God, we have to do this two more times next week?
I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was getting dizzy and feeling his or her stomach do A Chorus Line within them tonight. Even in a game where the Hawks probably edged the play at even-strength, there are just too many weapons on the other side whenever they do get a chance. Every time Zetterberg wins a board battle in the offensive zone my balls go house-hunting somewhere around my esophagus. Johan Franzen causes my skull to try and escape the skin around it so it doesn’t have to put up with it. But in the end, that’s what makes the win feel even better, right? I still feel like I lost most of my 50’s during that game, though.
But two points we said the Hawks have are in the bag, and they deserve it. While they had a bad bounce tie the game on them in the 3rd (after a pretty moronic decision by Hammer. No good is going to come of trying to bat a puck that high off the ice), they didn’t revert to a shell, they didn’t cover their faces and ask mommy to tell them when it was over. They kept coming at the Wings, and only limited them to a couple goalmouth scrambles, whereas the Hawks piled up the prime chances at the other end.
Problem is, they’ve got to do it all over again tomorrow.
Other Thoughts:
-Was checking out the CORSI and Line Shifts. They tell an intriguing tale. I won’t sit here and say that Hossa wasn’t a beast tonight, because he was. But his line get pushed around by Valtteri Filppula‘s according the CORSI. Not much to do with Hoss though, one would have to figure.
-Speaking of which, do you recall some commenters, about the time Hossa came back from injury and they were accusing him of cashing his chips in and not caring after finally getting his Cup? Ok….
–Patrick Kane‘s play at the end of regulation to earn the penalty that won the game was grown ass man stuff. That’s Henrik Zetterberg he outfought on the boards, as well as a couple other WIngs. When he wants to he can be impossible to knock off the puck. That’s the Kane the Hawks need from here on out.
-Also, Stalberg was impressive tonight in a return to the 4th line. But there are so few fourth lines around that can handle his speed, and it’s even more deadly when he’s using his size. McClure called him a “Bum Slayer” tonight, and that’s probably true. But that’s ok in hockey, because you can keep getting him out there against the other bums. I didn’t even think he was bad on the top line the past two games, however…
-…Hey look, Troy Brouwer! Well isn’t that something? How ya been Troy? How are the beagles? I have one too, he’s nuts. Anyway, Brouwer looked a different player and his stronger positional sense than Stalberg has really opens things up for Daydream Nation. This was a fine move by the coaches.
-I think Pierre McGuire just asked Eddie O another question. “Hey we’re gonna catch a cat, right Spike?! RIght Spike?! We’re gonna catch a cat Spike!!!!”
-I like Michael Frolik, but his shot selection is bordering on atrocious at times. A lot of Hawks possession breaks down when he flips a backhander or a bad angle shot wide of the net. Tonight, late in the game he had a chance to either slip it to Campoli on the wing and drive the net to make the Wings defense make a decision, or do it later to give Camps a one-timer. Instead, he opted for the shot to the ol’ 6-hole, right through the intestines.
-Who didn’t see a heroic performance from MacDonald coming?
-On the other end, Crow was just as good. Some real big saves in there, and hardly any of the generous rebounds he’s coughed up lately.
-It would be wonderful if Duncan Keith exhibited why he won the Norris more often as he did tonight.
–Mike Modano played tonight. Did you know that?
-The Bertuzzi hit: I’ve never shrunk from calling this guy a clown, because that’s what he is. Yes, he had a nice first part of the year, but he’s a clubbed baby seal in his own zone and too likely to take a dumb penalty. And so it was. Did he mean to elbow Johnson? I have no idea, but he came from Bloomington Hills with his arms raised, it’s always asking for trouble. I thought five and a game was perfectly reasonable. Now it’s on the NHL. Stringing up Matt Cooke in the town square is easy, because he makes it easy. Do they make an example of Big Bert, even though his recent record is somewhat clean? It’s a hit to the head, you say you want it out of the game. Prove it.
-It’s been a while since I’ve been optimistic, so let me try just for a change of pace. Though we’ve spent the past couple days panicking about this difficult-looking back to back, in recent weeks the Hawks came off a tough shootout win at home against Phoenix and backed that up with one of their better performances of the year in St. Paul. Just last week after a tough OT loss in the Capital they came home and gave the Sharks the MC Ren foot in your ass treatment. So there’s precedent. It’s also their third game in four nights, and they’ve scored twice in the previous two. Still gonna be a rough one.
One final note: FUCK AND YES