At this point you have 3 options.

1. Leave things as they are and see if they work it out.

2. Fire the coach.

3. Start trading everyone


1. Leaving things where they are is the second worst option at this point. You risk the permanent destruction of many players psyches and further wind the team culture down a negative spiral that will create longer term problems.

2. This is the best option. I personally like the idea of letting Haviland take over on interim basis. Assuming he does not have too much blood on his hands. While there is value in third party evaluation, you can not forsake the season at this point in looking to the future, when just a month ago you were in the handful of 5 favorites to make a run at the cup. Haviland knows the pulse of the team and likely has a few ideas on how to shake things up. An outside coach at this time would require a lot of adjustment...do that in the off season if the team continues to falter under Haviland.

3. This would be the worst option at this point. Yeah there may be cancers and cliques on the team but there are no trade solutions that will magically transform the delicate chemistry of a NHL dressing room. More importantly, while we may already believe that the wrong pieces of the core were kept and some guys should go, as an organization we owe these anointed players an opportunity to turn their team around. They may fail, but deserve the shot. Trading them or breaking them up without this opportunity to meet adversity is akin to a parent sheltering their children from valuable lessons in growing and dealing with failure or adversity. Which ironically enough is what many believe the current management has done with so many of the core. If our guys are so fragile as to not know how to respond...then we will have plenty of opportunity after the season to rebalance the roster.

This has been my beef with Q and while I think his shelf life, as JJ put it, is done. His whole style was coming in here corralling a bunch of wild mustangs. These guys have been taught that a little mix and change can fix everything, vs sitting them down, looking them in the eye and saying to a man, I expect this, you will do this and be ready to battle your way through. It never happens, from line changes to lineups, he reverts back in 5 minutes. And you wonder why the role guys or guys he simply does not like struggle to perform.

Coaching is about bringing the best out of your assets, it is about developing guys, it is about creating and finding ways to put players in the position to be successful...It seems just opposite to me on this team. I said long ago on these boards that the hawks are a repressive regime. Don't believe me, look at the regression of players and the excelling of guys who leave. Refer to Campbells comments playing in Florida.

There is so much wrong on so many levels, I don't know how you untangle the wires now. Firstly, if we go back to last year, the things we are seeing now we saw then, and they weren't addressed. Lazy play, stupid turn-overs, poor first periods, scrambly fire-drill defensive zone play, forwards picking and chosing when to backcheck, etc, no physicality, and a poor PK with the same lazy box collapse towards the goalie with no aggressiveness at the puck carrier whatsoever.

This is the problem I have with the Coaching. They eek into the playoffs playing mediocre hockey last year....and never addressing glaring issues (mentioned above) and then we come into this season and the same garbage is rearing its ugly head and still, simple things don't seem to get addressed. I mean when my kid was in PeeWee, if you continally made the same bonehead type turnover in your own zone, you got benched! Where has any of that been?

When does the (Norris trophy winner) ride pine or actually sit in the press box? Or Kane or Hossa or anyone else NOT named Stalberg?? I just dont understand it. Why should it matter what someone's paycheck is, whether they are worthy of top minutes despite playing poorly? Q had no problem benching Sharp and Kane in his first yr here.

And I love the comment last nite from Foley "thats one of Keith's best hits all year". Please. Thats Keith's ONLY freaking hit all year. Nobody requires him to hit, or be physical (even occassionally) nor does the guy with the over-decade long contract even have to pay the piper for his misdeeds on the ice.

Maybe Carlisle is the answer..he's a prikk and I think this team needs a prikk of a coach to push their buttons in the right direction. I think Q is way too soft on them which is part of the problem. They dont seem to be held accountable.
- Ninja1

Players should be held responsible for their play, but exactly who would replace these players (Kane, Keith, Sharp, or Hossa) in the lineup if they are in the press box or on the bench? I agree that they should be held accountable for their play but suggesting some of your best players who regardless of recent performances still give you the best chance to win night in and night out sit the bench because they made a turnover or didn't make a check when they had the opportunity to is not the answer. A bad backchecking Patrick Kane still gives your team a better chance to win than a great backchecking Ben Smith.

