Check Your Head - Hawks 3, Flames 1
by McClure on Jan 22, 2010 12:10 AM CST
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I think it's pretty damn safe to officially say that the Blackhawks are completely and thoroughly mindfucking the Calgary Flames.
After getting their dicks kicked in by San Jose earlier in the week, everyone and their uncle (including the Hawks coaching staff as we'd later learn in the telecast from Mike Haviland) expected the Flames to come out with bottle rockets up their asses looking to not only avenge their latest embarrassment, but the last two embarrassments they had suffered at the hands of the Men of Four Feathers. However, Calgary hit the ice shockingly listless in the first, likely out of fear that running around would lead to giving the Hawks numerous power plays; power plays the Hawks cashed in on repeatedly in the last encounter. The Hawks matched their tentativeness in full expectation of a high octane first period, but once they realized that there was no impending surge from the Flames, the Hawks began to dictate the play and settled into the puck possession game that we've all come to expect after 51 games of this campaign. Patrick Kane was sprung on a breakway, and was granted a penalty shot when Mark "It's the fresh ingredients" Giordano hooked Kane after he was going to be in alone on Miikka Kiprusoff. Kane surprisingly went to his forehand on his penalty shot bid, and Kiprusoff denied the shot with the left pad. The frame ended in bagels, but the Hawks held a shot advantage of 11-5, and allowed no shots on the lone Calgary power play of the period.
That theme carried over into the second, as Kiprusoff repeatedly had to keep his team in the game, notably denying John Madden twice on golden chances, one on a feed from VERSTEEG!, and the other on a redirection on a shot from the point. When the Flames finally committed the penalty they were clearly so piss scared of taking, the Hawks made them pay for it after a magnificent steal and cross ice pass from Jonathan Toews, who somehow spotted Patrick Kane alone on the weak side, and stole the puck and fired a 50 foot backhand pass on the money in one motion. Kane snapped a one-time shot that squeezed through Kiprusoff to give the Hawks the lead. Calgary would answer on a power play toward the tail end of the period when a puck that had slid past Antti Niemi's initial pad save came to Jamie Lundmark who poked it home to tie it. A late icing gave the Hawks a faceoff to Kipper's right, and a smart setup and excellent faceoff win by Patrick Sharp gave Kris Versteeg a golden opportunity to Kiprusoff's left, but it would be one he would shank wide, and the period ended knotted at 1.
The Hawks would play a very workman-like third period, so it seems fitting that the fourth line would account for the deciding goal just short of six minutes into the frame. A very spastic rush by Fraser, Kopecky, and Eager would lead to Kopecky firing a shot from just inside the far ring that would bank off a streaking Ben Eager's knee and skate and into the net. The obligatory booth review confirmed it was a good goal that was not kicked in, and the Hawks took the lead for good. A late flurry where Calgary finally became interested brought the shot total far closer than it could have been, but the Hawks efficiently snuffed out numerous Calgary opportunities around Niemi, and it eventually led to the Hawks' first empty net goal of the year (the last team to pot one), courtesy of Duncan Keith. Hawks 3, Flames 1, and six of eight points halfway through the road trip.
Observations
- Antii Niemi wasn't overly busy tonight, but he did make the saves he needed to make, particularly early. Calgary didn't have a lot of opportunities, but the ones they did have contained a few difficult saves, almost all of which Niemi snagged.
- John Madden and Marian Hossa had textbook games backchecking this evening. Both put on clinics for back-pressuring as a forward and separating the man from the puck. It's a shame that Iron Madden couldn't have been rewarded for his efforts after getting robbed thrice by Kiprusoff.
- Did Jarome Iginla even play tonight?
- Patrick Sharp, in spite of his apparent utter distaste for the position, is looking like an honest-to-fuck centerman these days. He's covering low in the defensive zone, distributing the puck, and winning draws. Go back and watch him direct traffic before the drop on that faceoff just before the end of the period, then win the draw to the exact spot he wanted it to give VERSTEEG! a golden opportunity. The numbers might not be what we expected out of him this year, but Sharp is proving his value and versatility right now even without them.
