The Hawks are on a four-game losing streak and have dropped five of their last six overall and tonight they face the Blue Jackets and the debut of interim coach Todd Richards, who took over for the fired Scott Arniel on Monday. Usually, when playing a team that has just changed coaches you worry about that teams players coming out with so much piss and vinegar to try and impress the new guy. Not sure how the Jackets will perform but if you recall when the Blues hired Hitchcock, the Hawks played the Blues the next night and were driven out of St Louis with a 3-0 loss. The Blue Jackets come into tonight's game with the fewest points in the league and are 2-8-1 in their last eleven games.

Coach Q has juggled lines quite a bit tonight due to the broken wrist suffered Sunday by Sharpie and the suspension of Carcillo (tonight he serves game four of a seven game suspension). I further expect Q to shuffle the lines around as the game progresses. The Hawks cannot take the Jackets lightly tonight, if they do the Hawks would lose their fifth straight game, something they have not done since March 13-20, 2009.

Tonight's Expected Hawks Lineup:

Stalberg - Toews - Kane

Smith - Frolik - Hossa

Bickell - Bolland - Shaw

Brunette - Mayers - Hayes

D-Men:

Keith - Seabrook

Leddy - Hjalmarsson

Scott - O'Donnell

Netminder:

The Crow

Odds and Ends:

- In the last meeting between the two teams the Hawks won 4-1

- Trade Rumors are all over the net. Some Hawks being mentioned are Bolland, Bickel, Stalberg, Leddy, Hjalmarsson, Frolik, prospects Brian Connelly, Shawn Lalonde and Philippe Paradis. One rumor melting the ice is Hawks sending Dave Bolland, Viktor Stalberg and prospect Shawn Lalonde to Florida for Stephen Weiss and a mid-round draft pick.

Thanks for reading!

Go Hawks!

Scott