Mark Lazerus‏Verified account
@MarkLazerus

Duncan Keith on the power play, now 0-of-16 in the last five games: "It has to be better, myself included. Myself especially."

well...any game now..maybe next year

with him on the ice during a pp...they have yet to score a goal...that's just out this world crazy...that can't be all on him...
- bogiedoc

0 for 16 on the PP since the Ottawa game. They scare nobody's PK.

But they still had a boatload of chances to score in the 3rd - Duclair in all by himself, Keith fans on a wide open chance, Kempny fans on one.

It is time to officially retire "the core" as a description for the guys on the roster who make a lot of money and won some cups because this team is coreless now. No identity, no heart, no soul, no fire, no compete, no giveacrap, no reserves.
- matt_ahrens

This ^.

The concept of "core" in plural-form is no longer valid.

As far as I'm concerned, the lone "core" player is Pat Kane.

Other younger players to build around him (Schmaltz, 'Cat, etc.) are "the foundation".

Crawford is a guy the team should want to have for a long, long time, but the fact of the matter is, he might have the highest value of any player on the roster. You have sniff around to see what you can get for him. Under no circumstance, however, do I move him without an overpayment.

Everyone else - should be readily available for trade.

keith with a his lazer slapper to goalies gut...
- bogiedoc

But he got the shot on net. Oh how I chuckle when I see the double net picture after complaint about his errant shots in previous blogs over the years. I bet he leads the team each year in the amount of fewest forwards doing the flamingo

going into this 8 game home stand with the chance to turn things around with a bye week..simply could not have a bad two week stretch...well they have: 2-5 @ home with the leafs next...and then 7 of 9 on the road..

that road schedule vs the wings, preds, nuck, flames, wild coyotes and knights ought to finish them off and along with the home games vs flames and stars...

the next big game for them will be vs the nucks to avoid 13th or 14th in the WC..

0 for 16 on the PP since the Ottawa game. They scare nobody's PK.

But they still had a boatload of chances to score in the 3rd - Duclair in all by himself, Keith fans on a wide open chance, Kempny fans on one.
- RickJ

Toews post game interview was alarming.
Lazarus asked him about the PP and
he clearly was pist at the question....said he
didn't want to get into that right now.
I'm thinking that Mr. Captain is not happy
about being pulled from the 1st PP unit.
Probably Keith too with his comments recently
about the PP.

It is really time to get rid of both Q and Bowman. Bring some new younger blood in here and let everyone start fresh. Try to trade some of the "core", and lets start the rebuild now. The Hawks always wanted to be the Detroit Red Wings and now they are , old bad and up against the cap.

going into this 8 game home stand with the chance to turn things around with a bye week..simply could not have a bad two week stretch...well they have: 2-5 @ home with the leafs next...and then 7 of 9 on the road..

that road schedule vs the wings, preds, nuck, flames, wild coyotes and knights ought to finish them off and along with the home games vs flames and stars...

the next big game for them will be vs the nucks to avoid 13th or 14th in the WC.
- bogiedoc

Avoid?

The "One Goal" for this club at this point should be 14th or 15th.

Lottery pick or bust!

Did Bowman pull a fast one on us?
No, he is moving in the right direction. Trying to change the mindset of the team with moves like the Panarin trade kind of backfired on him - for now.

I still like how capable Saad is scoring in close on tips, redirect even if he continues to blow his break away attempts. You need his size. Of course Panarin is the better skill guy but Chicago still needs players who will out work, outcheck the opponent. As some have said, need a lot of those type guys but they do not all have to be giants size players. Saad will perform better when his linemates are better.

Not discounting Saad's play, but I do not believe that Saad isn"t a capable producer. Just not right now with this assembly of talent.

Other: if Bob Murray were to throw a party he would have some guests who have a drank a few too many go out on the dance floor and show how to do the flamingo. Maybe a line dance and the wives have to help them stand back up.

I recall in the 1980's he put together a big Halloween party that was the talk. I always found it ironic how the big shot, mobile yet soft checking former dman turns out big tough nosed Anaheim teams. That was not his style as a player.

I wonder if he is a Nick Leddy fan. Murray had also drafted a lot of good dmen. He "let" Vaatenen escape to Jersey but he "lost" S Theodore.

