88 = -1
- Goalie-33

We get it, you don't like Kane. Guess what? You're literally the only one on this board who feels that way as he is head and shoulders the best player on the Hawks. If you want to keep bashing him go on the Preds board and you and Rash can have a wank fest together..otherwise just shut up already!

I kinda got that feeling during last year's playoffs. The man was absent for all but the last two periods, when he suddenly flipped a switch and started flying around the blue line keeping pucks in the offensive zone that had no right staying in. I remember just shaking my head thinking "So you can still play like that, why weren't you doing it in the last three games?"
- Jance

My exact reaction then. And, it has been repeated a few times this year during close games.

Another give away night at the UC last night.

Hard to believe the Hawks got 2 PP goals...but Stan's boy Jurco with the penalty and then the fantastic end to the game.

And WTF was Seabrook thinking...yes it was icing absolutely, but did you hear a whistle? I didn't see an official with their arm up. And a team that can't score gives up a goal. This was as boneheaded as the play against the Bolts the other night when it was a hand pass- another blown officiating call - but none of the Hawks touched the puck they looked mesmerized until it went off of Glass' back and into the net.

A putrid homestand to put it nicely.

Goaltending hasn't been stellar in Crawford's absence. So did Stan not have a plan in case his #1 went down for a significant period of time? As we've seen Crawford do the last couple of seasons. Forsberg gave up 5 the other night against the Isle. So a team with a young and at the same time aging defense doesn't have a top notch goalie to cover up Stan's mistakes. So Stan trades his best defensive defenseman for Murphy for cost control. Meanwhile Hammer despite being hurt for significant time is still averaging 2.5 blocks per game in the desert. How much could the Hawks use that?

Sadly I think Q will be gone at the end of the year...every coach has a shelf life and the message eventually gets stale, but teams will be lining up to had him a gig if he so desires. But if you're going to blow it up - the GM should be sent packing. His track record the last several seasons speaks volumes and its not pretty. Here are the Hawks touting that youth record as of late - which is the new message they're putting out there. But just think how good would've a younger Phil Danault looked on this team right now?

I don't mind that Keith gets a healthy scratch. I would like to send a messag. But if you are Q and Bowman despite the odds you still have to play your best guys. And Keith remains better than the others despite some turnovers and bone head plays being much higher frequency this season.

Keith has a bad attitude IMHO but I cannot prove it. I am fairly certain may would agree. Yet until mathematically eliminated, Keith will suit up. Without him the other dmen move up one spot and they aren't often playing well enough to keep their own spot in the line up.

You really need to re - think that last comment about season's over and go have fun. Unless you are portraying sarcasm. No coach can say that to his players this point in the season.
- jhawk59

It was half sarcasm half truth, but sitting Keith tonight I would think would go a
long way in picking up the rest of the room. As a coach sometimes you need to take pressure off the team, give them free rein to enjoy and not worry about every mistake might go a long way.

That said the season is pretty much over, the hole is to deep, Q looks lost as to who
to play whom to sit, leaving it up to Kane to fix the PP, Corey out at least another
4 weeks, nothing seem's to be working. A chance at the lottery can't hurt.

I agree that Keith has a bad attitude, his comment about the PP and what's wrong
with it, his comment a couple years back about taking it easy during the regular season all add's up to that his attitude isn't nearly where it should be.

I don't mind that Keith gets a healthy scratch. I would like to send a messag. But if you are Q and Bowman despite the odds you still have to play your best guys. And Keith remains better than the others despite some turnovers and bone head plays being much higher frequency this season.

Keith has a bad attitude IMHO but I cannot prove it. I am fairly certain may would agree. Yet until mathematically eliminated, Keith will suit up. Without him the other dmen move up one spot and they aren't often playing well enough to keep their own spot in the line up.

You really need to re - think that last comment about season's over and go have fun. Unless you are portraying sarcasm. No coach can say that to his players this point in the season.
- jhawk59

Agreed. This team has the talent to go on a 10 game winning streak. (WTF if Colorado can do it ) Unfortunately, the 2 main voices of the team do not convey any confidence that it could happen. The problem is leadership in the room. Quenneville and Captain Toews BOTH, are having terrible seasons. Their interviews are downright depressing and it's no wonder the rest of the team is following.

Enter Patrick Kane to coach the PP at Tuesday practice....with no Quenneville and Toews supposedly in sight ????

Sounds like absolute throw in the towel leadership from these 2 leaders.

Slogan of "One Goal" now One Mess !!

