Home Opener?

[Kurtosis]

last year's roadtrip from hell is still burned in my mind

I have tried to extricate that tragedy from my mind for a while now. Please don't rehash such memories.

 

[Bubba88]

Just heard that the Hawks only have 2 home dates open in the first three weeks. OUCH!

that happens with Disney on Ice

11-game road trip to start the year? What in the ****? Absolutely no way this can happen. That would be totally ridiculous and unfair.

I can see it already.

Hawks have a bad start with many road games --> Fire Q --> have many home games for the 2nd part of the season and put on a good run inclusiv winning 1+ PO Rounds

 

[IU Hawks fan]

11-game road trip to start the year? What in the ****? Absolutely no way this can happen. That would be totally ridiculous and unfair.

What exactly is unfair about it? All teams are gonna play 24 road games, who really cares what order they come in?

As I preach all the time here, this is a business. It's Rocky's (and Reinsdorf's) decision to allow Disney on Ice to come to town and eat it up 12 or whatever dates. Money from that allowed the Hawks to bury Olesz and Huet and can be used to buyout Hossa. I'll take that in exchange for less road trips.

 

[BBSeabs27]

I think being on the road for the beginning of the season is a benefit. The guys get to bond more after this lockout and build up their chemistry again.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Yeah, this can only be good. If the team isn't ready, it wouldn't have made a difference anyway. If they are, it gives us a good start and a big edge over other teams later, when we will need it.

 

[Hewy]

nothing like a big test to start the season, I'm all for it. Always nice to start the season off with a W vs. the cup champs.

 

[EdgeR44]

Ah sucks. Last time the Hawks started the season at home [technically they were the home team in Helsinki], they won the cup.

Coincidence?! Yes it is lol.

Just start the season already. Road trip or not, I miss hockey.

 

[Bubba88]

don't forget, they will come closer together during this time and become a team like we had it 09/10 when they started the year in europe. They did get together as team during that time - at least the players said this.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

according to twitter we're getting 4 home games in the first month.

don't forget, they will come closer together during this time and become a team like we had it 09/10 when they started the year in europe. They did get together as team during that time - at least the players said this.

or maybe we'll string together another brutal losing streak like last year's road trip to hell.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

according to twitter we're getting 4 home games in the first month.

Likely the 20th, 22nd, 24th, and 27th. 29th is the day before Disney on Ice starts, but I'd imagine that's a prep day for that. They repaint the ice completely white for those shows.

http://www.unitedcenter.com/calendar/

 

[Cullksinikers]

Feeling better about the schedule if that's true.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Likely the 20th, 22nd, 24th, and 27th. 29th is the day before Disney on Ice starts, but I'd imagine that's a prep day for that. They repaint the ice completely white for those shows.

http://www.unitedcenter.com/calendar/

You can scratch that, as apparently the 29th was a home date on the original schedule. So it's any of those 5 days, and with them in LA on the 19th I'd imagine the 20th is the one left off.

 

[Ace Rothstein]

You can scratch that, as apparently the 29th was a home date on the original schedule. So it's any of those 5 days, and with them in LA on the 19th I'd imagine the 20th is the one left off.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Hawks are playing the Ducks on the 20th.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

I wouldn't be shocked if the Hawks are playing the Ducks on the 20th.

Right, in Anaheim.

All I was saying is that they probably would not play a home game on the 20th, seeing as I was discussing home games.

 

[STC]

Well you could schedule a heavy home games start from the 19th through to when Disney on Ice starts --eg. 5 or 6 staright home games bEFORE a monstous 8 game road trip (obviously Western Canada and the California teams plus PHx and maybe 1 more in against the Avs)=8 straight road games --OR they could GAMBLE and put just 2 home games in to start in the first 6 games,so that could be 12 road games out of the first 14GP --the advantage is that AFTER that -IF they "survive" it in good shape,then 22 of the final 34 games would be home games..

The RISK is that it might put them out of it early leaving a mountain to steep to climb to get back in --BUT the gamble could pay off big IF the early season "getting upto NHL speed" means UNEVEN performances in the first 10-14 games such that
we might catch opponents at home not yet synchronized and so not yet at their 'best" -neither might we be -BUT if it EVENS OUT -and we survive to a 14/28 points in these first 14Gp --THEN we get a huge home advantage the rest of the way and will be by then synchronized and in normal shape to really take proper advantage of that favourable remaining schedule..

