7-9 against the weakest division in the league. Not good. Interesting to see what happens on Tuesday...
- bloatedmosquito

If you are going to post at least have the real stats, Hawks are 7-7-2 against the NW. I agree it's a hard to understand when you consider we are 7-3-2 against the best division in hockey and 8-4-1 against the Pacific. The only way to explain it is we play down to the opponent.

Another question from the "where are they now" list. Jordan Hendry on one leg would be a better option than #32
- Beaver-Warrior

We have better options the BOTH 32 and Hendry but for some reason the Brass does not stick with them. OD and Lepisto

Call me cynical but I see no dead line trade involving a player with an expiring contract that is going to change the negative defensive trends and attitude they have established.

There only source of help is with in themselves and these next 6 road games will tell if they are willing to help themselves.

From Jesse Rogers recent entry: "The Hawks have never been a great in-their-own-zone team. They need their goalie in those situations. Better goalie play could go a long way to reducing the goals against problem.

The other reason for optimism is based more on hope than anything else. Maybe the Hawks can roll when they get to the playoffs simply because they are waiting for spring to arrive. The Hawks aren’t committed to playing defense right now. Come April and May, it’s safe to say they’ll care. Both Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman have essentially said the same thing recently: These individuals and this team have done good things previously, so they expect them to do it again. The problem with that line of thinking is the Blackhawks have not played well defensively at any point this season.

You would assume they would turn it on in the postseason. The leaders on the Hawks know what it takes to win -- they do have pride. They simply don’t care enough about games in January and February until they’re embarrassed to care or fall enough in the standings it wakes them up."

This idea that the Hawks can just turn it on and not being committed to defense right now is really troubling. I have hard time believing a team with Toews, Hossa, Keith and Seabs can tolerate or embrace this type of attitude and thinking!
- bogiedoc

A lot of correctness here. The talent should be here to certainly be better than 2.9 GA, but it isn't working. And, don't know if,nwith either Crawford or Emery, can get tha dramatically closer to 2.0 GA with an improved defense.

If noting happens until the deadline, there will be less than 20 games left in he season - not much time to dramatically improve play-off position, maybe enough time to integrate the newcomer into his teammates.

Very concerned about the turning on the switch comment: doesn't happen often in the play-offs - if it's not there in the regular season, chances are there won't be any games in May.

Call me cynical but I see no dead line trade involving a player with an expiring contract that is going to change the negative defensive trends and attitude they have established.

There only source of help is with in themselves and these next 6 road games will tell if they are willing to help themselves.

From Jesse Rogers recent entry: "The Hawks have never been a great in-their-own-zone team. They need their goalie in those situations. Better goalie play could go a long way to reducing the goals against problem.

The other reason for optimism is based more on hope than anything else. Maybe the Hawks can roll when they get to the playoffs simply because they are waiting for spring to arrive. The Hawks aren’t committed to playing defense right now. Come April and May, it’s safe to say they’ll care. Both Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman have essentially said the same thing recently: These individuals and this team have done good things previously, so they expect them to do it again. The problem with that line of thinking is the Blackhawks have not played well defensively at any point this season.

You would assume they would turn it on in the postseason. The leaders on the Hawks know what it takes to win -- they do have pride. They simply don’t care enough about games in January and February until they’re embarrassed to care or fall enough in the standings it wakes them up."

This idea that the Hawks can just turn it on and not being committed to defense right now is really troubling. I have hard time believing a team with Toews, Hossa, Keith and Seabs can tolerate or embrace this type of attitude and thinking!
- bogiedoc

Prettty late in the season to start coaching a defensive system, like two years overdue. Better late than never I guess.

We have better options the BOTH 32 and Hendry but for some reason the Brass does not stick with them. OD and Lepisto
- mvp0207

We'll know the answer to that question right after the Holy Grail is found. Personally, I think they were caught red handed cheating at Euchre.

From Jesse Rogers recent entry: "The Hawks have never been a great in-their-own-zone team. They need their goalie in those situations. Better goalie play could go a long way to reducing the goals against problem.

- bogiedoc

That is total crap, the 08/09 and 09/10 teams were incredibly dynamic in their own end. They worked as a five man unit defensively and were great at transitioning out of their end into dangerous odd man attacks. (They miss Campbell and Norris Keith a lot in this area)

Trust me I remember being incredibly bitter at AV for not changing up the aggressive pinching D-man strategy against those teams. Major reason the Hawks beat the Nucks those years.

