Once again we have borne witness to The Hawks barely hanging in there against a superior team, getting the consolation point but, at the heart of it, being kinda fortunate to glean even that. Here's why!
As Kane and DeBrincat Go, So Go The Hawks. Mostly, anyway, and even with the hot streak these two little fellas are enjoying it's often not quite enough. When, not if, those guys hit a cold spell it'll be very, very tough for The Hawks to earn points. The team has improved but they're not yet ready for prime time.
Apart from some occasional defensive ambivalence Kane is playing as well as he's ever done. As good has he's been, DeBrincat is still rounding into shape, suggesting a brighter future for both he and the team, yet I worry about how he's getting all these goals lately. I mean, if he's gonna score on half the shots he takes from the left circle I'm all-in for that, but we've seen this episode before with Panarin and, before him, Sharp. Once other teams devise means of blocking DBC out of that position or reliably preventing Kane/Gustafsson ('cos it's always them, isn't it?) from getting him the puck DeBrincat's scoring rate will tumble.
Bad Day At The Office. Dahlstrom endured his worst game since rejoining The Hawks, his first stinkeroo, really. Minus three and inadvertently shovelling the winning goal into your own net makes for an evening he'd prefer to forget, I'm sure. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong circumstance....whatever. It was bad.
Even Worse but without the stats to back it up were Seabrook and Jokiharju, with Seabs huffing and puffing his way to three giveaways and Hank failing to contain any Vegas forward, ever.
The Stat Line was not kind to Kampf, Saad & Caggiula either, but I feel the need to qualify their apparent failure as tonight's shut-down line. Their primary assignment was to box out VGK's ostensive top line, Marchessault, Karlsson and Pirri and, while they had their hands full with those guys, they gave up nothing. Oddly, it was always the next Vegas line that burned them. Unlucky, unaware, definitely unfortunate.
Colliton's OT Deployment has been strange, too. Coaches play hunches as much as they go with the horses that got them in the race, but I question him trotting out Kampf - Kahun - Dahlstrom, particularly after the rough night Baby Huey and Big Carl suffered. I dunno much about anything, really but, in that position in a game that you've been a bit lucky to get to OT in the first place, I'd probably go back to Toews, Kane & Gus. Just sayin'.
Next: Monday vs. the improving Devils, more of a "better win" than a "must win", I'd say.
Posts may be sporadic going forward, lumping two or more games together or just me popping in with vital observations. Vital!
Bad Day At The Office
Well, it was mostly fun to watch and a game that could have gone either way, but The Hawks never really looked willing to take control of this one. We know from experience that when The Hawks are the least bit noncommittal things generally end badly.
Stuff I Liked
Cam Ward was mostly great, a little lucky on a couple of saves, a little unlucky on Bergeron's goal, but also outsmarted comprehensively by Pastrnak.
David Kampf played a near-perfect game....for David Kampf, of course. His takeaway and subsequent pass to Perlini was Baby Huey at his best. It's just a shame he didn't have the legs to outrace Bergeron on his breakaway.
Eric Gustafsson was very good offensively and good enough defensively, and that's a win any day.
Brendan Perlini had his best game as a Hawk and all in a mere 7:26. Sure, his goal was kind of a gimme but HE PASSED THE PUCK....TWICE. That's real growth.
Stuff I Liked Less
DeBrincat was a no-show, looked distracted or something, failing to generate anything.
Strome's "Touch Pass" in the last 30 sec. Really? In what reality is that play a good idea? I know he had his back to the two Bruins that bum rushed the subsequent loose puck that Strome directed to no one, but he knows they're coming....they always will.
Stuff I Hated
Patrick Kane was either sick or hungover or heartbroken or some damn thing that prevented him from doing his job. 23 minutes TOI and not one good look, no sweet set ups and dragging his arse reluctantly back to The Hawks' zone after his playmaking fell short. A blip, I expect, but one that underlines Kane's impact - when he's bad it's like The Hawks are playing one one foot in a bucket.
Gustav Forsling was dogshit that garbage scrapes off it's shoe. Couldn't make a pass while a Bruin was within 20 feet and was outmuscled/outhustled countless times behind our net and along the half-wall. And then there was Goose turning his back on Kuraly who, of course, scored the game winner. Not at all a good game for him and the sooner Hank Jokiharju returns, the better.
