GDT: Royal Treatment - Hawks vs Kings - 12/15 WCF Rematch

[No Fun Shogun]

vs

Chicago Blackhawks
Sharp - Toews - Hossa
Versteeg - Handzus - Kane
Saad - Shaw - Morin
Bollig - Kruger - Smith

Keith - Seabrook
Oduya - Hjalmarsson
Leddy - Brookbank

Raanta

Los Angeles Kings
King - Kopitar - Carter
Brown - Stoll - Williams
Clifford - Richards - Toffoli
Carcillo - Lewis - Nolan

Muzzin - Doughty
Regehr - Voynov
Martinez - Mitchell

Scrivens

Last year, we started and ended the defending champ's truncated season with disappointment, with a banner raising smackdown followed by defeating them in five games in Western Conference Finals en route to our own title.

While that's the past, you can bet that the Kings are going to bringing their A-game tonight, especially as they're on quite a hotstreak as of late, having yet to lose in December. We're coming off of a disappointing loss to Toronto, but hopefully our tendency to play down to our opponents won't be a factor considering that we're going up against a legitimately great team, so there's absolutely nothing to play down to. Fingers crossed that yesterday was just a focus trap game.

Puck drop at 6:00 PM Central.

Click to read more...

 

[theaub]

Hawks blow 'em out tonight

 

[Bubba88]

want to see a W this time

 

[hisgirlfriday]

This game makes me miss Crow.

 

[Salvaged Ship]

Will be interesting to see how the team responds after last nights awful performance against the red hot Kings. Doesn't matter who the Kings put in goal, they turn into brick walls. We play sloppy in our own end and crap on the PK we lose this game. Need to be ready to play from the start and bring our A game.

 

[MadhouseOnMadison]

Will be interesting to see how the team responds after last nights awful performance against the red hot Kings.

The worst part about last night is that we're going to have to relive it again in an episode of 24/7.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

Hawks get embarrassed tonight.

This team bleeds goals against middling competition, let alone elite competition. They're going up against a team that's just as good at dominating possession as they are. Combine that with solid defense, hot goal-tending, and a PK that actually kills penalties (what a world!) there's no way the Hawks manage to outscore their clear, consistent defensive issues.

I hope I'm wrong though, and the embarrassment last night woke them up and got their heads dislodged from their ***es.

 

[hisgirlfriday]

Tracey Myers ‏@TramyersCSN 4m

Antti Raanta will get the start tonight vs. LAK. Bryan Bickell will make the trip to NSH. Whether he plays or not is uncertain. #Blackhawks

Chris Kuc ‏@ChrisKuc 19m

Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell will not play vs. #Blackhawks tonight. He's sick.

 

[Salvaged Ship]

Hawks get embarrassed tonight.

This team bleeds goals against middling competition, let alone elite competition. They're going up against a team that's just as good at dominating possession as they are. Combine that with solid defense, hot goal-tending, and a PK that actually kills penalties (what a world!) there's no way the Hawks manage to outscore their clear, consistent defensive issues.

I hope I'm wrong though, and the embarrassment last night woke them up and got their heads dislodged from their ***es.

I get the feeling we step up tonight. We are usually strong in the second game of back to backs, and last nights loss was similar to the Nashville loss. We came back the night after that loss and thumped San Jose. Even if we lose I just don't see getting embarrassed. Would definitely feel more confident with Crow in goal.....

 

[hisgirlfriday]

The Kings mascot/CM Punk getting their twitter chirping back on.

https://twitter.com/BaileyLAKings/status/412322791560454144/photo/1

 

[x Tame Impala]

Hawks lose 4-1

 

[IU Hawks fan]

I can see them rebounding in a big way tonight.

 

[hawksfan50]

