Westhead, Lazerus and Powers are like CNN and Fox News. They are going for the ratings. I don’t want this swept under the rug. Hawks handled this extremely poorly. They were 100% wrong. They have admitted that. Keeping this at the forefront is a ratings grab. I don’t need to hear anything other than they reach a fair settlement. Of course I suspect Beach and his lawyer will be in every media outlet saying the millions the Hawks are offering is not enough and the Hawks are billionaires being cheap.
- Ztra

Everyone would rather read this then comments on last nights game.

It wasn't JCs system last night though. The team played relaxed basic boring hockey like you would for a pick up game. And it showed.

Not a perfect game but certainly less frustrating to watch. They plugged the middle helping the goalie have success and werent a complete dumpster fire trying to exit the zone.

But the .952 was on only 21 shots, I doubt his save % would be .952 on 40 shots.
- LAHawk

Although that is how percentages work.

Just don't think its a story 3 months from now. I won't argue that his name will be tarnished with you and some others, but for most of the public, attention spans don't allow them to lose sleep over this even this long like it does you. Not saying its right, just saying its human nature of the current day.

As others have since posted, if Rocky wasn't told right away and no one reached out to him until they served a law suit 11 years later, not sure what he was supposed to do. Is it naïve to think that no one told him during the playoffs that year, maybe, but guess i can see it both ways. I can certainly see McD, telling all in that meeting to keep that under raps for now.
- vabeachbear

Exactly right. For the mob, no penance will be good enough. Not including Sage in this, he can answer for himself.

A lot of digest about last night. I think the biggest factor was effort. You could tell the players were stoked about a new coach. The Cat dug that puck right out of the net for King. The Hawks have had a "keep it in the locker room" mentality for a long time, so you will never hear anybody actually say bad stuff about JC, but it's pretty clear the vets didn't get along with him. As Eddie likes to say, "They had active sticks". They weren't allowing Nashville to have positioning in the offensive zone like pretty much every team has had this season. Still work to do, but if they lock down the slot and prevent those A+ chances, they can start to win a lot more games.

I'm also with a lot of other people on this board. Guys have lost jobs, players are under scrutiny, Wirtz has been making hard decisions. Where the hell is McD? Every report and interview has pinned the most of the Beach assault on him, and he's just able to hide somewhere? He hasn't even released a statement through a lawyer saying "I screwed up. I'm sorry for my actions, etc."

This is all on McD. Why haven't the "reporters" knocked on his door yet? I am sure Rocky had no clue about this while it was going on. I really hope McD has to "pay" for his sins just as all the others had to lose their jobs over this. His hands are the dirtiest.

- powerenforcer

Here is why. These Blackhawk 'reporters/media' were all given full access to McD PR - if they print what HE wanted

Now, they are all scared to go after McD - or each other. So its picking at carcasses time, while covering their own hide

Lazerus, Powers, Pope, Zawaski.....all Hawks mouthpieces who protect McD and themselves

Why didn't any of them "break this story" in the past 10yrs - if all in the media knew, as Kyle stated?

Why did it take the Canadian reporters to dig and expose this story and not them? But NOW, those local guys are all about going after teammates, etc.

Here is why. These Blackhawk 'reporters/media' were all given full access to McD PR - if they print what HE wanted

Now, they are all scared to go after McD - or each other. So its picking at carcasses time, while covering their own hide

Lazerus, Powers, Pope, Zawaski.....all Hawks mouthpieces who protect McD and themselves

Why didn't any of them "break this story" in the past 10yrs - if all in the media knew, as Kyle stated?

Why did it take the Canadian reporters to dig and expose this story and not them? But NOW, those local guys are all about going after teammates, etc.
- PatShart

I guess I am not talking about these "so called reporters". I am talking about real news people that want to report the truth. Are there any here in Chicago, or the US for that matter?