48 GP: 22-19-7 = 51 pts
12 OT/SO: 5-7

17 reg wins in 48 games = .360

this team will be fortunate to hit 85 points with the schedule they got...

last two games pretty competitive but again to many unforced errors and metal mistakes and periods where they look uninterested...

48 GP: 22-19-7 = 51 pts
12 OT/SO: 5-7

17 reg wins in 48 games = .360

this team will be fortunate to hit 85 points with the schedule they got...

last two games pretty competitive but again to many unforced errors and metal mistakes and periods where they look uninterested...
- bogiedoc

17-19 in games decided in regulation.

Not good....

But just think how good would've a younger Phil Danault looked on this team right now?
- DK002

Amen, DK. Hope you are well.
And in all seriousness, how good would Nick Leddy have looked on this club?

Let's see, a guy in his prime (only 26!) able to actually make zone entries on his own and skate the puck out of trouble, making $5.7M (who knows what he could have been signed for if we were able to keep him at the time) versus an over-the-hill Seabrook at nearly $7M until time immemorial or a quickly fading Duncan Keith at $5M for almost as long.

No, Q really helped with this (and as we've seen this year with what he's done with Murphy and Kempny this year and last), he's got to have his aging vets -- hence the wasted dollars on his broken down mule Rozsival (and the even more broken down Timmonen who literally did nothing but cost us 2 early picks and some dough).

Oh yeah, Q is one stubborn mule and is getting a bit of what he deserves.
2-3 games in a playoff series to "figure things out."
Stan and Q is really a match made in heaven.

Danault Trade
Without beating this horse to death I’m more pissed about the Second Round pick thus year than losing Danault

As it stands now the Hawks pick 13th and 75th

Amen, DK. Hope you are well.
And in all seriousness, how good would Nick Leddy have looked on this club?

Let's see, a guy in his prime (only 26!) able to actually make zone entries on his own and skate the puck out of trouble, making $5.7M (who knows what he could have been signed for if we were able to keep him at the time) versus an over-the-hill Seabrook at nearly $7M until time immemorial or a quickly fading Duncan Keith at $5M for almost as long.

No, Q really helped with this (and as we've seen this year with what he's done with Murphy and Kempny this year and last), he's got to have his aging vets -- hence the wasted dollars on his broken down mule Rozsival (and the even more broken down Timmonen who literally did nothing but cost us 2 early picks and some dough).

Oh yeah, Q is one stubborn mule and is getting a bit of what he deserves.
2-3 games in a playoff series to "figure things out."
Stan and Q is really a match made in heaven.
- savvyone-1

Really??? You are saying Danault's 7 goals and 16 assists in 43 games would have made a huge difference on this Hawk team. I don't think so. And he has been playing on the top two lines with the Canadians. With Toews and Anisimov at 1C and 2C Danault would be playing on our 3rd line and his point totals would be much less than the measly 20 points he has in Montreal. Some people on this board make it sound like Danault is Kopitar.

Really??? You are saying Danault's 7 goals and 16 assists in 43 games would have made a huge difference on this Hawk team. I don't think so. And he has been playing on the top two lines with the Canadians. With Toews and Anisimov at 1C and 2C Danault would be playing on our 3rd line and his point totals would be much less than the measly 20 points he has in Montreal. Some people on this board make it sound like Danault is Kopitar.
- -Doh-

And some people on this board belittle players like Danault (not sure the reason other than to defend Stanley). He would be a great third line center and was traded WITH a 2nd for absolute trash. Danault is on a pace for 46 points, not half bad. And 'he's playing top 6" ... it's not like he's playing with Patrick Kane. I'd take a 40+ pt scorer who can win faceoffs and play a mean 200 foot game every day...You don't give up young resources, even those NOT as good as Kopitar, for that. Ditto the Leddy trade.

That said, the poster you responded to didn't even mention Danaut, he mentioned Leddy.

We get it, you don't like Kane. Guess what? You're literally the only one on this board who feels that way as he is head and shoulders the best player on the Hawks. If you want to keep bashing him go on the Preds board and you and Rash can have a wank fest together..otherwise just shut up already!
- Murph76

Murph, that is VopatRash's third cousin from the same mother, only comes here to troll.

https://www.naturalstattr...eason=20172018&game=20744

Another game where the game flow was almost 100% Hawks and they end up losing (Tampa was the same). The lack of scoring is worrisome for sure. This game was much more promising as seen by the heat map on this site, The Hawks FINALLY had most of their shots form right in front of the net. This has not been the case for most games this year.

3 posts! Grrr.

Oesterle is a great offensive D-man, but belongs nowhere near the PK. Not like we have a plethora of D-men though.

Whatever the players and Dineen talked about for the PP seems to have worked for one game so far, hopefully they can carry it forward.