Well of course it is true that every team plays some real stinkers over an 82 game NHL grind...amd it is certain that the "great wall" of Martin Jones is due to the laws of statistical probability DUE to crasj in a stinker game for him...BUT anyone who bets money on L.A. and or Jones pulling that due stinker against us tonight...is a candidate for the looney bin...you just know Sutter will have his boys out to make a statement on who da alpha male is..they will show up with their A game...they probably blow one big next game or soon after against a team you expect them to beat easily..but it will not be our luck to get them or Jones in an off mode game..of course not....so the questipn is IF yhey as assumed play hard all game with an A effort can our guys even woth a rebound effort still be good enough to beat L.A. when they "want" it bad? I am sleptical because we have gotten so few games this year even when most of our guys competed hard such that some line or individual wwnt MIA or was not contributing much...so ee won because one line or two of the 4 or three of the 4 lines brought it or brought it enough that our depth of talent was enough for victory even easy victories in some games..but tonight it probably takes everyone...all 4 lines and all dpairs and our goalie to be "on" amd competing hard every shift to beat what should be a TEAM all wanting it...and so I am skeptical that evedy guy on our team pulls his weight tonight..probably one or a few slackers..and that will be enough to cause us losing. Since Torws cannot find his "on" button the last dozen games..I am skeptical that this is the game he gets his mojo back and is a difference-maker again...and so because our guys must carry him instead of he leading and inspiring them by his effort and his effectivenrss.. that we probably see another FAIL from Team Dynasty tonight. You cannot expect Pat Kane to save the day by himself...or that.our Ppnet of our PK will be enough to eke out victory.. Even if the bookend wigers of line 1...Sharp and Hossa rebound...that probably will not be enough...even if Keith and Seabrook rebound...not going to be enough..because unless Toews comes up big with some serious multi-points or at least a game turning big goal when the game is on the line...we probanly lose...we cannot keep "waiting for Toews" to be a difference-maker and keep dodging bullits hoping others make up his slack...injured or not..at some point he musthelp us outby putting the team on his backas stars are supposed to do no matter who the opponent is..we cannot win if he goes MIA again or gives merely an average effort.. This is a big test..Is he still a star orhas that ship now long sailed? We need him to step up and lead inspire a group that embarrassed themselves by joining him in MIAness last game...He can change the tone...but if he again is "off" and the rest of the team sees Q not benching him for that lack of compete. then they will start modelling his putridness slopyness and indofference and our Team will be on a big down spiral..So now...more than at amytime this year...after that MIA game vs. the Leafs, this game is a statement of CARING...more tjan any game of the year so far for our team..and if our Cap'n slacks..that will probably infect the rest of the team...they could cover for it till now over the last dozen games but finally they too succumbed to laxity last game..Now Toews must dhow them as well as L.A. and the NHL that he will not let his tem fall into such a death spiral of indifferent play...so this game is very important as a big statement game for our team as a whole and for its underachieving captain in particular..He must show he "wants it" and our whole team must also show they "want it"...cause you just know L.A. will show up in the want it dept. But if despite the warnings and call-outs, we stink agai or Toews stinks again..yhen inless Q bag skates them next practice, somebody better haul out the plank...The Bowman Condortium will not be pleased. And somebody gonna get it...

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Staying on topic, I'm actually feeling good about tonight's game. Honestly looking at last night as a trap game that the team mostly assumed would be a gimme, and as a result they got punched in the mouth. Hopefully that'll stoke their inner fires for at least tonight against a legit team.

And just a reminder, if you don't like other people's posts, you are more than free to add them to the ignore list. We don't need a conversation about another poster's posting style every time they post.

 

[hisgirlfriday]

Chris Kuc ‏@ChrisKuc 18m

The Kings have gone an NHL record 18 consecutive games without giving up a first-period goal. #Blackhawks

If anybody's gonna snap this streak I've got to think it'll be the Hawks.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

I'm actually feeling good about tonight's game. Honestly looking at last night as a trap game that the team mostly assumed would be a gimme, and as a result they got punched in the mouth. Hopefully that'll stoke their inner fires for at least tonight against a legit team.

We shall see. The whole notion of the team elevating for the best competition hasn't really panned out though, give that we have 1 - count'em 1 - win against the elite teams of the west. And that one win came against a San Jose team that was playing something like it's 5th game in 8 days on the road.

Thus far this season, this team's identity is that of a high-scoring offensive juggernaut that feasts on lesser-likes, but gets exposed by teams with the defensive talent to shut them down and the offensive talent to expose their sloppy team defense.

We are, essentially, the 2010 Washington Capitals or the 2013 Pittsburgh Penguins, and if we continue to play as we have, we will meet a similar fate in the playoffs.... or worse, given those are Eastern teams and therefore had weaker competition.

And while there's still half a season left, history suggests you are what you are by the 40 game mark of the season.

 

[member 151739]

Hawks win 3-1.

 

[Fortyfives]

"Brookbank will be a forward again today."

ugh...

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Hope the team starts to right the ship towards consistency this evening.

 

[skiba77777]

Some of you are spoiled, calling thing like last night "embarrassing". They're the defending champs, have won twice in 4 years, and they have a 23-7-5 record this year. They get hit with goaltender injuries, lose a few games, and now they're getting berated?They don't care anymore and aren't trying? Can't beat good teams? Come on.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

"Brookbank will be a forward again today."

ugh...

6-2 Kings.

Some of you are spoiled, calling thing like last night "embarrassing". They're the defending champs, have won twice in 4 years, and they have a 23-7-5 record this year. They get hit with goaltender injuries, lose a few games, and now they're getting berated?They don't care anymore and aren't trying? Can't beat good teams? Come on.

Please list the elite teams that the 2013/2014 Chicago Blackhawks have beaten. I will wait.

I think you'll find the answer is 1. San Jose, on the tail end of a long San Jose road trip. Oh, and we also have a losing record in our own division - you know, the one we'll have to get through to start the playoffs? Fun!

This team is playing NOTHING like last year's champions. Last year's champions had the best defensive stats in the league, no contest. The defensive side of this team is a bottom rung ****-show, and yes, an embarrassment given what we know they are capable of.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Alright, here's hoping the guys up front woke up from yesterday and Raanta has a good bounceback.

Let's do this thing.

 

[ralph0226]

Pat Foley is already making excuses for the Hawks.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Hawks PP gets their first action just over a minute in.

 

[hisgirlfriday]

Clifford already getting into it with Toews.