Hawks are 11-1 this post-season in games they've been out shot in. Pretty sure they've got a handle on it.
- Ogilthorpe2

Well obviously if they lost a game they don't!

Who is Mr .Sequin?
- paulr

Sharp has never been good with breakaways. I know he worked very hard at it between 13 and 14 to improve on shoot outs, again probably to sure up all aspects of his game in case it came down to the shoot out for making team Canada. Much like how Oshie had a nod over many other Americans because of his shoot out move.

TT is worthless if he's not playing with top end guys. Needs to be top 9 or sit, and honestly........I don't see how anyone in the press box right now is going to take over TT's spot.

Again, I hate to keep harping on it, but Bickell.....one of their larger guys in size has played as small as he can so badly......he's not even an option to dress. That just speaks volumes as to where Q is at with him, and while I don't always agree with Q, on this........I 100% agree with.

I also think very well 29 is gone this summer. Between all the scratches this season and now in the playoffs? Q is done with this guy.........more so then he ever was with 22, who didn't always warrant the dog house.
- SteveRain

Q and Stanley are done with a lot of these guys. So hmmmmm, let's see....

Crawford, Versteeg to Edmonton for Anton Lander, Andrew Ference, 2015 2nd/3rd.
* Edmonton gets a goalie, scoring depth, leadership. Hawks shed cap space, get a controllable/cheap two way center, eat some salary back with a veteran 7th D man, and get a pick.
Sharp, Schmaltz to Buffalo for Deslauries, 2nd or 3rd round pick.
* Buffalo gets a scorer to teach the kids for a few years and a decent C prospect. Blackhawks shed salary, gets a 3rd/4th line guy to bang and crash for cheap, and a pick.
Bickell, Paliotta to Florida for Petrovic.
*Dale gets another one of his guys and a decent blueline prospect, we shed salary and gets some young blueliner with some experience to also remind Kane about his collarbone.

I see something like this potentially(hopefully) playing out.

- Ogilthorpe2

Oh my! Now I understand TG's obsession. He's a nice looking man.

I don't think you understand how possession stats are calculated.
- Elbows15

Not talking about stats.
My belief (notice I say belief because I can only comment on what I am seeing) is that Q doesn't want them firing the puck at every opportunity because he has:

1. guys that are fatigued and cannot or will not retrieve the puck
2. guys that will then have to defend if the puck doesn't go in the net
3. provides a change of possession when the 1st 2 things are the case

So I believe they are instructed to draw defenders and look for one of their teammates and create the best opportunity for the puck to end up in the back of the opposing team's net.

It's all OK if those passes lead to the best chances. But as we have and continue to see, putting the puck to the net is not always a bad thing. Yes, it forces the team to be responsible -- and GO to the net -- to attempt to retrieve and continue pressure.

Just believe they are overlooking too many good looks for the option of the perfect play. Could be wrong here and Q is telling them to shoot at every chance they get. Their actions, however, would indicate the opposite. To me anyway.

Not talking about stats.
My belief (notice I say belief because I can only comment on what I am seeing) is that Q doesn't want them firing the puck at every opportunity because he has:

1. guys that are fatigued and cannot or will not retrieve the puck
2. guys that will then have to defend if the puck doesn't go in the net
3. provides a change of possession when the 1st 2 things are the case

So I believe they are instructed to draw defenders and look for one of their teammates and create the best opportunity for the puck to end up in the back of the opposing team's net.

It's all OK if those passes lead to the best chances. But as we have and continue to see, putting the puck to the net is not always a bad thing. Yes, it forces the team to be responsible -- and GO to the net -- to attempt to retrieve and continue pressure.

Just believe they are overlooking too many good looks for the option of the perfect play. Could be wrong here and Q is telling them to shoot at every chance they get. Their actions, however, would indicate the opposite. To me anyway.
- savvyone-1

So if the team is shooting based on better scoring opportunity, they are tied in the cup final with 28 other teams eliminated please explain why you feel the Chicago coaching staff should change their approach?

Who is Mr .Sequin?
- paulr

I know it can't be me. I'm sure that TG knows that I'm more of a Tye-dye and sandals kind of rodent.

So if the team is shooting based on better scoring opportunity, they are tied in the cup final with 28 other teams eliminated please explain why you feel the Chicago coaching staff should change their approach?
- paulr

Maybe because I actually think the opportunities passed up all too often could have had a pretty good chance of either going in on the shot or a follow up opportunity. I'm not advocating they get over center ice and fire away, nor over the blue line and do the same.

But TBH, have seen some very good chances passed up in favor of an additional pass.
Just a very few of those, shot taken, if the puck goes in on that or a rebound/scramble, we might not be fighting with one another and instead planning on attending another parade.

