The Making of the St. Louis Blues
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$3 They Love The Way We Do It, There’s Really Nothing To It $3 The Committed Indian The REal Fan’s Program secondcityhockey.com April 1st, 2009 [email protected] JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT WE WERE OUT Here we thought the Hawks were times to let it go. in Manny Legace. They have a boatload of coming out of it, and then those two games Lastly (this list got longer than we young, inexperienced players. Yet, there they happened. Here we thought the Hawks thought), use of certain players. Q was the are, at the #9 spot, one point out. If Andy showed the requisite desire, and then these one beating the drum for Samuel Pahlsson, Murray doesn’t win the Jack Adams -- which two games happened. Here we thought the and then has failed to use him in his best he won’t because he doesn’t coach on the East Hawks were raising their game just in time to role. He continues to use Bolland’s line as the Coast -- there really is something wrong. keep us from soilng ourselves, and then these checking line, which worked wonders earlier How have they done it? Well, kids two games happened (though we haven’t in the year. But wasn’t Pahlsson brought here T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund -- the targets heard enough credit being given to Vancouver so they could concentrate on scoring? Pahls- for Hawks fans’ projectiles for the next 10 around here, who played an absolute flawless son’s not a scoring center, so why was he put years -- have been other-wordly. Goalie game, especially in their own zone. Some- between Versteeg and Kane, who clearly are Chris Mason has been playing out of his mind. times, Hawks’ opponents do that). Ugh, these offensive players? In addition, Kane skated But mostly, the Blues have simply kept playing last 10 days have every chance of being fatal on three different lines last night. How does hard, finishing every check, and outworking for us. that help? He’s clearly fighting it, so doesn’t it the opponent every night. By far the scariest trait of the past make sense to put him where he’s most likely Frankly, we can’t think of a worse two games is the Hawks being out-desper- to produce, i.e. with Toews? Having him skate team for the Hawks to catch right now. Not ate-ed, if you’ll allow us to use a word that with Fraser and Burish is attempting to cure only have they...well, sucked donkey-ass doesn’t exist (look for any English teachers a cold by pouring acid on yourself. Strange against them all season, but the Blues are as to faint at the sight of that). It’s not as if the days, indeed. hot as anyone right now. They’ve won five Hawks aren’t putting forth any effort at all, The Blues Have Many Babies in a row, and were here in Chicago waiting they certainly are. But there’s that extra 5% We had better see that extra charge as the Hawks were doing whatever that was that’s been missing, the 5% that would result tonight, because there’s no question the team in Montreal last night. The Blues will take in winning the battles in front of the Hawks’ on the other bench is going to bring it. We the Canucks gameplan, or more accurately, net, which seem to be ending in dented twine know we’re supposed to hate the Blues, and use the blueprint they wrote and the Canucks these days. The 5% that would result in work- believe us, we’re getting real close to do- stole. That is, heavily pressure the Hawks’ ing hard enough to cancel out the mistakes ing so. But you really have to marvel at what D, finish every check against their forwards, the Hawks are making that are ending in goals they’ve accomplished this season. Their injury and strangle any space in the defensive zone. against. The 5% that would see the Hawks list has been so silly only Dr. Seuss could have If the Hawks are going to pull out a win, battle through the defensive tactics they’ve come up with it. They’ve lost north of 450 they need to find that extra jump, or jam, or seen. It’s time for it now. man-games. They weren’t all that strong on charge, or ejaculation, or whatever you want We’ve Got Q’s For Q talent to begin with. They ended up demoting to call it. If they don’t, it’s panic time. We’re not calling for Q’s head or what was supposed to be their #1 netminder -Ronny James Dio anything like that. This is not your mustached Chicago sports fan with an Italian beef hang- ing