Shark Soup

So much for theory that the Hawks will know every nook and cranny that Antti Niemi is vulnerable. The ONLY team he's played excellent against is, yes, the Chicago Blackhawks. I guess if they keep him on the roster just to beat the Hawks in the playoffs, then he's worth it. Anyway, The first period had plenty of action, and a goal each way. No real domination either way, and both goalies played well. The second ended the same way the first did, with slightly less action, setting up a big third. The tgird was about the same as the second. A few chances but neither team scored. Overtime was as exciting as it could be, and Ryan Clowe put an end to the game with a changeup type onetimer.

The Good

• I'm liking what I see from the first line of Jonny B Goode, Skillington, and Pick-To-Click Vik. They have energy and LOADS of speed. It's just too bad that none of them could finish. Vik and Jack are going to end up being part of the core of this team.
  
  
• Just the other day I was saying how Jordan Hendry needs to play more, and he scores a goal. The only problem is that he BELONGS on defense. He's a defenseman. Let the guy do what he's best at, and that's not gathering frequent flyer miles and sitting in the press box. Nice to see him get a bit of glory though.
  
  
• Results aside, Corey Crawford played an EXCELLENT game. He whiffed on that game winner, but he was expecting it to come in higher and harder, and Clowe sent in a lower changeup. This loss cannot be hung on Crawford in any way.
  
  
• He didn't figure in the scoring and he took a bad penalty, but Skillington had a team high 7 shots on net. I love seeing him drive the net and shoot the puck. Sometimes simple is the way to go, and Jack Skillington has kept it simple.
  

The Bad

• I know desperate times call for desperate measures, but that Scott, Hendry, and Dowell line is brutal. Yes, Scott and Hendry CAN play wing, but really, who cant? Just because you're in the kitchen doesn't mean you're a chef. Yes, Hendry scored a goal, but that doesn't change anything.
  
  
• Goal number one by the Sharks was sort of a breakdown as the trailing forward wasn't picked up. Absolutely nothing Crawford could do on that. It was a perfect tip.

The Ugly

• That waved off goal was just brutal. The Ref completely blew that call. Stalberg can't buy a break. That would have won the game for the Hawks.
  
  
• The game winning goal looked fairly harmless, but Clowe put it in the one spot Crawford would whiff on it, which made it look very weak. It's an ugly way to lose a game after playing as solid defensively as the Blackhawks did.
  
  
• In a game where Jordan Hendry scores the only goal, and The Big Show gets an assist, you HAVE to get some results from the big money people.
  

Here are the video highlights for your viewing pleasure:

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Dancing With The Stars

The Killer B's are Born

The first period was dominated by the Hawks, and they could have easily been up 4-0, but only lead 2-0 after the first. The second was more of the same as the Hawks went up 4-1 in the first 3 minutes of the period, but Dallas fought their way back and made it a one goal game. The Third was much different as the only goal scored was the empty netter. Dallas certainly turned up the pressure as well, but the Hawks held them off for a big 5-3 win. Not pretty, but it's a win against a first place team, even though that's not going to last long.

The Good

• One Trick Bick was at it again. I swear every one of his goals have been from 55 or more feet out, and right in the center of the ice. He can pick a corner. That's all he can do with the puck, hence the nickname, but he's been shooting well. Can't knock snipes like that.
  
  
• Jake the Snake had another successful fight. I'm tired of hearing Eddie yapping about respect in fights. We get it! What I DON'T get is why Jake Dowell is the one that needs to do most of the fighting, when you have the Big Slow trotted out there for his obligatory five minutes a game? Why is he even dressed? to shake hands and kiss babies? His role on this team becomes less defined as the season grows older.
  
  
• You have to love Skillington's aggressiveness on the Toews goal. For all you young hockey players out there, when all else fails, go to the net. I fully believe that every great line needs a guy to crash the net, and Skille does just that. He FINALLY gets it.
  
  
• Congrats to Baby Face Morin on his first NHL goal. He snapped off a really nice wrister past Raycroft, on a, get this, nice feed from Dave Bolland. Invisi-Bolly wasn't Invisi-Bolly at all. Lets not all start the Bolland fan club just yet, but it's nice to see he actually has a pulse.
  
