It was a great game .You have to respect the Blues ,their the champs ,their getting on a roll .HAWKS played them hard ,could not get a bounce there in the 3rd .Growing pains for the kids .
It hard to lose in ST.L ,but it all about the big picture
- oldduffman

It was a fun game to watch, unless you like defense. You are quite right about the Blues. A few years ago, the Hawks would have won this game 6-5. That being said, our glass is half-full. We have some talent (young) and a great core (can they stop aging already?). We need some more (that kid Sanford for STL is quite the player. Can we get one like him?), and we need to gel as a group for another run.

Core looks like they have some life left. Toew, Kane, Keith, Crow. Blues scored 6 last night but 3 were PP. One was deflected off a Hawk defender.

Has any elite center ever played with worse centers over the course of his career than Kane. Yes he has played some with Toews (who I consider very very good). But most of his career he played with 2nd rate centers.

I am running out of patience with Colliton and his system. I hope Stan is. Besides our dmen chasing forwards all over the ice. Our wingers are always out of position in our zone. When we are in the offensive zone our dmen are covered. The opponent takes away time and space and closes the gap. When we are in our defensive zone our wingers are no where near the opponents dman. What does this cause.
1) when the opponent forwards are pressured they know they have an easy safety valve by tossing it back to the point.
2) the opposing dmen have time to settle the puck and look over the ice for passing or shooting options.
3) the opposing dmen can shoot the puck and our wingers do not have time to get in front to block the shot.
4) when we do get the puck in our zone our wingers are so deep in our zone the opposing dmen can cheat up and pinch along the boards next to the dot, making zone exits harder.
5) it makes it so much easier for the opponent to cycle the puck.

Miracles happen every day, I guess. I sure hope there's some kind of plan B not named 4K or Seeler for next year... de Haan's games played the last three seasons (including this year): 33, 74 and 29 this year, only 136 of a possible 246.
- Davewn

There is no "miracle on 34th Street" or for our West Side hockey team

If we just take a deep breath and look deeply into this, then it is not really that bad beyond one more year. But we must have a couple things happen or the personnel is not going to make much difference.

How long will the following two points play out:

Colliton coaching, his system, players attitude and their prepared mentally for the game

Team toughness/grittiness/stronger work ethic.. We do not have enough players who willingly work along boards and also would push back when the action is heated, tempers flare.

You need to put your best players in a position to want to play well. You keep them challenged and having fun with the correct linemattes. Look how a few years ago Ottawa with one star - ónly one in Karlsson - made playoffs and put up a good battle.

Bring in the kids on bottom lines. They are hungry. There is a good blend of speed toughness with descent skill. You need to see Mitchell & Boqvist develop and Carlsson is the right style to add support. Keith and whomever else. The sooner Mitchell and Boqvist are seasoned and solid enough, you can give Beaudin and or Kyrs a trial. But you will need at least one veteran other than Keith, to be a physical presence on defense. Hooefully Murphy and not Seeler.

We can guess how or whom Bowman drafts as well as what he does about the goaltending. I predict the 2020 #1 and the goaltender situation is not going to be a factor but maybe by the season after next we see those two situations coming around to actually help solidify the lineup

One more year in purgatory like trance. Colliton and team toughness continue to be a problem.....it gets bad enough long enough either Stan or Rocky will step in. If Stan doesn't have a coach who can get players prepared and if we are too soft, well Stan can't look in the mirror and pretend he doesn't have problems.

Has any elite center ever played with worse centers over the course of his career than Kane. Yes he has played some with Toews (who I consider very very good). But most of his career he played with 2nd rate centers.
- -Doh-

Sharp played with him but he preferred and played mostly wing
Hadzuis, Shaw, Brad Richards, the great Pirri?

Not much there...

No replacement LW for toews since sharp and hossa left...

Just play Toews, Dach, Strome, Carpenter as centers. That is a pretty solid group. Play Kamp on a wing. Have him take some faceoffs, and give him some minutes on the PK. I hope Kampf is the 13th forward next year (or not on the NHL roster).

there was a 10 game stretch in January where their team d was really good: back and fore check, great sticks, shot blocking and POOF...all gone...

BTW I think strome is still bothered by that high sprain...he has not looked or played well since coming back

Just play Toews, Dach, Strome, Carpenter as centers. That is a pretty solid group. Play Kamp on a wing. Have him take some faceoffs, and give him some minutes on the PK. I hope Kampf is the 13th forward next year (or not on the NHL roster).
- -Doh-

Yeah you're starting to see why Carpenter is a 3/4th line center. He lacks the offensive play making ability for a 2C. If JC's focus is developing players, why not interchange Dach,Strome,Carpenter as the 2nd line center.