The Blackhawks sure could use Theodore. I would offer Keith for him but Vegas would be nuts to trade a young dman like Theodore for the veteran Keith. And as much as it pains me to say we need Keith even after his many blunders again tonight. He is our best, he represents experience on the Blue line and each of the youngsters falls into a pair, a role after Keith. Experience matters. Gus or Osterle or Murphy still learn from their mistakes.

The good dmen just don't make as many mistakes. Hockey is a game of turnovers. And execution. Players with awesome ability. A great shot. A better save. Yes, Keith and Crawford need to stick around

Toews post game interview was alarming.
Lazarus asked him about the PP and
he clearly was pist at the question....said he
didn't want to get into that right now.
I'm thinking that Mr. Captain is not happy
about being pulled from the 1st PP unit.
Probably Keith too with his comments recently
about the PP.
- Hawkytalk

yep...saw that...

pulled off the OT first line; basically a 3rd line center production wise; takes alot of pens, 1 goal and 2 assists over the last 7 home games; on track for the lowest production of his career...on it goes

pulled off the OT first line; basically a 3rd line center production wise; takes alot of pens, 1 goal and 2 assists over the last 7 home games; on track for the lowest production of his career...on it goes
- bogiedoc

Sums it up for me. All that at 10.5mm. Yikes.

Avoid?

The "One Goal" for this club at this point should be 14th or 15th.

Lottery pick of bust!
- ArlingtonRob

a race to the bottom...

is there anything that stop this team from a complete implode the last 35 games...

Hawks chances of getting a top 8 lottery pick are getting better and better. Who knows the way the team is playing a top 5 pick might be within reach...What do you think folks?

Couple of observations being at the game. You guys have all pointed out most of what went on during the play.

- Warmups: NO energy, no laughing, no smiles, running the drills at half speed.
- Kempny is scared of his own shadow - you could seem him hesitating way more than I remember him doing in his first games here. It cost them several times. Q has added to his mental issues - he's afraid to make a mistake.
- During breaks, Kane was off skating by himself and not huddling with his teammates at or around the bench, strategizing. That's not normal for him.
- The crowd actually hung in there until the 2nd Tampa goal. Smattering of boos after one of the failed power plays, but overall, supportive. Lots of empty seats compared to a normal game against a top team.
- The team still just looks lost out there with all of the lines who don't regularly play together. Not sure where to be, bunching up on same side of ice, passes more to TPA than to each other.

I fear that the defeatist attitude has sunk in or is quickly sinking in with most of the team. And, I really think it is time for the coach to go.

I put something out couple of posts ago regarding Jacob Trouba,And the response basically was Chevy would be nuts to trade him within the division, Now am I understanding right ,Winnipeg is having trouble signing him?
You guys, or should I save some of you guys are so quick to anoint Saint Nicholas schmaltz the next face of the franchise, in my opinion should strike while the iron is hot with this kid Before too many general managers see what he really is, knowing that the Blackhawks need a serious upgrade on defense, I would start with this kid and put him out there along with whatever else may net you Jacob Trouba in return ?Why would Chevy ever do that? Or is Stan Bowman the only Dupa Yosh That just gives away players because he is having difficulty signing them ie: Leddy and ,Panerin,,I got a believe that there possibly could be a deal but do you trust Bowman to be the one anymore?
JacobTrouba would look mighty nice In a Hawk uniform

Well crew - another game with a lot of ups and downs.

Mr. Glass played really well, so you can't fault him for that one. Not sure if he gets the start on Wednesday but it won't matter if the Hawks can't finish.

I have come to the conclusion this season that the Hawks are terrible in front of nets... goal crease out to about 7 feet. And yes, I said nets... they have consistently let opponents walk by them, sneak behind, stand in front of the net and bang home rebounds.

In the o-zone, they look like tyke players trying to score their first goal ever... that is if they have someone in front of the net at all. When the puck does land there though and it's a scramble, watch it... you have guys whacking and flailing all over the ice.

I know they are gripping the sticks a little tight these days but it just has been a bad trend all year and it's showed in the standings.

It's been difficult to watch lately and it will be interesting to see how this roster looks by the end of the year (playoffs or no playoffs).

Couple of observations being at the game. You guys have all pointed out most of what went on during the play.