Like everyone else here, it's an observation made where I think they are missing an opportunity to help themselves.

I know it can't be me. I'm sure that TG knows that I'm more of a Tye-dye and sandals kind of rodent.
- Beaver-Warrior

Tie dye and sandals on an outdoorsy unshaven man can be absolutely dreamy in a socialist hippy kind of way.

All hail Saad. saad is getting space because they are surrounding Kane with 3 players. They have been all series and having poop on his left was making it easier. Lets see what happens over the next games that Saad is there. There is now someone who can make them pay.
- Elbows15

Q and Stanley are done with a lot of these guys. So hmmmmm, let's see....

Crawford, Versteeg to Edmonton for Anton Lander, Andrew Ference, 2015 2nd/3rd.
* Edmonton gets a goalie, scoring depth, leadership. Hawks shed cap space, get a controllable/cheap two way center, eat some salary back with a veteran 7th D man, and get a pick.
Sharp, Schmaltz to Buffalo for Deslauries, 2nd or 3rd round pick.
* Buffalo gets a scorer to teach the kids for a few years and a decent C prospect. Blackhawks shed salary, gets a 3rd/4th line guy to bang and crash for cheap, and a pick.
Bickell, Paliotta to Florida for Petrovic.
*Dale gets another one of his guys and a decent blueline prospect, we shed salary and gets some young blueliner with some experience to also remind Kane about his collarbone.

I see something like this potentially(hopefully) playing out.
- Bjm84

I see Versteeg staying because he's cheap, Bickell moved for 2 1/2 bags of pucks, and Sharp/Crawford shipped out for picks/prospects.

I see few if any established roster players coming back in trades this off-season.

Not talking about stats.
My belief (notice I say belief because I can only comment on what I am seeing) is that Q doesn't want them firing the puck at every opportunity because he has:

1. guys that are fatigued and cannot or will not retrieve the puck
2. guys that will then have to defend if the puck doesn't go in the net
3. provides a change of possession when the 1st 2 things are the case

So I believe they are instructed to draw defenders and look for one of their teammates and create the best opportunity for the puck to end up in the back of the opposing team's net.

It's all OK if those passes lead to the best chances. But as we have and continue to see, putting the puck to the net is not always a bad thing. Yes, it forces the team to be responsible -- and GO to the net -- to attempt to retrieve and continue pressure.

Just believe they are overlooking too many good looks for the option of the perfect play. Could be wrong here and Q is telling them to shoot at every chance they get. Their actions, however, would indicate the opposite. To me anyway.
- savvyone-1

Where do you see all these good looks? For the most part, the looks they get are fleeting, and I see way too many shots fired point blank into legs. So yes, they are being more selective, but no more selective than they should be. Their problem isn't losing possession when they shoot, their problem is losing possession when they don't shoot, via mishandles, dumb passes, and overly fancy play.

I see Versteeg staying because he's cheap, Bickell moved for 2 1/2 bags of pucks, and Sharp/Crawford shipped out for picks/prospects.

I see few if any established roster players coming back in trades this off-season.
- Ogilthorpe2

Who's going to come up with that extra half a bag? He's a two bag return at best.

Who's going to come up with that extra half a bag? He's a two bag return at best.
- Sandus

The half bag are used.

I see Versteeg staying because he's cheap, Bickell moved for 2 1/2 bags of pucks, and Sharp/Crawford shipped out for picks/prospects.

I see few if any established roster players coming back in trades this off-season.
- Ogilthorpe2

Versteeg is gone IMO because Q doesn't love him. I also don't think Q is going to be okay with a roster consisting of 3-4 rookie forwards and 2-3 rookie D-men.

There will be players coming back, Crawford especially can fetch a serviceable one such as Lander.

I hate to sound like some of the somewhat hockey ignorant UC crowd now-a-days, but the Hawks really need to SHOOT THE PUCK. They passed up a whole bunch of seemingly open shot attempts to try for an extra pass, a "hot pass" or back-door play, etc. Put the puck on net, good things will happen. There was a play in the 3rd that was it in a nutshell. Richards, Kane and I believe Saad were breaking in on net. Richards was breaking in on the left wing and had an open path to the net and clear shot, he gave the puck up to Kane who was somewhat covered in the middle for a one timer, that the goalie made a nice stop on. If Richards shoots, he has Kane and Saad crashing the net for the rebound. If Kane was wide open, fine, make the pass, but he was covered and the pass was forced, the shot would have been a better option.
- TheTrob

Not accurate. Saad crashed, Richards held and waited for kane to get in the middle to have a great look. They set that all up while coming into the zone. Agree on the shoot the luck but that was set up nicely. Richards read that all the way and kane had a much better look

While calling this a "goalie win" is accurate, I think that slightly mis-represents the Hawks.

