Not to beat the horse, but what if Q started the series saying, we respect Detroit, they are a dangerous team. But I like our guys and what they have accomplished so far and am sure they are ready and focused on the next series.

Then if you come out, after giving your guys the benefit, and you struggle, then you push a button. It is great listening to Babcock stand behind all his guys as though he truly believes in them and knows they can do well. He expects them to do well.

It really falls to the players to simply want it more than detroit. I am confident they can do it. Just have to be engaged and play their style, not this hodgepodge stuff.

Embrace who you are, no matter what it is and battle.
- TrueGrit

How can you quantify any of that?

I told you over a month ago that to beat the Hawks all you have to do is play the trap and hit them. Well guess what ......

The bottom line is this as I have experienced this many times. When a great team gets down and has its back to the wall they either respond or they are not a great team. I will predict if the Hawks can rebound from the last two games and then go on to win the series there is a good chance they will go to the finals. It is that fine line of winning and losing and overcoming adversity that makes a team great.
- flyerdude17

Yes, this. Next game probably makes or breaks the season. At least we will soon get an answer to the questions being asked since January. Is this team as good as they seem/think they are?

I actually predict they'll respond well.

How can you quantify any of that?

I told you over a month ago that to beat the Hawks all you have to do is play the trap and hit them. Well guess what ......
- paulr

Quantify? Easy 88+19+81+50=238 40+13+35+55=143

Simple 238 is greater than 143 and therefore Hawks should win

Yes, this. Next game probably makes or breaks the season. At least we will soon get an answer to the questions being asked since January. Is this team as good as they seem/think they are?

I actually predict they'll respond well.
- patorioto[/quote]

I hope you're right.

Yes, this. Next game probably makes or breaks the season. At least we will soon get an answer to the questions being asked since January. Is this team as good as they seem/think they are?

I actually predict they'll respond well.
- patorioto

I believe you have a 50 percent chance of being right

I do think they will respond as well

How can you quantify any of that?

I told you over a month ago that to beat the Hawks all you have to do is play the trap and hit them. Well guess what ......
- paulr

What?

If the Hawks had any kind of PowerPlay.. The Hawks don't get beat.. but since they don;t want to change it.. Time to Fire Q, get some guys in here that want to do something differnt. We sat last night and yelling at the TV.. how many times does 2 want to shoot the puck right at Howard's glove?

BTW.. 25 is fa-king worthless, sit him bring back 13 and 52.. Someone hit their 13 over and over and over.. drive his head into the boards like DET is doing for 19.

[quote=patorioto]Yes, this. Next game probably makes or breaks the season. At least we will soon get an answer to the questions being asked since January. Is this team as good as they seem/think they are?

I actually predict they'll respond well.
- paulr[/quote]

I hope you're right.

My dream is one day to be at the Madhouse on Madison for a game one of a playoff series, watching the anthem and seeing the excitement in the building gave me goosebumps and sheer emotion nothing else can bring. Nothing is better than Jim singning the anthem. Have to admit as much as I love Lauren Hart and the Flyers the Hawks home games are electric and the best in the game. You guys in Chicago are very lucky and as bad as things seem right now they may not be this time next week.

How can you quantify any of that?

I told you over a month ago that to beat the Hawks all you have to do is play the trap and hit them. Well guess what ......
- paulr

How do you quantify that? Two losses?

I really hope for stimulating insight, but this pick your cliche blame game is....well....lame...

What I see:
>Hawks getting badly outplayed at the center position
>No puck support: how many 5-on-5 drop passes do you recall in 3 games?
>No team commitment to win faceoffs -- too much reliance on expecting Hawk center to win draw cleanly
>Dmen forcing bad passes up ice when they have lots of open ice to skate puck to redline and dump it in
>Q's player loyalties and stubborness getting in the way
What I would do:
>Major line shake-up to win center battle on every line
>Saad-Toews-Shaw (Shaw's hits open space for Toews)
>Sharp-Kane-Hossa (Kane can create lots opportunities, Sharp takes draws)
>Bickel-Kruger-Stalberg (Kruger has speed and smarts)
>Smith-Bolland-Frolik (Time for Q to face reality, Bolland is playing like a fourth line center and Zeus is MIA)
>Move Leddy to #1 powerplay

How do you quantify that? Two losses?

