My apologies for a less than thorough wrap, but I was stuck at work late, and didn’t get home until about 4 minutes left in the first. From the way John and Muzz described it, the Hawks seemed to be controlling the play, but for the most part it was even. Then I actually beheld it with mine own eye, and Widemann and Murray were far too understated. To me, it looked like the Hawks were all over the Wild, forcing turnovers on their exit passes and hemming the Wild in, and then adding to it standing them up at the Hawk line. But alas, there was no score to be found for either side after 20.
In the second, the dam finally broke, first with Toews finding Sharp at the bottom of the right circle where he one timed a puck through traffic low and to Niklas Backstrom’s stick side. Shortly thereafter Tomas Kopecky roofed a rebound on the doorstep to widen the lead. But the Hawks weren’t done, as Daydream Nation executed a textbook 2-on-1 that Toews would finish.
But there would be the predictable push from Minnesota. Jilted ex-girlfriend Martin Havlat stepped out of the box to find the puck on his tape, and juked Crawford down and out for Minny’s first tally. Brent Burns capped a mad scramble as a result of the Wild transitioning with a puck that both Crawford and Toews behind him very nearly saved. With the sphincters tightening, however, Captain Marvel once again took control scooping a puck from Pierre-Marc Bouchard dove to desperately hold the line on a Wild advantage, desperate to tie the game. Toews had other ideas though, as he and Marian Hossa executed yet another 2-on-1 that had the strut on the way to Backstrom like the dagger was inevitable. And so it was, with Hossa burying the cross-ice pass. Hawks 4, Wild 2.
Observations
- So with the win, the Hawks leapfrog 3 teams and get themselves into 6th place for the time being. This sets up the final of the four straight games against teams shoehorned into the West’s rabble. We’ll wait to see what the outcomes are tomorrow night, but if the Hawks keep winning, the out of town games begin to have less effect. You’re starting to take control back boys. Don’t loosen the grip now.
- As if we really need to reiterate more, but it truly is a joy to watch Jonathan Toews just decide when enough is enough and then drag his team into competence. With 3 points tonight, Toews now has 25 points in the last 16 games. Consider it whipped out and on the table for all to behold.
- How does Patrick Sharp continue to be left all by his handsome self in prime scoring areas with defenders’ backs turned? Whatever the reasons, Hawks Nation will continue to allow it.
- Marian Hossa has goals in 4 straight games. The Hawks have won those games. This is not a coincidence.
- The Hawks got out alive with John Scott playing meaningful minutes on D, all 4:43 of them. And they actually looked good doing it. No need to tempt fate from here on out, however.
- While the Hawks did give up 2 goals in the third, am I alone in feeling there were fewer bullets to sweat than even a couple weeks ago?
- Corsi pretty well confirms that even with the Wild’s push on the scoreboard, the Hawks were still ALL over them for the majority of the game. Both Minny goals came in transition, and one could count on one hand the number of times they had sustained cycles in the Hawk zone.
- As much as it pains me to say it, Hawk fans should be rooting for Scum to hang onto their current 3-1 lead after the first out at Staples. Or the San Andreas fault to get a little wonky. Whichever works.
- Oh, and if you’re thinking of making a yet another fake Patrick Kane twitter account to give the world your witticisms and thinly veiled shots at us, don’t bother. There’s already like six of them, none of which are clever. Leave it to the professionals.
