Since we’re still 26 hours away from yet another shot at watching the Hawks get their shit together, there are a few things of note here on a Friday afternoon, because those of you still at work are completely phoning it in by now anyway.
- Tracey Myers reported that the lines will be as follows for tomorrow:
Brouwer-Toews-Sharp
Kane-Bolland-Hossa
Stalberg-Pisani-Kopecky
Bickell-Dowell-SkilleIn all honesty, I have no idea what any of these lines hope to accomplish. Troy Brouwer has been an apparation to this point in the season, and Toews is the ostensible “playmaker” of that trio, a role which he’s not best suited for. The only way it’s going to work is if Brouwer is forechecking the way he did last year, because the view from the SCH office window hasn’t given any of us a reason why Stalberg should have been taken off that line. The second line has its own set of issues, principle of which is that they’re only allowed to use one puck. All LW/RW debates aside, both Hossa and Kane work best when they’re the guy lugging the mail, puck on their tape, so someone’s going to have to improve away from the puck. Not to mention Dave Bolland’s offensive deficiencies this season, as well as a lack of a true puck-winner on the line in the Quenneville mold. The bottom six is still is just kind of one big pressed fruit bowl, but at least it seems that we’ll be spared from John Scott in the forward corps, so I guess that’s something. - Both Rosenbloom and Jahns are calling for a “simplified” game, which is all well and good, if you’re operating under the assumption that step one of a simplified game is extacting one’s head from one’s rectum, particularly in the defensive zone. I actually wrote a treatise on this very subject, with actual, *gasp* X and O specifics on how to do so in Wednesday’s Indian, a day or two before either of them, so it’s at least heartening to see that someone read it, if the Hawks themselves didn’t.
- With the new All Star format, the Hawks have 6 players on the ballot, with Toews, Kane, Keith, Sebrook, Campbell, and Hossa all choices for the fans to vote on. The Hawks six nominees leads all teams, despite sub par performances from at least have of those guys. While it my be considered a snub leaving Patrick Sharp, still third in the league in goals, off the ballot, that -11 might just have something to do with it.
- Do not forget! Sunday after the game we’ll be hosting a postgame argle-bargle at Bottom Lounge (1375 W. Lake). Bring in that night’s Indian and get a free beer. No foolin’! And hopefully Sam will have The Ting Tings’ Great DJ out of his head by then, for fear he might kill himself if he doesn’t.