JC needed to go. But last night's "better game" was JC's system.
- mohel

JC's "system" included regular shifts for Gustafson

JC's "system" had Strome playing 4th line C..I mean wing (edited..and that's worse)

JC's "system" had Capenter getting more 5 on 5 minutes at RW than Kubalik...on a regular basis - when they couldn't score 5 on 5

🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

I guess I am not talking about these "so called reporters". I am talking about real news people that want to report the truth. Are there any here in Chicago, or the US for that matter?
- powerenforcer

Most everyone and everything has been exposed /ousted who are in the Front Office - and now, it's just the settlements

Not sure what picking over at who is left there now accomplishes.

Only ones free of all charges are the 2 responsible- McD and Blunk. Gone in the wind like the dry farts they are.

I'm personally done dragging the ORG until I hear from them

Others can continue to be manipulated by those click bait covers. They know nothing about hockey....just look at those people

Those beat reporters probably believe Lord if the Rings is a true story. They are the unfudgeables and act like it.

JC's "system" included regular shifts for Gustafson

JC's "system" had Strome playing 4th line C..I mean wing (edited..and that's worse)

JC's "system" had Capenter getting more 5 on 5 minutes at RW than Kubalik...on a regular basis - when they couldn't score 5 on 5

🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
- PatShart

Interesting definition of "system".

It wasn't JCs system last night though. The team played relaxed basic boring hockey like you would for a pick up game. And it showed.

Not a perfect game but certainly less frustrating to watch. They plugged the middle helping the goalie have success and werent a complete dumpster fire trying to exit the zone.
- fattybeef

Sure it was. According to King, no changes yet to the system, as there wasn't time. Maybe the players were excited for the new coach and actually performed their assignments correctly....

Edit - not sure how it all got bolded, I didn't mean to yell!

Of course, I go out of town with little time to read the boards and come back when so much happens.

Great win so we don't have to suffer Vopats.

Thoughts

-They looked better and pulled off a win. Spacing seemed better and they were more physical.

-Gus played under 7 minutes so at least he's being used better. Would like C. Jones and Kalynuk to take his spot once they return.

-Kurashev still needs to win more puck battles and is a bit out of place with Entwhistle and Khahira. He did save that goal so I'll cut him some slack.

-Dach (3 SOG) and Kubalik (6 SOG) had boatloads of chances, percentages-wise they'll score at some point. Likewise NSH decided to pass or wiffed on some possible great chances so it could have been a different game.

-Saros looked phenomenal on that 3rd period powerplay. What luck NSH has in getting a goalie like that. Lanky played good enough for us to win a game- much better than what we've gotten in most of our losses.

Someone needs to tell Jim Acosta John McD's name and that Trump was involved in this scandal and he will be all over it.
- powerenforcer

Westhead, Powers, and Lazerus probably have a schedule so that they can have a different topic for their column on this story each week. Maybe the McD story is next week or the week after. As long as they keep getting a high number of people reading their "investigative reporting" they we will keep churning out columns.

Sure it was. According to King, no changes yet to the system, as there wasn't time. Maybe the players were excited for the new coach and actually performed their assignments correctly....

Edit - not sure how it all got bolded, I didn't mean to yell!
- mohel

Same system, but players were encouraged to follow their hockey instincts, knowledge and experience also.

Phuck the lawsuits. Phuck the lawyers. They’ve already made a public commitment to working out a “fair settlement” with Beach - did they mean that? If so, whatever they say won’t matter much. At some point, do the right thing.

This is Rocky’s legacy here. He was always out there, sitting in his seats basking in the glow of on-ice and financial success after he took over the team. Now that “disaster” has struck, he shouldn’t be hiding - take charge, get out there, screw the lawyers and PR guys. The more the transparency - and the quicker it happens (and that includes settling the lawsuits) - the sooner he reclaims the value (not just financial value) of this organization.

He’s the owner, he and Danny run the Company - he has to get into the public.

Or is he resigned to having a tarnished legacy like his father has?
- StLBravesFan

Do the right thing? They did, why do you need them to be interviewed, they know they (frank)ed up and they owned it.

