Halfway House
by SamFels on Jan 7, 2012 12:04 PM CST
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First of all, a PSA. Folks, this isn't aimed at you, but a plague I see around us. For the most part, you're all somewhat logical people. Sure, we disagree at times, maybe a lot. But even when we do I like to think I can spot even the smallest kernel of logic that your ideas have sprang from, and I'd like to think the same about what I say.
But there is a....let's call in infection around us, from those who have no such kernels. And I feel we must stamp it out. People, whenever the Hawks go on a losing streak, please do not use that as an excuse to call for a trade of Patrick Kane. I've seen it on Twitter far too often. Again, it's no one here, I'm sure of that. But we together must band to stamp out this terrible affliction of the most debilitating kind of stupidity. It must be hard for these people to count to five, or yes even intake oxygen, when under such gross misconceptions. A weight of skull crushing potential, I should think.
So please, if someone you know, or just something you see floating around this amorphous sphere we call the internets, hints at the moving of maybe the most gifted Hawk since Savard (if not ever), for all of us, kick them squarely in the balls. And yes, I said balls. Because only men are stupid enough to think of something this incomprehensible. I mean, i've met a lot of dumb girls in my time, but they always at least maintained something of a long distance relationship with reality. Well, except for that one who though my taunting of an Irish friend with "Who let this IRA muthafuckah in my bar?" meant I was an investor. There was no hope for her.
Anyway, let's do the halfway report, shall we?
The challenge here is to try and look at this above the current three-game losing streak. While any losing streak tends to bring out the chicken little, oh there's a cloud falling on my head crowd, to me this just feels like a midseason malaise that hits a lot of teams. It doesn't reveal any truths about the team that we didn't know, and those things have been overcome by the Hawks for the great majority of the season. I'm not going to go player by player here, or position by position, that's for someone else. This will be more of a general, sweeping impression of where I think the Hawks are after 41.
Usually, I'd go with positives first and negatives second, but I'm going to try it a different way to see if I like it, like everyone should do with drugs or handcuffs.
Before the season, my biggest fear about this team was it's second defensive pairing. And so it remains. Some took it as just a bias toward Brian Campbell, and admittedly that was a part of it. But most thought I hated NIck Leddy, and that's far from the truth. But Leddy is at-best just a tick over a rookie, and they're were always going to be bumps. It's too easy to pound him after he's been so abhorrent these three games, and it wouldn't be fair because for the most part he's been pretty good this season.
The Hawks are all in on Leddy, after 51 Phantom's trade and the lowballing of Chris Campoli. Everyone will have to live with the growing pains of a young d-man in the hopes that something close to the finished product emerges in the spring. It's the path they've chosen, and I think it may be the right one. If the Hawks decide they can't live with his growing pains right now, that will probably call for a reconstruction of both the second and third pairs, but we'll get to that in a minute.
However, there are a few things that aren't helping Leddy at all, and are out of his control. One is that his partner sucks, or at least does now. Niklas Hjalmarsson simply doesn't do anything. He's not physical, his positioning in his zone looks like those books from The Adjustment Bureau (my god is Emily Blunt hot!), and he never provided offense anyway. All he does is block shots, which is a third-pairing skill set. Leddy's game would assuredly improve if he had a partner playing well. Right now, he's chained to whatever it is Hammer does.
Secondly, Leddy is simply being asked to do too much. We've been over and over the reasons he shouldn't be killing penalties. But even with that, Leds is skating almost nine minutes more per game this year than last year. Considering he's only two years removed from college, it's safe to assume he's never played this much in as many games ever. And it's simple mismanagement. Because Quenneville won't use a third pairing, or dresses Scott and can't, it leaves too many minutes to be divvied up by the top four. While Keith and Seabrook can handle it -- though revisit this question in the spring -- Leddy and Hammer probably can't. Whether Quenneville likes it or not, he's got to use a third pairing. He's probably fist-fucked Sami Lepitso's game beyond repair, and he'll have to explain why he hates Steve Montador. Yes, Monty is mistake prone, but not the walking calamity that should keep him from 15 minutes and some kill time. Sorry.
So clearly, the answer is either going to have to come from outside the organization, or they can saddle another young d-man with a role he's not ready for in Dylan Olsen. I think this is an interesting test for Stan Bowman, especially if Leddy continues to struggle. We'll know just how much Stan thinks the Hawks have a chance at this year's Cup by what he does. If Leddy can't get right, will Stan give up the picks and assets to completely rebuild his second pairing? Will he admit his pet project Leddy isn't ready for prime time just quite yet and needs just third pairing minutes? Or will he be stubborn and keep his picks and pet? Does the plan not include this year?
Moving on, although still somewhat connected to Leddy's struggles is the goaltending. Let's face it, except for two separate two-week stretches from each of Crawford and Emery, it's been hobo-piss poor. They're also running out of time to prove they can turn it around, or this will be another thing Stan will have to fix if he thinks this team has Cup chances this year. But you have to feel good about where the Hawks are despite this netminding, and it really only has one way to go.
Up front, thanks to the toddler and his toy treatment of Marcus Kruger, the Hawks are a center short again. Maybe he'll be back, maybe he won't. Maybe Patrick Sharp will get over himself and move back to pivot to make all our lives easier. But even still, when Dan Carcillo is getting regular top six minutes, you have a hole on your top six. But this is the one I feel best about, because it's so easily filled. There will be plenty of wingers around who can be acquired for something short of a king's ransom.
Well anyway, that got way too long. So on Monday I'll wrap this up with what I feel good about and an overall conclusion at the halfway mark .Thanks for sticking with me.
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Good lord...
I’m glad I don’t read very many things on the internet. That “trade Patrick Kane” talk sounds like the most infuriating kind of nonsense.
Rock over London,
Rock on Chicago.
Diet Pepsi,
UH HUH!!!!
http://rock-on-chicago.blogspot.com/
MMD, pretty sure he wasnt referring to you...
No Swagger, No Dagger
by Saskjet on Jan 7, 2012 12:27 PM CST via mobile reply actions
Good balanced review...Stan may well be playing for next year...
If there is a next year…
No Swagger, No Dagger
by Saskjet on Jan 7, 2012 12:29 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
you know what?
I read that and thought “I wonder if it’ll be TMFF or Saskjet who uses that on me first”.. thanks, Sam.. :p
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
by mightymike D on Jan 7, 2012 12:29 PM CST up reply actions
Always here for you man...
No Swagger, No Dagger
by Saskjet on Jan 7, 2012 12:54 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
In line for the 19 bus last night
some guy behind me volunteered that he wanted to trade Stals, Bicks and Fro. The whole line.
I was too stunned to consider any act of violence against this sap.
God. Trade Deadline cannot come soon enough.
Now tweeting during games (or whenever). Because I can.
Follow @326bureauchief for tweeted nonsense
WAIT FOR THE WHISTLE!
by Sec 326 Bureau Chief on Jan 7, 2012 12:28 PM CST via Android app reply actions
Seems like its a bit early this year
Isn’t it normally in March?
Furious George! What happened to your beautiful face?!?
by AirTrafficAJ on Jan 7, 2012 1:20 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions
Ben Eager
he was the biggest loss of that season
Eager was a very good 4th liner for us. I’d love to have the guy back but that 3 year deal says no way (which I know is very contradictory me with the Malone deal).
Proud fan of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
Michael Frolik and Bryan Bickell have been absolute dogshit.
It’s hard to rag on people for venting about their piss poor play. They bring absolutely nothing to this team right now. For a brief minute, it looked like the Hawks secondary scoring was going to pick up…..and then it didn’t.
I know many a folk here like to play the intellectual hockey fan, but I have no idea how you can turn your nose up at people disappointed with the “play” of Frolik and Bickell lately.
I do stuff for CheerTheAnthem
It's a simple as this for me
Their game has been almost identical to last year, minus the scoring. Every other facet seems to be the same. Frolik and Bickell’s defense has been very good (although stanfordron will surely disagree).
Let me ask you this, for example, when was the last time a goal against the Hawks was scored and Bickell or Frolik were the main culprits? When’s the last time you saw them dogging it on a backcheck? The 3rd line’s defense has been sound. They’re playing against the competitions’ top lines, but how often do you see them hemmed in in their own zone? It seldom happens.
Now to “play the intellectual hockey fan” on you, do you know what three players lead the Hawks in QualComp? It’s Bolland, Frolik and Bickell. That was easy. But do you know what three players also lead the Hawks in Corsi Relative to Competition? It’s also those three.
Bickell and Frolik actually have positive raw Corsi ratings too, believe it or not. So they’re controlling the play more than not., even though they also get the toughest zone starts (again, against the toughest competition). That’s freakin’ ridiculously difficult to do if you’re not doing something very right. The player who actually has the worst raw Corsi rating on the Hawks is Bolland. So maybe it’s not his linemates that are suddenly playing poorly compared to last year.