Keith needs to bag skate for that faceoff lineup. Cheating forward and got burned.

Who calls a penalty shot in OT for a slash?

https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20172018&game=20744

Another game where the game flow was almost 100% Hawks and they end up losing (Tampa was the same). The lack of scoring is worrisome for sure. This game was much more promising as seen by the heat map on this site, The Hawks FINALLY had most of their shots form right in front of the net. This has not been the case for most games this year.

3 posts! Grrr.

Oesterle is a great offensive D-man, but belongs nowhere near the PK. Not like we have a plethora of D-men though.

Whatever the players and Dineen talked about for the PP seems to have worked for one game so far, hopefully they can carry it forward.

Keith needs to bag skate for that faceoff lineup. Cheating forward and got burned.

Who calls a penalty shot in OT for a slash?
- JRoenick97

that was a tough call. but lining up 3 across on the faceoff left it in the hands of the refs and it was a least penalty. reffing has been a mess league wide.

The way this season is going for the Hawks, could do wonders for them next season. It will give them a chip on their shoulder, and give them (at least he core) something to prove (that they aren't done yet). Could really give them some motivation and fire next season, something that we haven't seen from them since 2015.

Another give away night at the UC last night.

Hard to believe the Hawks got 2 PP goals...but Stan's boy Jurco with the penalty and then the fantastic end to the game.

And WTF was Seabrook thinking...yes it was icing absolutely, but did you hear a whistle? I didn't see an official with their arm up. And a team that can't score gives up a goal. This was as boneheaded as the play against the Bolts the other night when it was a hand pass- another blown officiating call - but none of the Hawks touched the puck they looked mesmerized until it went off of Glass' back and into the net.

A putrid homestand to put it nicely.

Goaltending hasn't been stellar in Crawford's absence. So did Stan not have a plan in case his #1 went down for a significant period of time? As we've seen Crawford do the last couple of seasons. Forsberg gave up 5 the other night against the Isle. So a team with a young and at the same time aging defense doesn't have a top notch goalie to cover up Stan's mistakes. So Stan trades his best defensive defenseman for Murphy for cost control. Meanwhile Hammer despite being hurt for significant time is still averaging 2.5 blocks per game in the desert. How much could the Hawks use that?

Sadly I think Q will be gone at the end of the year...every coach has a shelf life and the message eventually gets stale, but teams will be lining up to had him a gig if he so desires. But if you're going to blow it up - the GM should be sent packing. His track record the last several seasons speaks volumes and its not pretty. Here are the Hawks touting that youth record as of late - which is the new message they're putting out there. But just think how good would've a younger Phil Danault looked on this team right now?
- DK002

I'm going to toss two things your way and feel free to expound if you think there is anything to what I say.

First, I suspect that there is way too many games and there is just too many instances where a player can get hurt. But hey that is how the league is set up. Each of the major sports play a ton of games. With the salaries they receive there has to be as many games so that teams pull in enough revenue. I do not know how many teams turn a profit and I bet it is all tied into complicated business transactions so that any losses can be written off or expenses are somehow connected to other business interests. An accountant could preach on how there are many ways to operate a business for profit.

Yet there are not a lot of choices for players who want to keep the big dollars coming but know they have to protect themselves from injury, from concussion, from a shorter than desired shelf life to earn that money. So they coast to some extent, flipping a switch and playing hard perhaps in the playoff run. A lot of miles from years of playing certainly takes some of the hungriness away, too, when Keith already won awards and trophies.

Now in Keith's case perhaps there are personal issues too. I just think that if a team has a long tenure coach, it is both the GM and head coach responsibility to try to motivate the player. Forwards who have new linemates and foresee working together with the realization they can score lots of points....yes....there is a challenge, some excitement coming to the rink.

But as for Keith and the incongruous motley crew Bowman seems to have assembled, I guess Keith is not up for a challenge of leading and helping teach younger dmen? Maybe he just detests loosing and getting beat is just no fun, so he goes through the motions. I just don't know. But customers ....paying customers should not be treated to lackluster effort and careless performance. Oh sure this happens in sports with teams immerorable. So we just have to take it like a punch on the jaw or a hefty price to see lousy hockey.

Well Bowman had better wise up and bring in a whole lot of more players who will battle in a physical checking way. Minor leaguers, retreads looking for a chance, European signees who are not soft players, a collegiate player.....there are source where to get players who will not get embarrassed by lack of effort or intimidated in playoffs.

And as for Q, I seriously question if all his coaching strategy still works with winning teams. He won despite poor coaching as well as good coaching. Won with a porous Pp. Bowman had just enough toughness in the lineup to win two more Cups. That was then, this is now...

