Isnt the concesus around here that the highlighted is exactly what happened to this guy this season?



I could be wrong, not trying to speak for anyone else. Just saying
- BlazinMike

KA'PHUCKIN'PUT

Still hanging on to this?.....
- UnnamedSource

Allow me to preach to the choir, US...

And keeping Frolik (of whom I am a fan) would have meant no Versteeg. The fourth line this year does not miss Frolik, and after the problems early in the year the PK is doing very well. Versteeg on the other hand hand is able to play up on the top lines, and I believe he'll settle into the third line nicely in the playoffs. I don't think Versteeg has played that well since his arrival, but he's more valuable to this team this year that Frolik...

Allow me to preach to the choir, US...

And keeping Frolik (of whom I am a fan) would have meant no Versteeg. The fourth line this year does not miss Frolik, and after the problems early in the year the PK is doing very well. Versteeg on the other hand hand is able to play up on the top lines, and I believe he'll settle into the third line nicely in the playoffs. I don't think Versteeg has played that well since his arrival, but he's more valuable to this team this year that Frolik...
- mohel

Agreed....but there is also another reason most forget when making the argument for Frolik, nevermind it's been written about over a dozen times on here. The Hawks were not going to pay 2.3 million to a guy who never had more than 10 goals with the Blackhawks in a hard cap year........it doesn't matter who your back up goalie was, is, or was going to be......

Allow me to preach to the choir, US...

And keeping Frolik (of whom I am a fan) would have meant no Versteeg. The fourth line this year does not miss Frolik, and after the problems early in the year the PK is doing very well. Versteeg on the other hand hand is able to play up on the top lines, and I believe he'll settle into the third line nicely in the playoffs. I don't think Versteeg has played that well since his arrival, but he's more valuable to this team this year that Frolik...
- mohel

And the next two years at $2.2 mil when he'll probably be fully healed from his knee injury. i think he's probly close right now, but next year i bet he skates better.

Allow me to preach to the choir, US...

And keeping Frolik (of whom I am a fan) would have meant no Versteeg. The fourth line this year does not miss Frolik, and after the problems early in the year the PK is doing very well. Versteeg on the other hand hand is able to play up on the top lines, and I believe he'll settle into the third line nicely in the playoffs. I don't think Versteeg has played that well since his arrival, but he's more valuable to this team this year that Frolik...
- mohel

Agreed....but there is also another reason most forget when making the argument for Frolik, nevermind it's been written about over a dozen times on here. The Hawks were not going to pay 2.3 million to a guy who never had more than 10 goals with the Blackhawks in a hard cap year........it doesn't matter who your back up goalie was, is, or was going to be......
- UnnamedSource

Truth, especially when combined with BlazinMike's points. Even for this year alone, Versteeg is better for the Hawks than Frolik. When you add in the next few years it ain't close.

And the next two years at $2.2 mil when he'll probably be fully healed from his knee injury. i think he's probly close right now, but next year i bet he skates better.
- BlazinMike

I agree, I think Versteeg's knee still isn't 100% and we'll have a better idea of what he can do next season.

I agree, I think Versteeg's knee still isn't 100% and we'll have a better idea of what he can do next season.
- DarthKane

Agreed, and Stan wouldn't have had the ability to add Versteeg this year if he'd shoehorned Frolik into the roster earlier. This from a guy who likes Frolik and will always root for him to do well.

- DarthKane

hahahaha

Agreed, and Stan wouldn't have had the ability to add Versteeg this year if he'd shoehorned Frolik into the roster earlier. This from a guy who likes Frolik and will always root for him to do well.
- mohel

I'm a huge Frolik had too and while Stan certainly could have kept Fro this season he couldn't keep him beyond that unless he was willing to part with Bickell. Stan's plan worked out very well, Smith has fit it well on the 4th line and he added Versteeg for more long term depth (at a cap friendly price).

I'm a huge Frolik had too and while Stan certainly could have kept Fro this season he couldn't keep him beyond that unless he was willing to part with Bickell. Stan's plan worked out very well, Smith has fit it well on the 4th line and he added Versteeg for more long term depth (at a cap friendly price).
- DarthKane

Good point on Smith - I think he's effectively replaced Frolik. More so than the other replacements, especially for Bolland. To me, it was a swap of Frolik for Vesteeg and Smith. Good play there. Also, trading for Versteeg became necessary when the other kids showed that they weren't going to pan out; and trading Frolik gave Stan the ability to fill in if Pirri (et al) didn't work out.

Apparently, Emery tonite for the Phillies.

Apparently, Emery tonite for the Phillies.
- StLBravesFan

Goalie fight!!

With back-to-backs is Raanta going tonight? Tomorrow night? Neither?

Apparently, Emery tonite for the Phillies.
- StLBravesFan

Nether Flyers goalie is that impressive and Ray struggles against in December, he left in 6 goals in just over 2 periods with a save % of 0.667. I'm sure Ray will be looking for a little redemption tonight...but he won't get it.

The only player I have seen as strong on his skates a Messier is Big Buff....And he is about 40 pounds heavier.
- Al

Robert Marvin Hull - strongest ever on skates, everyone else is fighting for second

Apparently, Emery tonite for the Phillies.
- StLBravesFan

Let's LIGHT HIM UP

Let's LIGHT HIM UP

- philco28

Gotta light him up, and I won't lose a bit of sleep over it. That said, I admire what Ray has gone through to play NHL goalie after that injury - he's a tough dude.

