The assist was great, but Gus had a much better defensive game tonight. Taking away space on a lot of guys coming in the zone.
- Chunk

@MarkLazerus
Q on the Erik Gustafsson slap pass: "I asked Kaner, 'Did you yell for it?' He said, 'I didn’t have to.'

Those two have more of the insta-chemistry like Kane had with Panarin than Kane has had with any of his line mates the past couple of years. It really is too bad Gus couldn't play forward.

So Corey in his last 2 games has given up a total of 2 goals, 61 saves, 968 save%, damn, looking good

It's only 2 games but maybe we can now check off another box that we were hoping for going into the season - Saad returning to form. No doubt there are ups and downs throughout the season but Saad has played just the way we hoped he would after a very lackluster season last year.

So the main questions going into this season were:

Would Toews bounce back to being close to the player he used to be? Check.
Would Crawford come back and still be an elite goalie? Check.
Would Saad have a bounce back year? Check.
Would Keith play better than last season? Jury still out but it's looking positive.

There are other things but those seem like the biggies to me and we're doing pretty good.

Given Rutta’s Mobility, when he plays with confidence I think he’s a better player than Murphy . Forsling at his best is an upgrade over Manning, but 23 was solid tonight. Murphy + for Nylander

Given Rutta’s Mobility, when he plays with confidence I think he’s a better player than Murphy . Forsling at his best is an upgrade over Manning, but 23 was solid tonight. Murphy + for Nylander
- EnzoD

Make it happen Stan!
(and then we should all make prop bets on Murphy because he'll play out of his mind and everyone will blame Q for misusing him.)

Given Rutta’s Mobility, when he plays with confidence I think he’s a better player than Murphy . Forsling at his best is an upgrade over Manning, but 23 was solid tonight. Murphy + for Nylander
- EnzoD

Pretty much anyone, including Davidson, is an upgrade over Manning.

Manning is not good at playing hockey. Bad.

Also, Nylander seems like a horses ass. I wouldn’t want him anywhere near this team. (frank) him.

Given Rutta’s Mobility, when he plays with confidence I think he’s a better player than Murphy . Forsling at his best is an upgrade over Manning, but 23 was solid tonight. Murphy + for Nylander
- EnzoD

That would have to be a whole lotta +

It's only 2 games but maybe we can now check off another box that we were hoping for going into the season - Saad returning to form. No doubt there are ups and downs throughout the season but Saad has played just the way we hoped he would after a very lackluster season last year.

So the main questions going into this season were:

Would Toews bounce back to being close to the player he used to be? Check.
Would Crawford come back and still be an elite goalie? Check.
Would Saad have a bounce back year? Check.
Would Keith play better than last season? Jury still out but it's looking positive.

There are other things but those seem like the biggies to me and we're doing pretty good.
- EbonyRaptor

I agree those are the big things. There are other good things happening too: Seabrook (ok,) DeBrincat, Kahun, Joki, Kruger, Kampf, and AA are net positives; Schmaltz showing signs of life. The other Dmen are works in progress, but not without hope.

They have ave to sort out the bottom six forwards. Kunitz seems like the 13th forward at best.

I'd like to see Stan add some talent to the roster. The things that needed to happen with the guys on the team are happening, it's time for the front office to do its part.

No not really, the way Schmaltz all of a sudden pulls up short for a 50 50 puck is different, I've never seen Kane do that, never
- BetweenTheDots

Anyone notice Schmaltz skating thru center ice and bam two Duck players so he just lofted a pop up to duck zone and we lost possession. Give up

That would have to be a whole lotta +
- SimpleJack

Kunitz, but I won't go any further.

Don't know if its just me... But I'm guessing that Q sees this as a bit of a rebuilding year for the first time in a decade, and so he's laying off on his young d-men. In the past he's never willing to play them top minutes without the quick hook and he always opted to play the journeymen instead.

