When are we gonna see the boy Leblanc?
- HonkyMcD

I was wondering this myself. If not tonight, then perhaps Vancouver on Monday imo. Gotta get him some ice time. Maybe give Zeus the night off tonight. Got a little banged up last night and 3 games in 4 nights plus a long flight to British Columbia is a lot for the old geezer

JJ, I really appreciate your write-ups and perspectives, thanks.

Re rotating two goalies, everyone always says that you can't do this and win in the playoffs, that coaches don't like to roll that way, so that it's virtually never done. But if it's never done, how do we know that it can't work?

Going way back, I recall that the famous 1983-84 Oilers featured two prominent goalies in their cup run, though that team is arguably something of an anomaly for comparison purposes, and another era. Just askin'"...

Crawford used to be better when he combined athleticism with positioning. Last year became a position only shot blocker. Earlier this year he went back to the hybrid style he was more successful. After his injury this season he again reverted back to being a mindless shot blocker relying on positioning and nothing else. Maybe the coaching staff will do what they did with Keith and review old tape of Crawford when he was more successful

As for Keith, if he plays as he did last night, being more dynamic, fast, creative and playing his off point I think he can be a reasonably good point guy on the Power play. The quarterbacking of the power play can be left to Kane, Hossa or Toews so long as Keith gets pucks through and makes defenders have to key on him.
- paulr

Re: Crow...not sure i've seen a goalie since Hasek find himself in so many unconventional positions as does C2. His nameplate facing center ice far too often. He's very awkward with his stick and he's a real joy to watch when trying to smother pucks in his feet.

Last years team wasn't as good as this years team. Like, its not even close.

Also, the playoffs featured an unhealthy Toews, a dead Hossa, a suspended Shaw and a goalie having a career year in the other net.

Last year's team was a complete mess in many ways.
- AceRatbang

Yep, and one of the biggest messes was the PP...still is.

I wonder if the Hawks would be better off using both Crawford and Emery in the playoffs. I know teams like to have one goalie carry the load in the playoffs but playing both has worked out well so far why change what is working. Crawford makes me nervous too and things can go south pretty quick if he gets off to a bad start.
- jhawk159

Not a bad idea since that has been the established m/o during the regular season. I'm firmly in favour of letting Razor be the number 1 in the playoffs...as long as his body holds up.

I don't know what Brookbank was thinking by putting that puck at the skates of Crawford. I was at the game sitting on the goal line and was screaming 3 seconds before it went in.

I also would have liked to have seen Leddy out on the PP to start OT instead if Keith. It worked out, but I felt that he would gel better 4-3.
- resqmed99

BrookSTANK made one nice headman pass to Kane and other than that...his near every touch of the biscuit was shaky as PHUCK.

And last year? Three OT losses, and 1/19 on the PP. Two more PP goals, and nobody's talking about Crawford's OT ineptitude.

The PP sucked all year, and when they desperately needed a PP goal in the playoffs, they couldn't do it.

If they can't do it with no pressure, how the hell can they expect to do it under playoff pressure? It's not just a switch thy can flip on at any time.
- Ogilthorpe2

If he's our goal in a close game and reverts to his Phoenix flame out form...this juggernaut of a hockey team could find itself reeling very quickly. By far...my biggest worry come playoffs. START RAZOR.

BrookSTANK made one nice headman pass to Kane and other than that...his near every touch of the biscuit was shaky as PHUCK.
- philco28

He gets a lot of flak on these threads, but I honestly don't think he's been that bad. He's probably one of the best 7th D-men in the league...just be glad he's not #6.

On the second goal, note the ref coming in from his right behind the net as the play is made and then calling good goal on opposite side. From the overhead it looked like the puck was under Craw with 5 players there don't know how he still "saw" the puck. I have seen whistels blow alot earlier than that and cost the hawks where the puck clearly was not frozen. Its a tough call for the ref...my guess they most likely want to error on the side keeping the play alive.
- bogiedoc

Fishier than Madonna's loins.