I really hope for stimulating insight, but this pick your cliche blame game is....well....lame...
- TrueGrit

Two losses can be attributed to Quenneville not playing the guys and game he didn't think would succeed? Really? How can you prove that?

If I picked my 'cliche' yesterday or even a week ago I'd agree it was lame. But I told you in the middle of that winning streak that the Hawks were not a playoff team. I told you that when Columbus employed the trap and laid the body on the Hawks that it caused the Hawks all kinds of problems and I told you a coach would pick on and employ this tactic. Minnesota tried it ans so are Detroit. If the Hawks manage to get by the Wings Sutter will do the same thing only the hitting will be much more intense.

Stimulating insight was provided to you months ago and you didn't want to hear it then any more than you do now it seems.

Shaw's playing on the edge, but on the "slashing call" he went in looking for a loose puck, barely grazed the goalie, then took repeated cross checks on the ice while he was prone and HE GETS THE ONLY PHUCKN' PENALTY.

PHUCK OFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.

And the washed out goal was another PHUCKING JOKE.

Shaw can be smarter but this LOSS wasn't on him.
- philco28

Yeah the reffing is a joke. It is a sad fact but "stars" can do whatever they want: hooks, holds, slashes, and they rarely get called. I think it would be pretty easy to win a selke if you are allowed to hook people. That is something all selke nominee gets away with all the time. Hooks and holds even our great captain

What I see:
>Hawks getting badly outplayed at the center position
>No puck support: how many 5-on-5 drop passes do you recall in 3 games?
>No team commitment to win faceoffs -- too much reliance on expecting Hawk center to win draw cleanly
>Dmen forcing bad passes up ice when they have lots of open ice to skate puck to redline and dump it in
>Q's player loyalties and stubborness getting in the way
What I would do:
>Major line shake-up to win center battle on every line
>Saad-Toews-Shaw (Shaw's hits open space for Toews)
>Sharp-Kane-Hossa (Kane can create lots opportunities, Sharp takes draws)
>Bickel-Kruger-Stalberg (Kruger has speed and smarts)
>Smith-Bolland-Frolik (Time for Q to face reality, Bolland is playing like a fourth line center and Zeus is MIA)
>Move Leddy to #1 powerplay
- SnapitUpstairs

Only one short line on the defence group?

There was one play very early in the game where Seabrook took an outlet pass at the faceoff circle along the boards. He held onto the puck so long that a Detroit forward just crushed him into the glass and knocked him down. The guy is just playing slow and taking some real punishment because of it. Can't figure out what the problem is with him.

50 pages of insane ramblings written by a panicked fanbase.

Legitimately insane and absolutely rambling. I guess its good that you're getting it all out on this forum but I still fear for a lot of families.

50 pages of insane ramblings written by a panicked fanbase.

Legitimately insane and absolutely rambling. I guess its good that you're getting it all out on this forum but I still fear for a lot of families.
- AceRatbang

Not panicked, just angry and with lots of time until the next game. What angers me is that over the past 2 games this team hasn't consistently played to the level they are capable of. Yesterday they only played with fired when they were down 2-0. Hopefully they wake up soon, and I think this is more on the players than on Q.

50 pages of insane ramblings written by a panicked fanbase.

Legitimately insane and absolutely rambling. I guess its good that you're getting it all out on this forum but I still fear for a lot of families.
- AceRatbang

Yeah the series is only 2-1 and hawks have been in that spot before, but they sure don't look good. Detroit has all the mo. Hawks look very frustrated: especially the captain. If you think it is bad now, wait to see the boards if they lose game 4. I'm one of those crazy now, who knows how I will be friday morning

Not panicked, just angry and with lots of time until the next game. What angers me is that over the past 2 games this team hasn't consistently played to the level they are capable of. Yesterday they only played with fired when they were down 2-0. Hopefully they wake up soon, and I think this is more on the players than on Q.
- DarthKane

What is it with this team needing to be down before playing with drive and passion? Too little too late the last little while. Sure they lost the phoenix series, but they woke up in the final minute of those to at least tie them up. Detroit is too good for that. Play 60 damn minutes

50 pages of insane ramblings written by a panicked fanbase.

