Chris Hine ‏@ChristopherHine 8h8 hours ago

#Blackhawks lines:
Ladd-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Mashinter-Teravainen-Fleischmann
Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw

I'm sure this has been discussed, but Mashinter over Panik borders on criminal negligence.

...and I'd include Weise in that complaint as well.

Either over Mashinter.
- ArlingtonRob

If players are held accountable for their play year to year so should coaching decisions. None of this makes sense and Q has really lost it. Mash in at all is a joke. 3rd line????? WTF over?

Ok counselor, how would you re-frame that question? Something along the lines of....."So Coach Q, are you saying that the said results of not rotating four lines is somehow outside of your influence or knowledge?"...

And I am not an attorney or have played one on TV, but I am a bullsh*t artist from way back.
- ILGolfer

Anyone who fancies themselves a bullsh*t artist could learn a thing or two from probably the best bullsh*t artist of all time.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/pujol.html

Well worth the read if you are unfamiliar with this story.

Cheers

What don't get is the idea of rewarding those who have played well, and having that message echo throughout the rest of the lineup. Q shows no mercy sometimes with certain players, and others have incredibly long leashes.
- SimpleJack

I'll be interested in Q's reaction to the first Mash TO that's ends up behind Crawford.

Mash should be in Rockford...period. He has no business in a Hawks uniform.

Oh well...

Yet there still appears to be a pattern of repetition... and shouldn't they have learned from past failures after the utter humiliation of 14? Is it really simply a lesson or is it about talent and character?

2009–10 Did not qualify
2010–11 Did not qualify
2011–12 Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0–4 (Kings)
2012–13 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Kings)
2013–14 Lost in First Round, 2–4 (Blackhawks)
2014–15 Lost in First Round, 2–4 (Wild)
- tredbrta

Cool, you just repeated what I posted. I know our records. Very well.

It is the past. This is a different team, with some of the same players but many different players and players in different roles than before.

Backes is no longer a #1 Center. He is now a #2/3 RW. Steen is no longer our primary scorer. He is now a secondary scorer that is still very dangerous. Oshie is gone, who disappeared every playoffs. Replaced by someone who has actually done something before in the playoffs. Tarasenko is a stud. Who has shown that he can and will score in the playoffs. Fabbri is a big addition to balance out our scoring and given us 3 legit scoring lines. Our forward skill is much better, top to bottom. Our D was too soft, it has been bolstered by 2 really good young defenseman, Parayko and Edmundson. We have two capable goalies that can start, in case one falters.

I can't wait for this series to get going.

They are both out there to run players. If possible, out of the game with injury. Within the rules if possible but testing the rules is just fine with Hitch.

Whatever line Hitch matches PAK with will be trying to knock them around, interfere, and scrum after the whistle as much as possible. I'm sure Crawford has a target on his back too. Whether the striped vomit bags call it this year will probably determine the outcome as much as anything other than injury.
- tredbrta

I don't want to hear it. They aren't trying to injure Hawk players any more than Hawk players trying to injure Blues players.

Hitting is part of the game. Even if the Hawks would rather not.

Chris Hine ‏@ChristopherHine 8h8 hours ago

#Blackhawks lines:
Ladd-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Mashinter-Teravainen-Fleischmann
Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw

I'm sure this has been discussed, but Mashinter over Panik borders on criminal negligence.

...and I'd include Weise in that complaint as well.

Either over Mashinter.
- ArlingtonRob

Any word on what the D-pairings will be tomorrow? To me that's the bigger question mark than who plays on that 3rd line.

Any word on what the D-pairings will be tomorrow? To me that's the bigger question mark than who plays on that 3rd line.
- blackhawks30

In practice (which might be meaningless), Sved was with Seabrook and Hammer and TVR together. Not sure on the 3rd line, but it wasn't Runblad.

Q seems to be encouraging it with the the lineup assuming mashinter is in.

Really if there is a big hit Mash and Reaves are going to fight. Both of them are going to be out there at the same time. So I guess I don't get if say Brouwer lays a big clean hit on Panarin and next shift Reaves and Mash fight. Kinda dumb.
- Gerk

Really? How did you draw that conclusion? Evidence? Links? How many fights has Mash had this year? 2-4 max. Q doesn't encourage that type of play at all and that is what makes Mash dressing that much more of a travesty. He almost never fights this season, really doesn't hit (but that is never a priority in their possession style), can't really skate with even meat bags like Reaves BUT Q is still dressing him.

