Return of the King - Hawks 4, Kings 1
by McClure on Nov 10, 2009 2:48 AM CST
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....and I don't mean Raitis Ivanans.For the first time in two and a half weeks, the Hawks had their captain and top center back in the lineup, and it showed. On top of winning 13 of 20 draws, Jonathan Toews added the insurance goal in what ended up as a one-sided (for the last 20 minutes) affair for the Hawks.
The first period started things off at a lively pace, with both teams trading chances and both Jonathan Quick and Cristobal Huet having an answer for all of them. While the Hawks outshot the Kings only by a 13-11 margin, the ice was tilted in the Hawks' favor the majority of the time. These were clearly not the Kings of last year, favoring a more wide-open attack, particularly while boasting the league's leading scorer in Anze Kopitar.
After a scoreless first, John Madden added a tally a little over a minute into the second frame on a backhand that farted through Quick's legs that was on a rush sprung on a rush by Duncan Keith and Troy Brouwer. LA answered about 8 minutes later when Kopitar found himself untouched on Huet's doorstep to pound home a rebound of a Drew Doughty shot after the entirety of the Hawks skaters had collapsed below the top of the rings. Huet made a few key saves to survive what was left of the second, before Patrick Sharp drew an interference call with five seconds left in the period.
On the ensuing power play in the third period, it was Sharp who found himself with time and space walking out from the left half wall to fire a wrist shot at Quick which Troy Brouwer tipped home. A couple minutes later, the Kings again found themselves shorthanded, and Jonathan Toews slid a backhander past quick after finding a loose puck alone in front of the LA net. Andrew Ebbett later netted his first as a Hawk after having a puck redirect into the goal off his nipple on a broken play. From there on out, the Kings never really mounted a threat; Hawks win 4-1.
- Even with Bolland out, what a difference having Toews back makes when everyone is skating (for the most part) in their proper roles
- The "Versteeg-at-center" experience lasted all of two shifts before Quenneville jumbled the shit out of the lines
- Since being called out by this blog, Patrick Sharp has once again been skating like he gives a shit when he's not on Patrick Kane's line.
- Good god, two moments of adequacy from the power play!
- It's been real nice these past couple of weeks to have Cristobal Huet's play be an afterthought to the rest of the game.
- The Hawks' defensive positioning in their own zone is really something to behold these days. At least in that aspect of the game, they're already playing like it's late May.
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ohbytheway
Troy was named the #1 Star of the Night by Puck Daddy.. granted there was only one game tonight but Brouwer and Toews were #1 and #2… Kopitar sucks
NO KOPITAR IS GONNA GET TRADED TO THE HAWKS EKLUND SAID SO
/hockeybuzz moron
twitter.com/BlackhawksDL
by Original Six on Nov 10, 2009 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
That tip by T-Brou
Was a thing of beauty. The shot Vs. “goal line” cam had showed it perfectly. What are the odds the PP keeps it going?
by AirTrafficAJ on Nov 10, 2009 12:53 PM CST up reply actions
Ok great game
but i missed the third period….power play seems pretty good if they scored two goals,Toewser was great,winning 65 percent of faceoffs,and scoring a big time goal….winning that many faceoffs is huuuuuuuge!!!!!!Sharp looked really good,i hope those rumors from hockey buzz about him goin to the thrashers aren’t true,i think a line of him toews and hossa would be amazing,ebbet kane buff(bolland is injured)brouwer versteeg madden,ladd kopecky eager fraser or burrish when he gets back
i hope the Hawks can build on this and get a little winning streak goin….Huet made some nice saves in the first period,he looked solid,and as long as the defense is playin like that,thats all they need Huet to be,solid,sometimes spectacular,but solid overall
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
The Word on hockeybuzz
hockeybuzz is just a forum where guys 30 years or older sitting in their mother’s basement with either too much time on their hands or no life whatsoever just sit there and make-up deal after deal just to get some reactions out of people. There really is no substance to any of thier deals and rarely do any of them come true. If the Hawks make a trade you’ll hear it on the radio or read it here so don’t worry about trades that you see on hockeybuzz. Trust me. In fact some of the trades some people post here make more sense than the ones proposed over there, so take it for what it’s worth.
