It's March, and who would have predicted the Hawks would be in this situation last summer. Struggling each game to continue hanging on to a playoff spot. Not this smart ass. Last night the Hawks were having a rare Eastern Conference tilt with the Carolina Whalers. I actually like this team. I am actually a big fan of Cam Ward, Eric Staal, Jeff Skinner, and Eric Cole, but on this day, they are the enemy. Not to mention, they sat Cam Ward for the night, and that really irked me. Apparently the Hawks aren't good enough to warrant the first stringer, and they roasted the Canes backup.
The Hawks wasted NO time scoring in the first minute of the first period. Both the Hawks and Canes put goals in and the Hawks led 2-1 after the first. Both team had chances quality chances in the second period, but neither team could score. The Hawks opened it up in the third period with three goals, and the Canes got one of their own, but the Hawks finished with a 5-2 win. Seven in a row, and we're still streaking
- Fifty five seconds into the game and Corey Stillman decided that standing still in his own end with the puck on his stick was a BRILLIANT idea. Lucky for the Hawks, Sharpie and El Capitan agreed. Tazer hounded Stillman, poked the puck free to Shooter who fed it back to Tazer, and he wasted no time putting it past Peters. THAT is a start.
- Finally, Bickell has found what happens when you park your big ass in front of the net. Right after Seabrook rifled a shot off the post, the rebound lay loose in front of their goalie, who was still on his dookie, and One-Trick-Bick put it in the net.
- Who would have thought that the team of Stromboli and Ryan Johnson would hook up for the Hawks 3rd goal. Stromboli walked it into the zone, and dished it off to Johnson, who just banked it off Pitkanen's skate and past Peters.
- Sixty seven seconds after the Johnson goal, Boss 81 had a "moment" where he decided the puck was going to the net and Bolly picked up the rebound, and put it past Peters. All three Canes defenders looked confused as to where the puck was after the original shot.
- A few more minutes later, Shooter fed Kane with a pass, and he buried it. As they say on the Bud Light commercials, HERE WE GO!
- Once again three of four Hawks centers dominated in the faceoff circle. El Capitan, Snake and Johnny were all above 70% and Dowell was a stellar 11 for 12, and schooled Skinner, going 6 for 6. As far as the Canes go, Jokinen and Skinner were a combined 0 for 17. OUCH!
- Someone on the Canes had a chance to absolutely MURDER Nick Leddy, as he stood in his own corner, with the puck on his stick. If I'm a Canes fan, I'm jumping out of my skin with that fly by. Is this Hockey or a Ballet?
- Sharpie in all alone on the goalie...what happens? If you said he didn't even get a shot off you can collect your winnings. Bad ice, Edzo? Really?
- How about KANER in all alone? If you put double or nothing on not getting a shot off, you can collect your winnings.
- If Toews can just lift that puck off the ice three inches on that second period open net powerplay chance, the Hawks are up 3-1. Jay Harrison bailed his goalie out big time.
- Young Jeff Skinner was able to halt the Hawks momentum with a rebound goal. Joe Corvo worked the puck towards Crow and the rebound squirted out to his right. Stromboli and Campbell both had their backs turned and couldn't keep Skinner from poking it into the net. This is no time to take the foot off the gas, guys.
- Talk about a Cal Clusterfuck on the Carolina goal. Seabrook really left Hammer hung out to dry, in the Hurricane end, and Hammer coughed it up. The Canes raced back on a 2 on 1, that turned into a 2 on 2. Unfortunately, the puck squirted out to the trailer, their captain, Eric Staal. I'd like to know why none of the forwards were screaming back, to help out. Bick? Hoss? Bolly? Anyone? Anyway, Hammer did an AWESOME job of screening Crow and not blocking the shot. Can we just get a "do-over" on that one? It was all sorts of terrible.
- The first period could be best described with one word. TURNOVERS.
- Looks like the old Deuce was back last night. In the first minute of the second Keith kindly turned it over right in front of his own net and the Canes missed, not one, but TWO open nets.