He seems hesitant to change things even after those combos have dried up.

Yeah you're starting to see why Carpenter is a 3/4th line center. He lacks the offensive play making ability for a 2C. If JC's focus is developing players, why not interchange Dach,Strome,Carpenter at 2C.

He seems hesitant to change things even after those combos have dried up.
- catrisc

Highmore in place of Carpenter on the line with Kane and Saad?

Is part of the reason why we cannot hold leads and falter late in games due to lack of depth in quality personnel across the lineup and not just on our D? When you shorten the bench later in the game, does the level of efficiency consequently drop for the ones left getting ice time?
The highest salary on the Blues is $7.5M. The depth that this pay structure allows is the reason the Blues score a bunch and take over late in the game.

Highmore in place of Carpenter on the line with Kane and Saad?
- hpk90

Try Dach there again. I like Highmore but more as a bottom 6 guy this year and next. Depending on their development in RFD, the Hawks should have a number of those guys being able to play with the big club over the next few years.

Sharp played with him but he preferred and played mostly wing
Hadzuis, Shaw, Brad Richards, the great Pirri?

Not much there...

No replacement LW for toews since sharp and hossa left...
- bogiedoc

And those were the better centers. There is a long list of even weaker centers that he has played with.

We will soon see what kind of goalie Subban is as our #1 if we allow Crawford to get run like he was in this game.

Highmore in place of Carpenter on the line with Kane and Saad?
- hpk90

Why would you play Highmore at 2C when you have Dach and Strome?

Is part of the reason why we cannot hold leads and falter late in games due to lack of depth in quality personnel across the lineup and not just on our D? When you shorten the bench later in the game, does the level of efficiency consequently drop for the ones left getting ice time?
The highest salary on the Blues is $7.5M. The depth that this pay structure allows is the reason the Blues score a bunch and take over late in the game.
- 67hawks

NO. Cap hit does not equate to skill level. Cap hit is often related to years in the league. Blues have 8 players making $1.5 mil or less. The Hawks have 9. Not a big difference.

The playoff picture (notice no Hawks)
_____ GP PTS PTS/G
Blues . 64 84 1.313 1st Cen
Av's . 61 79 1.295 2nd Cen
Stars . 63 80 1.270 3rd Cen
Canucks. 62 74 1.194 1st Pac
Knights . 64 76 1.188 2nd Pac
Oilers . 63 74 1.175 3rd Pac
Preds . 62 70 1.129 WC
Flames . 64 72 1.125 WC
Wild . 62 67 1.081
Jets . 65 70 1.077
Yotes . 66 70 1.061

Currently lottery position
1 Wings 65 34 0.523
2 Kings 63 50 0.794
3 Sens 64 54 0.844
4 Sharks 63 56 0.889
5 Ducks 63 58 0.921
6 Devils 62 60 0.968
7 Hawks 63 62 0.984
8 Canad. 65 67 1.031
9 Yotes 66 70 1.061
10 Sabres 62 66 1.065
11 Jets 65 70 1.077
12 Wild 62 67 1.081
13 Flames 64 72 1.125
14 Preds 62 70 1.129
13 Panthers 63 72 1.143
14 Leafs 64 74 1.156
15 Rangers 62 72 1.161
16 Columb 65 76 1.169

Buy your lottery tickets!!

The playoff picture (notice no Hawks)
_____ GP PTS PTS/G
Blues . 64 84 1.313 1st Cen
Av's . 61 79 1.295 2nd Cen
Stars . 63 80 1.270 3rd Cen
Canucks. 62 74 1.194 1st Pac
Knights . 64 76 1.188 2nd Pac
Oilers . 63 74 1.175 3rd Pac
Preds . 62 70 1.129 WC
Flames . 64 72 1.125 WC
Wild . 62 67 1.081
Jets . 65 70 1.077
Yotes . 66 70 1.061

Currently lottery position
1 Wings 65 34 0.523
2 Kings 63 50 0.794
3 Sens 64 54 0.844
4 Ducks 63 58 0.921
5 Devils 62 60 0.968
6 Sharks 63 56 0.889
7 Hawks 63 60 0.952
8 Canad. 65 67 1.031
9 Sabres 62 66 1.065
10 Yotes 66 70 1.061
11 Wild 62 67 1.081
12 Jets 65 70 1.077
13 Rangers 62 72 1.161
14 Panthers 63 72 1.143
15 Canucks 60 70 1.167
16 Canes 62 74 1.194

Buy your lottery tickets!!
- -Doh-

Devils at Sharks tomorrow. We need 3 point games in these types of matches please.

