Faceoffs were good last night...Toews, AA, Kero and Hartman all 50% or better. So there is that.

Sadly, right now Hawks look like just any other ordinary team. Murphy now a regular in the press box. Tommy Wingels and John Hayden continue to impress. PowerPlay continues to be a question, only 4 shots generated on 6 PP chances. As this blog reads "Work In Progress". Nothing could be further from truth, but Preds playing without 2 of their Top 4 D and still carried most of the play.

Hawks are banking points now...but Q has a lot to figure out.
- kwolf68

YUP.

YUP.
- John Jaeckel

I mis typed
"""As this blog reads "Work In Progress". Nothing could be further from truth"""

I meant total truth.

Bouma is not "the problem."
- John Jaeckel

Never said he was a problem, its that he does not bring much to the table. So-so skater who seems to hit the boards more then his intended target. Kampf, Hino or even Dauphint bring more to the table in a 4th line role the Bouma does.

How bout a 4th line of Hino Dauphint Wingles. Fast/physical group who can dump the puck and actually have the speed to go get it.

Never said he was a problem, its that he does not bring much to the table. So-so skater who seems to hit the boards more then his intended target. Kampf, Hino or even Dauphint bring more to the table in a 4th line role the Bouma does.

How bout a 4th line of Hino Dauphint Wingles. Fast/physical group who can dump the puck and actually have the speed to go get it.
- z1990z

I’d like to see more skill added to the 4th line, mainly to give Hayden more opportunity to produce offensively.

He's actually fine in the role he has and the minutes he plays.

Hawks could use another defenseman, preferably one who can run a power play. And another speed, skill forward.

They also need to, as a team, be a lot less sloppy/overly cute with the puck and stronger breaking out.
- John Jaeckel

He's ok at best JJ. Players like Bouma are a dime a dozen . There are 300 players just like him in the AHL. The only thing that separates him from those guys is NHL experience.

From the Rock, 7-4 win last night, 46-31 shots on goal.

Goals from
-Gustaffson
-Iocapelli
-Highmore (had two goals)
-Vinnie
-Sikura
-Louis

Fortin had 2 assists

Three Stars were Highmore, Fortin and Vinnie

Through two games Jurco has 10 shots, Vinnie 7 and Highmore 6.

Highmore and Jurco lead team with 4 points.

Highmore sounds like he is doing well, thought he was C, but IceHogs site has him as LW.

I’d like to see more skill added to the 4th line, mainly to give Hayden more opportunity to produce offensively.
- DarthKane

Hayden might be a diamond in the rough. Big kid who skates well and has nice on ice vision. And he hits... with the body and that hammer right hook.

as will happen regularly during 82 games: a game they probably should have lost and they get 2; they will also go the other way a few times...

preds missed some wide open nets; and craw stiffed arvidson on a shorty break away..
for 3/4 of that game it was last spring redux: rinne sharp, plug up the half the ice, contest everything, sticks everywhere

craw 6 goals allowed in 5 games = once again he is doing his part

3 days rest is going to help them quite a bit...

on the winner forsberg fell asleep...its one and one at that point and you can not let your guy slip behind you like that

listening to Q you think they had lost...he know they escaped; sharps goal should have been disallowed; hartmann obvious grabbing the stick not called; the refs giveth and sometimes tacketh
- bogiedoc

Crawford - only 3 goals allowed in 5x5 play, I think.

Call the stick incident on Hartman - ok - but the call the interference on Irwin first.

I'd say Craw is doing more than his part.

Franson is decent on the third pairing, nothing can go wrong as long as he stays south of 16 minutes. A second pair dman is still missing though, someone need to step it up.
- DutchSenators

Its a small sample size, but from my eyes, Rutta is stepping up.

Think I might play;

2-7 - 23 mins
6-44 - 22 mins
42/5/11 - 15 mins

Get 2 and 7 less PK time to even out the mins. This team is going nowhere come playoff time if 2 and 7 are playing 26+ mins a night.

