Blackhawks 4 - Bluejackets 1 - A Boring Win Is Still A Win

The shitshow that is the 2015-16 Columbus Bluejackets rolled into the United Center. Upon leaving, their record stands at 0 wins, 6 losses. Oof. The thing is, they're still competitive, they just don't have an identity or a unified style of play. The passion to win is there, they just don't know how. Once Anisimov scored late in the 2nd period, they just fell apart. They're a frustrated team looking for a spark, which is why they tried to start some dumb shit at the end of the game, to get some kind of emotional resonance running through the team. They failed at that, too. The Bluejackets started cross-checking every Blackhawk in the last minute of the game, like a drunk guy at last call who'd been stonewalled by every woman he talked to, so he starts a fight to prove that the night wasn't a waste. The Blackhawks were wise not to engage in the shitbaggery. Leave the pointless bluster to the Blues.

Delicious Cake

-Marian Hossa. Honorable gentleman, future Hall of Famer, master of puck possession, superior 2-way player, silent assassin. His goal on the Hawks' 2 man advantage had all the hallmarks of classic Hossa. He furiously pumped his legs to hustle on the back-check, stole the puck from behind and effortlessly slid a shot through the goalie's pads. The Hawks probably wouldn't have won 3 cups without him. He's still got a few more years left in him, and I will miss him dearly when he retires. 




So So Soup

-How may breakaways have the Hawks had this season? A lot. How many have they converted? Only 1 (Panarin). They need to execute on the tremendous chances they're getting. 

-The entire game was dull. Even Corey Crawford said so. The Hawks were lucky to be playing a team that has zero chemistry or else they might've gotten beat. They're not playing with any urgency. 


Me, watching this game


Expired Tuna Salad

-The Hawks power play. They put up a mere 6 shots on their 5 power play chances. The box score reads 2 PP goals, but the reality is that the 1st was a lucky deflection off a Bluejackets defenseman, and the 2nd was a tremendous individual effort by Hossa that I mentioned above. They are playing scared with the extra man. They're passing and passing and passing. They're pussy footing around the puck, not being active in their movement. It's all so predictable. They need to draw the defenders away from their battle stations by setting up below the goal line. Panarin has shown extreme skill behind the net, let him do his thing. Instead if playing passing games, have a defenseman penetrate with the puck and squeeze off a shot or pass to someone beside the net.


Final Thought:

The Hawks are gonna miss Brandon Saad come playoff time. And Saad is gonna miss the playoffs, because Columbus sucks, and historically speaking, has always sucked. That goes for the city of Columbus as well. I visited the Ohio State University campus before my senior year of high school and couldn't leave fast enough. There were bars on the windows of the dorms, which struck me as necessary after driving around that city for an hour.

Oh, Guy Fieri was born in Columbus. That is all.