Coach Q says Nick Schmaltz (upper body) will not join the team on the two-game road trip to Canada. #Blackhawks 
- jhawk159

If he is not flying then that is normally indicative of concussion issues. Kid has had a rough start to the season.

Just buttin in, Conner Murphy so far looks like another ex players son getting a paved road to a higher level. He seems a bit uncoordinated at the NHL level. But he also seems willing and has size. It will be interesting to see if Ulf can help him settle in and be a consistent contributor. Ulf also has a son that was drafted but hasn't made an impact yet. As long as the team keeps the ball rolling he shouldn't hurt them. And hopefully improves as the year progresses. He does have a ways to go. A guy his size can really help come playoff time.
- 6628

This is why the speed and push up the ice (so far) is really important. So much less pressure on Murphy, Kempny, Forsling and even the new "future HOF hall of famer to be" Jan Rutta.

Murphy is not that uber-intuitive, refined defender that Hjalmarsson was or Keith is. Rough around the edges. So is Kempny. Rutta is smoother and a bit more bug-free (credit to him).

But ALL these giys are sort of learning on the job in terms of the roles they are being thrust into. Everyone in the organization knows it. None of them, including Rutta, would be ready today for top 4 responsibilities in the playoffs.

These early blowouts are very helpful therefore in allowing Q and Ulfie the time to work with them and correct mistakes in an context where the mistakes aren't killing the team.

What a lot of the Kempny and Murphy critics are missing is that both have something you can't coach: athleticism and mobility and willingness. Everything else is coachable to some degree unless the guy is dumb or unwilling.

That Forsling - Rutta pairing looks really good to be honest.

>>>The mitigating factors are that both were home games against opponents were coming off games in other cities the previous night, both playing backup goalies. And those things have to be taken into account.<<<

Meh....second game of the season and were figuring travel BTB's??...not buying it.
Backup goalies? Not buying that either...Niemi has had his problems over the years but they put 5 on murray to...also the hawks have been know to get stoned by backups...

pens shut out preds 4-0 with 3games in 4 days and travel for all of them

Hawks have significantly outplayed and out skated both team...

all i can say is 88 and 20 are dangerous every shift...saad had high quality that were stoned or he has another hattie...
- bogiedoc

Road back to back fatigue is real So is a team basically waving the white flag or the wheels coming off = after going down 4-0 in one of those games because the goalie poop the bed early on.

How much does that mitigate? I don't know. Maybe some. Maybe very little. Tuesday will tell us more.

I hope that everyone is as forgiving when the Hawks don't play well on the back end of back-to-back games as we have been with the Pens and Jackets.

Also, it pains me to see Panarin in another uniform. Almost as much as when Hull left the Hawks.
- 67hawks

Fair point. Honestly, I think we generally are when that happens.

That Forsling - Rutta pairing looks really good to be honest.
- DutchSenators

Yes and Forsling looked more relaxed last night. Made alot of nice plays in terms of disrupting the rush.

That Forsling - Rutta pairing looks really good to be honest.
- DutchSenators

So far, so good.

I think the more aggressive/less passive approach is helping especially because the puck is getting out of the Hawks' zone pretty fast for the most part and staying at the other end (or going in the other net) a lot. That WILL change at some point and at times throughout the season.

Forsling had one of those moments at least last night where he overhandles the puck down low and gets in trouble. I don't think we know enough about Rutta yet to say much one way or the other. He seems to be making the NA ice sheet adjustment more quickly than Kempny did, FWIW.

So is a team basically waving the white flag or the wheels coming off = after going down 4-0 in one of those games because the goalie poop the bed early on.
- John Jaeckel

Niemi didnt really poop the bed tho. 3 of those 4 goals he gave up he had no chance. Cement-footed d-men and careless passing doomed the Pens.

I do like the hourglass pinching they're doing but faster teams will make adjustments so it certainly will be interesting to see this defense with more pressure sustained.

