You were promised Killion, but you’re gonna have to live with me. You’ll live.
At the end of tonight’s game, I hit St. Louis Gametime with my usual taunt that I use after a Hawks win over the Blues. You probably saw it. Sadly, I don’t think I can say it above the fold here, so allow me to fill in a little space before they let me put in a break here. How are you? Everything well? Some game tonight, huh? Where’d you go to school? Yeah? Huh. Yeah? Huh. Well now that we know each other a little bit better…
Good, now that’s over. Anyway…Real gangsta ass n****z don’t flex nuts, cuz real gangsta ass n****z know they got ’em.
The Geto Boys knew what was up, and that’s what tonight felt exactly like. While the Hawks strolled into DrinkScotch Center with a lot of questions, some problems, and confidence not exactly flowing like an avalanche pouring down a mountain, the Blues entered as the hottest team in the league, claiming they finally figured it out, and ready to announce themselves as true believers.
They ran around, they tried to intimidate, they were physical, and they tried to prove something.
And then the team we love so much stepped back, smiled, grabbed their balls and asked their counterpart where theirs were. And when it counted, the Blues didn’t have an answer. And damn it feels good to be a gangsta’.
So while Gametime may bleat on about how our captain in a pansy because he doesn’t lose his shit trying to pick fights, or wonder why Kane needs to protected, or think that hockey games are settled by who wins the post-whistle scraps, we’ll head to the exits with our two points and a firm statement about who belongs where, thank you very much.
Most satisfying win of the season? Definitely in the team photo. Everything seemed stacked against the Hawks tonight, especially after Vladimir Sobotka slew-footed Andrew Brunette leading to the go-ahead goal in the 2nd. It felt like a time when the Hawks could have totally packed it in. But no, they responded as everyone might want to see them do so. I’m gonna fucking puke the next time someone intimates that this team is weak, I really am.
Even with Pat Foley getting on his meatball soapbox about the hit stats (which is funny considering earlier monologues about how the Wings never lead in that category but are tough), the Hawks dominated the shot clock, chances chart, and scoreboard. Which would you rather?
Other thoughts:
-I was going to start these by complaining about the overriding of Keith and Seabrook. But in the 3rd, Coach Q rolled everyone, and Marlboro 72’s minutes are a very understandable 23 and 22. Montador and O’Donnell may look a -2, but one came after an egregious no-call and the first goal was after an unlucky bounce from a Berglund pass.
-After that, did Berglund have a shift?
-These stats are always goofy, but the Hawks were credited with only two giveaways tonight. That’ll do nicely.
-Hammer’s best game of the season, and he was credited with seven blocked shots. Things look a lot better when he plays like that.
-Forgot about Marian Hossa there for a few games. What a wonderful reminder. The chase for 400 starts Monday.
-The penalty kill ended up +1, so there’s an upset.
-Honestly, you can fucking have David Backes. While he’s running around trying to prove his worth by being out of position and hitting everything, a real captain was kicking his ass at hockey. I’ll take that.
-The only alarming thing about tonight, and that may be strong, is that the Hawks still got nothing from their bottom six other than an empty net goal. Well, that’s a bit unfair. The Smith-Bolland-Frolik line was more active than the third line has been, and that’s at least a start. And Stalberg had a pretty strong game even though he was moved to the fourth line after one shift.
I said we’d all feel better if the Hawks saved the good to great performance for tonight and gathered all four points on the weekend. So they did. And I feel better. You?
…cuz real gangsta ass n****z know they got ’em.