Maybe we’ll get a better feel for the future tonight.

Christmas time, 20 to 30 games in, will be the time to make a good assessment.
- paulr

This.

Expect something like..
Nylander-Toews-Kane
Debrincat-Strome-Shaw
Saad-Kampf-Kubilak
Cagguila-Smith-Carpenter
Perlini

Wedin, Sikura, Quennville as first call ups
- PatShart

I think you are 100% spot on with this lineup. At some point my guess would be Dach comes up to play 3C and Kampf moves to 4C, with maybe Perlini being sent down.

Maybe we’ll get a better feel for the future tonight.


- walleyeb1

We might get an actual hint to what the regular season lines will be.

Last night they played murphy , dalstrom and koekkoek that's 3 players from last year. I'll give you dalstrom and koekkoek as bubble players , but murphy ? Not impressed with his play .

Sure it's been 2 preseason games only but at what point do we start to see a defense that plays a different style from last year?
Their playing the same level of talent, and being constantly pinned in their own end just like last year ?

They have 4 games left to decide who stays and build lines and create chemistry.
- Taylorst1

Carl Dahlström played 38 games, Slater Koekkoek played 22. That's not even a full season between the 2 of them. And let's be honest, they only played last year because the Hawks had no better options at the time.

It's fricking pre-season. You're evaluating. Who is picking up on the system and who's not. Obviously a lot of the guys who have played thus far are not. So they'll get shipped off and many will probably never be heard of again.

Football is a much more structured game.

You give players who have been involved with the game for many years (high school, college, pro) a playbook with assigned responsibilities, and they can very quickly pick it up. They have much fewer decisions to make on plays.

Hockey - very unstructured, decisions need to be made instantaneously (without thinking) during every situation.

And - we don't know what conversations were had with individual players over the summer.
- StLBravesFan

Yep - good analogy.

The effect of doing something new/different is that it takes time to transition from thinking to instinctual and until it becomes instinctual it can and often is hesitant which results in less than optimal performance. Ultimately Colliton's system will be judged on results and that will take some time to assess.

You know this how?
- walleyeb1

I’m asking, because the original post stated he only had a couple of days at the start of training camp.

I assume he did things over the summer. Plus he has prospect camp & Traverse City.

And they gave up 3 goals in 3 periods game 1, and 4, plus the empty netter in G2.

My original post also stated that it was early, not many vets have played, etc.

The reading comprehension on this website is not very good.

Will Marc Crawford end up being our version of Berube at the end of the day? Have no sides to take on Colliton, two days into exhibition hockey. But did think, and still do, that Crawford was an interesting hire.

Yep - good analogy.

The effect of doing something new/different is that it takes time to transition from thinking to instinctual and until it becomes instinctual it can and often is hesitant which results in less than optimal performance. Ultimately Colliton's system will be judged on results and that will take some time to assess.
- EbonyRaptor

Colliton may or may not be an NHL coach but it will take allot longer than half an NHL season and two exhibition games to determine that.

I’m asking, because the original post stated he only had a couple of days at the start of training camp.

I assume he did things over the summer. Plus he has prospect camp & Traverse City.

And they gave up 3 goals in 3 periods game 1, and 4, plus the empty netter in G2.

My original post also stated that it was early, not many vets have played, etc.

The reading comprehension on this website is not very good.
- scottak

Nor apparently is the level of understanding by some of what preseason is and that even inching toward the fire alarm after two such games is the very definition of premature.

Nor apparently is the level of understanding by some of what preseason is and that even inching toward the fire alarm after two such games is the very definition of premature.
- HawkintheD

Quit trying to sound reasonable, it's time to panic!!!

Colliton may or may not be an NHL coach but it will take allot longer than half an NHL season and two exhibition games to determine that.
- paulr

No it won’t. Just ask some of the posters here who knew before he’d coached one NHL game.

Carl Dahlström played 38 games, Slater Koekkoek played 22. That's not even a full season between the 2 of them. And let's be honest, they only played last year because the Hawks had no better options at the time.

It's fricking pre-season. You're evaluating. Who is picking up on the system and who's not. Obviously a lot of the guys who have played thus far are not. So they'll get shipped off and many will probably never be heard of again.
- Rota's Rooter

Dalstrom and koekkoek and murphy have had enough time already to learn and understand and execute JC system .

Maybe I put to much into winning and executing in pre season compared to other people , but we all don't have the luxury of a team coming into the season with a past history of dominance , it's a Crap shoot so coming out of preseason with a winning track record and executing his system for this group of players could be the difference of making the playoffs competing for the top 3 or 4 spots in the conference or a dog fight just to even make a wild card spot.

They have 6 games only to figure out personnel and quite frankly they have 1 spot on the defense and 3 maybe 4 to fill in their forward group.

Dalstrom and koekkoek and murphy have had enough time already to learn and understand and execute JC system .

Maybe I put to much into winning and executing in pre season compared to other people , but we all don't have the luxury of a team coming into the season with a past history of dominance , it's a Crap shoot so coming out of preseason with a winning track record and executing his system for this group of players could be the difference of making the playoffs competing for the top 3 or 4 spots in the conference or a dog fight just to even make a wild card spot.

They have 6 games only to figure out personnel and quite frankly they have 1 spot on the defense and 3 maybe 4 to fill in their forward group.
- Taylorst1

Says who?

Says who?
- paulr

They played last year n his system. It's not like their newbies and he is implementing some new system.

Arguing just argue is pretty petty . Knowing full well that these guys I named have played under his system long enough

We have watched 2 preseason games that IMO game 1 it appeared the prospects Nylander, Saarela and Kubalick boqvist appeared to stand out.


