Mark Potash‏Verified account
@MarkPotash

The Blackhawks' last nine goals have been scored by Schmaltz (21), DeBrincat (20), Duclair (22), Hinostroza (23), DeBrincat (20), DeBrincat (20), Kampf (23), Hinostroza (23) and Schmaltz (21). Average age: 21.4.

behold your hawks future as they go "coreless"....

I know he has had some decent stretches this season, but Kane picked a bad time to slump. He is fighting it right now. I wasn't a fan of his backhand pass to nobody which the Canucks stole and turned the other way to score that 4-2 goal.

The top PP unit is rarely able to gain the zone or do anything at the moment. Anismov's stock is falling fast. Simply awful since coming back from injury. Hawks gave him only about 7 minutes of 5v5, right down there with Wingels, Hartman, Jurco.

On the bright side, Keith was breaking up plays and playing like he really gave a damn. His best game in a long time. That top line nearly clicked a number of times, but again not enough finish. They call the penalty shot for Toews and I bet this game would have gone down differently.

Half the D were pretty good, half weren't. Kampf is looking better and better, I hope he keeps playing with some confidence.
- breadbag

keith has been excellent the last 3-4 games: great stick, even some dangerous shots tonight, keeping puck in and alive, but most likely its to late to amke much of a difference..

Mark Potash‏Verified account
@MarkPotash

The Blackhawks' last nine goals have been scored by Schmaltz (21), DeBrincat (20), Duclair (22), Hinostroza (23), DeBrincat (20), DeBrincat (20), Kampf (23), Hinostroza (23) and Schmaltz (21). Average age: 21.4.

behold your hawks future as they go "coreless"....
- bogiedoc

Last 9 games - 6 losses - 17 goals total - 14 goals 5x5 - only 2 games more than 2 (a 3 and a 5).

51 games - 27 scored less than 3 in regulation.

We need a NEW !! coach . It has been evident for awhile . Hell I bring in Scotty right now if he could handle it . The PP is sickening ,lines were a hot mess all night . Get AA back with Kane , he needs some defensive presents on that line and DBC . Get Vinny and Hartman Schmaltz together . Throw Jurco on the top line with Toews and Duclair he has been much better then last year so far . Well we are not out of it YET , and with this teams complete unpredictability we could win 3 or 4 in a row .. who knows ..GO HAWKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
- oldduffman

via GIPHY

Last 9 games - 6 losses - 17 goals total - 14 goals 5x5 - only 2 games more than 2 (a 3 and a 5).

51 games - 27 scored less than 3 in regulation.
- StLBravesFan

i have a hunch they will lose the next 2 vs the flames and that will be back breaker...
flames got ripped tonight and smith was not a happy camper...

i expect the flames will take it to the hawks and once again fearless "playoff" pushers will not be ready...and then lay another egg at home...

so hope the hell i am wrong...but to many ups and thuds and duds with this team

via GIPHY

- Dieselhead

GO HAWKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .Bring back Hayden !!!

The Hawks will remain in trouble until common-sense decisions are made. Oesterle is abominable in his own end in exactly the same way Rutta and Forsling were. The coaches can just ignore it if they wish but then you’ll have to deal with losses to bad teams like the Canucks. Oesterle just lets players have direct routes to the net. Oesterle also can’t win a puck battle to save his life. In his defensive zone he does nothing. Want Keith’s game to soar - stop playing him with Oesterle.

Oesterle has an odd history. The Oilers who are always begging for D-Men thought he couldn’t play. Now he plays with Keith.

I once asked how Bouma played ahead of anyone. Same thing applies for Wingels. Why is Sharp not playing?

The PP could have put the game away for the Hawks but it is awful. The Diamond is losing its effectiveness as the front of the net is so crowded. Arguably need 2 pointmen to spread out ice and defenders. As it is now we never get a point shot. Anisimov is taking his usual swoon where he misses games through injury and then is terrible. Should’ve moved him in the off-season as I said to do. Why is Anisimov on the first PP - where is Toews? Where is DeBrincat?

There is a question of class, a question of culture with this year’s team too. You don’t sit out players like Sharp and Seabrook - players who have been warriors and leaders for this team.

Also can you show me where you’ve taken Saad? Toews? Hartman? The coaches have created a toxic environment in the locker room. The team never seems excited, never seems to be having fun. The team has no confidence. The team has no resilience. A 1 goal deficit seems huge - a 2 goal deficit impossible. I just know many players are questioning what is going on.