- They're Jonathan Toews' boards, and you're just skating near them until he decides you don't get to have the puck any more.
- Had Patrick Kane gone to his backhand off a deke the way he normally does in a shootout situation, he would have scored. Not sure why he tried the forehand move on Kipper, but all's well that ends well I suppose.
- Late in the third period, the Hawks play was a little too passive for my tastes given their firepower and two-way ability, but in a one-goal game on the road after an ugly loss, they can't be blamed for battening down the hatches, and to their credit, they did so quite well
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Make it stop
Mike kiley says niemi took the starting goalie job with this win.
They brought their fuckin' TOYS with 'em!
by ZootSuitZombie on Jan 22, 2010 12:14 AM CST reply actions
looks like it's been "Andy" for a few posts at least
I meant to comment on it—is it a joke? Is it for the “bandwagon” fans so they don’t have to learn foreign names? Is this 1920 and immigrants have to “Americanize” their names to succeed in showbiz? Weird.
a little chippy: a blog, mostly hockey
C and Andy make C-Andy
This is me, gouging my eyes out. Please, guys, I’m trying to avoid Mike Kiley as much as humanly possible. I am convinced—CONVINCED!—he’s registered here as nick61.
by chiblackhawks on Jan 22, 2010 9:56 AM CST up reply actions
That makes sense to me.
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 22, 2010 9:57 AM CST up reply actions
I LIKE KILEY ALREADY IF HE HATES PEPE LE PUET!!!!
And no, I am NOT Kiley! You don’t need the 3 brain cell minimum to know that Puet stinks…but it helps!!! lol
Capslock and exclamation points
are not meant to suffer the abuse they do under you.
by chiblackhawks on Jan 22, 2010 11:24 PM CST up reply actions
Hope not
I read his article and found the Andy thing rather stupid. His name isn’t Andy, it’s Antii. On a practical note, Antii is infinitely cooler than Andy, and oh yeah, that just happens to be his name.
I don’t mind him putting the cart before horse and declaring Niemi the starter from here on out- that’s just typical ESPN Herd cannon fodder/ rabble rousing. Calling him Andy is just dumb.
That shouldn't be a surprise
as he’s basically been saying that since the second game of the season.
FifthFeather.com
by El Duque's Raft on Jan 22, 2010 12:27 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah
He was oh-so-pleased with himself when he found out that Antii was apparently Finnish for Andy. Like almost disturbingly so.
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 9:00 AM CST up reply actions
Is this true?
Since its a non-Indo-European language, Finnish names wouldn’t necessarity map to English names, would they?
I’m no linguist, but wtf do Teemu, Tuomo, Saku, Jussi, and Jurkko translatwe to?
No real point. I agree it’s a weird thing to get off on, but somehow funnier if it’s based on a mistake in fact.
This is not verified
The only reference I can find on the first page of google results is from Kiley himself.
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 9:45 AM CST up reply actions
you can't make up something like this...
Timmy, Tommy, Sammy, Jessie, Jerk-o. Done.
by Doyle on Jan 22, 2010 9:49 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Nicely done.
Rec’d.
GO BLACKHAWKS
Witness to Mark Buehrle's perfect game July 23, 2009
by chisoxfan1473 on Jan 22, 2010 4:54 PM CST up reply actions
Nice to Huet
Well go figure! ;-)
I think we now have one of, if not THE best, back up goal tenders in the league who can often seem like a starter (Huet). And if (IF…not a done deal but sure looks promising so far) Niemi can keep this up, man this team looks awesome now at every position even with starters on the injury report. Great job Blackhawks from president down to front office to coaches to players. Gonna be a fun ride!
wait
how can a goalie that flat-out sucks (as you and others have repeatedly told us) now be one of the best back-ups?
