Some quick hits:

Colliton won't give lineup changes or starting goaltender until tonight.
Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
·
19m
Zadorov said the Blackhawks held a video meeting today and laid out a plan to be more aggressive and tight on the Lightning's forwards in the D-zone.

26m
Pius Suter: "I feel much more comfortable now for tonight's game than I did two days ago."

Adjustment to his first game on the smaller rink was tough, he said.

Some quick hits:

Colliton won't give lineup changes or starting goaltender until tonight.
Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
·
19m
Zadorov said the Blackhawks held a video meeting today and laid out a plan to be more aggressive and tight on the Lightning's forwards in the D-zone.

26m
Pius Suter: "I feel much more comfortable now for tonight's game than I did two days ago."

Adjustment to his first game on the smaller rink was tough, he said.
- Chunk

Also:

Colliton said they've talked about putting Zadorov as a net-front guy in 6-on-5 / goalie pulled situations. His body would be tough for the opposing goalie to see around.

That would be a very funny sight.

Yes, yes it would.

Coach Wiz is going to tell offense man Boqvist to activate on any carries where there is an opening, sprung by a pass or a carry...and I am tellinbgv him to set the play and SHOOT.

If you want what he is to be productive, just let him go tonight.
Is HE going cost you this second game????

Delia is starting, the secret squirrel stuff not necessary, as it is nit gonna catch the 'bolts off guard, lol!

And Suter needed a baptism to get familiar?

It certainly seemed like he was bottled up fairly quickly and hog tied in the that first one...he gets over the speed of the opposition after game one?

Toews, Dach and Nylander are out for the season. Other than Kane there isn’t a top six forward in the lineup. The defense, other than maybe Keith doesn’t have a top pairing defenseman. The team doesn’t have a proven goalie. What exactly are you expecting from the team? To enjoy this season I personally am looking at the growth of younger players and not how many wins the team gets. Lowering your expectations and looking for smaller more specific goals may allow you to enjoy what will very likely not be a successful season.
- paulr

Don't start talking like that! There are people around here who think Strome fits the the Top 6 model.

Skill not applied is not useful, or effective. All of the players you mentioned above (I'm assuming you meant 12 instead of 13?) are miles ahead of 92 in being actual effective hockey players.

It's like giving a proton NMR to someone on the street and saying "have at it". If they don't know how to use it or don't want to then it is useless. Now, this is a bit of hyperbole in that it appears that Nylander does have the desire to be a good player, but he needs to prove it every day, not just occasionally.
- Chunk

No fair. I had to look this up Mr. Fancy words.

https://www2.chemistry.ms...y/nmr/nmr1.htm[img][/img]

Coach Wiz is going to tell offense man Boqvist to activate on any carries where there is an opening, sprung by a pass or a carry...and I am tellinbgv him to set the play and SHOOT.

If you want what he is to be productive, just let him go tonight.
Is HE going cost you this second game????

Delia is starting, the secret squirrel stuff not necessary, as it is nit gonna catch the 'bolts off guard, lol!

And Suter needed a baptism to get familiar?

It certainly seemed like he was bottled up fairly quickly and hog tied in the that first one...he gets over the speed of the opposition after game one?
- wiz1901

He found the Swiss restaurant in Tampa. A little home cooking can be a cure all.


https://www.menuswithpric...halet-menu/tampa/5044081/

Just show progress.....

Lose 4-1 by actually scoring an NHL goal...

Not that fluky thing 17 “scored” the other night...

Exhale....

No fair. I had to look this up Mr. Fancy words.

https://www2.chemistry.ms...y/nmr/nmr1.htm[img][/img]

Advantage: Chunk

Just show progress.....

Lose 4-1 by actually scoring an NHL goal...

Not that fluky thing 17 “scored” the other night...

Exhale....
- mike7076

... Inhale... Hawks win 3-2 tonight.

I'm liking Zadorov more just because of his attitude:

Zadorov's bluntness is hilarious. This was how he led off that answer:

"You guys do stats. I don't do stats, I don't look at the stats. I'm going and playing my hockey."

"Dallas Stars was in the Finals. You guys were posting that all over the place, when we played [them as] the Avalanche, we outplayed them in all the stats you can possibly find. But we lost to them. Vegas, overplayed them but they lost to them 4-1. Stats are overrated for sure."

Their coach also has a nice resume of coaching success and probably isn't a moron.
- fattybeef

You said that, not me

Look, Jerky, the Hawks have been on top of the heap for awhile now. I am not willing to accept that this is no longer the case, and I'm gonna act like a bumhole until they are Cup contenders again! Don't try to stop me, Francis. And don't give me any crap about having survived the Dollar Bill Era, or I'll bust your jaw for you.

Note - the above was a takeoff of the Jerky Boys and is not to be taken literally.
- mohel

What's up sizzle chest!

The goalie battle this year will be the most intriguing to me. Hopefully one of them can improve enough to solidify at least a solid A2 goalie.

