Justin Lowe: Quick 10: Is This House Made of Glass? Quick 10 thoughts on the Hawks loss to Vancouver last night + a quick preview on the Oilers game tonight.

Great stuff as usual Justin.

I think the Denis Savard rant should be played in the locker room from about 10 years ago..

This team needs to commit to us... commit to the Indian... they don’t want to commit to the Indian we’ll go upstairs and get them outta there..

Need more effort!

Go hawks!

Justin, there is a lot of talk on this board that Q doesn't have the talent he had in season's past. I am a believer that a great coach can get any group of players to succeed. What is your thought, has Q lost this team? I believe he has.

(Posted at the end of the last blog)

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 . . .

GO KLEMBOF

Posted after notice of new blog:

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.

GO KLEMBOF
- ChonDerry

Yes, KL GOFBOM.
I loved doing the JUMBLES in the paper.

WOTSE CSUSK

So I’ll also post again what I wrote at the end of the last blog:

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?

GO KLEMBOF
- ChonDerry

Haha. Fixed.

That'd be an awesome handle.

I'm not sure what this team is right now. They can come out and beat really good teams for 5 wins in a row, then put up 3 stinkers on the road. It seems they go as the rookies and young guys go. When Rutta and Forsling are on, the team excels. When they show that they are, in fact, rookies and 21 year olds, the team struggles. Hard to get a handle on what's going to happen.

Haha. Fixed.

That'd be an awesome handle.
- Justin Lowe

I was just teasing, but I laughed to myself reading it. Next goal he gets I'll yell it out just for funsies.
GL tonight guys - I never know which Oilers team will show up til puck drop

Justin, there is a lot of talk on this board that Q doesn't have the talent he had in season's past. I am a believer that a great coach can get any group of players to succeed. What is your thought, has Q lost this team? I believe he has.
- powerenforcer

I'm not 100% sure. I believe the core is still with him and the younger players respect him. He treats his guys pretty well but now that they are not winning, things can go south pretty quick.

I said today to my wife, I wish Q could just go on an extended holiday and the Hawks could have someone else pop in temporarily to see if they could improve the team.

You know, because I would hate to dump a HOF coach just to find out that maybe tbis team is just not that good.

... and at that point the sights hone in on the guy(s) that put this team together.

So, here's the thing. Does anyone think that this Hock team can win the Cup against the lightning or get to the final through the rest of our conference? Do ya think the Hocks brass can't see the hockey as it is? Did anyone think, coming into this season, losing the players we lost and working with the youngsters we have that we would win the Cup? If not the Cup, then what? 2nd place? 3rd place? Or like the wings, lets make the playoffs for the next 20 years and go nowhere. Better yet, we could fire Stan and Q and EnzoD could run the club. Back away from the ledge.

Let the flower bloom. GO HOCKS

The Toews concern/questions I posted earlier aside, how to explain the rest of the team seemingly coasting or not playing up to potential each and every game now that they know they are a bubble team AT BEST? That is the most troubling of all.

So, here's the thing. Does anyone think that this Hock team can win the Cup against the lightning or get to the final through the rest of our conference? Do ya think the Hocks brass can't see the hockey as it is? Did anyone think, coming into this season, losing the players we lost and working with the youngsters we have that we would win the Cup? If not the Cup, then what? 2nd place? 3rd place? Or like the wings, lets make the playoffs for the next 20 years and go nowhere. Better yet, we could fire Stan and Q and EnzoD could run the club. Back away from the ledge.

Let the flower bloom. GO HOCKS
- hocktock

If they play like they did against very good teams for that 5 game win streak, yeah, they could beat those teams. They put up a very good game against Tampa when they were struggling for wins. It's the lack of consistency. Like you said though, probably all growing pains for a re-worked roster.

The Toews concern/questions I posted earlier aside, how to explain the rest of the team seemingly coasting or not playing up to potential each and every game now that they know they are a bubble team AT BEST? That is the most troubling of all.

Maybe this IS their potential. You have 2 players in Sharp and Seabrook who may be ready for retirement. You have NO top 4 D-men other than Keith, though Forsling and Murphy show potential. Still, they are not there yet. You have suspect backup tending. You have NO ONE other than 19 that can win draws. Hayden/Wingels/Bouma I think are are a fine Line 4. You have a mishmash on Line 3 and Line 1 with Toews and Saad has been completely neutralized for most of this year.

Who really thought losing the plethora of players the Hawks lost over the years combined with dumb trades and dumb contracts that the ball would keep rolling as it always had?