Pretty exciting start!!
Ruuta and Kempny have been smart, fast and strong....Loved what Wingels and Bouma brought last night on limited time....Crow's definitely more engaged!!
What also stood out to me was how behind the play AA was, not just slow, but never really matching the intensity of his line mates....
But overall this is a fierce outfit!!!

That Forsling - Rutta pairing looks really good to be honest.
- DutchSenators

This

Couldn't agree more. They're amazing me with how well they're playing. As is just about everyone else.

I'll point out of few players specifically though that have really stood out, starting with Hayden. Hayden IMO is a legit top 6 winger already, he's THAT good. Did anyone see that rush up the ice he had last night where he split through 4 of their players and got a shot on net? His release is incredible, and if he could EVER find legit playing time with legit top 6 linemates he'd be putting up the #s to back up this statement. He's got great mobility, offensive instincts, and is a physical force. A true power forward in the making, and IMO right now i would move Hartman to 2C and Hayden to 2LW(until Schmaltz returns).

Panik is incredible. As good as he was last season he's gotten even better. Another fast, powerful, offensively gifted winger. All of sudden we've got so many of those we don't even have enough spots for all of them in the top 9.

When you combine him with what looks to be a (finally)fully healthy and very speedy Toews, and The Saadfather Machine 2.0, that's just so much speed and force going to the net its downright unstoppable, especially if Toews is truly back to form.

DeBrincat is YET ANOTHER forward that has blown me away with his relatively mistake free and fearless play. I thought we'd see plenty of skill but also a guy that was bullied around and made bonehead plays. He appears to be one of those rare smaller players that has a snarl and knows how to battle in the dirty areas(like Shaw), and because of this IMO he's NHL ready RIGHT NOW. And when you factor in his offensive skillset and nose for goal scoring he's a true gem in the making.

Sharp looks far better than i expected, still pretty fast, still dangerous offensively. And as a 3rd line winger he's a great fit.

Wingles looked great last night IMO. If not Hinostroza then please Wingles instead of Bouma.

Kane continues to be otherworldly and Hartman is proving he's a true top 6 winger, as Schmaltz is proving(has already proven IMO) he's a true top 6C/winger. And what i mean is these guys don't need Kane to score. You could put them on anyones 2nd line and they'd produce. We saw Hartman score 20 goals as a 3rd line rookie without any PP time.

This group of forwards is almost perfectly assembled. We've found that scary blend of depth, speed, and physicality that we haven't had since 2010.

Now here's the REALLY exciting part:

I'm starting to notice those same qualities(mobility and nastiness) in our Dcore. If Kempny, Murphy, Rutta, and Forsling keep this up we'll be in great shape.

If i had to guess though I'd say we're going to eventually need an upgrade somewhere on that 2nd pairing. We have the cap space to make it happen, and with this outstanding form the team currently has we can afford to be patient.

Pretty exciting start!!
Ruuta and Kempny have been smart, fast and strong....Loved what Wingels and Bouma brought last night on limited time....Crow's definitely more engaged!!
What also stood out to me was how behind the play AA was, not just slow, but never really matching the intensity of his line mates....
But overall this is a fierce outfit!!!
- Joeron

I see this will be the recurring theme this year.

Road back to back fatigue is real So is a team basically waving the white flag or the wheels coming off = after going down 4-0 in one of those games because the goalie poop the bed early on.

How much does that mitigate? I don't know. Maybe some. Maybe very little. Tuesday will tell us more.
- John Jaeckel

Forget the scores and results:

(1) They beat the teams they were scheduled to play
(2) They played well
(3) They played the right way
(4) Their stars were stars, their role players played their roles well
(5) Special teams were at least competitive, and the PK was much more aggressive than last year
(6) Crawford seems up to the task


They won’t win every game 10-1 (nor probably even 5-1), but I’m certainly encouraged by their speed, physicality, aggressiveness in all zones - on the rush, getting to the net, getting after the puck - I’m encouraged for the regular season - too soon to make projections about the tournament.