Celebrate and keep posting about it to troll. Q is providing Hitch with a clear match up advantage there as Mash is definitely the worst player on either team. Let's see what he does with it. Q may just rotate another player into Mash's slot at time too - making that line a different animal entirely. Drop Kane down for an extra shift there to play against the Blues 4th liners? Time will tell.

No concern from Blues land though. Mega-confidence from most. No history of premature gloating to reflect on. Lessons learned from the past blah blah...

In practice (which might be meaningless), Sved was with Seabrook and Hammer and TVR together. Not sure on the 3rd line, but it wasn't Runblad.
- pdx2ord

Thanks for the update. Hopefully 5 never sees the ice again for this team.

A serious re-tool? Trade 88 and 19, build around Mashinter, Bickell, and Rundblad. Now THAT is a hell of a core right there.
- SimpleJack

Should have typed de-tool not retool. Obviously, tools like the above names would need to go.

Thanks for the update. Hopefully 5 never sees the ice again for this team.
- blackhawks30

Sheeiittt , id rather HAVE 5 IN AT FORWARD than 53......wtf.

Really? How did you draw that conclusion? Evidence? Links? How many fights has Mash had this year? 2-4 max. Q doesn't encourage that type of play at all and that is what makes Mash dressing that much more of a travesty. He almost never fights this season, really doesn't hit (but that is never a priority in their possession style), can't really skate with even meat bags like Reaves BUT Q is still dressing him.

Celebrate and keep posting about it to troll. Q is providing Hitch with a clear match up advantage there as Mash is definitely the worst player on either team. Let's see what he does with it. Q may just rotate another player into Mash's slot at time too - making that line a different animal entirely. Drop Kane down for an extra shift there to play against the Blues 4th liners? Time will tell.

No concern from Blues land though. Mega-confidence from most. No history of premature gloating to reflect on. Lessons learned from the past blah blah...
- tredbrta

I am sorry, but what do you want? For me to say that the Blues are doomed. Why even play, they lost in the past?

You act like it is amazing for a fan of a team to be confident that they are good enough to beat another team.

Blues are better than they were. Hawks really aren't as good. They are still a very good team, but I don't believe they are as good as before. And are beatable by a very good Blues team, despite their past failures.

Anyone who fancies themselves a bullsh*t artist could learn a thing or two from probably the best bullsh*t artist of all time.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/pujol.html

Well worth the read if you are unfamiliar with this story.

Cheers
- MartiniMan

That's awesome!

Do we know who was called up for the Black Aces?

I don't want to hear it. They aren't trying to injure Hawk players any more than Hawk players trying to injure Blues players.

Hitting is part of the game. Even if the Hawks would rather not.
- carcus

Of course, Hitch would prefer they not be called for it and remain within the rules. If they test that some... or even more than some... he has proven repeatedly with multiple teams he has no problem with it. "Chaos"... "impose our will"... I remember him saying in Philly he wanted opposing teams to be more concerned about surviving than winning in their building.

But you know this already as it is fact. You are, after all, the historian.

Sheeiittt , id rather HAVE 5 IN AT FORWARD than 53......wtf.
- mrpaulish

Be careful what you wish for....

I am sorry, but what do you want? For me to say that the Blues are doomed. Why even play, they lost in the past?

You act like it is amazing for a fan of a team to be confident that they are good enough to beat another team.

Blues are better than they were. Hawks really aren't as good. They are still a very good team, but I don't believe they are as good as before. And are beatable by a very good Blues team, despite their past failures.
- carcus

Agreed. The Blues finally have a very good chance. This is the Stanley Cup for the Backes/Hitch clan. Have I disagreed somewhere?

If players are held accountable for their play year to year so should coaching decisions. None of this makes sense and Q has really lost it. Mash in at all is a joke. 3rd line????? WTF over?
- z1990z

Because we all know Mashinter has the hockey IQ to anticipate TT's often quite tricky passes that take much better players by surprise, and he has the speed and hands to finish anything TT sets up...

Not only does playing Mashinter over Panik weaken the team, playing him with TT weakens it even more because you know that line is doing absolutely nothing of value against a team like the blues

Do we know who was called up for the Black Aces?
- z1990z

Rockford has playoffs to play too. Pretty sure that is why Rassmussen is there now. Hawks will need to advance and/or the Hogs be eliminated before you see a group of black aces called up IMO.

