Stain Avery

Tonight will prove a lot about this Hawks team. Seems that there have been a lot of must-win games already in this season and that could be a good or a bad sign. More likely than not, it's a bad sign, but we'll let that slide for now. Tonight certainly isn't "must-win" but it definitely is a "could-win" and a "should-win" game. The kind that always end up hurting you when March and April roll around.

Tonight's Star's team is looking just o.k. Nothing spectacular, but there sure is a lot of controversy surrounding Avery's return to the UC. Hopefully, tonight Q puts his enforcers into the line-up as I would even appreciate seeing Matt Walker getting a uni tonight and maybe dropping the mitts with someone. We need to dominate the physical game immediately in this game. As it's easy to see/interpret every physically intense game we've played this year we've ended up with a point. If we go to the body and get pucks out of the corner we will control this game.

Also, keep an eye out for Capt. Serious as he tries to pot his first goal of the season. A lot has been made of his lack of scoring and at first I didn't buy into it. Now, things are getting a little weird. Why hasn't he scored unless he's on the shootout? He's shared a lead in shots on the team for quite a while and is getting real quality chances, but somehow he's having trouble finding the touch that lit the torch over twenty times last season. My opinion is not that he's pushing too hard, it's that he's taking different shots than he took last year. Toews is a circles shooter and has the ability to fire a roofer from that place better than nearly anyone in the NHL. For some reason, this year, Toews is getting caught between the circles or behind traffic which I think may be messing with his sight lines and his mojo. That being said, I think his first of the year will come on a breakaway rather than a circle shot and hopefully it will calm him down enough to slow down and start taking better shots. One quality scoring chance is worth three shots in my book. Also, if you've notice the Kane/Toews/Versteeg line is obviously lacking a physical presence. Since Byf has been struggling to pot one as well, now might be a good time to try him on this line or maybe an Andrew Ladd. The skill you give up removing Versteeg from this line is negligible and you gain a huge body with either Ladder or Byf. Especially tonight, the Hawks need to put some serious/intimidating lines on the ice.

I'm also beginning to wonder about Dave Bolland. He's played well, but has not looked as aware of the ice (or who's on it) as he was last year. There's something to be said about being a player who is not noticed, it can often be a good thing just as much as a bad thing, but with Dave it's a bad thing.
He's been responsible defensively, but the scoring touch and vision he displayed at the end of last year has all but disappeared. It'd be nice to get a big game out of Dave as I think his line (whatever it may be tonight) has really not produced as much as everyone anticipated it would.

Upside is, I think that Troy Brouwer may actually, finally, be ready for the NHL. Every time he's come up in the past it's been incredibly brief. I believe that if Troy can maintain the intensity that saw him dominate the AHL that he'll be up here for the rest of his career. He's got a great touch with the puck and is absolutely fucking fearless.

Khabi's in net tonight.
Let's Go Hawks Go!