One of the greatest penultimate album tracks of all time for this, the penultimate game of a great year. It's also somewhat apt for the Flames, who should have been extinguished at the deadline but are still going along, god knows why. They finally give up the ghost and ship the old guys out (except Kiprusoff, who was like "my wife is having a baby and I'm too old for this trade shit"), and they STILL manage to play their way out of a draft pick! Oh, Calgary.

Unlike tomorrow's Blues game, this game has no effect on the standings. My hope is that the Flames, who have always been pretty shitty about showing up to Chicago against Quenneville's Blackhawks, phone this one in, and let the Hawks run up the score one more time for the fans before quarter-assing it down in The Lesser Milwaukee tomorrow.

Hawks are 35-6-5, 29-6-11 adjusted, just about two points above expectation
Flames are 19-24-4, adjusted 19-25-5 (only Toronto has less point inflation, with zero), about four points above expectation

Hawks 2nd in scoring at 3.152, leading the league in goals allowed at 2.022. Ottawa's hot on our tails at 2.087. Be stingy.
Flames are 12th in scoring at 2.702, 29th in goals allowed at 3.227. They're still well ahead of Florida, at a ridiculous 3.553.


Eighthwatch has gotten rather simple:
Detroit: 47.3%
Columbus: 27.1%
Minnesota: 25.6%

Well, pick your poison. The Wings have elite talent and are heating up just in time. The Blue Jackets have a goalie who might win the MVP. The Wild have Parise and Suter.

Calderwatch '13:
Saad down to fifth in points and goals, third in assists, first in +/- at +16. Point leader Huberdeau is a -16! Longshot, but not impossible. Yakupov won't get votes because he was already resented a lot before things got bad for Russian Muslims around here. I think Saad will be one of the three nominees, but lose to Huberdeau. That's fine. Win the trophy that matters.

Good year of game threads, even if it took a while to start. I'm not doing one for St. Louis. I will try to compile our "season mixtape," though. No games off next year!

_________________

Only point to this game is seeing if Kane can rack up some points and miraculously pull out the Hart.

AND HEEERE COME THE CALLUPS

Morin, Hayes, Pirri, Ben Smith, Clendening, SHAWN FREAKING LALONDE, Montador, Karlsson all up.

hahaha look who still isn't up

_________________

Goalie Carter Hutton has also been recalled.

When Carter Hutton plays, people listen...

Hutton has been up for a few days to back up Crawford when Emery was scratched, unless they sent him back down since the Oilers game and called him back. This was just one fell swoop of promotion.

_________________

The old sit around in the hotel room and get drunk send down.

_________________
Team Cutler.

CH, the Blackhawks' top AHL affiliate in Rockford's season is over. Like the Wolves, Rockford didn't make the AHL Playoffs.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how that roster stuff works in the NHL. I think Hutton traveled with the Blackhawks to Vancouver & Edmonton, but wasn't active...until Ray Emery was forced to leave Wednesday's game with the "lower body injury." Mac mentioned something the other day that Emery's hip was the problem, but the NHL's injury policy is vague due to privacy issues.

It's fairly close to baseball, actually. From the end of preseason to the trade deadline, you're allowed to carry up to 23 players, 20 of whom can dress for a given game. Remaining players are "scratches," who either just hang out in the dressing room or the press box or whatever. Players who have "waiver exemption" due to not enough NHL games played can be freely assigned to the AHL affiliate, while those with enough games played must "clear waivers" and be declined by 29 other NHL teams before being assigned to an AHL team. Anyone can be called up from the AHL. After the trade deadline, the 23-man limit goes away, and you're allowed to carry as many players from your 50-man roster (which are all your players under NHL contracts, but can also be on assignment to the AHL or ECHL, loaned to Europe, or assigned to the junior league -- which has its own strict rules pertaining to callups/senddowns) as you'd like.

Just like with baseball and the trade deadline, you need to have the rights to that player before that day passes, meaning either on the 50-man contract or part of the "reserve list" of players you have drafted but haven't yet signed out of Europe or the NCAA. That's why Drew LeBlanc's season is done on Saturday, while guys like Morin and Hayes will be available.

Also, with goalies, you can have a third-string "emergency goalie" who only dresses once one of the first two goalies leaves the game due to injury. So when Emery got hurt, Hutton dressed for action, but was never needed. It's, of course, rare. There was a playoff game in 2009 where Khabibulin and Huet both left the game with injuries, requiring Crawford to come into the game despite being scratched.

Hope some of this helps!

_________________

It does. The subject came up the other night in the Blackhawks' win in Edmonton.

Handzus on the 2nd line with Sharp and Toews. Q said that this will be the 2nd line in the playoffs, even with Bolland back. Some nice passing plays between the three of them so far.

Kane is on the board.

Might not be the worst thing to have Handzus at 2C. As long as he can facilitate for Sharp and Kane, he should be fine. Bolland was being actively bad at times.

What a garbage goal by Toews. Better score 'em now, boys, there is no tomorrow.

_________________

Toews a point per game player for the first time in his career.

How many actually read the War and Peace post by Curious Hair?....so long and winded...for cryin out loud..just being honest

_________________
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.

the 1 remaining beacon of sports light

_________________
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.

Curious' game day posts are appointment reading.

I know you're just trolling, Neck, but still...


Wild getting buttreamed by the Oil tonight. Jackets could still sneak in if they beat the Preds and the Avs pants Minne this weekend

_________________
Not a mult.

No I'm not trolling...let me know if I'm wrong ....how many read it?????

_________________
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.

CH's game day threads are always a good read.

Minnesota is going to play themselves right out the playoffs.

They don't always score goals, but when they do, they are of no use to themselves and only fuck over the other team. The Edmonton Oilers: the most interesting hockey team in the world.

_________________

1

_________________
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.

If they play LA it can be The King is Dead I guess.

Probably everyone who participates in the hockey threads on a regular basis read them Walt. I appreciate the analysis and breakdowns.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

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

100% agreed. Some good insight and CH has an easy reading prose even though it is lengthy. The exact opposite of Sini.

_________________