More and more...I believe this team will do very little.

They won't fire Quenneville because I don't think Old man Bowman would take on that responsibility, and that's a short term answer. What does promoting Haviland really do?

This organization is blinders on, head down, going to do it there way. They're banking on a talented core to step up, and a cup winning coach to right the ship. If they add anyone, it will be realitively small, because again...the GM is overly cautious and in love with every single prospect.

I hope I'm wrong, and they fire Quenneville, and trade for Nabokov, and start shaking things up, but I dont forsee it happening.
- SteveRain

Buddy, normally I agree with you, but here I will disagree.

This is a marketing-driven organization, or nearly so, and I think they realize the price of doing nothing will be higher for them, politically and in terms of perception, than taking a wildish swing with a coaching change or a swing for the fences trade.

JJ you know I believe you're the best blogger on HB and have been for awhile. Love the passion you write with about your beloved Hawks.

I just have to make a comment after reading all these posts today and I want to make clear I'm not a troll.

I believe the Hawks will right the ship and firing your coach is not the answer, not yet at least. Teams go through these slumps at this time every year, some sail through while others struggle.
I think it's too early to push the panic button, and as far as I can tell the Hawks still have a few points cushion to right the ship. Also who cares about winning the presidents trophy or the division? We all know what that can get you...
Just MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS! As we all know anything can happen! Good luck to the Hawks and here's to a first, second or third round matchup!

Also, would it kill them to one time a pass now and then? Every pass involves stopping the puck and allowing the PK to recover before moving it on.
- NewToHockey

And would it kill them from the point to move in a little and surprise with a quick/surprise/well aimed wrister?

Does Mactavish go across the street and coach the Hawks? I think he would be a nice fit. However, Q lasts the year.

JJ you know I believe you're the best blogger on HB and have been for awhile. Love the passion you write with about your beloved Hawks.

I just have to make a comment after reading all these posts today and I want to make clear I'm not a troll.

I believe the Hawks will right the ship and firing your coach is not the answer, not yet at least. Teams go through these slumps at this time every year, some sail through while others struggle.
I think it's too early to push the panic button, and as far as I can tell the Hawks still have a few points cushion to right the ship. Also who cares about winning the presidents trophy or the division? We all know what that can get you...
Just MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS! As we all know anything can happen! Good luck to the Hawks and here's to a first, second or third round matchup!
- DTPB

As noted earlier, this isn't about the past two weeks. It's just that now, what many here thought all season is finally being realized with the nightly results!

Buddy, normally I agree with you, but here I will disagree.

This is a marketing-driven organization, or nearly so, and I think they realize the price of doing nothing will be higher for them, politically and in terms of perception, than taking a wildish swing with a coaching change or a swing for the fences trade.
- John Jaeckel

I hope you're right....BUT....I just don't see it. I don't see them firing Quenneville, even though THAT or a TRADE has to happen by Tuesday. Anything less, and it's the same situation in Nashville on Tuesday night, and I won't even watch.

Look at the responses they've had after these losses. Hell, they've come out flat far too many times. Same defensive break downs. Same bad goaltending. Same guys busting tail, while the depth guys are non existent. Same line roulette that leads to very little spark. What else can be done with THIS group of players? Will a new coach really solve anything? Maybe...you may get that new coach bump for a few games, but then all these holes will rear their head soon enough...

Plus, look at all these holes...

Does adding a Derek Roy do much? Maybe..he moves into 2nd line center...but you still have glaring defensive zone issues.

Does adding a top 4 d man do much? Maybe, but WHO is available and WHAT does he cost? Too much...What will an Andy Sutton do? they need a TOP d man, not a band aid. They have 3.5 d men right now, and 2 of them have been horrible as of late.

Does adding a Khabibulin OR Nabokov do much? Maybe...but again....then Crawford's confidence level is shot...for good...here, AND that entails bowman ADMITING he royally f'd up, and dealing him.