If he sucks, he sucks. Or is it all just relative to you?
The only Cup we can win is this years
Get a Brain
So let’s take ohhhhhh Sopel for example. Pretty good 6th defensman on a team, but if he was your best I think the team’s in trouble. Fraser. Good as a 4th line center, sucks if he’s a 1st line center. So why can’t Huet be a bad starting goalie but a good backup? DUHHHHHH.31st in the league in save %, 30 teams…you do the math. Maybe look in the mirror before you make an ass of yourself with" these people" comments.
wait (again)
so you are saying Niemi is a great backup, thus he will be a great starter. But you also think that since Huet sucks as a starter, he will be an awesome backup. I’m having trouble following your logic.
I'm guessing
he thinks backups are supposed to lose games, and he thinks Huet is great at that.
The only Cup we can win is this years
by Johnny Lava on Jan 22, 2010 11:08 AM CST up reply actions
Not exactly
I think Huet isn’t as good as the top 20-25 goalies in the league. Does that mean “sucks”? Meh…maybe I used that word too loosely, but I don’t think he’s a top goalie…at least watching him so far. Future? Who knows. Now, do I think he’s one of the top 40 goalies in the league? Yeah. So take away the 30 best goalies in the league and do I think Huet is near the top of the list of the rest? Yeah, I do.
Why people keep coming on here continuously to harp on Huet to tell him that he sucks when he’s struggling is dumbfounding? I’m pretty sure he has a very good visual image of this already.
He hasn’t be great, but he hasn’t be awful either. He’s been good. However, Niemi has been great lately and that’s why he’s starting to get the bulkload of starts now because of his outstanding play not the other way around.
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!!!
I Niemi loses two in a row
the torches will be out and the mob will be calling for Crawford. That is just the way it has become. It makes for tough reading here, but ……
35 wins in January is making the douchbaggery almost bearable. In a douchey kind of way
"All questions must be submitted in writing"
I hate to admit it
but I have some relatives who suck.
"...about six feet from the moose's butt."
by The Fearless Freep on Jan 22, 2010 10:10 AM CST up reply actions
Look at my posts last few days
Did I ever say trade Huet? No.
Did I say kick him off the team? No.
I said give Niemi a chance for #1 and/or at LEAST play the hot hand for the majority of games, whomever that may be.
And yes, I have less expectations from a backup goalie than from a starter. Doesn’t that make sense to you? Given that, yes, it absolutely IS relative to what line someone plays on, whether they are 1st pair or third pair defense and whether they are a starting or backup goalie in how I would rate them. What’s so strange about that?
I *think*
That people were confused because your first post seemed like you had anointed Niemi the #1 and relegated Huet to backup already. At least that’s how I read it. But this post cleared it up by saying give Niemi the chance for the #1 spot. So I don’t think there’s any problems.
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 11:01 AM CST up reply actions
Thanks Hjammer
Yeah, objectively I need to see Niemi get strssed a little to see if he is strong mentally and doesn’t break down physically after several starts in a row under pressure. That is still to be seen.
Subjectively……yeah you guys know my bias and sometimes it shows through when I don’t proofread my posts enough. But after all that, what I DID want to state today was that I think Huet has a place on the team, we can win with him and I think he’s one of the best 40-45 goalies in the game. But apparently I might be stuck with old Huet sucks posts. Maybe I’ll use the default SCH excuse….I musta been drunk then. :-)
Being drunk might be a reason, but it should never be an excuse.
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 22, 2010 11:39 AM CST up reply actions
Yea if we started blaming alcohol they might take it away
by ChargingMajor on Jan 22, 2010 11:41 AM CST up reply actions
ok. we cool.
now you’re posting lucid thoughts and not meathead-ranting. I’ll just put this up (cause it mirror my thoughts) and leave the goalie thing alone (at least with you).
