While everyone will proby accuse me of being overly negative or morose or just a general plague on the Earth, I still have to say I can’t think of a less impressive two-game win streak. However, a two-game win streak is what it is, and the optimist in me says if you can win two without displaying your best, then you can win more when you finally click things into gear. So if the Hawks can put together three games of exemplary play against the Preds, Yotes, and Wild, well that’ll be five in a row and that’ll be something, won’t it?
However, it didn’t look that way after the 1st. Before the game I thought that once again the Blues passion and determination to absolutely destroy our d-men on the forecheck would lead to another passive capitulation from our Hawks. I was convinced after 20, when a funky rebound and Brad Boyes horsing Hendry on the end boards led to a 2-0 lead.
But even I can’t deny the evidence of stones that took place in the 2nd, when finally the Hawks figured out they did win a little something last spring and it was time to defend it for once. Kopecky outworks two Blues to leave Stalberg an opening (and he’s earned that), Hossa and Bolland force a turnover where apparent-future building block Alex Pietrangelo goes for a walk leaving Bolland completely unmolested, Kane gets an easy one and Toews finally forgoes the backdoor pass to Sharp and slams one home, and the Hawks had a third period lead they couldn’t blow. Though they tried.
Perhaps in one sense the fact that the Hawks got some luck is even more encouraging. The Blues had a goal canceled out for interference, and the call was soft-ish, but hardly scandalous. The Blues missed their fair share of open nets with Crawford having his head in the sand. But it’s time for that. Most of all, the Hawks got goals from three lines today, and the more that happens they’ll better off they’ll be.
Apologies for the late wrap, I am in St. Louis after having attended the game with my hockey program brethren, so you can imagine where that ended up.
I sincerely hope this is not a false dawn, but I remain to be convinced it’s not.