All 3 of these are necessary IMO for this team to move past round 1...Hell, they still would need to add some jam on the bottom 6.

HOw do you get all these pieces? frolik, Bickell, maybe Crawford? You can't trade Hammer because your D,, next to goaltending, is the weakest link on this team...

That's my point. I just don't see HOW this is corrected. They;re the titantic....and the water is already over "E" deck....

First time poster, and a couple year reader. I have always enjoyed reading your blogs John. I enjoy the points here too.....I agree with some, and others not so much.....You'll see where I sit when it comes to this..

I started reading back before the trade deadline of 2010. At that point I could tell the Hawks were going to win the cup, and that was since the 2009 playoffs. You could see it and feel it. I started reading here when everyone (myself included) thought the Hawks needed more than Niemi in net...That seemed to be the only concern, as the rest of the team had heart, grit, energy, and enjoyed playing together....Them's were some good days.

A few weeks ago it seemed like trading for one or two players was enough to boost the Hawks to cup contention, now it seems like a whole lot more.

I've never cared for Leddy. I see him make mistake after mistake. I have a hard time seeing his potential like most people on here. If I'm mistaken, then great. Next is Patrick Kane. Trade him and you can probably get a couple solid players in return. You'd get more for him than Sharp. What I see from Kane is lazy effort almost 100% of the time. I also question him in the lockeroom. I could see a Heatley there. I could be wrong here too, but his effort lacks and it seems to spread to others on the team. Crawford is not a number one goaltender. That was apparent three years ago. Get rid of him too.

The team is scouted. Then beaten. Where is creativity and above all else, the hitting?? Keith is a shell of his former self, and Toews has had it with the way the team is playing. He's not going to be pushed around, and he's pushing back.....In the last couple of games anyway. Why does Keith have an 'A' and Seabrook doesn't?? Bizarre.

Watching the Hawks of last night is like watching the Hawks at the start of the season, or in the middle of last season. They go through the same motions with little to no success. Watch Kane for a few games, and you'll see him skate the same paths, then shoot and miss high. The power play is the exact same, where is the creativity?? What needs to be done??

Get rid of Kitchen. Why have a Toronto Maple Leaf guy?? Bowman was put into a hard situation, and hasn't handled it well. He needs some schooling and unfortunately at the Hawks expense he's getting it. Coach 'Q' was a great addition at first, or so it seemed, but I think anyone could have coached the 2009/2010 Hawks to a cup. Has he ever had the team buy in, or was he fortunate because of circumstance?? Get rid of him. Overall there is something a miss in that lockeroom and we see it simmer on the ice. The team has no identity at this point, and to hear Chelsea Dagger play sounds like an insult to the cup team. Lose that song because it sounds tired now.

In the end, this team has fallen from grace. Tallon should still be in Chicago, if anything to fix the mess he created. But in all that mess he created a Cup winner. That should have meant more than the door.

Ohh and Bickell sucks. Get rid of him.

I haven't added much to what's been said on here. Pretty much another post that's been said before, but hey, it's my first. Go Hawks, get some heart!!

Hm. I vaguely recall the Sabres fans having this exact train of thought. Don't worry guys, once you win 2 or 3 games in a row, no one needs to be traded or fired. Because the past 50 games are just a distant memory.....

This is when I really wish Hitchcock was still available.

Hm. I vaguely recall the Sabres fans having this exact train of thought. Don't worry guys, once you win 2 or 3 games in a row, no one needs to be traded or fired. Because the past 50 games are just a distant memory.....
- TheSabresTaco

Sorry not even a comparison. This team has major issues.

First time poster, and a couple year reader. I have always enjoyed reading your blogs John. I enjoy the points here too.....I agree with some, and others not so much.....You'll see where I sit when it comes to this..

I started reading back before the trade deadline of 2010. At that point I could tell the Hawks were going to win the cup, and that was since the 2009 playoffs. You could see it and feel it. I started reading here when everyone (myself included) thought the Hawks needed more than Niemi in net...That seemed to be the only concern, as the rest of the team had heart, grit, energy, and enjoyed playing together....Them's were some good days.

