It is far too predictable on their power play.

It also amazes me that we don't see more Kubalik out there on their PP and in more late game situations. Your hottest goal scorer isn't on the ice as the clock is ticking down. I think he was when they scored their third goal, but it didn't make sense to me that he wasn't after JC called a timeout before sending them back on the ice for the final push.
- frafra

Could be JC stubbornness here or an attempt to prevent Kubalik from scoring too many goals. We saw the same thing when Kubalik was on the the third line. He was reluctant to put kubalik on line 1. If I recall correctly, Nylander got more games with toews than Kubalik in the beginning of the year.

If ADB plays like we have seen ADB play, it fixes the power play. He was still set up by Kane on a couple of cross ice passes and whiffed. Imagine how many more points Kane would have if he had Ovechkin in that spot. Backstrom should pay Ovi 1/2 his new contract

Dach looked awesome last night! Maybe have him center Saad and Kane after the break? 3rd line will be Cat Carpenter Strome?

Kubalik's sweet spot on the power play would be Kaner's position on the right half wall for a one timer (where if you watch his highlight reel from his season last year you see a plethora of his goals scored from), and he isn't going to replace Kane. Toews should be on the left half wall, Bovquist on top. Strome is behind the net and ABD should be the bumper.

As bad as ADB has looked (in comparison to previous years), I can't see taking him off the power play. Maybe he is injured, maybe he is pressing, I doubt he has lost it.

From the last one:




Get off the track, here comes Eddie Shack!

He could act as a shadow on scorers, although he had no control over his reactions and "English" so he many times needed up in the box defeating the idea he could prevent a big gun from getting looks.

Big beak that lead him down the ice...he was a really good explosion skater.

and yes, every team's fans HATED him!

We became more preoccupied isolating on him than watching the puck.

You still find a fanatic fan here or there that will enter the stadium interested in the shenanigans of some opposing player lack of "clean" play...but, now we have trouble keeping up with the puck and play and 32 teams kinda lessens us getting a hate affair with a bad man on each club.
- wiz1901

I think it was:

Clear the track. Here comes Shack.

He was quite the entertainer in a rather dull player personality era.

Wiz or sure will remember, when the Hawks had both B. Hull and Mikita on the powerplay ( one played the point and the other played forward depending on which line was due), the fans used to scream bloody murder to shoot. At that time, they played 2 pointmen and 3 on top. They would go a whole 2 minutes passing the puck around the perimeter and not even looking to shoot. This Hawk power play looks like a Paul Westhead fast break offense compared to the Hawks in those years.

I think it was:

Clear the track. Here comes Shack.

He was quite the entertainer in a rather dull player personality era.
- 67hawks

For your listening pleasure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wAHKPu-Fb4

Kubalik's sweet spot on the power play would be Kaner's position on the right half wall for a one timer (where if you watch his highlight reel from his season last year you see a plethora of his goals scored from), and he isn't going to replace Kane. Toews should be on the left half wall, Bovquist on top. Strome is behind the net and ABD should be the bumper.

As bad as ADB has looked (in comparison to previous years), I can't see taking him off the power play. Maybe he is injured, maybe he is pressing, I doubt he has lost it.
- LAHawk

Going with the same personnel they are currently using on PP1, I want Toews below the goal line on Kane's side, Dach as bumber, and ADB on left half wall. My reason is that the PP goes through Kane, having 2 righties would give him 2 options for one-timers. He could also go to Toews, and JT could get it up top to Dach, or jump out in front himself to shoot or pass to ADB.

Going with the same personnel they are currently using on PP1, I want Toews below the goal line on Kane's side, Dach as bumber, and ADB on left half wall. My reason is that the PP goes through Kane, having 2 righties would give him 2 options for one-timers. He could also go to Toews, and JT could get it up top to Dach, or jump out in front himself to shoot or pass to ADB.
- tvetter

But Toews likes shooting that wrister coming off the wing, So the point man can give it to Kane, or to Toews turning in stride to shoot. Kane still has the ADB as a right wing bumper, and it makes the PP less predictable. Also Toews can make the cross ice pass to Kane for a one timer.