What Else?
No debut for Drake Caggiula due to his US Visa not yet being squared away. I'm not expecting much but we currently have a few forwards accomplishing far less than "much" and he should be able to exceed that, at least. If we're lucky Caggiula could perhaps evolve into an Andrew Shaw-type Guy who isn't an asshole (I hope). As much as anything I'm just happy to see Brandon Manning somewhere else, doesn't matter where...
The South Bend Shovel Slayer
Nevermind that The Hawks once again failed to log a complete game tonight.
Nevermind that a couple of their goals were pretty lucky.
And Nevermind that The Panthers have a ton of holes in their lineup and it's no wonder that they're dead last in The East.
It's more than just the two points, 'cos The Hawks finally, FINALLY showed some resolve, some will to win, and managed to execute. To it, then.
Things Looked Irritatingly Familiar Right Off The Trot. The Hawks had a hard-charging first shift only for FLA gather themselves and then utterly dominate the first period. I won't say that Manning's penalty was the sole cause of the momentum shift, as The Hawks had already begun to fold, but it was certainly inopportune. Worse, though, was the all-too-familiar defensive obliviousness that we've become sadly accustomed to, epitomized by three Hawks players chasing after one Panthers forward, leaving J. McCann to go mano-a-mano with Cam Ward. Just like that and we were down 2-0, like some cruel Groundhog Day sequel.
The Hawks Showed Some Signs of Life early in the second when, first, David Kampf executed a textbook power move through no less a man than Aaron Ekblad and then around James Reimer to bring The Hawks within one. Minutes later, in a role reversal, Kane redirected a Saad pass to tie the score. Then the wheels fell off again.
For The Second Night In A Row Kane missed a defensive assignment, failing to pick up Ekblad who one-timed a crisp pass past Ward. Minutes later, after a power play in which The Hawks held the puck for virtually the entire two minutes yet generated zero legit scoring chances, The Panthers pounced (because that's what panthers do) on a tired group of Hawks who had been unable to change and put the home side up 4-2. FLA managed to spend most of the remainder of the second period in the CHI zone and it was starting to look like the sun had gone down for The Hawks, yet again.
Then Two Things Happened. First, The Hawks finally got the bit in their teeth, outshooting the suddenly passive Panthers 9-0 in the first half of the period, which is nothing new, really, as we've seen these guys wait until it was too late to get their motors running. HOWEVER, fortune smiled upon The Hawks on this night. Sometimes you make your own luck through hard work, etc, and sometimes you just fall ass-backwards into it, and I think Fortin's shorty was a little bit of both and I am 100% okay with that. On the game-tying goal.....well, anytime you tie a game in the final second it kind of smacks of dumb-ass luck but, again, Saad's pass to DeBrincat was pretty special. We won't overstate that James Reimer was soft as hell on that goal....
Overtime. What I've become used to is The Hawks getting one or two good looks, changing all three skaters and getting scored on immediately. Tonight it took 4 or 5 shifts to settle matters, providing not only a much needed victory for The Hawks, but also some redemption for a couple of guys.
Erik Gustafsson has been bad, lately, his play going from sublime in October to terrible in November. Prior to this fall the expectation with Gus had been that he'd be an okay puck-lugger but, when it came to being defensively aware, he was nowhere to be seen. The last month we were treated to Gus being defensively ambivalent AND he couldn't make a breakout pass no way, no how. His OT goal tonight was nothing special, just a well-placed shot but, if we're lucky, it might be the confidence booster Gus desperately needs.
David Kampf had his first taste of NHL Overtime about two weeks ago vs. Carolina, and that didn't go super well. Tonight, though, he dominated at the dot, winning 70% of his faceoffs including the final draw of the night. That and his impressive goal to start the second period highlight Baby Huey's best NHL game thus far.
Other Good Stuff: Gustav Forsling has been given a lot of icetime and a lot of responsibility for a lad who kinda curled up & died last winter. Quite right though, on this night anyway, as he was the best Hawks D-man in this match. John Hayden finally got to play more than five shifts and, while nothing came of his efforts, he was creating opportunities.
Meanwhile, this is what I suspect goes through Brandon Manning's head when he's out on the ice, doing whatever the hell he thinks he's doing.