So IMO the only thing they’re not bringing to the table is scoring. Most 3rd lines don’t, so maybe we’re a little spoiled. And for two checking line players who aren’t denting twine, Bickell is a +2 and Frolik only a -1 over their past 10 games. They’ve been playing much better as of late. It’s just that scoring goals is what gets you noticed.
That said, I would like to see someone like Stalberg get a try on that line again. But with forwards in short supply, that might not happen. Even if Bolland is the main culprit, it seems to be something they’re gonna have to work through due to few other options, if any.
by ChicagoNativeSon on Jan 7, 2012 5:21 PM CST up reply actions 6 recs
I rarely disagree with your points
Just because a line plays adequate defense, (aren’t you supposed to do that anyway?) that does not absolve you from scoring every now and then. The big 4 need help every now and then. I don’t care about corsi and all that. Corsi doesn’t win cups. They don’t hand out a trophy based on qualcomp.
Most third lines on good teams chip in from time to time.
"What is icing?"
"Well, uh... icing appen when uh the puck come down... bang, you know, before the other guys, nobody there, you know. My arm go comme ça then the game stop then start up."
by anActiveStick on Jan 8, 2012 7:07 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
"aren't you supposed to do that anyways?"
I wish that were the truth. But even ignoring the fact that players should play defense anyway, there are differing degrees of skill and commitment to the defensive game.
Regarding your last point, which teams do you mean? I can think of just a couple of teams that get more scoring support as the Hawks do from top to bottom (Boston & Philly). There are a few clubs that receive about equal support (Pit, Det, Tor, Dal & Van). FYI, Vancouver has 8 forwards with 10+ points while Chicago has 10 over the 10 point threshold.
Is there an elite team that lacks scoring depth? Yep, the New York Rangers. And they’ll get the job done with a combination of dependable offense, stable defense and stellar goaltending.
good post
I’m okay if our 3rd line never scores a goal as long as they never allow a goal.
I’ll gladly take an opposing team’s top line being shut down and letting their 2-4 lines go up against our top two lines any day of the year. I like those chances.
I’ll gladly take an opposing team’s top line being shut down and letting their 2-4 lines go up against our top two lines any day of the year. I like those chances.
I may be wrong here (I’m much too lazy to do any actual research) but in these last few losses it’s the opponents 2nd and 3rd tier scoring that has been beating us for the most part, not the top scorers. I’m not sure what that tells us, other than that the Bolland-Bickell-Frolik line is getting the job done defensively against the other team’s top scrong, and that the rest of the team defense has been for shit. But you didn’t need me to tell you that, all you had to do was watch the games.
"Against logic there is no armor like ignorance."
- Laurence J. Peter
Hey CNS
Not ducking your post, I’ve just been on a weekend bender and just got back home for the first time since Friday night. I no longer have a phone, credit card or any other sort of identificaton……see what losing streaks do to me?
I don’t disagree at all with your points about FroBick’s defense effort. I should have stuck to criticism of their offensive game, which you note has disappeared. I understand they play tough minutes and that Q’s orders are D first for th at line.
I’ve never questioned the effort of Michael Frolik and have pretty routinely commended the desire he shows out there night in and night out. I just don’t see how the Hawks can expect to be a top 3 team in the West by the end of the season if Bickell and Frolik can’t combine for more than the 9 goals they scored in the first half of the season. We’ve had the luxury the past few seasons of having three lines that can score…..you may be right about us (me) getting spoiled.
Which guy would you take off that line if you put Stals on it – Fro or Bick?
Is the DMV open on Sundays? I have to get my life back…
I do stuff for CheerTheAnthem
if Bickell and Frolik can’t combine for more than the 9 goals they scored in the first half of the season
I agree, but for the record: Bolland 3G, 3A at EV so far.
Some of the 3rd line’s slump is simply luck. I know many hate the term, but last season Bolly and Bickell had the highest PDO’s among forwards. This year they are the two worst. But there is obviously much more to it than that. I’ve seen Bickell many times below the goal line with the puck and no one near the crease to feed it to. They’ve lost much of their offensive aggressiveness this year. I would therefore swap Frolik for Stalberg, someone who had shown a desire to drive the net with and without the puck. It might sacrifice some defense, but the added offense could cancel that out.
Bickell’s a minimum wage guy. If we’re expecting him to not only shutdown the toughest competition, but also create offense, lead the team in hits (he’s 2nd among fwds), be the net presence the team needs, score goals, etc, etc, then I thing we’re expecting to much for the price tag. At the end of the day, he’s just “a guy.” If he was sucking as badly as many on this blog believe – or wasn’t play D (Q’s pet peeve), he’d be on the 4th line or scratched. Last year was a career year for him. If his offense was double what he’s done so far, I’d say he’s doing well. He’s needs to step it up a bit more. My biggest problem with Bickell is that he has potential to be much more.
Frolik is my bigger letdown though. If you want a guy who’s just gonna be a solid defender, you can find one for much cheaper than Frolik. I thought he deserved around $1.5M over the summer. Not sure how he was able to magically turn Bowman into Tallon during negotiations. That guy is an offense killer right now. One thing that is overlooked about Frolik though, he leads the league in takeaway/giveaway ratio. He only has 3 giveaways and has 27 takeaways. That is phenomenal. (although the Hawks as a team are incredible in that department too, including the entire 3rd line).
by ChicagoNativeSon on Jan 8, 2012 3:19 PM CST up reply actions
"Frolik is my bigger letdown though."
I think this is true of many people. Remember people were saying it’d be possible for him to crack the 30 goal mark? Those dreams vanished pretty fast and I don’t think anyone is even expecting him to hit half that.
Putting their salaries in the equation does make a difference for me
and I hadn’t really thought of them in those terms. However, Frolik stands out to me in games much more so than Bicks does. Yes his muffed scoring chances drive me nuts, but he seems so much more active than Bicks.
Your defense of the 3rd line has been pretty for effective, for me anyway. I’ll be watching thru a different lense, thanks.
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
Actually, thank you for saying that.
I have mostly given up trying to defend Bickell. Bickell had an “outlier great for the entire league” kind of year last year. If people weren’t happy with him last year there is NO hope for the guy this year.
Its good that John’s defense helped sway you. You are in the minority, btw. Most people have the “hockybuzz” position on Bickell. You know where they just want to waive the guy cause he is totally useless. Pretty funny really.
Also, every time you watch Hossa and Sharp play for the Hawks just remember you need Bickell type players over-performing their salaries to help pay for them.
I agree
Bottom salary guys like Bicks are a must for teams like the hawks. Hi priced guys need to do what they do well and the low priced guys need to fill in the cracks. I just need to keep in mind that if Bicks were better at what’ve does he wouldn’t be playing for us.
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
by Z-man24 on Jan 8, 2012 5:05 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Your first paragraph. Yup.
Stalberg is getting a lot of deserved love around here this year. Bickell produced like a $2.5M guy last season and was still despised by many. This year he is definitely underperforming, so my defense is more of a “putting things in perspective” argument. He’s not a game changer, but the calls for him to be run out of town are off-the-wall IMO.
I’m amazed I swayed anyone. I didn’t think that could occur in the history of ever.
by ChicagoNativeSon on Jan 8, 2012 5:08 PM CST up reply actions
I'd like to think I'm not a complete blockhead
and my opinions can change when faced with reasonable logic. Let’s just keep that between you and me though, can’t have my wife knowing I said that.
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
I've been saying this
I’ve seen Bickell many times below the goal line with the puck and no one near the crease to feed it to.
For too many games now. I understand that part of this line’s job is to not get too deep, to stay in a position that allows them to get back against some of the top offensive players in the league. But it wouldn’t kill them to occasionally have two of the three forwards in the north half of the offensive zone.
An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. (Jef Mallett)
People were overheard talking about hockey on a bus??? Isn’t that a victory in itself?
www.mjt.org
by ChicoMaki on Jan 7, 2012 5:27 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Way too funny...
Thanks for sharing that.
Sam, what does PSA stand for?
loved the IRA joke
Quit picking on Swede’s
Agreed
Look, losing streaks happen because not everyone is going to play perfect ball (puck? whatever…), no matter how good you are. A three game losing streak shouldn’t have to result in morons calling out for a trade of basically anyone to get better, that’s not how things go. If something breaks, you fix it right? Well in sports, you try your damned best to fix the problem “internally”. Trades and signings are expensive and take a lot of effort. I get the feeling that a lot of the people who call out for these idiotic solutions (like trading Kane, wtf?!?) are people who never really played on a team before and don’t truly understand the forces behind teamwork. If someone plays poorly, everyone else around them is ready and willing (hopefully) to bring them back up to pace, that’s how winners keep on winning. We’ve got a great captain, a great coach, and good players this year to make a run, nothing needs to change from that…
UMD Bulldogs: 2011 NCAA DI Men's Hockey Nat'l Champions; 2008 & 2010 NCAA DII Football Nat'l Champions
but..but
its blemishing their stellar home record!
it was only a matter of time till that got a little more balanced, they arent the bruins after all.
