And it is not to say that you don't add some pieces, but relatively speaking its not the color of the drapes or carpet that give the house value, it is the foundation of the house. It is the guys on the ice in the key parts of games that will ultimately win or lose games for you. It is incumbent on leaders to lead and lift their teams. IMHO, our leaders have been insulated from criticism by and large (no shots intended for anyone here), good leaders find ways to make guys better around them.

I would find it hard to believe that Hossa would not be a professional with anyone he played with, especially a younger player. That he would not embrace his role and standing and positively influence his teammates. That does not mean you won't get frustrated, but to portray Hossa as if he is whispering poop about Saad on the bench, in clubhouse or at dinner is a big stretch to me. This mindset, if true, would actually explain why this team has struggled for consistency the past few years. It is not the depth crap. It would be the double standard and elite privilege stuff that would make them pretenders. Again all theory..that I do not believe actually happens and hope does not exist.
- TrueGrit

who has said or even inferred that hossa was talking poop?
he has shown frustration - obvious to anyone who watches, but talking trash?

Bad news for Erik Karlsson
- moylander

Ott wanna trade for a dman now? advantage Stanbo!

Ott wanna trade for a dman now? advantage Stanbo!
- dpard

Perfect time to break up our defense to add.............?

Perfect time to break up our defense to add.............?
- TrueGrit

oh, I don't know....a goalie perhaps, maybe even snag smith in the deal
oh wait, i forgot, we have vezina and hall in net
never mind

oh, I don't know....a goalie perhaps, maybe even snag smith in the deal
oh wait, i forgot, we have vezina and hall in net
never mind
- dpard

oh, I don't know....a goalie perhaps, maybe even snag smith in the deal
oh wait, i forgot, we have vezina and hall in net
never mind
- dpard

So you'd like to revisit the defenseman to Ottawa discussion...so Hammer for who? Anderson and Lehner aren't going anywhere. Hammer for Bishop? Bishop and someone else? Moving Hammer after the start he has had is a bold move. The Hawks may have defensive depth but moving Hammer opens a huge hole on the second pair and Leddy isn't going anywhere. You want Rosy and Oduya as the second unit?

None of the other Hawk defensemen bring back anything of value. Bishop does nothing for the Hawks right now.

Ott wanna trade for a dman now? advantage Stanbo!
- dpard

Sure, if Ottawa is willing to take Montador.

ease up there big fella...Grit wants all comments, observations, and opinions run thru him first before they can be posted
- dpard

Just my .02 but at real speed I don't think the Cooke hit / skate slash thing was intentional.

Hey there JJ, I'm still here plugging along. Still read just about all of your and Al's blogs and the comments that go with. If I ever decided to sell my house I would probably call Al. Still find it interesting what the man behind the curtain has to say, and nothing goes better with my morning oatmeal than a "Rain" rant about the game the night before. I just prefer to be a little more under the radar on this site as opposed to the Herald. But I'm lurking. Hell of a cast of characters over here for the last couple of years.

And I would like to grab a cup of suds with ya Rain. Say friday night about 10 or 15 minutes after the game ends at the Carvery Bar near section 109. You'll have to cut me a little slack as I might not immediately recognize you, so some direction from you would help.

Much to the chagrin of many of you, I believe that the team has already done this, and fans should get on board and that is embrace who you are and what you are as a hockey team.

And while anyone looking at a nice house could find something they would change, the carpet, paint etc..it still is a nice house. While the theme of blaming depth and bad supporting cast will always be the first point of attack with any failure, I firmly believe that this teams core has to lead and get the job done, in particular on the power play.

This team did not lose to Vancouver 2011 because we were not tough enough, CC played out of his mind and the team failed to score on PP in overtime in game 7. You win that game, you move on.


true grit
love your home but did you notice the drywall is cracking at the bearing walls
Last year same thing. All the hullabaloo about not enough size or toughness etc, and a few bad goals. Those bad goals never happen if you score a ppg...just 1 freaking PP goal....

Since 2010 all you hear about is second line center...same stuff different year. Would it be nice to have a great guy there...of course...but its not the end all. Point again is every team has their weaknesses, but this is not fantasy land, it is reality. And the concept in life that everything has to be perfect to achieve great things is absurd. Guys step up and get it done. Ben Smith hero in 2011.

Would I like a Hendricks guy down the stretch, yes no doubt, am I gonna play roster roullette based upon asinine assumptions? No thanks.

I will close with this, when you have more talent, horses and speed then others, you feature that and dare other teams to beat it. More times than not, when the talent is committed, talent wins. It is that simple. This is who we are. This, from my distant eyes appears to be the change in Q, and the players love it, that is let us be who we are and do it better than everyone else. Let us swarm and overwhelm, and not every single night you will win, but you will win more than you lose and so long as you are willing to pay the price and step up and support one another (see Keith, Bickell...) then you have some thing the guys can rally behind. And that is what is happening. Enjoy it and keep wasting your time looking for style points and justify every detail...you will miss out on some excitement and fun.
- TrueGrit

But Duck netminder Viktor Fasth and defenseman Luca Sbisa just as much earned a save. And it appeared (fairly clearly) Saad didn't actually score a goal.

So as the game was tied 2-2 going to overtime, that was a lucky point for Chicago.
- John Jaeckel

John, don't you think its the least bit arrogant of you to devote the whole blog to Saad's "non-accomplishments", railing against all the phantom "Saad lovers" when your main argument says your eye is better then the officials in Toronto?