It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!
Eager was on fire!!!!
As He got comfortable,Toews set the pace and the team followed………….and Big Buff needs a “time-out” ..hey Buff are you"high’?
"Let 'em say all those nice things," he says, "but I know my mistakes, and I make plenty of them.-Bobby Orr
I know this won't be popular
But I thought that this was one of the better broadcasted games by Versus. Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen the Kings play since Gretzky left, but it was nice to hear what they said about the Kings, and they seemed to broadcast a fair game.
by warrenjm2006 on Nov 10, 2009 7:59 AM CST up reply actions
meh
I just about want to slap people when the interview the players during the game. Let them play. Versus seems to do this more than other channels, but I hate it when any channel does it. Nothing like screwing with the players concentration mid period.
by runningquicklynowhere on Nov 10, 2009 1:35 PM CST up reply actions
True, but at least Pierre McGuire isn’t sitting in between the two benches. Can I call slapping Pierre McGuire?
by warrenjm2006 on Nov 10, 2009 2:13 PM CST up reply actions
I think they were giving out tickets to last season to slap him.
by runningquicklynowhere on Nov 10, 2009 2:40 PM CST up reply actions
I blame this loss on kane not stepping up.
by SLoop on Nov 10, 2009 6:39 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
I missed the PP's
Didn’t expect anything but anguish, so I was doing computer stuff. Such a shame, and I hope it doesn’t become superstition.
Still don’t want to see Ebbett play again.
Barker gets a pass, but if they want to trade him, I’m not complaining.
Sharpie looked much improved last night, I was relieved.
And I forgot how much I love Captain Marvel.
I never forget how much I love Madden.
If I can't be a good example, I'll just be a horrible warning
"I don't want to see Ebbett play again"
Wow. He’s filling-in admirably for a guy they picked up off waivers, no? He’s a cheap guy with NHL experience. What do you want from him? Was Jake Dowell really lightin’ your lamp?
I’m sure you hate Sopel and Kopecky too? It’s a shame that only goal scorers get recognition from most people.
I wouldn’t say Ebbett is filling in admirably. He is ‘doing the job’ and with Bolland now out for an extensive period of time he will be counted on to fill the void which might be a good thing for him as he showed last night that he is more comfortable being a 2nd line centreman than on the 3rd or 4th lines. One of those players that needs the elevated ice-time to become more effective.
Jake Dowell is the polar opposite of Ebbett where he is more effective as a 3rd or 4th line player that can play a physical style and be effective even with limited minutes.
It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!
all true
what I’m trying to say is that he’s an offensively capable guy whose salary is perfect for this cap-strapped team. I like how he gets himself involved in the play. One problem I see is that he doesnt finish checks.
by The Admiral on Nov 10, 2009 10:18 AM CST up reply actions
Actually
my biggest problem with him is that way too often he doesn’t get himself in the play. He’s way too timid. I don’t mind that he missed an opportunity on a rush last night, that’s going to happen to good players (see Sharp, Patrick), but too often he won’t stick his nose where it doesn’t belong to go win the puck when it’s winnable and that drives me crazy. He doesn’t have to be a Ladd or Toews when it comes to loose pucks, but at least be a 2009 Kane instead of a 2008 Kane.
Actually
Yeah, not happy with Kopecky. Sopel is doing OK, blocking a lot of shots, and makes me laugh when he skates.
I don’t pick my choices on goal scorers. I don’t know as much as you about hockey, and I get lost when it comes to cap space, etc. All I know is what I see on the ice. A goal is nice, but it’s not the motivating factor in my choices.
I just personally think Ebbett is more of a detriment to the team than a positive force. Who can fill his place? I don’t know….I just hope it is. ;)
BTW, I missed the two games prior to this game, and was rather distracted for the 1st 2 periods of this game.
If I can't be a good example, I'll just be a horrible warning
very nice
crap- if Huey is playing well, the PP registers, and Sharp has a star-worthy game (key sequence: late period hustle to generate PP, then convert in 3rd), we gotta dig deeper for things to fret about.
