PIB Presents: Viewer’s Guide to the Circus Trip
November 18th, 2009 | by jneveau |Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator
Author’s Note: Earlier in the month, we promised you a Viewer’s Guide for the Circus Trip, to be published on November 15th. Clearly it is November 17th, and we apologize for not getting it out as scheduled. Technical difficulties can be a bear to deal with sometimes.
November 19th @ Calgary 8:30pm CST
The Word: Vendetta
The Calgary Flames came into Chicago on October 12th intent on one thing: getting a degree of revenge on the Blackhawks, who had eliminated them in six games in last year’s Western Conference playoffs.
The Hawks Celebrate The Win Over Calgary (photo property of Pam Rodriguez)
They started out on the right track, notching five goals in the first 12 minutes of the contest, and putting the Hawks out of range. That is, until the Hawks started scoring. And scoring. And scoring some more, until Brent Seabrook’s goal in overtime gave the Hawks a 6-5 victory, and made the Flames into fodder for comedy on that night’s Sportscenter.
After a comeback of that scale, “revenge” doesn’t even begin to describe what the Flames will be playing for when the Hawks come a-calling to Calgary to begin their circus trip. Instead, “vendetta” better describes the sheer anger and embarrassment that the Flames will be trying to exorcise when they play Chicago.
My piece of advice to the Blackhawks is this: don’t go down by five goals early again: a comeback in a building as crazy as the Saddledome is not very likely.
November 21st @ Edmonton 9:00pm CST
The Word: Milkshake
Sorry, I felt a compulsive need to use a “There Will Be Blood” reference when discussing the Oilers.
They have been a team that has run very hot and cold this season: either they score goals in bunches, or can’t get the puck in the net at all. This kind of inconsistency is maddening for a team that missed the playoffs last year and doesn’t want to repeat that action, but until they find more consistent scorers than Patrick O’Sullivan and Ales Hemsky, history may be doomed to repeat itself.
November 22nd @ Vancouver 9:00pm CST
The Word: Tazer
Oh, it’s those darn Canucks again.
The last time the Hawks played Vancouver, they looked pretty bad, losing 3-2 and allowing the Canucks to out-muscle and out-hustle them, but that wasn’t even the worst part of the contest.
Jonathan Toews was knocked out of the game in the third period when Vancouver D Willie Mitchell clocked him as Willie came out of the penalty box.
Brent Seabrook was also knocked out with a concussion in this game, and so the Hawks are going to be seeking out some revenge of their own. Do not be surprised if there are plenty of big hits and fights in this contest. These teams are not big fans of one another, and it has become a pretty interesting rivalry in the last few years.
Just for proof’s sake, here is a video of last year’s infamous “hair-pull” line brawl.
November 25th @ San Jose 9:30pm CST
The Word: Tryptophan
By the time this game is over, it will be Thanksgiving in Chicago, where we will all indulge in delicious turkey and succumb to the wonderfully sleepy effects of tryptophan.
Outside of the obvious reference to Turkey Day, the Hawks will be looking to go into the holiday with a win over a team that has been tough to beat at home in recent years. That trend is continuing this season, with the Sharks racking up a 6-0-2 mark on home ice at HP Pavilion.
Notable players for the Sharks thus far have included Joe Thornton, who has 20 assists in his first 23 games, and Dany Heatley with his 14 goals in the early going. He also has seven markers on the power play, which should prove an interesting match-up for the Hawks’ PK unit, ranked among the league’s best.
November 27th @ Anaheim 3:00pm CST
The Word: Déjà vu
The Hawks played the Ducks last season the day after Thanksgiving, and they looked like they had over-indulged on the stuffing a little bit, scoring only one goal and skating with no real sense of urgency in their matinee defeat on Black Friday.
They will return to Anaheim on the day after Thanksgiving this year, to face a Ducks team who is completely different than the one that took Detroit to seven games in the Western Conference Finals. The Ducks are stuck in last place in the Western Conference, and they aren’t improving much, going 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.
If the Blackhawks want to win this game, they certainly will need to start out fast and knock the Ducks off their game early. Granted, they aren’t going to just roll over and die if the Blackhawks jump out in front early, but it’s a lot easier to take the crowd out of a game, especially at the Pond.
November 28th @ Los Angeles 9:30pm CST
The Word: Packed and Ready
This game will not only mark the end of the month for the Hawks, but it will also mark the end of their long road trip. They will head back to Chicago after the final horn sounds, but they cannot be caught flat footed against this Los Angeles team.
Tags: Ales Hemsky, Anaheim Ducks, Brent Seabrook, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Dany Heatley, detroit red wings, Edmonton Oilers, Joe Thornton, Jonathan Toews, Los Angeles Kings, Patrick O'Sullivan, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Willie Mitchell