He gets a lot of flak on these threads, but I honestly don't think he's been that bad. He's probably one of the best 7th D-men in the league...just be glad he's not #6.
- Ogilthorpe2

I like his toughness but because he and Rozie have been rotated regularly...it seems like his touch with the puck INSIDE OUR BLUE LINE is wanting much of the time.

Yep, and one of the biggest messes was the PP...still is.
- Ogilthorpe2

Yes.

And this year's 5 on 5 play and penalty kill is outstanding.

Before commenting on the present blog and issues, I found this article an incredible primer for all of us and our GM.

called the Seven Deadly Sins of NHL Roster Construction

http://insider.espn.go.co...ns-nhl-roster-constuction

especailly these points:

3. Waiting too long to trade a player
It's never easy trading a franchise forward, so the Flames can be forgiven for waiting to trade Jarome Iginla. But there's no doubt the return for the future Hall of Famer would have been dramatically bigger two years ago. Or even this summer at the draft. When owners support a decisive general manager, the payoff can be strong, such as when the Penguins loaded up with young defensemen in the Jordan Staal trade or GM Darcy Regier hauling in Johan Larsson, Matt Hackett and two high draft picks for Jason Pominville. The Wild were willing to part with so many assets because they weren't getting a rental. Pominville is a player who can help them contend for a Stanley Cup for the next couple of seasons.

4. Skipping the bridge contract
Teams that take a hard line on the second contract for players, as the Rangers did with Michael Del Zotto and the Canadiens did with P.K. Subban, provide themselves with more salary-cap flexibility to bolster their rosters while core players are still young … and it keeps those players hungry and motivated to cash in on the third contract. There were definitely some team executives who questioned Edmonton's decision to sign Taylor Hall to a seven-year, $42 million contract and Jordan Eberle to a six-year, $36 million contract this summer. When I asked Hall about the criticism of the deals during the lockout, he realized they probably weren't popular deals at the league level, either.

"I'm sure Gary Bettman wasn't happy when he saw me and Ebs sign those deals. I know some other teams in the league weren't too happy to see them, either," Hall said before the season. "Nobody put a gun to Edmonton's head and said 'You have to sign these guys.' We're good players in the franchise, and we really appreciate the commitment they gave us."

The Oilers have now set that precedent as an organization, and Sam Gagner, Nail Yakupov, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz likely will expect a similar commitment, speeding up the time frame in which the Oilers have to win with this young group.

(I think you probably can include Winnipeg's Evander Kane's deal, and Ryan O'Reilly's)

5. Paying on potential
This goes hand-in-hand with No. 4, but it's worth pointing out how the philosophy of avoiding this has helped the St. Louis Blues compete for a Stanley Cup while maintaining one of the lowest payrolls in the league. GM Armstrong firmly believes that you reward proven production with a long-term contract rather than give a long-term contract to a player who has the potential to produce. In theory, you might be able to sign a player to a lower number if you bet on future production, but Armstrong would rather pay market price for a player after he has proved himself in the NHL than weigh down his team with inflated contracts on players who might produce. That philosophy helped the budget-conscious Blues afford Jay Bouwmeester's big contract ($6.68 million per season) for their playoff push. (Let's see how Armstrong handles Kevin Shattenkirk's deal before I canonize his budget handling. I am curious if he can keep it under 4 million.)

6. Long-term contracts beyond a players' prime
It won't be long until we start seeing the fallout of some of the long-term contracts signed before the lockout. There's already speculation that the Rangers should buy out Brad Richards' deal this summer, just two years after signing him to a nine-year contract when he was 31 years old. Every year we get closer to the end of some of those extended pre-lockout deals, the uglier they're going to look.

"We haven't seen the back end of these long-term commitments and what they look like. You're managing risk; the longer you extend a contract, the higher the risk," said one Western Conference exec. "At some point, some of these commitments that we all seem in a rush to make are going to all start piling up on each other. It hasn't happened yet."

