From: scholvin@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (John Scholvin)
Subject: Hawks News 1-21
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 16:11:10 GMT


The Hawks stunk up the Winnipeg Arena Tuesday night, looking as
bad as they did in the first eight weeks of the season in falling
5-2 to the raging Winnipeg Jets. The first period was the worst
period of hockey I've seen from them in months. Somehow, they
were down only one goal at the first intermission. It could have
been 5-0 Jets after 20...

Brian Noonan started the Hawks off well enough, stealing a
Winnipeg pass deep in their own zone and firing it past Essensa
with a one timer at 4:30. Matteau got an assist on the goal, but
I'm not sure why. Maybe the pass deflected slightly off his leg
before Noonan stole it. It was the Hawks first shot on goal of
the game, the first four minutes being played entirely in their
own end. They couldn't get out of their own way defensively. If
not for some miraculous work by Waite, it would have been over.
Waite could only do so much, though. The Jets' power play, the
best I've seen all year, came up with two consecutive goals.
Numminen and Olausson put a pair past Waite to take the lead.
Olausson's was actually tipped in by Marchment, who made the
cardinal sin of trying to block a shot with his stick near the
goalie. Either block with your body or get out of the way: that's
what you learn in peewee. Marchment forgot, and Waite had words
for him after the goal. 

Roenick tied it up briefly at 15:50 (Smith, Chelios) on the
power play. Vintage Roenick goal: not pretty. He was in the
crease, and smith shot it in from the deep slot looking for
Roenick to deflect. The shot was at his feet though, and he
stopped it with his skate, kicked it to the stick and shoved it
past Essensa. The Hawks continued to play traffic cone defense
though, and Zhamnov put the Jets back in front to stay 50 seconds
later. The Hawks were outshot 15-4 in the first, and most of
Winnipeg's shots were excellent scoring chances. Like I said, it
was Waite who kept the lid on this one.

The Hawks came out and played better defense in the second and
third, but the horse was out of the barn and the offense stayed
in the locker room. Olausson scored his second of the game during
a two man advantage midway through the period, and Selanne kept
his eight game goal scoring streak alive with an empty netter
with eight seconds left in the game.

The turning point was the Hawks' failure to capitalize (or even
threaten) on a five minute power play at the beginning of the
second. King had received a major and a game misconduct for a
rough slash of Goulet with time winding down in the first, and
the Hawks squandered the power play. Noonan returned the favor,
high sticking Mike Lalor in the face at the end of the second and
subsequently getting a five and tossed. The Hawks killed this
power play but now they were down two goals with 20 to play. To
think they could stage two such comebacks on the road in a week
is a bit much to hope for. In the classless department, Chelios
jumped Selanne early in the third and pounded him pretty good. He
got the (deserved) instigator misconduct and gave the Jets
another five minute power play. Credit goes to the Hawks killers
and Jimmy Waite; they did snuff both five minute disadvantages,
even though the stats show the Jets were 3 for 7 on the power
play. There's proof that the power play statistic needs some
attention: that a 5 second power play and a five minute power
plan count the same is absurd.

Kudos to Winnipeg. If they've played like this throughout this
current hot streak of theirs, it's no fluke. They're for real,
and look out for them come playoff time.

The Hawks face Washington at the Stadium tonight. Belfour will
start, and hopefully the Hawks will be back to form.
-- 
John Scholvin                         |  "My parents went to Mexico and all
scholvin@casbah.acns.nwu.edu          |   I got was this lousy foster home."
echo Y | del c:\windows\*.*           |      -T shirt idea for the Schoo kids