John Jaeckel: The scene of the crime

how about that....FIRST...

expect a tighter and high pace game tonight

Turd

Great perspective JJ, I think the "goals" pendulim for tonights contest swings the other direction, 2-1 beloved in OT... Saader for the GWG.

I am only worried about Panarin twice this year (most likely). Otherwise, I don't care about him anymore. He's a very good player who will do well in CBJ and I am not rooting for him to fail so "Stan can win the trade". We got the piece we needed to rectify the structure of HOW the Hawks play. To get a player like Saad someone really good had to go the other way. If it's a win/win fine I don't care. I agree with JJ that Forsberg turned out to be a quiet piece of the puzzle. The Hawks NEED a capable backup, Darling is in Carolna now and Stan needed to address that replacement, which he did. Motte is redundant on the Hawks, they have tons of bottom 6 wingers so no huge loss there. CBJ is probably thinking the same thing as they have two good goalies themselves. In the end, I think both teams will be pleased and there isn't one ounce of me that regrets this trade.

Torts (and the CBJ media) seemingly in love with the version of Panarin that we first got to know - dynamic and playing both ends of the ice. Wonder if he'll continue in that vein or return to trying to be Ovi 2.0

https://theathletic.com/1...ce-in-blue-jackets-debut/

Hawks were meh against the Jackets last year. 1-1-0 in the two games. Almost even in shots, but the Hawks PK was bad in the first game (when the PK couldn't kill anything to start the year) and CBJ was 2-2 on the PP in the Hawks 3-2 loss.

I hope this isn't a game day blog. (As on point as it is.) Last game day, no blog, 10 goals. Fingers crossed.

GO HOCKS

Torts (and the CBJ media) seemingly in love with the version of Panarin that we first got to know - dynamic and playing both ends of the ice. Wonder if he'll continue in that vein or return to trying to be Ovi 2.0

https://theathletic.com/1...ce-in-blue-jackets-debut/
- pdx2ord

I'm sure they'll be in love with him, just like we were. He's a great hockey player and will do well wherever he plays with those hands. However, I think we all agree that Saad brings more to the table for our needs and it was a great trade.....for both teams, especially since we got Forsberg too. Looking forward to what tonight's game will bring us.

Is Smaltz in tonight?

I was watching Hawks practice from yesterday on SnapChat, and it looked like Schmaltz was full go. For whatever that is worth.

Is Franson or Osterle in tonight?

Chris Hine‏ @ChristopherHine 4m4 minutes ago

Quenneville said Tanner Kero is out tonight, likely back on Monday, meaning Tommy Wingels is in.

I'm sure they'll be in love with him, just like we were. He's a great hockey player and will do well wherever he plays with those hands. However, I think we all agree that Saad brings more to the table for our needs and it was a great trade.....for both teams, especially since we got Forsberg too. Looking forward to what tonight's game will bring us.
- Hawkytalk

I agree that it will most likely end up the one of the biggest win-win trades of past few years.

I agree that it will most likely end up the one of the biggest win-win trades of past few years.
- pdx2ord

Thirded! Best kind of hockey trade. Both sides think they won it and should. Saad is what the Hawks needed and Panarin is what the Jackets needed. Also think Torts didn't use Saad to his best advantage.

Chris Hine‏ @ChristopherHine 4m4 minutes ago

Quenneville said Tanner Kero is out tonight, likely back on Monday, meaning Tommy Wingels is in.
- matt_ahrens

Watch out for another blitzkrieg! This time beware the borderline dirty and fast Blue Jackets. Many young kids skill and fast. Names you aren't yet familar with look to emerge so do not dismiss lower lines - they are stacked.

Hoping Bobrowski has a slow start, which he is known for.

Each year Columbus gets better, deeper skill wise at least on paper. Last year they had a big victory run. They still had issues then, less so now. Hungry, young, improving with some good defensemen and a capable goaltender. Any passengers against them will likely make a victory for us harder to accomplish.