“It’s been our strength really all year,” Bowman said. “If you look, we’re the best goals-against in the league (so) it’s hard to make an argument that your goaltending is bad. I know we play a good team defense as well, but at the same time without solid goaltending we wouldn’t be where we’re at so that’s not a concern.”
The only Cup we can win is this years
by Johnny Lava on Jan 22, 2010 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
In fact, Stan went on and on...
…with thoughts straight from the SCH cognooscenti.
My own reaction was confused…like watching Satan help an old lady cross the street.
by cliffkoroll on Jan 22, 2010 11:54 AM CST up reply actions
ok, we just have different expectations
I expect both goalies on the team to be able to play any day and play well enough to win.
The only Cup we can win is this years
by Johnny Lava on Jan 22, 2010 11:18 AM CST up reply actions
Who put this thing together? Me, that's who!
Who do I trust? Me!
Revenge is a very very very dangerous motivation!
by thepuckstopshere on Jan 22, 2010 1:59 PM CST up reply actions
well done write up
especially the fresh ingredients part. Have you noticed that the giordanos guys is wearing a rug in the new commercials.
all we ask out of our goalie is..........
“but he did make the saves he needed to make”
what is management thinking???
"Trying is the first step towards failure" Homer Simpson
fun fact: on the radio they said Keith has more points than Iginla this season…and that was before his empty netter
a little chippy: a blog, mostly hockey
Iginla
Iginla is a great hockey player. He has been for a long time. He is an asset to any team he plays on. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a pain in the ass to watch on the opposing team.
Kane Toes Iginla
Brouwer Bolland Hossa
See what I mean.
"All questions must be submitted in writing"
Some guys can be great by themselves, some guys need good players on their line to truly be great. Iginla used to be the former, now, with the years that he’s got on him, he falls into the latter category. And unfortunately for him, Calgary hasn’t found the right guys to put around him, for at least the second season in a row now.
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 8:57 AM CST up reply actions
whoa whoa whoa........that's my avatar
I propose we have an NHL skills competition to settle this.
-Speed skating
-Shooting Accuracy
-Shootout sudden death
-Hardest Slapshot
Johnny’s Ice House……….noon…………tomorrow.
"In an ideal world I would have all 10 fingers on my left hand so my right hand could just be a fist for punching."
check that.....
Upon further review, I don’t have skates, a stick, or a low center of gravity.
We’re gonna have to think of something else.
"In an ideal world I would have all 10 fingers on my left hand so my right hand could just be a fist for punching."
Das Boot!
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 9:52 AM CST up reply actions
Remember,
You start with the toe “up!”
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 22, 2010 9:55 AM CST up reply actions
Lord knows how many newbies we gave a beer bath to in Germany using the “boot”
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 22, 2010 10:14 AM CST up reply actions
Random question
Is it a Finnish goalie thing that these two play the puck outside of their crease a lot? I don’t know much about goaltending but it’s one of those intangibles that I like to see…
Either way, that was a fantastic effort by both goalies.
stick handling
actually it’s usually a knock against european goalies that they can’t play the puck very well. most of the truly good puck handling goalies are canadian or american (brodeur, turco, price, dipietro, etc).
hmmm
i didnt know dipietro did anything competently
Praise Him!!
by Hawk is God on Jan 22, 2010 12:16 PM CST up reply actions
Hey Chico! Did you miss Espo when they tradee him to Boston???????
I sure as hell did!!!
Coulda been another shutout
but Sopel failed to clear the puck from the crease after it got by Niemi. Can’t blame the dude, it’s kinda hard to see the puck right in front of you when your eyes are on the sides of your head. Need 2 points? Got it!
by radguy213 on Jan 22, 2010 12:38 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Congratulations
You elicited honest LOLz from this author.
