"And if you're not down with that, I've got two words for ya!"
The latest mess to get dragged into the UC, in the Buffalo Sabres. Not quite the fail that the Columbus Blue Jackets are, but they are quickly circling the drain of failure. Big free agent signings over the summer have not panned out, and their core has been underachieving. The biggest disappointment might be goaltender Ryan Miller, who was considered "all world" just a short time ago, but has stuck his proverbial head up his ass. He has been so flaky that Jhonas Enroth has started almost as many games as Miller, and started last night. Beneath all the horseshit, captain Jason Pominville has strung together a nice first half, and was just 2 points behind our very own El Capitan. The Hawks had an excellent chance to make a statement before the All-Star break, and Patrick Kane had a great chance to warm up against the team he grew up rooting for.
The Hawks made for an interesting first period, after they opened up with a little momentum then got lazy. The Sabres opened up the scoring and woke up the Hawks, who followed with 2 goals of their own. The Hawks were able to put 14 shots on net, but gave up 10. The second period was another Hawks period, as they outscored the Sabres 2-1 in the frame, also out shooting the Sabres 10-8. The game could have been 5-2 at that point, if the refs hadn't disallowed a Hawks goal late in the period. The Hawks added another couple of goals in the third, but the Sabres were a defeated team coming out on the ice in the third. Slaying bums is what the Hawks SHOULD be doing, so this is what we should expect against a team like this.
- Shock&Shaw continued the hot play, picking up a fat Deuce rebound and beating Enroth to tie the game up at 1, midway through the first period. The defenders just let Shaw and Smith hang out in front of the net and set up camp. What do you think is going to happen when there are two hungry young kids waiting for a puck to squirt out?
- El Capitan slammed home a Seabrook rebound on the Hawks second powerplay of the game to give the Hawks the lead, later in the first period. A different look of Shock&Shaw, Kaner, Toews, Ricky Bobby, and Seabrook resembled a professional powerplay, and cut the fancy shit out. Amazing what can happen when you have people playing where they are most comfortable.
- The Hawks took advantage of a Ville Leino complete and utter fuck up, to go back up 3-2. Bustout Leino had a chance for a break, but couldn't beat Seabrook. He then tried to pull off a hot dog between the legs drop pass to no one. Deuce read the play excellently and pushed the puck the other way. Once Hossa cleared the middle, Deuce hit him with a pass to put him in on a break-a-way. At that point, it's just not fair for Enroth, and Hoss put a clinic on. 3-2 Hawks.
- Purple Hazer put the Hawks up 4-2 on a great pass from Bruno, in the later half of the second period. Again, the Hawks just capitalized on a Buffalo mistake and put it past Enroth. A bad "long" change, that Eddie O will be jerking it to later, led to the chance.
- InvisiBolly took a great Purple Hazer drop pass and rifled a shot past Enroth to put the Hawks up 5-2 about 4 minutes into the third period. The show was an absolute rocket from about 15 feet out, that Enroth had no chance on. He could only hope the shot hit him somehow, because it was BLISTERED!
- El Capitan scored yet another mercy goal, on a Hawks 5-on-3 powerplay. The powerplay was courtesy of Shock&Shaw, in front of the net, taking a beating from Tyler Myers.
- For those of you not involved in last night's festivities, do a twitter search on #ShawFacts. HOURS of great reading and laughs from the Blackhawks Nation. Also, for those who didn't see this already, this blogger made the Blackhawks Official Blog with one of my #ShawFacts last night.
- The Toews/Kane/Stalberg line dominated the first few shifts of the game, but continue to pass up open looks to crowbar a pass into an impossible area. Shoot the fucking puck, Gentlemen! Kane has been the worst at this. When Pierre is pointing out your less than stellar play with and without the puck, you know it's noticeable.
- Thanks to the Hawks laziness, the Sabres opened up the scoring in the middle of the first period. Seabrook was pinching hard and Hossa didn't realize he was the guy who should have covered, which left Deuce all alone to defend what almost ended up a 3-on-1. Sniper, and Captain, Jason Pominville did what snipers do. Crawford could have been a little more aggressive, but he shouldn't have been left to defend that play in the first place, either. Facepalms all the way around for that play.
- It was good to see the second PP unit open the first powerplay of the game. They got a few chances, but then the first unit came out and proceeded to give up a shorthanded breakaway thanks to the ref's feet. C'mon guys, seriously? This is getting silly.
- Jason Pominville scored his second of the game, on a powerplay, after the vagina formerly known as Patrick Kaleta took a couple of questionable shots on Bolly and then Hayes. Hayes tried to fight him, but Kaleta turtled like girl on the playground and drew a powerplay. O'Donnell and Crawford were a little slow getting over to cover Pominville's one timer, which brought the game to a 2-2 tie, at the time.
- All the Hawks centers were over 50% at the dot, except Shock%Shaw, who got eaten up by Derek Roy. He only took 5 draws, so nothing to really worry about.
- At the time it would have put the Sabres away, but the Hawks were absolutely robbed of their 5th goal of the game at the end of the second period. Hossa put a long shot on net and the rebound popped into the air. Shock&Shaw showed his hops and jumped up, grabbing the puck and putting it down to his stick, where is snuck through and Dream Warrior put it in the net. Unfortunately, the refs didn't see it that way, and the game remained 4-2. Once again, though, Shaw was in the middle of the action.
- Minus 3 for Derek Roy and Jordan Leopold. Le Ouch! To think that Roy has loosely been talked about in Blackhawks trade rumors. Good job shitting the bed in front of prospective future employers there, Derrick.