from his lips calling for a Ditka-like tirade behind the bench. Overall, we love the job Quenneville has done. But recently, there are decisions made that make us curious. First, the aforementioned lack of urgency. Maybe this isn’t reflective of the coach, but it has to be partly. We know he’s noticed it, and we’re sure he doesn’t want to panic or blow up to put a young team on pins and needles. But it’s got to be corrected. Secondly, the penalty kill has been dodgy for six weeks now, at least. Yet, only against Vancouver did we see a change of personnel, with Toews and Sharp finally mak- ing an appearance. We understand if the staff is reluctant to change systems this late in the season, and we don’t think they should, but obviously something was amiss for a long time, and it’s only now being addressed. Thirdly, Q seems so intent on his line matching, at times it seems the Hawks are thrown off rhythm, and/or get caught on yet another change. We’re not saying ignore who you want on the ice vs. whom, but there are Adam Burish At It Again FROM THE EDITOR and possibly his soul. It was that night I knew it would be a long Once again, I biffed it. Here I was proclaiming how time before the Hawks could seriously overtake Scum. Still wait- excited I was for a big game in Chicago again, and the Hawks shit ing... the bed. I guess I’ll take the blame, might as well go somewhere. It While I don’t think Sunday’s defeat will have that long- reminded me of a similar game, where I left the Old Stadium with a term repercussion, I still left the UC on Sunday immensely disap- similar feeling. It was 16 years ago. pointed. Hopefully, the next time one of these I was about 11 or 12, and had recently comes around, the Hawks will handle it better, become a regular caller to the old afternoon and so will I. show on The Score, McNeil and Boers (some of you may remember the mad ramblings of Young -I’ve harped on this before, but after Sam. That was me, once upon a time. I should Sunday’s brawl there’s been a lot of discussion have known then I wouldn’t amount to a lawyer on sports radio around town. I’m not sure how or doctor, or at least after I told every Bulls fan I feel about the shenanigans on Sunday. Bur- to kiss my ass on air). I had just met Dan Mc- ish should have been trying to get the Canucks Neil for the first time, and we talked about how off their game in the 1st, not the 3rd. He should much we were looking forward to the following have cooled it when his teammates were fight- Sunday’s game against Detroit on Valentine’s Sam Fels hing all over the ice so the linesman could break Day. them up. If he wants to take a swing at a Sedin The Hawks had been on a nice run and sister, that’s fine. That’s what the Avery’s, Ott’s, we’re looking to make a push over Detroit for the division lead. and Burrows’s of the world do, agitate and anger. But when down Everyone thought this was the game when the Hawks would an- 3-0, it looks pretty shallow. nounce their dominance. Unfortunately, Steve Yzerman had other But as for the talk you hear on the radio, we really have to ideas. cool it. Hockey is not going to be a mainstream sport, and we don’t He torched us that night. It was one of his signature perfor- need it to be. Dan Bernstein only wants you to try and defend it so mances against the Hawks. He had a hat trick and two assists. On he can make you look stupid. And he will. So please, for all of us, his third goal, he faked Karl Dykhuis out of every article of gear stop trying. NHL STANDINGS *late game not included Eastern Conference Western Conference W L OTL PTS GF GA HOME AWAY W L OTL PTS GF GA HOME AWAY 1 Boston 49 17 10 108 257 180 26-6-6 23-11-4 1 San Jose 50 15 11 111 245 188 31-3-4 19-12-7 2 Washington 46 23 7 99 245 222 27-9-2 19-14-5 2 Scum 49 18 9 107 279 225 26-7-4 23-11-5 3 New Jersey 47 25 4 98 228 189 26-11-1 21-14-3 3 Vancouver 42 25 9 93 231 204 22-11-4 20-14-5 4 Philadelphia 41 24 10 92 242 217 22-12-4 19-12-6 4 Calgary 43 27 6 92 242 232 25-10-4 18-17-2 5 Carolina 42 28 7 91 220 214 23-13-1 19-15-6 5 HAWKS 40 24 11 91 243 206 21-9-7 19-15-4 6 Pittsburgh 41 27 8 90 239 225 23-13-3 18-14-5 6 Columbus 40 29 8 88 214 212 25-12-2 15-17-6 7 NY Rangers 40 28 9 89 199 208 24-11-4 16-17-5 7 Anaheim 39 32 6 84 224 220 19-17-3 20-15-3 8 Montreal 39 27 10 88 230 230 24-8-7 15-19-3 8 Nashville 38 31 8 84 197 211 23-12-4 15-19-4 9 Florida 38 28 11 87 218 218 20-11-7 18-17-4 9 St.