Well, got the correct ratio, as I predicted a 4-2 loss, which ended up being a 2-1 loss instead. At least we got a point? Sigh. Time for the good, the bad, and the ugly of that game.
The Good:
-The Sedins continue to play well, despite every attempt by AV to make them play with people who don't suit their style. They didn't do much damage offensively last night, but at least they generated chances, even if at one point Henrik passed the puck in the slot when he should have shot the f***ing puck.
-Mason Raymond is fast. He can create chances with his speed. Why he chooses to stay on the perimeter at all times however.....
-Tamby. I really like him and think he should get more playing time. However, for that to happen, he will have to get rid of any sign of having any kind of skill. Then AV might play him.
-Luongo. He didn't cry! Yes! Victory! Anytime Luongo doesn't cry when leaving Chicago it's a good thing. He played well I thought, and didn't shy away from playing deep in his crease even though that style looked awful against Minnesota. Good to see him sticking with it.
-Alberts. Not a game changer, not someone you are ever going to give a ton of minutes to, but he continues to impress me by playing well within his abilities
The Bad:
-Ryan Kesler on the PP. He just isn't that effective there. Aside from trying to hack at the puck 30 times in 3 seconds, he is being used as a screen on the PP. He is basically playing the 'Bitch Bernier' role. Kesler has a good enough shot that he should be anchoring the 2nd PP unit. Why waste him on the Bitch role? Let Torres play that role. Torres was born to play that role.
-Edler looked uncomfortable out there. Edler is a great d-man, but he is still too inconsistent to be our number one d-man. This is why Hamhuis is our number one d-man. Consistency. This is also why Salo was our number one d-man for the 3 games he was healthy last year. He is incredibly consistent, and always makes the smart play.
-Parent looks like a frightened child out there. He looks like he is overthinking everything he does. He wavers between trying to decide if he should close the gap, or stay in the shooting lane, and in the end, just kind of skates backwards on every play, doing nothing. I really hope he gets some time on the Moose.
The Ugly:
-Tanner "Bite me" Glass, "I don't even care about your first name" Desbiens. I hate both of these players. Desbiens supplanted Hordichuk. Well, Desbiens hasn't fought. And he hasn't landed many hits. He hasn't taken stupid penalties, though, so I guess that's better than Hordichuk? The worst part, though, is seeing AV trying to force Glass into the role of a PK. He is not a penalty killer. He cannot do it. Please stop putting him out there. I know you miss Ryan Johnson and the way he ran around the PK like his hair was on fire, but please stop trying to recreate that with Glass. Please.
-Not putting Tamby in the shootout. Let's play the number game:
Tamby shootout percentage: 66%
Samuelsson shootout percentage: 13%
TAMBY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOOTING. To be fair, Sammy had Turco beaten, he for some reason felt sorry for Turco after having been embarressed by Daniel so badly that he decided to put the puck wide so Turco wouldn't feel to down on himself.
-Hansen on the top line. Look, I like Hansen. I enjoy him as a player. He is one of our better forcheckers. It's just that he has a little problem called Steve Bernieritis, in that he is the place all offence goes to die. The man works his ass off to get the puck back, starts going to the net with the puck and......somehow the puck ends up out of the zone. Every single time. The guy just doesn't generate offence at all. He can't pass well, he doesn't shoot accurately. He is like a little spaz out there that is thinking too quickly and freaks out when he gets the puck. Again, I know AV loves his little grinders, but lets try and keep them away from the top line. I know Burrows struck lightning once, I don't think Hansen will be Burrows v 2.0.
-Luongo in the shootout. Toews made you look silly. Sharp and Kane didn't deke you out of your jock, but man, you've got to stop one of those shots.
-Bieksa. Bieksa Bieksa Bieksa. He of the monster 25+ minutes on the game. Geezus, this guy is a trainwreck to watch. He will at one point make a play that dangles around two guys then the next minute give the puck away in the slot. It is terrifying to watch him. And I am not just jumping on the Bieksa Sucks! bandwagon. I have liked the guy as a player ever since he started for us. But yeah, his mind farts, they aren't going anywhere, and they appear to be getting worse. I also have no faith in his ability to know where the puck is at anytime or to be able to physically handle any forwards in front of the net.
Where is the snarling, angry, beat you up Bieksa we all know and love? Why do I see the gunslinging, Brett Favre penis picture sending man before us today? Not that Bieksa sends those pictures, but I could see him and Brett sending pictures to girls, giggling about the high risk plays they made the game before, and fist bumping each other every 5 minutes.
The worst part was in overtime. Anytime they passed to Bieksa in overtime I literally screamed "NOT TO KEVIN" out loud to my TV, as if I could change the outcome of a game I had recorded. They did not listen to me. They passed to Kevin. Kevin had the puck in the offensive zone and I saw he wanted to shoot. Chicago knew he wanted to shoot. The entire crowd knew he wanted to shoot. So what did Kevin do? He shot. Right into the legs of a Chicago player.
This ended up being the Hossa breakaway.
Bieksa, buddy, I love(d) you, but use your head, man. You're killing me.
Next game is Friday, I believe, against our old friends in Minnesota. Game preview will be up tomorrow!
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