Snow Blind: Two Games, A Mighty Blizzard and a Single Post

Another catch-up post as I only sort of watched Sunday's game, otherwise occupied with snow removal and related bullshit, and racked out seconds after Monday's non-result.

Hawks 5, Penguins 3
A Close Game, but for weird reasons.  The Hawks gifted PITT all three goals, with Toews trancing out instead of taking out Hornqvist, everybody being non-committal on Guentzel's tally (but especially Anisimov, who was simply terrible in this game) and Cam Ward, who was otherwise okay, getting leaky on Brassard's one-timer. Even Kane was a bit topsy-turvy inasmuch as his three helpies erased some defensive laziness and a heart-in-mouth drop pass to no one.
Meanwhile, The Pens suffered stretches in which they couldn't seem to find their legs, their defence were occasionally bewildered and their keeper, Casey DeSmith, struggled with some long shots eluding him.  The Penguins' general sluggishness was compounded by them trying but failing to skate with The Hawks rather than plug up the middle and slow things down.  If either team had their shit only slightly more together they could have run off with this one.  
The Hawks' Special Teams were looking good, the PP just missing out on going 3-for-3 by mere seconds.  The PK was perfect on the night with Seabrook and Dahlstrom pulling the most minutes there.  Notably, Gustafsson was left OFF the PK entirely which was wise, I think.  He can do a lot of things but straight-up defence...not so much.
Drake Caggiula finally debuted and I liked what I saw.  We'd seen him when he was with EDM, of course, and all I could recall is his speed and hustle, which is pretty much what he brought in this game.  The fourth line, along with Kruger and Kunitz, was energetic all night, laying hits and being nuisances.
Goals From Unlikely Sources sure helped as Keith and Kunitz scored their first goals of the season, both on long shots that probably should have been stopped (see DeSmith, Casey, above) but nevermind...

Flames 4, Hawks 3
In a bizarre reverso of the previous night it was The Hawks who were lured into a wide-open affair with similar results as, on the second of a back-to-back, they simply hadn't the necessary jump to pull it off.  They came close and, but for a cocktail of dumb stuff in the final minute, very nearly got away with it.
Collin Delia was again impressive, and this is with him still figuring out positioning, rebound control and puck handling.  His reflexes and athleticism are incredible so, if/when he comes to grips with the other details of netminding, he's going to be tough to beat.  He did allow his first bad goal of the season when he let Gaudreau's second goal trickle through him but, hey, just one of those in five starts....I'll take that.
Dylan Strome's Timing isn't great.  I was actually going to type some stuff about Strome's passing being just a tad off a lot of he time, either slightly late or slightly early, but in light of his taking three dumbass penalties last night I'd say the timing of that rubbish is somewhat worse.  They were all needless, lazy, selfish acts.
Quietly Excellent: I thought Perlini (!) and Kahun each had strong games despite having nothing to show for it and Brandon Davidson has surprised me these last two games.  Every stride he takes looks as if it's a massive effort but, unlike his smooth-skating colleague Forsling, he's getting the job done.  He didn't commit any turnovers, was even for the two games and was quick to defend his teammates without being stupid about it. If you can get that from a depth Guy that's a win, every time.
That Final Minute: A shambles.  The first and worst sin was Anisimov shooting from where he did because he's not Patrick Kane and of course he missed the net and when you miss the net from that angle it is always coming back your way in a hurry.  Empty net, there, Artie...
And Gustafsson's seemingly half-hearted attempt to track down Hathaway bearing down on the empty net was disappointing, getting turned inside-out and settling for a final desperate swipe with his stick rather than skating.  Caggiula came from a lot farther back and had a better go than Gus did.  Maybe dead legs, maybe overconfidence, maybe just a poor decision, but not at all good.

Next: At home Wednesday vs. NSH who shut out TOR on Monday.
Roster Stuff: Sikura and Martinsen were quietly dispatched to Rockford while Hank Jokiharju was activated after his gold-medal winning stint on the Finnish Junior team.

