Tonight the Hawks hosted the Tampa Bay Lighting and it was another game you would think they could win. The Lightning were playing their backup netminder, and were missing Ryan Malone. They certainly have talent with Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Stamkos, but the Hawks were suppose to be playing with some urgency. So much for that theory. More like urgently heading for tee time.
The game opened up with a very boring first period. Even though the Hawks outshot the Lightning 7-4, the Lightning scored the lone goal of the period on a powerplay tally. The second was more of the same for both squads. The Hawks outshot the Lightning 11-4 in the the period, but still went into the second intermission down 1-0. And in what was probably the most BORING game of the year, the Hawks didn't manage to score in the third either, with Tampa scoring an empty netter.
I'm quickly losing interest in this uninspiring trip to Vanillatown. For a while the big dogs were carrying this team, but with the loss of Sharpie, this team has sunk to the depths of mediocrity. It is, what it is, I guess. Just don't make plans for another June parade, or a second round playoff appearance.
- I am really becoming a fan of Ryan Johnson, and I was one of his most harsh critics, at the time of the signing. He is a hustler that does all the little things very well. On the second period kill of Frolik's four minute high sticking infraction, he dove head first to clear the puck out of the zone and then followed it up by drawing a penalty against St. Louis. Those are HUGE plays. Not to be overshadowed, night after night he has also been the team leader in faceoff wins as well. He's won my admiration, and he's played Jake Dowell out of a job.
- I mentioned 3 games ago, about how Stalberg was unfairly removed from the first line, and replaced with Brouwer. The second period rolled around, and guess who was back, helping cause chances? Pick-to-Click Vik. Why we needed to endure this needless flip-flopping is beyond me. Yes, Bickell scored a lame game tying goal, but that was by fault of his own. Garon virtually threw that puck in his own net.
- Faceoffs weren't all to bad. Johnson was his normally freakish 70%, and the rest of the normal centers were around 50%. Nothing to complain about here.
- An early Hammer delay game penalty resulted in a quick, as in 8 seconds, Vinny Lecavalier tap in powerplay goal, with Seabs getting outmuscled in front of the net.
- The second period slashing call on Ryan Johnson was atrocious. He made a great play to get back and interrupt the shot. That was in no way an infraction.
- Steve Downie is in the same category as Matt Cooke, Steve Ott, and Steve Avery. A card carrying member of the Douche Bag Club of America. Seabrook, probably a little charged up by a big hit from Stamkos a few moments earlier, laid out Downie like a crash test dummy, with the stress on DUMMY. Of course, he took exception to the hit, first trying to initiate a fight, and finally spearing Seabrook in the gut. Props to Seabs for not reacting, because most people would have gone bananas.
- Well, it's all the obvious here. Can't do much when you can't score any goals. With Lecavalier out for most of the game, Ryan Malone out altogether and playing a rusty netminder, the Hawks still can't manage a single goal. Oh the playoffs are going to be fun; and short