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 7, 2012 1:18 PM CST up reply actions
A three game losing streak shouldn’t have to result in morons calling out for a trade of basically anyone to get better, that’s not how things go.
Meathead Chicago fans are gathered outside your door with pitchforks, torches, bratwurst and Old Style.
"What the hell, let's review it." - Dale Tallon
"They are!" - Pat Foley
"What a farce." - Dale Tallon
by HawkVision on Jan 7, 2012 2:03 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I love hand-roasted bratwurst!
But in the end, I think it's going to come back to the Globetrotters, because if there's one thing they know, it's "globe-trotting!"
Isn't eating Brats made out of roasted hands,
Well, kinda really Fucked up?
by Toews-makes-funny-faces on Jan 8, 2012 8:46 AM CST up reply actions
Totally!
Where are the fava beans to go with that??
by ChicagoNativeSon on Jan 8, 2012 9:33 AM CST up reply actions
Meatheads like fights...late hits...high elbows
……..morons like to tradeeveryone after a single overtime loss. Pls understand that
Ver™
by ccm on Jan 7, 2012 3:45 PM CST up reply actions
Hey! I found the frog! - next to the man peeing on the hill...
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
I can't remember the last time I had an Old Style.
Thankfully.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
I spent a year in Thailand
back in the 90s, and they have 2 main beers there. Singha and Klosters.
Klosters you could drink all night with no effect in the morning, but Singha; after 2 you would wake up in the morning feeling like there was a 5 ton parked on your head.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
SCH resident medicinal resource
But Singha was 30 cents cheaper
and that’s why everybody drank it
But in the end, I think it's going to come back to the Globetrotters, because if there's one thing they know, it's "globe-trotting!"
But it was brutal.
I think when I was there Klosters was like 23 bhat or something like that. Klosters was much better tasting too I thought.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
SCH resident medicinal resource
you know you could swap those definitions quite easily...
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
Watching this bruins/nucks game
would be nice if the hawks had a forecheck and net presence like the bruins do.
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 7, 2012 1:34 PM CST reply actions
You mean a little sandpaper? Like acquiring some veterans like Moen and Malone at the deadline?
Proud fan of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
Moen would be a perfect winger for bolland
But Malone’s got some ugly paper. Type of player would be perfect, but that contract…
www.secondcityhockey.com
www.anfieldasylum.com
That’s why I dump Frolik on Montreal for Moen to make some room. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet in these deals.
Proud fan of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
why would they take that deal though?
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 7, 2012 1:43 PM CST up reply actions
Frolik is a forward with some skill that the Canadiens desperately need as Pacioretty is forward that needs a skilled player around him not named Gomez or Gionta. Frolik would be a solid addition to that team and Moen to ours.
A Frolik-Eller-Pacioretty line would be good line for Montreal to rebuild around as that is where they are moving forward. So I do see Gauthier asking for that in return for a gritty forward that many team will covet come the end of February.
Proud fan of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
frolik has 5 goals on the season
3 empty netters, one luongo softy special, and one that went off a defensemens skate.
I think montreal knows this
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 7, 2012 2:18 PM CST up reply actions
The constant line shifting hasn’t help the young man at all. He’d get steady minutes and linemates in Montreal. They also know this.
Proud fan of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
his shot selection is just awful though
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 7, 2012 4:05 PM CST up reply actions
If the puck hits the blade of his stick, he shoots
Zero thought process
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
based on their employing of scott gomez, I think not
"What is icing?"
"Well, uh... icing appen when uh the puck come down... bang, you know, before the other guys, nobody there, you know. My arm go comme ça then the game stop then start up."
by anActiveStick on Jan 8, 2012 7:10 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
O/T Nucks/Bruins
Fun, chippy game, but one thing is bothering me: the Boston crowd keeps chanting “Luongo”, particularly after goals. Schnieder’s in goal, and has been the whole game. Who is this supposed to intimidate?
Also, trade everyone, we suck, Crawford sucks, Emery sucks, Niemi sucks, missing the playoffs, the sky is falling, run for your lives, etc.
Wise men say: "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza"
it's "We want Luongo"
and I’m fairly sure it’s intimidating Bobby
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
Yea they started that as i was typing this out *shakes fist*
But it’s been going on from the start. The horrible NESN announcers were making fun of it right after the puck drop.
Wise men say: "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza"
they are horrible aren't they?
I kinda like it though, considering the way the Nucks are playing
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
I did like their "Holy shit, Laperrier is gonna fight?!?" reaction to that scrap
Wise men say: "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza"
i dont like how either of the teams are playing
boston is gooning it up hardcore
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 7, 2012 2:01 PM CST up reply actions
this game is a huge deal in BC
Canucks have 4 PPG, had 1 in 7 games in June
Lucic tossed 5 min in for ???
Marchand clipped Salo, 5 and game. I think the refs over reacted on the outcome seeing Salo got hurt..what else is new.
Canucks now on their 10th PP, shades of last Nux tilt at UC
by Canuckslicknutsak on Jan 7, 2012 2:47 PM CST up reply actions
I thought that too..
and their first goal was a 5-3 and the third was 5-3 +one guy without a stick..
Lucic got tossed for TMI.. and himself and Chara appeared to offer Bieksa and Burrows opportunities to dance but got declined, surprisingly
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
that was a dirty clip
right in the knees, could have done some serious damage
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 7, 2012 4:06 PM CST up reply actions
I know everyone loves boston
but i just dont see them as being the “best and scariest” team in hockey. They started 3-8, ok they improved, but their November schedule was a cakewalk imo, yes 12-0-1 is very impressive but look at who they played:
Islanders twice, Winnepeg, Montreal twice, Toronto twice, buffalo(started well but now very inconsistent), New jersey(awful), columbus(lol), edmonton and ottowa. their only loss was to detriot. If the hawks had that same schedule in November i would expect 10+ wins.
Bottom line, they are good, but they have weaknesses just like every other team in the league this year. they love to parade to the sin bin(see todays game)
my point is, the trade deadline this year will be some kind of fun IMHO.
I dunno
the Bruins looked fucking terrifying at ES tonight.. and pretty menacing a man down. If they’d not lost their collective minds against VAN they’d have stomped them.
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
Right now, they're pretty scary
They’re scoring 3.63 G/G and 1.90 GAA- both tops in the NHL.
Goal differential is +68- next closes is Scum at +40.
They’re winning 55.9% of FOs- tops in the NHL
They’re a +61. While that’s not an insane number at the end of a season, it’s a ridiculous number for this point in the season. Since the lockout, the highest +/- at the END of a season is +78 (Ottawa, 2006)
I’m sure they’re benefiting from weaker competition to a point, but they’re not playing Columbus every night. They’re playing sick hockey right now.
Chicagoan in the Lou.
And … although weaker competition is a reality, the same reality has shown Chicago that weaker competition only stays weaker if you manage to show your strength. Boston hasn’t flagged against these teams since their start, and even in that start they were losing games by very narrow margins.
www.mjt.org
Boston is rock solid
There is no team in the NHL who wants to face them. They play smart, smart, smart and have a wonderful blend of offense, defense and special teams. Tim Thomas keeps making a liar out of me too.
The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.
Can't argue their 'smart' play for the season, but they weren't very smart today against Van
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
Lucic game misconduct rescinded
Canuck fans whining about that ignoring the fact he was gone 4 min in.
Thats 2 points further up on Hawks for the cannots, screwed again(that pens lack of call the the Kruger hit andf subsequent instigator on Scott still sticks in my craw)
i think Van is having a banner raising when they get home.
No metter what Marchand gets, the nux will call conspiracy
by Canuckslicknutsak on Jan 7, 2012 7:53 PM CST up reply actions
please show me a single example of "Smart" play by the Bruins..
as opposed to the idiotic “March To The Box” I saw today….
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
that was an accident
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
by mightymike D on Jan 7, 2012 10:06 PM CST up reply actions
I wish that was entirely the case
Hawks are worst in league in SOGA/60 while on the PK, and their Sv% is 21st. Bad combination.
by ChicagoNativeSon on Jan 8, 2012 11:51 AM CST up reply actions
agree on the easy schedule...
but the way they won those game was astonishing. It’s like they were playing Jr. hockey squads in their total domination.
I have watched the Bs quite a bit this season
and I must say they play a great team game. Not very many weaknesses over there. Solid forechecking, great backcheck, special teams are good, goal tending has been superb, D men know their responsibilities, and the forwards help out a lot. They were very undisciplined yesterday against the Nucks but hey, it was the Nucks they were playing.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
Q and Stan need to get on the same page with our 3rd D pairing and soon
Q refuses to dress Lepisto let alone play him, Scott can dress but can’t play, OD seems to be able to play and dress, Monty gets to start and then as the game progresses he can’t play, and then there is Olsen who suddenly gets 15 min.