Yes, TB was in control for the first period and the last 4 minutes definitely. But the Hawks controlled most of the time between and before that last flurry by TB, the Hawks held the Bolts to FOUR total shots in 25 minutes.

This game, much like every other game was evenly played and could have gone either way. Yes, the strange thing about this series is there are periods of the game where one team looks like total trash. I think that's because of HOW GOOD both these teams are, if one is "a little off" they then get run out the rink.

The Hawks hit 3 or 4 posts and the third period setup from Richards to Kane on a brilliantly designed zone entry (love how Keith skated it and passed it back to RW who was circling back, who then passed cross ice to Kane on LW who drove it into the zone) all could have easily been Hawks goals. I was just waiting for yet another deflected goal into the back of our net during the last few minutes. That's pretty much how TB has been scoring. But that goal never came. That goal never came, the puck luck TB had gotten in games 2 and 3 didn't hold up. The "response" TB had delivered to previous Hawk goals never happened. The Hawks missed those golden chances and had 3x the number of giveaways as TB and still found a way to win.

If the Hawks skate the Cup, Game 4 is where it was "won". This is where the series changed. Puck luck changed, the flow changed, the momentum changed. The stars ARE aligning once again for this team. Crawford made the "champion saves" he had to make. He's getting into the zone. Kane and Toews, who I think had one single point in Games 1-3, got 2 points last night. Patrick Sharp was a breath of fresh air on the top line, it has him going and he was involved in 4 or 5 good chances. Versteeg has been outstanding.

All systems go....Saturday night!!!

So here's the simple solution to Wiz's problem. From this blog forward, the contest to try to be "first" on the new blog is now changed to try to be the first person to post "last" on the old blog immediately after the new blog goes up. So when you see a new blog up, you don't race to type "first" on that blog. You go to the old blog and immediately type "last". First person to type "last" on the old blog with a time stamp after the new blog posting wins.

In this way, Wiz will always see "last" and know there's a new blog up and running.

You're welcome, Wiz. I love your insight and dont want you frustrated!
- Cmonalready

#88 is not a sniper but his trademark is to have a similar effect in big games - as in gimmee the puck, now's the time to get something done. At that point he makes a highlight reel move, pass or shot that changes the whole game. On that 2 on 1 with Desjardins in the last minute of the 2nd period I was ready for something big and all we got was a shot into the pads. I think he looked over at #11 and wondered what he was doing there. The Tampa Dman played it perfectly as did the goaltender.

Cooper is smart enough to know that if they go to sleep on Kane for a minute, he can change the whole game and series. Q is trying everything he can to bust him loose. Holding him in check for 6 or 7 straight games isn't easy.
- RickJ

They did but Desjardins never opened up to take a pass. But then Desjardins is a 4th liner for a reason. I was looking for something until I realized who was with him. Not knocking Desjardins but he is what he is.

I see Versteeg staying because he's cheap, Bickell moved for 2 1/2 bags of pucks, and Sharp/Crawford shipped out for picks/prospects.

I see few if any established roster players coming back in trades this off-season.
- Ogilthorpe2

Now that I've thought about it a little bit, is there any chance Winnipeg would take Bickell in exchange for Frolik's pre-7/1 negotiating rights?

Looks like Barrett Jackman isn't going to be resigned by the Blues. Read it on The Hockey News site. It will be interesting to see who picks him up - and for what $/term.

How weird would it be to see him as a bottom-pairing d-man in a Hawks sweater next year?

Looks like Barrett Jackman isn't going to be resigned by the Blues. Read it on The Hockey News site. It will be interesting to see who picks him up - and for what $/term.

How weird would it be to see him as a bottom-pairing d-man in a Hawks sweater next year?
- Chief4Feathers

It would be weird.

I doubt that you guys could afford him. I have a feeling that he is gone because he wouldn't take a pay cut to stay with the Blues and he probably wants as much as he can get now with this likely being his last bigger contract.

Its not hard to understand what he is doing, bogie. He is trying to accomplish two things. Open up some space for Kane or at least have someone who can take advantage of the open space Kane is creating indirectly.
The second is saying to TB, go ahead and stop Kane and Toews and company will see time against Coburn and Garrison.

And for all the rolling four lines mantra, show me a coach in the league who isn't going to try to get his best players out there more?
- Elbows15

I am with ya.....

Looks like Barrett Jackman isn't going to be resigned by the Blues. Read it on The Hockey News site. It will be interesting to see who picks him up - and for what $/term.

How weird would it be to see him as a bottom-pairing d-man in a Hawks sweater next year?
- Chief4Feathers

- Ogilthorpe2

Andrew Ference can stay in Edmonton.