I mean really? Fasth earned a save just as much when the puck bounced over his head and hit his back? And Sbisa when covering the puck his momentum carried him over the line and the puck was clearly seen on at least one angle over the line? Really?

Look. Kruger playing a great 3c and Hossa being Hossa doesn't earn them tries on the penalty shot. Doing well in practice on the penalty shot does.

As for Saad's penalty shot, he DID fake Fasth out. He just couldn't lift the puck over his leg, which is a COMMON occurrence in penalty shots. Still did much better than Sharp.

Trottier is in my Top 5 players of all time. For a few years, I think he was the best forward in hockey. I remember sitting in good seats at Maple Leaf Gardens one night when he threw a clean open ice hit on Darryl Sittler, shoulder into the chest. Sittler was a tough guy and you could almost hear the air coming out of him, grasping for breath. Trotts could shake you up.

Seeing the Habs lose I find is a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. The only thing I don't hate about that team is their red jerseys, they are classics. The lowly Maple Leafs gave them a good spanking on Saturday night which thrilled most of English Canada.
- RickJ

Trotts was great...but i'll never forget the cheap shot he gave Bob Gainey....phucking CHEAP.

And he had a pretty good wingman in 22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROGrf6aYjI

Not sure if any of you read Gretzkys early biography , where he talked about their first trip to the cup, and as they walked by the Islanders room and all the guys with bruises, iceing and just plain beat up after beating them.

They were all world talent and skill and it was like a shock to them, they joked about it. But he recalled the next year after they won, how they resembled the Islanders all banged up having figured out what it took. I probably am not doing it justice, it was like a right of passage or passing of baton in a sense as to figuring out how to win.
- TrueGrit

Saw the show on this and it sent a message to th gretzky and teammates of the kind of commitment needed to win the cup. Very cool and workmanlike

Just my .02 but at real speed I don't think the Cooke hit / skate slash thing was intentional.
- mrpaulish

I agree with you....nothing dirty about that hit....they happen every game. Cooks leg came up and he nailed Karlson with his skate. It's unfortunate but rare they end up with that type of injury result.

But of course everyone's a mind reader when it comes to Cook's intent...and obviously no surprise how it is read depends if you are a Senator or Penguin. That will never change.

Sorry but that jackass Neal should be suspended for assaulting Cook. Cook was not interested in fighting...back off dirt bag on ice.

Heard the talking head Kevin Weeks analysis..well I expect a response but I don't advocate it. What a pile of weasal rhetoric. Tell me the difference!

Who remembers this WILD INCIDENT at Maple Leaf Gardens circa '89-90 ?
You can hear Savvy say..."you're dead Leeman," around the :55 second mark...and he does back up some of that bravado.

And late in the clip, Dave Manson goes airborne to make his presence felt. CLASSIC.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...Ix2EqGI&feature=endscreen

Trotts was great...but i'll never forget the cheap shot he gave Bob Gainey....phucking CHEAP.

And he had a pretty good wingman in 22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROGrf6aYjI
- philco28

Didn't hurt having Gillies riding shotgun either. Imagine the room Toews and Hossa would have with a guy like Lucic on their line ... And no Wiz or Truegrit I am not proposing a trade I am merely talking out loud wondering how the Hawks line would look in comparison to the great Islanders line.

Who remembers this WILD INCIDENT at Maple Leaf Gardens circa '89-90 ?
You can hear Savvy say..."you're dead Leeman," around the :55 second mark...and he does back up some of that bravado.

And late in the clip, Dave Manson goes airborne to make his presence felt. CLASSIC.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...Ix2EqGI&feature=endscreen
- philco28

I remember seeing it on a buddy's big screen 36 whole inches Sony Trinitron and I was the only Hawk fan in a room full of Leaf fans.

John, don't you think its the least bit arrogant of you to devote the whole blog to Saad's "non-accomplishments", railing against all the phantom "Saad lovers" when your main argument says your eye is better then the officials in Toronto?

I mean really? Fasth earned a save just as much when the puck bounced over his head and hit his back? And Sbisa when covering the puck his momentum carried him over the line and the puck was clearly seen on at least one angle over the line? Really?

Look. Kruger playing a great 3c and Hossa being Hossa doesn't earn them tries on the penalty shot. Doing well in practice on the penalty shot does.

As for Saad's penalty shot, he DID fake Fasth out. He just couldn't lift the puck over his leg, which is a COMMON occurrence in penalty shots. Still did much better than Sharp.
- busmaster

No, because I didn't.

If he faked Fasth out, then why was Fasth's leg there. Go back and look at the tape. Bonino faked Crawford out. Maybe you got confused.

You see what you want to see.

JJ, Keeping this thread fluid, your take on the Karlson hit?

I say accident.

Didn't hurt having Gillies riding shotgun either. Imagine the room Toews and Hossa would have with a guy like Lucic on their line ... And no Wiz or Truegrit I am not proposing a trade I am merely talking out loud wondering how the Hawks line would look in comparison to the great Islanders line.
- paulr

You're right...Gillies was a bad molla folla too...be nice to see what 81-19 could do with a Gillies type on their line.

Not sure if any of you read Gretzkys early biography , where he talked about their first trip to the cup, and as they walked by the Islanders room and all the guys with bruises, iceing and just plain beat up after beating them.

They were all world talent and skill and it was like a shock to them, they joked about it. But he recalled the next year after they won, how they resembled the Islanders all banged up having figured out what it took. I probably am not doing it justice, it was like a right of passage or passing of baton in a sense as to figuring out how to win.
- TrueGrit

I heard him speak about the same....It was his "Aha moment" as well as the rest of the crew.