After a few quiet days off the Hawks were up for a south Florida match up with Dale Tallon's Panthers. This team wasn't looking real good in the standings, but came out with some attitude. Maybe it was for Tallon, or maybe it was for Skille, but they clearly had an agenda, in that first period, and it held on. They should all take Tomas Vokoun for dinner after that game. It had to end some time, and hopefully the Hawks can start a new streak tomorrow night.
After over 10 games of excellent play, the Blackhawks came out in this game looking a step slow from the get go. Five minutes in, the Hawks were down 1-0. Ten minutes in, they were down 2-0. End of the first period, and they were down 3-0. Not how you start a game against a last place team, on the road. Some changes were made for the second period, and the team everyone is more accustomed to seeing stepped on the ice, bringing the deficit to 3-2. Even though the Hawks were all over Florida in the third, they could not solve Vokoun, and the Panthers held on for a 3-2 win.
- El Capitan was the only Hawk that looked like he had any motivation at all in that first period, and it was NOT contagious. He had no help.
- Just as we were ALL yelling at Soupie to shoot the friggin puck, he circled behind the net, and found Kaner wide open, and Kaner buried it. Big play by two important Hawks.
- It looked like the Hawks were rolling, once they scored the second goal. A Bickell forecheck sent the puck to Dave Bolland, who fed Boss 81 for a deadly one timer, and only a one goal deficit. The second half of this game was looking better, and better. WAS.
- I am thoroughly convinced that Marty planned the play where the Panthers almost picked his pocket, with the puck on his stick, in his own corner. He waited for an open pass and SHOULD have given it up to his D-man, but he didn't panic despite the pressure. He felt that pressure and handled it just fine.
- The change in net, and something said in the locker room must have woken up the sleepy children, because they came out in the second period, scored 2 goals and out shot the Panthers 15-4.
- The Blackhawks looked like the Harlem Globetrotters against the Washington Generals, in the third period. The Panthers barely even touch the puck, and that's not a figure of speech.
- Outshooting the Panthers 39-15 sure looked nice, but I'll bet they'd love that first period back, now, eh?
- Vokoun is a stone wall, and the only reason that team wasn't blown out of that rink, after only playing twenty twenty decent minutes.
- The Panthers came out with some attitude, and laid SEVERAL big hit on the Hawks in the first period. Three goals against and two failed powerplays. Piss poor first period, gentlemen, get your .
- Bolland feeds Sharpie all alone in front of the net...missed the net. If we could read his lips he would have been saying "FML!"
- Campbell picks up the puck 10 feet in front of a wide open net, and he shoots over the net.
- The Hawks sure picked a bad game to go 0-3 on the power play. Stellar timing, indeed.
- The Hawks looked horribly flat coming out and the Panthers took a 1-0 lead when Nick Leddy failed at getting the puck outside the blue line and Michal Repik send a shot netward. Crow kicked out a fat rebound right onto David Booth's stick, and we all know the end to that sad tale. Goals don't come much easier than that.
- Ten minutes into the game and the Hawks were CLEARLY struggling when Hammer decided that a good outlet pass would be right to Sergei Samsonov, which would be great, if he was still playing for the Hawks. Samsonov rolled it into the zone and fed Bergfors, who's shot was blocked out to Clay Wilson. Wilson sent a shot in that Hawk Harrelson might say "had eyes", and those eyes found Crow's 5-hole. Two nothing Florida.
- The Hawks put the cherry on top of a BRUTAL first period, by giving up a soft goal with 6 seconds left. Blackhawk for minute, Marty Reasoner, roofed a wrister on Crow, who was not sharp at all.
- As one would expect, Marty Turco was the netminder when the Hawks came out for the second period. Crawford was NOT sharp, and needed to be relieved. Turco hadn't played in almost a month, but he looked ready, when called upon, which was RARE.
- When I hear the term "Veteran Banger", I think of Ron Jeremy. Just saying, Pat.
- Is it bad that the "Iron Maiden, April 16th" on the boards behind the left net had me jealous and distracted?
- "Great pickup by our crew". Oh really, Edzo? Isn't that what all those cameras are for?
- I have to finally say this, and I love Tony Esposito, but those Binny's commercials are absolutely FRIGHTENING! Those places should be burned to the ground for making a mockery of an NHL Legend.