The playoff picture (notice no Hawks)
_____ GP PTS PTS/G
Blues . 64 84 1.313 1st Cen
Av's . 61 79 1.295 2nd Cen
Stars . 63 80 1.270 3rd Cen
Canucks. 62 74 1.194 1st Pac
Knights . 64 76 1.188 2nd Pac
Oilers . 63 74 1.175 3rd Pac
Preds . 62 70 1.129 WC
Flames . 64 72 1.125 WC
Wild . 62 67 1.081
Jets . 65 70 1.077
Yotes . 66 70 1.061

Currently lottery position
1 Wings 65 34 0.523
2 Kings 63 50 0.794
3 Sens 64 54 0.844
4 Ducks 63 58 0.921
5 Devils 62 60 0.968
6 Sharks 63 56 0.889
7 Hawks 63 60 0.952
8 Canad. 65 67 1.031
9 Sabres 62 66 1.065
10 Yotes 66 70 1.061
11 Wild 62 67 1.081
12 Jets 65 70 1.077
13 Rangers 62 72 1.161
14 Panthers 63 72 1.143
15 Canucks 60 70 1.167
16 Canes 62 74 1.194

Buy your lottery tickets!!
- -Doh-

Their reigning AHL goalie of the year let 3 in on 15 shots against Dallas last night. They outshot Dallas 41-16... maybe they should have ponied up for Lehner, lol

Stan addressed the traveling media in St. Louis last night. Lays out 'direction of team.

Here's the article: https://www.nbcsports.com...g-picture-plan-blackhawks

Another turnover, another goal, this isn’t defensive systems, it s just dumb hockey
- LAHawk

Being able to transition out of the zone is a system thing. Playing carpenter on the second line is a bad coach thing.

Why would you play Highmore at 2C when you have Dach and Strome?
- -Doh-

My comment was based on Coach Colliton's apparent desire to keep Dach, Strome, and Debrincat together.

I agree that Dach should be centering Kane and Saad eventually.

Being able to transition out of the zone is a system thing. Playing carpenter on the second line is a bad coach thing.
- fattybeef

It is absolutely a system issue. And those who blame it on the players, why why do you think they're out of position? That is because they don't understand/ feel comfortable with this system.

NO ONE seems to understand this system. Who are we modeling it after? Point to another team in the NHL that is running this system successfully....

Duncan Keith said it best at the beginning of the season, "This system is complex. There is a lot of thinking involved." When a 18 year vet says this, it tells you something!!

Never in my life have I seen so many players on a team out of position, chasing their opponent around the d zone like its a school yard. I have sympathy for this team because of how bad they are in their zone.

and then, JC has the tenacity to say 'we need to stop chasing' or 'we were caught in no mans land.' How about you adapt your system to play to the STRENGTHS of your team.

I have to take issue with those saying last night was a “good” game. They were fully outplayed, and lucky to be up going into the 1st int. They take advantage on a PP to start the second and make mistake after mistake to give away the game.

The Blues second goal was the epitome of either laziness or stupidity. From there it was just a circus of bad decisions either at the blue lines or having possession and not getting it out of the zone. My eye isn’t sharp enough to know if that is bad coaching, bad players or apathy, but it needs to be addressed quick.

Yes! This blaming the coach for SA players has gone too far. Everyone who was hoping for rebuilding, this year is toast.
- rpeters01

The coach has who the GM described as the next Karlsson playing timid and not moving his feet. Let the kid off the leash. They're going to ruin him like the Sox ruined pitchers in the late 90s.

Their zone exits are bad and players are not in predictable locations to get a pass because they chase guys like 9 year olds.

Their defenders still chase guys above the circles again because terrible coaching.

Playing coocoo on the first pairing lol. Sitting Carlson after a good game for Seeler who is Gilbert all over again is bad.

In terms of getting the best out of the players he has, this coach is terrible. In terms of line up decisions (kubalik was getting benched regularly to start the year) and in game adjustments this guy is clueless.

They are very clearly short 2 defenders and maybe 1 top 9 forward but it still shouldn't be this bad.