Well, the Hawk rookies lost but didn't play too badly. They pretty much owned possession of the puck and had control accept for a couple breakdowns. Out of the forwards, I was most impressed with Schmaltz, and his line with Motte and Debbie seemed to make the most happen on the attack.
- breadbag

How did Forsling look?

What about Bondra?

Would sure be nice to see a guy like that in the lineup some day.

Until posters here realize this, there will continue to be all the CC average too much money banter...



Dearling ready to be a full time horse or even tandem with some unnamed other goalie...that doens't seem to win you games...just save money.
- wiz1901

as a Blues fan, please trade CC and run with Darling. Please.

What about Bondra?

Would sure be nice to see a guy like that in the lineup some day.
- Return of the Roar

I hope at least one if not 2 of the likes of Bondra, Hayden, Knott, Baun, and Radke make the Hawks in a few years as productive top-9 or even top-6 power forwards. We need more power forwards to complement our playmakers, snipers, and pluggers. And we generally just need more size at forward.

Sure, maybe that is the case, but my point was more about keeping 1 of the 2 rather than losing both. Take your pick, it doesn't really matter at this point.
- breadbag

I see your point. Thanks for clarifying. I imagine most fans wanted Saad over Sharp. Although I love Sharp, I would have chosen Saad as well.

I'm guardedly optimistic that Sharp will re-sign at an affordable price with the Hawks after his contract expires with the Stars so he can retire in Chicago. A 3rd line of Sharp, Kruger, and Hossa would be super but likely a pipe dream.

as a Blues fan, please trade CC and run with Darling. Please.
- Jason Millen

I wish everyone would stop the BS with Crawford and trading him. No one wants to trade Crawford. No one here really believes he's just average, and if they do, they are just holding on to impressions from 4 years ago.

If you are going to rip someone for suggesting them moving him, that's OK, but by rule (one I'd like to see implemented), you have to offer an alternative.

(ie. No way you move CC, you trade Panarin for other young stars on ELC's)

That's an OK post. (Though I'll rip you for that, cause I move Panarin into the core and only 19, 88, 2, and 4 are more untouchable than him).

The only debate with CC is really what do they do about the cap situation, and who goes at the end of each year?

In hindsight, would you have kept Saad at 6 over CC at 6. That's a healthy debate.

136 goals 5x5 - 20th in the league.

Also - 17 empty net goals - 7.3% of they're total goals - both 3rd in the league
- StLBravesFan

Curious Sage, you have any numbers for PITT, STL, TB, SJ or any other of the better clubs?

Look at the poor 5 on 5 numbers and realize they were a post or two away from beating STL in round 1, some freakish lineup decisions from getting past STL, bannishing a 4/5 Dman (who skated top 2 for the cup champ) to replace him in the Game 7 lineup v STL with Rundblad and rookie Gus and two rookie Dmen in the lineup most of the year.

Does this say the Hawks can't win with similar 5 on 5 numbers or playing the hand dealt to you correctly will get you to the final 4 or 8?

Summarize: Hawks sucked but were this close.

Curious Sage, you have any numbers for PITT, STL, TB, SJ or any other of the better clubs?

Look at the poor 5 on 5 numbers and realize they were a post or two away from beating STL in round 1, some freakish lineup decisions from getting past STL, bannishing a 4/5 Dman (who skated top 2 for the cup champ) to replace him in the Game 7 lineup v STL with Rundblad and rookie Gus and two rookie Dmen in the lineup most of the year.

Does this say the Hawks can't win with similar 5 on 5 numbers or playing the hand dealt to you correctly will get you to the final 4 or 8?

Summarize: Hawks sucked but were this close.
- Mr Ricochet

Goals 5x5

Pens - 159/4th
StL - 137/17th
TB - 147/9th
SJ - 147/9th

Only 3 of the 15 other playoff teams has fewer 5x5 goals than Chicago:

Annie - q126/26th
Detroit - 129/24th
Phila - 131/23rd

Hawks gave up 140 goals 5x5 - 16th in the league.

Only 2 tournament teams gave up more:

NYI - 145/18th
Dallas - 153/25th

stats.hockeyanalysis.com has a nice 5x5 analysis, both for teams and players.

NHL.com - in their stats section - shows stats for every conceivable strength situation for teams.