I can’t see the string connecting Kane’s stick to the puck, but I know it’s there. Musta made five beauteous cross-slot passes last night.
went to the game.......
Sharp was definitely looking for brouwer’s stick rather than a shot on goal. A sweet pass and an awesome redirect. Couple that with Brouwer’s nice pass on madden’s goal and you’ve got a gritty player providing some solid skill plays.
Sharp was solid last night, you can tell he loves skating with skill players and Tazer’s return was big for him. Sharpie had a couple nice assists and drew a couple penalties including the one right before the 2nd period ended, which resulted in a huge PP goal.
Buff made absolutely no attempt to block the shot from the point that resulted in Kopitar’s goal, which was beyond irritating, as he was right there. On that note, I didn’t notice Kopitar too much beyond his good positioning on that goal.
A note on Campbell (not trying to start a firestorm) – it seems like a high percentage of his shots are either biff’d (see final minute of colorado game when Anderson was down) or way too high. The (wrist) shot that went off of ebbett had no business turning out to be as useful as it did. Campbell has been decent this year, I’d just like to see a few more solid mid-height shots that someone can do something with.
"If you're scared, go buy a dog" - Stacey King
It's true. Campbell's shot does tend to float high more often than you'd like.
I be on my green like Irish Spring.
He's just not that great at shooting
don’t forget that most shots from the point are supposed to be high to clear the mass of humanity in front of the shooter (i.e players trying to block the shot). The great scoring D like Dion Phaneuf or Mike Green have amazing accuracy, and their shots tend to go 3-hole or 4-hole (over the shoulders). If Campbell had a great shot, I think he wouldnt be so hesitant to shoot.
a great D shoots ankle to knee high mostly
and has the vision to put on- or tip in close to – the net. It is the less common shot that goes high – when you’ve lulled the goalie into expecting low stuff and catch him cheating downward. The greats can shoot that odd high shot accurately but don’t over do it.
Forwards don’t want to be getting hit in the head – so hey don’t screen as well for D that shoot high too much. High shots also hit torsos and are blocked rather than snaking through off of legs.
by krome on Nov 10, 2009 5:58 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Isn't it true though...
…that the only d-man who can get his shot to the net more than half the time is Forrest Gump.
Soupy seems more effective in this respect than our “real” d-men.
His skating and passing ability are more important than his shooting
I think he did a great job of jumping in offensively or even leading the way into the zone. He is really good at establishing a certain amount of inertia at the other end of the ice. However, he seems to be a little careless around the hawks net lately, other than that, he’s been solid.
That kind of gets me wondering, is there a place to find time of possession in the offensive zone? I would venture a guess that the reason why the hawks dominate in shot differential is because they are good at puck possesion in the offensive zone due to d-men like keith and campbell who fly through the neutral zone.
I understand what his strengths are......
just making an observation. That being said, asking Campbell to take a few better shots is not like asking Patrick Kane to drop the gloves, it’s not outside the realm of his capabilies. Speaking of shots, Hammer’s shot is developing and has been a pleasant surprise.
"If you're scared, go buy a dog" - Stacey King
More on Campbell
He does posses an accurate shot from the point (as his goal against the Panthers would indicate) but when does he have time and space to pull it off? Even on the PP teams try to keep Campbell in check as he can not only roam but pass the puck efficiently as he is a major weapon out there. We will all agree that his defensive play this year has improved but still has a little ways to go, but as far as offensive play goes he has done what the Hawks have asked of him since day one and will put up 55-60 points again this season. Just. Watch. A more effective down-low presence on the PP will only create more time and space for the defencemen to shoot and then you’ll see the accuracy improve.
It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!
On a slight tangent
the last few games the league-wide memo seems to be to cream Campbell at every chance. The last few games the opposition really seems to have singled him out. I guess they perceive him as soft, but he hasn’t panicked as a result and hasn’t taken any stupid penalties so I’m not really sure what the strategy there is. He did have some turnovers last night but they were not the result of physical play.
