They all count, right?
The Hawks were far from their best, and in fact put some of their flaws out there for even the dunce cap wearers to see for the first two periods. But if I were into cliches (and I’m not, Cliche won’t answer my calls. HEYOOOO!), I would say something like a good team, maybe a very good team, finds a way to win when they’re not at their best.
Are the Hawks that? Maybe. What I do know is that the Sharks have spent the past couple weeks finding ways to not win, even if their overall game looks pretty good.There’s an illustration of the difference of the two teams right now. Doesn’t mean it’s permanent, or a true definition. But right now, the Hawks are gathering two points no matter the method, and the Sharks aren’t. I’m kinda all right with that.
In the UC, after we’d all recovered from the balls-kick that was the Bears game (seriously, what the fuck?), I heard more than enough caterwauling about the shot totals. While the shot totals may have indicated the flow of the game, they were more an indirect sign of what was going on. Because Emery’s save total is impressive, I don’t think he was performing Cirque de Solei in net. Sure, he had some big saves to make, but not an abundance. Niemi in the other net had just as many to make. San Jose tends to inflate shot totals because they’re not afraid to release from wherever they are in the zone, no matter how perimeter. A lot of those shots were harmless.
But what other than the shots meant the Hawks were in place position for at least the first 40? The Sharks were another team that dared the Hawks to build their way 200 feet, including scraping pucks back after a dump in. And the Hawks can’t really do that, at least not without max effort. The blue line was not open, the neutral zone had construction signs on it. Only in the 3rd, when the Sharks began to fade after two games in 24 hours, did the Hawks show the requisite perspiration to win pucks back behind the Sharks net.
But hey, it worked in the end.
Other thoughts:
-It was utterly predictable that after I’d begun to turn around on Hammer he’d let Jamie McGinn ponder Greek philosophy while whacking away at a loose puck in the crease. Take your time there, NIk.
-For the Sharks second goal, there’s no way a d-man should have that much time while only at the top of the circle.
–Ryane Clowe is the definition of a twat. There’s really no reason that the Sharks didn’t start OT shorthanded due to Clowe’s idiocy at the wrong time, which would hardly be the first time. There’s a true power forward inside Clowe, but it is shrouded by a complete dunderhead.
-They said Marty Havlat was a Shark. I didn’t notice.
-The Hawks still aren’t getting much from their bottom six, as Bolland and Frolik faded into the tapestry tonight. But they held the Sharks top line from scoring, so I guess that’s something.
-Hey, look what happens when Andrew Brunette gets to skate with the scorers!
-Ok, that’s enough of Dan Carcillo anywhere but the 4th line. Whatever he provides up there, I don’t have the decoder glasses to see. And don’t say hits tonight, because Stalberg led in that category. Why Stals is getting jerked around on a per period basis is something I’ll need someone else’s notes for.
-Ben Smith barely cracked 5 minutes. I would think that a fully spurred on Bryan Bickell returns to the lineup on Wednesday, and that may be the last you see of Smith for a while. And maybe all that silliness will end.
-Michael Frolik didn’t crack 10 minutes, and it’s about time everyone figured out what’s going on with him.
-I get it, it’s kind of heartwarming and all, but we don’t have to mention how Patrick Sharp is a new father every time we get the chance. Good for him and his family, but it’s not like they climbed Everest here. Kind of a natural human function and all.