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a goddamn shame.
in partial defense of sopes...
he was essentially defending a 5 on 3 powerplay at that point seeing as fraser was without his stick. Eyes? Yeah, so he’s a hammerhead. He and Oprah should mate. Whatever they spawn would look highly interesting in many respects — foremost among them being the kid’s eyes would likely be actually on the back of his/her/its head…
I'm really glad
that you find your posts to be so funny you must laugh at them. I do, too, but for an entirely different reason.
2009 SCH Post Whore
2010 Troll Collector
by Trixietrx on Jan 23, 2010 3:22 AM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Is punctuation on sale??????????????
Low, low prices, EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kane's penalty shot
The reason he didn’t go for the backhand was because Kiprusoff made a poke check and forced him to shoot before he was ready.
Watching in real-time, I didn’t see it, but once I saw the replay I thought the same thing
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 9:51 AM CST up reply actions
it's even worse
than certain infamous photos of him from last summer, and that’s really saying something
a little chippy: a blog, mostly hockey
definitely looks like a mugshot… of carrot top
"My Father's name is Jack, and my mother's name is Daniels..."
I thought
it was his mugshot. If I were him I’d buy up all those cards and burn them.
2009 SCH Post Whore
2010 Troll Collector
I threw that together for the Puck Daddy card contest last year...
…and its from the infamous Tranny-fart photo
i remember where its from
I think it was some party last year (All-Star game?) and he was “posing” with some tranny.
Kane's penalty shot choice
was likely because his last shoutout backhand didn’t work and he lost a little confidence in it and the only reason that one didn’t work was that he didn’t sell the shot before the backhand. but i’m sure after seeing Datsyuk’s move, kaner is going to be practicing those again.
1961 is a long time ago.
dude
you got it all wrong, that’s a picture of Brian Cambell, in fact, Carrot top was even picked to be his actor in the black hawks movie last year along with brendan frasier (spelling) as brent seabrook.. But seriously is this kovalchuk rumor still around?
Legacy of KA(i)NE
by Kaner's Revenge on Jan 22, 2010 3:27 AM CST up reply actions
Holyyy shhhiiiiitttttt Kane in ripppped in that pic
Maybe he can get some body building tips from ol’ carrot top at the NHL awards I n Vegas
Second City Hockey
Aha!
It’s no wonder they can’t just push him around anymore! He’s a beefcake and these pictures prove it! Wow, that cabbie sure was lucky Kane never fired his guns. I’m sure he doesn’t live anywhere in Cook County, cuz guns (especially ones that size) are illegal there. Dem some MAJOR pectorali.
SASSONE
Sassone is saying Niemi is going to get the start again in Vancouver. Not hard to see why after a game like tonight.
"Whats your location Chief?"
"Well, Im on a road. Appears to be asphalt. I am directly under the Earth's sun......now."
Niemi
Is climbing Mt Everest on the off day. On his way there last night he swam the English Channel, and brokered a peace deal with Israel.
"All questions must be submitted in writing"
by laaarmer on Jan 22, 2010 7:49 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
he once had an awkward moment, just to see what it felt like.
Matt Cooke is a turd burglar. He burgles ALL the turds.
by G8K33P3R on Jan 22, 2010 8:45 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Can we officially christen the Hawks
The Boogeymen of Alberta now? Great game to watch, and my biggest regret about that Flames goal is not that it broke the shutout, but because it led to Comcast showing a closeup of Pumpkinhead Jokinen.
Catfish question: No third period minutes, not on the bench. I didn’t see what happened to him, and the bar I was at didn’t have the sound on. Did the announcers address this at all?
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 8:54 AM CST reply actions
Whatever, he'll be alright
He doesn’t have time to bleed
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 9:14 AM CST up reply actions
NHL.com's writeup
Called Pengrowth Saddledome the Hawks’ “home away from home”.
by chiblackhawks on Jan 22, 2010 10:01 AM CST up reply actions
That’s awesome. I’m actually astonished that they managed to find time to write anything else besides 20 Sid/Ovi articles
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 10:06 AM CST up reply actions
much more of this
and Alberta will start denying Hawks players visas
The only Cup we can win is this years
by Johnny Lava on Jan 22, 2010 10:41 AM CST up reply actions
It’s hard when after Jokinen that Conroy and Langkow are your only options as centremen and Rene Bourque is top option as a left winger. Acquiring Boumeester at the expense of Cammalleri was a colossal mistake made by Darryl Sutter and the Flames are paying dearly for it. Heck, Bertuzzi would be an upgrade right now over what they have.
