66, can you recall the last time you saw any Hawk clear an opponent from in front?
I can't.

Is always like watching the 1st baseman and the baserunner chatting one another up. No pushing, no shoving.
No struggles.
Instead of moving a guy out/away, even if they will return a second or 2 later -- that time can give the G a clean look at the shooter. I will never understand the "no touch" policy in the way it has been enacted on this club.
- savvyone-1

Never happens. Ever.

What is more interesting to me is the conflict of what should be going on. On one hand I saw 7/57 attempt to get into shooting lanes, damn near screening 50 themselves, and then I see 2/4 positioned to the left and right of 50, gap wise wide, and allowing Preds to skate in behind them and front of 50.

That's why I maintain if guys want to see 7 go because they think he lost a step or can't complete some stretch pass anymore, I beg differ. He has the best shot from the point, and one of few, if any, Hawks D men to play a physical brand below the dots.

IF NHL is going to go back to allowing teams to "slow up" incoming forecheckers, then the Hawks need to do the same.....too often it's an easy entry into their zone because they give up the blue line collapsing in, and never slow do incoming forwards. That alone could give a step slow defensemen an extra second or two to look up and clear the puck before having a guy instantly on his @ss.

I do find it hilarious people have such a hard time envisioning a conflict of power between a GM and a head coach. Pointing to the obvious "prove it" "or link" when people show anonymous sources. What organization anywhere, business or rec, is going to admit to a power of struggle between personnel? NEVER happens.

The struggle is real.....and see how Q responds the only way he can.....limiting ice time for a so called Bowman top heralded prospect.

Meanwhile the puppet master is NO where to be found publicly....funny how that works when things start to go south for his one goal organization............

This morning:

$1.00 Canadian = $0.7361 U.S.

Not pretty.
- RickJ

No it's not and that's not going to help HRR and the cap any time soon.

Again, a bad estimate by a few organizations assuming huge cap increases, and Bettman can pimp his plethora of outdoor games to help bump up HRR but looking at a very stagnant cap....and when you have LOTS of money tied up to a few guys.......D-O-O-M

Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
2m

I assume this is out there. Ted Dent let go as head coach of the Rockford IceHogs. Chicago Blackhawks affiliate team.

No it's not and that's not going to help HRR and the cap any time soon.

Again, a bad estimate by a few organizations assuming huge cap increases, and Bettman can pimp his plethora of outdoor games to help bump up HRR but looking at a very stagnant cap....and when you have LOTS of money tied up to a few guys.......D-O-O-M
- SteveRain

I'm starting to wonder with so many big name / big market teams so close to the cap ceiling whether the owners would approve another round of compliance buyouts midway thru the CBA.

Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
2m

I assume this is out there. Ted Dent let go as head coach of the Rockford IceHogs. Chicago Blackhawks affiliate team.
- jt19

Doing Kitchen and Dent is their version of performing major surgery on a toenail.

Doing Kitchen and Dent is their version of performing major surgery on a toenail.
- RickJ

here's what puckdaddy says: Greg Wyshynski @wyshynski
22s

Stan Bowman is going to fire everyone not named Quenneville because every player making significant money has a no-move clause. Good times.

You should run one of the better-known buyout calculators for Seabs. Then read up on cap recapture penalty regarding Hossa.
- blackhawk24

How much would you save against the cap by buying them out?

Laz, who I would usually say is a Hawks apologist most of the time, is harping the truth right now about Bowman on Twitter.

These firings don't hold much weight when you're handcuffing yourself with bad trades, NMC's, and butting heads with your coach. Bowman may be trying to send a message, but he needs to fix his mistakes. Not make changes for the sake of making them.

I'm starting to wonder with so many big name / big market teams so close to the cap ceiling whether the owners would approve another round of compliance buyouts midway thru the CBA.
- RickJ

Well the last CBA was geared towards the middle of the road teams and it's help keep parity in play.....Bettman's biggest success as NHL commish.

I agree.....you'd have to think that's coming....

Going off of Daly's comment of a cap around 75-76 million, with overages added the hawks right now are at 73+, and still have RFAs Panik, Rasmussen, Jurco, Kempny
UFAs: Darling, Oduya, Campbell, and Desjardin

And even if you subtract out Tootoo and Rozsival assuming McPhee takes them in Vegas, you only save 1.350 million.

That also knocks you down to 18 roster size, with Glass as your back up.