AR31 is in net tonight.



Crawdaddy tomorrow....... Next tw nights are hopefully a lot of fun for us , not so much anguish and despair .

Let's LIGHT HIM UP

- philco28

Get him going side to side - cruel, but this is war.

Still think injury is a reason he will play. Injuries happen. I certainly don't think he's a savior but the reaction of some just giving him a couple season ending games to see how he does befuddles me.

I don't remember this reaction when Krugman came over at the end of the season. He wasn't great, but he didn't get killed. I don't think their size was much different, and you would be hard pressed to make the argument that Marcus was more talented than TT.

Just don't see the downside to have him come over, practice with the team, and if and injury happens he gets less than 10 games. I guess if the argument is that Danault of McNeill would be better than him and help the hawks more, I'll listen to that argument.

Think part of it to is good for him to get up with the organization and away from his situation in Finland, sounds like it wasn't a great environment.
- vabeachbear

If TT wants to come over now the Hawks would like that...

If an injury he could play and Q could try to shield him to have the best chance to succeed....In the playoffs Q won't have that luxury.

Get him going side to side - cruel, but this is war.
- StLBravesFan

Fargin' war. Johnny Dangerously line....

Probert was, too, and an underrated hockey players by some
- John Jaeckel

Yes ...Very strong.

What you are about to read is inspired by insomnia. If boxscores and hit totals are all that matter to you, I'd suggest skipping my post:

I was thinking, being that I, and many others, weight 5v5 play very heavily in determining how good a team really is. OT and shootouts to me create a lot of noise, as neither (in the regular season variety) are ever played in the playoffs. So then I thought to myself, which team does the best in actual hockey, so the 60 minutes before the gimmicks. In parentheses is the teams rank in score-adjusted 5v5 Fenwick, so pretty much how a team is controlling play. In brackets is team SV% at 5v5, how much a team is really relying on goaltending. In these {} are the special teams ranks, determined by PP vs. PK goals for/against. Special teams is obviously important, so it'd be disingenuous to not consider them. Shorthanded goals are not considered for or against. I was also too lazy to subtract OT PP/SH numbers. The results:

Hawks: 34-15 (1)
- rollpards19[22] {+4}
Blues: 36-14 (5) [13] {+17}
Avs: 33-19 (26) [5] {+4}
Ducks: 38-16 (11) [9] {-4}
Sharks: 31-17 (3) [12] {+11}
Kings: 28-25 (2) [2] {-7}
Wild: 26-23 (22) [3] {-2}
Stars: 27-24 (9) [23] {-3}
Phoenix: 25-25 (18) [6] {-1}

Pens: 36-19 (14) [21] {+26}
Bruins: 40-17 (4) [1] {+3}
NYR: 31-29 (7) [11] {+12}
LOLeafs: 23-25 (29) [4] {-6}
Montreal: 26-25 (23) [8] {+8}
Tampa: 26-24 (8) [7] {-8}
Philly: 30-25 (20) [18] {+7}
#Lumbus: 29-26 (16) [15] {-1}

Conclusions: 1) The East sucks. 2) Boston has won 9 straight, and 8 of those in regulation, at this very moment, they're the best team in the NHL. But worth noting that they've play 8 of the 9 games against the East, Western teams don't get that luxury. But as of now the Bruins are very much separate from the rest of the pack in the East. 3) The Blues and Hawks have been pretty much the same team during regulation this season, the difference is the 3rd game of the year when StL beat Chi in regulation. The Blues superior at special teams, the Hawks superior at 5v5. It would behoove Sharp and Shaw to stop taking idiotic penalties. 4) The Avs, along with the Leafs, Montreal, and the Wild, are getting outplayed 5v5 but their goaltending has been carrying the team. History tells us these teams fair very poorly in the playoffs. 5) The Sharks record is fairly inflated by after 60 minute games. 6) Special teams are carrying what is a fairly average Penguins team. Crosby and Malkin will do that I guess. 7) Tampa is definitely a sleeper in the East, but I'm not sure how the St. Louis trade has effected them. In the West, the Stars are a very good 5v5 on team, which can be problematic for higher seeded teams, but goal tending is an issue with Lehtonen's injuries. 8) Overall, the East seems to be the Bruins for the taking, but a rash of penalties against Pitt or the Rags could sink them. The West, the Blues, Hawks, and Ducks are the best teams playing in regulation, and of those teams, the Blackhawks aren't riding a shooting percentage that blows the rest of the league out of the water. So, get ready for a rematch of the finals.

This kind of analysis is exactly why we keep you around.

Truth, especially when combined with BlazinMike's points. Even for this year alone, Versteeg is better for the Hawks than Frolik. When you add in the next few years it ain't close.
- mohel

The idea was to not pay a 4th line player $2 mill +....That was the thinking and why Frolik isn't here.

The problem was and may still be in some ways ....His PK duties weren't taken over adequately by a younger, cheaper player.

This kind of analysis is exactly why we keep you around.
- Ogilthorpe2

And why we prevent you from sleeping too.