Q always talks about playing with speed, playing with pace and then the Hawks don’t even forecheck falling back to centre ice. Are you kidding me? Also in the offensive zone can the D-Men please take care of their defensive responsibilities first? Is that so much to ask as it is hard to watch scores of unnecessary 2 on 1s every freakin’ game. If Hawks D-Men went the rest of the season with no or little scoring I couldn’t care less if the defensive game benefitted.

I said the Hawks could make the play-offs assuming the coaching wasn’t poor - well the coaching is poor, very poor. The math from this is not good.

The PP is 5 guys standing stationary. There is no flow or movement of any kind. The opposing team's PK unit just stays in their box and allows the Hawks to pass the puck around the perimeter all they want. They don't have to move or exert any kind of energy. How many times do you see them have 3 guys all withing a couple of feet of each other, which makes it easier for the other team to pressure and clear the puck. Their spacing on the PP is atrocious. Their PP basically consists of two option. Kane trying to make a long cross ice pass for the one timer or going down low to Toews at the goal line, which has never worked. I might be overdramatizing it, but I really belief, if they lose this game, especially after the bit win in Nashville, they are done. Any hope you may have garnered from that game, would be crushed with a loss to a putrid Vancouver team.

There is something wrong with this team's leadership when this team looks like a cup contender one night only to turn around and give a lackluster, could give a crap performance the next. They know how critical these games are and they openly talk about it all the time, yet more often then not, the effort is not there.
- RetiredGoalie

It seems to go back to getting smeared by NSH in the playoffs. They take the offseason to troubleshoot and decide they need some push back players in the bottom 6 and want to get younger, faster, bigger.

They start that way with a 4th line that plays a disruptive physical style before completely abandoning that by game 35 , add Dcat, swap Panarin for Saad, swap Panik for Duclair, swap Hammer for Murphy, bring back veteran Sharp and slot him 3rd line, sign Franson to be part of an 8 man rotation that has rookies and or new guys all over to add a vet presence, make a coaching change with the Dmen.

They did make a bunch of changes and most haven't worked. My point is I don't think the Hawks know what all of their problems are and the ones they identify they miss on their fixes whether they be on ice or in the room. It seems management and coaches are as baffled as a fan posting on a message board.

I was watching the Preds/Kings game last night, I was thinking wow the Kings defense is a shell of what it used to be. Kings and Hawks winners of 5 SC total and now both teams in decline, cost of winning

It seems to go back to getting smeared by NSH in the playoffs. They take the offseason to troubleshoot and decide they need some push back players in the bottom 6 and want to get younger, faster, bigger.

They start that way with a 4th line that plays a disruptive physical style before completely abandoning that by game 35 , add Dcat, swap Panarin for Saad, swap Panik for Duclair, swap Hammer for Murphy, bring back veteran Sharp and slot him 3rd line, sign Franson to be part of an 8 man rotation that has rookies and or new guys all over to add a vet presence, make a coaching change with the Dmen.

They did make a bunch of changes and most haven't worked. My point is I don't think the Hawks know what all of their problems are and the ones they identify they miss on their fixes whether they be on ice or in the room. It seems management and coaches are as baffled as a fan posting on a message board.
- Mr Ricochet

Well the dike sprung a leak last April and the GM decided the way to plug it and restore it to optimum performance was to first move Hammer and then Panarin. And now its leaking in 3 or 4 places because there is all sorts of inexperience on the roster, an injury to their MVP goalie and a general shortage of talent good enough to compete in the very tough Central. And when the highest paid guys on the roster don't perform to expectations, that spells last place and out of the playoffs.

Q isn't blameless, but in professional sports the architect of any team on the field is its General Manager. He owns the cap issues, bad trades, sacrificed draft picks and poor record at the draft table that have led to this.

I once asked how Bouma played ahead of anyone. Same thing applies for Wingels. Why is Sharp not playing?

There is a question of class, a question of culture with this year’s team too. You don’t sit out players like Sharp and Seabrook - players who have been warriors and leaders for this team.


- Z3Hawk

Unreal. Sharps isn't playing because he's not very good anymore. At least Wingels takes the body....