Next: The strangely erratic Golden Knights who seem to either win big or lose big. Here's hoping they've shot their bolt with their 6-0 drubbing of The Sharks tonight.
(Be sure to listen to the song. The horns really complement the emotional release....)
Boz Scaggs - Why You Make It So Hard?
It was arguably a fortunate win but, after more than two weeks between wins, ya take it when you can get it, right? Beyond the two points and the bonus of earning them vs. the Missouri Jackholes there were things to like about this game.
The Defense Was Solid. Mostly, anyway. Despite being raked over the coals possession-wise, having played the vast majority of their shifts vs. The Blues incredibly dangerous top line, Seabrook & Keith were good. STL had some looks against The Hawks' top pair but no second chances as rebounds were either gobbled up or the nearest Blue was pinched out of the play. Gustafsson and Jokiharju were outstanding, playing a safe, smart game while generating a lot of push from the back end. The only time either of these fellas put a foot wrong was Jokiharju panicking a bit in the last minute, blindly firing the puck up the boards. Manning and Forsling were okay - I'm still not sold on Goose's defensive acumen, as he's tentative when challenging opposing forwards and, if he fails, kinda gives up on the play. We've seen this film before and, if that's how Forsling is going to go about business, he'll be back to Rockford soon enough. Manning started well but, in the final moments of the first period made an awkward outlet pass and then joined the rush that never happened, getting caught out of position and making a weak poke check attempt. He followed that up by ending a full-court press in the third period by just flinging the puck away, as he does, when he could easily have skated it back a little and maybe hit Kane or Schmaltz as they cleared The Blues zone.
Corey Crawford, behind a solid D tonight, was obviously excellent. He had only a handful of really tough saves to make but he was there every time. Crow's puck handling was outstanding, too, getting breakouts off to the best possible start.
Andreas Martinsen is a marginal player, at best, but he's been executing his directive to the letter, credited with seven hits tonight. Not to overstate the importance of the physical element of the game but this is something The Hawks have lacked for a long time and, if it gives opposing defensemen something to think about, I guess that's a good thing. Marty on the PK, though....I'm less convinced of that being a good idea.
John Hayden, similarly, had a strong game. He's a puzzle, though: he can rag and drag and otherwise maintain the puck for a long time, but rarely does anything useful with it after all that effort. Hopefully, sometime soon, he can connect the dots there and start creating some chances but, until then, he's not setting The Hawks' efforts back, anyway.
Each Of The Forward Lines had their moments. The Toews line played opposite O'Reilly's line for much of the night and spent a lot of time in their own end, but someone's got to pull that duty. Saad stormed back into the lineup and, while his line often looked like three guys operating independently of each other, he drove The STL net hard all night. I'm not convinced that David Kampf between DeBrincat and Kahun constitutes a viable 2nd line. I like Kampf, generally, but I just don't know if his offensive instincts are up to the task of centering a couple of guys who move the puck quickly, often unpredictably, as he's rarely where you wish he'd be when his wingers have the puck. Maybe that's something he'll grasp with more experience, maybe not. That said, I think Anisimov would struggle to keep up with those two guys and Johnson is nowhere near ready for that responsibility, so Kampf it is, for now anyway.
So We Get a Win on an Own Goal but, hey, if Bouwmeester hadn't kicked that one in Schmaltz would have tapped it in, himself. The goal was hard-earned, with a determined effort by Kane to get the puck to Toews, followed by a dandy pass by the captain to Seabrook.
Next: At Home vs. The Kings and an opportunity to rough up a team that's scored only two goals in their last three games. Keep the foot on the gas, boys.
DeVotchKa - How It Ends
This was the first game in which head coach Jeremy Colliton attempted to make any significant changes to not only The Hawks lineup but also to their approach. While they still lost, and really only played a half-game, having lost their focus somewhat around the middle of the second period,they earned a consolation point, which is better than nothing and hopefully something to build on. Behold!
Big Line Shuffles: To summarize, Toews found himself between Schmaltz and Kane, Kampf centered DeBrincat and Kahun and Anisimov anchored a "what do we do with these guys" trio with Hayden and Fortin. On the back end, Keith and Seabrook were reunited while Gustafsson and Jokiharju were a new duo.