Blaming Jarome for the Flames recent struggles offensively is just plain wrong as he has no supporting cast to help him. If Iginla was in Chicago and playing with Toews and Kane he’d be leading the league in goals right now.
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!!!
Stephanie i mean Sportgal
Waddle and Silvy are talking about you
September 26, 2007 The day a Franchise was reborn.
damn this no streaming media at work thing
it probably won’t make the podcast
"In an ideal world I would have all 10 fingers on my left hand so my right hand could just be a fist for punching."
I heard it.
I’m sure I’ll be calling in when they finally get around to talking about the Hawks.
"Another successful interaction with a man!" - Liz Lemon
tell them to put you on the podcast
I’m sure they’d be into that
"In an ideal world I would have all 10 fingers on my left hand so my right hand could just be a fist for punching."
couldn't agree more on the Toews thing...
dude is unstoppable on the boards and every time i cringe when he gets hit in an awkward way, he skates out with the puck . watching that replay where (before he has control of the puck) he checks over his shoulder for Kaner, made me honestly proud. I had to be reminded three of four times that he is not my son and that I shouldn’t be beaming the way I was.
YUP! TOEWES is the BEST!!!
I loved him in the WJC! Esp. those shoot-out goals he scored! Great draft by Tallon.
Nice summary
Hossa’s a robot. When Kane, Soup, or 20 Cent move up the ice, it’s a blur of pumping arms and legs.
Hossa, on the other hand, has little jets on the back of his skates. He sidles up and effortlessly unburdens the owner of the puck on the backcheck. Then, a little reverse thrust, and he’s off the other way.
I was not overly familiar with Hossa before he got here, but those who were nailed it. Still doesn’t seem to be completely dialed-in, either. The guy could carry a team through a playoff series.
as great as hossa is on offense
I find his defensive play even more remarkable. I love watching this guy backcheck – how many times as he PREVENTED an opponent’s scoring chance because of this?
I’ll admit I never knew how good this guy was until he came here. Shame on me.
"...about six feet from the moose's butt."
by The Fearless Freep on Jan 22, 2010 10:08 AM CST up reply actions
I was lucky
I got to watch him play his major-junior in Portland and he was doing all of this stuff when he was 18. He’s just incredible to watch.
Could not agree more
I have always appreciated the little things in hockey, it has not always been numbers for me…and Hossa does all the little things better than I could have ever fathomed.
"All very successful commanders are prima donnas and must be so treated." George S. Patton
by Hawkswordofdeath on Jan 22, 2010 11:34 AM CST up reply actions
yep
Shot Prevention LDRs
Player Team SA/60
Marian Hossa Chicago 24.1
Mathieu Roy Columbus 27.1
Steve Eminger Anaheim 27.5
Antti Miettinen Minnesota 27.5
Jeff Carter Philadelphia 27.8
Shaone Morrisonn Washington 28.2
Quintin Laing Washington 28.3
Kim Johnsson Minnesota 28.7
Dustin Brown Los Angeles 30.0
Mike Brown Anaheim 30.6
Note: Everyone on this list is a secondary penalty killer. The top primary penalty killer is Kyle Brodziak of Minne, who has allowed 32.1 SA/60.
