... and 24 hours later there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.

So what ... they will be OK ... moving on.

... and 24 hours later there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.

So what ... they will be OK ... moving on.
- EbonyRaptor

Should we be trading Teuvo today?

... and 24 hours later there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.

So what ... they will be OK ... moving on.
- EbonyRaptor

Actually IMO it really wasn't that bad tonight, usually much worse here after a loss.

Looks way easier than it is.
- Jason Millen

Yes it does.

Lose your crease by overcommitting, give up a one on one slapshot because you chose the wrong angle....OK. Goalie bad.

Freaky deflection off of your own player's stick....Not a goalie bad. All goalies have those.

Your defenseman doubling as an enabler by allowing time and space to set up, and acting as a screen to a top ten shooter....Not a goalie bad.

On the PK you allow the opponent's enormous forward to stand in front of the goalie UNTOUCHED the entire time they are in your zone because your PK scheme makes the defenders play the role of human pinball bumpers rather than challenging for possession.....Not a goalie bad

On a three on two rush your Norris trophy winner dogs it back down the slot giving their center two undefended pass options and a clean shot option all the way to the crease.....Not a goalie bad.

There is value not only in knowing the game, but I really think playing it is the only way one can see the nuances of the game well enough to objectively evaluate a goalie's performance. Darling worked a lot harder than Rask had to tonight.

This was a team loss across the board. Julien played the Hawks how most teams with success against them do - clog the middle, grab the turnovers, and get good chances. I suspect that come playoff time, the Hawks will find their dump and chase game as the counter. Just be glad this was not a home game you had to take a second mortgage out on your house to pay for tickets with.

Hawks kept punching, but chasing the game seldom ends well.

- ArlingtonRob

That really says it.

If anything he should start more games. A net fool get's rusty sitting there for so long at a time. Hell, every goal was deflected, screened, and the one snipe where the shooter had all day. I point the finger at the whole team, not just Darling. Rough crowd here.
- 6628

Yeah that is really a big hard part of being a pro back-up.
Some guys seem more well suiting, and rust does set in..
And from the other side I understand if Crow is their best chance to win,and the standings are close, and they think that they can get home ice they want to try....but at some point Corey has to get sandwich games around 3 or 4 Darling starts so we go into the playoff with two ready 'tenders.

Should've traded for JML he's looking very good for Boston
- Dabearshawks

a midget who had a good game.
That too shall pass

This is Darling's sophomore NHL season. Anybody remember Crow's sophomore season?

This is Darling's sophomore NHL season. Anybody remember Crow's sophomore season?
- 333inthe3rd

Yep...CC was fine.

One large difference between CC and Darling is that CC was never a backup. After several years with a couple token call-up starts in 2010-11 CC was given the starting gig and 57 appearances.

2011-12 57 appearances
2012-13 30 of 48
2013-14 59 appearances
2014-15 57 appearances
2015-16 53 appearances so far, likely 65+

Tough to compare the 2 goalies for the most part, and not really fair. That said, the Hawks need a dependable backup for the playoffs and a tough choice may need to be made.

One thing is certain...we all better hope that CC is good to go for the entire playoff run this season.

Caught part of the Avs game and holy poop are they fast. Boedker can seriously jet. But watching them one after the other I gotta say, I'm glad Stan got Ladd instead

Would you happen to know the percentage of people who are right handed and do NOT shoot the proper way? I for one and many of my friends are right handed and shoot right handed. So the opposite of what they should do. I shoot pool left handed though. I'm back asswards.
- stan-ley-cups

I am right handed. Shoot in hockey right handed. Bat right handed. I know many right handed people shoot and bat left.....but not sure what the % is....

Yes it does.

Lose your crease by overcommitting, give up a one on one slapshot because you chose the wrong angle....OK. Goalie bad.

Freaky deflection off of your own player's stick....Not a goalie bad. All goalies have those.

Your defenseman doubling as an enabler by allowing time and space to set up, and acting as a screen to a top ten shooter....Not a goalie bad.