So how did that go? Mostly ok. The first line had a lot of zone time and some dominant shifts, so it was a little surprising to me that the only offence they generated was a tip-in goal, but it's one game, early days yet. Each of the other three lines had their moments and, unexpectedly, the fourth line of Johnson, Martinsen and Kunitz were the most dynamic of the other three trios, undone only by a general lack of finish. I'll circle back to the D in a bit.
I suspect that Schmaltz was not the first choice to join Toews & Kane but, with Saad ailing, he got the call. He was good, impressing with his puck pursuit and willingness to hang around in front of The 'Canes net. Maybe not a statement game, as such, but he's sure given the coaches to think about once Saad returns.
Andreas Martinsen impressed me by not trying to be something he is not. He charged around, laid some big hits, took a lot of shots and kept his feet moving all the time. That's about all we can realistically hope for from him and, in that sense, he delivered the goods. Of note, his line sported the best possession stats of any line tonight on both teams, with Martinsen ticking along at a gaudy 68% Corsi. Kind of on this tack, The Hawks were a lot more physical than usual, allegedly making 27 hits. Now, I'm with ya when you say "HITTING ISN'T AS IMPORTANT AS IT USED TO BE" but, given that there have been many a night in recent years in which The Hawks have had zero physical presence, I don't mind this directive. Just keep it clean, boys.
As BAD as Keith was on Saturday, and it was very bad, he was that good tonight, one spectacular whiff notwithstanding.
Gustafsson with Jokiharju: I expected disaster but it was okay, mainly because Jokiharju is so responsible in his positioning. I wondered if he'd be left to chase down Raleigh forwards when Gus went walkabout, as he does, but he managed to cover really well. Some mistakes were made but let's remember that the kid is still 19 years old with fewer than 20 NHL games under his belt. He's remarkably poised, I think, and quite confident in his ability to skate or pass his way out of danger. It doesn't always work out but, given his relative experience, he's doing well.
Overtime, Deployment and Hunches: Well, inserting Kampf in the second unit there didn't pay off, but I can see why Colliton went that way. Kampf had a strong game, overall, and is far quicker than Anisimov, the only other realistic choice to "center" a unit in OT. Maybe too much, too soon for Baby Huey, as he gambled and lost (as did Colliton, I guess) but what ya gonna do...? I'm not pleased with the result but I like that they're trying new things, especially being as the same-old hasn't been getting results these days.
Cam Ward was good in his "homecoming" game, but a little soft on the game winner, I thought, perhaps because of Seabrook being more of a distraction than anything.
DeBrincat had his best game in about two weeks, and it wasn't only about the goal. He hasn't looked fully invested lately but, apart from a pair of weak plays, was far more engaged than he's been of late. I liked how he worked with his linemates and what about that pass from Kahun? He seems to have a supernatural sense of what's going on behind him, sometimes.
Next: The Blues on Wednesday. Stick with the plan, I say, with Saad drawing in for Hayden or Fortin, should he be ready to go. We're due, but we have to get a full 60-minutes of concentration, something we've not had since the Edmonton game over a week ago.
Thomas Dolby - Close But No Cigar
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
It'll always be a tough row to hoe when your top line, which was excellent two nights ago, rock a collective Corsi below 20%. The second line, also good recently, wasn't much better and the entire defense group struggled all night long.
That left the bottom six to get it done and, while they made the effort, couldn't quite close the deal.
JF Berubé was heroic, if a little scrambly, but certainly made this game closer than it should have been.
Jan Rutta returned and was The Hawks' steadiest defender which, on this night, was otherwise a five-way tie for last.
Anthony Duclair was good enough to show up for this one and even managed to bully a puck out of Scott Darling's pads to set up the Sharp goal. Later, he set the table for Baby Huey Kampf who was subsequently denied by Darling. Kampf, incidentally, was the sole Hawks forward to crest 50% Corsi tonight. That's great for Baby Huey but doesn't reflect very well on the rest of the team.
I cannot point to any particularly evil plays or egregious errors, but rather a general lack of give-a-damn. The Hurricanes only needed to plug up the middle and that was enough to stymie the majority of The Hawks' breakout attempts.
Buckle up for the upcoming back-to-back afternoon delights vs. Boston, 'cos I hear they're pretty good.