That's The Way I Like It: Hawks 6, Penguins 3

For a few hours all was right in the world.
It wasn't an especially pretty win and, if I'm honest, it was maybe a bit fortunate 'cos how often do we get two goals from the fourth line, but it's two points, The Hawks showed some commitment and maybe it's something they can build on.  Let's go.
The Hawks Went Wildly Off Script by not sucking in the first period.  In fact, they were very good, breaking out with precision and moving the puck briskly in the offensive zone.  The defense were shockingly responsible up until late in the frame when they started running around a bit.
Order Was Restored however, in the second period when, all of a sudden, The Hawks couldn't clear their zone for love nor money.  Apart from DeBrincat's goal-scorer's-goal the second period was a complete mess.
The Third Period was better.  Still not great, as The Hawks gave up a lot of chances, but Crawford was outstanding when he needed to be at his best.  They've been in this situation a few times lately, up a goal late in the game, and the fact that they didn't collapse or commit the unfortunately common fatal error should be a big confidence builder.
Fourth Line Represents.  While the Kruger - Hayden - Martinsen trio didn't blow the doors off during all of their shifts they had a handful of crazy-dominant turns, cashing in one goal that was, while a little lucky, made possible by a relentless effort by Kruger in which he kept a play alive by kicking the puck to Hank Jokiharju, hit the crossbar and only then made the pass to Dahlstrom, whose shot would deflect in off Martinsen.  And later, a perfect pass by Marty to Kruger cashed in the game winner.  
The Defence Were A Mixed Bag, the strongest games coming from unlikely sources.  Dahlstrom was very good, keeping things simple and, holy shit, THAT's what it looks like when a d-man pays attention to opposing forwards in front of The Hawks' net.  Murphy and Manning played it quiet and steady,  not giving up much.  Keith and Jokiharju were so-so, with Duncs too often choosing to just launch the puck up the boards without any apparent thought and Hank was yippy a lot of the time.  Seabrook, despite scoring a goal, was garbage, too often out of position and serving up yet another unforced giveaway that ended up in The Hawks' net.

Next: Winnipeg again, in a game that may well be decided in the first ten minutes. If The Hawks come out like they did vs. PIT, like they've promised they'd do for weeks, they could be in it.

KC And The Sunshine Band - That's The Way I Like It

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....

That'll Do, Pig: Hawks 10, Penguins 1

I wonder if anyone has compiled The Hawk's record for these One More Shift events

                             This is roughly when things went awry for The Penguins.

It's late and there's not a whole lot to say, really, except maybe "wow" and "well done". I'll get right to it.
* There were a couple of unexpected personnel shuffles at forward and two defense pairings we had not seen in any preseason games, which was definitely weird, but it worked so I'll shut up about that except to say that Hartman + Schmaltz + Kane = 👍👍👍👍
* Aaaand not to rain on anyone's parade but The Penguins should have taken it as a sign when Antti Niemi fell when he stepped onto the ice for warm-ups.  Granted, The Hawks were very much on-point to start the game and relentlessly so, at that, but this one was done, son, well before Antti let that fourth one through.  The Penguins simply had no will to continue after The Hawks' furious start.
* I was prepared to condemn Coach Q to hell or even Missouri when I realized that DeBrincat would skate on the third line....but given the game Hartman had and the potential for The Hawks to have a third line that will run wild on the opposition's bottom six....well, I'm prepared to be patient on this issue.
* Olli Maata was one of a few Penguins who were -5 on the night and, hilariously, looked as if he might vomit after his third minus.
* I believe this is the first season-opener 30+ years in which The Hawks did not have a lineup spot wasted with some neanderthal goomba who "played" six or seven minutes.  See how well that went?
* Kero and Schmaltz both left the game early but Coach Q stated that both were "fine" after the game.  While Q is often guilty of understating the extent of injuries The Hawks did have the luxury of not having to play those guys after they had come up lame.
* Finally, congrats to Patrick Sharp on his 600th career point!

Okay, we'll be back on Saturday for The Blue Jackets for what seems like the 100th time in a month.  Let's do it again.