Saad has turned a corner in the past two games. He had his chances prior to this duo of games but there was still something off with his overall compete level. He's very exciting to watch again every shift and on on both special teams, especially PK. As much as it's exciting to watch players like Kane, Toews, and DeBrincat, Saad has been most exciting mainly because of what he has gone through the previous 10-11 months.

Both Toews and Saad are resurgent in a way where they will just drive hard to every puck with a demeanor of "I won't get denied" or "this is my damn puck" and winning the battle more often than not now. Total 180 from last season (and longer for Toews).

Plus Saad's empty netter was a nice reward for all the hit posts and near misses (some by an inch) in the prior games.

Make it happen Stan!
(and then we should all make prop bets on Murphy because he'll play out of his mind and everyone will blame Q for misusing him.)
- matt_ahrens

Murphy and Forsberg, Toronto lost two goalies to waivers.

FWIW a rumor of sorts posted by the Barstool Hawks guy. He does hang with some of the (ex) players off the ice. Just a different twist on the Stan v Q / FO dysfunction debate.

@BarstoolChief
Sounds like there are two very distinct camps

1) The Stan group

2) The group with Norm McIver. “Norm is the smartest guy in the organization, but Stan completely ignores him”

McDonough is “afraid of Joel”. Everyone kinda hates McDonough, but nobody can challenge him.
- pdx2ord

Thanks for sharing this. If/when Bowman is relieved as GM, Mciver should be the new GM if the Hawks are searching internally only. That's a sad situation if true that Bowman ignores Mciver whether he's the smartest person in the organization or not. Mciver has experience and credibility so that's just hubris for Bowman to not listen to one of his direct reports.

Another poster stated in the previous blog that they don't trust Bowman to make the best pick possible if the Hawks had a top 10 pick again in the draft. Rumor is that Bowman and head of scouting Kelley are not often on the same page. Is that another example of Bowman beating to his own drum and not really listening to the rest of his staff?

Again just rumor but quite disappointing if true.

ETA: Not sure how credible BarStoolChief is as their comments do come off as hyperbole but one still wonders that there could be some kernel of truth.

FWIW a rumor of sorts posted by the Barstool Hawks guy. He does hang with some of the (ex) players off the ice. Just a different twist on the Stan v Q / FO dysfunction debate.

@BarstoolChief
Sounds like there are two very distinct camps

1) The Stan group

2) The group with Norm McIver. “Norm is the smartest guy in the organization, but Stan completely ignores him”

McDonough is “afraid of Joel”. Everyone kinda hates McDonough, but nobody can challenge him.
- pdx2ord

But, but, but,

None of this spoke to the "split" between Quenneville and Bowman.

There goes Oldduffman's narrative.....

Given Rutta’s Mobility, when he plays with confidence I think he’s a better player than Murphy . Forsling at his best is an upgrade over Manning, but 23 was solid tonight. Murphy + for Nylander
- EnzoD

Rutta goes most games without engaging the opposing team. Plays a very passive game in his own end. He is not better than anyone.

@MarkLazerus
Q on the Erik Gustafsson slap pass: "I asked Kaner, 'Did you yell for it?' He said, 'I didn’t have to.'

Those two have more of the insta-chemistry like Kane had with Panarin than Kane has had with any of his line mates the past couple of years. It really is too bad Gus couldn't play forward.
- pdx2ord

Why?

Two “GWAs” from the point. Working well.

Anyone notice Schmaltz skating thru center ice and bam two Duck players so he just lofted a pop up to duck zone and we lost possession. Give up
- glennjpawlak22

That was not a positive look for Schmaltz. Foley made a big point of it on the broadcast. Now I don’t expect Schmaltz to be constantly taking the body nor do I expect him to let himself get totally laid out when he can avoid it. However, it should take more than having an opposing player 5 feet away to cause him to cough up the puck.

Keith hits the duck in the offensive zone hahaha hahaha hahaha
- BetweenTheDots

.