It could get ugly when it does, and there will be teams ready to capitalize. San Jose refused to give any of those long-term deals and will have huge salary-cap flexibility in two years. And it won't be long until Brian Burke's refusal to hand out those contracts looks pretty smart for the Maple Leafs.

7. Too much term for goalies
The long-term contracts for Roberto Luongo and Ilya Bryzgalov should be warning signs to teams in negotiations to sign franchise goalies this summer. Goalies such as Tuukka Rask, Jimmy Howard and Mike Smith will want the stability that comes with a long-term deal, and there's a case for each of them to get it. But goaltender can be a volatile position, and teams might be better off paying more annually on a shorter term than taking a long-term plunge. (I don't think Jimmy Howard hurts the Wings at 5.3 million, but until 2019? They must be convinced at his long term ability and continued upside.)

"You've already seen Rick DiPietro, and maybe in Vancouver you're going to see that blow up on them with Luongo," one NHL source said. "My feeling is [to] pay more shorter term and let some guys just go."

If he's our goal in a close game and reverts to his Phoenix flame out form...this juggernaut of a hockey team could find itself reeling very quickly. By far...my biggest worry come playoffs. START RAZOR.

- philco28

It's a concern for me as well, but not my biggest...


Ogi's top 3 post season's concerns.

#3) Lack of a physical presence among our top 6 forwards.

#2) Craw sh!ts the bead and/or Emery's hip can't handle the playoff grind.

#1) To quote Eli..."the Hawks PP is crap".

Fishier than Madonna's loins.
- philco28

When are we gonna see the boy Leblanc?
- HonkyMcD

my guess is one of the last 3 gmes

Yes.

And this year's 5 on 5 play and penalty kill is outstanding.
- AceRatbang

How does that help them to just suddenly decide to score PP goals when they need to as you suggested they will? The notion that they can just flip a switch and start converting at any time is just ignorant. No matter how good they are 5 on 5, and on the PK, at some point they will find themselves in a close game with a chance for the PP to be a game changer.

As for your argument that they haven't been scoring PP goals because they haven't needed to, there have been many times this year where they have had a PP late in close games with the ability to tie/take the lead/put games away and were unable to convert. I understand that this year's team is better than last, and it may very well be possible to get deep into the playoffs with a piss poor PP, but in close games (like last year's playoffs) a decent PP can make the difference between a deep run and a first round out.

Right now, the PP is the weakest link.

Actually I am scratching my head at any idea of starting Carter Hutton.

Logic just eludes me on doing so, when your team needs a combination of three wins and a Penquin loss to get home ice overall.

So Emery (who I am sure Crawford thought would never wrest away so many games from his revival" as a starter) is injured, and
Crawford fought the puck some yesterday.

IF he IS the guy, do you think NOW is when he wants to get back in?

Unless he is tweaking an injury.

He wants to play, and I know if I am him, and they rest me
"to be ready for Vancouver...",
I am thinking the staff has less confidence in me.

If you play Hutton, you might as well play a few more lesser lights too, because I really think that
Hutton playing would be like placing a band aid on a cut that needs stitching.

There is a time and place...and maybe that is Edmonton or Calgary, but maybe that's how the staff is approaching it,

Hutton death now,

and get those needed wins later.

I know this sounds far more cruel than I treat all the other Hawk farms, but the guy doesn't stop a lot of shots at the lower level that I think he should, so this might be an open season if he does start...

It's a concern for me as well, but not my biggest...


Ogi's top 3 post season's concerns.

#3) Lack of a physical presence among our top 6 forwards.

#2) Craw sh!ts the bead and/or Emery's hip can't handle the playoff grind.

#1) To quote Eli..."the Hawks PP is crap".
- Ogilthorpe2

Legitimate concerns.

Can't wait for the tournament !