Back In The Saddle? : Hawks 5, Penguins 1

That's more like it.
Much was said during the broadcast about the Penguins being undermanned, and that's certainly true when one considers the current state of their defense corps.  Up front, though, there are very few gaps, with even their Guys being pretty darn good.  Regardless of these teams' relative strengths & weaknesses, The Hawks came out of the gate with the kind of fire they've been sorely lacking for a week or more.  More importantly, even when the inevitable let up occurred, it wasn't of the magnitude that we've been blessed to behold for much of the season.  And the two seasons before that, if we're honest.  I'm tired, so let's go:
Some crazy-good passing helped this look pretty easy.  Schmaltz, Hartman and Kane (twice, including a diabolically good redirect to Kruger) paved the way to four of The Hawks' five tallies with excellent set-ups.  Sure, The Penguins D is thin and often struggled to cope when The Hawks gained the zone and started tossing the puck around, but it's an encouraging sign, for sure.
Tanner Kero is not the answer where 2C is concerned but he'll have to do for now.  He managed to keep up with Kane & Panarin for the most part, even if his hands let the group down once or twice, and he even potted a nice breakaway goal.  A good effort from 67.
After being buried alive in Tampa, John Hayden looked much more comfortable on the fourth line tonight.  Away from Toews & Panik, Hayden was nowhere on Monday, but in this match he used his body and his decent hand skills to create some quality chances, leading The Hawks with six shots on goal.
Speaking of shots, The Chicago defense only hit for two SOG all night.  I know TVR shot and missed a couple of times but the usual shooty suspects, Keith & Seabrook were dishing far more often than usual.  This may bear watching in the upcoming games in case this is some new directive or merely a isolated incident.

The surly Swede thought well of Kane's performance, as well as those of Panarin and Kero (he is, despite all reports, a sentimental type who revels in the successes of the largely unsung) but, through the smoke and the flattering boxscore, Stormare sees Corey Crawford as the biggest of the Big Boys tonight.  NOW is as good a time as any to return to form, and Crow was as steady as anything.

Too Late In the Day For A Clever Title: Hawks 4, Penguins 1

So late and so tired, so no recap tonight and straight to breakin' it down.

It seemed that right after The Hawks went up 1-0 The Penguins began to open things up.  Not panicking, exactly, but they were pressing harder and, crucially, their defense were joining the play and carrying the puck pretty far up-ice before making their first pass.  That might fly when Letang, Daley & Maata show up to work. but they didn't make into the office today, so all that daring stuff was left to what amounts to a bunch of kids.  And also Ron Hainsey.  They did get their chances, that much is true, but they also left the doors swinging open, just daring The Hawks to have a go.
Large Arthur is hurt again.  No word yet what ails him but, obviously, we gotta hope he was just shaken up.  In his absence, Coach Q took the unusual step of inserting Nick Schmaltz into Anisimov's spot.  Schmaltz was a disaster at the dot but dynamite between Panarin & Kane, to the tune of two assists, one of which should be framed and hung on the wall.  This improvised trio were not terribly special in their own end but, man, they were so exciting once they got downrange, it just feels good to know that option is available and viable.
Meanwhile, Ryan Hartman jumped from Line Four into Schmaltz's usual spot, giving that line a different dynamic that was less about finesse and timing and more about beating guys to the puck, bullying them off said puck and getting the puck to Panik, who seemed to be cruising through the slot all night.  This was the only Hawks forward line with positive Corsi digits, and I expect Panik's exciting game winner in the second period will liberally pepper the highlight packages for the next 24 hours.

The rest were kind of disjointed, a too-fluid ball of confusion.  Hossa-Kero-Hartman looked fine early in the game but, after the line shuffling, it felt as if Hoss was with different guys every shift. Jurco put forth a good effort without accomplishing anything, usually losing the puck just before getting into a shooting position, and Rasmussen struggled to keep up all evening.
The Hawks D had their ups and downs, playing mostly ok but with the usual WTF moments.  Best overall, I thought, was Kempny, although I don't think he started many shifts in The Hawks' end while, on the other end of the stick, Campbell had several icky moments and one mystifying decision to pass and not shoot.  Seabrook and Keith teaming up to stymie Crosby was pretty cool, too.
Scott Darling had a second consecutive start and played well...maybe not as well as his posts & crossbar, and he benefited from a few teammates sweeping the puck out the crease while he searched for it, but good enough to win, anyway.

Are you kidding me?  Seven goals in the last three games, and even his empty-netter tonight was a skill-fest.  Pat Kane is shooting the puck with authority, right now: hard, accurate and decisively.

Preseason Game #2:

1) The goalies played well enough.
2) Some of the D looked promising.  Roszie was Rozsie and Goose was a bit yippy, but I hardly noticed TVR which is a compliment, I guess.  Kempny appears serviceable; not-fast-but-not-slow, no sign of panic, makes a decent zone exit.  Forsling looks like he knows what he's doing but I fear he lacks the size or speed to avoid being laid out regularly.
3) The forward corps was uninspiring.  Motte had a few looks but insisted on doing it all himself.  Schmaltz showed good patience with the puck but always seemed to lack people to pass to.  Fortin sure tried hard but failed to accomplish anything and fell down a lot.  The rest...ehhhh.

