A few interesting pieces floating around today.  First up, Chris Kuc's article on giving Dale Tallon his due.

I like Kuc's work, he really seems to enjoy it and care unlike his predecessor Bob Foltman, who couldn't have given less of a fuck than anyone in the world.  In the words of Chris Rock, "If you were hanging off of a cliff by one hand and all you needed was one fuck to save yourself, and Bob Foltman walked by with a pocket full of fucks, he wouldn't give a fuck."

However, his premise here is flawed.  To suggest a Huet-Khabby axis of domination was always Tallon's plan is not going to be bought by a whole lot of Hawks fans.  We'd have to ignore all the trade rumors, putting Nik on waivers, and the whole KHL thing.  Just because it's worked doesn't mean it isn't doing so by sheer dumb-idiot luck.  But Kuc is right in that Tallon takes more than his fair share of abuse.  After all, it's all his players who are making the difference.  As always, the truth probably lies in the middle.

Interesting quotes in Sassone's article as well.  Canucks coach Alain Vigneault calls the Hawks the best in the NHL right now.  It would be hard to argue that, as they're the only ones carrying a seven-game win streak.  Perhaps I've just been miserable for so long, but I'm having a hard time handling the Hawks surge right now.  It's like the first version of The Matrix that Agent Smith described to Morpheus.  It's a utopia that I keep trying to wake up from.  My mind can't handle it.