Something that, if you squint, almost resembles an NHL organization comes rumbling up I-55 off a loss to the Blues for a game against a team having the BEST START EVER. Yes, it's The Saddest Story Ever Told, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Sergei Bobrovsky got the start in St. Louis last night, so you'd have to think Steve Mason goes tonight. In eight games and seven starts, Mason has a GAA of 3.00 and a save percentage of .900, which is just barely enough to keep you in the NHL these days. He seems to be on the same career arc as Brian Elliott.

Vinny Prospal is the leading goal-scorer with 6. Fedor Tyutin leads in points with 10. Ye gods. Brandon Dubinsky is out with a busted knee and Artem Anisimov is day-to-day with a concussion, so the major pieces of the Rick Nash trade are as gone as Rick Nash is.

The Hawks are 14-0-3 in puffy standings, 12-0-5 in real standings, and are playing about three points above expectation.
For Columbus, it's 5-11-2, 4-12-2, and almost two points below expectation.

Hawks are down to 4th in scoring at 3.235 with their 2-1 win on Friday night, but that same score keeps them 2nd in goals allowed at 1.882.
The Beej is 28th in goals scored at 2.167, and a surprising 21st in goals allowed with 3 even.

Hawks are 3-0 when the title of the game thread is a Magnetic Fields song. This is an album, but hey, close enough.

This is a team that's about ten games back of the Hawks. Hawks have beaten them eight times in a row over three seasons. It shouldn't even be close. Watch them win somehow. Pfft.

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I don't understand why my cable provider doesn't give me the Blue Jackets games. I am only like an hour and a half away.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Aren't you east of Columbus heading toward Wheeling? That's Penguins territory. I feel like we've discussed this.

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Columbus is really, really bad. If they find a way to give the Hawks their first regulation loss tonight, I might cry.

That would make you a Saad guy?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Dammit,I wish he he was playing . Wanted to tell him how much I enjoyed reading I, Robot.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

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

Every day I see Coach Q......too much, Wayward Bus
They play Columbus whos Jackets are blue....too much, Wayward Bus
I'm so happy I could drop a pile.........too much, Wayward Bus
The U.C.'s only a hundred miles.....too much, Wayward Bus
Thank you Foley for getting me here....too much Wayward Bus
Your voice goes nice with a lot of beers.....too much Wayward Bus
I don't want to see no pus.......too much Wayward Bus
I just hijacked the thread called "Wayward Bus"......

Well regardless of my inability to watch any team other than the pens....I finally get to go to a Hawks game against the Wild in a week and a half.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Jack Johnson to injured reserve with an "upper-body injury," North Shore John Moore to take his place. It never gets better for them.

Bolland probably out for the Hawks. Guessing we go Toews-Kruger-Shaw-Mayers down the middle with him out.

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I have glass seats for this afternoon's Ice Hogs/Wolves game. Looking forward to seeing the minor league talent. Ill be heading to Shoeless Joes afterwards to catch the start of Hawks game. Rozner's last two columns piss me off, as usual. First he does another one of his luck articles on how the Hawks beat the Sharks because of two soft goals. Oh you completely neglect how good Niemi was at rebound control. They earned that win. Then today he takes away from the Hawks by comparing them to the 2006 Ducks team.

Rozner, I hate you. Just enjoy the damn games.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

The '07 Ducks and '13 Blackhawks have nothing in common beyond hot starts. Getzlaf, Perry, and Penner were on ELCs, which allowed them to splurge on Pronger and the Niedermayers, which is actually more in common with the 2010 Hawks underpaying Toews and Kane so they could overpay Hossa. They also had a system built around a hard forecheck and Chris Pronger breaking everyone's faces with his elbows because in his words, he couldn't help but be tall. The Hawks are winning with a possession offense and a skilled but undersized defense.

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He did it to hate on the Hawks. The Ducks won the cup, while the Hawks arent even in the playoffs yet.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

He's not "hating." Rozner : Blackhawks :: Bernstein : White Sox, where everything has to be couched in self-protective doubt and dread, but beneath all that measured caution is just another screaming meatball.

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Bolland out C squared between the pipes....big night for Kaner

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I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

Panthers lose again, down to 5-9-4. Might we want Stephen Weiss at #2C?

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Meh. Is he really that big of an improvement on offense over Bolland?

I dunno. I wanna add someone, and there are only about four teams that can be definitively said to be done (Florida, Washington, Buffalo, Columbus).

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First hawks game I'm watching this season... I bet they lose in regulation...

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Ribeiro?

First game? You're not a hockey gay!

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Hawaii (fuck) You

I wouldnt add a thing....wait until an injury forces our hand.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Kane-Kruger-Sharp?

Yikes! what have I missed?

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Link?

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

That might have been the worse power play I've seen all year.
Just shit.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Was just going to post this. That was beyond brutal.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

The last few games they've put Tracey Myers in the press box and shot her from long range...hehe...

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Not a mult.

It was Sharp-Bolland-Kane (please use left-to-right; we speak English, not Hebrew or Japanese) but Bolland is hurt.

Hawks might want to show up tonight.

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