On the PK you allow the opponent's enormous forward to stand in front of the goalie UNTOUCHED the entire time they are in your zone because your PK scheme makes the defenders play the role of human pinball bumpers rather than challenging for possession.....Not a goalie bad

On a three on two rush your Norris trophy winner dogs it back down the slot giving their center two undefended pass options and a clean shot option all the way to the crease.....Not a goalie bad.

There is value not only in knowing the game, but I really think playing it is the only way one can see the nuances of the game well enough to objectively evaluate a goalie's performance. Darling worked a lot harder than Rask had to tonight.

This was a team loss across the board. Julien played the Hawks how most teams with success against them do - clog the middle, grab the turnovers, and get good chances. I suspect that come playoff time, the Hawks will find their dump and chase game as the counter. Just be glad this was not a home game you had to take a second mortgage out on your house to pay for tickets with.
- Return of the Roar

Well said! Some perspective on things is always good.


EDIT: same goes for what EbonyRaptor said!!

his angles and positioning have been off all year and with maybe 4 or 5 exceptions the hawks have played poorly in front of him...yet he can make some mind boggling head standing saves...

crow has played 53 games his season high is 59...looks to me he will end up with 66 games; with 16 games left i think he plays 13 of those; i think the hawks want the division this year; crow with 66 or more is not a good thing
- bogiedoc

Darling also has an extremely annoying habit of absorbing a shot and FREEZING in the butterfly position for an extra second or two, instead of reacting quicker to locate the puck and reset his position.

He fought the puck all night last night and as your well done chart showed....his POOR STARTS have cost us a lot of points this year.

I'll try to be as brief as possible so try to bear with me for a minute. Marchand is not 3rd in goals scored this year for no good reason. Backstabber sure, but a very good hockey player. On his goal last night a lot of us are saying Darling has to have that one, even Olcyk did. But I disagree.

Even a slug from 18-20 feet with no pressure can hit that far corner and with any mustard on the shot the goalie can't move fast enough. But a snipe like that was perfect. Marchand has the puck and Hammer is down on his knees trying to block. A good shooter knows a goalie is looking at his eyes to figure out where the shot is going. But in that situation Marchand isn't shooting at the net so much as he is trying to just miss Hammer. He knows that the closer the shot is to Hammer the harder it is to see for Darling, and if he just misses Hammer to the far side the puck has to cross Hammers body making it harder yet for Darling to see. Plus if he just misses Hammer the puck will still be on net and not wide. Hammer sees it all the way but can't react. Hammer is right in front of him so Darling holds his ground and doesn't come out to cut the angle and risk tripping over Hammer. Marchand executed the play perfectly. In that instant right then and there, nothing Darling could do about it. I don't like Marchand any more than the rest of you. Tonight I even copied the picture of Shaw kickin his ass and it's now my screen saver. But you have to tip the cap, he can score.

Yeah that is really a big hard part of being a pro back-up.
Some guys seem more well suiting, and rust does set in..
And from the other side I understand if Crow is their best chance to win,and the standings are close, and they think that they can get home ice they want to try....but at some point Corey has to get sandwich games around 3 or 4 Darling starts so we go into the playoff with two ready 'tenders.
- wiz1901

Completely agree. Takes a math teacher to realize two is more than one.

Darling also has an extremely annoying habit of absorbing a shot and FREEZING in the butterfly position for an extra second or two, instead of reacting quicker to locate the puck and reset his position.

He fought the puck all night last night and as your well done chart showed....his POOR STARTS have cost us a lot of points this year.
- philco28

And for the record Phil, I am not a fan of a strict butterfly either. But for the most part the past couple decades that's the way goalies are coached. I feel your pain.

Darling also has an extremely annoying habit of absorbing a shot and FREEZING in the butterfly position for an extra second or two, instead of reacting quicker to locate the puck and reset his position.

He fought the puck all night last night and as your well done chart showed....his POOR STARTS have cost us a lot of points this year.
- philco28

I think if you look around the league there is a lot of weak backup goaltending going on, not only Darling.

Stalock, Zatkoff, Markstrom and Nilsson all terrible. And even 1A's like Bernier, Hiller, Pavolec and Lethonnen aren't very good.

I was hoping Darling would get the net in 25 games because he would benefit from more playing time. But its not going to happen.