If they play like they did against very good teams for that 5 game win streak, yeah, they could beat those teams. They put up a very good game against Tampa when they were struggling for wins. It's the lack of consistency. Like you said though, probably all growing pains for a re-worked roster.
- JRoenick97

LOL...those "very good teams" on that winning streak included the two worst teams in the NHL as well as Florida playing with a backup goalie. So they beat Winnipeg we can hang our hat on that win to show the Hawks are really super duper and just need to play like that, when it truth the Peg probably just sucked that game. This team is actually GETTING worse...signs that "reworking the roster" are happening should have been happening by now. All year, up and down...hell, without Crawford stealing games earlier this team would be next to last.

Maybe this IS their potential. You have 2 players in Sharp and Seabrook who may be ready for retirement. You have NO top 4 D-men other than Keith, though Forsling and Murphy show potential. Still, they are not there yet. You have suspect backup tending. You have NO ONE other than 19 that can win draws. Hayden/Wingels/Bouma I think are are a fine Line 4. You have a mishmash on Line 3 and Line 1 with Toews and Saad has been completely neutralized for most of this year.

Who really thought losing the plethora of players the Hawks lost over the years combined with dumb trades and dumb contracts that the ball would keep rolling as it always had?
- kwolf68

It may be their potential, but then explain what we saw in games 1-2 and in flashes since. We do see that when the afterburners and heart kick in, this team can still do some damage. Cup-level, probably not, but certainly not the sloppy, lackluster effort we are witnessing in too many games now.

Maybe they just don't have the stamina physically, but I'd bet much of it is between the ears.

It may be their potential, but then explain what we saw in games 1-2 and in flashes since. We do see that when the afterburners and heart kick in, this team can still do some damage. Cup-level, probably not, but certainly not the sloppy, lackluster effort we are witnessing in too many games now.

Maybe they just don't have the stamina physically, but I'd bet much of it is between the ears.
- pdx2ord

EVERY SINGLE team has flashes, either games or moments. You can't look at 1 or 2 games and say "that's the team"....Colorado has looked brilliant in a few games this year. But mostly they suck. That said COLORADO IS TWO points behind Chicago. Everyone talking about nebulous things like effort, heart, injuries...NONE quantifiable, just idle speculation from a hopeful fanbase that maybe when they "care again" then all will be rosy. The truth is this season has been the worst play of the Hawks I have seen in over 10 years. AT SOME POINT the loss of talent is/was going to catch up. I think it has.

Maybe this IS their potential. You have 2 players in Sharp and Seabrook who may be ready for retirement. You have NO top 4 D-men other than Keith, though Forsling and Murphy show potential. Still, they are not there yet. You have suspect backup tending. You have NO ONE other than 19 that can win draws. Hayden/Wingels/Bouma I think are are a fine Line 4. You have a mishmash on Line 3 and Line 1 with Toews and Saad has been completely neutralized for most of this year.

Who really thought losing the plethora of players the Hawks lost over the years combined with dumb trades and dumb contracts that the ball would keep rolling as it always had?
- kwolf68

If you think Seabrook is ready to retire, you've got more perception problems than I can deal with.

Looking at two games at the UC
Friday Jan 12 against the Jets
Sunday Jan 14 Wings

Anyone looking to move 2 tickets - Section 219 or the other side

The way the team is going I’m likely nuts.

Text 902 888-7000

OK Justin, do you think the two GM’s are talking about “hockey trade “, before tonight‘s game, maybe laying some groundwork, bad contract for. Bad contract, seabrook for Lucic? Edmonton need’s a D,And the Hawks could use some ass upfront, I think the money is about even but were the BLACKHAWKS probably would gain on this one is that
Lucic is five years younger than Brent Seabrook, so they basically would be out of their contract when Lucic is in his mid-30s. Just a thought.

3 points away from 2nd last in the Western Conference. With the teams we are facing in the next 1/2 dozen games, we will soon be there.

If you think Seabrook is ready to retire, you've got more perception problems than I can deal with.
- JRoenick97

No person in his right mind would leave that kind of money on the table -unless it was a Hossa type of retirement.
The upside of this team's downward trend is that the next wave of contracts will be more realistic.

This team is just not that good. Even last year if this team was down 3-1 in a game I had faith that they could come back and at least get a point. I don't feel that way watching them this year. The fourth line have been the studs this year, but you can't expect to get consistent scoring from them. They've gone out and provided a spark and the rest of the team doesn't feed off of it.

Another thing that I don't hear too many people talk about is the absence of Marian Hossa. Not necessarily for his goal scoring, but his nightly effort and back check. That went a long way for this team and now it's gone.