Keith has become absolutely hysterical. It has reached a point that you cannot believe what you are watching. It is as if he is purposefully trying to get his shot blocked by opposing players it is happening so often.

What was a big difference tonight is the team speed difference between the Ducks and Tampa - night and day. The Bolts hemmed us in and kept us hemmed in because they were quick to the puck. I give the Hawks credit for playing better but their opponent tonight wasn't out-quicking the Hawks to the puck. So it's nice to win but the Hawks d-men had more time and space to make plays tonight.
- EbonyRaptor

Games like the Lightning game are outliers. There are going to games during the year that get away from any team. The Hawks actually had a very good First Period in that game outskating and outshooting the Lightning. Three straight cheapie penalties back to back to back in the early part of the Second Period and the ice became seriously tilted quickly.

The assist was great, but Gus had a much better defensive game tonight. Taking away space on a lot of guys coming in the zone.
- Chunk

.

Gus seems on the edge of becoming a special player. Certainly seems to have the offensive skills and seems to be getting better and better in the D-Zone. His remaining weakness was seen on the Ducks’ goal. He pinched when he shouldn’t have. It is true that Toews made a terrible pass to nobody. However, Gus should actually have been there near the blue line as Seabrook had already pinched on the right side. I understand Ulf’s pinch at all costs “system” but the team simply can’t have both D pinching. Well you can but then you risk giving up a break-away from the Ducks’ blue-line in a 1-0 game.

For everyone moaning about Schmaltz being contact averse, Kane does the exact same thing. He doesn’t dig his nose into the corners or fight the board battles. He simply uses his speed and skill to win pucks.
- Chunk

That is not true. Kane will engage. He will even take the body - admittedly it is not frequently but it happens. There is a huge difference between Kane avoiding unnecessary hits, for long-term self-preservation, and Schmaltz shying away completely if an opposing player gets within 5 feet of him. Kane will skate right at the opposing trees when he has the puck. Schmaltz always skates away from them.

Ya but he was playing against guys whose second job is bagging groceries.
- GPHawksfan

Didn’t realize that Connor McDavid bagged groceries.

That is not true. Kane will engage. He will even take the body - admittedly it is not frequently but it happens. There is a huge difference between Kane avoiding unnecessary hits, for long-term self-preservation, and Schmaltz shying away completely if an opposing player gets within 5 feet of him. Kane will skate right at the opposing trees when he has the puck. Schmaltz always skates away from them.
- Z3Hawk

My only issue with Kane’s play is his sometime aversion to backchecking (“it’s never to late to come back and backcheck”) and losing his man in the high-danger slot area.

Three times this season (going from viewing memory here) he lost his man inside the blue line, leaving him wide open in the slot for a goal.

He does engage with the puck in the ozone - without the puck there he looks to find an open space.

Thanks for sharing this. If/when Bowman is relieved as GM, Mciver should be the new GM if the Hawks are searching internally only. That's a sad situation if true that Bowman ignores Mciver whether he's the smartest person in the organization or not. Mciver has experience and credibility so that's just hubris for Bowman to not listen to one of his direct reports.

Another poster stated in the previous blog that they don't trust Bowman to make the best pick possible if the Hawks had a top 10 pick again in the draft. Rumor is that Bowman and head of scouting Kelley are not often on the same page. Is that another example of Bowman beating to his own drum and not really listening to the rest of his staff?

Again just rumor but quite disappointing if true.

ETA: Not sure how credible BarStoolChief is as their comments do come off as hyperbole but one still wonders that there could be some kernel of truth.
- AEL_Fox

Yeah, who knows on the credibility. He is first and foremost a passionate fan like the rest of us. He does hang with players like Darling (still) and was on Kane's squad for the Special Olympics charity game this year and last. He may have sources in the org, but how much those sources actually know about the inner workings of the FO is another question. He said he'll post a blog about what he heard soon, so we shall see. Just found the different twist on the general dysfunction issue many on here see interesting.