All things being equal JJ, I wish the Hawks worked as hard as you. And more importantly followed your lead in taking responsibility for their work good or bad.
- TrueGrit

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

All things being equal JJ, I wish the Hawks worked as hard as you. And more importantly followed your lead in taking responsibility for their work good or bad.
- TrueGrit

They need to work as hard as their co-tenant in the UC: always play hard, selflessly, tough, tough defense all the time - or their coach will go second team throughout the fourth quarter, or call time out with a 20 point lead and a couple minutes left in the game.

That is total crap, the 08/09 and 09/10 teams were incredibly dynamic in their own end. They worked as a five man unit defensively and were great at transitioning out of their end into dangerous odd man attacks. (They miss Campbell and Norris Keith a lot in this area)

Trust me I remember being incredibly bitter at AV for not changing up the aggressive pinching D-man strategy against those teams. Major reason the Hawks beat the Nucks those years.
- Shorty's ritalin

You were pinching up the boards to take away our breakout, we ring it around the boards still, difference is now that you and many other teams are getting better at pinching. The Hawks are as predictable as Q juggling his lines two shifts in.

They need to work as hard as their co-tenant in the UC: always play hard, selflessly, tough, tough defense all the time - or their coach will go second team throughout the fourth quarter, or call time out with a 20 point lead and a couple minutes left in the game.
- StLBravesFan

The problem is that the Hawks' second team is not nearly as good as the Bulls second team this year. By comparison, when the Hawks won the cup, I would argue they had a comparably good second team. Problem is, I don't know that anyone in the cap era will ever have a "second" team that includes all of Ladd, Versteeg, Bolland, Madden, Eager, Burish, etc. Like many of the Bulls reserves will, these players have all gone on to retirement or bigger better contracts and playing "starter" minutes with other teams. Unfortunately for the Hawks, unlike the Bulls, having one of the best young players in the entire league means a hell of a lot more for a basketball team than it does for a hockey team.

The problem is that the Hawks' second team is not nearly as good as the Bulls second team this year. By comparison, when the Hawks won the cup, I would argue they had a comparably good second team. Problem is, I don't know that anyone in the cap era will ever have a "second" team that includes all of Ladd, Versteeg, Bolland, Madden, Eager, Burish, etc. Like many of the Bulls reserves will, these players have all gone on to retirement or bigger better contracts and playing "starter" minutes with other teams. Unfortunately for the Hawks, unlike the Bulls, having one of the best young players in the entire league means a hell of a lot more for a basketball team than it does for a hockey team.
- arobb01

What about "third" team, Scott, Bickell, Brunette and OD.

i keep seeing chicago linked to winnepeg - most often for oduya and/or kane... what would we have to give up to make that work?

The problem is that the Hawks' second team is not nearly as good as the Bulls second team this year. By comparison, when the Hawks won the cup, I would argue they had a comparably good second team. Problem is, I don't know that anyone in the cap era will ever have a "second" team that includes all of Ladd, Versteeg, Bolland, Madden, Eager, Burish, etc. Like many of the Bulls reserves will, these players have all gone on to retirement or bigger better contracts and playing "starter" minutes with other teams. Unfortunately for the Hawks, unlike the Bulls, having one of the best young players in the entire league means a hell of a lot more for a basketball team than it does for a hockey team.
- arobb01

Hockey's different than basketball - no real defined "2nd team" as in basketball, all players expected to play in crunch times.

My point was that Thibs is not afraid to bench people who are not playing well (hard) and go with "subs", and is not afraid to call them out when they are not playing well (hard). Not that Q could do exactly the same thing, but similar.

Going back to the comment about not turning it on until the play-offs: if true, put whoever is doing it in the press box for a game or two.

i keep seeing chicago linked to winnepeg - most often for oduya and/or kane... what would we have to give up to make that work?
- jt19

Sharp in any type of package that works for both GM's!

i keep seeing chicago linked to winnepeg - most often for oduya and/or kane... what would we have to give up to make that work?
- jt19

Would be cool to see Toews have to center two Kanes for the next 10 years.

