Holding on to Gus while sending Bokie down would send a wrong message, IMHO. The future of the Hawks now belongs to the kids. Let them learn! YES TO YOUTH!!!
- gabriel

gus has no trade value at this point...maybe by the TDL...

and additional time in rcf will help bokie...he can develop just as well in rck playing against men...

Ya. Gus on the Leafs 2nd goal. Brutal. No less than 3-4 chances to clear the zone and eventually turned over and in the back of our net. Without that kinda gaff, we probably cruise to an easy win. But, that one 30 second blunder gave the Leafs a goal and re-newed hope. Gus can do so much, can skate, can shoot...but dammit, he is brain-dead and soft in our end!!!
- hawk35

Yes, this. Gus wasn't the only one who had chances to clear the puck before Toronto scored the 2nd goal but he was the last one to fumble the puck away before they scored. He also took a penalty shortly after that that led to their 3rd goal. The ironic thing is that he was playing pretty good in the d-zone (for him) before that and then - BOOM - he spits the bit. "Trust" is such a big thing for a coach to have with a player - I can't see how Colliton can have any trust in Gustafsson.

Thank you JAKE MUZZIN!! The Captain has awakened from his season long nap!!

From John Dietz:

The Blackhawks have allowed 45 or more shots on goal 9 times since Jeremy Colliton took over. And three times in the last 7 games.

From 2013-18 - a span of 492 games - that happened just five times.
- scottak

quite eye opening statistic...the hawks are scoring and getting out of this world net minding....but are establishing themselves as bottom dweller in all critical defensive stats...shots against, scoring and dangerous chances against etc etc.

expecting craw/lehner to maintain .940 with the blitzkreig of rubber they are facing every night is not realistic or sustainable...this team is not capable of winning low scoring games...i think last night is the first game they won giving up 3 or more goals...

Yes, this. Gus wasn't the only one who had chances to clear the puck before Toronto scored the 2nd goal but he was the last one to fumble the puck away before they scored. He also took a penalty shortly after that that led to their 3rd goal. The ironic thing is that he was playing pretty good in the d-zone (for him) before that and then - BOOM - he spits the bit. "Trust" is such a big thing for a coach to have with a player - I can't see how Colliton can have any trust in Gustafsson.
- EbonyRaptor

yeah i agree he was playing better def after his HS vs the ducks but he kills you at the wrong time with unforced bonehead plays...

i doubt he is on this team next year...if he can't get it going offensively he is complete accident waiting to happen...

Did Dach get hurt? I saw he only played a little over 7 and a half minutes.

Gus is our offensive stud, Mo. JC must think he's worth it because he was right back out there the next shift. Don't understand JC's thinking on this. The Leafs were swarming like gnats, and after that play, Gus is STILL on the ice. No excuse for that!
- gabriel

Yep. I was flummoxed!

Did Dach get hurt? I saw he only played a little over 7 and a half minutes.
- ChicagoHope

I suspect that had a lot to do with the amount of penalties called.

gus has no trade value at this point...maybe by the TDL...

and additional time in rcf will help bokie...he can develop just as well in rck playing against men...
- bogiedoc

Agree to some extent with both points, especially the 1st. And, while Bokie WOULD benefit from Rockford, I think he's much better positionally than Gus is NOW! It is humanly impossible to undo "brain dead." I honest to God, hate typing those words. But, as ong as Gus remains a high profile D man, there is no real reason to take the Hawks seriously. Just sit back and enjoy the "fun."

Lots of ragging on the defensemen, but D is a team thing.

On 1 shift in the 3rd,Dcat had the puck on his stick twice, but couldn’t exit the zone. Kane took a bad route on the 1st goal, and skated right by the goal scorer. Just before the 5th goal, Saad made a horrible turn over in the D zone and RL bailed him out.

Defense takes a village.
- scottak

Colliton's comments have indicated that he is loosening up their defensive responsibilities in order to get some offense going.

Good team have a balance of both - and I think that the Hawks have the personnel to have that balance, too - perhaps not at a Cup-contending level, but at least at a playoff-contending level.

Seems like Colliton is kind of admitting that he doesn't know HOW to get them to balance the two - it's either emphasis on offense, or emphasis on defense.

The Hawks play defense like this the next 2 games, they may easily give up over 60 shots in both games. Nashville and Vegas can both really skate.

Did Dach get hurt? I saw he only played a little over 7 and a half minutes.
- ChicagoHope

Would have thought after his goal, he'd get rewarded with MORE and not LESS ice time. Head-scratching.

Would have thought after his goal, he'd get rewarded with MORE and not LESS ice time. Head-scratching.
- pdx2ord

Like Mohel said, penalties had a lot to do with it, and at the end of the game, you are going to see Toews and Kampf out there to try and protect the lead.

Colliton's comments have indicated that he is loosening up their defensive responsibilities in order to get some offense going.

Good team have a balance of both - and I think that the Hawks have the personnel to have that balance, too - perhaps not at a Cup-contending level, but at least at a playoff-contending level.

