Good lord do I not want Round IV of this in a month. I don’t think I could take it any more. Then again, if it ends like this one did, I guess it would be ok. But that’s no guarantee.
In a game that had pretty much everything you’d want in a hockey game, and a lot of bullshit you probably don’t, that had the pulses racing and the bile rising, the Hawks once again found a way to grab two points without their captain, then without their #2 center, and with their best d-man sitting for half a period. Hey, whatever gets you there, as the dominatrix said to the bottom.
The Hawks were dominant for the first two periods, though the power play couldn’t make that domination count. With the legs fading in the 3rd, the Canucks came into it, and could have easily won it, after they blew their three power plays in the 1st.
In the end, as it always is with this series, both teams gained three points in the other’s building. In the four games between the two, both teams grabbed five points of the eight available. Wait, what?
Bullets:
-Ok, the first part was rushed because we have to get to the talking point, and that’s going to be Duncan Keith’s elbow on Daniel Sedin that will almost certainly see him sit for a game or two, as it should. It’s a head shot, it’s an attempt to injure, and it has no place in the game. That said, Sedin’s hit on Keith earlier which started all this silliness probably deserves some scrutiny too, as it was way late and also directed at the head. But then again, that didn’t result in the Canucks wetting themselves during and after the game, so we’ll see.
One thing I’m not going to have a lot of patience for is Canucks players and fans bitching about a lack of respect for the game and opponents when Alex Burrows is on the payroll. If you employ the league’s leading turd, then you kind of lose your moral high ground.
-Nice to see it didn’t take Zack Kassian long to adopt the shithead ways of his new teammates. They indoctrinate them quick in B.C., don’t they?
-A lot of that silliness could have been put to rest with a power play that knows how to get into the attacking zone. It was so obvious that the Canucks weren’t going to let the Hawks carry the puck in, yet they could only figure out to once again fire the puck around the boards after everyone stood still at the line. Once set up, Sharp did get to the high slot enough and Shaw got to the net, but the puck and the bodies have to move quicker.
-Also, on the brief 5-on-3, there’s no way that Bolland can take that draw. He’s not any good at it, but I’m starting to think that Quenneville doesn’t look at faceoff stats and is convinced Bolland is good at it.
-Did I mention Burrows blows hobos for crack?
-Once again, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane were everywhere, with Kane being a pretty silly +13 in CORSI.
–Dan Hamhuis, -22 in CORSI. But he got dis.
-I guess there’s some sort of justice that Sedin scored the OT winner in Vancouver with Bolland on the ice, and Bolland sets up this OT winner with whatever un-concussed Sedin was on the ice.
-So the Canucks ice Salo, Alberts, and Tanev on their blue line with a straight face, huh?
-I notice at the intermission that the facilities crew was doing far more work after the Zambonis were done than I had ever seen. I’m sure the weather makes it tough, but maybe one day before I grow up someone will ask McDonough and whoever else why they settle for one of the more dogshit surfaces in the league.
-Oh, Vancouver’s goal. Yes, Oduya got trapped up ice a bit, but did well enough to keep Hansen to the outside. It would work better if Crawford didn’t give him half the far side to shoot at. That said, Crow was more solid as the game wore on, and in the 3rd and OT actually made saves it looked like he meant to.
So from here the Hawks can try and beat the Preds, who they’re tied with now but behind on tiebreaker, without their best forward and their best defenseman, most likely. I guess when they’re playing with these sized balls, anything is possible.
Oh, and fuck Vancouver. Enjoy another trophyless summer, dickwads.