I'm with VABeachBear, try Hayden on the 2nd line with Kane and Hartman centering and see what happens. Hoping Schmaltz is back next game Wed
- Assman22

Try Hayden with Kane, try Kero, try Anisimov, try Hartman at center....

Let’s get Schmaltz back and run the original 4 lines with 15 between 10 and 12, 67 between 57 and 40 - they really only had one game with this - certainly not completely at ease with Schmaltz at 2C long term, but he’s showed something in the preseason and hame one.

Its a small sample size, but from my eyes, Rutta is stepping up.

Think I might play;

2-7 - 23 mins
6-44 - 22 mins
42/5/11 - 15 mins

Get 2 and 7 less PK time to even out the mins. This team is going nowhere come playoff time if 2 and 7 are playing 26+ mins a night.
- vabeachbear

Agreed, I'd really like to see 6/44 together

Faceoffs were good last night...Toews, AA, Kero and Hartman all 50% or better. So there is that.

Sadly, right now Hawks look like just any other ordinary team. Murphy now a regular in the press box. Tommy Wingels and John Hayden continue to impress. PowerPlay continues to be a question, only 4 shots generated on 6 PP chances. As this blog reads "Work In Progress". Truth! Preds playing without 2 of their Top 4 D and still carried most of the play.

Hawks are banking points now...but Q has a lot to figure out.
- kwolf68

That has to stop. Not learning sitting in the press box. Think I'd rather him have the Schmaltz treatment from last year and get sent down to learn whatever he's missing.

Q said as much in the preseason that he needs to unlearn some things. Hard to do in the press box.

He's ok at best JJ. Players like Bouma are a dime a dozen . There are 300 players just like him in the AHL. The only thing that separates him from those guys is NHL experience.
- Larsson_fan

In all honesty, we don’t know yet whether or not 8, 38, and all skaters on the bottom 6 (including 12 and, at this point in his career, 10) are Cup-contributors or just the Rs in WAR.

Six games done and leading the league with nine points-let’s pick apart what we have convinced ourselves are weak links in the chain that are NEVER going to be overcome.

Let’s get Schmaltz back and run the original 4 lines with 15 between 10 and 12, 67 between 57 and 40 - they really only had one game with this - certainly not completely at ease with Schmaltz at 2C long term, but he’s showed something in the preseason and hame one.
- StLBravesFan

Yep completely agree. If Hayden is on the 4th line of this team, that means we're stout so I'm all for it once Schmaltz is back. If he's not, I'd like to see Hayden up on 2nd line over De Cat. De Cat needs to keep his damn head up too before he gets popped like a zit again. Real slow to get up from that big hit last night, full facial.

Hawks have 3 problems , and they are all obvious# 1 they have trouble winning face offs ( although last night they were ok) a puck position team needs to start with the puck. # 2 they have to finish there checks , Patrick Sharp got run over last night and got pissed off to the point he ran over someone on the Nashville , so we now Sharpie can lay the body on opponents. Like to see him do more , Not saying you have to run a guy through the boards but at least make him thing you can. Also I like to see Toews finish his sometimes and not always go sweep checking.# 3 Defensive turn overs, having the puck and not getting it out , making easy passes that picked off

4 no sustainable o zone pressure except for line 1, i remember in 2015 when the 4th line would cycle the puck for over a minute in the o zone, those days are long gone, our 3rd and 4th line and even our 2nd can't sustain any pressure longer than 15 seconds

Hayden might be a diamond in the rough. Big kid who skates well and has nice on ice vision. And he hits... with the body and that hammer right hook.
- z1990z

Hayden smeared Johansson into the boards and created an op. Assist on Sharpies goal.

GO HOCKS

That has to stop. Not learning sitting in the press box. Think I'd rather him have the Schmaltz treatment from last year and get sent down to learn whatever he's missing.

Q said as much in the preseason that he needs to unlearn some things. Hard to do in the press box.
- vabeachbear

YES, I have serious doubts about how good Murphy can be, but he was acquired to be a pretty important part of this team, is mobile and can hit...lets let him work through some things so MAYBE he's a solid player sooner rather than later. I agree he needs to play, I don't mind a game off here and there to recharge and let Franson play some, but I've seen NO discernible difference in our team with our without Connor Murphy. I suspect he'll have to draw back in next game.