JJ...I would say the Panarin for Saad swap was as even as possible. If anything the difference maker will be how Forsberg develops as a goaltender. If he provides anything close to what Darling gave us, we are the BIG winners.

Straight up...Panarin for Saad, to me, is a push. Not in that it helps neither team...but that it benefits BOTH teams. And this is why......

Hawks had a smallish, skill team with little solid board players and grit guys. Panarin is very similar to Kane. The hawks filled a need with Saad, and have enough pure skill (especially now with Schmaltz. D-Cat and others contributing). The Jackets were a MUCH differently built team. Bigger, more board players, and lacking the pure skill that a Panarin brings. They had the Dubinsky, Anderson, Wennberg and Foligno...that provided much more size and sandpaper than the Hawks had (have).

Jackets could part with Saad and not miss the physical part too much. Hawks could part with Panarin and not miss the pure skill too much.........also, Hawks REALLY NEEDED the physicality and grit that Saad brings, and the Jackets surely could use the pure skill of a Panarin.

So.......as I see it. BOTH team benefit from the swap....Motte will benefit nobody, and Forsberg becomes the difference maker......

Go Hawks!!!!

When all is said and done, I think Forsberg will do quite well, and OVERALL.....Hawk will have "won" this trade.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it...

Saad-Toews-Panik
Hartman-Schmaltz-Kane
Sharp-AA-Cat
Bouma-Wingels-Hayden

Keith-Seabs
Kempny-Murphy
Forsling-Rutta

Should be a stern test tonight , hope the Boy's have not been reading their news clipping to much ..Imagine we will see Forsberg in on Monday ,can not see Crow playing both BB ,but maybe . Crow loves to play in Montreal so I see Forsberg against TO ,that will be a baptismal by fire for the young goalie .The Leafs have a lot of firepower up front, and have two speeds fast and faster ..

Interested to see how the Hawks do this evening against a more physical opponent and one that will clog the lanes a bit.

As far as the Panarin trade...both teams got what they wanted. Saad is the more complete player IMHO and plays a 200' game as well as the PK. No question Panarin's an elite talent...but I'm wondering if the Breadman is still tired from the Preds series...lol.

Should be a good one this evening
Go Hawks!!!

I don't know Columbus' line up that well, so I don't know how their addition of Panarin impacts their lines, but I do know ours -and adding Saad may well have restructured the Hawks into a multi-line scoring threat overall again.

Saad doesn't have to match Panarin in scoring; in a sense it is a bit like Tanti for Fraser in the 80's.

And this is all in addition to the other comments made about personnel; Forsberg is going to be a key too, as for the Hawks it was more of a team building trade, the individuals work, but also in a larger sense.

Then there is Saad signed for more years. After 2 seasons Panarin has earned the right to sign wherever he wants to the highest bidder. I don't know that all things considered, that no matter what he does in Columbus, that the Hawks still having their main piece of this trade around still after that, -that this isn't massively significant either.

If Columbus does nothing, or the same level in the next two seasons - then they pretty much lost that trade, because nothing is guaranteed them after that point.

For all you guys who watch the games through a link I need some help. I've watched the game live using a link but can you watch a replay of the game?

Cut the cord, lovin it, but don't have channel 9.

[quote=steve-hist-sdc

Saad doesn't have to match Panarin in scoring; in a sense it is a bit like Tanti for Fraser in the 80's.


That trade was a scoring winger for a glorified goon so it's not a fair comparison to
Saad.

Is Smaltz in tonight?
- Colbyboy

Hawks site said yes.

JJ or anyone that would like add there 2 cents in. First I know its only one game but what is the most pressing need right now for the hawks to become a legitimate contender, is it defense a center who could win face-offs at or more than 50% or top six lw winger with size and speed (roadgrater)? Looking forward to tonight game good measuring stick against a fast big team and d isn t to bad goalie one of the best.

Hawks win 3-2 just my opinion!!