You don't "sit" players like Sharp and Seabrook? And why the hell not? Seabrook is a shell of his former self, barely passable as a bottom pairing D-man at this point. Or maybe the Canucks fourth goal last night was great effort.

You play who SHOULD be playing period. The guy makes almost 7 million per year and is a constant dumpster fire.

It's funny Q gets bashed if he plays these veterans too much, being questioned in playing favorites to the veterans, then he gets called out FOR benching the veterans. The bottom line is this Defensive core is atrocious and some top forwards are on a dreadful pace. Fire Q, it won't matter.

I know he has had some decent stretches this season, but Kane picked a bad time to slump. He is fighting it right now. I wasn't a fan of his backhand pass to nobody which the Canucks stole and turned the other way to score that 4-2 goal.

The top PP unit is rarely able to gain the zone or do anything at the moment. Anismov's stock is falling fast. Simply awful since coming back from injury. Hawks gave him only about 7 minutes of 5v5, right down there with Wingels, Hartman, Jurco.

On the bright side, Keith was breaking up plays and playing like he really gave a damn. His best game in a long time. That top line nearly clicked a number of times, but again not enough finish. They call the penalty shot for Toews and I bet this game would have gone down differently.

Half the D were pretty good, half weren't. Kampf is looking better and better, I hope he keeps playing with some confidence.
- breadbag

Perfect summation of what I saw last night - I’m guessing Bowman trades for picks at the deadline but won’t find many takers.

Guessing around June 1st a big shake up and a new direction begins.

Well the dike sprung a leak last April and the GM decided the way to plug it and restore it to optimum performance was to first move Hammer and then Panarin. And now its leaking in 3 or 4 places because there is all sorts of inexperience on the roster, an injury to their MVP goalie and a general shortage of talent good enough to compete in the very tough Central. And when the highest paid guys on the roster don't perform to expectations, that spells last place and out of the playoffs.

Q isn't blameless, but in professional sports the architect of any team on the field is its General Manager. He owns the cap issues, bad trades, sacrificed draft picks and poor record at the draft table that have led to this.
- RickJ

Watched the game until 2 am - more than 1 Scotch
Reading this post over morning coffee-
I have been back and forth over who’s responsible for this Train Wreck- I’ve decided you’ right it’s Bowman.

Well the dike sprung a leak last April and the GM decided the way to plug it and restore it to optimum performance was to first move Hammer and then Panarin. And now its leaking in 3 or 4 places because there is all sorts of inexperience on the roster, an injury to their MVP goalie and a general shortage of talent good enough to compete in the very tough Central. And when the highest paid guys on the roster don't perform to expectations, that spells last place and out of the playoffs.

Q isn't blameless, but in professional sports the architect of any team on the field is its General Manager. He owns the cap issues, bad trades, sacrificed draft picks and poor record at the draft table that have led to this.
- RickJ

And you have a team that still has ZERO identity. Q obviously favors the fleet footed puck moving D. Osterle has great wheels and a good shot, but gets rag dolled in his own end and cannot anchor to save his life. Dont know what the answer is for this team. PP still a joke. Big stars like Mr. 19 not scoring much. Huge back to back with Calgary now. If they cant win both in regulation??!

KANE -3 AGAIN

On the ice for all "4" VAN goals

SHOCKING!!!

KANE -3 AGAIN

On the ice for all "4" VAN goals

SHOCKING!!!
- Goalie-33

Time for an AA return to line Kane.

And you have a team that still has ZERO identity. Q obviously favors the fleet footed puck moving D. Osterle has great wheels and a good shot, but gets rag dolled in his own end and cannot anchor to save his life. Dont know what the answer is for this team. PP still a joke. Big stars like Mr. 19 not scoring much. Huge back to back with Calgary now. If they cant win both in regulation??!



- z1990z

Ah yes the vaunted PP - aka Patrick Kane on the right side half wall screwing around with the puck for 2 minutes or until it is shot down the ice. I have no solutions or workable suggestions because nobody does. What they might want to try is removing Kane completely for a couple of PP's and let any 5 guys go out there and play shinny. How about Murphy, Kempny and Anismov as the forwards with Gustaffson and Oesterle on the points. If they give up a goal shorthanded who cares.

They traded Keith? Hey DK, sorry, but Breadman racked up points in the regular season and while the whole team looked like garbage vs NSH in the playoffs, the stink he oozed was on another level.