- Warmups: NO energy, no laughing, no smiles, running the drills at half speed.
- Kempny is scared of his own shadow - you could seem him hesitating way more than I remember him doing in his first games here. It cost them several times. Q has added to his mental issues - he's afraid to make a mistake.
- During breaks, Kane was off skating by himself and not huddling with his teammates at or around the bench, strategizing. That's not normal for him.
- The crowd actually hung in there until the 2nd Tampa goal. Smattering of boo's after one of the failed power plays, but overall, supportive. Lots of empty seats compared to a normal game against a top team.
- The team still just looks lost out there with all of the lines who don't regularly play together. Not sure where to be, bunching up on same side of ice, passes more to TPA than to each other.

I fear that the defeatist attitude has sunk in or is quickly sinking in with most of the team. And, I really think it is time for the coach to go.
- pdx2ord

Thanks for the notes PDX. It's always great to get thoughts on what people see at a live game. There's a lot you miss on TV.

Couple of observations being at the game. You guys have all pointed out most of what went on during the play.

- Warmups: NO energy, no laughing, no smiles, running the drills at half speed.
- Kempny is scared of his own shadow - you could seem him hesitating way more than I remember him doing in his first games here. It cost them several times. Q has added to his mental issues - he's afraid to make a mistake.
- During breaks, Kane was off skating by himself and not huddling with his teammates at or around the bench, strategizing. That's not normal for him.
- The crowd actually hung in there until the 2nd Tampa goal. Smattering of boo's after one of the failed power plays, but overall, supportive. Lots of empty seats compared to a normal game against a top team.
- The team still just looks lost out there with all of the lines who don't regularly play together. Not sure where to be, bunching up on same side of ice, passes more to TPA than to each other.

I fear that the defeatist attitude has sunk in or is quickly sinking in with most of the team. And, I really think it is time for the coach to go.
- pdx2ord

very interesting observations...esp about kane and the warm-ups...

i have wondered about the defeatist "here we go again" loser mentality becoming an issue...

kempny is a UFA...he is done here...i suspect he gets moved shortly...

Well crew - another game with a lot of ups and downs.

Mr. Glass played really well, so you can't fault him for that one. Not sure if he gets the start on Wednesday but it won't matter if the Hawks can't finish.

I have come to the conclusion this season that the Hawks are terrible in front of nets... goal crease out to about 7 feet. And yes, I said nets... they have consistently let opponents walk by them, sneak behind, stand in front of the net and bang home rebounds.

In the o-zone, they look like tyke players trying to score their first goal ever... that is if they have someone in front of the net at all. When the puck does land there though and it's a scramble, watch it... you have guys whacking and flailing all over the ice.

I know they are gripping the sticks a little tight these days but it just has been a bad trend all year and it's showed in the standings.

It's been difficult to watch lately and it will be interesting to see how this roster looks by the end of the year (playoffs or no playoffs).
- Justin Lowe

Justin, someone said it in a post a little while ago, until they put the crap aside with focusing on local kids, small euros ,And taking a shot with kids never being good enough to be drafted by other teams, this trend will continue. I think John Hayden could be a very good player which is probably why he is down in Rockford now playing meaningful minutes, he will be recalled at some point, hopefully they see with some of the guys they brought up that it is what it is and just let them play their way out of here and they have already reached their potential and they will be replaced so they are basically fillers ,
Sorry, but I am in the trade nick schmaltz right now while the iron is hot camp if I can get a real good defenseman before his value declines ,Hinostroza is nothing more than an AHL player, Ryan Hartman? Is he nothing more than a fourth Line player on a good team? I think some are overvaluing Jordan Oesterle,Same with Rutta and Forsling,I thought Thomas Jurco played a good game tonight , I would like to see him play with either Kanes line or Anisamov’s line next game,
I refuse to believe that they will tank this season, that is not an uncle John’s vocabulary! I think they will make a couple of trades that will benefit them for the rest of the year and going forward even if it is of significance.

Okay....so....

We're starting to get everything together....we're playing some of our best hockey of the season....we throttle the Sens....move up into the playoff picture....AA is just about to return....we make the splash trade for Duclair.....we defeat the top team in the division(the Jets) and everything is coming together....

.....and then OUT OF NOWHERE we fall off a cliff!?!?!?!? I'm seriously as perplexed over these last handful of games as I have EVER been watching the Hawks. Just when you thought we couldn't get any more inconsistent.....this happens.