What a PR and marketing dream, think about what they could do with "The Toews and Kanes Line"

Hockey's different than basketball - no real defined "2nd team" as in basketball, all players expected to play in crunch times.

My point was that Thibs is not afraid to bench people who are not playing well (hard) and go with "subs", and is not afraid to call them out when they are not playing well (hard). Not that Q could do exactly the same thing, but similar.

Going back to the comment about not turning it on until the play-offs: if true, put whoever is doing it in the press box for a game or two.
- StLBravesFan

I know both Keith and Sharp after last year's playoffs mentioned the team (no player in particular, although Keith indicted himself in an earlier interview) wasn't that keen on giving full effort in the regular season and waited until the playoffs to "hit the switch." This is not a new issue with this team.

Hockey's different than basketball - no real defined "2nd team" as in basketball, all players expected to play in crunch times.

My point was that Thibs is not afraid to bench people who are not playing well (hard) and go with "subs", and is not afraid to call them out when they are not playing well (hard). Not that Q could do exactly the same thing, but similar.

Going back to the comment about not turning it on until the play-offs: if true, put whoever is doing it in the press box for a game or two.
- StLBravesFan

My point was that Thibs is not afraid to bench people who are not playing well (hard) and go with "subs", and is not afraid to call them out when they are not playing well (hard). Not that Q could do exactly the same thing, but similar.

Going back to the comment about not turning it on until the play-offs: if true, put whoever is doing it in the press box for a game or two.

My point is that Thibs has the luxury of benching players when they aren't playing well because his second team just as good as many teams' starters. This is a similar scenario as what happened with the Hawks when they won the cup. Q could rotate four lines and comfortably play Ladd, Bolland, and Versteeg against the other team's top line and not only would they shut the other team down, they'd also produce a fair number of goals themselves.

Aside from the defense not playing well, you could argue that the Hawks biggest problem has been the third line. Versteeg and Ladd combined for 82 points and a +10 that year. This year, Frolik and Bickell, the presumed 3rd line wingers heading into this season, have combined for 22 points and a -14. I think that speaks a lot to the struggles this team has faced.

That and the lack of Brian Campbell. Somebody posted a comment about that earlier. If they aren't going to use that cap space, then, why trade him prior to this year?

I've maintained throughout that I wanted to give Bowman a chance to prove himself before I made any positive or negative judgements, given the fact that he was hamstrung after the cup win and had to jettison some players. He needs to go out and find a way to fix things soon. I don't think anything is broken beyond repair, and this team can still be a contender, but it's becoming more apparent that they need a shot in the arm to recapture some of the magic.

Our current D corps' recent play makes me wanna drop and dime and see if Frankie Kucera can still strap 'em up.

Stanbow: you need to be doing a lot f'n better than Brian f'n Lee....Sir.

Huet the last 2 years with HC Fribourg Gotteron

10-11 2.83 GAA .919 SV%
11-12 1.99 GAA .932 Sv%

Just sayin', way better than Crawford or Emery, plus he has successful playoff experience. And he doesn't cost you any players from the current roster.
- scottak

I nominate this as the worst post of the decade....I nearly choked on my water.

What a PR and marketing dream, think about what they could do with "The Toews and Kanes Line"
- hawksbuzz

They'd have the sisters and we'd have the Kanes ! Awesome....

I nominate this as the worst post of the decade....I nearly choked on my water.
- UnnamedSource

I know, terrible. Hockeybuzz is kind of a joke but the guy who sugguested Huet should be banned forever. Huet is Never the answer. Omfg

I nominate this as the worst post of the decade....I nearly choked on my water.
- UnnamedSource

Agreed...Cris-SIEVE-al O'Lay...was HORRI-AWFUL. Tallon should have been canned on that contract alone. I'll always give mad props to DT for building the Cup team, but Huet was a DEEEEEE-ZAZ-STER.

What a PR and marketing dream, think about what they could do with "The Toews and Kanes Line"
- hawksbuzz

I want this so badly.
I don't think sharp could be included though, doesn't Ladd have beef with him?

Goalie Johan Mattson, Chicago's 7th round pick in last year's draft, stopping 45 of 46 shots, leading Sudbury to a 3-1 over Brampton today.

And Brandon Saad with a goal and two assists in Saginaw's 4-1 win at Kitchener.