I'll try to be as brief as possible so try to bear with me for a minute. Marchand is not 3rd in goals scored this year for no good reason. Backstabber sure, but a very good hockey player. On his goal last night a lot of us are saying Darling has to have that one, even Olcyk did. But I disagree.

Even a slug from 18-20 feet with no pressure can hit that far corner and with any mustard on the shot the goalie can't move fast enough. But a snipe like that was perfect. Marchand has the puck and Hammer is down on his knees trying to block. A good shooter knows a goalie is looking at his eyes to figure out where the shot is going. But in that situation Marchand isn't shooting at the net so much as he is trying to just miss Hammer. He knows that the closer the shot is to Hammer the harder it is to see for Darling, and if he just misses Hammer to the far side the puck has to cross Hammers body making it harder yet for Darling to see. Plus if he just misses Hammer the puck will still be on net and not wide. Hammer sees it all the way but can't react. Hammer is right in front of him so Darling holds his ground and doesn't come out to cut the angle and risk tripping over Hammer. Marchand executed the play perfectly. In that instant right then and there, nothing Darling could do about it. I don't like Marchand any more than the rest of you. Tonight I even copied the picture of Shaw kickin his ass and it's now my screen saver. But you have to tip the cap, he can score.
- 6628

Well said and yes he can score

I will add and I'm sure some have pointed this out

First goal was lucky

Both even strength goals were completely on Panarin and Keith with horrible turnovers all night Keith had been holding on to the puck to long, Panarin lost possession once then a2nd time with a very tired team out there and less than a minute to go in the 1st period 2 big no no's

Infact the turnover by Keith coming back he was so indecisive which didn't help either

PK Dezi was out of position for a second and it's amazing how unforgiving the NHL is when you are. Dezi looks a step slower since he took the brutal hit in Detroit.

I like how they battled and I saw it last night again when they are sloppy with the puck the opponent gets quality chances to score.

Darling goes to his knees early all the goals were top shelf.

Darling also has an extremely annoying habit of absorbing a shot and FREEZING in the butterfly position for an extra second or two, instead of reacting quicker to locate the puck and reset his position.

He fought the puck all night last night and as your well done chart showed....his POOR STARTS have cost us a lot of points this year.
- philco28

to add to my quick/dirty analysis of darling he is 2-5-1 on the road; in those losses his GAA = 4.2 with a .85 save%; he has been better at home 4-0 with only 5 goals allowed...as we say...go figure.

craw has also been victimized by some terrible 1st periods on the road....more on that later but a few games come to mind" vs canes (5-0) vs wild (6-1) both with 3 GA in the 1st. Not to mention a recent stars game at home where he allowed 4 in the 1st.

the hawks have shown a pattern of giving up alot early and when they do...its game over...

Darling 2 Blackhawks 1

This game presents 2 scenarios that likely aren't mutually exclusive.

The importance of a great number 1 goaler, and...

The importance of getting the backup goaler enough reps to be reliable.
- ArlingtonRob

Exactly.

I am right handed. Shoot in hockey right handed. Bat right handed. I know many right handed people shoot and bat left.....but not sure what the % is....
- hawk35

Wait...maybe I am incorrect but I thought I WAS the norm:

handwriting RIGHT
Baseball Bat right
Hockey shoot Left

Looking forward to Detroit on Sunday hopefully Hossa is back. I liked Weise's game tonight won some board battles and was aggressive on the forecheck.
- Dabearshawks

He won't be. Injury is worse than originally reported. He will be back soon enough, just not on the schedule they were originally saying. Also Kruger is going to be likely mid-April, at least as far as taking face-offs.

.

the hawks have shown a pattern of giving up a lot early and when they do...its game over...
- bogiedoc

Well, isn't that true league-wide?

the reaosn you want to be the team scoring first?

I am right handed. Shoot in hockey right handed. Bat right handed. I know many right handed people shoot and bat left.....but not sure what the % is....
- hawk35

Write lefty, shoot a gun lefty, throw righty, bat righty/lefty, hockey shot . . . righty.

... and 24 hours later there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.

So what ... they will be OK ... moving on.
- EbonyRaptor

I totally buy the tired legs (and new faces) angle. This team's gonna be just fine.