Hello All!
Sorry it has been so long since my last post. A lot has taken place and our Chicago brethren are off to a 6-1-2 start so far this season.
Let's recap the season thus far before I further explain my frustration with the Blackhawk faithful:
Beat the Caps.
Lost to the Lightning in a shoot out.
Lost to St. Louis. (I was there and will vent about this game later).
Beat the Islanders.
Beat Buffalo.
Beat Carolina.
Lost to St. Louis in a shoot out.
Beat Toronto.
Beat Florida.
On paper the season doesn't look to bad, but why have Hawks fans been complaining?
Because last year the Blackhawks were magical. They dominated the Western Conference with so much talent that it was almost unreal. So of course, after Lord Stanley visited town, fans expectations to go on the same exact run were the buzz of the town.
Well I hate to break it to you folks, but it isn't going to be that easy this time around. In fact, it's hard to argue that the Hawks are the best team in a weak Western Conference right now. They have come up short a few times against an uprising St. Louis squad and have failed to close out games that should have been cake walk with last years squad.
So why is this year so different?
It's tough. The Stanley Cup hangover exists whether you believe it or not. I'm sure I am not the only one who has noticed, the Hawks look slow. They look tired, exhausted, whatever term you want to use to describe it. Of course, it doesn't help that guys like Joakim Nordstrom are being counted on in huge roles to begin the season. Just like Frolik and Kruger these two are going to have trouble learning how to be a top penalty killing unit, but it will come in time. We also lost Ray Emery, who was extraordinary in relief of Crawford whenever he needed to be and to be honest Khabibulin isn't going to be able to fill in like our Flyer friend did.
As I mentioned before I was at the game in St. Louis that lovely Wednesday night of October the 9th. Being a student of the University of Missouri, I asked my friend George to come along with me. Before we left, I told him it was going to be a close game, possibly going to overtime and I had no idea who would take the victory home.
About halfway through the game, tied 2-2, I turned to George and said, "Corey still has one bad one to give up". Low and behold with about 20 seconds left in the 3rd period did he prove me right.
That game was supposed to go into overtime. Supposed to, but it didn't.
That along with two other shoot out loses doesn't bother me as much as it seems to have bothered a lot of other Hawks fans. You want to know why? Because in the post season shoot outs do not exist, and neither does a 5 minute period of 4 on 4 hockey.
Yes, I understand that if you win the shoot out that's another tally in the win column and another point in the standings, but let's be honest here. You didn't lose a game... You merely lost a way to settle a tie that doesn't take a unknown amount of time so that you can get back on the plane and resume practice the next day. Realistically I look at the Hawks and see they have one legitimate loss, and knowing the struggles of the 90's and early 00's, that outcome is fine with me.
So here is my point. Everyone loses a few bad games. The Blackhawks are not going to miss the playoffs and I only see them figuring out their problems and improving as the season goes on.
Stop trying to be the coach and let Q do his job. Please, just stop the negative Facebook and Twitter posts, the pointless banter, and enjoy the hockey season. The Hawks are going to be ALRIGHT.