by Crease Monkey on Jan 22, 2010 2:55 PM CST up reply actions
Right On
You really can’t fully appreciate Hossa’s end-to-end game without seeing it live. You hit the nail on the head with ‘effortless,’ and the limited frame on a tv broadcast can often give the impression that he’s dogging it because his skating motion is so efficient
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 10:10 AM CST up reply actions
Ya
we got a pretty good core here for awhile. Best part in my mind? NO fear of losing them due to $$
The only Cup we can win is this years
by Johnny Lava on Jan 22, 2010 10:46 AM CST up reply actions
He reminds me of Gordie Howe with regard to the seemingly effortless efficient stride
And yes, I saw Howe play too – I’m a geezer
color me jealous
...Feeding Rene Bourque his own dick since 11/19/09
by Hjammer of the Gods on Jan 22, 2010 11:03 AM CST up reply actions
damm
now that’s a compliment. I can’t wait till St Louis now
The only Cup we can win is this years
by Johnny Lava on Jan 22, 2010 11:20 AM CST up reply actions
He's not up to par with Howe overall, mind you, although he is truly outstanding
there is a similarity in their styles.
Both have a strong efficient stride that makes them look like they’re going 3/4 effort – until you notice that they’re going faster than the guys who look like they’re giving the full 100%
follow up question
was his stride always like that or has it developed over time?
anyone actually seen Hossa play for several years?
The only Cup we can win is this years
by Johnny Lava on Jan 22, 2010 11:47 AM CST up reply actions
Ya
I mentioned earlier in the thread I watched him play in the WHL…..he played the exact same way back then that he does now, he’s just a little better at it now.
He’s so strong too that even when someone does catch him he just drops a shoulder into them and they bounce away.
From coaching and playing over a span of time, with many of the same players
I would have to say that as a general (although not universal) rule, a players athletic style stays fairly constant from early youth all the way to decrepitude.
Changes in size, strength and fitness level will certainly make a player more or less able to accomplish certain things, but the style tends to remain the same
I've been waiting so long to bring this out.
Gentlemen, we have the technology cap space…
Granted, it doesn’t QUITE apply until next year, but all the same. Works for both Kane and Toews!
I was glad
to wake up this morning and see this blog was still here. For a while there, I was starting to worry that Ovechkin and Crosby were the only two NHL players still alive.
On an odd random note, I was watching the replay of the STL-MON game from Wednesday on NHL Network yesterday afternoon, and one of the broadcasters (not sure who) intro’d the game as “between two teams in the top 8 of their conference.” I rewinded the DVR just to make sure I heard right.
Well...
They are in the top 8 of the bottom 8, right?
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 22, 2010 10:33 AM CST up reply actions
power rankings
Here are SBNation’s power rankings. What is up with #12?
I put up a fanpost
If anyone is interested- Pythagorean Theorem for Expected Win %. I was curious about Goals allowed vs Goals scored and teams records. Bill James used to do that with baseball. It got too long to post here so its a fanpost
In reference to the headline
one of the best albums ever, no matter what genre
"All very successful commanders are prima donnas and must be so treated." George S. Patton
by Hawkswordofdeath on Jan 22, 2010 11:37 AM CST reply actions
There were a number of options for player of the game
but I would not have given it to Kane. I actually thought he had a bad game, despite the goal. This seemed to be if not his worst puck possession game of the year, then one of them. Calgary did a good job of taking away time and space all night, particularly so with Kane. I don’t fault him for his penalty shot, he put a good effort in and mathematically the goalie has the advantage. And on his team leading 21st goal of the year you really have to credit a brilliant individual effort by Toews to steal the puck and make an incredible pass. But he just wasn’t able to function the way we’ve been used to all season, although his much improved defensive play was there tonight, as it has been for much of the season.
I would have written a lot about Hossa, but so many have already covered it so just let me add – wow, what a game he had. As did Madden despite not being able to finish in a few scrums. And Sharp effectively used the body defensively a number of times.
