I promised a recap tomorrow but since we're all on a roll, I figured I'd wrap it up tonight. The Hawks started off on a bad note in the first period giving up two powerplay goals, and scoring one goal of their own. The Shots were only 8-6 in that period. The second had slightly less action but a highlight Dave Bolland goal. The Third period went ALL Hawks. They outshot the Preds 18-5 in the period and scored 4 goals to finish off a productive third period. A very nice way to go into a six day break.
- So, One Trick Bick has been proving me wrong with his play, lately. A few minutes after the Preds got their first goal, Bickell made a steal deep in the preds zone and muscled to the net. Once he was free of the defender he fed Invisi-Bolly for an easy tap in goal. That play was ALL Bickell there.
- I love watching Boss 81 get serious and absolutely dominate everyone else on the ice. I just wish I was seeing him do it more. When he decides he wants to be the man there is nothing people can do to stop him.
- I might have to retire the nickname Invisi-Bolly with that highlight reel goal he scored. He took a pass at the blue line, waited for Ryan Suter to crossover, and toe-dragged the puck around Suter, and then beat Lindback 5-hole. At no point can I say anything but the fact that that goal was a BEA-U-TY. Looks like he's finally found his stride. This deserves a special showing:
- We've been waiting all night for a powerplay chance that the Hawks could jump on, and it happened on the goal by Troy Brouwer. Brouwer mucked it up in front of the net, picked up the Lindback rebound and stuffed it in.
- Forty seconds after the Brouwer powerplay goal he skated through the slot area, and took a Bickell like wrister that ended up going in. For the first time in the game, the Hawks held a lead.
- All those times I cursed Brian Campbell the last two years, can officially be put to rest. He showed, once again, how important he is to the scoring of this team singlehandedly setting up One Trick Bick, right in front of the net, and Bickell buried it. The shift before, Campbell was hit hard in the corner and had a hard time getting off the ice. Anyone who knows anything was holding their breath on that one, because if he goes down, the Hawks are in trouble.
- A little cherry on top of the game was Jonny B Goode's 100th career goal. He just skated up the right side, uncontested, and buried a wrist shot past Lindback. Congrats, Captain Serious.
- Sixteen seconds into the game and the Hawks are already on the penalty kill. We've seen this story before, and the Hawks putrid penalty kill yielded another PP goal. Not like Turco played that really, either. More fuel for the "burn Marty down" campaign.
- Deja Vu all over again with the second Preds goal, as Campbell blocked the original shot by Shea Weber, and Marty Turco went down early, leaving a dribbling for JP Dumont to put into the net. Penaltykill Suckasaurus Majora. At this rate there is going to be a burning cross waiting for Turco in his lawn when he gets home.
- Just last night we saw the Hawks lose a faceoff deep in their own zone and it quickly ended up past Crawford, and the same thing happened to Turco in this game. Former Hawk JP Dumont got his second goal of the game one timing it off the faceof, right through Turco.
- The Hawks took WAY too many pointless penalties in the first two periods. It's obvious frustration, but this has to change, because they can't kill a penalty to save their lives.