Bowman needs as much quickness speed skill but cannot have only a few physical players, especially when half of them play on a fourth line. There needs to be someone doing what Toews used to. There needs to be a Shaw and not a Hartman who is not developing. At least two dmen who will pound rushing forwards. Some of our skill guys need to be exchanged for toughness. Sikula development would open such move. And for absolute necessity draft a not soft dman or center. I would try hard to move up real close to the top to get a future core piece, a difference maker, a star player. If we have a lottery pick we have an outside chance to move up.

What we would surrender does appear tough to part ways. Hartman, Keith just to switch first round picks?

I would bring in a teaching, young enthusiastic coach. Bowman is on the clock and he is being graded how he turns over the roster.

Really??? You are saying Danault's 7 goals and 16 assists in 43 games would have made a huge difference on this Hawk team. I don't think so. And he has been playing on the top two lines with the Canadians. With Toews and Anisimov at 1C and 2C Danault would be playing on our 3rd line and his point totals would be much less than the measly 20 points he has in Montreal. Some people on this board make it sound like Danault is Kopitar.
- -Doh-

Amen brother.

Time to start selling the core. We will get closer to the bottom of the league without doing so, but we may as well speed it up and load up on picks. Why prolong the pain with false hopes!! I hope someone will take what we have. I just don't know who would take any of them with the contracts they have. Kane is the only core keeper.

Just a few comments about Keith. I think Keith is still a very good player. However, he has played his entire career being being protected by his D partner. Seabrook always had his back and so did Hammer. These players allowed Keith to take offensive chances and even defensive chances. Oesterle cannot play this role as he needs to be protected. Tonight you saw on the PK Keith pressure a player thinking Oesterle had the front of the net. Instead Oesterle was wildly out of position. Result? Toronto PP goal.

Seabrook is an under-appreciated player as he has been protecting young D for years now. Still doing it with Gus.

Murphy is being under-utilized. Treat him with respect, play him on his proper side and let him protect Keith. I think Murphy can be a Monster. You don’t get named Captain of Team USA for nothing.
- Z3Hawk

I think the moral of the story is that the Hawks need a top pair D. They seem to have too many guys who are 4-5-6 quality. Maybe Murphy is that guy, but I think it is hard to know until they try it. Hawks would have been fine on the Toronto PPG if AA wasn't floating around covering nobody. Between Oesterle and AA, they both moved to pressure Bozak and left that great big opportunity for Kadri.

Murph, that is VopatRash's third cousin from the same mother, only comes here to troll.
- riozzo

that was a tough call. but lining up 3 across on the faceoff left it in the hands of the refs and it was a least penalty. reffing has been a mess league wide.
- Tumbleweed

Penalty absolutely, but not a penalty shot.

Toews is Mike Richards 2.0

Toews is Mike Richards 2.0
- PatShart

That is laughable. Especially on a night where he just shut down one of the best young forwards in the game.

Played well, 3posts ? and a crossbar along with Freddie doing
the look what's behind me look did them in.

The hockey God's have left town.

Kampf is a keeper, the 4th line was good.

Keith

Trading Keith is imperative for the team to get better.

Saad has to be playing through something

Keep the same lines tonite but sit Keith go with
Seabs-Gus
Ost -Murphy
Rutta -Kempny

tell the guys to go and have fun, season's over!
- gazza53

Trading Keith is imperative for the team to get better... Dumbest thing I've read all day, luckily it's early.

You sound like one of those idiots saying we should trade Kane for Miller.

You don't trade your #1 workhorse defenseman. You don't do it when you have no horses on the way. You don't do it when he's still an effective player. You don't trade him when he's on THE BEST CONTRACT IN THE LEAGUE. You don't do it when he has a Conn Smythe, Two Norris Trophies, 3 Cups, and 2 Gold Medals. You don't do it when it would get you laughed out of the room as a Hall/Seguin-esque ripoff.

He's 34, not 39. Unbelievable what some fans say when the team has a down year.

That is laughable. Especially on a night where he just shut down one of the best young forwards in the game.
- JRoenick97

Nothing like having the highest paid grinder in NHL history on your team. No points in 6 games and teetering on not even eclipsing 50 points this year. I admire your passionate defense of 19, but at some point you have to see the light that this guy is quite possible the most overpaid player in the entire NHL.

On this date in 1997, #SJSharks got Ed Belfour from #Blackhawks for Chris Terreri, Ulf Dahlen, Michal Sykora and a 1998 conditional pick

— Jen (@NHLhistorygirl) January 25, 2018