It's very frustrating watching the Hawks power play, looking for the perfect back door pass trying to catch the goalie out of position. Shoot more, crash the net and get some rebounds. Don't mean to sound cliche, but they really need more net front presence. Screen the goalie and shoot the puck. Score some dirty goals.

Never said he was a problem, its that he does not bring much to the table. So-so skater who seems to hit the boards more then his intended target. Kampf, Hino or even Dauphint bring more to the table in a 4th line role the Bouma does.

How bout a 4th line of Hino Dauphint Wingles. Fast/physical group who can dump the puck and actually have the speed to go get it.
- z1990z

Where do you have Hayden, then?

Bouma will likely sit when Schmaltz comes back and then rotate with Wingels. I'd rather Wingels stay in because he's been slightly better and he's an option at center if someone goes down.

Just to note, do you have Hinostroza or Dauphin as your center? Because they're still not running Dauphin as a center in Rockford.

YES, I have serious doubts about how good Murphy can be, but he was acquired to be a pretty important part of this team, is mobile and can hit...lets let him work through some things so MAYBE he's a solid player sooner rather than later. I agree he needs to play, I don't mind a game off here and there to recharge and let Franson play some, but I've seen NO discernible difference in our team with our without Connor Murphy. I suspect he'll have to draw back in next game.
- kwolf68

Hey, gang -- been a long time since I've posted.

I don't watch the games, but is Connor Murphy getting the Q treatment because Q is pissed about Hammer? And is Murphy on buyout watch? If he can't even make the team, that's a BAD contract.

He's ok at best JJ. Players like Bouma are a dime a dozen . There are 300 players just like him in the AHL. The only thing that separates him from those guys is NHL experience.
- Larsson_fan

Gonna disagree. he blocks a lot of shots, kills penalties, finishes checks. All 300 players should be able to do those things. Not all of them are willing. Fact.

That has to stop. Not learning sitting in the press box. Think I'd rather him have the Schmaltz treatment from last year and get sent down to learn whatever he's missing.

Q said as much in the preseason that he needs to unlearn some things. Hard to do in the press box.
- vabeachbear

I also disagree that Franson has played better than Murphy. Franson cannot defend his own zone - he's just not mobile enough. Solid in the NZ and better in the OZ but Q isn't sheltering him so he's part of why they keep getting stuck in the DZ.

I'm not super sold on the pairings as of now, either. Kempny and Murphy are both low event d-men and need to have a puck mover with them imo. Franson can move the puck anywhere but out of the DZ. I get why they're putting the other pairs together - Keith-Seabrook are the top 2, Forsling-Rutta can engaged in the offensive rush - but Kempny-Murphy/Franson just doesn't make as much sense beyond that they are were offense goes to die.

If they don't want to break up Keith-Seabrook, I'd like to see Kempny-Rutta and Forsling-Murphy. The latter are going to be a mess at times, but it'd be good to have a balanced pair. If they're willing to break up Keith-Seabrook, I'd like to see Keith-Murphy again. Murphy doesn't have to play the whole time with Keith, Seabrook can sub in when needed, but Murphy needs to play to develop.

It's very frustrating watching the Hawks power play, looking for the perfect back door pass trying to catch the goalie out of position. Shoot more, crash the net and get some rebounds. Don't mean to sound cliche, but they really need more net front presence. Screen the goalie and shoot the puck. Score some dirty goals.
- Nuke55

Right, and how is that Bouma's fault? Or that the other three lines he doesn't play on can't run a clean breakout. He's also not the guy coughing up pucks at both bluelines or trying cutesie drop passes that go the other way in a hurry.

Cuz THOSE are bigger problems than the razor thin margin between Bouma and Kampf.

I don't really care about Bouma (honestly). But he's not holding this team back or the reason it gives up 40 shots a game and the power play looks like garbage.

#whippingboy2017