Six points for the second line tonight.
- matt_ahrens

Thought Hartmann looked really solid tonight. Seemed to fit in well with Kane and Schmaltz.

I don't enjoy seeing #19 on my milk carton when I pour my Coco puffs every morning

I don't enjoy seeing #19 on my milk carton when I pour my Coco puffs every morning
- Stan_Bowman

Blackhawk nickname update: "Glasser"
- matt_ahrens

Is Saad the only Hawk with a nickname that wasn’t former by 1) adding “er” or “y” to the last name or 2) subtracting several letters from the end of their last name?

Toewser, Kaner, Schmaltzy, Seab’s, Dunc, Crow,......

Love virtually every aspect of the game except for the way they create nicknames.......oh, and the officiating, too.

I don't enjoy seeing #19 on my milk carton when I pour my Coco puffs every morning
- Stan_Bowman

How do you think he feels seeing himself on his Soy Milk carton?

Thought Hartmann looked really solid tonight. Seemed to fit in well with Kane and Schmaltz.
- Spec41971

hartmann should stay on the wing...but Q has continued to experiment with him at center and that has failed...he does not play well as a center

Is Saad the only Hawk with a nickname that wasn’t former by 1) adding “er” or “y” to the last name or 2) subtracting several letters from the end of their last name?

Toewser, Kaner, Schmaltzy, Seab’s, Dunc, Crow,......

Love virtually every aspect of the game except for the way they create nicknames.......oh, and the officiating, too.
- Spec41971

LOL this nickname stuff has found its way onto my youth hockey team...it's here to stay.

The Edmonton Oilers are a perfect example of why the draft is set up all wrong. In pure terms of selling the game by showcasing the best telent, the best teams should always have the first pick, this way you don't have telented players wasting their prime years on crappy teams. It's really outside the box thinking, but it would be great for the sport.
- powerenforcer

Not a big fan of this idea for the obvious reason that it keeps the rich rich, but on the otherhand, it does incentivise teams playing to win throughout a season. I don’t think there is any less ethical part of sport than teams tanking to improve draft position. Unless, that is, the teams doing the tanking we’re willing to reduce ticket prices, parking, concessions and such by 75 percent since they are asking their players to reduce performance by that much.

LOL this nickname stuff has found its way onto my youth hockey team...it's here to stay.
- kwolf68

Thanks kwolf68er!

Thanks kwolf68er!
- Spec41971

Is Saad the only Hawk with a nickname that wasn’t former by 1) adding “er” or “y” to the last name or 2) subtracting several letters from the end of their last name?

Toewser, Kaner, Schmaltzy, Seab’s, Dunc, Crow,......

Love virtually every aspect of the game except for the way they create nicknames.......oh, and the officiating, too.
- Spec41971

I thought Saad is "Saader," no? Oh, he's also man-child, I think. But I hear other players and Q call him Saader.

What is DeBrincat's?

I thought Saad is "Saader," no? Oh, he's also man-child, I think. But I hear other players and Q call him Saader.

What is DeBrincat's?
- matt_ahrens

Yea it's Saader I think.

I don't know what Alex's nick is, but expect it to become "Dinks" or just "Cat"

Yea it's Saader I think.

I don't know what Alex's nick is, but expect it to become "Dinks" or just "Cat"
- kwolf68

I have heard him called Saader, but he at least has “Man Child” in his back pocket.

While you or I would think something like “Cat” makes sense — and I think logically it is a name he would have been given when I was a kid — I think the players age going with “Cat” only because they would constantly stumble over “DeBrincater”

So....you guys still think Saad is better than Panarin?

I don't enjoy seeing #19 on my milk carton when I pour my Coco puffs every morning
- Stan_Bowman

Switch to Almond Milk, he did!

So....you guys still think Saad is better than Panarin?
- SimpleJack

Put him with Kane and not Toews then we'll talk.

Yea it's Saader I think.

I don't know what Alex's nick is, but expect it to become "Dinks" or just "Cat"
- kwolf68

They are calling him Kitty in the interviews. A tad more creative.