Point is....I don't think 3-4 million is enough to sign those 4 RFAs alone.....

Never happens. Ever.

What is more interesting to me is the conflict of what should be going on. On one hand I saw 7/57 attempt to get into shooting lanes, damn near screening 50 themselves, and then I see 2/4 positioned to the left and right of 50, gap wise wide, and allowing Preds to skate in behind them and front of 50.

That's why I maintain if guys want to see 7 go because they think he lost a step or can't complete some stretch pass anymore, I beg differ. He has the best shot from the point, and one of few, if any, Hawks D men to play a physical brand below the dots.

IF NHL is going to go back to allowing teams to "slow up" incoming forecheckers, then the Hawks need to do the same.....too often it's an easy entry into their zone because they give up the blue line collapsing in, and never slow do incoming forwards. That alone could give a step slow defensemen an extra second or two to look up and clear the puck before having a guy instantly on his @ss.

I do find it hilarious people have such a hard time envisioning a conflict of power between a GM and a head coach. Pointing to the obvious "prove it" "or link" when people show anonymous sources. What organization anywhere, business or rec, is going to admit to a power of struggle between personnel? NEVER happens.

The struggle is real.....and see how Q responds the only way he can.....limiting ice time for a so called Bowman top heralded prospect.

Meanwhile the puppet master is NO where to be found publicly....funny how that works when things start to go south for his one goal organization............
- SteveRain

I though Stan said they were "going to work together " Looks like that plan lasted a whole 48 hours.

Well the last CBA was geared towards the middle of the road teams and it's help keep parity in play.....Bettman's biggest success as NHL commish.

I agree.....you'd have to think that's coming....

Going off of Daly's comment of a cap around 75-76 million, with overages added the hawks right now are at 73+, and still have RFAs Panik, Rasmussen, Jurco, Kempny
UFAs: Darling, Oduya, Campbell, and Desjardin

And even if you subtract out Tootoo and Rozsival assuming McPhee takes them in Vegas, you only save 1.350 million.

That also knocks you down to 18 roster size, with Glass as your back up.

Point is....I don't think 3-4 million is enough to sign those 4 RFAs alone.....
- SteveRain

Panik $2-2.25M
Rasmussen $750k-800k
Jurco $750k
Kempny $800-900k

A big trade or 2 needs to happen to give the Hawks flexibility and a different team.

Never happens. Ever.

What is more interesting to me is the conflict of what should be going on. On one hand I saw 7/57 attempt to get into shooting lanes, damn near screening 50 themselves, and then I see 2/4 positioned to the left and right of 50, gap wise wide, and allowing Preds to skate in behind them and front of 50.

That's why I maintain if guys want to see 7 go because they think he lost a step or can't complete some stretch pass anymore, I beg differ. He has the best shot from the point, and one of few, if any, Hawks D men to play a physical brand below the dots.

IF NHL is going to go back to allowing teams to "slow up" incoming forecheckers, then the Hawks need to do the same.....too often it's an easy entry into their zone because they give up the blue line collapsing in, and never slow do incoming forwards. That alone could give a step slow defensemen an extra second or two to look up and clear the puck before having a guy instantly on his @ss.

- SteveRain

You don't say. . .if this picture is not the perfect illustration for that series, I don't know which one is.



credit: Pete Blackburn on Twitter

You don't say. . .if this picture is not the perfect illustration for that series, I don't know which one is.



credit: Pete Blackburn on Twitter
- pdx2ord

Yep...and on the 1st goal in game 2....you can see 2/4 on the side as the pred screened 50 on that point shot.

That philosophy needs to be scrapped ASAP.

StanBow has gone mad. What the hell did Dent do to get himself canned? I actually think he should be commended. Guy helped develop several players who contributed to the big club as regulars. Losing all that talent has to be the reason why the Hogs went from a playoff team to 25 wins.

StanBow has gone mad. What the hell did Dent do to get himself canned? I actually think he should be commended. Guy helped develop several players who contributed to the big club as regulars. Losing all that talent has to be the reason why the Hogs went from a playoff team to 25 wins.
- golfbard

He didn't turn Stan's picks into gold!

StanBow has gone mad. What the hell did Dent do to get himself canned? I actually think he should be commended. Guy helped develop several players who contributed to the big club as regulars. Losing all that talent has to be the reason why the Hogs went from a playoff team to 25 wins.
- golfbard

2 conclusions:

1. Bowman is blaming coaching for the Hawks down fall, and he wouldn't be incorrect, but it's not 100% strickly coaching. He also may feel there was more polish on some of these AHL guys that came up or never happened.......like McNeil. However, what AHL hog has gone on to bigger or better things? Cna't think of one.