What on earth? Like .....i mean.....there's gotta be something going on off the ice, something with the coaching, the leadership, players not focused/engaged....its gotta be mental. For a team to be that wildly inconsistent it just has to fall on the head coach and the team captain IMO.

This recent swoon has probably cost us our season, and if that truly ends up being the case then A. Q must be fired and B. Toews must be stripped of his captaincy.

Not having this team ready to go night in night out, having them slump OUT OF NOWHERE to such extreme levels when just a few weeks ago everything was clicking.....that's unacceptable coaching/leadership.

What a waste of what was some very encouraging momentum we had going there for a little while.

IMO its time to reboot the organization with new coaching/leadership. In all honesty it might work WONDERS for our team.

Toews post game interview was alarming.
Lazarus asked him about the PP and
he clearly was pist at the question....said he
didn't want to get into that right now.
I'm thinking that Mr. Captain is not happy
about being pulled from the 1st PP unit.
Probably Keith too with his comments recently
about the PP.
- Hawkytalk

Funny the only one they posted was Jerko’s

Hawks chances of getting a top 8 lottery pick are getting better and better. Who knows the way the team is playing a top 5 pick might be within reach...What do you think folks?
- spanky

Yep Sounds like the best of a very bad situation . Keep coach Q and his dysfunctional roster moves .And this team could very well be in the bottom 5 before the end of the year . Dahlan would be worth it . Start fresh next year with a NEW !! Coach ..

Funny the only one they posted was Jerko’s
- walleyeb1

It's there now. Worth a watch.

https://www.nhl.com/black...ia/t-277437096/c-56933403

And, after seeing what I saw on the ice (before and between play) and this, I'll eat my socks if there are not locker room issues. Whether borne of a down season or already there and part of reason for such a down season, who knows?

The Hawks should have won the game against the Lightning with ease. The Hawks have a number of dangerous tendencies that destroy them in close games. Self-inflicted losses. There has never been a team in the history of the NHL that passes up good/great shot opportunities to make idiotic passes. These idiotic passes never end up creating goals - often there ends up being no shot at all or a very poor shot. It is infuriating to watch. Schmaltz is especially crazy.

Also do the Hawks’ players think you get a prize if they hit the crest of the other teams’ goalie with the puck? Can we pick a corner? Keith has gone from always crazily over-shooting the puck wide to always shooting the puck right at the goalie. We also get so many shots blocked and shoot so many shots wide. When did Saad buy his hands of stone? When did Toews become someone who can only hit the score-sheet with stupid penalties? Can Q destroy DeBrincat any more? Make DeBrincat Kane’s Left-Winger and leave him there. Or leave Sharp there. What is Q doing to Hino?

On D the Hawks did not give up much but Oesterle was not good, although he did get a primary assist. Both goals were awful and so easily avoidable. Please play Oesterle down the line-up. Top 4 D - Keith, Seabrook, Murphy, Gustafson. Two lefties and two righties - please for the love of the Indian Chief play these 4 in 2 left/right pairings. Let them play their natural sides. How hard is this to figure out?

The coaching is leaving me wanting to scream but my Wife and Son say I scare our cats when I do. It’s hard not to though.

It's there now. Worth a watch.

https://www.nhl.com/black...ia/t-277437096/c-56933403

And, after seeing what I saw on the ice (before and between play) and this, I'll eat my socks if there are not locker room issues. Whether borne of a down season or already there and part of reason for such a down season, who knows?
- pdx2ord

Thanks he’s in either in total denial or spin mode. Obviously no more leadership on this team.

Sums it up for me. All that at 10.5mm. Yikes.
- Fat_Tony_Amonte

Recall or remember hearing about the $64,000 question? It was a game show ftom 1955 -1958 during the 1950's game show scandel. The $64 000 Question was a spin off which came afterwards.

The Blackhawks do not have a hockey scandal unless you want to go in a tangent about Dineen the questionable sneaky coach. But we have a spin off player in Toews who is following up a brilliant first half of a career. He is the proverbial Blackhawk $10.5 million question. He had no answer, eh. His body is apparently not able to do the same, withstand the same. He never was The Incredible Hulk. The Six million Dollar Man?
Ha. Really outdated. Is Toews outdated?