Check out Jack Johnson's advanced analytics. Ugh.
- John Jaeckel

Found what I had read on Savard's and Johnson's advanced stats. Great breakdown and read here by the Jacket blogger: http://www.hockeybuzz.com...s-a-Top-Pairing/224/72785

Thank you.
Almost exactly what I see as well, regardless of the thought police narrative out here on the guy. Your comment on how the game has slowed down for him is IMO pretty spot-on. Right now they've got a great goalie rotation happening with the way Greiss is tending net as well. We'll see as the year rolls on if they continue to improve and of course the proof-in-the-pudding: can they win more than a round and get deeper into the playoffs?

EDIT: I came back and highlighted the bolded above -- after all, he's only 24 and throughout his NHL career has stayed pretty much injury free.
- savvyone-1

Noticed you didn't mention Leddy losing his Featherweight title match on points to Claude Giroux a week or so ago.

Noticed you didn't mention Leddy losing his Featherweight title match on points to Claude Giroux a week or so ago.
- RickJ

Nah, the fighting doesn't matter much to me like it does some others.


However, I give the guy credit for (reluctantly) dropping the gloves when he very clearly did not want to -- that hit earlier where he got called for boarding was the fuel for that fire.

Tikhonov waived, and Mashinter is still here and playing?

Ludicrous.

Nah, the fighting doesn't matter much to me like it does some others.


However, I give the guy credit for (reluctantly) dropping the gloves when he very clearly did not want to -- that hit earlier where he got called for boarding was the fuel for that fire.
- savvyone-1

Some good games tonight - Isles and Ottawa; Leafs smacking the Blues around & Preds and Wings game.

Q, Babcock, Bowman, Arbour, Punch Imlach - they do/did what they want behind the bench. Its their team.

But I do think Q would at least listen to ideas in a conversation with Scotty.
- RickJ

I would think so as Scotty is likely the biggest reason he got the job...But the instructions appear to be hands off and........ let Q have only his hands on the wheel.

Noticed you didn't mention Leddy losing his Featherweight title match on points to Claude Giroux a week or so ago.
- RickJ

....If there was ever a case where Q could be faulted for a lack of development and trust it would be Leddy....But he still won some Cups not using him to his fullest potential.

Noticed you didn't mention Leddy losing his Featherweight title match on points to Claude Giroux a week or so ago.
- RickJ

Backes is still riding the scum train. Cross checks Kadri off the draw and then sort of skates away. Then tries for the quick drop of his gloves so he can get an edge on a guy even smaller than Toews. Gutless.

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/131228

What a coward.

Backes is still riding the scum train. Cross checks Kadri off the draw and then sort of skates away. Then tries for the quick drop of his gloves so he can get an edge on a guy even smaller than Toews. Gutless.

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/131228

What a coward.
- tredbrta

Bieksa the same when it comes to dropping the mits. Always gets the jump on guys and most of the time goes after the non fighters.

Backes is still riding the scum train. Cross checks Kadri off the draw and then sort of skates away. Then tries for the quick drop of his gloves so he can get an edge on a guy even smaller than Toews. Gutless.

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/131228

What a coward.
- tredbrta

Probably PO'd that #43 scored 2 against him tonight, stood up to him physically and in fact initiated some things.

Backes picks his spots and it is never against anybody his equal physically. He had what Seabrook did to him coming for a long time. Somebody else like Buff or Weber will get him again eventually.

Over the last month I peddled the thought that the solution to some of the LW problem was a resurrected 29...or a tradeable 29...maybe they get both now...

but a few icehog observers like eli are skeptical....so am I but the hawks need to take a shot on him...and see if he has it or is he definately done

Over the last month I peddled the thought that the solution to some of the LW problem was a resurrected 29...or a tradeable 29...maybe they get both now...

but a few icehog observers like eli are skeptical....so am I but the hawks need to take a shot on him...and see if he has it or is he definately done
- bogiedoc

Maintaining consistency. He's got to bring it every night on every shift. Gut check time. Earn it.

Probably PO'd that #43 scored 2 against him tonight, stood up to him physically and in fact initiated some things.

Backes picks his spots and it is never against anybody his equal physically. He had what Seabrook did to him coming for a long time. Somebody else like Buff or Weber will get him again eventually.
- RickJ

Exactly! It would be nice to see Backes answer the bell against someone like Buff or Weber. He grabbed on for dear life against Benn though so I doubt it.

ouch



https://pbs.twimg.com/twe...video/CVgPuqvUEAA2vlg.mp4

Exactly! It would be nice to see Backes answer the bell against someone like Buff or Weber. He grabbed on for dear life against Benn though so I doubt it.
- tredbrta

Not that you care but Kadri broke his stick over Backes when the play went into the zone off camera there. Those two had been doing stupid stuff to each other for a while in the game.

