When I found out we were starting the year with 10 of the first 12 on the road, I thought they needed to get at least 14 of those first 24 available points to be in decent shape...if you had told me that they'd have 18 points after just ten games...I'd have told you I'd be ecstatic. Is it greedy of me to now expect that they come home with at least 20 points?
- Ogilthorpe2

Greed is good. Put everybody in the Central Division in overdrive to keep pace. Every team they beat puts a nail into their playoff coffins.

I want to see LA, Anaheim and SJ beating the crap out of each other the rest of the way as well as Nashville, Detroit and St. Louis doing the same to each other.

Kevin Kurz ‏@KKurzCSN
Desjardins match penalty has already been rescinded, according to Doug Wilson. #SJSharks
Retweeted by Bob McKenzie
- philco28

not surprised...did not look like a head hit..Mayer caught looking down as the puck comes his way...eerily similar to Hossa before scum Torres leveled him.

not surprised...did not look like a head hit..Mayer caught looking down as the puck comes his way...eerily similar to Hossa before scum Torres leveled him.
- bogiedoc

From a PIM standpoint, that whole thing worked out WAY better than i thought it would for us...so yes...no surprise.

not surprised...did not look like a head hit..Mayer caught looking down as the puck comes his way...eerily similar to Hossa before scum Torres leveled him.
- bogiedoc

Definitely not a headshot, but he may have launched (left his feet).

I have been thinking about the playoffs (ten games in is probably a little early) and I really feel the only team the Hawks don't beat in a 7 games series (barring a total Crawford meltdown, which is unlikely) is LA. Vancouver is the only other one that scares me a little but I still think the Hawks would pull it out. Despite the flaws on this team, which there are many, I just don't see another team in West that matches up well with the Hawks. As much as I didn't want to be, I'm on the bandwagon

Alright, I gotta go to bed now. The rest of yous should too, gonna need your rest going in to Phoenix. Good effort tonight boys, nice win. I'd slap you all on the a$$ if I could, in a totally non-gay (not that there's anything wrong with that), athletic sort of way...maybe some other time.

Ok...fair enough..but remember that was Emery in that Flames gme.
- bogiedoc

Ahhhh, yes, you are correct, sir - even better.

Kevin Kurz ‏@KKurzCSN
Desjardins match penalty has already been rescinded, according to Doug Wilson. #SJSharks
Retweeted by Bob McKenzie
- philco28

Is Shanny going to step in and hand out a couple games suspensions to either Desjardins or Keith?

While I still believe the Hawks need 2 physical forwards to complement the current roster it has nothing to do with the Hawks not being tough enough. If last night’s game by the Hawks overcoming the physical assault directed at them and Keith’s standing up for Mayers didn’t prove that the Hawks can’t be intimidated, well then nothing will. The reason I think the Hawks needs some more physicality is for a more balanced line up, a line up that can play any style from fast skating finesse to hard forechecking smash mouth hockey, reminiscent of the 2009-10 team.

I like what I am seeing, a team with good depth in all positions, a team that doesn’t quit, a team that stands by each other and a team that has most of the components in place to be strong in the playoffs, except for additional physicality. The area of concern, aside from some extra physicality is in goal where even though Crawford and Emery have played quite well, I am for some reason, expecting smoke and mirrors to suddenly disappear.

When I found out we were starting the year with 10 of the first 12 on the road, I thought they needed to get at least 14 of those first 24 available points to be in decent shape...if you had told me that they'd have 18 points after just ten games...I'd have told you I'd be ecstatic. Is it greedy of me to now expect that they come home with at least 20 points?
- Ogilthorpe2

http://youtu.be/R8y6DJAeolo

Well, I'll back off to two.

Look, he's been very good all year - I certainly recognize that, and you know I haven't been a fan.

I also don't care that much about the first period goals: what's been most impressive is that (except for Calgary's goal wit 35 seconds left) he hasn't let in a bad, game-tying or -losing goal at the end of games, hasn't let any in in OT.

That was my biggest problem with him in the past: you can come from 2 down after 10 minutes, EDIT but hard to do so with bad goals given up in the last 5 minutes.
- StLBravesFan

As someone else pointed out, the Calgary goal was Emery. The two that could have been killers were in Dallas. The one that ended the first period was horrid and Keith stopped the same at the end of the second.

not surprised...did not look like a head hit..Mayer caught looking down as the puck comes his way...eerily similar to Hossa before scum Torres leveled him.
- bogiedoc

How is that similar? The puck was in Mayers skates when he was leveled. Hossa had passed the puck away a full second before contact. Not only that, Torres had to turn in that second in order to make contact. Both left their skates (last night just barely), but other than that very different plays.

Is Shanny going to step in and hand out a couple games suspensions to either Desjardins or Keith?
- Beaver-Warrior

I would doubt it. Keith got the penalties he deserved for what he did. You could even question if the 10 was warrented. Desjardins did seem to launch, but didn't seem to hit the head.

