Black Hawks feel an Alberta Clipper

We're not sure if they're looking for scapegoats in Chicagoland today, but the Black Hawks travel agent might best keep a low profile, after a less than impressive pass through the Northwestern regions of the NHL travel guide.

Sure, things went well in Vancouver last Wednesday, where the Hawks gained a bit of pay back over an early season loss at home to the Canucks, beating up pretty nicely on the Canucks by a score of 5-1.   

But once back heading east across the Rockies and into Wild Rose Country, the Hawks found that wins were just a little bit harder to come by.

It was a rough couple of days in Alberta for the Black Hawks, who found that their scoring touch was a cold as an Alberta Clipper, losing both games of their tour of the province. Even worse, beyond just losing the games, the Hawks for the most part didn't even seem to be inclined to offer up much in the way of resistance to the boys of Alberta.

By the time the Hawks were packed and back on the road out of the West they had surrendered  13 goals and claimed but four of their own for their Alberta efforts.

We're not sure if was the charms of Calgary's famed Red Mile, or perhaps the shopping options at West Edmonton Mall, but in their two game stopover the Hawks were flat, outscored and worst of all outplayed, going O for Alberta.

Saturday nights' back end of the weekly CBC double header left the Hawks looking dazed under the onslaught of an Oiler attack that filled the net nine times, the only saving  grace for the Hawks the fact that they held the line at nine, despite the chants from the Oiler faithful for ten, we want ten.

The Hawks offered up some pretty listless play against the Oilers, who for the most part are so young that they look as though they just graduated from Tim Bits Hockey, still the young Oilers were fast, quick to the puck and even quicker with the shots,  rattling off goals at a dizzying pace.

Saturday night's performance, with those nine goals on the scoreboard was the biggest burst of offensive power from an Edmonton team in fifteen years.

The Oilers were led by Taylor Hall, who broke out of a scoring slump with a bit of flourish, netting a hat trick, which left the Rexall Place ice surface covered in hats of all sizes, none however large enough for the Hawks to crawl under to hide.

The lack of push back by that the Hawks did not go un-noticed by head coach Joel Quennville, who judging by the stare of death that he gave out as the game unwound probably has a few things to say to his squad over the next few days, not to mention perhaps arrange for the bag skate of the season thus far over their lack of effort.

It will however perhaps be a date with exhaustive destiny to be deferred, for despite the poor effort of the last few games, the Hawks are still en route for a pre planned break in Las Vegas.

No doubt Quenneville is hoping that in the midst of a bit of a losing skid, that some of the luck of the gambling mecca might rub off  on the Hawks.

Calgary Sun-- Flames' latest win a work of heart
Calgary Herald-- Glencross scores twice as Flames dump Hawks
Calgary Herald-- Flames hit road looking to build on Hawks victory
Globe and Mail-- Glencross leads Flames past Blackhawks
Globe and Mail-- Hall hat trick leads Oilers past 'Hawks
Edmonton Sun-- Oilers hit the road on a high note
Edmonton Sun-- Oilers whip Hawks 9-2
Edmonton Sun-- Oilers erupt
Edmonton Journal-- Hall's goal-scoring drought ends with a bang
Edmonton Journal-- Oilers pound Blackhawks with biggest offensive explosion...
Edmonton Journal-- Oilers break out of scoring slump big time
Canada.com-- Hall hat trick highlights hammering of Hawks
Chicago Tribune-- Hawks try to regroup from consecutive blowout losses
Chicago Tribune-- Oilers humiliate Blackhawks 9-2
Chicago Tribune-- Flames douse Hawks 5-2
Chicago Sun Times-- Blackhawks' 'generous' defence vexes Joel Quenneville 
Chicago Sun Times-- Despite losses, Blackhawks get a break
Chicago Sun Times-- Blackhawks drilled by Oilers

Photo above from Edmonton Sun website