  
• The Killer B's show then struck. The One Trick Bick to Invisi-Bolly to Brouwer Power goal was nice as well. Brouwer actually showed some speed blowing past Morrow and including himself on a great 2-on-1. Until I saw the number I thought it HAD to be Keith or Campbell joining the play. See what can happen when you actually care to skate, Brouwer?
  
  
• Jonathan Toews did his best Boss 81 impression, by completely dominating with the puck. I think I even saw some furrowed brows and fire in Captain Serious. I could get use to that.
  
  
• The empty netter was pretty anticlimactic, but it counts towards the powerplay stats, so fire away at that empty cage, Sharpie.
  
  
• The Hawks did well staying out of the box, other than the Dowell fighting major.

The Bad

• It was the usual for the Hawks. Feast or Famine. Dominate the first half of the game and try to hand it over in the second half of the second period. Really, that all belongs in the "ugly" section.
  
  
• Pick-To-Click Vik must have spit in Quenneville's face, and was relegated to bench for it. When all was said and done, he only played 8 minutes, which will always be second to Big Slow's 300 seconds of extacy. Did I miss something when I was putting my kid to bed?
  
  
• Other than Morin's goal, the second line was pretty quiet. Sharpie had the empty netter, but that was on the powerplay. I don't think Kopecky even left the dressing room because he was COMPLETELY ineffective all night.

The Ugly

• The obviously ugly was the the 3 goal stretch by Dallas. None of the goals were all that special, in fact the first two can be best classified as weak. The James Neal goal was pretty soft by Crawford. He was slow trying to cover it and Neal just made him look silly. Crawford had no chance on the second Dallas goal, because he was completely screened by Bolland and Morrow. Just when you need Bolly to be invisible, he isn't. You can't stop what you can't see, and someone needs to help their goalie out a little. Please? A little? The third goal was pretty atrocious by the Hawks defense, as Erickson finished a pretty tick-tac-toe play on a sick pass from Richards. Pretty if you're on the Stars, but pretty SAD if you're a Blackhawk. I felt that Crawford could have been a little more aggressive and cut off the pass, but he DID have four Hawks standing right there with their cranks in their hands.

Here are the video highlights for your viewing pleasure:

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Dallas Madness

Burish and the boys pulled out their Sunday go to meetin' clothes for the trip

Dallas Stars tonight at the UC...here we go!

• Baby Face Jeremy Morin was on the Rock-beria express this morning. No surprise, as this was reported Monday night by Tim Sassone.
  
  
• Not only will Morin be back, but Colonel Klink, Rob Klinkhammer, will be making his 2010 Hawks debut wearing the every popular #59. The kid has energy, and a great attitude, so no issues here with this call up. He's going to be playing on the forth line tonight. Can we say "poor man's Skillington"?
  
  
  
• Boss 81 was placed on IR retroactive to the day he was hurt, to make room for Colonel Klink. Moustachio said it was all procedural, and that neither Boss or Pisani will be making the road trip. So, it looks like Boss and Pisani will be back in a week, at best. Lets see what these kids can do, because it's better now than April.
  
  
• Corey Crawford will be your starting netminder tonight against Andrew Raycroft, which proves that a win is much more important than showing your ex team that they made a mistake, right Marty? IF they made a mistake that is.
  
  
• Jesse Rodgers reported that Power Brouwer said, "I didn't hang with him much cause he was always patrolling for ladies, and I'm married but we're buddies" about Burish the Poonhunter. Way to make a showing for the wife, Troy. (wink,wink,nudge,nudge)
  
  
• Lines at this morning's practice were:
  Skillington, Jonny B Goode, Pick-To-Click Vik
  Shooter, TomoKop, Baby Face Morin
  Power Brouwer, Invisi-Bolly, One Trick Bick
  Big Show, The Snake, Col Klink
  

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RIP Dimebag Darrell Abbott (8/20/66-12/8/04)

