...And The Winds Begin To Howl: Hawks 2, Devils 3

Anybody else?

I have no problem with the Hawks losing to the Devils. Right now, they are the class of the league. That being said, I am getting REAL tired with the D spotting the opposing team a goal in the first seconds of the damn game. What does it take for the boys to come out ready to play?

Here’s a thought. Next game, no matter what line Jabba the Hitchcock puts out to start the game, Q starts Eager, Burish, and Fraiser. Those three have looked the best (sad to say) over the past 2 weeks. And if Eager can talk Boll into dancing, well…so much the better.

What the shit is Brodeur going to do with that whole net? I just picture him 10 years from now pulling that thing out of a box in his garage.

Wouldn’t a simple 10×12 have sufficed? Put it under glass or something?

I guess the opportunity to make more money off of selling scraps of it might be what he’s going for….

We’re cutting off any comparisons to the Cubs on this blog, because it’s stupid and silly. And this blog comes from two passionate Cubs fans. One losing streak does not equal 101 years of incompetence. Yes, the Hawks have the longest championship drought in their sport, too, but that is more due to an owner unwilling than one incapable.

Oh, and the cubs won 97 games last year, and then decided to play their three worst games in the lottery that is the MLB playoffs, so they’re not as clueless as you want to believe.

1. This is a young team – they never were going to win the Cup this year.
2. The slide began with the injury to Sharp. It will end with his return. Lose the center for your top line for two months and you will have problems.
3. Add a good defensive center in Pahlsson and you can have more consistency.
4. Khabi needed to get the rust off. These last two games have him back in shape.
5. Coach Q needs to focus the offensive side on keeping the puck in the offensive zone and getting guys in front of the net to screen goalies. Pretty isn’t enough.
6. Coach, would it be so bad for our defensemen to take the body…once in a while?
7. The “One Goal” this season is to make the playoffs.

Just remember guys, this team nosedived from 1994-2007. Now they are a second tier team. Remember the 88-89 season when they made it to the playoffs in an overtime last regular season game against Toronto? No one thought they were much of a team that year. Lots of young newcomers. Where did they end up that season? Conference finals.

You can’t build a Cup contender in one or two years. Management is going to make some mistakes. The players are going to make some mistakes. NJ did not get to where they are overnight, and the seeds of the 88-89 season culminated in a Cup final a few short years later.

Just be glad that our home games are on, they are selling out, which means we can spend money on talent going forward, and we may get some post season play for the first time in a LONG time. Our young players need the exposure to the pressure.

One last item. I think we would be better served by facing Calgary in the playoffs than Vancouver anyway. Maybe there is some method to the madness here as well.

Does anyone else think the loss of Wisniewski in the locker room has affected the team? Obviously is absence doesn’t explain away the injuries and Campbell sucking, but I feel like the whole team has been in a funk since he was traded. Maybe having Sharp back will be a good boost.

I want the 4th seed, dammit. I didn’t drop $1700 on playoff tickets for nothing!!

Yes, it’s true that the Hawks will be fine when Sharp comes back and the addition of Pahllson as a 3rd line center will help. Although I am curious if this is what was discussed in the closed “players only” meeting last week. The team almost seems like it has a “lets just see if we can make it through this rough patch” approach. Some of the losses in the last month were close and some of them just had an “oh well…you can’t win them all” attitude. I don’t want to advocate fighting (that would be irresponsible and politically incorrect), but it is a way of measuring the grit and frustration that a team carries around with them as they go through these “rough patches”. 5-7-1 over the last month. Take Big Ben’s 3 fights away and you are left with 2 scraps over a 13 game stretch. I realise that most of these games were so close that you can’t take a chance on a penalty late in a game, but with the Pred’s and the B.J.‘s in this division the Hawks will have to be ready for an abrasive game every night. That is how Detoitsucks got taken out of their game plan against both of those teams. I’m sure that trading Wiz probably affected locker room chemistry, but not enough to put them in a tailspin. I beleive that was actually a good trade. Return of the Roar- I agree with everything you said but you lost me at #7. The “One Goal” is always the Stanley Cup!