Goals 5x5

Pens - 159/4th
StL - 137/17th
TB - 147/9th
SJ - 147/9th

Only 3 of the 15 other playoff teams has fewer 5x5 goals than Chicago:

Annie - q126/26th
Detroit - 129/24th
Phila - 131/23rd

Hawks gave up 140 goals 5x5 - 16th in the league.

Only 2 tournament teams gave up more:

NYI - 145/18th
Dallas - 153/25th

stats.hockeyanalysis.com has a nice 5x5 analysis, both for teams and players.

NHL.com - in their stats section - shows stats for every conceivable strength situation for teams.
- StLBravesFan

More Hawk stats, 5x5:

Shots for % = 50.3, 14th in the league
Fen For % = 50.1, 15th
Corsi For % = 50.7, 15th

Pretty average, no surprise they were one and done in the tournament, as close as the series was.

Goals 5x5

Pens - 159/4th
StL - 137/17th
TB - 147/9th
SJ - 147/9th

Only 3 of the 15 other playoff teams has fewer 5x5 goals than Chicago:

Annie - q126/26th
Detroit - 129/24th
Phila - 131/23rd

Hawks gave up 140 goals 5x5 - 16th in the league.

Only 2 tournament teams gave up more:

NYI - 145/18th
Dallas - 153/25th

stats.hockeyanalysis.com has a nice 5x5 analysis, both for teams and players.

NHL.com - in their stats section - shows stats for every conceivable strength situation for teams.
- StLBravesFan

Very nice, thanks. Thought you might have those numbers close by....... The bolded concerns me most and might have been sufficiently addressed with the additions of Campbell and Kempny.

Gotta get the puck out and triggered in a way to create chances. Along with not having to ice two rookie Dmen and the minutes not having to be eaten by Keith and Seabs I think the puck should spend more time 200 feet away from Crow. A lot of ills get cured with the puck at the other end.

Enjoy the WCoH. Should be fun assuming none of our guys get mangled.

More Hawk stats, 5x5:

Shots for % = 50.3, 14th in the league
Fen For % = 50.1, 15th
Corsi For % = 50.7, 15th

Pretty average, no surprise they were one and done in the tournament, as close as the series was.
- StLBravesFan

As close as it ended up being STL was the better team and deserved to advance IMO. Without rehashing Q's choices of course.

Why, because it worked for them?

How many cups has MA Fleury won? Hawks won one with Niemi and Huet. Matt Murray?

Actually, the Detroit goaltending model has worked enough to give it validity.
- John Jaeckel

To argue this point we have to throw out anything that was won in the non cap era of which Detroit Red Army has won one cup in 11 years.

Since 2010 the winning goalies have been:

Niemi
Crawford
Thomas
Quick
Murray

Guess this is arguable but IMO 5 of those 7 years the cup was won by an elite goalie with the jury still out on Murray. So difinitively speaking 5 of 6 years the cup champ was backstopped by an elite goalie.

I do think the cup can be won with a Dubynk type but many more times than not in recent history it has taken an elite goalie to do so.

As we crawl deeper and deeper into the the flat earth (cap) era hole a team has to pick its poison as far as where they choose to have holes (allocate resources) and I do believe you can win without a top 5 goalie if you choose to build that way. But the Detroit model of the non cap era IMO doesn't apply long term to the cap era.

Goals 5x5

Pens - 159/4th
StL - 137/17th
TB - 147/9th
SJ - 147/9th

Only 3 of the 15 other playoff teams has fewer 5x5 goals than Chicago:

Annie - q126/26th
Detroit - 129/24th
Phila - 131/23rd

Hawks gave up 140 goals 5x5 - 16th in the league.

Only 2 tournament teams gave up more:

NYI - 145/18th
Dallas - 153/25th

stats.hockeyanalysis.com has a nice 5x5 analysis, both for teams and players.

NHL.com - in their stats section - shows stats for every conceivable strength situation for teams.
- StLBravesFan

Hoping that this new D depth we have with Soup back will help balance those stats out. And perhaps the transition game can get going again.

And I saw that Motte is wearing the "C" for the tournament.

Powers was in Traverse City last night and posted a writeup of his observations. https://theathletic.com/1...-tournament-observations/

Someone here was asking about Forsling, specifically:

Gustav Forsling had two things going for him on Friday. For one, he was a better player than most on on the ice. He skates well, makes good decisions, knows how to get the puck out the defensive zone and create breakouts and is simply composed out there. Secondly, he had already played in six games in Sweden in the last month before Friday’s game. While nearly all of the players were competing in their first game after the offseason and searching for their timing, conditioning, etc., Forsling was already up to speed.