Also:

Colliton said they've talked about putting Zadorov as a net-front guy in 6-on-5 / goalie pulled situations. His body would be tough for the opposing goalie to see around.

That would be a very funny sight.

Yes, yes it would.

- Chunk

6 on 5 means the game is nearly lost and that's our newest strategy, gulp!

Toews, Dach and Nylander are out for the season. Other than Kane there isn’t a top six forward in the lineup. The defense, other than maybe Keith doesn’t have a top pairing defenseman. The team doesn’t have a proven goalie. What exactly are you expecting from the team? To enjoy this season I personally am looking at the growth of younger players and not how many wins the team gets. Lowering your expectations and looking for smaller more specific goals may allow you to enjoy what will very likely not be a successful season.
- paulr

I like word problems: "How many players are the Chicago Blackhawks away from being good again?"

Answer: 7, 5 top six forwards, 1, 1st pairing D-man and 1, goalie.

What's up sizzle chest!

- Lido_Shuffle

Not much, Liver Lips! How's it going?

I watched him coach in Florida, defensive minded coach but also understood on offense you can't stand around without the ball, i think he's a very good coach.

I'm curious about another defensive minded coach, Coach Q? This will be his 2nd year in Florida and in any sport defensive minded really good coaches do well if they don't forget the little things.
- BetweenTheDots

Maintaining shape and having an organized break out are important for what Q tries to do. The weak side forward releasing needed someone who could make a cross ice pass (Seabrook very good at) can be difficult to find.

Disrupting plays in the neutral zone to flip the ice is difficult to do without guys who know how to back pressure and/or are slow and defenders without the ability to read the play. Same with pinching defenders.

I think Q would rather play a fast transition game (with some kind of organization and shape because it is difficult to move up the ice quickly without knowing where people will be) as opposed to Torts or Trotz who are going to pack it in between the circles and try to win games 1-0 or 2-1.

That being said - the fancy cats are a team with about league average talent that got garbage goaltending last year. With better goaltending they are probably in better shape to chase fewer games and get more positive results.

The difference between the Hawks with Q and with JC were the Hawks were bad with Q but mostly because they lacked team speed and talent. They were worse with JC because they are missing those same things and are chasing guys around around the ice like 8 year olds.

Toews, Dach and Nylander are out for the season. Other than Kane there isn’t a top six forward in the lineup. The defense, other than maybe Keith doesn’t have a top pairing defenseman. The team doesn’t have a proven goalie. What exactly are you expecting from the team? To enjoy this season I personally am looking at the growth of younger players and not how many wins the team gets. Lowering your expectations and looking for smaller more specific goals may allow you to enjoy what will very likely not be a successful season.
- paulr

I'd like to see them attempt to play some type of organized hockey. Losing because you don't have talent is fine and expected at this point. Watching them skate around disorganized and without purpose like my exgirlfriends kids team is super irritating on multiple levels.

In my opinion, he has more skill than 22 13 73 64 & 71 combined....

He just needs to go see the Wizard for:

Heart
Brain
Courage

Exhale....
- mike7076

Curious. What's with the "Exhale..." at the end of each your posts?

He found the Swiss restaurant in Tampa. A little home cooking can be a cure all.


https://www.menuswithpric...halet-menu/tampa/5044081/
- Rota's Rooter

There is a Portillo's just North of there - I will ass on the Swiss restaurant tip./

You don't think I am going out go restaurants.

After open bars full of unmasked morons on New Years eve and our Governor Deathsantis opening evening thing in summer had lead to crazy numbers in the county.
You know I have nothing to do so, I have keep the Pinellas County covid records daily since MARCH.39 deaths in the last three days, 706 case uptick dfromyesterday to today.

nah, I am the cook in WIZ Restaurant featuring homemade chicken and spinach tacos, and quacamole twice week, Veggie stir fry tomorrow, home run inn doctored pizzas (since we ate the shipped Lou Malanati's, burgers (and grilled mushroom for wife)on the grill, zucchini spaghetti (my aoprtner thinks most white foods are poison, including REAL pasta which I love) hoe made chicken vegetable soup for a few days.
There are boneless chicken thighs thawing and three slabs of restatunta quality pork ribs waiting until we can entertain again...


oh, and btw, I dont think they let the hawks leave the hotel and go to any outside food places...