There are only 2 days a year that I will stray from the usual smarmy, sarcastic, arrogant Hockey chatter, and today is one of those days. Two of the biggest and most shocking tragedies music world has ever seen happened on this day. Thirty years ago John Lennon was gunned down in New York City by a lunatic, and six years ago Dimebag Darrell Abbott was shot by a complete scumbag of a mental patient, whom I will not give the courtesy of even naming, as he played a show at the Alrosa Villa, in Columbus Ohio. There have been many tragedies in the music world, but only one has happened while the artist was on stage doing what he or she does best. It's cliche to say you would want to die doing what you love, but Darrell would have wanted to go out onstage, just under different circumstances. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was waiting for my friends in the band SOiL to play a secret show, their first with their new vocalist, at the Penny Road Pub in South Barrington Illinois. Just before they were scheduled to go on, one of them received the call that would change the Metal world forever. Their friend, Dimebag Darrell Abbott, had been shot during the first song of his band's set that night. No more details were given, but it was serious. The jovial mood turned somber, but my friends chose to go on with the show, and chose not to alert the crowd until after more details were available. As the show wrapped, they received word that Darrell had passed away from his injuries. My friends chose to end the show by making an announcement that Dimebag Darrell had been shot and killed just a couple of hours earlier. A crowd of usually smiling, and singing metalheads turned to looks of shock, sadness, and sobs. My heart goes out, especially, to his brother Vince Paul Abbott, because I could not imagine watching my beloved brother murdered feet in front of me, with no way to help.

As those of you that are close to me know, I'm a HUGE Metal fan, and that encapsulates 98% of all the music I like. To pay respect to maybe the most legendary guitarist the heavy metal world, I named one of the teams I played for "Cowboy From Hell" after a Pantera song, and named this blog for the Pantera song "Fuckin Hostile". Here are some videos to celebrate the life and music of Darrell Lance Abbott, please enjoy, smile and sing along! Today we celebrate his talent...

Damageplan - Headbangers Ball - MTV Shows

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Day Off Blues Clues

You people are really going to be sick of me, but I have topics to discuss and time to discuss them. So, lets dive right in, shall we?

• I'm not sure where they got this, but a friend messaged me last night to tell me that the NHL network was reporting that Kaner will be out 4-6 weeks with an ankle issue. If it is anything like I think it might be, he's going to be tender and ineffective for longer than that. Now, I didn't have the wonders of a multimillion dollar training and rehab staff, but I had a similar injury and I wasn't even close to normal for at least 8 weeks, and I'm just a goalie. Anyway, it's clear Kaner is out for a while, Boss 81 is probably at least a week away from being rushed back too soon, and Pisani...is talent deficient. This morning Quenneville said Kaner will only be out for 3 weeks but I strongly believe he's being conservative to keep the media at bay. When all is said and done, don't be surprised to see him out for closer to the original reported time.
  
  
• The Hawks announced, apparently only to columnist Tim Sassone, that Morin will be back for the Wednesday game. Yeah, yeah, Salary cap, blabbity, blah, blah. For those of you hoping to see Kyle Beach anytime this year, you're high. He makes $250K more than Morin and they have to send HIM back to Rock-beria on off days to save some cabbage. Unless they drop some salary though trades, you will see Potulny, Pirri, Smith and/or Makarov before Kyle Beach steps on the ice at the United Center. Welcome to Hawk-onomics, folks, I'll be your instructor, Stan Bowman.
  
  
• The Second City Hockey/Committed Indian guys have touched on it. We don't really have the goalie controversy of last year, and quite frankly, this is how last year should have been handled, early on. The only problem was that they had to somehow justify almost $6 million of suck. It's all water under the bridge, because they won, but they are in a similar position this year and I feel Quenneville is handling it right. Stick with the hot hand, whoever that may be. I agree, completely, with the SCH/Committed Indian guys about the fact that the Hawks owe Marty Turco nothing. He practically begged to play here, and they needed an insurance policy, if Crawford wasn't ready. Well, Crawford IS ready and Turco has been average. Even on his bad days the Hawks seem to play better in front of Crawford, for whatever reason. It's about time we started getting use to Corey Crawford as our starting netminder, as he will be tomorrow night. Where is my #50 jersey?
  
