Blackhawks @ Rangers IGT 2/17 at 7:00 p.m.

[DMelt36]

Rivalry night! (Sorta.)

67-18-5, 79 points, 2nd place in Western Conference

@

32-18-6, 70 points, 3rd place in Eastern Conference

Puckdrop - 7:00 p.m.
TV - NBC Sports (Web stream available on NBCSports.com and NBC Live Extra app)
Radio - WGN AM 720

For the first time in quite a while, the Hawks are looking up in the conference standings, with the point acquired by the Dallas Stars last night moving them into a lone spot atop the West. Meanwhile, the Hawks continue their Original Six swing by heading to the Garden to face the rolling Rangers, who've won seven of their last 10. With the alleged BGITW in net (how many Cups ya got, Henrik?) a lot of traffic mixed in with plenty of pucks on net figure to be the required ingredients in the recipe for a Blackhawks win.


LET'S GO HAWKS!!

 

[Tater]

Hawks win 3-2.

 

[ClydeLee]

Ah the trapezoid dangers

 

[DMelt36]

Lines during the morning skate:

Shaw-Toews-Panik
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Desjardins-Danault-Teravainen
Mashinter-Rasmussen-Hinostroza

Crawford in net

 

[Raskolnikov]

Lines during the morning skate:

Shaw-Toews-Panik
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Desjardins-Danault-Teravainen
Mashinter-Rasmussen-Hinostroza

Crawford in net

Barf. I accept we are not a first place team as currently constructed. We lose tonight and throw jet fuel on the impending trade coming.

Right now we are an imbalanced team who needs last change badly to turn the tables. Defense or offense. Our well rounded line is broke. Our fourth line is not what we will be looking at in May.

We did well for ourselves to get points we needed badly, still a good chance to collect enough points where a March push could yield us home ice for most or all of playoffs, once we iron out the personnel issues and make our final playoff roster Rockford call ups.

 

[HawkWriter]

Impressive how well the Blackhawks are starting games this year.

Good pass and quality finish on the first goal.

 

[Diehardfan]

Hawks win a challenge!!!!

 

[Raskolnikov]

Hiccupstroke fucked this game hard. Dano call up time.

 

[derosabomb]

stalgod with a penalty :facepalm:

 

[ClydeLee]

Praise be to the stalgod

 

[ClydeLee]

They call him the Lundqvist killer

 

[derosabomb]

damn this kid has been great... panera!!

 

[Raskolnikov]

Team should have kicked that dudes ass for the chop trip after the hat trick.

 

[DMelt36]

stalgod with a penalty :facepalm:

StalGod with the biggest contribution to a Hawks victory of his career!

 

[Tater]

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

I thought the Rags outplayed the Hawks in a good portion of the game.
Problem is finishing, and the Rangers pooped themselves.

I seriously get sick watching the Hawks/Rangers because of the "what if" of 2014. What if the Hawks could've beat LA in game 7 and met the Rangers in the SCF? They would've murdered them in 5 games.

(gotta let old shit die)

 

[ClydeLee]

Well it was close to a matchup last year and it was funny seeing Jon Cooper complain about injuries costing them the cup but they wouldn't of beaten the Rangers if that team didn't have 3 injured defense-men and Zuc knocked out.

 

[The Hawk]

Wow. What a finish by the Hawks! THey could have folded after giving up three straight goals but flipped a switch and got three straight of their own THe intermission guys were all in praise of the organization finding Panarin when other organizations ignored him. What an acquisition the kid is

 

[HawkWriter]

By the way - TT might of had his best game of the season last night. Throw the two assists out and he was working his ass off and going to the tough areas of the ice. Was really good to see and hopefully he keeps it up. Wonder if Panik getting the call at 1RW over him sine Hossa went down (which Q said was because TT didn't seize the opportunities when up there earlier this year) lit a fire under his ass.

 

[Raskolnikov]

By the way - TT might of had his best game of the season last night. Throw the two assists out and he was working his ass off and going to the tough areas of the ice. Was really good to see and hopefully he keeps it up. Wonder if Panik getting the call at 1RW over him sine Hossa went down (which Q said was because TT didn't seize the opportunities when up there earlier this year) lit a fire under his ass.

Panik is a shit player compared to TT.

I think TT on the third line is more about continuity and success of that third line. They were part of the 12 game streak and have shown considerable usefulness, shutting down opponents, putting offensive pressure on, and playing 2 way hockey. 11 contributes to penalty kill and has a huge hockey IQ. 86 has the skill but meshes with 11 so well because he can match his hockey IQ, and contributes to power play. Their center is the athlete, a former first round pick because of that, and has a bright future. That line is actually a very wiley veteran paired with two first round picks. I feel confident with them against anyone which is a nice luxury for Q.

I love that line, and would resist breaking it up if I were Q also. Kruger could make that line a shut down defensive weapon. But they seem to play above their individual abilities due to chemistry, so I might try to form a 4th line around Kruger in the end.

The first line just needs to be Shaw the all purpose poxy unless the right trade materializes.


We'll be fine but I keep expecting some losses until we get Kruger/Hossa/Dano all back. Maybe Bickell.