I know it's early , however right now the hawks look out of sync , I expect more from murphy and dalstrom , in both games the defense wasn't supported by the forwards and the defenseman didn't move the puck out of the zone. It looked like last year with them being pinned in their end always.

Jc system isn't impressive right now ,, can that change sure however Chicago needs to start the season on a winning note to gain confidence and their season could be lost in the first month if JC doesn't implement and get these players to play it..


SMITH I thought played a good game .

This is how I see Chicago's lineup come opening night

Nylander Toews Kane
Cat Strome Kubalick
Saad Dach Shaw
Smith Carpenter kampf
Drake

Keith Gus
Calvin Murphy
Maatta Koekkoek
Seabrook
- Taylorst1

I like the forwards and lines, but Dach has to start playing soon if he wants to play in the NHL this season. Really sucks that a needless prospects tournament might derail Kirby's chance at making a NHL roster. I am concerned with this concussion, as I was thinking Dach would be back by now. That is the thing that sucks about concussions, you just never now how long a said player will be out for.

As for the "D", Seabrook unfortunately will not be the 7th d-man on this team. His contract dictates he plays. I also say this, Boqvist makes it if they would make Seabrook sit. Since that is not going to happen, probably looking at Koekkoek, Dahlstom, or Holm as #7, and Boqvist as the #1 call-up in Rockford.

You hire a coach and if your agenda calls to support him, there is no early dismissal. The signs for an improvement in team capability are talked about so let us give Colliton the opportunity to go forth with the new system and a stronger talented roster. The in team competition for roster spots has us talking.

So you want to let Colliton go because he is not a Hall of Fame coach. He isn't smart enough or capable to coach, eh? Is that what you are all about. Because most teams in sports do not hire that sort of coach. Those coaches are not aplenty in unemployment lines. There are many coaches who did just fine and they never started coaching as a Hall of Fame instructor. You sound like you are walking on egg shells just dieing to fire Colliton. That is nonsense.

I noticed that you have good input and sound reasoning on this board. Except not on what i am perceiving is your mighty lack of trust in Colliton
- jhawk59

I don't have a lack of trust in Colliton. I think he has the ability to be a good coach. I was actually defending him in the post you quoted. I am not 100 percent convinced that he will lead us back to the Stanley Cup, but I am more than willing to give him the time to implement his system.

They played last year n his system. It's not like their newbies and he is implementing some new system.

Arguing just argue is pretty petty . Knowing full well that these guys I named have played under his system long enough
- Taylorst1

Again I ask, Says who? Who says they have played in his system long enough? You?!?!?!

How much time did Craig Berube have with St Louis when he took over mid year to implement a new system? After Colliton was hired?

I haven't seen any progress in their defensive play either. I think that's a fair assessment. And after over half a year, plus an entire offseason, that is a LOT of time in today's NHL.

Now, the test will be how they do with their full lineup playing, not the preseason patchwork of AHL guys and NHL wannabe's.
- hereismike1

I agree with this. Even if we only dressed one or two NHL caliber D-Men over the past few games, it's the same with our opponents. Getting heavily outshot by a Redwings minor league squad is not good.

I understand that it’s early.
I understand that few of the regulars have played.
I understand both games have been on the road.
I understand most of the skaters in the 2 games are future Ice Hogs.

But, not counting the overtime goal by WSH, or the empty netter by DET, the Blackhawk GAA is 3.50.

The JC supporters (apologists) have reassured us that JC just needs training camp to implement his defensive ‘system’.

When, exactly, will that be occurring? It’s 17 days until the 1st regular season game.
- scottak

Umm...it's pre-season...where you begin to implement what you've been working on during camp since its the first real action most of the guys have seen since the spring...not to mention it's not like they're out there at full strength with all the guys out there. Give it some time lol

I understand that it’s early.
I understand that few of the regulars have played.
I understand both games have been on the road.
I understand most of the skaters in the 2 games are future Ice Hogs.

But, not counting the overtime goal by WSH, or the empty netter by DET, the Blackhawk GAA is 3.50.

The JC supporters (apologists) have reassured us that JC just needs training camp to implement his defensive ‘system’.

When, exactly, will that be occurring? It’s 17 days until the 1st regular season game.
- scottak

I’m asking, because the original post stated he only had a couple of days at the start of training camp.

I assume he did things over the summer. Plus he has prospect camp & Traverse City.

And they gave up 3 goals in 3 periods game 1, and 4, plus the empty netter in G2.

My original post also stated that it was early, not many vets have played, etc.

The reading comprehension on this website is not very good.
- scottak

Well ok then, that certainly clears things up!

I agree with this. Even if we only dressed one or two NHL caliber D-Men over the past few games, it's the same with our opponents. Getting heavily outshot by a Redwings minor league squad is not good.
- Popsghostly

On the plus side, I am enjoying the Toronto cap situation.

I never understood signing Tavares and not trading Matthew's for a king's ransom (or Marner) immediately.

Their defense is middling to poor, and with 3 superstar contracts up front, as well as some other healthy ones, they will never have the cap resources to improve their blueline as they need to in order to win a Cup.

Unless the NHL morphs back into the Oiler era 1980s, I don't see it happening.

That Kubalik... so hot right now.

Does everyone still think he's a LW?

That shot from the right-side is lethal.

Christmas time, 20 to 30 games in, will be the time to make a good assessment.
- paulr

That's fair. I usually like to wait til January 1st. Usually about 30 games in and the team has had time to settle in. There's always the outlier like the Blues last year though that start of horrible and go on a tear the "second half"

That Kubalik... so hot right now.

Does everyone still think he's a LW?

That shot from the right-side is lethal.
- Tyler Cameron

I had to send the replay to my buddy because that was a hell of a great shot. Maybe he will see a little PP time there on unit #2. I really like Kubalik, seems like picking him up is what made Kahun available to trade IMO.