Lepisto, Scott or OD needs to get traded now. I have my preference on who but pick one and say goodbye. Then decide who the 3rd pairing can be with who is left. I doubt this will take away minutes for 72, but maybe it’ll take some pressure off Leddy.
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
how did olsen look in those 15 minutes?
only got to watch the first period
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 7, 2012 1:40 PM CST up reply actions
I didn't notice anything glaringly bad
He looked better than he did against Philly, a little more sure of himself
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
I think Olsen did a great job out there
Saddened to see him go, but also praying Monty will be OK now?
Is it true Sami has visited Kim Johnson’s grave? Or are they just dating? – Too soon?
It’s still better than Boynton.
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
Laughably
Boynton did not play under 10 minutes last year except for one game. His average TOI during the cup run was 16:38.
so basically
OD/Lepisto/Scott are all worse than Boynton was, at least in Q’s mind? And Monty isn’t much better?
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
the team was playing fine in the early going when Monty and 3rd line partner were eating up an average of 28-30 minutes a game. Q isn’t doing the team favors by continuing with the Dusty Baker mentality, IMO.
Who would've thought we'd be longing for the Halcyon days...
When we had Sopel and Hendry?
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
couldn't agree more
I wish Q would get the 3rd pairing out for 12-15 min most every game.
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
WTF is Bowman sr. doing through all of this.
Surely he isn’t telling Q “Way to go Stache’ keep playing your top 2 pairings for an obscene amount of time while giving your 3rd 3 minutes a night, that’s how I used to do it in Detroit. You remember, I won all of those shiny things doing the exact same thing. Keep up the good work”.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
The "Big Bow" is probably out looking for our next "Savior"...
Is there a “Big Lebowski” joke in there somewhere? – I hope so.
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
These are all good points, I agree all the way through. I do think Q and Stan are likely on the same page, though, and the only reason a move hasn’t been made is that there are way more buyers right now and all the sellers know that. Also, reflected in that is the fact that there are still a ton of teams in the playoff picture, most of them in fact, and so they’re not in a position to blow things up.
www.mjt.org
I agree with what you say about making trades now
However, if it were me, I’d trade Scott for whatever I could get right now and I presume they would be lucky to get anything. But then again I’d have Lepisto playing more than he is. I guess Lepisto is the main person who has me wondering if Stan and Q are together on the D men.
The situation with Olsen just highlights the whole thing. One would think that in a game that you are losing, they guy getting the least ice time is the rookie not the older guy. Now they have to send Olsen back down because we have no room for him. This situation is much more frustrating to me than last nights loss
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
Yep. But if Olsen is the solution to anything then we’re dead. There’s lots of time, Stan will make a move. In the meantime I’m comfortable with him being patient and measuring what’s happening. There’s not a lot he can do if sellers, say, are waiting for bids to climb higher.
And a trade of Scott nets absolutely nothing … it’s very possible that the best we could hope for there is a 7th rounder, but more likely we’d be getting an older AHL player, a Brett McLean sort … in which case, since he really does seem to be a good team guy, I’d argue we’d be better off keeping him. No matter what, we’re not getting a roster player back.
www.mjt.org
I wouldn't expect a roster player back for Scott
IMO he shouldn’t be on a NHL roster, but that has been argued to death before. I wouldn’t mind giving Olsen a shot at the 6th D spot. As I see it, a 6th D-man is probably only going to help you in the regular season. Play 10-15 min a night and help the top 4-5 guys stay fresh. Once the playoffs start, the 6th man is going to pretty much disappear, unless somebody gets hurt.
In the end, I’m just tired of seeing Scott dress and not play. Maybe for Q it doesn’t really matter who the 6d is as he’s not going to give him a lot of TOI anyway
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
I'm for keeping Scott
He doesn’t costs the team a lot in salary cap, he isn’t what’s wrong with the team and he’s liked and supported by his teammates.
If Scott was a key piece that wasn’t producing or being a clubhouse cancer, then I’d be in the camp of trading him.
Then he needs to be able to play some minutes
I agree he’s not a cancer and I’m willing to accept the fact that the stars may like it when he dresses because they know he’ll pound some asshole that’s taking pot shots. But why does he dress against the Avs?
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
I have no clue why he dressed against the Avs. I’m not around the team to understand how Q’s mysterious mind works.
Scott is fine as a #23 guy.
That may be true if your coach is willing to play the #21 and 22 guys
and has some trust in the 5d as well
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
The fact that he is occupying a roster spot
that could be used by someone better is ok with you?
I mean there is always going to be someone better than some players, but just about everyone is better than him. Would you rather have Scott playing 3-6 minutes a night or have Olsen be available in a game if needed? (Olsen was just an example)
No worries, this was the plan all along!
I'm okay with it, yes.
I’ve always been okay with it mainly due to financial reasons, but I’ve come around on the guy. I don’t like the fact that he’ll play fewer than 7 minutes on most nights, but I like that he’s well liked by his teammates and I don’t find him to be a total disaster on the ice. While he brings little explosiveness to the team (that’s an understatement) the guy at least knows how to position himself well and make a good, clean pass.
I feel that people love to bitch. If we’re not crying about Scott, it’d be some other poor performing sap. Hjammer time, anyone?
guys with 10+games w/ similar TOI than Scott
It’s not just a Blackhawk problem, as you can see. Most teams have a John Scott type player on their squad, a guy who’s either an “enforcer” or just isn’t trusted.
01 Steve MacIntyre 2:34 02 Darcy Hordichuk 3:35 03 Jody Shelley 4:42 04 Cam Janssen 4:46 05 Kevin Westgarth 5:08 06 Brian McGrattan 5:29 07 Jay Rosehill 5:54 08 Ryan Reaves 5:57 09 George Parros 6:03 10 Zac Rinaldo 6:09 11 Brad Staubitz 6:20 12 Aaron Palushaj 6:36 13 Krys Barch 6:43 14 Jason Jaffray 6:43 15 Cody McLeod 6:45 16 Paul Bissonnette 6:53 17 Mike Rupp 6:56 18 Brad Mills 6:58 19 Sean Avery 7:01 20 Eric Boulton 7:06 21 Michael Blunden 7:09 22 Jared Boll 7:25 23 Brett Sutter 7:32 24 Zenon Konopka 7:36 25 Harry Zolnierczyk 7:43 26 Anthony Stewart 7:49 27 Andrew Murray 7:55
Where did you get that list from?
Did they list the positions played of those players? I’m interested to see how many of those are Dmen
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
most of those guys are offensive players...
which is obvious when you consider there’s more offensive players than defensive players in a given game. Both Scott and Lepisto are at or very near the bottomin in terms of TOI for defenders.
I looked at the TOI list on NHL.com
Scott’s played 20 games so I put that as my minimum number of games played to compare them to Scott. All the guys with Scott’s TOI/G are forwards. Two Dmen with 20 games played have a TOI/G average over 12 min.
I guess this is my point. Not many teams have a Dman with as few minutes as Scott who has also played in as many games as Scott. And I know he’s played a few games at forward but that’s only been what 2-3?
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
Scott
Should only be playing against teams like St. Louis, LA, Calgary, Columbus. When Q plays him against Vancouver or San Jose, on the road, that’s where Scott doesn’t make much sense (ironically, he averaged almost 9 minutes per game and the team only gave up two goals in those two games).
It’s also worth noting that there are very few enforcers in the game who play defense. Suffice to say, the guy is “unique”.
One could argue that Lepisto is the real problem
According to how Q plays him, he’s our 23rd guy, not Scott.
Lepisto averaged 17 min in 70 games last year and he can’t get in a game this year? Scott is probably fine as our 23rd guy but that’s not how Q uses him, that’s where the problem is
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
I feel so bad for Lepisto
I bet he seriously regrets signing in Chicago. His lack of playing is not only hurting the team (i believe) but hurting his career.
Especially since he took
less money to play, ehm, I mean watch here.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
SCH resident medicinal resource
I agree
makes you wonder how they screwed that up. Either he’s nothing close to what they thought they were getting or they thought he wasn’t the best fit but signed him out of need. Either way, I don’t think we have treated him fairly.
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
I mean it's obvious that he can play.
I mean surely other teams wouldn’t have played him for the minutes that he averaged last season and his career if he just flat out sucked. Right?
No worries, this was the plan all along!
SCH resident medicinal resource
I wouldn't think so
17 per isn’t bottom of the barrel. This was either a massive scouting fail or they knew he wasn’t a fit but didn’t see an alternative at what he was willing to sign for. Being he played for Phoenix and Columbus last year it’s not like we didn’t see him in person
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
Either way there was an epic fail
on somebody’s part.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
SCH resident medicinal resource
As long as Scott is playing defense with a capable partner I’d rather have him as our 23rd body (as forward, he should never touch the ice). I’m not arguing that he should be a permanent member of the third pairing; but nobody’s 23rd player is going to be a whole lot better, and I’d rather have Olsen (or any promising prospect) playing meaningful minutes in Rockford than 10 minutes a week in the NHL.
www.mjt.org
Would you prefer Olsen playing 12-15 min a night on the 3rd pairing
or getting more minutes in Rockford?
