Agreed.

Can you imagine if they were 4-4-2...or worse?
- Ogilthorpe2

Wanna start a list of grievances? We can start with two of your favourites:

Fire Q
Trade Sharp

toews has just turned into a complete animal on the boards. I RARELY ever see him lose a puck battle on the boards anymore
- FourFeathers773

...and he was playing some chippy after his words with Thornton.

Since your all talking about the "hit" i will chime in, the guy who is still angry the open ice hit check has been basically made a penalty, and if you saw Leo Bovin stick it out and deliver it, even as a Hawk fan, you saw an art form, a true thing of beauty....

I think the "new NHL rules" is calling their new destroyer infractions, not because they techincally fall outside the rules, but more because they are clearly plays that are more man damage related than a play where you are trying to gain possession.

Like it not, it creeped in a few years back.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the check.

But it is very difficult to say Mayer was carrying out in possession on some extended carry where Desjardins saw that and went over to separate him and the puck.

This was more Desjardins seeing "a possible possession" and pumping to full speed (with hopes Mayer did have the puck) and reaching full stride so the collision would be a physical jarring one


Over the recent past seasons, really good physically jarring hits have started to be called "charging" even if the two and half steps are adhered to, "boarding" is commom place, IF the guy who is "boarded" possibly could have been injured.

My point iis simply this:
Dontcha think that the call yesterday was called right or wrong, because the officiating is trying to get the players without the puck to be under control, and not hunting?


I am guessing this is more or less what is happening.

Attention players move fast and hit but don't torpedo.
I wouldn't be surprised if Desjardins type plays will now alway be called unless Desjardins goes to the "bear hug" to stifle Mayers flying to the ice head first.

Curious to see if the Match penalty stands...

Just saying all this above.

I don't care one way or the other because I have no control over what the league sees is way to help curtail concussions.

For the 500th time, and anyone please chime in...give me a name and a price for acquiring the elusive 2nd line center. Where is the orchard they are sitting ripe on a tree? My God...28 other teams are dying for a second line center. The few teams that have those guys don't trade them or give them away, unless you want to send over a few of your high profile guys.

If the guys in the room are whispering about this crap, then we have the weakest mental team in the world. Do you guys think that Toews and Kane are laying in bed texting each night saying...boy SB needs to get us a second line center...or man I don't think we can really win a cup...don't tell no one."?

Are they on facebook and twitter saying "Love you Q... Sad face SB.

A Coach/Managers job is to take resources he is given and figure out how to align them and motivate them for his desired ends. If he shoots himself in the foot given this roster, then so be it. Injuries happen, don't fault him for that, but if you bury guys mentally because they are not Brunnette and OD, your guys, don't expect those guys to be prepared step up when you need them.
- TrueGrit

Here is the list of UFA's this summer

With many of these guys playing on no playoff teams by March something may shake loose for a very good second line center


Ryan Geltzlaf, Valtteri Filppula, Weiss, Derek Roy, Mike Ribeiro and Patrik Elias

For the 500th time, and anyone please chime in...give me a name and a price for acquiring the elusive 2nd line center. Where is the orchard they are sitting ripe on a tree? My God...28 other teams are dying for a second line center. The few teams that have those guys don't trade them or give them away, unless you want to send over a few of your high profile guys.

If the guys in the room are whispering about this crap, then we have the weakest mental team in the world. Do you guys think that Toews and Kane are laying in bed texting each night saying...boy SB needs to get us a second line center...or man I don't think we can really win a cup...don't tell no one."?

Are they on facebook and twitter saying "Love you Q... Sad face SB.

A Coach/Managers job is to take resources he is given and figure out how to align them and motivate them for his desired ends. If he shoots himself in the foot given this roster, then so be it. Injuries happen, don't fault him for that, but if you bury guys mentally because they are not Brunnette and OD, your guys, don't expect those guys to be prepared step up when you need them.
- TrueGrit

Ok, is it not a fact that Stan has been sitting on cap space for two years? Is it a fact that there have been deals to be made, only for him to pull out at the 11th hour? Is it a fact that you have seen other people capable of that #2C role going elsewhere? I'm based a large majority of this argument based on what JJ has shared with us.

I'm not in the room, so I don't know what other people are asking from the Hawks. The fact is, you've seen parts move and you say 'that player would fill a need for the hawks'....am i right?

For the record, I'm not complaining about the start to the season. Always room for improvement, but hard to argue w/18 out of 20 pts available. My issue was preception of Stan's comment pointing at Q. That's all. Just don't know why you bring that into the discussion, if that was his intent.

...and he was playing some chippy after his words with Thornton.