If these Hawks reporters were real ones they would be hunting down McD, but they are not, so frankly i don't give a shot that they aren't happy that Wirtz isn't taking questions for now.

This will always be a part of his legacy, just the way it is.

3 winnable games in a row:

PIT 4-3-3
ARI 1-10-1
SEA 4-7-1

Interesting definition of "system".
- mohel

You don't think that's a part of it?

That is a massive part of it and the coach dictates that part of a 'system' much more than anything that happens on the ice/where the puck bounces.

Sure it was. According to King, no changes yet to the system, as there wasn't time. Maybe the players were excited for the new coach and actually performed their assignments correctly....

Edit - not sure how it all got bolded, I didn't mean to yell!
- mohel

There were other changes other than usage of personnel

The defenseman challenged more at the blue line, making zone entries more difficult for the Preds. Defenseman also had tighter gaps.

Didn't see very many if any attempted stretch passes, less icings, less defensive zone draws. Also, on break outs forwards were not stationary right next to the Preds defenseman, they were at the face-off dot which allowed shorter passes out of the zone, and much cleaner zone entries

Rarely did you see both defenseman on the same side of the ice. One play I saw when that happened, the weakside winger was covering the slot. Basic hockey, but we haven't seen it.

\

JC's "system" included regular shifts for Gustafson

JC's "system" had Strome playing 4th line C..I mean wing (edited..and that's worse)

JC's "system" had Capenter getting more 5 on 5 minutes at RW than Kubalik...on a regular basis - when they couldn't score 5 on 5

🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
- PatShart

Agreed.

https://twitter.com/BenPo.../1457559630494715908?s=20.

One game, but I think King is ready for this. No NHL coaching experience, but definitely seems comfortable in his own skin.

You don't think that's a part of it?

That is a massive part of it and the coach dictates that part of a 'system' much more than anything that happens on the ice/where the puck bounces.
- PatShart

Those are individual coaching decisions. The concept of what they are (supposed to be) doing in each zone has not changed. All King did was allow them to be less rigid within that structure and let them react to situations in real time instead of processing what they are supposed to be doing while the play is coming at them at a high rate of speed.

3 winnable games in a row:

PIT 4-3-3
ARI 1-10-1
SEA 4-7-1
- scottak

Have you examined King's coaching career to determine whether his level of experience is satisfactory? A look at Wikipedia indicates that his 1st head coaching position was as coach of the Hogs. Is his record there good enough to warrant the promotion?

There were other changes other than usage of personnel

The defenseman challenged more at the blue line, making zone entries more difficult for the Preds. Defenseman also had tighter gaps.

Didn't see very many if any attempted stretch passes, less icings, less defensive zone draws. Also, on break outs forwards were not stationary right next to the Preds defenseman, they were at the face-off dot which allowed shorter passes out of the zone, and much cleaner zone entries

Rarely did you see both defenseman on the same side of the ice. One play I saw when that happened, the weakside winger was covering the slot. Basic hockey, but we haven't seen it.

\
- LAHawk

Yep, the players played better. There were different, and positive, personnel decisions. But, as the coach himself said, the system hasn't been changed (especially not in one day).

https://twitter.com/BenPopeCST/status/1457559630494715908?s=20.

One game, but I think King is ready for this. No NHL coaching experience, but definitely seems comfortable in his own skin.
- LAHawk

I am a large fan of that approach, too. I like the way he handles himself, and I would like to work for a guy like that. He also showed last night he is willing to withhold playing time.

But, it is one game. If they lose the next three "winnable" games, the jokes won't be considered funny, and the board will be barking that he's not serious enough and he's setting the wrong tone.

Have you examined King's coaching career to determine whether his level of experience is satisfactory? A look at Wikipedia indicates that his 1st head coaching position was as coach of the Hogs. Is his record there good enough to warrant the promotion?
- mohel

How about his assistant coaching history?

What coaches has he played under during his career? At any point towards the end of that playing career, did he begin working with the insides of coaching to stay in the game?

You're digging a hole to continue to hang on to your JC narrative

Let it go

You are wrong. Its ok