So, Brandon Pirri has been recalled and goalie Alec Richards has been sent to Rockford. During his brief stint this pre-season, Pirri did little to warrant a serious look, even with the nicely set-up goal he scored late against Scum in the second pre-season tilt last week. Given Pirri’s billing as a playmaker, and with the Hawks being all but set at the top three center positions with Toews, Sharp, and Bolland, it seems highly unlikely that Pirri would be vying for the 4th center spot. So what gives?
It’s this author’s (likely skewed and wrong) opinion, that Pirri was recalled due to the flux at the last remaining winger positions being sought after by Igor Makarov, Viktor Stalberg, Jeremy Morin, and Kyle Beach. With only three practice games left, Coach Q and his staff likely don’t want to risk a dumbfuck injury to any of their top three centermen in a meaningless game, but they also need to see more of the above four wingers to make their final determination on who gets to break camp with the grown ups. Some of us saw and most of us heard what a pooch-screwing Ben Smith centering Patrick Kane was, with Kane effectively trying to play center and wing at the same time. Enter Pirri, who is a natural center, and will give the coaches a reasonable look at what the bubble wingers can do without needlessly risking anything happening to Toews, Sharp, or Bolland.
Either way, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow when the game wraps start filtering in from those in attendance, as this game will not be televised on either CSN or WGN, and I’ve yet to find an NHL Network replay being aired in the next day or two. St. Louis’ website claims it will be webcast live, but only to residents in the St. Louis area, which leaves everyone except Mike Martin shit outta luck.
Mercifully, we only have 7 days until hockey season begins for real. We’re going to have a announcements in the upcoming days as Opening Night in Colorado draws, including *TEASE* some road watch details, and an addition around these parts, so stay tuned.