Also, the Kings were really good at pressuring the puck 9,000 feet from their own goal and we were really bad at beating them on the breakout when they put 3 forwards inside the circles.
what are they thinking, going after Campbell?
Pavol Demitra is still sidelined since he tried to do exactly that.
Inasmuch as Campbell’s spin-o-ramas backfire on him, checks on him do too. I enjoy watching when they happen.
by chiblackhawks on Nov 10, 2009 10:42 AM CST up reply actions
"I didn’t notice Kopitar too much beyond his good positioning on that goal."
Two pretty good defenceman named Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook might have been the reason for that. Last night was, again, another reason why these two are among the NHL’s best defencemen and quite possibly the best defensive duo in the league.
It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!
Kopitar had two shots on goal all game
I’d say that’s because of #2 and #7, and also because of the center matchups (Madden or Toews for most of the game). Madden might have been outshined in the faceoff column, but he did all the dirty work last night.
Ya gotta consider the Hammer....
…..that kid is getting better and better every game…..Until I see Seabrook back at 100%—Hammer is my pick for best defenseman…he allows Campbell to skate all over the place and grab a hotdog in the third balcony…………..maybe second balcony
"Let 'em say all those nice things," he says, "but I know my mistakes, and I make plenty of them.-Bobby Orr
Sharpie
He also got clipped behind the knee right before Toews’ goal. I happened to be sitting about 50 feet from the glass where that happened and you could see him grimace and turn around in ill humor. Glad he was able to pick up an assist when the puck popped free.
One other thing
I forgot to mention last night is that the Kings only had 2, count em TWO shots in the 3rd period last night.
i was at the game last night
and watching the shots on goal per period, since coming into the game both teams had the two lowest SA/G in the league.
The Kings had NO shots on goal in one of their 3rd period power plays, and I’m pretty sure that number was the same for their second 3rd pd PP.
by chiblackhawks on Nov 10, 2009 10:20 AM CST up reply actions
According to the event summary from last night’s game the Kings had ZERO shots on both their PP opportunites. Very impressive indeed.
It's never about the eventual destination, but rather the long journey and its challenging obstacles that are presented and what it takes to overcome them, that makes the taste of success all the more worthwhile!!!
now i'm all warm and fuzzy inside
It’s been said multiple times before, but goddamn do I love this team’s defense.
by chiblackhawks on Nov 10, 2009 10:40 AM CST up reply actions
Also, at the game
did you notice that the linesman in the west end got out of bed that morning determined to blow the whistle at every chance? He knows he’s not getting paid by commission right?
there was a period of time
when I swear his whistle was surgically attached to his mouth, and so whenever he exhaled the whistle blew.
by chiblackhawks on Nov 10, 2009 10:50 AM CST up reply actions
thinking
this will end up being a real important win. it was a great time to turn it on and get some confidence back. of course, i’m sure a lot of that has to do with tazer coming back, but shit. we looked pretty great last night.
aside from the turnovers i thought kopecky had another good night. he’s finally doing something, and although that something isn’t registering points per se, it’s annoying the shit out of everyone in the opposing locker room.
hilarious that fras went after ratis too.
Sharpie
I can’t remember the point in the game, but the camera closed in on him after yet another of his mounting near-misses and he had an expression of utter & sheer frustration on his face – painful even. It’s almost unbelievable that you can miss the net that many times by such narrow margins. He’s playing great, doing lots of the right stuff, skating like an all-star, and I know he had 2 assists, but I’m feeling his pain right now. When will it stop so he can begin his goal-scoring run??
- agreed, Kopecky with another sound performance
- Ebbett accomplishing all we could ask of him (plus a goal)
- Brouwer fucking earned it
- Toews, Madden, Keith, Kane… hell, even Eager making me proud as shit
Very entertaining game with the proper result. Realizing the difficulty of the situation, I’m REALLY looking forward to rolling into Colorado now with slightly different team than they faces on Friday!
