Hey there coach. It’s been a while since we last chatted, I think it was after the Devils loss. Anyway, I hope you had a good holiday and things are well. But there are some things we have to address here, or at least ask. I hope you don’t mind. I know it’ll be a new experience for you, people asking questions that Hawks fans want answers to. But trust me, it’s not that bad. You may even like it.
While this isn’t most important, it’s the one I have to get off my chest first. How in the name of John Wayne’s ass can you send Tomas Kopecky out for a last-minute draw in the offensive zone with an empty net? Everyone knew how that would end. I’m pretty sure Joe Thornton kept his eyes closed just to make it a challenge for himself. I don’t care that the numbers say he won over half his draws last night. I was there, and that’s pretty much bullshit. If it is true, he got a lot of help from his wingers. And certainly you know Thornton is one of the best in the league, shouldn’t you have your best against him?
While we’re here, Q (I can call you Q, right?), why Kop at center at all? It is clear that your boss, Stan Bowman, has built a team on the blue line and up the middle. You’ve lost a lot of your center depth through Toews’s injury. So why did you choose to erode it more by moving Sharp to wing and whatever this thing that wears #82 to the middle? What can he do? You’ve left him on the Top 6 all season when he’s clearly played his way off of it.
Anyway, let’s leave Kop alone. You have other issues. Anyway, we’ll ask this in journalistic speak: What did you tell Jack Skille he has to do to be in the lineup every night? Actually, someone did ask you that, and you answered, so good on them. He needs to bring energy every night. Ok, we get that. What they really wanted to ask you was how long had you been sniffing fumes before you decided to sit him behind John Scott and Jordan Hendry? This John Scott thing, it’s got to stop. He doesn’t do any of the things you think he does. He doesn’t deter opponents. He doesn’t fight at the right times to get a team going. He can’t play. He tries hard, granted. But without your best player, don’t you need all the skill you can get in the lineup? Skille might not be much but he’s more than that.
So let’s see Q. These three things we talked about last night ended in a cleanly lost draw that ended the game, a dumb penalty that led to a goal, and another dumb penalty and poor pass after he was caught out on the ice after leaving the box that led to a goal. Bang up job here.
Finally, Coach, we’ll again go to journalistic speak; What is it Jordan Hendry must do to be back on defense? Translation; why are you torturing us with Nick Boynton? You can’t tell me it’s a physical presence, because he’s never in position to hit anyone. You can’t tell me it’s because he blocks shots on the PK, because your PK sucks. Here’s another dumb penalty you got that led to goal. Look, Q, you’re already on the house’s money with what you’ve gotten from 5 and 24, especially Cullimore. But to persist with this is basically opening a wound every day that the rest of the team has to close. They can’t always.
Are you pining for a move again? Last year’s team again? Because neither one of those are your job. If you have something to say to Stan, just say it, instead of costing yourself points by making a point. This is the team you have right now, and no matter how much you’d like to wail at the refs, you helped cost your team a game last night.
Ok, we’re done. We’re still behind you. We know you can sort this out, but this stuff needed to be aired. Have fun in California.
Sam
-That’ll be it from me until the 2nd. I hope you all have a very safe and very Happy New Year’s tonight. I’m sorry to see 2010 go, it was so special for all of us in a lot of ways, and you all helped make it that way for me. So I guess we’ll just have to make 2011 top it.