JJ happy new year and thanks for last year and all your hard work

Gus looks really good and is looking more like the number 5d than the number 6

Skud bomb was hard to watch last night and at one point it seamed he was getting blown up every time he touched the puck

Don't want to see two rookies playing in gus and sved but they may become necessary
- molly2522

What were the pairings last night? Any chance Gus is the #4? Either way, if Q can give 18 minutes to a number 5 that is either Gus or TVR, that is huge for the top 4.

Has anyone heard where runblad ended up. I know hawks reassigned him to rockford but seeing a lot of things on twitter that hes off to europe somewhere.

I may be in the minority here But I feel Crow needs to play a lot to be sharp ,he is a horse .But over his last 8 straight and 4 in 6 nights he should have been given a break ,maybe the Buffalo day game . Coach Q is a master ,but his goalie rotation is sometimes a mystery .Good to see the Captain snipe the winner last night .That's 4 GWG in the last 11 I think ,not that it is important or anything ..

First, to echo others, thanks JJ for giving us a place to hang out and immerse ourselves in our beloved Hawks and I wish you and my fellow Hawks fans a blessed and prosperous new year.

Now, a cautionary tale is in order regarding the newest shiny objects capturing our attention - those being Danault and Gustafsson. We've been caught up in the hoopla of the new guy a few times already this year only to see them lose their luster upon the closer inspection of a few games. Dano, Baun, Kero, Hinostroza, and Hartman all had a couple moments before Q moved them to the back of the bus and then the bus delivered them back to Rockford where they belong at this stage of their careers.

Danault has played 6 games and so far is showing no sign of hitting the wall of depleted adrenaline that so often happens after a rookie plays a few games, but he not only has that hurdle to clear, he also was injured and didn't play for several months so he may hit a slowdown as his conditioning is being pushed to the max right now. But, he has looked good and his compete level is impressive.

Gustafsson misplayed or maybe misjudged that E.Johnson would go through 2 team mates on his way to barreling past him and getting a shot on goal which unfortunately Darling misplayed. I don't think Johnson is particularly fast but Gus let him get past him just enough to put that shot on net. Obviously all d-men get burned now and then - but it needs to be noted that he didn't contest that shot the way he should have. So, put that one in the file. A telltale sign of Q's opinion of Gus is that he had him out there in the 3 on 3 OT - that is a very good sign that Gus is securing a spot in Q's heart.

Agreed - Darling needs to play more so he isn't as rusty when called upon. It wasn't just the 3rd goal that was a softie, it was also the 2nd goal which he should have stopped 99 times out of a 100. But, he stopped a lot of quality shots too and the Hawks won so all is well that ends well.

One more note: while it's a good thing the 11-24-86 line is playing well, the 4th line was almost non-existent. We saw the effect of not being able to roll 4 lines in the 2013/14 playoffs so there is a lot more work to do to get a 4th line that Q trusts with more than 4 to 6 minutes of ice time. But, there's ample time left in the season to do that so as long as they can continue to rack up points and stay in playoff position it isn't a concern to be concerned with ... yet.

What were the pairings last night? Any chance Gus is the #4? Either way, if Q can give 18 minutes to a number 5 that is either Gus or TVR, that is huge for the top 4.
- DMChi2010

After the second period Q only played five defensemen so TVR is 4D and Gus was 4.1D

Gus plays like he has only experienced success on the ice since there is not tentativeness to his game and he is very aggressive on the puck

Posted this on the last thread in Quotes to Hawks49:

"Toews is on pace for around 25-30 goals(Which is where he has been most of his career)

14.4% Shooting percentage
6 GWG
2 SHG
59.3% Faceoffs
33 Takeaways/16 Giveaways
Of the starting forwards on this team, Toews and Hossa still drive possession better than anyone.

Toews is not playing as poorly as some posters here would like everyone to believe. He is still playing like the elite two-way forward he is."
- Hawks_49


This is great. He also has 3 PPG and 1 PPA, whereas last year, he had 6 PPG and 11 PPA for the whole year, so his points aren't coming solely on the PP. People will argue that he is not scoring 5-on-5, and that's true, but the key thing is his assists.