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
How about Olsen and Leddy 3-4, and Hjammer and a prayer for 5-6?
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
For me, I’d like him playing in Rockford, but that’s only cause I don’t think he’d be in a position to average 12-15 minutes, and I don’t think he’d be in a position to build his confidence in the way that young NHL defensemen (who are not Drew Doughty, etc) have shown over and over again that they need. He had two fine games, but I don’t think he’s NHL ready right now.
www.mjt.org
Fair enough
I won’t pretend to know the proper way of bringing in a young dman and assesing where he needs to play to maximize his development. Just found it odd that he got some decent minutes the last 2 games and yet the other 3 dmen, namely Lepisto and Scott, either can’t dress or don’t play much when they do.
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
No argument here … the third pairing right now seems like it’s built with blind dart-throwing.
www.mjt.org
I'm picturing a roulette wheel somewhere in the bowels of the UC
OD’s slot takes up about 60% of the wheel, Scott’s about 35% and Lepisto 5% and about half the time Lepisto’s spot is covered up by ’spin again"
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
If he could get 12-15 minutes
on a consistent basis I probably wouldn’t mind it. 12-15 minutes as a 3rd pairing in the NHL is probably close to getting those same minutes in the AHL as far as competition wise.
But if it was every 3rd or 4th game then I would say keep him in Rockford. I have always thought that a good 3rd pairing should kind of go unnoticed on the ice. They do their job and quietly wait for their next shift.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
“12-15 minutes as a 3rd pairing in the NHL is probably close to getting those same minutes in the AHL as far as competition wise”
I gotta disagree with you pretty strongly here, Tuke. If it were comparable you’d see a lot more defensive prospects playing in a lot more NHL games. The AHL is a complete league, top to bottom. No, it’s not NHL, of course, but playing 23-25 minutes a game there on the first or second pairing is way better for a young d-man than getting stuffed on a third pairing in the NHL. A third-pairing that gets 15 minutes a night … that’s not exactly the norm, not unless you’re getting a lot of PK time thrown in to boot. Olsen wouldn’t be on the PK and as promising as I think he is, I just can’t for the life of me see him skating 15 minutes of even-strength toi.
www.mjt.org
I agree the minutes are a huge difference but
the fact that most players that make the jump from a 1st or 2nd line in the AHL usually begin on a 3rd or 4th line in the NHL. I know that isn’t always the case but we’ll exclude the prodigies and special people. This is what causes me to believe that the level of competition faced is somewhat comparable.
Is it better for a prospect to log big minutes in the AHL? Certainly. Would I rather have a top prospect playing 1st or 2nd pairing minutes in the AHL? without question. But I still believe that on average the talent faced by a 3rd pairing in the NHL is comparable in many ways, not all to what a 1st or 2nd pairing would face in the AHL.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
not to mention that Doughty
(and Leddy) are offensive minded D-men. Those tend to develop a ton faster than a guy like Dylan, who’s more of a stay-at-home type defender.
He really isn't
good on the ice in a defensive capacity either. If he is gonna be on the team he should never play unless their is an injury in the middle of a game or they are playing a scrub team, of which there really aren’t any in the league. I’m sure there is abetter way to spend 550k a year.
I mean no he hasn’t hurt the team very often and he does provide some level of protection on the ice albeit a small one, and he may be a great locker room guy, but for 550k I would rather have someone else that can play more than 3-5 minutes a game.
And like I said, Olsen was just an example, put anyone with a comparable salary in that position.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
See aeroplane above for my comment on this. A final roster player at 550K … these guys are who they are. If you can find one that makes a tangible contribution to the locker room, and who will play 50 games a year max … I think you’re doing better than most.
I do agree, I wish Scott would/could play more than 3-5 minutes when he dresses … and when the team has played well and he’s had Monty as a partner he’s done pretty well (and has logged more minutes). Consistency is always going to be an issue with these players, and I don’t think you can pay someone 550K and not expect that.
www.mjt.org
The Kane stuff really riles me
The official board has pages and pages of anti-Kane crap and it has really picked up in the last week or so. The popular trade scenario seems to be Kane to Buffalo for Miller.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
this makes *me* want to kick puppies.
for fuck’s sake.
SCH Narc - check yo'self before you wreck yo'self.
Don't think he's "expendable"
But I don’t think he’ll finish his career here like Toews. I’d actually be a little surprised if he remains with the team beyond this contract.
Chicagoan in the Lou.
That started with the cronies @ Rogers Sportsnet. Whether this has been fed in their own imagination (probably not true) or through Kane’s agent (very possible) it is out there. If Kane has sought this then something will happen eventually as I don’t see anyone here in Canada dreaming up trade scenario’s, I just don’t, not within the MSM.
Kane has played the past few weeks like an individual not happy with his surroundings. It would be an extremely difficult situation for the Blackhawks to have to trade it only ever first overall pick with that much talent, but he’s looked like Alex “the not so great” Mogilny the past few games. He needs to play a lot better, we all know that, but if he doesn’t then the organization needs to look at the alternative, and alternative that they never wanted to be in but already have been forced into.
Personally, I hope everything falls back into place and everything works out for the best for the ’Hawks and Kane – together!
Proud fan of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
Trade Kane? They must be outside of their mind, I would never trade that guy.
Now that Toews fella, that’s a different story.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
I think this team will be alright once Joel Quenneville gets over himself and starts coaching this team like a team instead of individuals. Having your top six forwards and top four defencemen play most of the game is not the way to have a successfully long term franchise. This team is good, but one and done if they don’t start playing with some vigour and sandpaper. Shaw and Hayes have tried, but some veteran leadership is required (hey, wouldn’t have Madden looked nice here, for a song?)
Having Leddy with Hjalmarsson at this point makes no sense at all as Nicklas “Never to be Kronwall” deserves a third pairing assignment with Lepisto. O’Donnell, for the time being, can be slotted with Leddy to give him some veteran experience and comfort back there and just let the kid concentrate on his own side of the ice and responsibilities. A trade looms in the horizon to fix this, but for now SOD is the solution there or until Montador returns.
The goaltending has been suspect, but not terrible. Emery has had some good games and some bad but you can’t complain about a 9-3-2 record now can we? Razor needs to start more plain and simple.
As far getting rid of someone, Frolik for the only reason he may be enough to fetch Moen out of Montreal. The kid has talent and can play in big games but just isn’t what the ’Hawks need moving forward, however …. any time Stan Bowman wants to pull the trigger and fire Mike Kitchen that would be fine by me.
Proud fan of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
Kitchen and Haviland and Q!
My biggest problem—more than any other single thing, more than personnel, more than the inconsistent periods, more than flat beginnings and middles—is the special teams. There is no reason in the world for this team be anywhere but the top 8 in both of these, and the glaring inconsistencies on the PP and PK just flat out kill me. Fix those two things alone and I bet we’d have 6 more points at least. No team can go deep in the playoffs with special teams like this. People might cite Boston last year, but that was insanely lucky and could only repeat itself with an equal or greater bit of luck.
www.mjt.org
by ChicoMaki on Jan 7, 2012 5:37 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
I have to agree with the sentiment - something is horribly wrong here
It’s like Jerry Angelo is running it
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
my biggest problem with Q
is his TOI mismanagement, but I completely agree with your special teams assessment. This team should be in the top 10 in both categories.
I'm going to play Devil's advocate here
Couple things, both of which address kinda the same thing here. I’ll leave the goaltending portion to others because I’m not really suited to address it. Personally, I think it’s been average, but not terrible. But I digress. Here’s what I really want to talk about:
2ndCityHockey Second City Hockey
Stan should probably get on the phone tomorrow looking for a hammer replacement. -Fels
One is that his partner sucks, or at least does now. Niklas Hjalmarsson simply doesn’t do anything. He’s not physical, his positioning in his zone looks like those books from The Adjustment Bureau (my god is Emily Blunt hot!), and he never provided offense anyway. All he does is block shots, which is a third-pairing skill set. Leddy’s game would assuredly improve if he had a partner playing well. Right now, he’s chained to whatever it is Hammer does.
I saw the tweet last night and then I read the above paragraph this morning. Again, I’m going to play Devil’s advocate here because I think Hjalmarsson to be neither bad nor good. He certainly doesn’t suck though. I had just as much admiration for Brian Campbell as Fels does. I won’t pine to take the trade back because I know what it accomplished and how it opened a window. However, why should be insist that Hjalmarsson “sucks” or “does nothing” now when just last season or the one prior, he was playing very well when skating next to 51?