2. Q told Bowman he wasn't happy with the polish the kids had coming up and in a conceding way boots Dent to get a fresh face in there and help Q with more READY kids when they come up.

Either way....Bowman is on the war path....I would expect/hope a front office guy goes next.....like a McIssac or somebody in Bowman's corner....that may need to come from McEgo, if they can pull away from his podium doing his mock press conferences.........

He didn't turn Stan's picks into gold!
- walleyeb1

I think it's a BS move.....thought Dent did a very good.

StanBow has gone mad. What the hell did Dent do to get himself canned? I actually think he should be commended. Guy helped develop several players who contributed to the big club as regulars. Losing all that talent has to be the reason why the Hogs went from a playoff team to 25 wins.
- golfbard

So, in addition to the firing of Kitch being a warning shot to Q, is decision to release two coaches who appeared to be very popular with the players also a warning shot to the team?

Going to the open practices, Kitchen sure seemed to have the best relationship with the players themselves. And, Dent seemed to be responsible for the development of a lot of recent AHL graduates on the team.

2 conclusions:

1. Bowman is blaming coaching for the Hawks down fall, and he wouldn't be incorrect, but it's not 100% strickly coaching. He also may feel there was more polish on some of these AHL guys that came up or never happened.......like McNeil. However, what AHL hog has gone on to bigger or better things? Cna't think of one.

2. Q told Bowman he wasn't happy with the polish the kids had coming up and in a conceding way boots Dent to get a fresh face in there and help Q with more READY kids when they come up.

Either way....Bowman is on the war path....I would expect/hope a front office guy goes next.....like a McIssac or somebody in Bowman's corner....that may need to come from McEgo, if they can pull away from his podium doing his mock press conferences.........
- SteveRain

I'm sure those may have contributed or they are just looking for a new face to develop the next wave of kids to arrive. Too bad Bowman can't fire the salary cap.

Good article by Bobby V.

https://www.nhl.com/black...st-redecorate/c-289059860

Scott Powers‏ @ByScottPowers 44m44 minutes ago
You have to wonder if someone from the Blackhawks front office is next. Roster decisions were to blame as much as coaching for early exit.

I replied to Powers that this would not be the first time in the history of business where the axeman was told to make the unpopular firing decisions before he, himself, is axed. VERY common tactic, particularly with personalities like McD's.

How much would you save against the cap by buying them out?
- VopatsRash

You don't save much. his cap hit is spread for a longer period to save a whopping total of $3,690,470 and not until 2032 after the last hit has occurred.

2 conclusions:

1. Bowman is blaming coaching for the Hawks down fall, and he wouldn't be incorrect, but it's not 100% strickly coaching. He also may feel there was more polish on some of these AHL guys that came up or never happened.......like McNeil. However, what AHL hog has gone on to bigger or better things? Cna't think of one.

2. Q told Bowman he wasn't happy with the polish the kids had coming up and in a conceding way boots Dent to get a fresh face in there and help Q with more READY kids when they come up.

Either way....Bowman is on the war path....I would expect/hope a front office guy goes next.....like a McIssac or somebody in Bowman's corner....that may need to come from McEgo, if they can pull away from his podium doing his mock press conferences.........
- SteveRain

Its all relative, you dump coaches post season and dump players post cup.

Scott Powers‏ @ByScottPowers 44m44 minutes ago
You have to wonder if someone from the Blackhawks front office is next. Roster decisions were to blame as much as coaching for early exit.

I replied to Powers that this would not be the first time in the history of business where the axeman was told to make the unpopular firing decisions before he, himself, is axed. VERY common tactic, particularly with personalities like McD's.
- pdx2ord

Chris Kuc @ChrisKuc
2m

There is more to the #Blackhawks firing Ted Dent. @ChristopherHine and I report it here: trib.in/2phNu30

StanBow has gone mad. What the hell did Dent do to get himself canned? I actually think he should be commended. Guy helped develop several players who contributed to the big club as regulars. Losing all that talent has to be the reason why the Hogs went from a playoff team to 25 wins.
- golfbard

Finishing 28th in the AHL might be part of it... Players not ready for the grind when called up (Svedberg as an example...) may be part.