Agreed, but where do you put him right now?
- John Jaeckel

3rd line with Vermette and just leave him there.

I'm with you on this -- I see a guy "pouting," not working hard. Way too much coasting for my liking and I am just surprised that others are defending him (and/or don't see this). I am not disagreeing that Tampa is playing him tough, that Tampa is not giving him space.

But . . . that's on the O side of the puck. I see him coasting back and seeming totally disinterested in skating and playing hard. Honestly, he looks like the petulant Patrick Kane of his 1st years in the league and not the Kane we saw in 2013, 2014. Seemed that he had made the leap and we saw him skating hard on backchecks and making some of his own space.

Tampa is not going to GIVE Kane anything. If he wants it, he will have to TAKE it but I just don't see that fire.
- savvyone-1

I see a guy that is very frustrated by his lack of offensive production. Even further, his lack of offensive generation. He isnt even getting looks at the net. I dont think he touched the puck more than twice in Game 3. His lack of offense is resulting in a lack of attention to detail on the defensive side of the puck. Not good enough from an $80 million dollar man....

I'm not buying that. Sorry. Other teams have tried it. LA, Boston, are perfect examples. Nashville under Trotz.

Kane looks disinterested at times and extremely frustrated. He needs to move the puck and then himself and find the soft lanes in coverage. Funny how Hossa or Toews or Saad have been able to find those spots on cycles.

I'm not going to accept that Kane is going to go a Cup Final series with little production and accept that it's OK because the other team is shutting him down.

He is one of the top players in the game. He needs to find a way to help his team win or hope that this teammates can pick up the slack. If they can't, then he better stand at his stall and take responsibility.
- SteveRain

So Steve you don't accept you can stop a pure finesse player yet you have railed on here many times that the Hawks need bigger more physical players to stop the finesse players on other teams. Sure Toews, Saad, Hossa can be successful, that's because they can, will and are able to play in traffic and tough areas on the ice.

You want Kane to help the team, spot him on the PP on 4 on 4 play and against softer lines and defense pairings. Right now the guys best able to help the Hawks win are the more physical players willing to play in the dirty areas, not the pure finesse players who aren't.

Any chance they put him in the press box with Bickell and put Nordy on the 4th line with Krugs/Desjardins?
- Assman22

Keep the 4th line of 11/16/65, Much rather have 86 out there than 42. JMO.

Everything feels icky.

And amazing all at the same time !

Feels like losses in every game.

Its 2-2 and Kane hasnt even scored a goal ! ! ! !
Is that good or bad ?

I feel like whichever superstar gets going in game 5 , Kane or Stamkos will win the series for his team.

The Blackhawks have had so much succuess that it sometimes takes a unique situation for them to wake up and be themselves . ...

That situation is now upon us , for the 1st time in this core's history they have a chance to win the Cup on home ice. I am hoping this is the new conquest in that locker room , play a solid victorious game 5 on the road so that they have the chance to win the tournament at home.

Either way the Cup will be in the building for game 6 people !
- mrpaulish

Excellent post MrP. Toews is playing like a monster, with or without goals, but in these final 3 games (or 2), Kane has to play like the elite player that he is as well. He simply cannot go through the finals with only one assist.

While Stamkos is not scoring for Tampa, he is a monster on the ice, creating endless scoring opportunities and being physical with our Defence. He is a handful for our players every night, Kane is NOT! This has to change, Kane played his best game of the series last night and created havoc in the Tampa zone with his circling around. He has to create stress for Tampa's defence in these final games.

With 2 days off between games the Hawks need to treat game 5 as another MUST WIN situation. They must all visualize that the only reality they can tolerate is coming home with a 3-2 series lead for Monday and then finish off Tampa because with the fatigue that the Hawks are experiencing, if this goes 7, its doubtful they win.

Keep the 4th line of 11/16/65.
- blackhawk24

This line was a huge mismatch in games 1 and 2. Got several prime chances.

Well its all been said but what a game last night.

There were Q's lineup changes...Richards on the wing at times last night...Vermette 9 minutes and change...but the Hawks won the darn game. Yes there were problems early with guys skating into each other, but Sharp certainly had a jump to his game last night - you'd love to see him finish one of those chances...

Versteeg looked good as well. And I thought Richards played a heck of a game. That play on Stralman was a beauty to help set up Saad's goal.

Crawford was beyond stellar. When he finds his groove he's unbeatable and that has to continue for the Hawks to win it.

Seabs and especially Oduya gutted it out last night...and I really wish that puck had gone in for Timonen...that would have been great.

Interesting comments in the Hawks room afterward to a man they knew they hadn't played their best game and still got the win. They know they'll have to be a lot better on Saturday.

Thankfully two days off for the defense to rest up.

