I like the chemistry too, but Shaw seems more productive at wing. This is Q, he likes the line tinkering.
- ikeane

Has Q done as much line tinkering this season as opposed to previous seasons?

It appears (at least to me) that he has done less "tinkering" this season. About the only tinkering he has done has been in response to injuries and swapping guys out on the 4th line and 3rd paring in order to get guys some playing time.

Beating a dead horse....

Stan Bowman said earlier this season that he feels this team can win the Cup as currently constructed. Stan Bowman did very little at the trade deadline to improve this team while other teams that essentialist will be competing for the Cup did make bold moves.
- CaptainBlackhawk

A bit unfair: if Handzus is as good on face-offs as advertised, an important add - on PK / PP, late in games in the defensive zone - can put him out there with Toews late in games in case Toews gets kicked off the dot (as he often does).

Wish they had done more, but they did do more than nothing.

Also, not sure which competitors made bold moves: not LA or Annie, CBJ did, Minn did, not sure who else. Don't care about the East right now - have to get thru the West.

I'm not apologizing for what they did or didn't do: wish they have done a couple more things. But - let's let it play out - we'll know for sure in 5 to 10 weeks.

Too bad management did not feel they needed help.

Even great teams such as Pitts felt they had holes to fill.

How are we any different?

Lets just say that if we get bumped early out of the playoffs I hope a few heads will roll......hey Rocky are you listening.
- Hawkster

Your statement seems to insinuate that the Hawks are a collection of bums in comparison!

While everyone would like to see this team get a little bigger/tougher, at what expense? Our team is primarily built on speed, and puck posession. A few more meat heads on the roster would hinder that game. After the amazing start the Hawks had, it should come as no surprise that the teams chasing them giving them their best game.

Even the mighty Penguins, with all their "bold" moves, have lost two in a row and were stomped last night by the Rangers! Funny how losing a Crosby disrupts their flow a bit. We've played without Sharp and Hossa for an extended period, so I'm not as concerned as many on here!

I'm enjoying this years Hawks team, expect them to win night in and night out, and believe they have as good a shot at the cup as any team out there. Kind of reminds me of a couple years ago! And I agree with Philco when he said "when we are healthy and playing at the top of our game, WE ARE A HANDFULL for every team in the league"

...So I'll reserve my angst or disappointment if they happen to lay another egg in the playoffs! Too many half glass empty defeatists out here. (and no, this is not Stan!)

Forgot the Bomb -- got me there and I agree!!!

Saad Toews Hossa
Frolik Shaw Kane
Stalberg Kruger Bickell
Handzues Bolland Carcillo

??????
- dciz99

Bolland on the 4th line? Unless he's playing through a significant injury that's not happening. Bolland will be the 2C for the remainder of the season, like it or not. With Sharp still out I'd have Frolik or Kruger take his place on the 2nd line. Leave the 3rd line intact. The addition of Handzus allows Q to move a forward from the 4th line to the 2nd (Kruger and Frolik aren't really 4th liners anyway) while Sharp is out.

Saad - Toews - Hossa
Frolik - Bolland - Kane
Bickell - Shaw - Stalberg
Carcillo - Handzus - Kruger


When Sharp returns:

Saad - Toews - Hossa
Sharp - Bolland - Kane
Bickell - Shaw - Stalberg
Frolik - Handzus - Kruger

You guys can stop penciling in Bolland as a 4th line center........... If he moves anywhere away from the 2nd line it will be to the 3rd line. I know some of you don't like him, but geez..... Maybe he will be in the press box?

When Sharp returns:

Saad - Toews - Hossa
Sharp - Bolland - Kane
Bickell - Shaw - Stalberg
Kruger - Handzus - Frolik
- DarthKane

Fixed.

The deuce I dropped this morning is an upgrade over Russell.
- EKolb13

Yeah guy. Taking a sh*t out in bumblef*ck illinois must be the highlight of your day. I'm honestly surprised you have running water out there.

I like the chemistry too, but Shaw seems more productive at wing. This is Q, he likes the line tinkering.
- ikeane

Ain't that the truth and as a Q supporter, THIS is my biggest beef with him.

Phucking around the lines too much is IMO over thinking of the worst kind.

They are playing the cookie game
- eburgio

assume cream the cracker is the cookie game too?

Yeah guy. Taking a sh*t out in bumblef*ck illinois must be the highlight of your day. I'm honestly surprised you have running water out there.
- Taynos

Good one. We Illinois-ians are nothing but backwater country folk. We just got Miami Vice on the television.

The deuce I dropped this morning is an upgrade over Russell.
- EKolb13

Yeah guy. Taking a sh*t out in bumblef*ck illinois must be the highlight of your day. I'm honestly surprised you have running water out there.
- Taynos

Hey, running water is awesome. I've even got electricity and internet in my little tar paper shack here in BFE.

As for a little trash talking, what's wrong with that? That's ok, you can throw a temper-tantrum about it if it makes you feel better.

Enjoy Boumeester and his contract. I'm sure it will screw up retaining some of those prized RFA's the Blues are carrying.

Yeah guy. Taking a sh*t out in bumblef*ck illinois must be the highlight of your day. I'm honestly surprised you have running water out there.
- Taynos

Wow!

John, your description of operation in the FO sounds a lot like the Wizard of Oz.

Except when the curtain is pulled back on the Wizard, there's not just one guy there, there's a whole circle jerk of FO fools. I won't describe what they're doing but suffice to say, I'm sure some of my HB brethren will.
- savvyone-1

Good parridy,but I believe it was used yesterday

I like it...my only thing is i WANT Carcillo TRUSTED and in the lineup over Bollig.

