As I recall, Q made changes in game and between games that positioned his players to have more success against their opponents. Remember their record in playoff series always got better in games 4-7?

JC is making random guesses, often making things worse.

#CollitonSucks
- scottak

You are correct. There was a method to Q's line changes versus just mixing lines. They had to do with matchups/creating advantages for his players. And if/when he mixed things, he would allow time for the players to work together. Usually an 8-10 game stretch

While he would revert back to original lines, he then had a very good feep fornwho worked together/who didnt

Then, come playoff time, when he would make those changes...many teams didn't have an answer and players on the Hawks weren't lost - since they had played together for stretches during the season.

There is an actual method to mixing/matching lines versus shuffling players. When players know their roles/expectations- they tend to think less and are able to play.

A Blackhawks or Bruins jersey?
- BMWChiFan

Blackhawks 11

When does Shovel Face push the panic button? Only when he sees empty seats and diminished TV ratings.

And for the record, even I wouldn't refer to someone as a "sorry excuse for a human" because I disagree with his moves/play/etc

I think JC was set up to fail by the FO and was in way over his head. If they really thought he had a good hockey mind, he should have been in the AHL until he was ready with much more experience.

And for the record, even I wouldn't refer to someone as a "sorry excuse for a human" because I disagree with his moves/play/etc

I think JC was set up to fail by the FO and was in way over his head. If they really thought he had a good hockey mind, he should have been in the AHL until he was ready with much more experience.
- PatShart

Agreed 100%. Get pissed about his decisions as a coach and criticize his coaching decisions. Do not attack his character as a human being. Two very very different things.

As I recall, Q made changes in game and between games that positioned his players to have more success against their opponents. Remember their record in playoff series always got better in games 4-7?

JC is making random guesses, often making things worse.

#CollitonSucks
- scottak

This happened during the playoffs and not during the regular season. And often it was to fix the obviously stupid things he had dome previously.

Q would keep the lines consistent after wins and was great at getting the matchups he wanted, but let's not forget the "blender" was coined to describe him constantly (frank)ing with the lines and I remember many posters begging for him to keep the lines so they could get chemistry.

Also let's not forget that he (frank)ed with players too, and how notorious his doghouse was. Also how he ran 2 dmen out of town that played key roles in Stanley Cup teams. The guy needed to go, his time here had run out.

And for the record, even I wouldn't refer to someone as a "sorry excuse for a human" because I disagree with his moves/play/etc

I think JC was set up to fail by the FO and was in way over his head. If they really thought he had a good hockey mind, he should have been in the AHL until he was ready with much more experience.
- PatShart

I agree that they should have given him a couple more years in the AHL. Now it seems he could be falling into the same trap a lot of young people do in their first "power" roles: trying to show his subordinates "who the boss is."

Not sure if someone answered this already in the 33 pages of comments, but...

The Hawks play a hybrid system--not all 5 guys are in M2M. The wingers cover man-on-man when the puck carrier is high in the dzone, but not when it's low. When it's low in the dzone (for example, the opponent has the puck in the corner), the Hawks' default look has both dmen and the center in man-to-man coverage. The puck-side winger will be up high on the boards in front of his pointman, and the away-side winger will actually be down in the middle of the slot to prevent cross-ice passes/high danger chances. So, from a spectator's perspective, if the opposing puck carrier is in our corner, it would look like our away-side winger is sitting out of position in the exact middle of the defensive zone (i.e., the mid-slot)--but he's not out of position; this is where he belongs in the system.

Now, the away-side winger's pointman is left with a lot of free space, but the general idea is the away-side winger can still prevent pucks from reaching his pointman by preventing the cross-ice pass and being able to sprint to the boards (like a goaltender on a dump) if the puck carrier sends the puck around the boards behind the net toward that point. As we've seen, the theory of this and the practice of this are two different things.

At the NHL level, the speed and passing precision tends to exploit the away-side winger's loose coverage as well as exploit when the wingers need to transition between assignments (for example, if the puck goes quickly from one corner, behind the goal line, then to the opposite corner, forcing the wingers to change assignments just as quickly as the puck is moving around behind the goal line). It also exploits the dmen when they need to hand off their men and transition to netfront when the puck gets carried high. Whenever the opponent carries a puck low to high or high to low around the perimeter, the Hawks change assignments and scramble, and it looks... ugly.

This system is intended (at lower levels of hockey) to get the puck back quickly through high M2M pressure and not conceding the perimeter. If you don't get the puck back quickly, however, you'll tire out and fail to do anything offensively. When the Hawks get pinned and tired, they do drop into a wide zone look with 3 stationary men across, conceding the point area and hoping for a long shot from the point (and a frozen puck).
- Instamatic

Great post. I have to print this and refer to it during games.

And for the record, even I wouldn't refer to someone as a "sorry excuse for a human" because I disagree with his moves/play/etc

I think JC was set up to fail by the FO and was in way over his head. If they really thought he had a good hockey mind, he should have been in the AHL until he was ready with much more experience.
- PatShart

Good post, on both points.

Sorry if I've caused you to need a shower.

Caggiula-Dach-Shaw ... I like it. Kampf on the fourth line, I like that too.

Caggiula-Dach-Shaw ... I like it. Kampf on the fourth line, I like that too.
- I Am The Breadman

Sikura on the 4th line, Smith in the press box....

I’d like it better.

Sikura on the 4th line, Smith in the press box....

I’d like it better.
- StLBravesFan

Well, yeah, but until it happens ... I'd rather have Kubalik in too.

Well, yeah, but until it happens ... I'd rather have Kubalik in too.
- I Am The Breadman

I'd rather have Kubalik in too, but I think I may give JC the benefit of the doubt on this one. Sometimes with kids they need a break to gather their thoughts and refocus. Maybe it will help him the way it helped Nylander.

Why do I see Eddie O as the next Hawk coach?

I'd rather have Kubalik in too, but I think I may give JC the benefit of the doubt on this one. Sometimes with kids they need a break to gather their thoughts and refocus. Maybe it will help him the way it helped Nylander.
- tazer_and_diet

That's a good & optimistic view on it, TD.

Why do I see Eddie O as the next Hawk coach?
- PatShart

Because you hit the sauce early today?

Edit - I could see McD doing that.

Why do I see Eddie O as the next Hawk coach?
- PatShart

why would he do that...he has great gig with the hawks and national coverage. Post cancer...

why would he want that stress of day to day coaching and travel...

and certainly not with this team as constructed

Awesome (frank)ing goal from Adb!

AdB! What a shot!

Some terrible defensive shifts from the Strome line. No reason they should play together...too big of a liability

Awesome (frank)ing goal from Adb!
- I Am The Breadman

good start by the hawks...entries and transition..

quite a play by ADB with the dman all over him and trying to lift the stick

Why do I see Eddie O as the next Hawk coach?
- PatShart

He’s a better choice than Marc Crawford. Talk about hot garbage, how did he become assistant here?

I did some research on him and just the player interviews about him make me cringe.

why would he do that...he has great gig with the hawks and national coverage. Post cancer...

why would he want that stress of day to day coaching and travel...

and certainly not with this team as constructed
- bogiedoc

I think he still wants to coach/could be convinced if the front office pitched it to him

good start by the hawks...entries and transition..

quite a play by ADB with the dman all over him and trying to lift the stick
- bogiedoc

& we're leading the shot department!? Who are these hawks?!

& we're leading the shot department!? Who are these hawks?!
- I Am The Breadman

Less dump, more pinch. Sounds a bit more like last year.