward pairs emerging but not entire forward lines.  Will this afford The Hawks flexibility or a lack of cohesion?  Given that the missing piece in most cases is the center, I fear that the latter is closer to the truth.
8. I didn't mind Jordan Oesterle at all, but this is a guy who failed to stick with Edmonton and, of course, IOTP.
9. Ugh, Viktor Svedberg again?  Give me a break.
10. Vinnie Hinnie certainly made a case for a longer look with his darty yet focused effort on Tuesday.

11. TOO MANY GUYS. Almost all of the forward roster spots are already nailed down, whether those places are entirely deserved or not.  Quenneville gonna have his Kero and Tootoo in all likelihood, and Stan will probably insist that Jurco be on the roster and, if those three are slam dunks, that's eleven forwards.  That leaves two, possibly three spots remaining for John Hayden, Vinnie Hinostroza, Lance Bouma, Tommy Wingels, Alex DeBrincat and the aforementioned PTOs, Mitchell and Miller. I know which of these fellas I'd prefer to see on opening night, but I fear it'll be Bouma / Wingels / whatever other interchangeable Guy.
And none of these Guys is top-nine center, so Stan's work may not be quite done just yet, as there is still a massive gap at 2C/3C, depending on how ready Nick Schmaltz really is.
IOTP.

Long Time No Nothin' / Cody Franson Signs PTO

                   Dude, you're leaving Buffalo.  Take me with you, for the love of God.

No real news = no posts for two months.  Fret not, as there is finally some semi-news to relate.

Many weeks ago the usual sources indicated that The Hawks were prepared to offer Cody Franson a Professional Try Out (PTO) contract, providing that he had not hooked on with another team by the time players began reporting to their respective teams.  Unbelievably, to me anyway, Franson has remained available and will attend The Hawks' training camp on the aforementioned PTO deal.  I talked this guy up two years ago prior to him signing with Buffalo and still consider him a more than acceptable solution.  The greatest difference now is that The Hawks can actually afford to pay him, with Chicago expected to have a few $$ to spend and Franson unlikely to earn a raise from his previous deal.

Let's take a boo at this Franson character and his good and less-good points.
GOOD
- not especially fast but not slow, either, but an agile and confident skater
- decent shot, above average puck mover with considerable power play experience
- still a mere 30 yrs of age
- earned $3mil last season with Buffalo so will likely be had for $2mil or less
- began his NHL gig with Nashville playing behind Weber & Suter and left Music City as one of the most sought-after free agent D-men
- punched above his weight, perhaps, in Toronto at a time when The Leafs were absolutely dismal
- again, exceeded team possession stats with the equally horrible Sabres the last two seasons

LESS GOOD
- while he's a large fella, Franson doesn't really play a large man's game
- somewhat injury prone

The fact that Franson was still available for this PTO audition suggests, I hope, that trying to stick with The Hawks has been his first choice of action all along.  I see Franson as a versatile piece who could potentially be inserted anywhere, although I picture him on a third pairing with another of the middling guys like Kempny or Murphy, or perhaps alongside Forsling.  As mentioned, Franson played the PP a LOT while in Toronto and, although he found himself behind Ristolainen in Buffalo, he knows what he's doing in that regard.  He's also a RH shot, and those don't exactly grow on trees.

Anyway, if all is physically well with Franson and a contract can be arrived at (which I expect has already been agreed to, pending things going alright at training camp) The Hawks might just be okay on D, after all.  It'll still require those middling guys to take a step forward in their development but, even with modest improvement, The Hawks might get away with the group in place right now.

Now go find us a center.