I agree that 4’s best skill is that of blocking shots. He’s not an offensive threat and his skating certainly leaves something to be desired. What I think is happening when it comes to discussing Hjammer is, to an extent, the same thing that happened to Brian Campbell. Nik makes $3.5M a year. As of right now, he’s playing like a $2M a year defenceman. We’re being critical of his performance, not only because it’s been fairly poor (as a result of who he is paired with as well as his own performance) but because we’re paying him to play better than this. We criticized Campbell not because of his play, but because his $7.1M cap hit was squeezing other parts of our roster. Are we not doing the same thing of Hjalmarsson?
The difference, as I see it, is that 4 will continue to improve (or at least that’s the hope). Campbell had some years of elite play left but his decline was coming. Coming with a lot of years left at too much money. Hjammer, on the other hand, should grow into his paygrade.
I fully expect replies to this to consist of “tl;dr” but this was the shortest way I could get the point across. Suffice to say, I agree that a balance of minutes is very necessary on our blue line. I disagree that it should be done by either replacing Hjalmarsson or demoting Leddy. The spot on Stan’s depth chart that reads 6D needs to have a name under it capable of skating 15 minutes a night at a competent level.
by JesusMarianHossa on Jan 7, 2012 2:11 PM CST reply actions
I agree
I think Hjammer is the easy target because of the salary expectations. It’s not exactly fair, of course, but he’s a professional athlete; this is simply part of the territory.
I wholeheartedly agree on your last paragraph.
SCH Narc - check yo'self before you wreck yo'self.
If we can say Leddy is being held down by Hammer, then the reverse applies as well
They’re both young and neither are exactly the next Lidstrom. With only two seasons under his belt—one great, one not—Hjammer isn’t exactly a veteran that can handle Leddy’s growing pains. He’s got his own still, and Q is asking too much out of both of them because of this 3rd pairing bullshit.
And for as much shit some commenters pile on Hjammer here, the occasional times I visit other blogs I see that other fans consider him and Leddy something to contend with in their own right. Though they are no Marlboro 72, they have the same dynamic that makes Seabs and Duncs work.
I never considered myself a Hjalmarsson apologist, but then I came here.
As for the forwards...
I have no issues there and Sam’s thinking is what I align with. The top 6 hole will get filled via trade. Not at matter of if, but rather when. The loss of Marcus Kruger is greater than any one of us would have thought. I’m as big a fan of 16 as anyone, but I didn’t think losing him would hurt this much. We all realize we’re thin down the middle. I just don’t believe we all thought Kruger would click as well as he was at the time he went down.
My concern with the forwards, and there’s really only one, is with Dave Bolland. It was actually laaaarmer that mentioned something right before the Philly game. Dave’s linemates used to be Ladd-Havlat and Ladd-Hossa. Now they’re Bickell and Stals/Frolik. For whatever reason, Dave Bolland is completely inept offensively this season, not to mention subpar in the faceoff circle. I haven’t the faintest as to how you get him going because he’s stapled to the 3rd line center position. Defensively, there are games he left me wondering why the 3rd line is the checking line.
The elite talents possessed by 19, 88, 81 and 10 will produce their points. Of this I have no doubt. It’s secondary scoring that concerns me up front. Mostly from the bottom two lines. Hayes gave us some nice glimpses the last week and Stalberg or Mayers at other times, but if you look at the 41 game sample size, the secondary scoring is a deficiency for the Blackhawks.
And for the love of Hossa, Joel… you talk about needing consistency during losing streaks yet they are the times you shuffle your lines the most. STOP THAT.
OK. I’m done now. And my fingers hurt.
by JesusMarianHossa on Jan 7, 2012 2:23 PM CST reply actions
My concern with the forwards, and there’s really only one, is with Dave Bolland
This. I was watching the game last night and thinking to myself “where the hell did Bolland go?” Not only the scoring, but the Dave Trolland we all know and love. I can’t remember the last time he was able to get the other teams best player(s) off their game.
There are some who call me........Tim?
Tremendously tremendous! Beautius J. Beautius!
Fuck Radim Vrbata.
by allyouyounghockeyplayersoutthere on Jan 7, 2012 4:48 PM CST up reply actions
don't we go through this...
every single regular season?
I swear I saw around 20 different line combinations out there
during the Avs game. That shit was getting ridiculous. The man needs a swift jab to the face.
by Ban on Jan 7, 2012 7:16 PM CST up reply actions
Suggestion
Can we apply the same punishment we are giving to the “trade Patrick Kane” crowd to the “we should have kept Byfuglien” crowd? I would love it. Thanks.
is that punishment
their own blog? (Hockeybuzz)
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
yeah
just fence them all in together and let them debate the joys of Hits, Buff and Dale Tallon to their heart’s content.. also known as the Seventh Circle of Hell
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
For the record
Emily Blunt is pretty hot, no need to ask your god about it.
But in the end, I think it's going to come back to the Globetrotters, because if there's one thing they know, it's "globe-trotting!"
I'm planning
on starting a Religion based on Emily Blunt.. fancy being a High Priest? You get your own obsidian sacrificial knife and everything.
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
It's a telescoping knife built to circumvent court orders.
But in the end, I think it's going to come back to the Globetrotters, because if there's one thing they know, it's "globe-trotting!"
Dobsonian - that's what I was thinking of
Someday, when I get a place far from the cities light pollution, I gots to get me one of these
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
I have a nephew
that is really in to astronomy and he has a bad as set up where his scope is connected to his computer and he can pick a star or planet or whatever on his computer and his scope will move in and zero in on whatever he picked. I’m not real big on that stuff but I like that method.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
The scientific telescopes of today
don’t even have human-oriented opticals anymore. The Mauna Kea scopes are in a pretty favorable location but they don’t give tours to the research facility anymore because there’s nothing to see. The lone astronomer gazing at the heavens deep into the night taking notes on a notepad is the realm of the rogue/novice astronomer these days…the Bollands of Science.
But in the end, I think it's going to come back to the Globetrotters, because if there's one thing they know, it's "globe-trotting!"
You may as well be speaking German to me.
I have no idea what any of that means. I do know he paid a shit load of money for his scope and accessories.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
SCH resident medicinal resource
I will repeat what I said the other day when this game up
Anybody who wants to trade Kane, please slowly and calmly walk up to the edge of the Cliff and jump (repeat as needed).
by Toews-makes-funny-faces on Jan 7, 2012 3:50 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
maybe he did, maybe he didn't. either way...
…what has he done for us lately?
But in the end, I think it's going to come back to the Globetrotters, because if there's one thing they know, it's "globe-trotting!"
That's how it works in sports, no?
Or life in general for that matter.
by Ban on Jan 7, 2012 7:16 PM CST up reply actions
Can you prove it? - Show me the puck.
Seriously, regarding Kane…
In October, we were all regaled with tales that Kane wanted to prove he was an elite player. For a month or so, he actually did just that. But then he shifted from “Fuck you” mode to “Fuck Q” mode.
Clearly, he is lazy and wants to be traded, but you can’t trade him when he’s showing no value. So please, Patrick, please stop being a baby and score a butt load of goals so we can trade you to Buffalo for a brain dead goalie.
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
What makes me appreciate Kane most is his puck handling and skating skills. How many players in the NHL can create space and time the way Kane does? The S.C. goal was a result of those skills.
Just thinking about his head fake
and resulting goal makes me giggle like a school girl.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
I thought Kane's name was brought up
as a joke…but also as the only bait Murray would take in Anaheim for Ryan. Although that would be a silly-silly drunktastic trade.
Lead writer of nothing, commenter on everything.
Are you sure it didn't say Scott to Rockford or waivers or wherever?
No worries, this was the plan all along!
What, and deprive the team of his 3 minutes of icetime?
Are you crazy or sumthin?
There are some who call me........Tim?
Tremendously tremendous! Beautius J. Beautius!
Fuck Radim Vrbata.
by allyouyounghockeyplayersoutthere on Jan 7, 2012 4:44 PM CST up reply actions
I'm hoping that if Carbomb was on IR already and not serving his suspension
that they would have kept Olsen up. So I’m wondering what the advantage of having Car serve his suspension now is instead of putting him on IR?
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
I believe the plan is to have him serve his suspension
And then have him go on IR. I don’t know how this suspension/injury thing works though. I’ve seen a lot of discussion on here a couple days ago about it, but nothing definitive. Either way, it seems the Hawks have no idea when Carbomb is coming back, but what if it was just in time for the playoffs? If they had rushed him to IR and had him serve the suspension in April, that would be much harder to deal with than having him serve it now.
I guess that depends on what the severity of his injury is.
Which they haven’t revealed yet have they? If they come out and say he will be out for the year, this was a mistake seving the suspension now. If he can come back before the playoffs, then this might have been the right choice, but do we really want to trust the guy in the playofffs?