A few weeks ago it seemed like trading for one or two players was enough to boost the Hawks to cup contention, now it seems like a whole lot more.

I've never cared for Leddy. I see him make mistake after mistake. I have a hard time seeing his potential like most people on here. If I'm mistaken, then great. Next is Patrick Kane. Trade him and you can probably get a couple solid players in return. You'd get more for him than Sharp. What I see from Kane is lazy effort almost 100% of the time. I also question him in the lockeroom. I could see a Heatley there. I could be wrong here too, but his effort lacks and it seems to spread to others on the team. Crawford is not a number one goaltender. That was apparent three years ago. Get rid of him too.

The team is scouted. Then beaten. Where is creativity and above all else, the hitting?? Keith is a shell of his former self, and Toews has had it with the way the team is playing. He's not going to be pushed around, and he's pushing back.....In the last couple of games anyway. Why does Keith have an 'A' and Seabrook doesn't?? Bizarre.Watching the Hawks of last night is like watching the Hawks at the start of the season, or in the middle of last season. They go through the same motions with little to no success. Watch Kane for a few games, and you'll see him skate the same paths, then shoot and miss high. The power play is the exact same, where is the creativity?? What needs to be done??

Get rid of Kitchen. Why have a Toronto Maple Leaf guy?? Bowman was put into a hard situation, and hasn't handled it well. He needs some schooling and unfortunately at the Hawks expense he's getting it. Coach 'Q' was a great addition at first, or so it seemed, but I think anyone could have coached the 2009/2010 Hawks to a cup. Has he ever had the team buy in, or was he fortunate because of circumstance?? Get rid of him. Overall there is something a miss in that lockeroom and we see it simmer on the ice. The team has no identity at this point, and to hear Chelsea Dagger play sounds like an insult to the cup team. Lose that song because it sounds tired now.

In the end, this team has fallen from grace. Tallon should still be in Chicago, if anything to fix the mess he created. But in all that mess he created a Cup winner. That should have meant more than the door.

Ohh and Bickell sucks. Get rid of him.

I haven't added much to what's been said on here. Pretty much another post that's been said before, but hey, it's my first. Go Hawks, get some heart!!
- _diatribe_

Welcome, and I 100% agree with you. Some in the Chicago media go OUT of their way to protect Keith. Still think he's going to show up in 2009-10 version. Sorry...it isn't happening. Guy makes brutal mistake after mistake after mistake.

he also flat out admitted he quit on this team last year. He's not a leader.

Buddy, normally I agree with you, but here I will disagree.

This is a marketing-driven organization, or nearly so, and I think they realize the price of doing nothing will be higher for them, politically and in terms of perception, than taking a wildish swing with a coaching change or a swing for the fences trade.
- John Jaeckel

The person responsible for the big decisions understands what losing means and how it effects the bottom line....season tix sales., media interest, mercahndising sales, ad revenue etc...

Rocky won't waite too lonf but the issue might be avoiding another miistake/mistakes due to acting quickly out of desperation.

Welcome, and I 100% agree with you. Some in the Chicago media go OUT of their way to protect Keith. Still think he's going to show up in 2009-10 version. Sorry...it isn't happening. Guy makes brutal mistake after mistake after mistake.

he also flat out admitted he quit on this team last year. He's not a leader.
- SteveRain

Seems Duncan Keith and Drew Stafford managed to draw the same Mega Millions Lotto Ticket on contract day! It's fun having shotty assistant captains who don't earn their money.

As noted earlier, this isn't about the past two weeks. It's just that now, what many here thought all season is finally being realized with the nightly results!
- Gasboy

We've definitely seen this kind of thing around the league before. Seems there are always some teams that rack up huge points through December before most of the league has their systems play dialed in.

Dallas leading the west last year into December. The Wild contending for top spot with you guys as well this year Etc.

At this point you have 3 options.

1. Leave things as they are and see if they work it out.

2. Fire the coach.

3. Start trading everyone


1. Leaving things where they are is the second worst option at this point. You risk the permanent destruction of many players psyches and further wind the team culture down a negative spiral that will create longer term problems.

2. This is the best option. I personally like the idea of letting Haviland take over on interim basis. Assuming he does not have too much blood on his hands. While there is value in third party evaluation, you can not forsake the season at this point in looking to the future, when just a month ago you were in the handful of 5 favorites to make a run at the cup. Haviland knows the pulse of the team and likely has a few ideas on how to shake things up. An outside coach at this time would require a lot of adjustment...do that in the off season if the team continues to falter under Haviland.

3. This would be the worst option at this point. Yeah there may be cancers and cliques on the team but there are no trade solutions that will magically transform the delicate chemistry of a NHL dressing room. More importantly, while we may already believe that the wrong pieces of the core were kept and some guys should go, as an organization we owe these anointed players an opportunity to turn their team around. They may fail, but deserve the shot. Trading them or breaking them up without this opportunity to meet adversity is akin to a parent sheltering their children from valuable lessons in growing and dealing with failure or adversity. Which ironically enough is what many believe the current management has done with so many of the core. If our guys are so fragile as to not know how to respond...then we will have plenty of opportunity after the season to rebalance the roster.

This has been my beef with Q and while I think his shelf life, as JJ put it, is done. His whole style was coming in here corralling a bunch of wild mustangs. These guys have been taught that a little mix and change can fix everything, vs sitting them down, looking them in the eye and saying to a man, I expect this, you will do this and be ready to battle your way through. It never happens, from line changes to lineups, he reverts back in 5 minutes. And you wonder why the role guys or guys he simply does not like struggle to perform.

Coaching is about bringing the best out of your assets, it is about developing guys, it is about creating and finding ways to put players in the position to be successful...It seems just opposite to me on this team. I said long ago on these boards that the hawks are a repressive regime. Don't believe me, look at the regression of players and the excelling of guys who leave. Refer to Campbells comments playing in Florida.
- TrueGrit

They don't have the balls to do option 3 even if this blows up in their face. Not even in the summer.

Option 2 BETTER happen, but I think q has more power and respect from upper management. We haven't even had his job security leaked out enough to have the "vote of confidence" be done.

Option 1 is where they've been since November when you could see thsi team being royally flawed. Since then? Rookie call ups and the immortal Brendan Morrison who has been scratched, 4th line, 1st line, and 2 line center...and has produced? NOTHING.

They need a ton of moves....G, top 4 d man, 2nd line center, and 2 younger Mayers...Without all of them, I refuse to buy what McDonough and his cronies are selling.

Welcome, and I 100% agree with you. Some in the Chicago media go OUT of their way to protect Keith. Still think he's going to show up in 2009-10 version. Sorry...it isn't happening. Guy makes brutal mistake after mistake after mistake.

he also flat out admitted he quit on this team last year. He's not a leader.

- SteveRain

Keith at 30 mins per game... killing every PP and trying score on every PP makes a lot more mistakes than a 23-24 minute version of the same player who isn't n't asked to do everything in every game.

I don't feel compelled to protect Keith or anyone else but the fact is he is over played and every year Keith gets a little older too.

All those pucks bouncing over his stick and all the shots that miss the net by 8 feet on the PP aren't happneing because his playing ability is a fraction of what it once was...

To succeed Keith and everyone else has to be put into the best position to succeed.

We've definitely seen this kind of thing around the league before. Seems there are always some teams that rack up huge points through December before most of the league has their systems play dialed in.

Dallas leading the west last year into December. The Wild contending for top spot with you guys as well this year Etc.
- Shorty's ritalin

Starting to remind me of Ottawa a few years back. Tore up the league in the first half of the year but got exposed and fell into the lower bracket of the playoff picture and went out with a whimper in the first round.

They don't have the balls to do option 3 even if this blows up in their face. Not even in the summer.

Option 2 BETTER happen, but I think q has more power and respect from upper management. We haven't even had his job security leaked out enough to have the "vote of confidence" be done.

Option 1 is where they've been since November when you could see thsi team being royally flawed. Since then? Rookie call ups and the immortal Brendan Morrison who has been scratched, 4th line, 1st line, and 2 line center...and has produced? NOTHING.

They need a ton of moves....G, top 4 d man, 2nd line center, and 2 younger Mayers...Without all of them, I refuse to buy what McDonough and his cronies are selling.
- SteveRain

Option 1 is where they've been since November when you could see thsi team being royally flawed. Since then? Rookie call ups and the immortal Brendan Morrison who has been scratched, 4th line, 1st line, and 2 line center...and has produced? NOTHING.

I have been on this point for months....But nothing can/will be done if the flaws/mistakes aren't acknowledged.

The person responsible for the big decisions understands what losing means and how it effects the bottom line....season tix sales., media interest, mercahndising sales, ad revenue etc...

Rocky won't waite too lonf but the issue might be avoiding another miistake/mistakes due to acting quickly out of desperation.
- Al

he's already gotten the playoff money...the bulls are doing remarkable so the negative spot light isn't shining bright enough on his team in the print/tv/radio locally.

Firing Q would rival them signing Hossa. It needs to happen, but I think it is/was a pipe dream at the time.

Starting to remind me of Ottawa a few years back. Tore up the league in the first half of the year but got exposed and fell into the lower bracket of the playoff picture and went out with a whimper in the first round.
- Tweek

I see your point except Otawa went to the Cup Finals and failed first and then the head coach became the GM...

Option 1 is where they've been since November when you could see thsi team being royally flawed. Since then? Rookie call ups and the immortal Brendan Morrison who has been scratched, 4th line, 1st line, and 2 line center...and has produced? NOTHING.

I have been on this point for months....But nothing can/will be done if the flaws/mistakes aren't acknowledged.
- Al

I'm with you, and that's why i contend they won't do anything drastic. They'll rely on the core, and think Crawford will find his game...always an excuse when THEIR team fails..."core was tired from extended playoff run, etc"....what's it this year?

Besides Bowman admitting he can't get a trade done, because he's overly conservative.

JJ you know I believe you're the best blogger on HB and have been for awhile. Love the passion you write with about your beloved Hawks.

I just have to make a comment after reading all these posts today and I want to make clear I'm not a troll.

I believe the Hawks will right the ship and firing your coach is not the answer, not yet at least. Teams go through these slumps at this time every year, some sail through while others struggle. I think it's too early to push the panic button, and as far as I can tell the Hawks still have a few points cushion to right the ship. Also who cares about winning the presidents trophy or the division? We all know what that can get you...
Just MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS! As we all know anything can happen! Good luck to the Hawks and here's to a first, second or third round matchup!
- DTPB

Competitive and elite teams do not go through 8 game losing streaks the way this team has. Teams like that may go through 8-12 game streaks of .500 +/- a game and get blown out once or twice but what we are seeing is the magnification of season long trends. The top four were producing big time offensively and they got 5 - 6 game spark from Shaw and Hayes that has all disappeared.

They have been outscored 34 -15 during those 8 games. And during this 6 gms from hell trip they have held the lead a grand total 22 out of 360 minute and 16 of those were in the Edm game where they blew an early 2nd period 2 goal lead. Yet despite this horrid showing, they were tied in the 3rd during 4 of those games and down 1 in another.

Keith at 30 mins per game... killing every PP and trying score on every PP makes a lot more mistakes than a 23-24 minute version of the same player who isn't n't asked to do everything in every game.

I don't feel compelled to protect Keith or anyone else but the fact is he is over played and every year Keith gets a little older too.

All those pucks bouncing over his stick and all the shots that miss the net by 8 feet on the PP aren't happneing because his playing ability is a fraction of what it once was...

To succeed Keith and everyone else has to be put into the best position to succeed.
- Al

Well, I agree with that. But can Keith's ego handle NOT being on the point on the PP?

I'm also down with the drop pass from center ice. If I know it's coming, god knows the rest of teh NHL sees it coming as well.