Since your all talking about the "hit" i will chime in, the guy who is still angry the open ice hit check has been basically made a penalty, and if you saw Leo Bovin stick it out and deliver it, even as a Hawk fan, you saw an art form, a true thing of beauty....

I think the "new NHL rules" is calling their new destroyer infractions, not because they techincally fall outside the rules, but more because they are clearly plays that are more man damage related than a play where you are trying to gain possession.

Like it not, it creeped in a few years back.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the check.

But it is very difficult to say Mayer was carrying out in possession on some extended carry where Desjardins saw that and went over to separate him and the puck.

This was more Desjardins seeing "a possible possession" and pumping to full speed (with hopes Mayer did have the puck) and reaching full stride so the collision would be a physical jarring one


Over the recent past seasons, really good physically jarring hits have started to be called "charging" even if the two and half steps are adhered to, "boarding" is commom place, IF the guy who is "boarded" possibly could have been injured.

My point iis simply this:
Dontcha think that the call yesterday was called right or wrong, because the officiating is trying to get the players without the puck to be under control, and not hunting?


I am guessing this is more or less what is happening.

Attention players move fast and hit but don't torpedo.
I wouldn't be surprised if Desjardins type plays will now alway be called unless Desjardins goes to the "bear hug" to stifle Mayers flying to the ice head first.

Curious to see if the Match penalty stands...

Just saying all this above.

I don't care one way or the other because I have no control over what the league sees is way to help curtail concussions.
- wiz1901

match penalty was rescinded within 30 minutes after the game last night per bob mckenzie

I think the #2 C orchard is located across the street from Jerry Angelo's offensive line vineyard he mentioned several times.
- PhatJoeSki

Chris Williams would be an excellent net front presence

Here is the list of UFA's this summer

With many of these guys playing on no playoff teams by March something may shake loose for a very good second line center


Ryan Geltzlaf, Valtteri Filppula, Weiss, Derek Roy, Mike Ribeiro and Patrik Elias
- PEIHawkFan

Elias and filppula wont be leaving their current teams

We wont have the money to lock down getzlaf. Ribiero and weiss seem like options. Roy is too small for this current team though.

Great Jeff Shantz reference.
- TrueGrit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmXoMNaAUR4

everybody stop ripping on Jeff Shantz!

Here is the list of UFA's this summer



Ryan Geltzlaf, Valtteri Filppula, Weiss, Derek Roy, Mike Ribeiro and Patrik Elias
- PEIHawkFan

and only the first name fits what you all want, and Getzlaf is not discounting himself to play here.

PEI: Did you ever read the post I sent to you about PEI?

It was several blogs back...
I will PM you with it when I get a minute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmXoMNaAUR4

everybody stop ripping on Jeff Shantz!



- dr_boloney

Was the the lone goal of his career?

How many coaches would give their left nut to coach the talent on this team? How many would die for the opportunity to orchestrate this group?

I do not want to put words in your mouth, but are you implying that SB is deflecting blame to Q and that Q does not have enough pieces to make a run?

Because Q does not have an all star team and every exact piece he wants, then this can not be his fault? We are all accountable to our bosses, no matter how unrealistic our perception of demands.

If there are guys whining behind the scene because they don't like SB...big deal. The horses are on the ice...time to get it done.
- TrueGrit

I am stating, Bowman deflected blame last April, and while Q has the pieces to make a run, I am not yet convinced the pieces to even get out of the West.

Bowman was right: it was a 101 point team in the regular season. And a team that has not made it out of the first round of the playoffs for two straight years.

Maybe he didn't spend enough time at papa's side as a boy; playoff hockey is different than regular season hockey. It's MUCH more physical, more clutch and grab, more dump and chase, goalies have to be rock solid mentally.

Bowman (like his dad) says what he says at certain times to protect his flanks. Only the naive can't see it.

It wasn't an illusion when I couldn't hit one in college. Gimme me fastballs all day long and I'm happier than a pig in $hit. Start throwing that off-speed stuff, especially the 12-6 curve and I was toast!
- blackhawk24

This is more my speed. Here is some inside baseball. The secret to hitting off speed pitches is pitch recognition. Hitters have .4 seconds to read and react to a 90mph fastball. You can time fastballs.

Good hitters focus on the pitchers hand at release point. Fastballs have back spin. Come right off the fingers...that is easy. In order to throw a curve ball, the pitcher has to get his hand/fingers in front of the ball to give it top spin. So in effect, if a pitcher throws a curve ball, it will jump over his hand during release. If you focus on that, you can stay back and react to the ball. Additinally, if you are looking for a curve ball, and you see the jump, if it is looks high out of his hand, then you track it because it will be a strike. Conversely, if it looks like a strike out of the hand, and you guess/ read curve ball, then you just take it, because it will break out of the zone.