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
All I've heard so far is not good
Honestly, I think he might be out for the rest of the season. Anything with a knee requires time, and if it ends up being surgery or a ripped tendon, then he’s gone. If this were the case it seems like he should have just gone on IR right away and have him serve his suspension later. And I’m sure a lot of us would rather him do it when he’s on another team.
Of course, this is all assuming that the Hawks have any say in when Carcillo serves his suspension.
And I don’t trust him in the playoffs on any line but the fourth, but who knows who will be joining and leaving come February. Q has put him on the top lines before, he could do it again. It’s just with him on IR during the playoffs, we could use his roster spot, instead of playing with 22 guys.
I guess we have to assume that his injury will not end his season
I could easily be wrong but it seems the hawks had the option of him serving the suspension once he came off IR.
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
When possible suspensions must be served immediately.
And it is the Leagues decision NOT the teams when the suspension can’t be served immediately. That is NOT an option or choice of the team.
I'll take your word for it
but what would make it not possible for someone to serve a suspension? Just curious
If you must scream to get noticed, maybe you should whisper instead
One time I can think of this season
is when Brendan Smith hit Ben Smith, the suspension he got wasn’t served immediately because I think he was sent to the AHL before the announced the suspension. I think the AHL announced they’d honor the suspension so they called him back up and had the suspension go. There were a few games in between though I’m pretty sure
Burn out
I remember when Keith used to rush the puck, something like Leddy does once in a while, but playing 3/4’s of the game he has to manage his energy, too bad as he was way more effective flying end to end, now he feeds someone and mosey’s up toward the opposing bue line watching the game. If we had a third pairing that could skate, Keith would have less but more effetive ice time. Same goes for Seab’s he avoids hitting as it burns you out, save energy and play half speed….
Thunder Bay Hawk Fan!
Outsider piping up
on the question of your 2nd D pair. If Anaheim is serious about the fire sale, I’d think your org should go hard after Lydman. Very responsible D man in all zones, does well with high qualcomp and rough zone starts, and was a great pairing with Tyler Myers in Buffalo, giving the kid some safety to roam offensively. Might work well w Leddy.
But don’t, because I want him for the Bruins.
There is silver lining...
..and that is Bowman and company getting sobering taste of this team’s shortcomings. Stan won’t sit around….there’s a couple moves coming. I’m convinced of that. Frolik will be gone very shortly. I think Bickell too.
Dave Bolland needs to step up. He’s got to generate SOME sort of offense leading the third pairing. It’s gotten ridiculous with Bolland.
It’s time for Patrick Kane to step up. Fight through heavy legs and fatique. All players hit a wall, and Kane has to overcome.
The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.
the Blou School Of 'Getting On With It'
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
by mightymike D on Jan 7, 2012 10:00 PM CST up reply actions
Bolland has really pissed me off lately - but I still love him.
Could be he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
Scum down by two against Toronto
It’s only the first, but I would appreciate if Kessel and Phaneuf want to add to their current tallies, that’d be great.
heh! yes!
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
by mightymike D on Jan 7, 2012 10:00 PM CST up reply actions
Marcus Kruger and Hammer arguments
Whoever said that the loss of Kruger is being felt is right on the money. This kid has a great future, and while he is a work in progress the fact is was amazingly reliable with his shifts. The kid’s got game and is missed.
Hjalmarsson? He’s played just fine. The problem is Q is relying too heavily on Dunc, Seabs, Hammer and Leddy. This team has screaming need for a good blueliner with a work ethic. Montador has killed this team. Dylan Olsen? He has a good future, but pretty clear against the Flyers and Avalanche that he’s not ready for this level of play.
Frolik and a prospect for a veteran blueliner. That’s what I want to see. More the priority then a forward in my estimation.
The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.
thoughts,
Hjalmarsson, for obvious reasons. He’s been an absolute trainwreck for most of the season, and seeing as how I wouldn’t consider our D corps after leds, dunc, and seabs as having the skill, intelligence, or speed to compete night in and night out, I would have to agree our biggest concern is addressing the blueline. We need mobile, physical defensemen, preferably who are on the upswing of their careers. Good teams don’t acquire band aids at the deadline; they go out and pay for talent that will benefit them in the long run.
Frolik/Bruno – Two players who have been completely ineffectual at their prescribed roles, albeit for very different reasons. Fro has suffered from the well know propensity Q has for trying to use a screwdriver as a hammer (wrong tool for the job). Fro has been buried in two-way land after being touted as a fast, crafty winger who could and should.provide some offense. Bruno, on the other hand, shows no signs of value other than having a wicked mustache in November. The guy has less than 20 points through 41 games, and is now playing fourth line minutes to which is he both ill suited and unaccustomed.
Other glaring problems include: our third line’s inability to produce anything resembling offense, the use of PK as a center when he hasn’t shown any proficiency at the position and in all honestly shouldn’t be asked to, and of course our constant revolving door at the second line which has either prevented or resulted in a lack of consistency and secondary scoring, both of which are hallmarks of a successful hockey club.
by a name i call myself on Jan 7, 2012 6:46 PM CST via Android app reply actions
Well...
I disagree with your scathing critcism of Hammer. He’s been fine. The problem is this team doesn’t have a 3rd defensive pairing of any sort. Montador has been, in my view, abysmal. He’s been the one bad move of Stanley. O’Donnell has nothing left in the tank to add. He’s a 50/50 bet to clear the puck or dig it out behind the net. That’s awful. He needs to retire or dress 33% of the games maximum. The biggest issue is the need for another blueliner that Q has confidence in running out there. Keith, Seabs, Hammer and Leddy can’t log the number of shifts they are without it hurting.
The other big problem is a group of forwards that refuse to check. Sharp is terrible at this, but I guess we should give him a pass. But Stalberg and Kane been wholly useless on defense??? That’s got to stop. Absolutely must stop.
Finally, the 3rd line needs to chip in offensively. I love the Rat, but he is contribuing zero.point.zero on offense. We’re getting NOTHING generated from the Bolland line. How many times as Bolland put the blade down and missed the net by two feet? Pathetic. Frolik needs to go and Bickless is a waste of a forward spot.
Brunette? Meh. I’m not sure why, initially, I thought a 38 year old fresh off 6 years of no playoff runs in Minnesota was going to come in here and be a solid LW. He’s not done much, but pretty clear also that he’s got little left in the tank. Presumably he can dial it up during the playoffs? I don’t know. He’s gone after this season anyway.
The Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup in 2010.
3rd line is doing what they're being asked to do
Bolland has the highest QualComp on the team at .092, and Corsi QOC with 1.632. To put that into perspective, everyone likes to make a big deal about 72 being used to counter the opposing tops lines: Dunc’s QualComp is .064 and Corsi QOC is 1.252.
It doesn’t help that Bolland starts his shifts outside the offensive zone 67.8% of the time- that’s highest on the team.
What that says to me is that Q has made it clear to Bolland that his job is to eat up minutes vs. the opposing top lines so we can come back with one our top lines and score.
Chicagoan in the Lou.
A team featuring Toews, Kane, Hossa and Sharp
fails to score against the, ahem, Avs, and there is this much focus on Hammer?
Sure, this was the last of three losses in a row, and Varlamov was stellar, but…..sheeesh.
Hey! I take penumbrage at that!
I think
“a name i call myself " and “BLou” are the same person.. don’t waste yer time, mate!
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
by mightymike D on Jan 7, 2012 10:04 PM CST up reply actions
If "most of the season" means the last few games
Then yes, you’re 100% right.
by Ban on Jan 7, 2012 7:20 PM CST up reply actions
Don't agree with you on Hammer
And don’t entirely agree with Sam that’s he’s been that terrible either. Leading the league in BS and being 2nd for Hawks Dmen in takeaways (tied with Seabs) isn’t that bad.
Bruno has 16 points in 41 games. That’s .39 ppg. Last year he had 46 points in 82 games for .56 ppg. However, his TOI has dropped from almost 17 minutes per game to about 13. And being a year old, I’m certain this is pretty much exactly what the Hawks thought they were getting. Also worth nothing that 5 of Bruno’s 9 goals have been game-tying goals.
Chicagoan in the Lou.
Fuck
Scum ties it, St. Louis up by three on the Avs, Nashville up by 2 on Carolina, and Phoenix up by 2 against the Islanders.
Can Minnesota and San Jose at least lose today?
Random thoughts, apologies for rambling
There was a time last year when the dynamic of the locker room, as compared to the 09-10 year, was mentioned. No real “voice” in the room and must’ve been boring as hell. Fast forward to this year…right before the Circus trip, something was mentioned about the locker room being different now. Well, looks like it’s back to last year’s mood.
