John Jaeckel: No Excuses

WANTED: 2 Big Wingers
Good skating ability a must
Able to play bottom 6 duty but have enough skill if needed on the top 6
Physicality is vital
Able to make life uncomfortable for the opposition
Make the opposition hurry their plays or make plays they don't want to make
Energize the team with some solid hits
Must be able to retrieve loose pucks along the boards
Some net front duty required
Dropping gloves may be required on occasion
Able to ply trade for minimum wage
No commitment for next year

GOONS NEED NOT APPLY

Bruce Boudreau

Courtesy of Head Coach Randy Carlyle and the Anaheim Ducks, the Blackhawks and their fans got a reminder of one of the most basic tenets of pro hockey. Physicality and skill will always trump pure skill.

Randy Carlyle is Toronto's head coach, I think you mean Boudreau.

"Finesse teams do better in the regular season, and fold under the physical pressure of the playoffs against more physical teams. Happens year after year. Series after series."

Amen to that. I only caught part of the first, and the entire second period. They looked much better during the second half of the second period, and while they don't wilt to physical pressure like the past two seasons, that was playoff hockey.

The two teams that scare me the most in the West, play that style. As well, if the Hawks somehow get out of the West, you've got Pittsburgh and Boston.

Vancouver has been the shining example of great regular season teams losing to physical teams. L.A. and Boston most recently.

Good Morning John

Any updates on the rumors you were hearing yesterday? Definitely there needs to be a few upgrades. What is up with Carcillo???


Read this morning, that Miikka Kiprusoff is on the Hawks radar. Have you heard this lately? In your opinion would he be an upgrade over Emery?

Also read Bozak has been rumored to be shopped as part of a package to the Canucks for Luongo.The blogger thinks that this has a great chance of happening. Instead of Bozak, I would rather the Hawks get Brassard or Eller somehow for that second line center position.

WANTED: 2 Big Wingers
Good skating ability a must
Able to play bottom 6 duty but have enough skill if needed on the top 6
Physicality is vital
Able to make life uncomfortable for the opposition
Make the opposition hurry their plays or make plays they don't want to make
Energize the team with some solid hits
Must be able to retrieve loose pucks along the boards
Some net front duty required
Dropping gloves may be required on occasion
Able to ply trade for minimum wage
No commitment for next year

GOONS NEED NOT APPLY
- paulr

Bruce Boudreau
- cakeeater07

lol

WANTED: 2 Big Wingers
Good skating ability a must
Able to play bottom 6 duty but have enough skill if needed on the top 6
Physicality is vital
Able to make life uncomfortable for the opposition
Make the opposition hurry their plays or make plays they don't want to make
Energize the team with some solid hits
Must be able to retrieve loose pucks along the boards
Some net front duty required
Dropping gloves may be required on occasion
Able to ply trade for minimum wage
No commitment for next year

GOONS NEED NOT APPLY
- paulr

Randy Carlyle is Toronto's head coach, I think you mean Boudreau.
- BleedingHabs

Thank you, they look too much alike too. And you guys in Eastern Canada will appreciate how little sleep I got last night.

Good synopsis JJ. Except Randy Carlyle has been replaced by Bruce Boudreau. Not sure what the deal is with the Carcillo situation. The Hawks were actually leading the NHL last year, until he got hurt (and no, I'm not saying they were first overall because of Carcillo). Then before the season, Bowman rushes to give him a two year contract. He starts this season on the top line, and actually was having a good game agains the Kings until he got hurt. Now, all of a sudden, he's not good enough to skate more than three shifts? Especially against a team where you need some push back physically. Something is amiss here.

I thought Q had a poor game. They were already short handed with Hossa and Sharp being out and he further exacerbated that situation by basically having a third guy (Carcillo) who did nothing but take a spot up on the bench. Then he double shifts Kane - which he also did against Colorado - to the point where he is playing over 25 minutes in the last game of a four game road trip against a tough physical team. That is ridiculous. Kane was a -4, including the last two goals in the third, but the guy looked absolutely wiped out when leaving the ice at the end of the game.