Toews is not on pace for the same number of PPA as last year, but if he was, he'd have 13 G and 15 A at this point in the season...projecting out to a 60-point season. Hossa is not burying the glorious chances, and no 1LW is burying the chances either. That's probably 5 more assists at this point in the season, too. That projects out to a 70-point season. That's normal Toews.
- DMChi2010

The only problem with all of your numbers is the important one that is missing. "Normal" Toews was being paid $6.5M -current Toews 10.5.

Nice for Dale, good thing they got it going a bit this year and some of those high draft picks are starting to pay off.

Now that he's secure again, maybe he can do us some more favors
- vabeachbear

Good for Dale. I thought the Bolland contract was going to be the last straw for him in Florida, but good for him for surviving.

Posted this on the last thread in Quotes to Hawks49:

"Toews is on pace for around 25-30 goals(Which is where he has been most of his career)

14.4% Shooting percentage
6 GWG
2 SHG
59.3% Faceoffs
33 Takeaways/16 Giveaways
Of the starting forwards on this team, Toews and Hossa still drive possession better than anyone.

Toews is not playing as poorly as some posters here would like everyone to believe. He is still playing like the elite two-way forward he is."
- Hawks_49


This is great. He also has 3 PPG and 1 PPA, whereas last year, he had 6 PPG and 11 PPA for the whole year, so his points aren't coming solely on the PP. People will argue that he is not scoring 5-on-5, and that's true, but the key thing is his assists.

Toews is not on pace for the same number of PPA as last year, but if he was, he'd have 13 G and 15 A at this point in the season...projecting out to a 60-point season. Hossa is not burying the glorious chances, and no 1LW is burying the chances either. That's probably 5 more assists at this point in the season, too. That projects out to a 70-point season. That's normal Toews.
- DMChi2010

Toews career he's avg 73pts per season

He's on pace for 50pts and this includes his 13g - which 4 are in the gimmick hockey and 2en

It's great that he wins 6 out of 10 faceoffs. I guess that production is worth 14% of the cap. Personally, I think he's been average this season, but isn't paid to be average

JJ happy new year and thanks for last year and all your hard work

Gus looks really good and is looking more like the number 5d than the number 6

Skud bomb was hard to watch last night and at one point it seamed he was getting blown up every time he touched the puck

Don't want to see two rookies playing in gus and sved but they may become necessary
- molly2522

Spot on here, however I'm thinking Gus is more of a 4 than TVR, so far anyway. Let's wait and see how Q allows him to progress. As for Scuderi ???? He might be an 8 in an extreme emergency at that !!!! I'd rather have Svedberg any day than that. He got bull-dozed a couple of times and doesn't belong in the NHL any longer. Keep a close eye on Danault. He's got some natural ability and may be the real gem moving forward. Let's hope he's not part of ANY deal by Stanbo.

First, to echo others, thanks JJ for giving us a place to hang out and immerse ourselves in our beloved Hawks and I wish you and my fellow Hawks fans a blessed and prosperous new year.

Now, a cautionary tale is in order regarding the newest shiny objects capturing our attention - those being Danault and Gustafsson. We've been caught up in the hoopla of the new guy a few times already this year only to see them lose their luster upon the closer inspection of a few games. Dano, Baun, Kero, Hinostroza, and Hartman all had a couple moments before Q moved them to the back of the bus and then the bus delivered them back to Rockford where they belong at this stage of their careers.

Danault has played 6 games and so far is showing no sign of hitting the wall of depleted adrenaline that so often happens after a rookie plays a few games, but he not only has that hurdle to clear, he also was injured and didn't play for several months so he may hit a slowdown as his conditioning is being pushed to the max right now. But, he has looked good and his compete level is impressive.

Gustafsson misplayed or maybe misjudged that E.Johnson would go through 2 team mates on his way to barreling past him and getting a shot on goal which unfortunately Darling misplayed. I don't think Johnson is particularly fast but Gus let him get past him just enough to put that shot on net. Obviously all d-men get burned now and then - but it needs to be noted that he didn't contest that shot the way he should have. So, put that one in the file. A telltale sign of Q's opinion of Gus is that he had him out there in the 3 on 3 OT - that is a very good sign that Gus is securing a spot in Q's heart.