Strome is a better playmaker behind the net than Toews is.

Winning is important but sometimes it's less important than big picture objectives. The big picture for the Hawks is that they're not in "win now" status - they're in "get better to win tomorrow" status. From that perspective the mission is proceeding nicely. Dach, Kubalik and Boqvist have established themselves at the NHL level and shown marked improvement as the season has progressed. The defensive philosophy has been bought into and the results are evident. And lastly, the players have shown their capabilities so that Stan knows what he has to work with going into the next phase of rebuilding the Hawks into Cup contention.

My glass is half full.

Interesting how everyone hate ADB now

He just turned 22

He is not a superstar player, the way some made him out to be, nor does he now suck

He is a goal scorer and unless this is your first year watching hockey, they go through these. Every. Single. Goal scorer.

He is averaging 2.8 shots per game (most in his short career), so he is still getting looks/chances. His shot percentage is 8.4% - nearly half his percentage. If he was near his 15%-18% the previous 2 years, he'd be near 24g

Prior to this year, he averaged. 36 assists per game

This year, he is at .45 assists per game

Could it be, that after 69g in his first 2 seasons, teams are adjusting to him? And recognizing that, he makes the right play and passes the puck more, getting helpers? And at 22yrs old, being a bit snake bitten in the goal scoring, isn't it a positive that instead of forcing shots hes passing the puck and still making the right play?

ADB is fine.

DeBrincat is awful at the one timer. JC needs to figure out who has a good one, and make a swap.
- scottak

He is using an extra long stick, it helps his wrist/snap shots, his one timer the stick needs to wind up from Rockford before it gets to the ice...

Going with the same personnel they are currently using on PP1, I want Toews below the goal line on Kane's side, Dach as bumber, and ADB on left half wall. My reason is that the PP goes through Kane, having 2 righties would give him 2 options for one-timers. He could also go to Toews, and JT could get it up top to Dach, or jump out in front himself to shoot or pass to ADB.
- tvetter

Or Boqvist at the blue line, Kane right circle, Dach left circle. Toews goal line, Kubalik in front of the net. Then you create some motion with Toews, Kubalik and Dach rotating. You could even have Boqvist rotate down to the left circle and Dach going to the front of the net and Kubalik going to the blue line.

He is using an extra long stick, it helps his wrist/snap shots, his one timer the stick needs to wind up from Rockford before it gets to the ice...
- riozzo

I have thought the same thing. Just that the extra length is effecting his one timer. I think he also likes the long stick for poke checking purposes. I wonder if he could use the same length as previous years only on the power play.

From the last one:




Get off the track, here comes Eddie Shack!

He could act as a shadow on scorers, although he had no control over his reactions and "English" so he many times needed up in the box defeating the idea he could prevent a big gun from getting looks.

Big beak that lead him down the ice...he was a really good explosion skater.

and yes, every team's fans HATED him!

We became more preoccupied isolating on him than watching the puck.

You still find a fanatic fan here or there that will enter the stadium interested in the shenanigans of some opposing player lack of "clean" play...but, now we have trouble keeping up with the puck and play and 32 teams kinda lessens us getting a hate affair with a bad man on each club.
- wiz1901

Well Wiz, we are probably from about the same era so you would appreciate a couple of more Eddie Shack stories that I know of:

1) The Maple Leafs won their last Stanley Cup in the 1966-67 season. They beat Montreal in the finals who were heavily favoured because they were younger, faster and tougher. The Leafs were old by any standards. So during that series after a game in Toronto, John Ferguson goes out for dinner to a local restaurant. After Fergy orders his meal, Eddie Shack walked in, got a table and ordered too. Ferguson hated Shack with such a passion that when he spotted him in the restaurant he decided he couldn't tolerate being in the establishment as Shack, dropped a $20 bill on the table and left without eating.

2) Recall the famous fight at MSG between Gordie Howe and Lou Fontinato of the Rangers? It started after a whistle when Fontinato started giving Gordie grief on the ice for trash talking and threatening Shack who was with the Rangers and sort of out of control in that game. When the puck dropped, Shack and peaceful Red Kelly started fighting and Fontinato then decided to engage Gordie. It is still considered the fiercest fight in NHL history. There are pictures around of what Fontinato looked like as he was being taken to the hospital. What was a mess and it was good old Eddie Shack who precipitated the battle.