I'm not buying that. Sorry. Other teams have tried it. LA, Boston, are perfect examples. Nashville under Trotz.

Kane looks disinterested at times and extremely frustrated. He needs to move the puck and then himself and find the soft lanes in coverage. Funny how Hossa or Toews or Saad have been able to find those spots on cycles.

I'm not going to accept that Kane is going to go a Cup Final series with little production and accept that it's OK because the other team is shutting him down.

He is one of the top players in the game. He needs to find a way to help his team win or hope that this teammates can pick up the slack. If they can't, then he better stand at his stall and take responsibility.
- SteveRain

He is certainly finding his team a way to win. Tampa Bay has adjusted their entire style of play to shut down the transition game and the player who benefits from it most.

With the way the Hawks D has played and how good Tampa's offense is, they should be railing 35-45 shots \ night but they refuse to open up. So indirectly, there is a massive difference in how these games could have played out.

Grinding out a cycle and getting defensive players to commit down low to open up space in the crease is not the same as scoring in transition or creating off the half boards.

LA, Boston, and Nashville didn't fundamentally change the way they played the game. Also Nashville didn't have nearly the talent that Tampa does and if I remember correctly LA went through last year and the Hawks didn't...

The execution by Tampa, which has made for a boring spectacle, is commendable and hasn't shown many signs of breaking down. Q hasn't had much of an answer either. Saturday should be another uneventful affair and hopefully the Hawks can come away with another win.

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST:

Seabrook was battling flu-like symptoms before the game and toughed it out, had to take an IV between periods, teammates were in AWE, from a source.
- John Jaeckel

TG won't want to hear it. Excuses, excuses.

And to think that he had just enough energy to poke his stick out in front of that Stamkos shot to barely deflect it to the side of the net, talk about a game of inches.
- Dieselhead

Or not enough energy to move it...

So Steve you don't accept you can stop a pure finesse player yet you have railed on here many times that the Hawks need bigger more physical players to stop the finesse players on other teams. Sure Toews, Saad, Hossa can be successful, that's because they can, will and are able to play in traffic and tough areas on the ice.

You want Kane to help the team, spot him on the PP on 4 on 4 play and against softer lines and defense pairings. Right now the guys best able to help the Hawks win are the more physical players willing to play in the dirty areas, not the pure finesse players who aren't.
- paulr

Mike Babcock and Yzerman created a monster with that defensive system they used in the Socchi Olympics. It shut down the Team USA offence quite easily if I recall and the great Dan Bylsma didn't know what to do. Something similar is being thrown at the Hawks in this series.

Kane can't cut it, he will be moved for picks and prospects in the offseason. Hawks fans will show the middle finger and wave good riddance.

TG won't want to hear it. Excuses, excuses.
- Ogilthorpe2

I just get here and look...already here...

You have noticed in the past when Kane has been on a no goals streak he then will change his game and get to the front a tad more and finish rebounds. Hopefully he does. Bish and Vish have been giving up a lot of rebounds with no one there to finish them
- mrpaulish

A huge point from last night's game was all the juicy rebounds that the Tampa goalie gave up, and an even BIGGER point was how few Hawks were there to pounce on them! Again, the biggest difference of this series from any other series, including the last one against ANA is how noticeably we are struggling with finishing. Tampa has usually made the most of their opportunities (a very Hawk-like trait) and we haven't. And you can't just simply lay this on Tampa's strong goaltending...we have hit a ton of iron and missed a bunch of empty nets. This MUST change during this best of 3. FOCUS!

NHL Network Radio http://chirb.it/7xr0cm -Recap and look ahead.
Reasons to believe differently but even tho Hawks are gassed-imo to win Cup TB needs Gm 5.
@AlCimaglia

Sharp saved a sure goal with a great stick lift on Stamkos as the puck was on it's way. Seabrook's deflection of Stamko's open net chance was more lucky than good but it sure was timely.
- paulr

Yes, Sharp was very good last night at both ends, but he HAS TO bury that breakaway shot! He and Hossa have been the worst down low with scoring opportunities, they both have to start finishing their great chances!

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST:

Seabrook was battling flu-like symptoms before the game and toughed it out, had to take an IV between periods, teammates were in AWE, from a source.
- John Jaeckel

I vomited after the penalty calls on him...both by halorhan i thk...while the same play is uncalled on the other end.

First, I called the Crawford bounce back yesterday. Yay me.

Second, shows you how incomplete of a player Sharp has become. Drags his ass like dog with the runs across the carpet and all of a sudden finds a second gear with Hoss and Toews. What a piece of crap. I can't wait for this team to be rid of him.

Also, awful game to watch. This series has really done nothing to advance or sell hockey to the masses. It has been brutal, especially this last game. Absolutely nothing positive to say about that watching experience except for the Hawks won and there was a lot of eye candy at the bar. Completely different from any of the other series where there was some urgency and intensity. Yawn fest.
- fattybeef

You must be joking, right?