I don't enjoy seeing #19 on my milk carton when I pour my Coco puffs every morning
- Stan_Bowman

If you didn't pay him so much you might be able to eat a decent breakfast.

So....you guys still think Saad is better than Panarin?
- SimpleJack

Yes, Saad is the more complete player. His struggles mirror that of the team. This team is in a true funk and were lucky to win last night.

Yes, Saad is the more complete player. His struggles mirror that of the team. This team is in a true funk and were lucky to win last night.
- z1990z

they have been in a funk since they clinched the WC #1 seed last April

they have been in a funk since they clinched the WC #1 seed last April
- bogiedoc

That is 100% dead on true.

If Toews' back really is the problem and he can't train like he used to maybe it is time to change up his routine and/or off ice strength coach?

I know JJ Watt has had numerous elbow and back injuries and he completely changed his off season lifting regiment without sacrificing overall strength.

Did Toews lose weight this summer to get quicker or did he lose weight to try and coop with a bad back or whatever is ailing? The thing that stands out about his play this year is his lack of strength on his skates. Even when he tries to stop quickly and stick handle he seems off balance i.e. poor core and leg strength.

Being unable to train b/c of a bad back usually results in a loss of leg and core strength. If his back prohibits him from doing Olympic lifting, squats, dead lift variations etc. that could explain this years weak play.

But it does not explain last years play which he blamed on being too muscle bound and heavy. Becoming muscle bound is really really hard to accomplish with a bad back.

I think something is ailing him. Not sure what it is but he has spent the last two off-seasons trying to figure out a way to coup with it through training. He went from being to muscle bound to being slimmed down and visibly weaker. If you are changing up your off-season regiment that much in a two year span something is wrong physically... just my non-expert opinion.

I prefer last years muscle bound version to this years light weight version.
- bhawks2241

A while ago JJ mentioned Toews might have a necrosis. I'm familiar with that as I have that condition in my hips. Not painful, just uncomfortable. New hips are on my horizon someday. But what A-vascular necrosis in the hips did to me was rob me of the strength I used to have. I can still skate, just not powerskate. And falling down is common, especially when bumped or turning.
I sure hope this is not the case with JT. But if it is he's well on his way to being done. Think Bo Jackson, that's what ended his athletic career.

I watched parts of the taped game last night. During one of the intermissions, the Sportsnet tv hosts were comparing the Hawks 2 big contracts to the McDavid and Draisaitl ones noting that the sums were basically identical. However, they felt that the Oiler situation had better value because the players were younger. What these guys failed to recognize is that the Hawks won their cups before these bloated contracts were awarded. These cap hits are the reason the Hawks will not win any more cups and this now applies to the Oilers who have not seen any cups yet with this crew.

Anyway, I was at the game and Draisaitl was basically invisible except that lucky goal at the side of the net. I did not realize that he was the guy walked by Kane until listening to radio show on the way home. The radio hosts were very critical of Draisaitl's game and I noticed that his ice time was relatively low for a $9M player.
McDavid, though, (WOW) that guy has rockets in his blades.

Game Notes:
-I liked Kampf. He has nice size and good puck control. As long as this line was not caught in the defensive zone (because of lack of size on the wings), it was quite effective.
-That first line was no more effective than lines 3 and 4 in the offensive zone. Their puck management was weak and the Oiler defenders did not have any problems neutralizing the 3.
-Kane's line was able to find open areas and gave Oiler defenders problems all nite.
Their eyes are always facing the play. Kane is still an elite player who can elicit gasps and anxiety from opposition fans when the puck is on his stick.
-Keith is still a very good defender, but some of his passes and play decisions were head scratching.

I thought Saad is "Saader," no? Oh, he's also man-child, I think. But I hear other players and Q call him Saader.

What is DeBrincat's?
- matt_ahrens

Given his play this year, he's just "child" now.

I have heard him called Saader, but he at least has “Man Child” in his back pocket.

While you or I would think something like “Cat” makes sense — and I think logically it is a name he would have been given when I was a kid — I think the players age going with “Cat” only because they would constantly stumble over “DeBrincater”
- Spec41971

Cat or Kitty is ok. wussy is not.