Ya RIGHT Toews never had anything to do with it .Hossa never won a cup before coming here ,and played on some great teams . That's why Crosby asked if he wanted to be captain of the Olympic Team ,or Babcock when asked who his best player was :said anyone playing with number 19 .Toews game has never been qualified by points never will be . He may be playing through something mental (coaching) physical (back ) .But really he is a team player and when his team struggles so will he . You and the rest of the Toews blamers really show your true colors when times are tough .As Don Cherry would say your just a bunch of front runners ..
- oldduffman

oh happy day

Anyone else thinking that maybe the Saad for Breadman trade wasn't all that great now. Saad has always been a guy who disappeared for stretches but I was hoping he would have become consistent. Don't think his contract is looking so good now. Forsberg although not all his fault but I just don't think he can win a game. May not be a NHL goalie. Forsling and Ranta ....well looked like rookies .

And 4 or 5 new players. New coach won't fix this.
- kwolf68

Maybe not Wolf, but the people who matter see the same uneven effort from the core year, after year, after year, after year. 20 minute efforts, no urgency, poor efforts after 3 days off mixed in with a solid 50 minute effort and great goaltending.

Doubt Q is going anywhere but there ain't a person on earth who hasn't seen poor efforts for yrs now. Difference now is they don't have the talent to overcome those efforts. Still the coaches job to get effort and the best out of his players.

This organ-I-zation needs to make some tough decisions going forward.....because this is not a very good team, as constituted.

And the Toews apologists need to put down the Kool-Aid. Toews' play is NOT because of "bad coaching". Q doesn't make Toews weak on his skates.
Last night, I saw Toews get man handled behind the net by a smaller guy. He literally got pushed off the puck and fell down. Like a grown man playing against a 12 year old.

Toews usually changes the subject when asked about how he's feeling, but therre's no question there's something physically wrong with him. He's not even the player he was last season. If it's "fixable" with rest or surgery, the team needs to address that--NOW. Because, right now, they're barely a playoff/bubble team.

The organ-I-zation needs to address what assets they can move for draft picks or prospects...even if that means eating some bloated contracts.
Otherwise, Mcd and Rocky better get used to several more years of .500 hockey. And empty seats in the UC.

There was one Blackhawk celebrating last night. Maybe doing high five. M Highmore recorded a hat trick which gave him 14 tallies overall.

Pick it up
Fortin had a goal and assist
Offense has bern noticed finally on the scoresheet and perhaps he is now fully comfortable after off season surgery.

After that porous effort in Vancouver maybe Kempny draws back in?

Realistically selling any moveable veteran contract (minus Kane don't you (frank)ing dare Bowman!) is the best action plan. Keith, Seabrook, Anisimov, and Toews all available.
- EnzoD

Getting rid of Kane is where it all begins

after getting rid of Q that is.

Getting rid of Kane is where it all begins

after getting rid of Q that is.
- gazza53

I don't think Q is the problem. Lack of skill is the problem.

Darth did that look any better from your vantage point?

That was ugly fam.

There are serious problems with this team and if this keeps up, I think you may see Hawks management change their mind about waiting until the Summer to make a big deal.

I didn't like the lines from the start, I hated the effort all night and I know you all didn't enjoy the outcome.

See you tomorrow with a quick gameday preview.
- Justin Lowe

If SB and McD watched the game I would believe that quote to a serious understatement of the facts......the UC will be emptying quickly in the new
year if this continues.

The worse part was that they aren't even worth watching, they were dreadful.
v

Boeser from his belly beats Seabrook to the puck and passes it right past him for the 4th goal against. Hawks schooled by Sam freakin Gagner and Thomas freakin Vanek dear lord how far and how fast the once mighty Hawks have fallen.
- EnzoD

Hey Enzo, Gagner and Vanek have high end talent. But they don't do poop against physical teams. If you give them an easy ride in the crease they will light it up. If the defense leans on them, then not so much. No opposition player thinks twice about buzzing the hawks crease. I said last week (and took some grief from Kwolf and a few others) that the hawks crease is the most polite place in the league.

I sometimes wonder if the coach trots out the same PP just to mess with the GM and the rest of management who has input. Like playing Rumblad in the elimination game a couple years ago. But one thing I have see since this coach was with St. Louis is that a plan B does not exist. At least he got the job done here when he had the horses, unlike in STL and Colorado where he also had the horses.