Edit: Over on ESPN.com, they are saying the refs blew the call giving anything to Desjardins and that cost the Sharks the game.

http://scores.espn.go.com...hl/recap?gameId=400442611

While I still believe the Hawks need 2 physical forwards to complement the current roster it has nothing to do with the Hawks not being tough enough. If last night’s game by the Hawks overcoming the physical assault directed at them and Keith’s standing up for Mayers didn’t prove that the Hawks can’t be intimidated, well then nothing will. The reason I think the Hawks needs some more physicality is for a more balanced line up, a line up that can play any style from fast skating finesse to hard forechecking smash mouth hockey, reminiscent of the 2009-10 team.

I like what I am seeing, a team with good depth in all positions, a team that doesn’t quit, a team that stands by each other and a team that has most of the components in place to be strong in the playoffs, except for additional physicality. The area of concern, aside from some extra physicality is in goal where even though Crawford and Emery have played quite well, I am for some reason, expecting smoke and mirrors to suddenly disappear.
- paulr

Paul,
I asked you this at the tail end of another thread where you brought it up and don't know if you didn't see it. In your opinion, does the return of Carcillo account for one of those two?

After last night, could that Bickell (not the other one who is too passive) be the other? Bickell has shown up far more this year than in the past few. He's still not the road grader we all want him to be, but has been far more physical far more often this season. He (like Bolland) also tends to turn it up during the playoffs.

Paul,
I asked you this at the tail end of another thread where you brought it up and don't know if you didn't see it. In your opinion, does the return of Carcillo account for one of those two?

After last night, could that Bickell (not the other one who is too passive) be the other? Bickell has shown up far more this year than in the past few. He's still not the road grader we all want him to be, but has been far more physical far more often this season. He (like Bolland) also tends to turn it up during the playoffs.
- NewToHockey

Last nights Bickell needs to show up more often.

Paul,
I asked you this at the tail end of another thread where you brought it up and don't know if you didn't see it. In your opinion, does the return of Carcillo account for one of those two?

After last night, could that Bickell (not the other one who is too passive) be the other? Bickell has shown up far more this year than in the past few. He's still not the road grader we all want him to be, but has been far more physical far more often this season. He (like Bolland) also tends to turn it up during the playoffs.
- NewToHockey

Good question! Let me preface by saying I like the idea of fast, big, physical 4th line capable of playing a solid skating game, but also have the size and ability to provide a hard forecheck, disrupt and soften defenses, win puck battles and if necessary get nasty. They could also be spread around the lines in some situations.

I’ll probably get crucified on this board for saying this, but I don’t see Carcillo as that type of forward. I see him as an agitator and middleweight scrapper who has some ability but is also untrustworthy and has a penchant for taking dumb penalties at the wrong time.

With the emergence of Shaw and Kruger I don’t see the need for Bolland especially at his cap hit. My vision is to use Bolland and Stalberg to get those two forwards, though an argument can be made that this may impact the chemistry and depth of the team.

Nice game by Saad

A couple bad bouces or he would of had a few assists

He also finished a check and put the guy on his can
I may be projecting but a little bit of his game reminds me of Hossa
- molly2522

Please stop.

Please stop.

- John Jaeckel

Hammer reminds me of Lidstrom!
Bickell reminds me of Lucic!

Get some oxygen, JJ!

Is Shanny going to step in and hand out a couple games suspensions to either Desjardins or Keith?
- Beaver-Warrior

How? Match penalty is already rescinded. DK got the obligatory 2/2/5/10, didn't do anything physical with the zebras and the misconduct was for getting the instigator. It wasn't anything like a gross misconduct or a match penalty. So this is pretty much done; that is until the big fish are here 2/15 and 2/22.

EDIT: On the original call, I thought it would be a charge, 2-min minor. He left his feet. Didn't think the call would be as great as it was. See, this is what happens to the zebras when the league is trying to cut down on head shots. They're sensitized to the situation, saw Jammer get his clock cleaned and when he didn't get up right away, you know one of them had to recommend the head-shot penalty. Guess the new rule is a 10-minute match penalty. Don't ever remember seeing that. Match penalties were always 5-min.

Please stop.

- John Jaeckel

In fairness, I might have been the first guy (anywhere on these blogs) to say he could be a "poor man's Hossa," There is a similarity in their relative strengths and weaknesses. The difference is Hossa's game is much more advanced and refined and he is a marginally better athlete than Saad. Saad is a good to very good athlete. Hossa is a great athlete.

As someone else pointed out, the Calgary goal was Emery. The two that could have been killers were in Dallas. The one that ended the first period was horrid and Keith stopped the same at the end of the second.
- NewToHockey

Yes - brain cramp at a late hour on the Emery give-up.

My point was that Crawford hasn't given up bad goals at bad times - he's made the stops he's had to make at the most important times, protecting a one- goal lead or maintaining a tie to get to OT - plus being perfect in the OT (if not the SO).

Last year the Hawks with him in goal (to not put all of the blame on him) let in a lt of bad goals with, say, 10 minutes left in the third period. Not yet this year.