Love the start......my kinda hockey.... Hopefully Schmaltz is ok, gotta keep your head up out there Nicky! Thinking BabyCat is in alittle over his head here, a trip to Rockford seems in the offing. Hayden, Conner Murphy, just needs time and experience

Forget the scores and results:

(1) They beat the teams they were scheduled to play
(2) They played well
(3) They played the right way
(4) Their stars were stars, their role players played their roles well
(5) Special teams were at least competitive, and the PK was much more aggressive than last year
(6) Crawford seems up to the task


They won’t win every game 10-1 (nor probably even 5-1), but I’m certainly encouraged by their speed, physicality, aggressiveness in all zones - on the rush, getting to the net, getting after the puck - I’m encouraged for the regular season - too soon to make projections about the tournament.
- StLBravesFan

Every word of this

You can't put AA between Kane and Hartman. Slows them down. I'd call up Hinosrotza or Dauphin.

AA should be moved. He's great down low but looks so slow now compared to the speed this team constructed, he doesn't fit and I liked Kampf a lot.

Love the start......my kinda hockey.... Hopefully Schmaltz is ok, gotta keep your head up out there Nicky! Thinking BabyCat is in alittle over his head here, a trip to Rockford seems in the offing. Hayden, Conner Murphy, just needs time and experience
- wonthecup10

Yeah im wondering if Schmaltz is almost going too fast and trying to prove he will play in traffic and not afraid to go to the net.
He is going to banged up all year if he keeps playing this style.
Admire his courage but needs to remember he is a finesse player.

You can't put AA between Kane and Hartman. Slows them down. I'd call up Hinosrotza or Dauphin.

AA should be moved. He's great down low but looks so slow now compared to the speed this team constructed, he doesn't fit and I liked Kampf a lot.
- Bjm84

AA at his salary might be quite tradeable. I also wonder if he isn't playing through something. he wasn't slowing Kane and Panarin down last year that much.

Gotta see how Kero is, and also if AA is in fact nursing something, no one will trade for him unless it goes away quickly.

You can't put AA between Kane and Hartman. Slows them down. I'd call up Hinosrotza or Dauphin.

AA should be moved. He's great down low but looks so slow now compared to the speed this team constructed, he doesn't fit and I liked Kampf a lot.
- Bjm84

But you had him between Panarin and Kane last year - worked out pretty well - he got to the loose pucks, worked below the line and in the corners, got to the net - better when the line was able to set up rather than on the rush probably, but for only (hopefully) two games....

I see this will be the recurring theme this year.
- HawkintheD

Yes it will because it's a fact. Through 2 games it has not been an issue because of 2 lopsided victories. However, if you see how Stan Bowman has transformed this team over the summer with speed and youth, it may surface down the road.

For 2 years many have posted about the 3 million dollar overpaid 3rd line center Marcus Kruger, now there's AA and his 4 million dollar cap hit that doesn't have the qualifications for 3rd line center responsibilities...slow, a 45 % faceoff center, not great defensively, and will be 30 years old in May. Yes, Q has praised him so far, but honestly, what else should Q do ? He's demoted AA to 3C and probably wants to motivate him. Is he getting PP and PK minutes like last year ??? Very little.

There are 2 centers in the system that are Stan's guys.....Dauphin and Kampf, not to mention Vinny as well.

I'm just considering Stan's motive of how to continue the youth and speed movement moving forward, hence my posts on the previous blog about Athanasiou....or the possibility of moving AA at some time for another defenseman. Until then, and with Schmaltz missing at least 2 games, if AA is moved back up to 2C, then that should answer some questions. It wouldn't surprise me and I'd actually like to see if playing back with Kane might boost his confidence and aggressiveness. If it does, then his stock rises as well as a quality 2C for a possible future move.

I just really like what Stan has done so far....but he does have room now like never before to continue the youth and speed movement. Time will tell just how aggressive he will be and I can only imagine what kind of impact an available big, speedy, young center like Athanasiou could do for this team for the next several years. I'm hoping.

This

Couldn't agree more. They're amazing me with how well they're playing. As is just about everyone else.

