Blackhawks at Carolina - Loss Recap

"Hurricane Cam"


This is the first and last the Hawks will see of the Carolina Hurricanes this season, barring a Canes/Hawks Cup final. This was a curious matchup, because even though the Canes were only 3-3-3, they have completely owned the Blackhawks in Carolina since, get this, 1998!. Overall, the Canes have gone 8-1-3 overall against our boys in white. Not so hot. The people to watch in this game are, of course, Goalie Cam "Wardo" Ward, Former Blackhawk Tuomo Ruutu, Rookie of the Year Jeff Skinner, and the oddly -9 Eric Staal. Ward is a VERY good goalie, Ruutu was on a 2 game goal scoring streak, Skinner picked up where he left off last year gathering 10 points in 9 games, and while Staal had 5 points coming in, he also carried the previously mentioned minus 9.

The Hawks opened the first period with a dominant shift but shortly gave up a bad goal that took the wind out of their sails, and they spent most of the rest of the period chasing the puck in their own zone and killing a powerplay. The second was pretty much more of the same, with the Hawks blowing two powerplay chances, and giving up a dozen shots for a second period in a row. One goal game, going into the third. This has been a pattern. The Canes opened up the the game in the third with two goals, and the Hawks ended up losing this one 3-0 with very little momentum.


The Good

• The Hawks managed to pull off a textbook double minor penalty kill with little resistance, late in the first. Kane was sent to the box and the penalty kill ate up a good portion of time right when the Hawks were getting their momentum back.
• Crawford found his footings and shook off his early jitters, with a HUGE glove save on Jeff Skinner, and then a break-a-way and then on the resulting penalty shot by sniper Eric Staal.
• Early in the first period Quenneville split up Deuce and Leddy, and put Frank the Tank out there with Deuce. I can get on board with that, and it makes more sense. I'd prefer Seabrook or Hammer, but if it has to be Tank, then so be it.
• Frank the Tank FINALLY brought that physical aspect we'd heard so much about, since last trade deadline. The defining moment was when he dumped the 6'4" Carolina Captain on his dupa with a great open ice hit deep in the Hawks zone.
• It's really hard to root against a player I like so much, so if the Hawks have to get shut out, let Cam Ward be the goalie.

The Bad

• Not a good start for the Hawks after having a majority of the pressure, a lost faceoff by Marcus Kruger led to a long point shot that went off Leddy's skate and in the net. Eddie pointed out the faceoff loss, and it was a pretty clean loss. If you ask me, and I'm sure you didn't; Mayers should have taken that draw.
• The boards in Carolina sounded like Lars Ulrich's drums on the St. Anger album. A bunch of garbage can lids. Ping, Ping, Ping, Ping. Foley's mic switch wasn't working and you could clearly hear him ask to have the mic behind the net turned down because it was "ridiculous".
• After the Hawks early pressure, and the Canes goal, the Canes proceeded to ride the Hawks like a wild pigs. The Hawks couldn't win a faceoff, and they couldn't even get the puck out of the zone. Not how you want to play a first period, on the road, down by a goal.
• You things are bad when Mr. Automatic-on-break-a-ways can't even get a really good shot off.
• The Canes Tlusty put the Canes up 3-0 after a 2-on-1 break that saw the combination of Leddy and Lurch get throttled. Leddy did his best to slow the play up, but Lurch still wasn't able to get back fast enough to help out.
• Bolly and Kaner were donkey punched at the faceoff dot with Kaner going 1-8 and Bolland going 6-16.

The Ugly

• I'm not sure just WHAT the holy hell Crawford was doing in the opening half of first period, but he was all OVER the place, and he looked confused on almost every shot.
• The Hawks powerplay has reached epically embarrassing proportions. 25th in the league and falling faster every game. Not only that, but they gave up a horrible shorthanded break-a-way against that resulted in Seabrook getting called for an infraction which turned into a penalty shot.
• After yet ANOTHER failed powerplay in the third, Brandon Sutter picked a puck out od Seabrook's feet, right in front of the box, and raced in on a break-a-way. I'm pretty sure you know how THIS chapter ends...2-0

Here are your video highlights:

Oh, Carolina

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

The Good

• 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!

The Bad

• 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.

The Ugly

• 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.
  

Here are the video highlights for your viewing pleasure: