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What Did I Miss?

November 19, 2018, 11:56 AM ET [274 Comments]
Tyler Cameron
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT


Ok, I'm back from vacation, what'd I miss?

poolside-holiday-swimming-summer-sun-1203-5026


Are the Hawks good again?

Are the players really taking to Colliton's coaching?

Are Toews and Kane still awesome?

Is Brandon Saad back to "old Saader"?

Has Gustav Forsling saved this defence?

Is Corey Crawford still an elite goalie?



From my vantage point last week (which was poolside + multiple beers deep), the answer to all of the questions above appear to be a resounding "YES!"

However, I'm not ready to call this team a playoff-bound squad that's figured it all out after a 2-0-2 stint because A) we've been down this path before and B) that's really not that good.

But, the points are coming and from the games, I caught while I was away, the Hawks appear to be having fun again to a certain degree. Before I left, it was painful to watch Captain Serious turn into Captain Angry. He was fed up and things really needed to change ASAP.

The points have trickled in and game-after-game the Hawks really looked reinvigorated.

The schedule doesn't get any easier as they head on the road 8 of their next 11 games. This includes 3x back-to-back contest, so you can expect Cam Ward to get some games, as well as some others like Johnson, Kunitz and Manning to sneak in there in the coming weeks.

With that being said though, it sounds like Colliton and Co. are really finding what works with amongst the lineup and really trying to play guys' to their strengths.

I personally would like to see him get Seabrook's minutes down. He looks ok now but leading the entire team with 25+ mins last game is not sustainable all year round.

I do believe once DeBrincat and Schmaltz get out of their slumps, Colliton could have a real deadly second scoring line (which he desperately needs).

The last blog, I posed a few questions to you all. I would like to answer those questions myself now that I'm all relaxed and of a clear mind after spending some time away:

1) What have you liked so far about Jeremy Colliton?

I really like how he's so confident in his own coaching ability. He is not trying to live up to Joel Quenneville - even though, out of respect he kept things the way they were for a week or so – but he's very determined on winning and winning his way.

He also appears to be very open-minded to changing things when they're not working, but not to the degree that it's disrupting the team too frequently.

2) What are you concerned about with this team overall?

The lack of depth is the biggest concern. It's been my concern from day one and will be a struggle for this team offensively and defensively until the end of the season if nothing changes.

3) What would you do if you were Stan Bowman to improve this team for the future?

If I were Stan, I would be dissecting everything Colliton, Smith and Donato are telling him about this team, it's players and their system. I'm under the assumption he is, however, I'd like this GM to Coaching staff relationship to be on the same page and with Colliton now entering the picture, it offers such a fresh perspective for this team.

With this new POV, I would hope Stan doesn't remain stuck in the past with previous mistakes that have been made.

So, if I were Stan, I would be looking to add another speedy, productive centre to the mix and maybe even another winger with some offensive flair (which is maybe just Dylan Sikura at this point).

Then on the back end, I would wait for Connor Murphy's return to see how the defence looks with big #5 back in the fold. I would be currently looking for a suitor for Jan Rutta and/or Brandon Manning though; the former probably being easier to move.

If there was an opportunity to make a bigger move which included Anisimov or Schmaltz, then you explore, however, I would look to tweak the above first and see where the season takes you.

The Hawks are in Washington on Wednesday to take on the defending Champs!

I'll see ya out there,

JL
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