Let’s give the 4th line even more credit, I would have probably given one or all of them player of the game. Not only did they score the game winner, they drew both of the Hawks power plays. Also, this is a line that didn’t even get to see the ice in 3rd periods of close games a month or two ago, but last night not only were they getting shifts in the 3rd, they were the only line that could get the puck deep and keep it there. The other three lines just dumped the puck in and retreated. Very impressive.
Last, lots of unexpected stuff going on with the defense. Here’s the TOI for the Hawks D last night:
Keith 27:24
Campbell 27:05
Seabrook 25:50
Hammer 19:09
Barker 10:04
Sopel 8:46
First, Campbell has really won the confidence of the coaching staff and is playing with a lot of confidence. And he’s not just the beneficiary of special teams ice time, he actually had more even strength minutes than deity-like substance Brent Seabrook.
Second, WTF is going on with Barker? I believe his partner Sopel missed the whole third period. I know he wasn’t on the bench to start the 3rd and I don’t remember seeing him out there, so his low minutes are understandable. But there was no mention of any injury to Barker, it just seems like he has really fallen out of favor with the coaching staff.
Barker has been less than impressive
Though last night his name did get mentioned in a good way several times, he’s been fairly horrendous since he came back from injury. Not that he was amazing before, but he seems to have lost some brain cells somewhere along the way. If you’re going to turn the puck over on a regular basis, you’re probably not going to be the coach’s favorite. (Though Versteeg still gets ice time even though he hands it to the other team at their blue line on a regular basis.)
It will be interesting to see what ice time is against the Knuckleheads Sat. Depending on the game situation, we could learn a lot about where Barker stands with Q right now.
by Preacher000 on Jan 22, 2010 12:27 PM CST up reply actions
I don't think Barker played much
Because ever since he came back, anytime he touches the puck it ends up on the other team’s stick. I truly don’t think I have seen him clear his zone once over their last 10 games.
Regardless of what anyone might think
of Barker’s play it just seems like the Hawks have less flexibility with him in the lineup these days. Either he’s limited because of an undisclosed injury or it’s because of effectiveness but there’s no doubt that he’s somehow impaired right now. Look at the ice time between him and Hendry:
1/21 VAN (Barker 10:04)
1/19 OTT (Barker 10:37)
1/17 DET (Barker 11:59)
1/16 CBS (Barker 11:41)
1/14 CBS (Hendry 14:04)
1/10 ANA (Hendry 08:44)
1/09 MIN (Hendry 15:40)
1/07 BOS (Hendry 15:07)
1/05 MIN (Hendry 12:19)
1/03 ANA (Hendry 16:27, Barker 10:43)
That’s every game this month going all the way back to the Blues game on the 2nd where Barker got tossed early for sticking up for his teammates. Barker brings a big frame into what is expected to be a mean and physical game against Vancouver on Saturday, but for right now you’d have to conclude that the coaching staff feels more comfortable putting Hendry on the ice in important situations than Barker, and they’re going to have to decide if that’s a temporary situation or if they need to think about the team they want to have on the bench going forward.
is the ice time of Hendry due to him playing out of position at wing? or was that happening more than a month ago?
The only Cup we can win is this years
the minutes Scott13 posted
are all when Hendry was covering for either Barker or Hjalmarsson, so those are d minutes. When Hendry was playing as a forward, he had less than 10 minutes (probably 5-7) a game.
by chiblackhawks on Jan 22, 2010 2:21 PM CST up reply actions
But he let in a goal! Trade him!
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 22, 2010 4:42 PM CST up reply actions
He was too lazy to get shot at more!
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 22, 2010 5:48 PM CST up reply actions
Oh,
Then where are you getting traded to?
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 22, 2010 8:15 PM CST up reply actions
Hope they have a good restaurant there.
/Note unceasing sarcastic laughter in background.
by burpchelischili on Jan 23, 2010 1:06 PM CST up reply actions
Poor Sopel
Q was talking about hooking during intermission and Sopel had flashbacks to getting hooks ripped out of his mouth and ran to the team hotel.
Praise Him!!
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