Are you sure you don't want to be a Blues fan?

This would be a good time to start.
- carcus

I went to my first Blackhawks game in 1959 and have been a loyal fan ever since. I was attending college in St. Louis during the Blues inaugural season in 1967-8 and went to about 20 games that year (tickets cost $2 in the mezzanine, as I recall. Excluding the Hawks of the last 7 years, my favorite players were Maggie, Secord, Bob Plager and Bob Gassoff. Yes, I loved the old brawl games, but with concussion research results and resultant legal issues, we will rightly never see that kind of hockey again.

Appreciate your well thought out posts. Definitely learn something when you chime in. Are you a former player?
- Dannyboy

>I will be "going public" soon with a hockey business that can benefit players of all skill levels

I went to my first Blackhawks game in 1959 and have been a loyal fan ever since. I was attending college in St. Louis during the Blues inaugural season in 1967-8 and went to about 20 games that year (tickets cost $2 in the mezzanine, as I recall. Excluding the Hawks of the last 7 years, my favorite players were Maggie, Secord, Bob Plager and Bob Gassoff. Yes, I loved the old brawl games, but with concussion research results and resultant legal issues, we will rightly never see that kind of hockey again.
- BMWChiFan

Welcome to hockeybuzz old timer

bow wow...I have enough grief being a cub fan.

I gotta say blues have one of the dogiest playoff records in the last 10 years: 4 DNQ's, into the 2nd round 1x where they got destroyed 4-0, 9-21, 2 road wins, no series got past 6 games, 1-12 in combined for their last games 3-6.

But who know maybe that all changes now.

But I have seriously enjoyed watching hitch and his team get blitzed the last 4 years. Next to hawks winning, the blues losing is my bliss.
- bogiedoc

And your grief as a Cub fan is about to end. This team is stacked. A damn shame about Schwarber though.

And this from a fan who witnessed the collapse of 69 and remembers it vividly. Nine and a half games up after the Kenny Holtzman no hitter in the middle of August. Remember the Hank Aaron fly ball blown back into the well where Billy Williams made the catch.

Quite frankly, going to be a tough night tomorrow. The Hawks who I'm down on, and the Cubs whom I'm extremely fired up about.

I can't believe I just typed that last sentence.

And your grief as a Cub fan is about to end. This team is stacked. A damn shame about Schwarber though.

And this from a fan who witnessed the collapse of 69 and remembers it vividly. Nine and a half games up after the Kenny Holtzman no hitter in the middle of August. Remember the Hank Aaron fly ball blown back into the well where Billy Williams made the catch.

Quite frankly, going to be a tough night tomorrow. The Hawks who I'm down on, and the Cubs whom I'm extremely fired up about.

I can't believe I just typed that last sentence.
- TexasFlood

Cubs have enough pop in the heart of their lineup, they literally don't need Schwarber as crazy as it sounds. And i like they'll actually be better defensively. Im a diehard White Sox fan, but I fully admit and accept that this is the Cubs time, and they have assembled a FREAKISHLY talented young team that looks destined for success.

I'm not shining a knob, I'm being honest.
To make adjustments first one has to comprehend what's happening. Anybody can say "they scored more than we did, that's why they won". But to recognize the ebbs and flows of what's happening in a fast game isn't as easy as it sounds, and what is seen is a matter of perspective. For many years I was as close to the action as you could get so I saw a lot of things that people with say a 300 level or tv perspective could never see. But it was a little like the tunnel vision one would get from a microscope. I regularly missed what one could easily see from a 200 level perspective or tv with replay.

I thought Dineen was a smaller player that played a little bigger than he was and had good puck sense. That sense is what I believe makes him a good coach. And honestly, if it comes out that Snapper was a coach, analyst, or someone regularly involved with game operations on some level I wouldn't be a bit surprised. I've yet to see one of his posts that I thought were off base, no matter if I agreed or not. The logic is always there. While he may be critical at times he is always constructive. Outstanding poster on this site for sure.
- 6628

>66, muchas gracias
>Think the combination of studying the game year after year and my pattern recognition "chops" really help
>Some come to JJ's "hockey saloon" for reasons other than why I do -- and that's the way it should be
>I come to learn and share what I see -- and am happy some enjoy my posts