Thank you, they look too much alike too.
- John Jaeckel

I would hope yesterdays performance will inspire StanBo a bit more to acquire some beef.

John Jaeckel: No Excuses
- John Jaeckel

I think you summed it all up quite well JJ.

And Dan Carcillo - his job has been taken by somebody named B.Bollig, at least for now.

Good synopsis JJ. Except Randy Carlyle has been replaced by Bruce Boudreau. Not sure what the deal is with the Carcillo situation. The Hawks were actually leading the NHL last year, until he got hurt (and no, I'm not saying they were first overall because of Carcillo). Then before the season, Bowman rushes to give him a two year contract. He starts this season on the top line, and actually was having a good game agains the Kings until he got hurt. Now, all of a sudden, he's not good enough to skate more than three shifts? Especially against a team where you need some push back physically. Something is amiss here.

I though Q had a poor game. They were already short handed with Hossa and Sharp being out and he further exacerbated that situation by basically having a third guy (Carcillo) who basically did nothing but take a spot up on the bench. Then he double shifts Kane - which he also did against Colorado - to the point where he is playing over 25 minutes in the last game of a four game road trip against a tough physical team. That is ridiculous. Kane was a -4, including the last two goals in the third, but the guy looked absolutely wiped out when leaving the ice at the end of the game.
- RetiredGoalie

I FIXED BOUDREAU, LOL.

Agreed on Q. The Carcillo thing was not good. If I give Saad a pass for that pathetic clearing attempt on the game winner, it's because he was obviously tired. The double shifting affected all of them. Kane's conditioning has really improved regardless.

Good synopsis JJ. Except Randy Carlyle has been replaced by Bruce Boudreau. Not sure what the deal is with the Carcillo situation. The Hawks were actually leading the NHL last year, until he got hurt (and no, I'm not saying they were first overall because of Carcillo). Then before the season, Bowman rushes to give him a two year contract. He starts this season on the top line, and actually was having a good game agains the Kings until he got hurt. Now, all of a sudden, he's not good enough to skate more than three shifts? Especially against a team where you need some push back physically. Something is amiss here.

I thought Q had a poor game. They were already short handed with Hossa and Sharp being out and he further exacerbated that situation by basically having a third guy (Carcillo) who did nothing but take a spot up on the bench. Then he double shifts Kane - which he also did against Colorado - to the point where he is playing over 25 minutes in the last game of a four game road trip against a tough physical team. That is ridiculous. Kane was a -4, including the last two goals in the third, but the guy looked absolutely wiped out when leaving the ice at the end of the game.
- RetiredGoalie

Agreed. No reason at all to double shift Kane

I would hope yesterdays performance will inspire StanBo a bit more to acquire some beef.
- howiehandles

Gaawwd I hope so

Your physicality arguement is fine but omits that the Hawks held the lead despite being out muscled in the first period until late in the third period when the team made two sloppy plays (neither of which had anything to do with physical play) within a minute to lose the game.

Good synopsis JJ. Except Randy Carlyle has been replaced by Bruce Boudreau. Not sure what the deal is with the Carcillo situation. The Hawks were actually leading the NHL last year, until he got hurt (and no, I'm not saying they were first overall because of Carcillo). Then before the season, Bowman rushes to give him a two year contract. He starts this season on the top line, and actually was having a good game agains the Kings until he got hurt. Now, all of a sudden, he's not good enough to skate more than three shifts? Especially against a team where you need some push back physically. Something is amiss here.

I thought Q had a poor game. They were already short handed with Hossa and Sharp being out and he further exacerbated that situation by basically having a third guy (Carcillo) who did nothing but take a spot up on the bench. Then he double shifts Kane - which he also did against Colorado - to the point where he is playing over 25 minutes in the last game of a four game road trip against a tough physical team. That is ridiculous. Kane was a -4, including the last two goals in the third, but the guy looked absolutely wiped out when leaving the ice at the end of the game.
- RetiredGoalie

Maybe we're not talking about any of this if Kane had buried that loose puck off the Saad shot and in the 3rd he was allowed to walk right in point blank and appeared to look 5-hole but was denied.