Sliders have a distinct eye, easier to ID

Change ups and splittys often look like knuckleballs at release point. That is you see the white patches of the ball, as opposed to tight spins of FB, CB and Sliders...

Sorry to bore you with this stuff...

Here is the list of UFA's this summer

With many of these guys playing on no playoff teams by March something may shake loose for a very good second line center


Ryan Geltzlaf, Valtteri Filppula, Weiss, Derek Roy, Mike Ribeiro and Patrik Elias
- PEIHawkFan

Getzlaf is on the now second best team in the west. Filppula will be locked up immediately. Weiss would be perfect, but Tallon will want an arm and a leg in my opinion.

...and he was playing some chippy after his words with Thornton.

Since your all talking about the "hit" i will chime in, the guy who is still angry the open ice hit check has been basically made a penalty, and if you saw Leo Bovin stick it out and deliver it, even as a Hawk fan, you saw an art form, a true thing of beauty....

I think the "new NHL rules" is calling their new destroyer infractions, not because they techincally fall outside the rules, but more because they are clearly plays that are more man damage related than a play where you are trying to gain possession.

Like it not, it creeped in a few years back.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the check.

But it is very difficult to say Mayer was carrying out in possession on some extended carry where Desjardins saw that and went over to separate him and the puck.

This was more Desjardins seeing "a possible possession" and pumping to full speed (with hopes Mayer did have the puck) and reaching full stride so the collision would be a physical jarring one


Over the recent past seasons, really good physically jarring hits have started to be called "charging" even if the two and half steps are adhered to, "boarding" is commom place, IF the guy who is "boarded" possibly could have been injured.

My point iis simply this:
Dontcha think that the call yesterday was called right or wrong, because the officiating is trying to get the players without the puck to be under control, and not hunting?


I am guessing this is more or less what is happening.

Attention players move fast and hit but don't torpedo.
I wouldn't be surprised if Desjardins type plays will now alway be called unless Desjardins goes to the "bear hug" to stifle Mayers flying to the ice head first.

Curious to see if the Match penalty stands...

Just saying all this above.

I don't care one way or the other because I have no control over what the league sees is way to help curtail concussions.
- wiz1901

Well put.

Getzlaf is on the now second best team in the west. Filppula will be locked up immediately. Weiss would be perfect, but Tallon will want an arm and a leg in my opinion.
- nickmo2699

The Ducks could be hard pressed to keep all three...Ryan, Getzlaf and Perry.

Do you guys think that Toews and Kane are laying in bed texting each night saying...boy SB needs to get us a second line center...or man I don't think we can really win a cup...don't tell no one."?


- TrueGrit

This would be the greatest One Goal commercial of all time!

I am stating, Bowman deflected blame last April, and while Q has the pieces to make a run, I am not yet convinced the pieces to even get out of the West.

Bowman was right: it was a 101 point team in the regular season. And a team that has not made it out of the first round of the playoffs for two straight years.

Maybe he didn't spend enough time at papa's side as a boy; playoff hockey is different than regular season hockey. It's MUCH more physical, more clutch and grab, more dump and chase, goalies have to be rock solid mentally.

Bowman (like his dad) says what he says at certain times to protect his flanks. Only the naive can't see it.
- John Jaeckel

I will not disagree with the protecting etc, I will contend that the pieces are there if they perform. If you get Bickell and others to finish checks, and other guys stay committed in their own zone.

Not being a smart ass at all, can you give an example of other teams that have the pieces?

In my opinion Bolland is an outstanding 3rd line center. The rat fills that role to perfection. He has shown flashes on the second line, but none to warrant a full time position there. Problem for him is that the 3rd line is solid and playing great right now so Q should not dissrupt chemistry by putting him onthe 3rd line again. Can't put the rat on the 1st line either, so is Bolland on borrowed time? This Hawk fan would still like to see Shaw full time on the wing.

This is more my speed. Here is some inside baseball. The secret to hitting off speed pitches is pitch recognition. Hitters have .4 seconds to read and react to a 90mph fastball. You can time fastballs.

Good hitters focus on the pitchers hand at release point. Fastballs have back spin. Come right off the fingers...that is easy. In order to throw a curve ball, the pitcher has to get his hand/fingers in front of the ball to give it top spin. So in effect, if a pitcher throws a curve ball, it will jump over his hand during release. If you focus on that, you can stay back and react to the ball. Additinally, if you are looking for a curve ball, and you see the jump, if it is looks high out of his hand, then you track it because it will be a strike. Conversely, if it looks like a strike out of the hand, and you guess/ read curve ball, then you just take it, because it will break out of the zone.

Sliders have a distinct eye, easier to ID

Change ups and splittys often look like knuckleballs at release point. That is you see the white patches of the ball, as opposed to tight spins of FB, CB and Sliders...