  
  
• Today it was announced that prospects Jeremy Morin and Nick Leddy were named to preliminary roster for U.S. National Junior team. That will take them off our hands for a little bit. Should be interesting with Kaner out for a while, Hossa recovering, and Morin playing for the WJC. The options for goal scoring are getting thinner by the day. Get ready to have Tomas Kopecky and Troy Brouwer jammed down our throats, nightly. Just what we wanted for Christmas, Santa.
  
  
• If you don't want to weed through the drivel of this Adam Jahn's article, let me highlight a few points. He is suggesting a few options to alleviate the recent player losses. Shorten the Bench, Find some ripe players on the Rock-beria Icehogs bush, and finally, my FAVORITE; More Hendry and Big Show at wing. First of all, they have been playing with a short bench, BECAUSE Big Show only makes appearances for 300 seconds a game and Skille hasn't exactly been leaving a cold seat on the bench, himself. Second, The Icehogs aren't exactly tearing up the AHL (9-11-3), and they top prospects aren't really lighting the lamp either. Defenseman Brian Connolly is leading the team in scoring with 16 points and Ryan Potulny is behind him with 13. Lastly, more Big Show and Hendry? That's tremendous a waste of my Oxygen, and we all know Quenneville drowned Hendry and buried him in a vacant west side lot. Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids.
  
  
• At this morning's practice the team was skating with only three lines. Skillington, Pick-To-Click Vik and Toews; TomoKop, Shooter and Jake the Snake; and Brouwer, Bickell, and Invisi-Bolland. Of course, this is all without Morin, Hossa, Pisani, or Kane. This makes me wonder though...since Morin can't practice with the team, does this mean he's in protective custody at some undisclosed location, or does he really have to drive all the way out to Rock-beria to report? I hope he's looking to invest in one of those new hybrid cars because the gas alone is going to bankrupt him. Junkfood for thought.
  

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I Once Thought I Was Wrong; But I Was Mistaken

It's time I addressed this, because I don't hide behind my keyboard when I'm wrong. So, come one, come all! Haters unite in giving me the old "See you were wrong, Jerkface. Smug, sarcastic, mean guy!". Yes, Thus far, Dustin Fluff-lien has had himself a nice little opening quarter of a season. With 27 games played his stats are as follows:

Goals	Assists	Points	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW	Shots	S%
10	18	28	4	33	4	0	5	109	9.2

After a pretty slow start, Fluff is RED HOT and has become a legitimate threat with the Thrashers. He is exactly 8 points from his career high of 36, with the Hawks in 07-08. He SHOULD crush that previous high. He ranks first in the league with 5 game winning goals. This is all PLAYING AS A DEFENSEMAN. I could try and dissect the numbers to try and blow smoke up your asses to give the illusion that I was right, but that all goes against what I'm about. I was wrong. Now, I wasn't wrong about everything, but about his production, my bad. He is still a liability on defense, and he has still shown to be very streaky, but, as Jerry Reed once said, "When you're hot, you're hot. When you're not, you're not." He's been so hot that he was named the #3 star of the month in November. Atlanta, you got exactly what you were looking for; a personality and a fan favorite. Now, playing here, he would be back at forward on the third line getting the talent sucked out of him nightly by Invisi-Bolly. There is no doubt that he wouldn't have those numbers in Chicago. There is simply too much talent on the first two defensive lines for Fluff. Now, in Atlanta, if you can name me ANYONE with an ounce of talent on their blue line, you'll win the Daily Double. So, he's playing everywhere. It's still a long season, and things could go sour fast, but I have to take a bite out of my shoeleather sammich.

Everyone else has done just about what I said they would. Versteeg looks average and defensively lazy in Toronto, Niemi can only seem to beat the Hawks, Madden is Madden in Minnesota, Burish is plowing through the single women of Dallas, Fraser hasn't done much in Edmonton, Sopel is...Sopel, and the one player I said the team would miss most, Andrew Ladd, has been named as the Thrashers captain. I still maintain that Ladd would be more valuable to the Hawks.