Chances are good that we'll look back on this game with no small amount of regret. Elsewhere tonight, The Avalanche, Stars, Predators and The Blues all increased their point totals while The Hawks somehow managed to lose, again, to the feckless Canucks.
How do they do it? Well, let's start with crap passing. How many passes were off target, in feet instead of on sticks? I don't believe Duclair has made more than a handful of clean passes in the O-zone since he arrived in Chicago. Then there's poor pass reception; too often when a pass was on the tape it was bobbled. Hinostroza fumbled passes twice when in primo position. Finally, just poor shooting. Toews, Wingels and Kampf all missed on point-blank opportunities.
Unbelievably, The Hawks dominated The Canucks in practically every statistical category except, as usual, the only one that really matters. Granted, three of the four GA were tipped in or deflected in, but when a goof like Brendan Gaunce scores 40% of his career goals against you in a single night and outmuscles and outhustles the guy who is ostensibly your #2 defenceman, trouble is afoot.
Good news? Sure. Keith played a great, nervy game while the others stood still, and Saad had two pretty good shifts. That might not sound too stirring but that's two more effective shifts than he's provided in the last seven or eight games.
Buckle up folks: The Hawks play some good teams in the coming week.
For the past two or three years I've slated The Jets organization for doing....nothing. Apart from jettisoning Evander Kane in exchange for what amounted to Guys they chose to stand pat and not tinker with their lineup a whole lot. It seemed like lunacy at the time, sticking with the horses that failed to get you in the race, but here they are, leading The Central Division and flirting with first place in The Western Conference. Blake Wheeler has matured into an all-round leader and must be a massive nuisance to try to defend against. Patrik Laine is no Auston Matthews but remains a thoroughbred (check the shot he zinged past Jeff Glass) and if Mark Scheifele could manage to walk to his car without injuring himself his name would be 'pon the lips of all hockey reporters, all the time. Even their Guys are decent, with Man Bun Perreault, Kyle Connor and Joel Armia putting up good numbers. Add to all this an okay D-corps and Connor Hellebucyk emerging as a bona-fide NHL starter after a bunch of seasons in which The Jets' goaltending was "awful by committee" and you've got a team that improved ridiculously by virtue of simply being patient. And maybe a little bit lucky, but you kinda need a bit of that, dontcha? One could even argue that The Jets improved by subtracting non-helpful elements like the aforementioned E. Kane and Andrew Ladd, which at least created the opportunity for their young fellas to get some minutes in. All respeck to GM Tim Cheveldayoff for not allowing the media and assholes like me to cause him to deviate from his Master Plan. Stick that in yer pipe, Marc Bergevin.
So, since I'm a full day late on this recap and I just spent 15 minutes praising the team that lost the game, lemme get a few things down and you can get back to your families, alcohol, whatever.
* Jeff Glass had his best game so far. None of those "accidental" saves, no moments sliding across the crease & out the other side and beaten only by a perfectly-placed laser beam. Between Glasser and Forsberg we've enjoyed three quality starts in a row from the backup guys. Can't ask for much more than that.
* David Kampf broke through with a two-point night, including his first NHL goal and the Third Star of the game....all on his 23rd birthday.
* Anthony Duclair was alright. Picked up a helpie, had a few looks even if he seemed a bit yippy around The Jet's crease. He may have been responsible for the almost-an-own-goal (although that may well have been Goose missing the attempted pass - could not tell from the replay) but no harm, no foul, and a decent enough debut.
It was a close-run game and one could argue that either team deserved to win, and I'll note that both of The Hawks' goals were a bit fortunate, Baby Huey's being a tip-in and Rutta scoring on an eephus that 99% of NHL goalies save 99.9% of the time. However, they were good enough to be in it to win it and, they way things have been going, I'll take that. I still feel like there are three or four forwards underachieving mightily and, if I happen to be right on that count and they get themselves sorted out, we'll be okay in the end. Until that happens, though, wins like these are precious gifts.
One more game against the inconsequential but still-irritating Red Wings and then it'll be the mandatory five days off for The Hawks, during which time our closest rivals could well leapfrog or gap the idle Hawks. Gotta get the two points tomorrow.
Sorry for all the late posts, lately. Work and "stuff". Gonna be quicker on the draw after the break.
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.
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?