Seems like Colliton is kind of admitting that he doesn't know HOW to get them to balance the two - it's either emphasis on offense, or emphasis on defense.
- StLBravesFan

He seemed to be waiting, in part, on Murray to return. He'll need to just keep stapling players (any of them) who completely ignore the D-side to the bench.

Colliton's comments have indicated that he is loosening up their defensive responsibilities in order to get some offense going.

Good team have a balance of both - and I think that the Hawks have the personnel to have that balance, too - perhaps not at a Cup-contending level, but at least at a playoff-contending level.

Seems like Colliton is kind of admitting that he doesn't know HOW to get them to balance the two - it's either emphasis on offense, or emphasis on defense.
- StLBravesFan

that's unfortunate...as you say good teams do both...see bolts last year...yes they got bonked by an inspired jacket team last year...

but loosening up defensively...hell how much looser can they get...crow/lehner will wilt away from battle fatigue or PTSFPS, post traumatic stress frozen puck syndrome

The Hawks play defense like this the next 2 games, they may easily give up over 60 shots in both games. Nashville and Vegas can both really skate.
- ChicagoHope

holy poop...not safe for women or children or nutzo hawk buzz fans...

Jettisoned Pierre, but not this guy (yet) - can't play the "hockey is for everyone" mantra repeatedly and have this guy as one of your spokespeople. Guess he works for SN/HNIC, not NHL, but...

https://theathletic.com/1...ic-ways/?source=twittered

Did anybody notice Boqvist in defensive zone last night? If no that’s a good thing. Did anybody notice Gus in defensive zone last night?

In addition to DeHaan I also think Maatta is playing very well.
Saad is playing the best hockey of his career. If he could elevate the puck more when in close he would score more goals.
Kampf is showing more offensive skills, but still a pretty bad finisher.
Kubalik is very good.
I like what I have seen from Nylander for 200'. If he starts playing with the same teammates for 5 to 10 games I think he will breakout offensively. If he keeps going up and down the lineup it will be hard for him to find his offensive game.
I like the forward rotation for the Hawks. Sitting of Dach, Carpenter, Smith, Caggiula, Nylander every 5th game might keep them fresh and hungry.
Gus was his usual (weak) self on D, but at least he seems to have found is offensive game.
Boqvist looks good. His D is better than I expected at this stage in his career. I think he is still holding back a little on his offensive game. Once he relaxes he could let loose offensively.
Tough decision coming when Murphy is ready. I am not sure of the trade value of Koekkoek or Gus right now. Boqvist to the Rock might be the best option while you seek out a team to come forward and overpay for Gus.

Would love to see when Murphy returns:

Keith - Murphy
deHaan - Boqvist
Maatta - Seabrook

For Boqvist supposedly being such a trainwreck in his own zone, he has been fine. I have said numerous times, I can handle mistakes from a 19 year old, as he can be taught. Gus is past that, as he clearly does not understand his responsibilities consistently enough. Ready to move on from him, and the Hawks are 3-1-1 when Boqvist dresses.

gus has no trade value at this point...maybe by the TDL...

and additional time in rcf will help bokie...he can develop just as well in rck playing against men...
- bogiedoc

If Gus has no trade value what does that tell us? He’s costing us momentum and games, get whatever you can for him....

Agree to some extent with both points, especially the 1st. And, while Bokie WOULD benefit from Rockford, I think he's much better positionally than Gus is NOW! It is humanly impossible to undo "brain dead." I honest to God, hate typing those words. But, as ong as Gus remains a high profile D man, there is no real reason to take the Hawks seriously. Just sit back and enjoy the "fun."
- gabriel

Worse than his dreadful play in his own zone is the demoralizing effect the unforced error gaffes have on the rest of the team. There is no way to lock down a 2 or 3 goal lead when the coach keeps putting him out there.

Eventually Bowman will solve this problem for Colliton by putting him in a cardboard box addressed to Sweden with no return address.

Jettisoned Pierre, but not this guy (yet) - can't play the "hockey is for everyone" mantra repeatedly and have this guy as one of your spokespeople. Guess he works for SN/HNIC, not NHL, but...

https://theathletic.com/1...ic-ways/?source=twittered
- pdx2ord

Don Cherry is an overt nationalsit, a racist and an imbecile . He tells bulpoop under the guise of a man 'unafraid to be politically correct'. He constantly tells anecdotes of the superiority of Canadians, Scots, Brits and Americans, in that order. He is the worst of us, the one that is so uneducated and unlightened he's afraid of anything that he doesn't understand yet is unwilling to try to understand it. And yet I can also retell a story of the kind act he did for the father of a friend of mine.

I am all for free speech but the times we are in it's time to weed out those among us who try to incite hatred based on ignorance and unfounded fear. It's time for the CBC to put this idiot out to pasture and remove his pulpit where he can spew his unchallenged racist nonsense.

Watched , the games this weekend , they cannot continue to give up that many shots and expect to get points. They played a much better game against Pittsburgh than against the Leafs.
Once again way too many turnovers defensively

Did anybody notice Boqvist in defensive zone last night? If no that’s a good thing. Did anybody notice Gus in defensive zone last night?
- Angotti

Good point. Boqvist found a way to be +2. Gus was -1. [/img]