“We feel neither highs nor lows.”
“What’s that like?”
“Meh.”
That’s kind of where I’m at tonight. There was some good, some bad, a lot in the middle, and the Hawks are left with a point. It’s maybe what they deserve. Certainly no more, but probably no less. Anyway, because we all saw it, it’s Saturday night and I’m on Indian duty, I’ll just do the bullet points.
- You knew exactly what would happen as soon as the Hawks sleepwalked through their last power play in the 3rd. Though Pat Foley called it an excellent kill, it wasn’t anything resembling that, but once again the Hawks top players on the big white cloud that John Cale talks about (obscure!). If the Hawks are going to continually be let down by their gamebreakers, send us all a memo because they will continue to be El Screwed. It’s also time to boot Keith off the top unit and replace him with 51 Phantom. I’m sure Campbell can just as easily ping shots off shin pads no more than five feet in front of him. Keith is providing no breakout, no entry, no first pass, and no scoring threat on the man-advantage. He just keeps my hanging on, Lou Reed.
- For someone who takes 5-on-3’s so seriously, why does his team suck at it? Once again Keith and Sharp lined up at the wrong points to not provide them with any one-timers from passes that would make the goalie move across his crease, they didn’t move the puck near quick enough, and only took shots when Rinne was already set up. Their one chance came when Sharp, Toews, and Kane finally figured out to move it quick, only for it to dribble through Kane legs.
- This Keith-Boynton pairing is a disaster.
- On the plus side, the bottom six continues to at least keep the Hawks in games. Skille finally scratched tonight and was the Hawks best forechecker again. Though Stalberg should get out to Franson a bit quicker on the 3rd goal, he scored a beauty. Jake Dowell is growing the gap for how much he’s an improvement on Colin Fraser every game. Bryan Bickell….well, he hit somebody at least. And got Weber off the ice for four minutes. We’ll take whatever.
- Troy Brouwer is kind of killing me. He’s not physical, he’s not getting to the net, he’s not getting open for chances. Q is actually giving him a lot of leeway by getting him back on the top line, but we can’t see why.
- Oh, and get Kopecky off my plane and off my power play.
- Though Kane totally fell asleep on Shane O’Brien for the first Preds goal (christ you’d think you could smell the booze trail to know where he is), after that he was pretty active in his own zone. Next to nothing in the offensive zone, mind, but half the equation is better than none of it.
- They can stop feeding me this line that Hossa’s healthy. He had a chance in OT where normally he would have lowered his shoulder and gone right to the net and there’s few in the league who would be able to do anything about it. Tonight he got pushed to the end boards. Less than encouraging.
- Hammer had another strong game, as did Campbell.
- Stalberg trailed in the ice time tally, but that might have had something to do with all the special teams play in the 3rd.
- Kopecky gets a shift in OT but Skille doesn’t, eh? Okay…
- I’ve listened to Preds fans tell me how important Patric Hornqvist is, and I’ve seen the numbers, but tonight was the first time I saw it on the ice. Though he’s unquestionably a penis, he does get to the net and win battles on the board. Still should have gone for punching Cullimore.
- Oh, and how you miss Erat’s dive after Kane TOOK THE PUCK is beyond me, but ruined any chance of the Hawks winning in OT. Which they should probably do more often, because Turco is not breed a lot of confidence in the home run derby.
- Other than that though, they only got there because of Turco’s work early in the first period and on that kill in OT.
- Dave Bolland won half his faceoffs! Did he do anything else? No!
- I think that’s it for tonight. Do not forget to join us tomorrow at The Bottom Lounge after the game with your Indian as it gets you a free libation! Don’t say we don’t ever do anything for you.