Thursday, January 6, 2011

The Stars at Night, Are Big and Bright


""Just like old times in the shower, man"


Coach Q was worried about this team and this game, coming in, and it looks like there was good reason. The Hawks gave up a quick first period 2-0 lead even though they out shot the Stars. The second period was off to a fairly bland and uneventful start until the Hawks scored a weak goal and lit a flame. They scored just over 2 minutes later and later missed a penalty shot, which led to a tie score going into the third period. The third, again, ended up being a huge disappointment, and the Hawks blew another prime chance.

I hate to always be the critical one, well actually I don't, but there isn't much more "time" to figure this out. We are now over half way through the season, and they have been mediocre at best. They've given away game after game, and chance after chance. IF they make the playoffs, and I assume they will, it's going to be a quick exit. If you can't be in the top HALF of the league in penalty killing, you're doomed.

The Good
  • Just when I'm scoffing silently at Fernandog's weak wrister, it's ends up going off Lehtonen's glove and dribbling into the net. God Awful. It's not like it was a One Trick Bick snipe or anything. Thank your lucky stars on that one, because that was a gift, Dog.
  • Speaking of gifts; Just a few minutes later TomoKop out-muscled three Dallas players to poke his own rebound in the net, after Lehtonen gave up a juicy rebound, and Kaner dished a nice pass. At least Kaner can pass, because in just about every other category, he's been USELESS!
  • Is Robidas really that worried about Big Show in front of the net? If he is, he's short on active brain cells. The guy can barely crack the five minute mark in playing time and you feel the need to blatantly cross check him right in front of the ref?
  • Like Eddie pointed out, I was late to finally see SOMEONE hit Burish. I know they are friends, but you can't let him just run around like an asshole doing whatever he pleases all night. He gets off on being a pest, so it was time to smack him like a bad puppy. Atta boy, Seabrook. You can still smack your buddies around a little. It's hockey, not ballroom dancing.
  • You wouldn't see Dick Boynton leading the rush up the middle of the ice and drawing a high sticking penalty the way Hendry did. Just Saying.
  • The Empty netter is irrelevant at that point and really not Toews fault. He put it where he should have and Eriksson got lucky.
The Bad
  • Hossa got a breakaway in the first few minutes of the game on a great pass off the stick of Jonny B Goode. Another chance squandered.
  • Good Ol Tomo-Kop at it again. Two and a half minutes in and he gets a hooking call which...wait for it...ended up in the back of the net. The Hawks Penalty Kill is simply terrible. TERRIBLE!
  • This game got ugly early, with two powerplay goals against in the first eight minutes. I just can't see this team going anywhere with a PK team this bad, and have I mentioned how bad it is?
  • When Eddie says, "The good thing is that it's only 2-0", you know they've played an atrocious period. Toews was CLEARLY disgusted between periods, as he should be.
  • Pick-To-Click Vik did everything he needed to on the penalty shot, after he was hauled down on a partial breakaway. To hit three posts in one shot is extremely rare, but entertaining to watch. That's just BAD luck, and he deserved that one.
  • The Penalty Kill once AGAIN failed Corey Crawford, making that three powerplay goals against, and Mike Ribeiro's second of the game. That's embarrassing. Utterly EMBARRASSING!
  • For the second game in a row, the Hawks missed a wide open net in a critical point, and this one cost them the game. Sharpie was tied up, but they NEEDED that goal.
  • I'm not sure what One Trick Bick was doing when he decided to pass it off Hammers foot from behind his own net and putting it right on the stick of the Dallas forward, but it looked like something you'd see in a bad Men's League game.
The Ugly
  • Once again Jake the Snake and Skillington were sitting. Wrap it up with a pretty little bow all you want, but it's bad. This is going to make me mental, which is entertaining for all of you, but it's going to lead to an aneurysm.
  • I'm not sure I saw Ryan Johnson in the second half of the game at all. So, tell me again why he's playing and Dowell isn't? Someone? Four minutes and thirteen seconds, and ZERO on the penalty kill. That's what the great Ryan Johnson played. The faceoff artist. The penalty killer extraordinaire. Not like they needed him when they gave up THREE POWERPLAY GOALS! I've about had it with Quenneville's lousy games. It's to a point where common sense is nowhere to be found. It took almost 40 games to figure out that Jordan Hendry is probably a better option than Nick Boynton? Joel needs to spend some time on the internet because we've been pulling out hair out, well those of us WITH hair, for about 30 games.
  • Of everything, the biggest "WTF" of the night has to be the fact that Big Show had 55 seconds of powerplay time. Really? That's ALMOST a full shift. What is THAT sloth going to do on the powerplay? Positionally, he's lost. He has a below average shot, and he can't move. WHAT IS THIS? Viktor Stalberg has been snake bitten, but I will promise you that he has more value to the powerplay than JOHN SCOTT! AYE CARUMBA, AND JIMINY CHRISTMAS ON A CRACKER!
Because most players wearing a Blackhawks uniform at this point completely disgust me, I leave you with this...serenity now, serenity now:
Here are the flippin video highlights for your viewing pleasure:
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