Agreed - Darling needs to play more so he isn't as rusty when called upon. It wasn't just the 3rd goal that was a softie, it was also the 2nd goal which he should have stopped 99 times out of a 100. But, he stopped a lot of quality shots too and the Hawks won so all is well that ends well.

One more note: while it's a good thing the 11-24-86 line is playing well, the 4th line was almost non-existent. We saw the effect of not being able to roll 4 lines in the 2013/14 playoffs so there is a lot more work to do to get a 4th line that Q trusts with more than 4 to 6 minutes of ice time. But, there's ample time left in the season to do that so as long as they can continue to rack up points and stay in playoff position it isn't a concern to be concerned with ... yet.
- EbonyRaptor

True, but still would put any of the bolded on the ice before Mash

After the second period Q only played five defensemen so TVR is 4D and Gus was 4.1D

Gus plays like he has only experienced success on the ice since there is not tentativeness to his game and he is very aggressive on the puck
- molly2522

Boy is this a good comment. I saw that, but couldn't put in words what I thought I was seeing..,until now. I see it as a bit of a double edged sword. Love the decisiveness/fearlessness, but he seems to be a bit of a risk-taker. Dangerous, especially for a rookie, and especially for a rookie playing for Q.

Toews career he's avg 73pts per season

He's on pace for 50pts and this includes his 13g - which 4 are in the gimmick hockey and 2en

It's great that he wins 6 out of 10 faceoffs. I guess that production is worth 14% of the cap. Personally, I think he's been average this season, but isn't paid to be average
- PatShart

Toews Don't make the rules ,he just excels at them . You will never get it . Good thing the 3 time cup winning management team dose . They look at careers ,not months ..

Spot on here, however I'm thinking Gus is more of a 4 than TVR, so far anyway. Let's wait and see how Q allows him to progress. As for Scuderi ???? He might be an 8 in an extreme emergency at that !!!! I'd rather have Svedberg any day than that. He got bull-dozed a couple of times and doesn't belong in the NHL any longer. Keep a close eye on Danault. He's got some natural ability and may be the real gem moving forward. Let's hope he's not part of ANY deal by Stanbo.
- Hawkytalk

Don't worry, and trade of Danault for the Hawks would require a big return. He is the #3C for the next few years.

Stan saw the being week down the middle was a problem in the past. They'll re-up Krugs, and will have

Toews, AA, Danault, Krugs 1-4 for the next 4 or 5 years.

Toews Don't make the rules ,he just excels at them . You will never get it . Good thing the 3 time cup winning management team dose . They look at careers ,not months ..
- oldduffman

What does that have to do with Toews having a down year? He isn't infallible. The management looks at Bickell's career, Runblad, Daley....etc but they get bashed at every chance whether they were in or out of the lineup

Happy New Years to everyone! Wish everyone a lot of happiness in the new year...Go Hocks!!!

Someone mentioned in the last thread that Danault is making Kruger expendable...and that we probably wont see Kruger in a Hawks jersey next year....

I hope the front office doesn't think like this...because Danault and Kruger manning the 3a and 3b lines....

LETTING KRUGER GO WOULD BE A HUUUGE MISTAKE..

JJ any idea that what the Hawks would do with Kruger if Danault keeps up his good play? This team needs to be deep on C if they want to try and win another CUP...and Toews,Anisimov,Kruger and Danault down the middle would be extremely exciting to see, and a pain in the ass for opposing teams in my opinion.

Toews career he's avg 73pts per season

He's on pace for 50pts and this includes his 13g - which 4 are in the gimmick hockey and 2en

It's great that he wins 6 out of 10 faceoffs. I guess that production is worth 14% of the cap. Personally, I think he's been average this season, but isn't paid to be average
- PatShart

I understand your frustration, it's typical for a player to get a new mega contract and feel he needs to do more than he has in the past. Remember in the playoffs when Seabrook had to go to the box and calm the captain down in the playoffs? Toews has never been a 40 goal scorer but does almost everything else better than any other hockey player in the league.