I'll point out of few players specifically though that have really stood out, starting with Hayden. Hayden IMO is a legit top 6 winger already, he's THAT good. Did anyone see that rush up the ice he had last night where he split through 4 of their players and got a shot on net? His release is incredible, and if he could EVER find legit playing time with legit top 6 linemates he'd be putting up the #s to back up this statement. He's got great mobility, offensive instincts, and is a physical force. A true power forward in the making, and IMO right now i would move Hartman to 2C and Hayden to 2LW(until Schmaltz returns).

Panik is incredible. As good as he was last season he's gotten even better. Another fast, powerful, offensively gifted winger. All of sudden we've got so many of those we don't even have enough spots for all of them in the top 9.

When you combine him with what looks to be a (finally)fully healthy and very speedy Toews, and The Saadfather Machine 2.0, that's just so much speed and force going to the net its downright unstoppable, especially if Toews is truly back to form.

DeBrincat is YET ANOTHER forward that has blown me away with his relatively mistake free and fearless play. I thought we'd see plenty of skill but also a guy that was bullied around and made bonehead plays. He appears to be one of those rare smaller players that has a snarl and knows how to battle in the dirty areas(like Shaw), and because of this IMO he's NHL ready RIGHT NOW. And when you factor in his offensive skillset and nose for goal scoring he's a true gem in the making.

Sharp looks far better than i expected, still pretty fast, still dangerous offensively. And as a 3rd line winger he's a great fit.

Wingles looked great last night IMO. If not Hinostroza then please Wingles instead of Bouma.

Kane continues to be otherworldly and Hartman is proving he's a true top 6 winger, as Schmaltz is proving(has already proven IMO) he's a true top 6C/winger. And what i mean is these guys don't need Kane to score. You could put them on anyones 2nd line and they'd produce. We saw Hartman score 20 goals as a 3rd line rookie without any PP time.

This group of forwards is almost perfectly assembled. We've found that scary blend of depth, speed, and physicality that we haven't had since 2010.

Now here's the REALLY exciting part:

I'm starting to notice those same qualities(mobility and nastiness) in our Dcore. If Kempny, Murphy, Rutta, and Forsling keep this up we'll be in great shape.

If i had to guess though I'd say we're going to eventually need an upgrade somewhere on that 2nd pairing. We have the cap space to make it happen, and with this outstanding form the team currently has we can afford to be patient.
- SimpleJack

Great summary - Thanks
Because AA fits on the 3rd line it points to how important 8 is. Makes the second line and the third lines vey dangerous.


First I've seen rolling 4 lines in some time

Richard Panik = #beastmode

cannot wait to watch more of panik/toews/saad as the year progresses. good riddance that is an encouraging trio to watch. the progression of the toews goal was so awesome to watch.

I really didn't realize how much Toews missed Saad or Saad missed Toews. The chemistry between these two looks like one of the best lines in the league sprinkle a much stronger Panik, they are fun to watch. In my opinion this is the kind of line you must have in the playoffs to be successful scoring wise.

I really didn't realize how much Toews missed Saad or Saad missed Toews. The chemistry between these two looks like one of the best lines in the league sprinkle a much stronger Panik, they are fun to watch. In my opinion this is the kind of line you must have in the playoffs to be successful scoring wise.
- BetweenTheDots

Totally. It's important to note how improved Saad is as a player too. He's more confident carrying he puck and really plays North/South, using his speed and strength. When he left, he had some of this but it wasn't fully developed.

Then there is Panik. What a steal and find from Stan. The guy is near as fast as Saad but is probably the strongest guy on this team, pound for pound. He's totally willing too play the body, and it's felt, but a big part of his development is he is stronger than he was and he also does not go for the hit at the expense of positioming(so far).

I think Toews benefits both ways here but more as a primary assist type guy. I think we see 25 goals and 45 assists from him this year, 35 goals from Saad, and Panik should be a 50 pt player 25/25.

We'll never make it.

Grimley.

The Hawks can only play the opponents on their schedule, but it's nice to see they are not letting teams back into the game by sitting back playing soft.