I'll leave you with one of the reasons that he was one of the top three stars of the month. Granted, the defense on this play was heinous, but it looks good. If I was Ryan Miller, I would have been LIVID!

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Morin or Less-in

Just when you think you have Stan and the Blackhawks figured out, they throw in a curveball. In this case, a spitball. The Hawks sent Jeremy Morin down to Rock-beria, this morning, which make SO much sense. Yes, for those that are sarcasm deficient, that was dripping with sarcasm. If they are playing with the kid's eligibility, because of the junior rules, then don't bring him up at all. This is the rule I'm refering to:

A junior-aged player with a contract can play up to nine NHL games as a trial period. If he is returned to junior before the tenth game, his contract is effectively put on hold: when he goes to training camp the following season, he will be in the first year of his contract.

Once the player appears in his tenth NHL game, his contract kicks in. He can still be returned to his junior club after that. But at season's end, a full contract year will expire.

He's a good player, but he hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, and he needs time to settle in. There are players in Rockford that can take the spot. Pirri, Potulny, Taffe, and Makarov can all come up and "not screw up". Anyway, it is what it is.

Sure, this also means that Pisani or Hossa could be close to coming back, but it still leaves the team short at forward, if both aren't back. Big Show CANNOT dress every game, and only play 5 minutes. Honestly, Pisani isn't exactly making my heart rate rise, either. If you're going to feed me Pisani and dump Morin, I'm going to kick someone in the ass. He's a good penalty killer...Whoopty Do!! If Kaner is out, they need something to spark them. I would suggest keeping Jack Skillington around some actual talented forwards, but that's like asking for an act of God, or Santa Claus (if they existed). He may screw up, sometimes, but his aggressiveness creates chances. You can fill the fourth line with just about anyone. I guess we'll see how this all plays out.

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The Ambulance Looms Large

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. I know that's the thought going through each fan's mind a minute into the game. The first shift of the game and near tragedy strikes, but more on that later. The first period was entertaining, that's for sure. Five powerplay goals had the Hawks up 3-2 at the end of 20 minutes. The second period was considerably more calm with no scoring. The only scoring in the third was the empty net goal. Hawks Win, Kane Loses.

The Good

• I was going to ramble on about how the second powerplay unit of Bolland, Bickell, and Morin was utterly atrocious and Bickell cashes with another laser of a wrist shot. The guy can rip off a wrist shot, I'll give him that, you just have to set him up in the right space with the puck on a platter.
  
  
• Jonny B Goode ran that powerplay to perfection setting up Bolland for a nice goal. Bolland would have gladly screwed it up if Toews hadn't set him up so perfectly. You can thank Pat Kane for going out injured, because without that, you'd still be stuck with one goal for the season.
  
  
• Jonny B Goode did some nice digging to get the 3rd powerplay goal of the night for the Hawks. Nothing flashy, but the result was another red flashing light. Four guys digging for a rebound. I like it!
  
  
• I was glad to see Skillington get some first line playing time when Kane went down. He really deserves it, but not under these circumstances. I can also see how Skillington could annoy other players with his aggressiveness and personality. He just has that annoying quality, but I find it endearing. I also noticed Sharpie fill in for Kaner throughout the night.
  
  
• Leave it up to Dave Bolland to suck it up all year and then hit a perfectly placed 110 footer, right in the center of the net, to ice the game. I guess they just have to make him shoot from his own end the rest of the season.
  
  
• I cant remember seeing much of Cullimore and Boynton in the second half of the game, and I'm happy for that. Cullimore finished with 7 minutes of time, which second behind Big Show's 6 minutes. Boynton only had 11 minutes. All of these I have no problem with, but Dowell and Morin were on;y at about the 11 minute mark as well. If Kane is out for a long period of time you can't have 3 forwards playing 11 minutes or less a game, with one playing 5 minutes.