Of course we might as well give the game in EDM on that first long toad trip to the Oilers-so that is a 2 point "deficit" in our quest for .500 over the first 14 games of such a schedule -but apart from that maybe we can beat WPG CGY and Keslerless VAN and maybe take 3 points of six from the 3 California teams and split the points from a PHX and Colorado fin du trip --so 11 of 16 points and we come off an 8 game road trip in great shape? So the question is of the first 6 games before that trip (6 games in 12 or 13 days) -if we only play 2 of those at home--can we win both home games and split the 4 road games?IF so then this hopeful scenario provides 8/12 points -so if we can provide 19/28 points from such a road heavy start in the first 14Gp -then we willbe in GREAT SHAPE the rest of the way ;IF we ONLY do .500 --that is 14/28 points that still is ok given the last 22/34 at home... BUT if we start SLOW and falter --say only 8 of the first 28 points up for grabs in such a scenario--THEN that is a huge hole to dig ourselves out from under...
I am certan every NHL team has talked about starting off well as opposed to getting too far behind in the early part of the short season -but few team MIGHT face the lopsided road schedule we could face depending on how our top brass decides to get rid of a lot of road games early while opponents still are also not synchronized and not yet in top shape (hoping our natural skill guys can use this for advantage -especially Kane getting off to a fast start before defensive "systems" get perfected by opponents to stymie him) -or whether instead our top brass decides to start with a lesser amount of road games by loading up say 4 or 5 of the first 6 at home before the 8 game road monster whacs us or even a 3 home 3away in the fist 6..

If it were me-I would GAMBLE with only 2 of the first 14 games at home --again --HOPING we catch teams out of synch early (we willbe too but our "natural" talent of our top 4 forwards OUGHT to take advantage of not quite in sunch defensive systems -ie, the games could be more shinny style run and gun-which is to the advantage of the faster skill teams like us.. OF course we won't be a match for EDM in any run an gun -and probably not even when defemnsive "systems" catch up ---but then -few other teams will be able to match EDM's talent either -especially early ..later when the systems teams ramp up the physicality (which we are not going to do given our style) they might be able to stop all that gifted lot in EDM -but lucky for us we only play each non-division WC team 3 times -so maybe 2 more lposided EDM poundings of us (given we have no saviour in goal) and maybe we catch them one game on a tired night and can take 2 of 6 pints at least from them -but other than that we ought to be competitive with everyone else in the WC ...

Of course injuries are expected but we just do not know when and who -IF our big guns sty healthy and only support players et injured--we should be fine-but if we lose any important cog for much time,in a 48 game season that might spell curtains for our chances of staying in the playoff race. I hope we get lucky and not lose our key players to any lengthy injury...


IF we do falter--for whatever reasons--STAN will then be a seller at trade deadline --the silver lining in any falter willbe a shot at the #1 (albeit still a weighted ball system) from any non-playoff position,plus the return in picks from any sell deals we make at trade deadline ...Life will go on -even if we fail ..BUT it would be nice to succeeed instead of pulling a fail ...and so to STAN,Q and THE TEAM --you are ALL on the clock ---just DO IT --or else!

Serious question, is there anyone here who actually reads Fiddy's posts? And if the answer is yes, what's wrong with you?

 

[TorMenT]

Serious question, is there anyone here who actually reads Fiddy's posts? And if the answer is yes, what's wrong with you?

I do if I'm not in a hurry and not using my phone. Some of them are ok.

 

[RayP]

I do if I'm not in a hurry and not using my phone. Some of them are ok.

Really? I've tried so many times, but can just never do it.

 

[Ace Rothstein]

When is the damn schedule coming out?

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Not until the CBA is official. Saturday afternoon at the earliest.

 

[Cullksinikers]

It would make sense to play Anaheim shortly after the game on Saturday. They are like thirty minutes apart and would be logical to get that one out of the way. However, consideration is never implemented when you consider the Hawks once played in San Jose and played the next game in Raleigh.

 

[Ace Rothstein]

It would make sense to play Anaheim shortly after the game on Saturday. They are like thirty minutes apart and would be logical to get that one out of the way. However, consideration is never implemented when you consider the Hawks once played in San Jose and played the next game in Raleigh.

Of course we went to the game in Carolina that year. I'm never going on a road trip to the last game of a long road trip.

 

[STC]

I do if I'm not in a hurry and not using my phone. Some of them are ok.

Really, I'm not even talking about the content. I wouldn't know what any of them are about since I've ever read them. I'm just talking about the weird annoying way they are written. Odd out of place ALL CAPS words and the multi paragraph posts, just looking at them for more than a couple seconds starts to make me nauseous like a 13 year old Japanese boy having a video game induced seizure.



All I've gathered from the comments of others is that he hates Kane and loves +/-. Am I missing anything?

 

[Cullksinikers]

Of course we went to the game in Carolina that year. I'm never going on a road trip to the last game of a long road trip.

I remember that game having some sluggish Hawks play and some awful officiating, which included Ladd getting screwed out of a goal.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

It would make sense to play Anaheim shortly after the game on Saturday. They are like thirty minutes apart and would be logical to get that one out of the way. However, consideration is never implemented when you consider the Hawks once played in San Jose and played the next game in Raleigh.

i think in the past they've typically played kings/ducks back to back (they seem to do the same w/ tb/panthers - although obviously we're not playing htem this year).

 

[Cullksinikers]

i think in the past they've typically played kings/ducks back to back (they seem to do the same w/ tb/panthers - although obviously we're not playing htem this year).

What they usually did was play the Sharks the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and a Friday afternoon at Anaheim the day after. They have also done LA and Anaheim games back-to-back.