But the whole Carcillo soap opera is really baffling. Guy busts his butt twice to rehab from knee issues...sits out a bunch of games, then dresses and plays a couple shifts.

WHAT THE PHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUCK ?

While I agree that the team could use some tweaking, I thought they dominated for the entire second period, and the first half of the 3rd. If Kane could hit an empty net, or Bollig thought to use his stick instead of his skate, all would be happy in Hawk land.

The glaring weakness is at center. And I like Krueger more than Bolland. Now is the time for StanBow to upgrade the middle. And for Q to let Danny play.

Maybe we're not talking about any of this if Kane had buried that loose puck off the Saad shot and in the 3rd he was allowed to walk right in point blank and appeared to look 5-hole but was denied.

But the whole Carcillo soap opera is really baffling. Guy busts his butt twice to rehab from knee issues...sits out a bunch of games, then dresses and plays a couple shifts.

WHAT THE PHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUCK ?
- philco28

I dont get it . Why have him on the bench then ?

I think you summed it all up quite well JJ.

And Dan Carcillo - his job has been taken by somebody named B.Bollig, at least for now.
- RickJ

Bollig played quite well but we need someone who can play better than him but can also bring some physicality .... Matt Martin anyone?

I FIXED BOUDREAU, LOL.

Agreed on Q. The Carcillo thing was not good. If I give Saad a pass for that pathetic clearing attempt on the game winner, it's because he was obviously tired. The double shifting affected all of them. Kane's conditioning has really improved regardless.
- John Jaeckel

Exactly my point JJ. If one or two guys are gassed, it basically effects all five guys on the ice. It's like playing short-handed because some guys are too tired to do anything more than stand around and the other guys are running around out of position trying to pick up the slack. Q did this quite frequently last year, especially with John Scott, so I would have thought he learned from the error of his ways, but apparently the "old" Q can still come out at any time.

Just as an aside, I thought Bolland was invisible last night and I thought it was telling that Foley mentioned that he had been kept off the score sheet in something like 13 of the last 24 games or whatever the stat was. Also thought Crawford was great through two periods and kept the Hawks in the game. Could have been over after the first. Unfortunately, he gave up a bad rebound on the Ryan goal that tied it and he was already down and out on Getzlaf's pass to Selanne, which pretty much gave him an open net. However, the loss certainly does not get put on him.

Your physicality arguement is fine but omits that the Hawks held the lead despite being out muscled in the first period until late in the third period when the team made two sloppy plays (neither of which had anything to do with physical play) within a minute to lose the game.
- nathanjf

Disagree. Even if those TO's weren't actually caused by "hits," the Hawks were tired and they were pulling up short to avoid contact all night. Saad just got outworked on his.

The forecheck had them flustered. If you don't agree, maybe you were actually watching a Vancouver game. Dunno.

Also, the Hawks "held" the lead because Crawford stood on his head—they were generally outplayed except for about 15 minutes. The puck was in their end for most of the night.

Bollig played quite well but we need someone who can play better than him but can also bring some physicality .... Matt Martin anyone?
- paulr

Please. And by the way, rumor has it his middle name is (fittingly) "Meathead"

If I give Saad a pass for that pathetic clearing attempt on the game winner, it's because he was obviously tired. The double shifting affected all of them. Kane's conditioning has really improved regardless.
- John Jaeckel

pretty much this.

the Ducks physical play + the relentless double shifting of key players was bound to catch up to them and that last five minutes they went from dominating the third period to looking like my beer league team.

right now this team has two guys on the roster that are complete dead weight (Carcillo and Mayers) - absolutely no excuse to have either of them on the team if they can't play - i can't imagine that Ben Smith would be less effective than Carcillo. makes no sense.