Love Bollig, but given the choice...i prefer Car Bomb.
- philco28

Agree. I like the knucklehead.

First time all year I took a long look at the standings.

I am gonna assume St. Louis in, Edmonton out, by virtue of two games in handing, and since I can't make a definite decision on Detroit's health and heart, I am gonna say they or St. Louis play the hawks on the first round.

Whether you fall in the category of hawk pessimist or loyalist, we can all agree that the Ducks will probably play one of the two left, right?

Somebody is gonna catch the Wild on an upswing either Sharks (probably) or Kings.

That leaves the newly centre-stocked Canucks to play the other.

I bet you could take one of our board posts about first round failure, change the team name, and it probably fits for each and all of the other seven fan boards as concern.

Let's let my advanced predicting go as far as picking Chicago Ducks, Wild and Kings as the lucky, fortunate first-round winners. Yeah three top seeds and one "upset." (No science to any of this, just like our opinions on the hawks, right????)

The Hawks would get Kings, and the Ducks get the Wild.

All I know is fretting about whether the Penquins and there 26-man roster of fleetness-ness is futile, and I will let the concern lie in their organization, which may have to think about the more Tortorella-like Rangers than they did a few days ago.

Anyway, my point is ….it is interesting how whether you are first seed or second seed, sometimes standings dictate the team you play, and the style that team plays might be part of the speed bump. But clearly there are a whole lot of factors game by game.

I heard from an angry knowledgeable fan, calling for Bowman's head.
His argument was Bowman had all the chance to use every non-roster asset (or even Stalberg, "because he is leaving…") RIGHT NOW.
The window IS closing.
Three more years on Toews and Kane before they BOLT as Unrestricted FREE AGENTS or resign and take up 24 million of the Cap Space in 2015-16.
Already the present RFA and UFA roster players are causing a re-build much like the one that took place after the Stanley Cup win.

What did he think they NEEDED RIGHT NOW?

(It's not what you thought…)
He though they need to bolster the defense after the top six and have a big tough defender added who was better all-around than Brookbank.

His concern was a real injury to the top six. He viewed Montador as tarnished, Brookbank as useless, Olsen as big, but behind the speed of the play, Stanton as slug, Lalonde as useless and Clendening as far far from NHL defensively ready.

I am posting all this because you can find holes in the Hawks, just like any other organizations depth charts…the CAP is what started this, and it is not going away.
The guys you draft and develop are your biggest remedy to fixing what ails you, plugging your possible IR holes.

So can we all agree that what you can do will do, won't do, and how you handle your
"bank of players" determines how equip you are to be a good team, and try and win a Cup.
No guarantees.
But…do we have a chance?

- philco28

I'm glad someone appreciates my humor.

Question: Do the Hawks get any compensation (draft picks) if they lose a player via free agency?
- Beaks99

Yeah, from when the post season ends they can trade anybody who they are sure is not going to re-sign to a team prior to the opening of free agency.

...and there alreay is significant interest in stalberg to assume this will happen if he and his agent have decided the cash is greener elsewhere.

If Stalberg only was able to handle the puck better with EACH touch....

Has Q done as much line tinkering this season as opposed to previous seasons?

It appears (at least to me) that he has done less "tinkering" this season. About the only tinkering he has done has been in response to injuries and swapping guys out on the 4th line and 3rd paring in order to get guys some playing time.
- EKolb13

yep....he has not played line roulette much at all...special situations.he might load up...but its the injurys have forced line juggling....for gods sake they started out 21-0-4 and he stayed with what was working

Good one. We Illinois-ians are nothing but backwater country folk. We just got Miami Vice on the television.
- teh_HAWKZ

"Telee-vishun?" Is that anything like our picture box?

Agreed. I really think Bolland is going to be a permanent fixture on the 2nd line for the rest of the season. When the playoffs come around, things may be different.

Also, I agree with Philco. Leave the third line alone.
- EKolb13

Don't know if it was mentioned, but Sharp in yesterday's Trib said he would play Center in a heartbeat if that's what Q wants. Made it sound like him being a Wing was all a coach's decision.

I like the chemistry too, but Shaw seems more productive at wing. This is Q, he likes the line tinkering.
- ikeane

I have been thinking hard on the Handzus add, and the one thi nk I have been tinkering with is how this lets Shaw slip in and out of the wing position.
He can really be sandpaper and nails on a chalkboard against many a player.

so that is a position I see ...

I'm glad someone appreciates my humor.
- EKolb13

yep....he has not played line roulette much at all...special situations.he might load up...but its the injurys have forced line juggling....for gods sake they started out 21-0-4 and he stayed with what was working
- bogiedoc

My initial comment was based on Q's history in Chicago. I concede that this year has been significantly less line tinkering, however with the drop off of play in the 3rd periods, perhaps spreading that energy throughout the roster may not be such a bad thing. I really, really do not want Zues on the 2nd line, unless it is to take a draw and head for the bench.

Don't know if it was mentioned, but Sharp in yesterday's Trib said he would play Center in a heartbeat if that's what Q wants. Made it sound like him being a Wing was all a coach's decision.
- NewToHockey

I think the point of him on wing is there is less responsibilty with and w/o the puck and it is easier to slide in and out of the open spaces and get opportunities...

I think Sharp thinks he would get hit less in the middle , and that part of the reason for the answer....