Or Boqvist at the blue line, Kane right circle, Dach left circle. Toews goal line, Kubalik in front of the net. Then you create some motion with Toews, Kubalik and Dach rotating. You could even have Boqvist rotate down to the left circle and Dach going to the front of the net and Kubalik going to the blue line.
- -Doh-

Or Gus at the blueline, Boqvist at the left circle, Kane at the right circle. Toews down low and Kubalik in front of the net. Boqvist is a right shot and has some pretty high end offensive skills (sees the ice, shooting, passing, dangling the puck).

I think motion/movement is what is lacking on the PP. If they had some interchangeable parts it might allow for more creativity.

I have thought the same thing. Just that the extra length is effecting his one timer. I think he also likes the long stick for poke checking purposes. I wonder if he could use the same length as previous years only on the power play.
- -Doh-

That is interesting, i never heard of players using different sticks for special teams. On PK I would want a long sturdy stick.

Maybe I missed it but, I don't think coach Q's video tribute include this gem.


- Rota's Rooter

I am Coach Q and I approve of this message.

That is interesting, i never heard of players using different sticks for special teams. On PK I would want a long sturdy stick.
- riozzo

It might be difficult to do length of stick in game adjustments. But I like your idea on the PK where stickhandling and shooting is of pretty low importance.

Interesting how everyone hate ADB now

He just turned 22

He is not a superstar player, the way some made him out to be, nor does he now suck

He is a goal scorer and unless this is your first year watching hockey, they go through these. Every. Single. Goal scorer.

He is averaging 2.8 shots per game (most in his short career), so he is still getting looks/chances. His shot percentage is 8.4% - nearly half his percentage. If he was near his 15%-18% the previous 2 years, he'd be near 24g

Prior to this year, he averaged. 36 assists per game

This year, he is at .45 assists per game

Could it be, that after 69g in his first 2 seasons, teams are adjusting to him? And recognizing that, he makes the right play and passes the puck more, getting helpers? And at 22yrs old, being a bit snake bitten in the goal scoring, isn't it a positive that instead of forcing shots hes passing the puck and still making the right play?

ADB is fine.
- PatShart

He definitely still has his fans. Was sitting right behind the penalty boxes and when he went in, these two wannabe WAGS ("OMG OMG there he is!") literally climbed right over us without waiting for us to stand and let them pass so they could get close-up pictures of and with him.

If ADB plays like we have seen ADB play, it fixes the power play. He was still set up by Kane on a couple of cross ice passes and whiffed. Imagine how many more points Kane would have if he had Ovechkin in that spot. Backstrom should pay Ovi 1/2 his new contract
- LAHawk

the cross ice setup for the one timer is getting old: the pass does not connect, ADB or the pass are not positioned for the one timer or he shanks or breaks his stick.

As some of you have commented. Get movement behind the goal line and have ADB drift or enter the slot from the weakside and get prime slot opportunity. The kane halfboard-weakside one timer setup is a failure 80% of the time.

the cross ice setup for the one timer is getting old: the pass does not connect, ADB or the pass are not positioned for the one timer or he shanks or breaks his stick.

As some of you have commented. Get movement behind the goal line and have ADB drift or enter the slot from the weakside and get prime slot opportunity. The kane halfboard-weakside one timer setup is a failure 80% of the time.
- bogiedoc

Then they just need to do it 5 times per PP!

The Cat definitely needs to get going. He's in a Sikura like funk where I think he's trying too hard.

Sikura won't be making $6m next year. #TradeDinky.

First time I've seen these Blackhawk uniforms. Tough to watch on TV.
Barcodes on ice. Hawks deserve better than that.

No, he’s still busy making his case that Darcy Kuemper is the greatest goalie in NHL history.
- scottak

I don't care if we miss the playoffs as long as the Yotes miss. They went from 1st place to 2WC in two games. It's getting crazy tight and I don't think the Yotes can take the heat.