Well, like in most sports with a cap, if you want to be awsome then you have to be horsepoop first. Part of the deal.

Other than Murphy, who is playing well. Amazing I'd bring up Murph...kid is playing his ass off and competing.Most of the rest of the team looks like a joke.
- kwolf68

Agree, the kid gives his all. And he's learning.

Now the threads are starting to unravel from the “baseball “, The guy that should be on the hot seat is John McDonough for giving in to Scotty Bowman and replacing Dale Tallon in favor of his son. You guys all want the coaches head, how about Rocky and McD coming out and firing their general manager who put with this mess together in the first place. Horrible trades, giving out stupid contracts,Trying to make this a feel good PR show with drafting too many kids from Illinois which is not the hockey hotbed that people think it is, most of them undersized Smurfs, Ryan Hartman is a bust, Hino is an AHL player , next schmaltz is better served in a no check hockey league ,and this massive PR crap and inflated ticket prices, I wonder how many empty seats We will start to see at the United Center pretty soon. And as a season ticket holder probably looking at another price increase for next year. This one is not on the coach it is on the general manager. How many GM’s did McDonagh go through when he ran the cubs, it’s about time he fires this one.
And while I am on the subject about kids with Illinois roots, look at Scott Darling, I said before he’s nothing more than decent back up goalie that has never played a full season as a starter, Ron Francis is going to regret that move!
- wonthecup10

Actually that's quite the case for getting rid of McD, it was marketing 101 that
got 19/88 their $10.5 and 7 his $6.8.

Q made some poor roster choices also along the way.....sticking with vet's when
youth and speed are needed

And the real insanity is the PP, with this much talent, blah blah as Keith bobbles
another pass after hitting another shin pad.

I don't think Q is the problem. Lack of skill is the problem.
- tompo1015

So what you are saying is if Q doesn't have talent, he can't coach? Doesn't that make him expendable?

Agree, the kid gives his all. And he's learning.
- 6628

Murphy has been a very nice surprise of late. He is playing with a very high level of energy and strong character. I think you can see why he was named team USA captain a couple years ago.

That trade actually looks good, but so many players just don't have it anymore. I think hard decisions are coming down the line. Schedule is Oil, Flames, rangers, Knights and Oil again.....If the Hawks extend this losing streak to 10 games (Possible) then they would have no choice but to start making moves. Trouble is, most of the guys are either not valuable enough to make a difference or simply not movable.

As a fellow Sox fan...very disillusioned Sox fan that is...

we are in agreement.
- ArlingtonRob

Is that your middle name?

been trending down for 3 years now...2015 and before years are over as of now; at a lost to see what can get him him back to that level
- bogiedoc

Thanks to Toews and his issues, the Saad trade looks completely foolish.
Yes the term and money benefit the Hawks financially initially, but losing an offensive player like Panarin was the gamble. So basically.....Hawks Management was banking on Saad bringing Toews back to form AND saving long term money as well..

I'm thinking that they're ALL completely disgusted with how that's turned out. The question remains....was this a Bowman only decision or was this a collaborative TOTAL failure.

Players still here (or brought back) from last Cup team - who is playing at a championship level.

Kane, Toews, Saad, Sharp, Crawford, Keith, Seabrook

Young players brought in this year or last year - who has (so far) proven themselves to be contributors to a championship-contending team:

Schmaltz, Hartman, deBrincat, Hinostroza, Hayden, Forsling, Rutta, Kempny (AdB bolded but still more potential than proven)

Vets brought in - who will be a contributor to a championship team:

Wingels (4th line), Bouma, Murphy, Oesterle, Panik, Anisimov

By my count - 6 that (based on performance so far) I can say yes, they would definitely be contributors to a championship team. Add Murphy if you want.

Lots of downhill slides, lots of Unprovens.

Can they build a team somehow around those 6/7 bolded (by me) players? Knowing that some of those needed to be brought in include top-6 centers and top-2 defensemen?

If SB and McD watched the game I would believe that quote to a serious understatement of the facts......the UC will be emptying quickly in the new
year if this continues.

The worse part was that they aren't even worth watching, they were dreadful.
v
- gazza53

this was a disturbing loss on so many levels...

4 day holiday break after two awful losses where they lost a combined 8-1. you would expect some push and desperation vs a team that is also had its share of problems

sloppy...careless...energyless...

other than kanes and craws play and the development of forsling...this team has not shown a damn thing all year...maybe 6-7 games where they showed up to play a complete game...

expect the oil to jump all over the hawks in the 1st...travel BTB...

but then again the hawks should be rested ..they certainly skate walked last night

New Rule: When creating new line combinations, do not place #19 on the top line. At best #19 is a 3rd line center.

