Games 19 & 20 Recaps - Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun

Nashville Predators 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3 (SO)
Box Score
Highlights
Chicago Blackhawks 3, Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks 2 (OT)
Box Score
Highlights

I guess I really can't complain - picking up 3 of 4 points on a back-to-back with the circus road trip looming in the background is better than I could have hoped for the way things are going as of late. Still, we easily could have had all 4 points and not go into OT in either game. Baby steps I guess. There's a lot for the guys to work on, but it's nice to head out to the west coast on a positive note.

Game 19 Thoughts:
- You just knew once Jack Skille potted one, the floodgates would open. Way to go - Skillz!
- Shane O'Brien is still a turd sandwich. Still, Kane needs to stop dreaming of boobies while floating in the zone and cover him. Even Kopecky probably could have put that goal in. Probably.
- Nice of the Blackhawks to wait a whole 2:30+ to give up that second goal to the Preds. Good to see you got at least a line change or two in there before you shit the bed again.
- This game was quite chippy wasn't it? I guess the Preds are still a little butt-hurt over the playoffs last year huh? Speaking of which, I hope the Hawks sent Martin Erat a nice fruit basket at some point in the off-season for that gift of a turnover in Game Five.
- Bickell laid quite the nice hit at the end of the second. It sure got Shea Weber's knickers in a twist. That's the kind of effort that's needed out of Bryan if he wants to stay out of the press box.
- Patric Hornqvist is a bag of dicks.
- So the Hawks get 4 consecutive power plays, including a 5-on-3, and can't dent twine on any of them. That fourth PP in the third was terrible - it looked like none of the Hawks even had a pulse. You just saw the writing on the wall after that pitiful attempt. Have the Hawks successfully closed out a game with a lead in the third at any point in the last three weeks?
- While Turco has to have that point shot by Weber, he kept the Hawks in this game - especially considering the Preds outshot the Hawks 15-6 in the third & OT. Sheesh, that's horrible.
- Nice to see Bolland start getting under the skin of opponents again. Hopefully that's a small sign the Rat is on the way back.
- Toftbo blocked 9 shots in this game. Ouch. Think getting Campbell back has helped his game? He was paired up with Seabs again though - I guess having a competent partner with him does wonders. 
- What a horrible shootout - the Hawks were beating Rinne glove side all game, and none of the Hawks shooters even tried to shoot there. Toews uncharacteristically missed. Kane, for all of his talent, just sucks on the shootout - tries to get way too cute. And why is Sharpie out there with the game on the line instead of Hossa? Sharp is terrible on breakaways and terrible on the shootout. Le sigh.
- Turco got way too small on the O'Reilly game winner on the SO. In no way do I pin this loss on him though - without him, we would have probably lost in regulation.
- At least John Scott was *finally* scratched. PRAISE JEBUS!
- This loss brings the Hawks record in their division to 2-4-1. Ughhh - not good.

Game 20 Thoughts:
- Well nice to see the Hawks PP bounce back - 2 for 4. Not too shabby.
- Jonas Hiller always stands on his head against us. I do like his Darth Vader-esque mask. He might want to get the cage on it adjusted, since a puck went through it in practice and clipped him.
- That was a vintage Patrick Kane goal. He seemed to be hustling tonight. This needs to happen more.
- And we barely got to enjoy said goal when Duncan Keith passed to Corey Perry to tie things up less than a minute later...AGAIN /facepalm. They really should have gave Dunc an assist on that - it was a beautiful pass - if you're a Ducks fan.
- This was the first game since coming back from injury that I really noticed Hossa on the ice. He was rewarded with a beautiful second chance shot from his own rebound to pot his first goal...in like forever. I still don't think he's a 100% yet. Hopefully whatever his issue was will get better over time.
- How many times did Toews miss the net tonight? Poor Tazer - I think he's just putting too much pressure on himself right now. If the Hawks could string a couple wins together, I think we're ripe for a Toews-Xplosion.
- Seabs was on the first powerplay unit which I approve of. Kopecky needs to get OFF the PP already.
- Brian Campbell has been our most consistent D-man since he's come back from injury. I don't know how long the Keith-Boynton, Seabs-Toftbo, & Campbell-Cullimore pairings are going to last. Not too much longer I hope - they make me itchy.
- That was a beautiful goal by Corey Perry in the third. The Hawks gave him waaaay too much space, and Hjalmarsson left his jock on the ice on that one.
- Dave Bolland is back to his usual terrible faceoff percentage - 29%. BARF. Jake Dowell was even worse at 17% - perhaps he was trying to make Bolland feel better. 
- A very serviceable effort in net by Corey Crawford. I would have liked to see him stop one of the two he let in, but he stood tall in the latter half of the third and in OT.
- Very unnecessary boarding penalty taken by Kopecky with less than a minute left in OT. If the Ducks score on the ensuing PP, I think he sits in the press box next game. Hell, he probably should anyway. What has he done lately except take dumb penalties and miss wide open nets? 
- Stalberg is making everyone forget Mr. Kris Versteeg. Just as the Twitterverse was wondering why he wasn't on the ice during OT, there he was, deflecting a Keith point shot in for the winner. So, so funny Brian Burke was in the stands, presumably scouting. Would have loved to see his face after Viktor won it.

I'm lazy, so I'll just hand out my three stars and three goats of these two games:

Three Stars: Jack Skille, Viktor Stalberg, Niklas Hjalmarsson
Three Goats: Tomas Kopecky, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp (Mr. Invisible as of late)

And oh yes, some Toews-Faces for you:

Oh, if you haven't seen that Streak Phone Commercial with Toews & Kane, Google it. It's *terrible*

I'll be back with a 20 game wrap at some point before the beginning of the circus trip on Wednesday. Hard to believe a quarter of the season's gone already...