How did Forsling look?
- DarthKane

It took me a while to get their #s memorized but I thought he was okay from what I could see. I can't really offer much more because the stream was limited in clarity and camera angle. Overall the D seemed pretty mobile to me.

From another Powers article:

Niklas Hjalmarsson on wanting to play the right side

Yeah, I would prefer that, yeah. If I’m playing on the left side, I’ll do that, but then it would be nice to start playing left right away and get used to it again. I don’t know how Q wants it, but I’ll do whatever he wants. It’ll be fun to see how he’s going to pair up the D when Soupy’s [Brian Campbell] back and Kempny and all the guys. It’ll be interesting.

From another Powers article:
- pdx2ord

Thanks pdx, it's always interesting to get inside a player's head re where they play and how they are used.

Hjalmarsson is the ultimate warrior and team guy. I know we all hate him being paired w/Keith or the left because #4 has to backhand everything out. However, as I have mentioned a number of times in the past, there are good reasons for WANTING to play the off-side on D.

1st and foremost is (especially in the Q world) you have FAR greater reach because your top hand on the stick is the one closest to the boards and your reach with your stick (albeit) one-handed is way more than if you played your "regular" side (right hand shot, right side, left hand shot, left side).

I played D growing up (through Jr) and had to revert for a full-season to D again after a few guys of ours got hurt. I was much more effective on the left side (right handed shot) -- because I could keep my body closer to center of the ice and could reach with my top hand/stick to the boards a great distance. Effectively kept guys out of driving the slot, to the outside where it is much harder to score. Less high quality chances from the side versus the front.

What about Bondra?

Would sure be nice to see a guy like that in the lineup some day.
- Return of the Roar

For me, I didn't notice him too much. He skates pretty well for a big guy, but I can't say that he stood out to me at all. It would be nice to have a big LW like him ready now, but there are better options in the group right now.

as a Blues fan, please trade CC and run with Darling. Please.
- Jason Millen

As a Blues fan, do you think they kept the right goalie?

And I saw that Motte is wearing the "C" for the tournament.
- z1990z

Schmaltz and Forsling are wearing the A's.

Аrpon Basu ‏@ArponBasu 10m10 minutes ago
John Tortorella says Kyle Palmieri, Dustin Byfuglien and Cory Schneider won't be dressed today for Team USA. That's right, Dustin Byfuglien.

Аrpon Basu ‏@ArponBasu 10m10 minutes ago
John Tortorella says Kyle Palmieri, Dustin Byfuglien and Cory Schneider won't be dressed today for Team USA. That's right, Dustin Byfuglien.
- pdx2ord

The game I saw Schneider play he looked way off. Helluva goalie but he's got a lot of rst to work off.

Buff was really engaged at forward, a beast. Hope he's not dinged.

Thanks pdx, it's always interesting to get inside a player's head re where they play and how they are used.

Hjalmarsson is the ultimate warrior and team guy. I know we all hate him being paired w/Keith or the left because #4 has to backhand everything out. However, as I have mentioned a number of times in the past, there are good reasons for WANTING to play the off-side on D.

1st and foremost is (especially in the Q world) you have FAR greater reach because your top hand on the stick is the one closest to the boards and your reach with your stick (albeit) one-handed is way more than if you played your "regular" side (right hand shot, right side, left hand shot, left side).

I played D growing up (through Jr) and had to revert for a full-season to D again after a few guys of ours got hurt. I was much more effective on the left side (right handed shot) -- because I could keep my body closer to center of the ice and could reach with my top hand/stick to the boards a great distance. Effectively kept guys out of driving the slot, to the outside where it is much harder to score. Less high quality chances from the side versus the front.
- savvyone-1

And if you're playing off hand your stick is away from the center and a lot of attack goes opposite your Ds stick. I have seen guys excel one way or the other and this idea I am more and more compelled to believe is an individual preference and not a hard rule.

NHL just posted this:

On Stubhub, you can get into USA/EUR for $12 US. You can sit behind the net for $18. CAN/CZE will cost you $40. Have to imagine those prices will go down closer to gametime when the tickets remain unsold too.

Guess Bettman's money grab isn't quite working out as planned. This is on a WEEKEND.

Schmaltz and Forsling are wearing the A's.
- AEL_Fox

Schmaltz is a scratch for the 2nd game.