Don't start talking like that! There are people around here who think Strome fits the the Top 6 model.
- RickJ

If you are referring to me, potentially top 6, i wanted the rights to him for the next 2 years and for $3 mil per that's a great deal for the Blackhawks

Strome has only had 165 games played. Hard to develop talent when you trade them before they get to the 250-300 game mark

Like Boqvist how everyone is crying about his 42nd NHL game when virtually everyone doesn't notice how bad Murphy is after 450 games played still making rookie mistakes

If you are referring to me, potentially top 6, i wanted the rights to him for the next 2 years and for $3 mil per that's a great deal for the Blackhawks

Strome has only had 165 games played. Hard to develop talent when you trade them before they get to the 250-300 game mark

Like Boqvist how everyone is crying about his 42nd NHL game when virtually everyone doesn't notice how bad Murphy is after 450 games played still making rookie mistakes
- BetweenTheDots

The issue that I have with Boqvist thus far is that He is playing timid at the pro level. When he settled in while at London, he showed the offensive gifts that he has. Right now (and in the bubble) he is playing scared. Scared about pinching too deep. Scared about making a mistake. Scared about contact. The argument most here have is that he should be getting over than in Rockford, not Chicago.

I believe the issue with Strome is that he's had parts one "full" season and decent parts of two others to kind of cement what kind of player he will be. He's shown he can put up points and be a playmaker. He needs to show that he can handle the rest of the ice sheet, and thus far, has shown very little improvement in that area. ADB has improved there a little. He needs more, but has at least shown some improvement.

Just my take...

The issue that I have with Boqvist thus far is that He is playing timid at the pro level. When he settled in while at London, he showed the offensive gifts that he has. Right now (and in the bubble) he is playing scared. Scared about pinching too deep. Scared about making a mistake. Scared about contact. The argument most here have is that he should be getting over than in Rockford, not Chicago.

I believe the issue with Strome is that he's had parts one "full" season and decent parts of two others to kind of cement what kind of player he will be. He's shown he can put up points and be a playmaker. He needs to show that he can handle the rest of the ice sheet, and thus far, has shown very little improvement in that area. ADB has improved there a little. He needs more, but has at least shown some improvement.

Just my take...
- Chunk

Well they paid Strome like a 3rd line player so really based on the contract he just has to put up #s like AA. Score less than .5 point a game, win less than 50% on the faceoffs. It's like the chicken or the egg people want results but the player has to play so many games but yet people are unhappy with the production in the games that he played in, WTF

Is Rockford open yet? Id rather have Boqvist on the ice than not. You do realize he had his brains scrambled last year? Let him get some games under his belt really what better options do we have?

I'll even add this, the fact that Boqvist is processing is encouraging to me, i look at Murphy and there just isn't processing going on there he plays defense like he's chasing a chicken

There is a Portillo's just North of there - I will ass on the Swiss restaurant tip./

You don't think I am going out go restaurants.

After open bars full of unmasked morons on New Years eve and our Governor Deathsantis opening evening thing in summer had lead to crazy numbers in the county.
You know I have nothing to do so, I have keep the Pinellas County covid records daily since MARCH.39 deaths in the last three days, 706 case uptick dfromyesterday to today.

nah, I am the cook in WIZ Restaurant featuring homemade chicken and spinach tacos, and quacamole twice week, Veggie stir fry tomorrow, home run inn doctored pizzas (since we ate the shipped Lou Malanati's, burgers (and grilled mushroom for wife)on the grill, zucchini spaghetti (my aoprtner thinks most white foods are poison, including REAL pasta which I love) hoe made chicken vegetable soup for a few days.
There are boneless chicken thighs thawing and three slabs of restatunta quality pork ribs waiting until we can entertain again...


oh, and btw, I dont think they let the hawks leave the hotel and go to any outside food places...
- wiz1901

Yea I wouldn't bother with the place I linked. After looking at the menu, unless chicken wings are some unknown Swiss delicacy I'm not aware of, it's just your run-of-mill fast food joint.

Well they paid Strome like a 3rd line player so really based on the contract he just has to put up #s like AA. Score less than .5 point a game, win less than 50% on the faceoffs. It's like the chicken or the egg people want results but the player has to play so many games but yet people are unhappy with the production in the games that he played in, WTF

Is Rockford open yet? Id rather have Boqvist on the ice than not. You do realize he had his brains scrambled last year? Let him get some games under his belt really what better options do we have?
- BetweenTheDots

I'm not going to do this to try and be a pud, but I find that it is the best way for me to illustrate my point:

1) Strome got the minimal contract he did because he had no negotiating rights, and the league's finances took a major hit.
2) He was a #3 overall pick and that brings higher expectations than equal to AA.
3) I led with (and most agree) that his point production is not the issue, the rest of his game is.
4) I personally don't think there has been much if any growth in his overall game since coming over. I am openly willing to admit that has to do with coaching, but it's not like it isn't harped on all the time.

Boqvist:
1) Yes, I would like Boqvist on the ice as well, but if the moment is too big for him and he does not start progressing at the NHL level, he should go down to the AHL so that he could get max ice time in all situations.
2) He is barely engaging on offense. I believe this is because he is playing scared (possibly because his brain got scrambled, and because he is worried about making a defensive mistake).
3) I'm not expecting him to be Keith. I want him to be Boqvist. I believe that he could make that progression faster working on his game in the AHL (when it opens) rather than the NHL.

I'm really not fighting you on much here. More just what my expectations are for these players vs what I am seeing in their play.