You might as well place #64 on that top line.
- Dieselhead

Toews, Bouma, Hayden LINE 4.
Wingels has more offensive skills than 19 right now.....maybe he can get Saad off his arse.

Like in most sports, it's easier to fire the head coach then fire every player on the team. It is becoming more and more obvious that the players are tuning out Coach Q. He's a veteran coach, I'm sure he has addressed the same issues many times in the past. Hire a new coach NOW and who ever does not respond to the new coach, trade them before the dead line.

Murphy has been a very nice surprise of late. He is playing with a very high level of energy and strong character.
- kwolf68

Foley mentioned Murphy staying OT after practice ends and working with the coaches on skating, positioning, etc. It's noticeable and I give the guy props for doing all he can to improve his game. Skating, while still not great, looks better -- in particular I notice the F-R and R-F transitions (eagles) to be much smoother allowing him to not lose much ground.

And -- #5 is literally the only D man who consistently defends at or above our blue line. You see most, if not all of our D have this really bad habit of backing in on our G. Defending like that at the blue line has also allowed Murphy the latitude to lay some nice/big hits on opposing F's.

Al mentioned this a few blogs ago -- Ruuta for his 6'3" 200+ lb frame plays like a guy that is 5'9", much smaller and less physical, gets pushed around quite a bit. I've noticed that Forsling must be banged up because he's been beaten like a rented mule on a number of plays at the boards, just does not look as good as earlier in the season.

Going to be a long, painful slog the rest of the way (til the season mercifully ends in April), then we can hear all about them getting extra rest and healing up. I just wish that Toews would fess up and they'd LTIR him because he's pretty much useless. There is no fire there anymore. It's like Blowman abducted the real #19 and replaced him with this droid who is lifeless and monotone in his standard replies to the reporters. Oh wait . . .

NEW gameday blog: http://www.hockeybuzz.com...e-Made-of-Glass/253/89933


Quick 10 thoughts.

So what you are saying is if Q doesn't have talent, he can't coach? Doesn't that make him expendable?
- powerenforcer

So you're saying any coach would have won those 3 Cups?

Q's ability to coach isn't the problem. It's age and lack of skill.

Thanks to Toews and his issues, the Saad trade looks completely foolish.
Yes the term and money benefit the Hawks financially initially, but losing an offensive player like Panarin was the gamble. So basically.....Hawks Management was banking on Saad bringing Toews back to form AND saving long term money as well..

I'm thinking that they're ALL completely disgusted with how that's turned out. The question remains....was this a Bowman only decision or was this a collaborative TOTAL failure.
- Hawkytalk

That's what is troubling about the lack of info coming from the team and what we are seeing too often on the ice.

With their investment in him on and off the ice, you have to believe that the FO knows what is going on with Toews in reality (and if they don't, shame on the Captain for not coming clean with what is going on physically or in his head). So, if it is, in fact, a degenerative physical condition, why would they have believed and sold the idea that having one of his all-star caliber wingers back would change his game? Why send away a true rising star and fan favorite on the team?

You have to think they believed he could and would turn it around, so what does that leave us with as possible root causes?

Regardless, if not chronic or degenerative, why not sit him until he repairs? It's like driving a Maserati slowly around your neighborhood so people will ooh and ahh, while you know you should not drive it at all because the engine light is flashing.

I don't think Q is the problem. Lack of skill is the problem.
- tompo1015

It's definitely a twofer

Hey Enzo, Gagner and Vanek have high end talent. But they don't do poop against physical teams. If you give them an easy ride in the crease they will light it up. If the defense leans on them, then not so much. No opposition player thinks twice about buzzing the hawks crease. I said last week (and took some grief from Kwolf and a few others) that the hawks crease is the most polite place in the league.

I sometimes wonder if the coach trots out the same PP just to mess with the GM and the rest of management who has input. Like playing Rumblad in the elimination game a couple years ago. But one thing I have see since this coach was with St. Louis is that a plan B does not exist. At least he got the job done here when he had the horses, unlike in STL and Colorado where he also had the horses.

Well, like in most sports with a cap, if you want to be awsome then you have to be horsepoop first. Part of the deal.
- 6628

This is why you need to give us a first plus for gudbranson