Sorry to bore you with this stuff...
- TrueGrit

Not boring at all. Conversely, looking for the curve and getting the heat was a exercise in pain. So late on the swing it was like not even worth closing the barn door after the horse got out.


Hitting the pitched baseball is the hardest thing in sports.

I think I'm just going to enjoy the 8-0-2 start . There will be plenty of time for hand wringing later. I can't quite figure out why basically the same team with minor tweaks is playing so much better than they have in the last two seasons. The only thing I can come up with is a case for addition by subtraction. Maybe getting rid of Scott,Brunette,Lepisto, O'D and Olsen and replacing them with a couple of players who are not pylons is all they needed.

The Ducks could be hard pressed to keep all three...Ryan, Getzlaf and Perry.
- Al

Pretty sure someone suggested a deal surrounding Sharp for Ryan as the centerpieces. Like the physicality that Sharpie has shown, but in my opinion, that is not what he is paid for. Ryan is more the complete package of flash, dash, and crash

I agree. But you can't count—at all— on the refs calling it by the book. Or, if your goalie is going to s--- the bed or your star player is going to take a head shot. All of which happened when a faster, more talented team faced the Phoenix Coyotes in Round 1 last year.

This is why adding some muscle up front might not hurt this team going into the playoffs. Of all the "good" Hawk teams since 2008-09, the 2009-10 team was best at transitioning from a fast-break, possession style to a dump and bang style—when the opposition forced it. And that's what happens more often than not in the playoffs.

I also want to say this: not sure why Patrick Sharp has suddenly taken on the hands of Jeff Shantz, but in fairness, he has been pretty physical at times the last few games. Last night he made a really nice play checking a larger d-man right off a puck behind the SJ net and gaining possession. Something not enough current hawk forwards can or will do.
- John Jaeckel

Somebody brought up Brendan Morrow in your blog earlier in the week. Not much gas left in that tank, but he probably wouldn't cost that much and Stanbow wouldn't owe him anything at the end of the year.

So everyone stop watching the team from here on out! Do you know how weak many sound with this crap. Maybe the players should just start giving half effort until they are more appreciated. Players play for each other in the room. They could care less about the other crap. Sure it creeps in and is annoying at times, but there is no McDonough sucks TWitter group that the players tweet too all day and night and between periods.
- TrueGrit

I understand what your saying True.

This team is 8-0-2
They have beaten WC elites.
Our best players have been our best players.
Our depth on both the back and front end is solid.
Our goaltending has been excellent.

So why complain? Why nit pick?

You have a point, the Hawks are the best team in the league right now and instead of nitpicking and saying we need this and we need that, we should just ride the wave.

A few things that have encouraged me about this team, this year:

Ability to dust themselves off after giving up goals
Last year, this was not the case. A fair bit of it is tied to...

Crawford's ability to rebound after poor goals/poor starts
Again, last year Crawford would remain bad until he was either pulled, or the Hawks were run out of the building.

Nick Leddy's composure
He's still susceptible to getting pushed around in his own end on occasion, but he looks much more comfortable playing the puck in his own end, and using his wheels to get out of trouble

Defensive depth
Hammer/Oduya have been the best pairing on the ice for much of the year. When Keith/Seabs pick up their games (I thought Biscuit looked good last night) to their typical high level, we'll be solid.
- Holes02

and add

Solid all around play and offensive chances from four lines.


Yeah, I think we can all pick apart the roster, say..."in the playoffs, this will happen," but the fact remains the more times you face adversity different schemes, and find ALL the roster doing things that help them win, it is etched in the player's heads.
Not saying this guarantees a thing in post season, just that the more guys comfortable with each other and working hard is better than approaching the playoff with new linemates, patch-worked lines bolsterd by Rockford, and playoff games with unfamiliar game situations...

I am stating, Bowman deflected blame last April, and while Q has the pieces to make a run, I am not yet convinced the pieces to even get out of the West.

Bowman was right: it was a 101 point team in the regular season. And a team that has not made it out of the first round of the playoffs for two straight years.

Maybe he didn't spend enough time at papa's side as a boy; playoff hockey is different than regular season hockey. It's MUCH more physical, more clutch and grab, more dump and chase, goalies have to be rock solid mentally.

Bowman (like his dad) says what he says at certain times to protect his flanks. Only the naive can't see it.
- John Jaeckel

Hot start has been most welcome.

With the exceptions of Brookbank and Rozsival. Bowman seems intent on keeping this large group together, He seems pretty wedded to this body of players and i'm wondering...despite the hot start and the great season we appear to be in store for....if by staying committed to this group of 22 or 23...Bowman is playing Charlie Brown to Lucy and the football ?