Yes Saad v2.0 hasn't lived up to the billing yet but If you can find tape of Panarin getting five feet beyond the Ped's blue line from last year's drubbing I'd love to see it.

I loved Hammer but Stan sold high and got a player that has been solid more often than not.

The rest are mostly 20/20 observations blessed by hindsight and there was nothing wrong with the AA deal at the time...still isn't.
- HawkintheD

C'mon D...you know I was referring to Hammer as your best defensive defenseman. Who by the way is averaging 2.5 blocks per game in the desert even with his injuries. You want to make that move fine. But don't present it that you've improved the team for another Cup run and then have to make a move for another top 4 dman because all of the kids can't make this work.

Both of the moves this past offseason were done with eye towards cost control in mind. Whether it was best for the team...? I personally am hopeful that Saad will get his scoring touch back, and like Enzo was excited about the move. The other big plus was Saad plays a 200' game. At the same time as I pointed out then - the move was made in the hope Saad would make your 10.5mildo center get his touch back. Another overpay by Bowman. Completely agree about Panarin stinkin' it up in the playoffs. No question, but right now the Hawks need goals and he's a proven playmaker (something the Hawks are short on right now) putting up points in Cbus. That can't be ignored.

Another concern has to be is how does the GM not have a quality backup in place if his goalie should go down - as has been the pattern the last 3 seasons with Crawford? Yet you have two rookies one with a handful of games and a 32 year old.

In regard to the bolded - to all of Stan's horsebleep moves in the summer of 15 which put us on the current trajectory we are now on - I hated the moves then including the Anisimov move - there's nothing hindsight about them. We all saw Bowman resign Runny before he did anything else. We all saw him hold onto Sharp instead of moving him for picks like he didn't do with Leddy the year before and then get taken to the woodshed by Nill. (It only took Stan 3 offseasons to figure out that he actually needed to move players at the draft and he did with Shaw the next year). We all saw him move Saad because he franked up his cap space. We all saw him not buyout Bickell. We all saw him give Danault away along with a #2 in this coming draft for hot garbage and not the dman he so badly needed at the TDL.

How many get-out-of-jail free cards does Stan get? Time to move on...

Mark Potash‏Verified account
@MarkPotash

The Blackhawks' last nine goals have been scored by Schmaltz (21), DeBrincat (20), Duclair (22), Hinostroza (23), DeBrincat (20), DeBrincat (20), Kampf (23), Hinostroza (23) and Schmaltz (21). Average age: 21.4.

behold your hawks future as they go "coreless"....
- bogiedoc

Nice but when it comes new contracts for these guys, they will be Panarin-ed because the bloated old core has eaten up the Cap space.
I wonder what these guys are thinking now as they bank their fat cheques.

Normally I would be asking for Q and the rest of the coaching staff to be fired but just seems that there is no accountability. Q is the longest standing Coach by a great margin and seems made of Teflon.

How does Oesterle go from someone the Oilers refused to play, while always begging for D-Men, to Keith’s partner? What the Oilers’ obviously noticed is Oesterle doesn’t have a clue how to play defence. Why the Hawks are interested in players who are always out of position, back up and allow lanes to the net, and never take the body or win a puck battle I don’t know.

The coaching with the D-Men has been ridiculous. Forsling treated like he is Bobby Orr and then in the AHL. Rutta also treated like Bobby Orr now in the stands. Murphy treated like garbage as he is tough, takes the body and wins puck battles which Dirty Ulf apparently despises. Kempny plays similarly and has also fought for ice-time. Gustafson in AHL for 1 1/2 years now playing lots. Franson goes from playing with Keith to the AHL although he has experience and actually knows how to play defence.

Dirty Ulf’s offence first defence is an abomination. Game after game after game the Hawks give up scores of break-always and 2 on 1s because of it - makes my head explode. Why play a style that gives up these kind of opportunities constantly? To repeat the thing over and over again that is not working is a sign of insanity. Hawks were up 1-0 protecting a lead and a 2 on 1 goal tied it - incredible.

The Hawks have never been harder to watch than right now.

Ah yes the vaunted PP - aka Patrick Kane on the right side half wall screwing around with the puck for 2 minutes or until it is shot down the ice. I have no solutions or workable suggestions because nobody does. What they might want to try is removing Kane completely for a couple of PP's and let any 5 guys go out there and play shinny. How about Murphy, Kempny and Anismov as the forwards with Gustaffson and Oesterle on the points. If they give up a goal shorthanded who cares.
- RickJ

Biggest game of the year & PP stinks again led by (wait for it) yep Kane with another 5:24 of PP time.

