I’ve Always Liked Those Kind Of High Heels, Too – Hawks 5, Isle 0

I’m not going to spend too much (or any, really) time going through the narrative of tonight, because the Hawks came out and did what they were supposed to do to a basement dwelling team for once. Now onto my brilliant analysis.

Observations

• As Sam pointed out via twitter during the game, it sure would be nice if Marian Hossa could do that against an NHL team one of these days. Hoss looked like the force of nature he was at the beginning of the season, but the Isle’s blue line’s combined age doesn’t add up to Forklift’s, and they were on the second of a back-to-back on the road.
• This one also comes with a giant asterisk, but Patrick Kane’s looking sharper in the last couple games, both with finding Sharp on the doorstep and blowing the puck by Nathan Lawson finishing a 3-on-2 rush. It’s all well and good, but we’re all waiting to see the arrogant little shit that gets sexually aroused by scoring death-knell goals come back.
• In looking at the other team, Lawson was solid throughout the first half of the game when the Hawks shots were primarily coming from the perimeter, but he wilted under the constant duress he was put in. And other than the 1-on-3 backhander that John Tavares managed in the third, I wasn’t sure that he even played tonight prior to that, and I was really looking forward to watching him for a full 60.
• Nick Leddy is still kind of an adventure in his own zone, but looks pretty good with good instincts in the other team’s. His partner, Jordan Hendry, is playing some of the best hockey of his career since finally getting out of Q’s doghouse and back on the blue line. He’s been smart with his passes and his pinching, and kept things simple in his own end.
• On the opposite end of things, Keith and Seabrook could have been better. They were still swimming a bit out there, and it’s become pretty clear to me that Duncs’ goal for the season is to fire a shot into the shin pads of absolutely every opponent he faces. One shift in the second, Keith took a bad angle on a 3-on-2 break in for the Islanders, and eventually he had an opportunity to clear the puck which he lollipopped back to their d-man. We’re going to keep hammering him until he gets it right – make better decisions.
• Corey Crawford was excellent tonight, stopping several point blank chances, and a couple in the first when the game was still in doubt. The skaters in front of him made things a little bit more difficult than they needed to be in the third, but Crow held on for the shut out, and good on him.
• Holy shit, Patrick Sharp a +2 for two games in a row.
• No matter what happens in a league that is constantly changing, Jon Sim will always be a pecker.
• I think Crawford just stoned Michael Grabner again.

Despite multi-point efforts from Sharp, Hossa, Kane, and Hammer, the nod goes to the Hawks’ very own Mouseketeer, Corey Craford who earned his first shutout of the season. In 24 starts, Crow has allowed 2 or less in 15 of them. Not bad, kid.