Mike Babcock and Yzerman created a monster with that defensive system they used in the Socchi Olympics. It shut down the Team USA offence quite easily if I recall and the great Dan Bylsma didn't know what to do. Something similar is being thrown at the Hawks in this series.

Kane can't cut it, he will be moved for picks and prospects in the offseason. Hawks fans will show the middle finger and wave good riddance.


- RickJ

I'm not suggesting Kane be moved, I'm suggesting he be moved into situations where his skills have a chance of working. He isn't going to play the gritty, dirty roll up his sleeves and scrap it out game so get him into situations where the wrong matchup of Tampa players can't handle his skill.

Very astute observation about the defense being employed by Tampa. All the good coaches know a good defense ALWAYS beats a good offense.

I'm not suggesting Kane be moved, I'm suggesting he be moved into situations where his skills have a chance of working. He isn't going to play the gritty, dirty roll up his sleeves and scrap it out game so get him into situations where the wrong matchup of Tampa players can't handle his skill.

Very astute observation about the defense being employed by Tampa. All the good coaches know a good defense ALWAYS beats a good offense.
- paulr

TB has had more young legs going consistently than Hawks...Big reason why their forecheck has caused problems.

Hawks have been outshot 12 times and have a record of 11-1
When they outshoot their opponent they are 2-5
They are -70 in shots so far this year. amazing numbers

After the 2nd period I said the Hawks would win but had no idea how they would do it. After the win I have no idea how they did it, still don't have a handle on it. Tampa was so much better last night and in this series they have been great, as good or better than LA last year, yet its even. The Hawks will win their third cup, I have no idea how they will be able to do it just that they will.
- Cup-Bearer

oh yes the hawks were out hit again...

hedman seems more interested in pushing the pace and leading the rush....need to make him/bolts pay for his agressiveness.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think all the line changes hurt the hawks more than helped. Yes, Patrick Sharp played better and Brandon Saad helped Kane’s line, but it was a really rough start. The first period was horrible, everything looked out of sync. I’m hoping that Q realizes that changing all four lines wasn’t necessary.

Praying to my Pat Foley bobblehead by providing a shot of whiskey and candles for 27 to survive the rest of the series.
- Crawford

I think that the changes helped and were important (Sharp on the first line and Saad helping the second), but it also absolutely did account for the Hawks slow start. Both top 6 lines seemed to struggle with positioning and giving/receiving passes. But this subtle change (especially with how well Versteeg played his new role on line 3) might just mean the difference in the series. Kane and Richards BOTH played their best games of the series with the arrival of Saad and the top line didn't skip a beat with Sharpy!

Coach Q just needs to keep Shaw as the 4th line winger. He makes that line tick! 4 lines that can take the game to Tampa is Q chooses to rely on them.

TB has had more young legs going consistently than Hawks...Big reason why their forecheck has caused problems.
- Al

Agreed! Some are blaming Kane for being lazy.

You must be joking, right?
- MexicoHawk

no he is not....we live in a to each his own world...remember what you taught us mex: take all analysis with tablets of salt...

>Love Kaner, but his grey zone turnover with 2 minutes to play was incredibly bad
>Up until that time, Hawks had defensive flow and had "control" of the game from the Saad goal until the Kane turnover -- 11 straight minutes killed off the clock
>After the Kaner monumental mistake, puck never left the Hawks zone except for an icing around the 50 second mark
>If Kaner shuttles the puck deep, everyone likely feels better about the "W"
>Like the lines that Q switched to during the game -- keep Richards at 2C -- he played really well -- move Shaw back to 4L RW -- keep Sharp on 1L, Saad on 2L
>At some point during a hockey series, a team decides if they are going to actually pay ANY price to win -- last night the Hawks made that decision -- led by Seabrook and Johnny O
>The formula to win this series is actually pretty simple (not easy) -- get pucks to the Tampa net and get to the Tampa net -- and continue to check Tampa forwards in our slot -- saw several outstanding stick lifts last night

I'm not buying that. Sorry. Other teams have tried it. LA, Boston, are perfect examples. Nashville under Trotz.

Kane looks disinterested at times and extremely frustrated. He needs to move the puck and then himself and find the soft lanes in coverage. Funny how Hossa or Toews or Saad have been able to find those spots on cycles.

I'm not going to accept that Kane is going to go a Cup Final series with little production and accept that it's OK because the other team is shutting him down.

He is one of the top players in the game. He needs to find a way to help his team win or hope that this teammates can pick up the slack. If they can't, then he better stand at his stall and take responsibility.
- SteveRain

He's showing it too. Needs to put his poker face on, increase his tenacity and contribute other ways if need be--like creating turnovers with that great stick.