SHOCKING

Now a solid -6 on the season only Rutta & Sharp worse & you guys ride his Ba**s

Cherry picking is getting old fast but of course you guys like that he can stick handle


Play some defense once in a blue moon

HORRID

But Stan "LIKES THIS TEAM"

Normally I would be asking for Q and the rest of the coaching staff to be fired but just seems that there is no accountability. Q is the longest standing Coach by a great margin and seems made of Teflon.

How does Oesterle go from someone the Oilers refused to play, while always begging for D-Men, to Keith’s partner? What the Oilers’ obviously noticed is Oesterle doesn’t have a clue how to play defence. Why the Hawks are interested in players who are always out of position, back up and allow lanes to the net, and never take the body or win a puck battle I don’t know.

The coaching with the D-Men has been ridiculous. Forsling treated like he is Bobby Orr and then in the AHL. Rutta also treated like Bobby Orr now in the stands. Murphy treated like garbage as he is tough, takes the body and wins puck battles which Dirty Ulf apparently despises. Kempny plays similarly and has also fought for ice-time. Gustafson in AHL for 1 1/2 years now playing lots. Franson goes from playing with Keith to the AHL although he has experience and actually knows how to play defence.

Dirty Ulf’s offence first defence is an abomination. Game after game after game the Hawks give up scores of break-always and 2 on 1s because of it - makes my head explode. Why play a style that gives up these kind of opportunities constantly? To repeat the thing over and over again that is not working is a sign of insanity. Hawks were up 1-0 protecting a lead and a 2 on 1 goal tied it - incredible.

The Hawks have never been harder to watch than right now.
- Z3Hawk

Frustrating sure, but they have been harder to watch if you've been around long enough

Normally I would be asking for Q and the rest of the coaching staff to be fired but just seems that there is no accountability. Q is the longest standing Coach by a great margin and seems made of Teflon.

How does Oesterle go from someone the Oilers refused to play, while always begging for D-Men, to Keith’s partner? What the Oilers’ obviously noticed is Oesterle doesn’t have a clue how to play defence. Why the Hawks are interested in players who are always out of position, back up and allow lanes to the net, and never take the body or win a puck battle I don’t know.

The coaching with the D-Men has been ridiculous. Forsling treated like he is Bobby Orr and then in the AHL. Rutta also treated like Bobby Orr now in the stands. Murphy treated like garbage as he is tough, takes the body and wins puck battles which Dirty Ulf apparently despises. Kempny plays similarly and has also fought for ice-time. Gustafson in AHL for 1 1/2 years now playing lots. Franson goes from playing with Keith to the AHL although he has experience and actually knows how to play defence.

Dirty Ulf’s offence first defence is an abomination. Game after game after game the Hawks give up scores of break-always and 2 on 1s because of it - makes my head explode. Why play a style that gives up these kind of opportunities constantly? To repeat the thing over and over again that is not working is a sign of insanity. Hawks were up 1-0 protecting a lead and a 2 on 1 goal tied it - incredible.

The Hawks have never been harder to watch than right now.
- Z3Hawk

when you are up against the cap you and draft and development takes years; you gotta look and gamble other places for someone elses sows ear and see if he suddenly turns into silk purse with the indian head: rundblad, panik (worked for a year), jurco, forsberg, oesterlie, bouma, oester, probably missing a few

Biggest game of the year & PP stinks again led by (wait for it) yep Kane with another 5:24 of PP time.

SHOCKING

Now a solid -6 on the season only Rutta & Sharp worse & you guys ride his Ba**s

Cherry picking is getting old fast but of course you guys like that he can stick handle


Play some defense once in a blue moon

HORRID

But Stan "LIKES THIS TEAM"
- Goalie-33

Where were you the other night?

Mark Potash‏Verified account
@MarkPotash

The Blackhawks' last nine goals have been scored by Schmaltz (21), DeBrincat (20), Duclair (22), Hinostroza (23), DeBrincat (20), DeBrincat (20), Kampf (23), Hinostroza (23) and Schmaltz (21). Average age: 21.4.

behold your hawks future as they go "coreless"....
- bogiedoc

Meet your new core!