"Call Detroit, tell dem... BULLSHIT!"
noticeable difference in the fourth line
Eager is batshit insane, and while that can backfire some nights, it’s something I firmly believe every team needs in order to maintain spiritual equipoise. The beauteous (Kane, Versteeg) needs to be balanced by the dogged (Brouwer, Ladd), and the stable (Toews, Madden) needs to be offset by the chaotic (Eager, Burish).
Ay Paulie, yous been readin Georgie ya dictionary or what?
Jezus. Boutious, equipostic…da kids hurtin meh brain.
I be on my green like Irish Spring.
i guess in the absence of burish
this is why Fraz is getting chippy?
by chiblackhawks on Nov 10, 2009 10:47 AM CST up reply actions
Fraser seems to feed off his linemates
but yeah, he’s been much more (positively) noticeable in the last few games
He might be feeling the heat knowing that he’s among the possibilities to be chopped off the roster once the team is fully healthy. Whatever the motivation, I like that he’s been mixing it up and making his presence known.
Its amazing how one player ( toews) can change the teams moral...
this team last night looked like a different team then the past 6 games. they played like my tv was on fast forward. My question about trade rumors is, if we are going for the cup this year why ruin the team now by changing it. let it be until the the season is over at least keep the core guys. I would hate to see sharp go. I would rather lose Cambell which turned it over again and almost cost us a goal behind our net. I think Jammer is worth Cambells money. Jammer is playing amazing.
can't compare Hammer and Campbell (yet)
Campbell
Hammer
"If you're scared, go buy a dog" - Stacey King
More like........
campbell
Hammer
"Let 'em say all those nice things," he says, "but I know my mistakes, and I make plenty of them.-Bobby Orr
uh oh
Well, I tried to note that comparing Hammer to Campbell is apples to oranges, like they can’t be compared, and then you did compare them by supplementing my analogy on them being incomparable………………..a paradox of this magnitude can only signify the end of days.
"If you're scared, go buy a dog" - Stacey King
by Hack on Nov 10, 2009 1:00 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I understand comparing .....
Apples to Apples or Apples to Oranges…..but comparing Apples to a Diamonds is……fruitless!!
"Let 'em say all those nice things," he says, "but I know my mistakes, and I make plenty of them.-Bobby Orr
Frase is the biggest pushy guy in the building.
Especially now that Eags has got his back! Big dog/ little dog syndrome!
Victim was found murdered by a Chelsea Dagger.
Not really.....
One of the hawk worst fighters of all time has been very active all season on his own. he has played some inspired hockey as well.
"Let 'em say all those nice things," he says, "but I know my mistakes, and I make plenty of them.-Bobby Orr
Please help
a stupid hockey fan like me. Brouwer’s box score line last night was 1G, 2A and a +1 in a game where the opposing team only scored 1 goal. Assuming he was on the ice for the goal against and assuming he didn’t score from the bench or make any neat passes while sitting next to the Q-stache, did he race off after a pass and before a goal? It just seems like if you had a goal and two assists and your team only gave up 1 goal you should be at worst a +2?
+/-
…ignores special teams. Just 5-on-5 Or 4-on-4, etc.
by cliffkoroll on Nov 10, 2009 11:26 AM CST up reply actions
When an even-strength or shorthanded goal is scored, every player on the ice for the team scoring the goal is credited with a “plus.” Every player on the ice for the team scored against gets a “minus.”
Power play goals are NOT used in calculating plus-minus.
Shorthanded goals ARE used in calculating plus-minus.
Penalty shot goals are NOT used in calculating plus-minus.
Hossa
did they mention if he’s returning before the circus trip or after. cause this trip scares me.
I hope it's on the trip
cuz I’ll be at the Ducks and Kings games out there!
I heard that he is targeting
11/25 against San Jose, so I’d guess that 11/27 and 11/28 are very real possibilities
"If you're scared, go buy a dog" - Stacey King
Still 2 weeks away
…but maybe time to start the rumor mill and begin the speculation. The sooner the better (health issues aside) because I’m with the tribe – this trip looks very, very formidable.
"Call Detroit, tell dem... BULLSHIT!"
Bolland's getting surgery
Coach Q announced after practice. Timetable for return will be discussed after.
Thank fucking Lord; it’s about time.
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