Game was a lot chippier and had a lot more bs than I expected. Dumb, stupid bs, not hard hitting escalation type stuff. Part of that may be because the Blues played like a stinky pile.

Tikhonov waived, and Mashinter is still here and playing?

Ludicrous.
- Ogilthorpe2

Saw that on my score app at the game tonight and was

Some good games tonight - Isles and Ottawa; Leafs smacking the Blues around & Preds and Wings game.
- RickJ

I'll never get those hours back. might as well have watched the kitchen caulk dry.

I'll never get those hours back. might as well have watched the kitchen caulk dry.
- stljam

Watching Hitch's face behind the bench made for pretty good TV and Ott sliding into the boards made it even better.

The Leafs stink but they caught an over confident team on a back to back.

Probably PO'd that #43 scored 2 against him tonight, stood up to him physically and in fact initiated some things.

Backes picks his spots and it is never against anybody his equal physically. He had what Seabrook did to him coming for a long time. Somebody else like Buff or Weber will get him again eventually.
- RickJ

I was satisfied enough when Toews turtled him the last time they played.

Thank you.
Almost exactly what I see as well, regardless of the thought police narrative out here on the guy. Your comment on how the game has slowed down for him is IMO pretty spot-on. Right now they've got a great goalie rotation happening with the way Greiss is tending net as well. We'll see as the year rolls on if they continue to improve and of course the proof-in-the-pudding: can they win more than a round and get deeper into the playoffs?

EDIT: I came back and highlighted the bolded above -- after all, he's only 24 and throughout his NHL career has stayed pretty much injury free.
- savvyone-1

I'm a huge supporter of Leddy and I swear the off-ice relationship is the primary reason for the 3" leash Q gave Leddy during his Hawks tenure. He's the guy the Hawks miss most right now with 3 quality NHL Dmen on the roster. Buff, Ladd, ect would be nice but Leddy is 24 and could've been a core piece as the #4D. Oh well. 3 Cups is fantastic, Leddy could've been a big contributor for #4....

Rick J and Al, it's well known that Scotty and Joel sit on the plane together when Scotty travels with the Hawks. They are cut from the same cloth.

I bumped into Scotty at the airport in my hometown of Buffalo and he was singing Q's praises. They both view players as employees. In fact, Scotty was going on and on, when is saw him about Paul Coffeys lack of positioning and structure. He then started in on how Brian Campbell was the same way. He jumped from player to player on his mind. I just listened and absorbed.

There is an old saying in buffalo that if you bump into Scotty, he will talk hockey constantly and he's always in a bad mood.

The one guy who beamed about to me was Quenneville.

With the Blues loss to the Maple Loafs tonight, we are 4 points behind them for second place, with a game in hand.

Yet all the negative nancy's out here want to talk about is how we are a "bubble" team.

Newsflash: As good / competitive as the Norris (Central) is, basically every team sans Dallas (and Colorado) is a bubble team.

Lots of hockey left to be played, and winning the division or the Presidents Cup is no guarantee towards playoff success. Cups are won all the time by lower seeds that get hot at the right time.

RELAX!

Looks like we'll see Bickell on Sunday - wonder how many shifts with Toews and Hossa before Q moves him down...hopefully Bickell wants to play and stay...

meanwhile Tik waived and Runstink is still on the roster...

http://chicago.suntimes.c...rs-bryan-bickell-way-back

Tikhonov waived, and Mashinter is still here and playing?

Ludicrous.
- Ogilthorpe2

Some stuff really appears stupid. He probably didn't get a fair shake because he bailed on Dave Tippett, Q's buddy. They really screw with some guys. For instance, why did they want Morin back? To let him rot? Makes me have more respect for Kevin Hayes than I'd prefer to have. (There's a wasted first round pick we could use right now. ) I hope this all makes sense in the end.

I'd be willing to bet Tikhonov was basically paid to be a translator and help his buddy Panarin adjust to the lifestyle here. Would not be surprised if Tikhonov just heads back to Russia.

As for Bickell, it seems there are a lot of guys in that dressing room that are happy he is coming back. Maybe this will be a morale boost for the whole team? I never thought I'd ever say this, but I am excited to see Bickell play tonight.