CROW was terrible last night...nice to see the pp click...tough match up tonight GO HAWKS! In other news....We had Lou Malnati's pizza last night that our Illinois friends brought me when they visited Canada for the 1st time last weekend....oh and some Garretts popcorn as well
- RIDELIKEHELL

Lou Malnattis is the best deep dish pizza, IMO! You can also order frozen pies online to be delivered anywhere.

Before commenting on the present blog and issues, I found this article an incredible primer for all of us and our GM.

called the Seven Deadly Sins of NHL Roster Construction

http://insider.espn.go.co...ns-nhl-roster-constuction

especailly these points:

3. Waiting too long to trade a player
It's never easy trading a franchise forward, so the Flames can be forgiven for waiting to trade Jarome Iginla. But there's no doubt the return for the future Hall of Famer would have been dramatically bigger two years ago. Or even this summer at the draft. When owners support a decisive general manager, the payoff can be strong, such as when the Penguins loaded up with young defensemen in the Jordan Staal trade or GM Darcy Regier hauling in Johan Larsson, Matt Hackett and two high draft picks for Jason Pominville. The Wild were willing to part with so many assets because they weren't getting a rental. Pominville is a player who can help them contend for a Stanley Cup for the next couple of seasons.

4. Skipping the bridge contract
Teams that take a hard line on the second contract for players, as the Rangers did with Michael Del Zotto and the Canadiens did with P.K. Subban, provide themselves with more salary-cap flexibility to bolster their rosters while core players are still young … and it keeps those players hungry and motivated to cash in on the third contract. There were definitely some team executives who questioned Edmonton's decision to sign Taylor Hall to a seven-year, $42 million contract and Jordan Eberle to a six-year, $36 million contract this summer. When I asked Hall about the criticism of the deals during the lockout, he realized they probably weren't popular deals at the league level, either.

"I'm sure Gary Bettman wasn't happy when he saw me and Ebs sign those deals. I know some other teams in the league weren't too happy to see them, either," Hall said before the season. "Nobody put a gun to Edmonton's head and said 'You have to sign these guys.' We're good players in the franchise, and we really appreciate the commitment they gave us."

The Oilers have now set that precedent as an organization, and Sam Gagner, Nail Yakupov, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Justin Schultz likely will expect a similar commitment, speeding up the time frame in which the Oilers have to win with this young group.

(I think you probably can include Winnipeg's Evander Kane's deal, and Ryan O'Reilly's)

5. Paying on potential
This goes hand-in-hand with No. 4, but it's worth pointing out how the philosophy of avoiding this has helped the St. Louis Blues compete for a Stanley Cup while maintaining one of the lowest payrolls in the league. GM Armstrong firmly believes that you reward proven production with a long-term contract rather than give a long-term contract to a player who has the potential to produce. In theory, you might be able to sign a player to a lower number if you bet on future production, but Armstrong would rather pay market price for a player after he has proved himself in the NHL than weigh down his team with inflated contracts on players who might produce. That philosophy helped the budget-conscious Blues afford Jay Bouwmeester's big contract ($6.68 million per season) for their playoff push. (Let's see how Armstrong handles Kevin Shattenkirk's deal before I canonize his budget handling. I am curious if he can keep it under 4 million.)

6. Long-term contracts beyond a players' prime
It won't be long until we start seeing the fallout of some of the long-term contracts signed before the lockout. There's already speculation that the Rangers should buy out Brad Richards' deal this summer, just two years after signing him to a nine-year contract when he was 31 years old. Every year we get closer to the end of some of those extended pre-lockout deals, the uglier they're going to look.

"We haven't seen the back end of these long-term commitments and what they look like. You're managing risk; the longer you extend a contract, the higher the risk," said one Western Conference exec. "At some point, some of these commitments that we all seem in a rush to make are going to all start piling up on each other. It hasn't happened yet."

It could get ugly when it does, and there will be teams ready to capitalize. San Jose refused to give any of those long-term deals and will have huge salary-cap flexibility in two years. And it won't be long until Brian Burke's refusal to hand out those contracts looks pretty smart for the Maple Leafs.

