Chicago and Winnipeg playing hockey on the first snowfall of the season, that's hockey, baby!

So after the Jets shut out the Hawks a couple weeks ago, they lost like five in a row, many of them quite convincingly. They're slowly getting back into form but it might be too little, too late; the dirty secret of the NHL is that from Thanksgiving to the finish, what you see is what you get w/r/t playoff seeding. Thanks to the ever-increasing number of loser points, if you're out of the playoffs with 50+ fucking games to play, you're prrrrrrobably not getting in. This league is complete bullshit. You guys all know that, right?

Real-ass 1C Mark Scheifele was out last night for their game against the Blues and might be out tonight as well but Bryan Little has been back, and he's a very good 2C. Pretty good odds that Patrik Laine makes Scott Darling look like a fool tonight, because why wouldn't he? He makes a fool out of every goalie.

Nick Schmaltz got assigned to Rockford to make room for a third goalie. I still believe he has the highest ceiling of any of our rookie forwards, but that's certainly a setback, and given that he dragged his feet on signing here because he thought he was too good to have to log time in Rockford, he can't be happy.

Usually my deal when the Hawks play the Jets is that I'll root for whichever team needs it more, but with no Crawford for the time being, that's the Hawks tonight. I'll take an overtime/shootout win to spread the wealth, which is just as well because that's the only kind of game the Hawks can win these days anyway.

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So they didn't put Crawford on IR?

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

He does not appear to be on IR, no. Toews is on standard injured reserve (off the 23-man active roster but no cap relief), so there are twelve forwards, eight defensemen, and three goalies.

This is not a good roster composition. Trevor van Riemsdyk needs rehab starts in Rockford, during which time Schmaltz should be up, because it doesn't appear that Toews's back is getting any better.

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Rooting for which team needs it more?

Don't say gay things like that, CH.

Technically, the Jets are the ones who need it more, being in sixth place and under .500 with a talented squad, but I tried to be nice.

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Haha, Jordin Tootoo is such a useless piece of shit. Thanks! That added so much!

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John & Troy call a nice fight on the radio, I'll tell ya hwhat ... [/Hank Hill]

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

When will Crawford be back?

It's an appendix ... a week? Two?

When will Johnny be back for that matter.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Crawford will probably be out through Christmas.

I really think Toews is finished as a meaningful NHL player. He might hang out around for a few years because contractually, he has to, but he's one drug bust short of the Mike Richards plan.

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We've talked about this ... that's the stuff you need to squelch, mister man ...

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Back injuries ended Dave Bolland's career, too. Guess you can't be a gritty two-way center with a bad back.

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Not the best start. 2 shots on goal. Ooofah ...

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

Yeah, this is what it looks like when you build a roster around two guys and one of the guys isn't there. But like I said, the whole league is a blob this year, so whatever.

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Off topic, how much do off ice officials make? Refs make quite a bit.

A careless mishandle by Campbell results in a breakaway, luckily Darling made a great save.

I have not been a huge fan of his.



So does having Toews make a positive impact or negative impact on the team? It seems like you are saying you see a void when he's not here. When he does play you think he's an addlepated drug addict that doesn't do or score enough.

So, the team that has surrendered 30 goals in 9 games is absolutely stifling the Blackhawks. And I swear to God if I hear Eddie O apologize for this putrid offensive effort or explain it away one more time, I'll get Ralph Cifaretto to pay a visit to his horse (he's currently on about "You know what Pat, every team wishes they could be a puck possession team; but what's more important than that is the pace..." as the Hawks can't hold onto the god damn puck in their offensive zone).

He's just Mr. Negative.

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Sherman remarked, "Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?" Grant looked up. "Yes," he replied, followed by a puff. "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though."

He's just Mr. Negative.

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Sherman remarked, "Well, Grant, we've had the devil's own day, haven't we?" Grant looked up. "Yes," he replied, followed by a puff. "Yes. Lick 'em tomorrow, though."

I like Hinostrova (sp?) but he totally pussed out on that play at center ice.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Seabrook loafing with the puck, gets stripped at center ice, another Jets breakaway.

Can someone explain to me what Brian Campbell does BESIDES turn the puck over in the Hawks' zone?

At least Darling's having a good game. Now, let's think about getting the puck to the net once ina while.

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Not a mult.

Darling isn't as great as some people want him to be, but he can really step up big in times of need. Crawford just does so more reliably.

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Crap.

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Not a mult.

The snow made the Hawks think it was already February, all these skaters have a bad case of the no-fucks.

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I can't stomach Crawford being out of the lineup.

With the penalty kill at a near-historic low, the Blackhawks need to fire Mike Kitchen. It can't be that important for Quenneville to have his old Colorado Rockies buddy around as some sort of consigliere. Someone needs to turn this around.

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They need to put a soft serve ice cream machine in the broadcast booth. Eddie has a weird fetish with ice cream. I swear he mentions it every game. Someone get Eddie an ice cream cone.

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Hawaii (fuck) You