Now “work ethic” was mentioned last night in the locker room. I can see one or two players on a team lacking in work ethic at one time. But the whole team??? Is the team sending a message of some sort to SB/Q-tip? If this is already obvious, please forgive me for being naive. I don’t think the players have a problem with each other, but with the system they’re currently in as provided by the current administration. The’ve shown that they can bring it sometimes when they feel like it and actually win. With this being said, I’m not trying to make an excuse for their piss poor play, just trying to make sense of it all. They know what’s needed to make it to the playoffs. They sure don’t want to have a “backed into the playoffs” tag like last year.
Who knows, maybe they’re not exactly pining for a President’s Trophy or gunning for a top seed for the playoffs, feeling that no matter what team they face, they’ll take on whoever it may be, President’s Trophy winner (if it’s a WC team) and all. Just as long as they make it there. After all, all that matters is that shiny thing at the end of the playoffs, right?
All they’re looking for is a little consistency???
How has the tenor in the locker room diverted to last year’s? Who was it that identified work ethic as a problem? Not being a dick, but this sorta sounds like you’re projecting your own worries onto the players. I haven’t seen or heard anything that would back this up.
I see us as a Top 10 team in the league right now (bottom half of the Top 10). And fact of the matter is, a 8th/9th/10th best team is going to encounter letdowns at different points in the year. True, problems are compounded by a stupidly competitive conference, but every team ahead of us is likely going to lose 3 or 4 of 5 at some point.
We need to iron out our defensive game (all players, not just d) and our special teams. 40 games should be enough to do that imo, these things don’t happen in a matter of days.
www.mjt.org
True, I'm assuming locker room mood
No, I don’t think you’re being a dick or anything. Any string of losses can sour locker room mood. I guess after seeing this last night…
ESPNChiHawks Jesse Rogers
Work ethic the major theme in room…dont hear that too often with this team…
(It’s Rogers, I know.) I just assumed it. I didn’t mean to assume the mood is sour all the time. As for everything else you mentioned, I totally agree with you. Another question…are we really just a “bottom half of the Top 10” team or only acting like one because we’re better than that?
work ethic isnt the same as team chemistry though
by mad-hatter on Jan 7, 2012 9:35 PM CST via Android app up reply actions
I'm sure there are times where the two go hand in hand somehow
The chemistry between the players looks fine. As for line chemistry? Um, yeah. As some have been saying, maybe they, as a team, are just looking for consistency.
Most points in NHL nearing midseason
plus overworked top lines and pairs, and Q’s dizzying line permutations, I’m not surprised there is a lot of dragging.
Hey! I take penumbrage at that!
Exactly
It shows in their play sometimes, especially in some of their crazy losses where they’re just not that into it. It’s not the only thing though. As Chico said, team D and special teams. “Overworked top lines and pairs, and Q’s dizzying line permutations” = dragging. Yes sir. I’m sure things will be worked out.
Hawks D-men
Amidst all the hoopla of the Campbell trade and the D-men signings last summer, the Hawks never signed a 3D to replace Campbell. Today’s state of affairs is not surprising.
yet he's delivered on his promise...
it’s Monty who has disappointed.
The Blues are leading the Central Division now, fml
In not terrible news, Shane Doan got a hat trick after playing 1,161 regular season games
Good for Doaner!
Just like the Wild, I don’t see the Blues holding that spot for long.
Proud fan of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
Blues are guaranteed to lose the top spot...
…in about 22 hours. What with the Wings/’Hawks matchup tomorrow. Great to see the cluster at the top though.
I once shot a man just to see him die...then I got distracted and missed it.
by TheDuke32 on Jan 7, 2012 11:27 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Less great
to see the clusterfuck at the top, though.
No no, never never.
Why not?
Against the rules. You know, you're stupid when you do that.
by Just some English pig with no brains on Jan 8, 2012 8:01 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
it's possible to have a
3-way tie after tonight’s game.
New dumbass Fanpost up shortly..
don’t want y’all to think I’m over-saturating but this one was ready sooner than I thought it would be,,, and I figure we all* could do with a laugh right now..
- All=the five or so people who mistake my witless ramblings for comedy
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
Tip your waitress
But in the end, I think it's going to come back to the Globetrotters, because if there's one thing they know, it's "globe-trotting!"
The more I read coming out of this Re-Alignment nix by the NHLPA
How both sides are posturing and moving with it, and how they claim the lineage took place from before December to now, the more I am convinced, we will not be seeing Hockey for at least a couple months if not more into the normal NHL season next year.
This was a relatively simple thing (A Big deal still) but compared to an entire CBA, realignment is a footnote. Given the current positions of what the Owners and NHLPA want, though it is not a Grand Canyon of a gap, it is a huge chasm of one. After this powerplay by both sides (and it has surely turned into both sides trying to show its power now), this is not going to be good for the Fans in many areas, and is really going to hurt the NHL. It’s going to be a cold, long and dark winter next year I think.
by Toews-makes-funny-faces on Jan 8, 2012 9:52 AM CST reply actions
I'm not so sure
I initially thought the same thing, and I see where you’re coming from.. but I think it’s a bit of ‘Saber-rattling’.. the NHLPA has reminded the league that it exists and that’s a point scored by Fehr ahead of the CBA. But all this talk by the NHL about “it being too late to have realignment next season” smells like bullshit to me.. what’s the betting that there’s a swift round of negotiation and we end up realigned next year after all?
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
by mightymike D on Jan 8, 2012 10:11 AM CST up reply actions
I have been saying lockout
since the ridiculous free agent signings over the summer. Owners (eh em Buffalo) went over-spending for players and I think they have the same plan as the last lockout, salary roll-backs.
Please let me be wrong…again.
Lead writer of nothing, commenter on everything.
I'm not quite ready to
bite that bullet.. but, again, I see where you’re coming from..
and anyway, you’re ALWAYS wrong!! :p
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
by mightymike D on Jan 8, 2012 10:20 AM CST up reply actions
The biggest reason to fear a lockout is, obviously, the hiring of Fehr by the union.
They didn’t hire him, after all, to play it safe and bend over for the owners.
On the other hand, you would think that logical, rational minds would realize how potentially devastating (another) work stoppage would be to the NHL and do everything possible to avoid it.
Unfortunately, I’ve learned throughout the years that logic and rationality tend to go out the window when money is involved.
I have a very bad feeling about how this whole thing is going to play out.
by bluekoolaide on Jan 8, 2012 10:35 AM CST up reply actions
So what you're saying is, we have nothing to fear but Fehr itself???
"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"
Since today is today and not yesterday or tomorrow
FUCK SCUM!!!
LET’S GO HAWKS!!!
by Toews-makes-funny-faces on Jan 8, 2012 12:14 PM CST reply actions
Twitter round-up this morning
Kruger was apparently on the ice for practice, but he has not been cleared for contact. Looks like it will be OD and Monty in, Kane might be center again, and Crow and Conklin in net.
conklin in net?
happy days.
he sucks.
by putmeinthemadhouse on Jan 8, 2012 12:56 PM CST up reply actions
You know every goalie
has their best games against the Hawks.
No worries, this was the plan all along!
SCH resident medicinal resource
We've also had some good games against goalies who had been playing well previously
So essentially, no one ever knows what team we get on a game to game basis. Hurray!
Good afternoon folks
Conklin sucks. If the Hawks are as pumped as I think they will be and don’t score at least 4 goals, then they should just give up on the rest of the season.
Slightly kidding. But seriously, he sucks.
Why are they even running him out there?
Nymphin' Ain't Easy Fly Fishing
Back off man, I'm a scientist
by BigCSouthside on Jan 8, 2012 4:17 PM CST up reply actions
Conks used to get really pissed when he'd get scored on during Blues practice
To the point that he’d go all Belfour on the goal with his stick. It was especially hilarious when he did it during a shootout practice and broke his stick.
Chicagoan in the Lou.
Don't forget that every goal scored against him by the Hawks
is a conspiracy of epic proportions
We need to trade toews, hossa, sharp, and kane
And get some draft picks. We need to rebuild
Nymphin' Ain't Easy Fly Fishing
Back off man, I'm a scientist
Nah
We need to trade them for older Veterans who have proved themselves.
Lidstrum, Jagr and Selainne should be the first ones the Hawks go after!
by Toews-makes-funny-faces on Jan 8, 2012 5:30 PM CST up reply actions
yes! lol
Kinda part of the joke!
by Toews-makes-funny-faces on Jan 8, 2012 8:17 PM CST up reply actions
I heerz
dat Bugrurhulifungliyen guy is pretty LULZ
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
(in the voice of Homer Simpson)
“I..don’t know…”
"Kevin, You can't play Doom Metal while wearing a scarf"
On Hjalmarsson
Some of the major points you are making go back to the decision to retain Hammer for too much money and let Niemmi go for a lot less. IMHO, this team is still paying for that. Cup winning goalies are hard to come by, #4 – #6 D-men less so. Aren’t the Hawks now paying Crawford what Niemmi wanted after winning the Cup? Some nights Crow is on and some nights he looks like he needs a lot more rest.
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