Worrisome: Preds 3- Hawks 2 (SO)

Well, it's worrisome. Not panic-inducing, fire-everyone, turn up the alcoholism worrisome, but a little. Like an odd-placed pimple or strange pain in your ear. Nothing to see someone about, but worth keeping an eye on. Though, to be fair, it's always a good time to turn up the alcoholism.

The Hawks effort was slightly, oh so slightly, better last night. Came out on fire in the first 10 minutes, a continuing theme, and if not for Dan Ellis standing on his head could have found themselves 3 or 4 up and home and dry. Making a goalie keep his team in the game is slightly better than missing the net. But obviously, playing with that much zip and verve took its toll toward the end of the period, and Weber scored on a PP. Have to say, Weber was mightily impressive. I hadn't seen him live since the beginning of last year, and he's got a very big future ahead of him.

After just a moronic pass from Kane led to the second Preds goal, and Sharp tied it at the beginning of the 2nd with a goal that defines "scrappy", the game pretty much fizzled from there. The Hawks were obliterated on face-offs last night, losing by an Obama-McCain like poll of 58%-42%. This makes it hard to be the "puck possession" team Savvy claims he wants, though it's not clear if he knows what that means, as it leaves the Hawks trying to get the puck back, which they're not very good at due to cluelessness in their own zone and their diminutive size across the board. From the halfway mark on, the Preds lined up at their own blue line, forcing the Hawks to dump it in, knowing full well they would win any board battle, get their point on the road, and take their chances in OT and/or SO.

Toews looks like he's trying to everything himself, constant trying to weave through 3 or 4 guys like the drunken flusie on Lincoln Ave. Signs of life from Havlat finally, perhaps Savard's barbs through the press got through. The power-play still looks a mess. In fact, the whole team looks like it's trying to do everything in a hurry. You know who would help? ROBERT LANG! Yes, he was lazy, taking shifts, sometimes games, off. Yes, he showed about as much interest in his own zone as Palin does to condoms, older or younger, but he knew when to slow the game down, play in control, and make the right pass in the offensive zone. But alas....