The Bad

• Brouwer, Toews, and Kopecky cannot end up our first powerplay line. In no alternate reality, will that ever be a decent powerplay. Poor Jon. One or the other is acceptable but you have to put someone else out there that can actually move the puck, not two guys that excel at standing in front of the net. They might as well hold hands.
  
  
• Crawford was at Iginla's will with that powerplay goal. Not a whole lot he could do with the screen going on in front of him, and one of the leagues best snipers firing at him. He might have shat his pants just a little, when he noticed who was shooting.
  
  
• The Penalty kill was starting to look pretty atrocious, in itself, with that Babchuk snipe. It was a pretty well placed shot, and Crawford didn't stand much of a chance on this one either. Its hard to pick up a laser beam like that when you're moving across in the opposite direction.

The Ugly

• Well, there is really only one ugly part about this game, and that was the first shift of the game where Pat Kane went down with an apparent leg injury. Everyone is speculating but it looked like a broken or severely sprained ankle to me. Quenneville was very elusive after the game, saying that he would "Miss some time", but it wasn't "that bad". With the latest trend of injury reports, that might be the most specific report we get. I fully expect to hear that the report is that he "Will miss a while with an injury in the lower body region".

Editor's note: I'm playing around with a new format that will make it a little more clear for everyone to read, and maybe help the readers who read from mobile devices. Please send feedback. I'd like you to be able to actually read and follow my anger and sarcasm. Happy Festivus to all my readers, and thank you for continuing to put up with my cantankerous attitude.


Here are the video highlights for your viewing pleasure:

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Baba-Lu Get Revenge

The game started slow with a couple of chances, but even the Malhotra breakaway ended up not being much. After a couple of powerplays both ways, the First ended 0-0. The Canucks got a lucky rebound and Tanner Glass put it past Turco, for the only scoring of the second. The Nucks added two so/so goals in the third and the Hawks were shut out for the first time this season.

The Good
I like to see Morin on the PP, and I like to see him coming to his teammates aid. He set up Sharpie for a nice play in the second that Sharpie put over the net. Great feed! Just too bad it amounted to a hill of beans. The kid belongs in Chicago, though.

The PK looked excellent, early on. They're really missing Pisani out there, aren't they? Not much you can do when 2 of the 3 goals are scored even strength. Even the powerplay goal wasn't exactly their fault.

Captain Serious made a gorgeous move around the Nucks d-man, but couldn't hit the net. Again, no conversion.

Glad to see TomoKop answering my callouts with two of the Hawks best chances, but put the fucking puck in the net! His penalties didn't exactly help either.

The Bad
The Canucks first goal by Tanner Glass was a result of Big Show Scott not being able to carry the puck in the neutral zone, but you have to clear the rebound or cover the fucking puck as it's siting there in front of you. The Canucks turned it back and eventually picked up a juicy rebound, and stuffed it in the net.

The Second goal, on the Nucks Powerplay, was all Turco. Ehrhoff just snapped a beautiful writer that sniped Turco. C'mon Marty, you're making me look like a real asshole. I'm to a point where I feel more comfortable with Crawford in there. I've defended Turco since before he even signed here, but it's looking more and more like he's going to end up as a backup. Now, of course, that goal never mattered because the Hawks couldn't put a single puck in on Vancouver.

The last goal was really a nothing goal, because the Hawks were pinching and looking to start something. You'd like to see Turco recover better than that. After the Goal went in, Turco slowly rolled over like a beaten man. He's just not looking confident anymore. There was a shot fired off the post with about 2 and a half left in the third too, that Turco looked lethargic on. I'm sorry, Marty, because I like you, but you belong on the bench.

The Ugly
The Hawks home troubles continue. It's not that the Hawks didn't generate chances, they just never finished (that's what she said). Borat just had an excellent game. Every bounce and rebound went his way. He earned the shutout. As much as Eddie and Pat tried to jinx him by saying "shutout" it just didn't matter. The Canucks only managed 18 shots, which is not bad

I'm not sure exactly why Pick-To-Click Vik sat the bench for the latter half of the game, but if it was for his play, it wasn't deserved. I saw him playing with Sharpie and Skille for one shift in the third. Who really knows what is going on with that.