Added, we're probably not having this conversation if Saad wasn't traded but crap happens and no one is putting more pressure on himself than#19

After the second period Q only played five defensemen so TVR is 4D and Gus was 4.1D

Gus plays like he has only experienced success on the ice since there is not tentativeness to his game and he is very aggressive on the puck
- molly2522

Well said Molly, I didn't like how Johnson was able to get by him in the 3rd but his overall game is pretty good so far

Good morning and Happy New year to all! Just a couple observations
1. Gustafsson is and will be the # 4 d-man the Hawks have been looking for. TVR always has been a #5 in my mind.
2. Once we pick up a REAL 1st line left wing and Kruger comes back for the playoffs that will take care of our 4th line ( Shaw - Kruger - Garbutt ) or we make it our 3rd line.
3. We got rid of 2 goalies for nothing because they believed in Darling, so play him! One bad goal is ok, 2 are not acceptable for a NHL goaltender in one game. We will need him in the playoffs and if Crow is moved this summer.
4. And the one thing I am happy about after all the hockey I have watched this year there are only 4 teams that really have a chance to win the cup Washington, Dallas, Los Angeles, and the Chicago Blackhawks. So I think we are in pretty good shape!

Well said Molly, I didn't like how Johnson was able to get by him in the 3rd but his overall game is pretty good so far
- BetweenTheDots

If your going to get beat it has to be wide and Darling should have made that save all day especially how deep into the zone he was. The scorer was next to him nd not behind him so he could have cut him off if he tried to go to the net. Not that bad a play by the defenseman and Q playing him in the last minute says he agrees

4. And the one thing I am happy about after all the hockey I have watched this year there are only 4 teams that really have a chance to win the cup Washington, Dallas, Los Angeles, and the Chicago Blackhawks. So I think we are in pretty good shape!

I hope the rest of the league thinks like this so the cost of a UFA 1W won't be great

If your going to get beat it has to be wide and Darling should have made that save all day especially how deep into the zone he was. The scorer was next to him nd not behind him so he could have cut him off if he tried to go to the net. Not that bad a play by the defenseman and Q playing him in the last minute says he agrees
- molly2522

I agree but I guess I'm too picky 1 on 1 hockey I expect my defenseman to have a stick somewhere in the vicinity of the puck when its shot on goal, which I'm sure he'll get better at

Good morning and Happy New year to all! Just a couple observations
1. Gustafsson is and will be the # 4 d-man the Hawks have been looking for. TVR always has been a #5 in my mind.
2. Once we pick up a REAL 1st line left wing and Kruger comes back for the playoffs that will take care of our 4th line ( Shaw - Kruger - Garbutt ) or we make it our 3rd line.
3. We got rid of 2 goalies for nothing because they believed in Darling, so play him! One bad goal is ok, 2 are not acceptable for a NHL goaltender in one game. We will need him in the playoffs and if Crow is moved this summer.
4. And the one thing I am happy about after all the hockey I have watched this year there are only 4 teams that really have a chance to win the cup Washington, Dallas, Los Angeles, and the Chicago Blackhawks. So I think we are in pretty good shape!
- Sn1362

I think: add in TB, if they can get back to where they were last year - that was a pretty good team. And Mobtreal, if Price and Gallagher come back whole.

And, in any individual series, St. Louis and Nashville will cause any team problems, no matter their past play-off history.

If your going to get beat it has to be wide and Darling should have made that save all day especially how deep into the zone he was. The scorer was next to him nd not behind him so he could have cut him off if he tried to go to the net. Not that bad a play by the defenseman and Q playing him in the last minute says he agrees
- molly2522

I like Darling but I agree with your post.

Happy new year everyone. I am abroad with limited internet but can follow the games basec on your comments in the thread. I appreciate this site so much!!!!

Health and happiness to all you guys!

Happy new year everyone. I am abroad with limited internet but can follow the games basec on your comments in the thread. I appreciate this site so much!!!!

Health and happiness to all you guys!
- Kentxo

Safe travels....