7. Too much term for goalies
The long-term contracts for Roberto Luongo and Ilya Bryzgalov should be warning signs to teams in negotiations to sign franchise goalies this summer. Goalies such as Tuukka Rask, Jimmy Howard and Mike Smith will want the stability that comes with a long-term deal, and there's a case for each of them to get it. But goaltender can be a volatile position, and teams might be better off paying more annually on a shorter term than taking a long-term plunge.

"You've already seen Rick DiPietro, and maybe in Vancouver you're going to see that blow up on them with Luongo," one NHL source said. "My feeling is
- wiz1901[to] pay more shorter term and let some guys just go."

Waiting too long to trade a player: this type of player has been productive, usually popular with the fans, media and management and around 30 year old....tough to pull the trigger on a trade like that; risk of getting burned is high; most GM's do this if they see themselves as bubble team or the shelf is looking bare in the coming years. Iginla is a grt example of this and Flames waited 2 years to long to make this move.

Skipping the bridge contract: The Oiler contracts to their young guns were made by a GM in coma and desperate for a standings payoff. Yes the Oil with these guys will have highlight reel goals and lite it up on the powerplay but that team goes no where with out vets who can play and lead; also defensive improvement would help alot. Dishing out those contracts to "kids" who have done nothing is really dumb.

Too much term for goalies: This is over; note Howard extending for 6 years. Top Forwards and Dmen will get max of 8 yrs, but not goalies. 6 will be the top for goalies going forward. At the time when phylly signed Bryz, I suspected that signing would doom them...he was not that good and not worth it.

The salary/player dumping this summer ought to be story of the off season. Who gets dumped and where do they end up. I wonder if GMs will get more agressive with RFA offer sheets.....anybody say Leddy?

Actually I am scratching my head at any idea of starting Carter Hutton.

Logic just eludes me on doing so, when your team needs a combination of three wins and a Penquin loss to get home ice overall.

So Emery (who I am sure Crawford thought would never wrest away so many games from his revival" as a starter) is injured, and
Crawford fought the puck some yesterday.

IF he IS the guy, do you think NOW is when he wants to get back in?

Unless he is tweaking an injury.

He wants to play, and I know if I am him, and they rest me
"to be ready for Vancouver...",
I am thinking the staff has less confidence in me.

If you play Hutton, you might as well play a few more lesser lights too, because I really think that
Hutton playing would be like placing a band aid on a cut that needs stitching.

There is a time and place...and maybe that is Edmonton or Calgary, but maybe that's how the staff is approaching it,

Hutton death now,

and get those needed wins later.

I know this sounds far more cruel than I treat all the other Hawk farms, but the guy doesn't stop a lot of shots at the lower level that I think he should, so this might be an open season if he does start...
- wiz1901

Hutton tonight makes no sense; Craw shld play again...they just had 3 days off!

Agree a Hutton debut makes sense vs oil or the flames!

Hutton tonight makes no sense; Craw shld play again...they just had 3 days off!

Agree a Hutton debut makes sense vs oil or the flames!
- bogiedoc

Agreed, Craw can play back-to-back. I wanna see LeBlanc before Hutton for cripes sake.

How does that help them to just suddenly decide to score PP goals when they need to as you suggested they will? The notion that they can just flip a switch and start converting at any time is just ignorant. No matter how good they are 5 on 5, and on the PK, at some point they will find themselves in a close game with a chance for the PP to be a game changer.

As for your argument that they haven't been scoring PP goals because they haven't needed to, there have been many times this year where they have had a PP late in close games with the ability to tie/take the lead/put games away and were unable to convert. I understand that this year's team is better than last, and it may very well be possible to get deep into the playoffs with a piss poor PP, but in close games (like last year's playoffs) a decent PP can make the difference between a deep run and a first round out.

Right now, the PP is the weakest link.
- Ogilthorpe2

That's a great weakest link to have.

That's a great weakest link to have.
- AceRatbang

Ok Stan, whatever you say.

Fishier than Madonna's loins.
- philco28