Legitimately insane and absolutely rambling. I guess its good that you're getting it all out on this forum but I still fear for a lot of families.
- AceRatbang

The insanity is the belief that trotting out the same team with the same core weaknesses, using the same tired strategies against teams that play a trap/tight checking game will offer different results.

This team is NOT built to make a deep playoff run.

If the issue is motivation, it's on the coaches and the man wearing the C.

If the issue is personnel, it's on the GM.

I suspect it's both.

Two losses can be attributed to Quenneville not playing the guys and game he didn't think would succeed? Really? How can you prove that?

If I picked my 'cliche' yesterday or even a week ago I'd agree it was lame. But I told you in the middle of that winning streak that the Hawks were not a playoff team. I told you that when Columbus employed the trap and laid the body on the Hawks that it caused the Hawks all kinds of problems and I told you a coach would pick on and employ this tactic. Minnesota tried it ans so are Detroit. If the Hawks manage to get by the Wings Sutter will do the same thing only the hitting will be much more intense.

Stimulating insight was provided to you months ago and you didn't want to hear it then any more than you do now it seems.
- paulr

Bowman chose to not do much except get a faceoff 4th line player...Who Q. couldn't get on teh ice for more than 8 faceoffs last night.

The winning streak and outstanding record may have covered up some pimples ...But there is no mystery here.

Going back to Game 1 with Minny this is probably the least consitent 7 games of hockey for the entire year.

As frustration sets in, Blackhawks fall again to Red Wings 3-1 - FOX 32 Chicago:http://bit.ly/10JVgvt

Only one short line on the defence group?

There was one play very early in the game where Seabrook took an outlet pass at the faceoff circle along the boards. He held onto the puck so long that a Detroit forward just crushed him into the glass and knocked him down. The guy is just playing slow and taking some real punishment because of it. Can't figure out what the problem is with him.
- RickJ

Now and for most of the year...Seems unaware, surprised he hasn't gotten hurt.

As frustration sets in, Blackhawks fall again to Red Wings 3-1 - FOX 32 Chicago:http://bit.ly/10JVgvt

Shaw's playing on the edge, but on the "slashing call" he went in looking for a loose puck, barely grazed the goalie, then took repeated cross checks on the ice while he was prone and HE GETS THE ONLY PHUCKN' PENALTY.

PHUCK OFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.

And the washed out goal was another PHUCKING JOKE.
Shaw can be smarter but this LOSS wasn't on him.
- philco28

If that goal goes in with any other player in front except Shaw it counts, he`s been too mouthy as a young player, did the refs EVEN out this series?
One thing is for sure they pushed us off our skating lines when we TRIED to break out or gain the blueline. Seems the second pass was never really in good timing for the attack.
When we passed it around the boards Det. seemed to be in the better position most of the time. Hawks need to move their feet and tie up the stick like they did.
Love Darth`s line combos, fact is some one needs to step up AND keep up with that second line wingers. We need to start the game with the same attitude as game three ended, but IN CONTROLL.
Two days of practice to get a dump and chase game. We where not out played for very long, but they converted when it happened. Patients will help us the most in the rest of the series. IMO we should fight back as we always do, speed position and patients resulting in goals. Darth do you think we can handle Carcillo [confusedplay] Bollands [ill effect] or Hanz slow deffensive linemen skills? My vote is play two of them then put Ben Smith in. He is the only one who has confident NHL playoff experience Hawks can and still should win series

I have a stupid question:

If Toews is being drilled like he is, why isn't someone like Bolland or Shaw doing the same to Datsyuk?