Here are the video highlights for your viewing pleasure:

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Black and Blues

The Blues came out with a few nice chances early, but Crawford was up to the task, and the first ended 2-1 Hawks with a couple of nice goals by the Hawks. In the Second, the Hawks exploded for 3 goals, but it didn't last. The Blues came roaring back in the Third, and kept it close for a 7-5 final.

The Good
Just as I call out TomoKop, he snaps off the first goal of the game, and collects 3 assists. I'll call him out EVERY game if we get production like this. I can't say anything bad about that performance.

This was the night for call outs, as Big Show Scott and Janssen squared off, like I had predicted. Big Show certainly took the win, but Janssen is no Kevin Wesgarth and took it like a man. I give him credit, because he stood toe to toe with a much bigger man, and Scott did the only job he is any good at.

Shapie is absolutely on fire again, and made a great move/head fake combo on his goal. He made it look effortless. That line started the game with a plus 2, which is GREAT for Morin and Kopecky.

Brouwer's PP goal couldn't have been much easier, or embarrassing for the Blues. John Scott could have head butted that one into the net, with his empty cranium. Conklin didn't really bust his ass to get back in the net though, did he? Thanks for the effort, Ty. That's as plus 3 for Morin, as well.

Conklin really just looked like ass all night. That Toews powerplay goal just CAN'T go in. It should have been a slam dunk save, and it ended up in the net. The first Kaner goal wasn't his fault, because his defense left Kaner wide open right in front of the net, but the second one was bad. Stalberg beats him, and it ricochets off the post to Kane, who was allowed to poke it in. SOFT AS BABY SHIT.

The Seventh goal was just pretty, with a great fancy pants pass from TomoKop to Toews. You can't ask for much more than 7 goals with 3 coming on the powerplay. Well, other than your defense to NOT give up a 5-1 lead and eventually give up a total of 5 goals.

I don't want to give a recap without mentioning Jeremy Morin's welcome back with an assist and a fight. Give em hell, Kiddo. Rumor has it that those two fought in the "A" a little while back, and have some history.

The Bad
WOW, leave it up to Quenneville's stellar line combinations to have Boynton, Cullimore and John Scott all out on the ice at the same time. Skillington and The Snake must have been wondering what they did to deserve that group of cement shoes. What did you THINK would happen with those guys out there?

And, of course what kind of game would it be without a Dave Bolland asshole play? First he interferes with a Blues player and then the Blues score on the delayed call. Boynton? That scrap is looking better and better isn't it?

The third Blues goal was total Shanghai Fire Drill, and leave it up to John Scott's point man to put the puck in the net. That's 2 of three goals that Scott was out there for. Boynton? Momentum? Heard of it?

Goal Four...Boynton and Cullimore...How many times do I have to stress that shit show of a line? Sure, put them out there with useless Dave Bolland, and Slow Bickell and Brouwer, too. That Quenneville is a master line strategist isn't it? AWESOME! Dick? Momentum?

Speaking of Bolland; How about roofing it on that break, Davey? I didn't think so, just poke it into Conklin's pads, because we didn't need that goal anyway. And winning that faceoff right into the crowd? EPIC! He's really becoming a caricature of himself.

The Ugly
I would have normally just labeled this as "bad", but here was the turning point in the Hawks momentum. This just basically swung the game into a total state of chaos, with a single bonehead move. The Crombeen/Boynton fight. Give Crombeen all the credit in the world, because he baited an obviously mentally inferior man into a pointless fight. Boynton then pretty much proceeded get his dick beat in the dirt. Way to give in and change the momentum, Alligator Arms. Not only did you hurt Hossa, and not only were you were out there being completely ineffective during two goals against, BUT you changed the momentum in the Blues favor. You're just batting 1.000 aren't you? THIS is better than Jordan Hendry? Seriously? The only thing he DIDN'T do is rape Quenneville's wife and murder his kids. When does this madness end?

Here are the video highlights:

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