It's tough to judge where the maybe-good guys will figure into the Hawks' plan until they get a look with some proper linemates.  As it is, though, after seeing a bunch of guys underwhelm me completely, I'm little worried about The Hawks' forward depth.

Waaay Late on This: Hawks 3, Penguins 1 But We Won't Talk About That (much)

Yeah, so The Hawks dominated a pretty tired-looking Penguins squad, Artemi Panarin continues to deal a hot hand and more precious ground is made up on Dallas.  Despite it really being a 2-1 game with a gimme, The Hawks rarely seemed troubled in this one, although those are occasionally the types of games that don't end well, so let's take the two and move on.
Once again, though, it was essentially a three line effort, with the Rasmussen line getting only a handful of shifts.  More on this in a bit.

The chatter today largely revolved around a player yet to arrive with the team and a player yet to be obtained at all.  First, Richard Panik's Hawks debut has been delayed because of Visa issues.  The word is, though, that when he arrives he'll get a look alongside Toews and Hossa.  I'm not sure what to think about that, as it seems like a pretty high pressure introduction to the squad, one in which he just as likely to fail and, well, we know how that goes.  I guess we can all just hope for the best but it seems a longshot that Panik will make the leap from the minors to Toews' combo entirely smoothly.

The other story that keeps popping up is The Hawks making a deal for Tampa's Jonathan Drouin,  I resist this, first, because the price will be too high; if Tampa were prepared to accept any old thing for Drouin that deal would have done a month ago.  Sideways from there, if Drouin were to fail to make a near-immediate impact we end up with another Rundblad situation, in which the GM coughed up who-knows-what in exchange for a guy that Quenneville won't use.  The Hawks have to pass on this at least until the Panik experiment runs its course.  

Gettin' By, Gettin' By: Hawks 3, Penguins 2 and Tuesday's Big Boy

Well, that was a little more like a real hockey game.  A little, anyway.
- How long have The Hawks been succeeding almost entirely on the efforts of Kane, Crawford, Keith and, to a lesser extent, Panarin.  The follow up to that is how long can they continue to do this. Panarin has looked tired on a lot of nights, lately, and other guys have had brief periods of effectiveness, but...this cannot last forever.
- P. Danault is sure taking a lot of draws for a guy who can't seem to win one.  Like I said, the lad needs remedial work, there.
- Once again, did Garbutt even play?
- Erik Gustafsson will have heard by now that If You're Going to Block a Shot - Block It.  Tentatively sticking his leg out into the shooting lane on Crosby's goal did Crawford no favours and calls into question his commitment.
- On the topic of Crawford, despite a couple of wonky goals against, I thought he had a strong game, overall, reserving his best stuff for the OT with nice stops on Letang and Kessel.

Maybe or maybe not the best Hawk tonight but with two of the three goals for it would just be rude to pass on Artemi Panarin.  I never get tired of seeing this kid shoot the puck.

                  I'm working on a piss-take of a Soundgarden cover for this guy.

Time for a Break: Hawks 3, Penguins 2 and Wednesday's Big Boy

Fifty hits?  I want to talk to the scorekeeper in Pittsburgh.  I'll just bet Pat Foley will get a mileage out of that.
Anyway, The Hawks won the coin toss, thanks to what looked like a couple of five-holers by Toews and Kane in the extra inning.  The Hawks should feel lucky to have emerged from this with two points, just as The Penguins will be disappointed to have not won this one.
A few items:
- Icetime.  Weirdness abounded, with Keith playing less than 24 min and Rozsival cracking 20 min.  11 min for Nordstrom (0 goals this season, BTW) and barely 8 min for Teravainen.
- A 9-shot differential will not result in success most nights.  A beauty from Hossa, a puck with eyes shot by Rundblad, a goalpost or two and Fleury's gaping five-hole in the shootout allowed The Hawks to steal this one.  It won't come that easily in these circumstances very often.
- These guys need a break, they need to regroup and get their priorities sorted out.  Unfortunately, five Hawks have to work during the break...

Who else?  It was one of those nights that he would not be denied. With a hand in both regulation goals, it has to be Hoss.

                                                       That'll do, sir, that'll do.