Let's chill here. Anybody who looked at the schedule for this month knew that this game was the most likely loss. Let's not discount what they did before tonight, even if they were shaky against Detroit on Sunday, as was just pointed out.

When we were all calling for the tank, this team had not melded together yet. The disarray was not Ottawa bad, but it was still pretty bad. The circumstances have obviously changed. After all the setbacks, making it to the postseason will be quite the feather in their cap, even if they do get swept by Calgary.
- 333inthe3rd

i am chill about this team...they can score: kane, toews, cat, strome and saad with gus can get light it up; but they suck defensively and the pk coughs up a goal a game and that has been the constants with this team...damn their goalies have to do headstands keep it 3 or less.

Jokiharju was consistently one of the best d-men on the team. He should be back on the team making a solid contribution later this season or next.

Of the current defense

- Keith and Seabrook will be back, as they should be
- Murphy will be back
- Dahlstrom should be back
- Forsling and Koekkoek each have a 50% chance of returning (at best)
- Gustafsson - I say he doesn’t return. He’s still a short term asset that could bring back a decent return. He’s a solid offensive d-man and some GM will pay for him. Stan would have to replace/upgrade Gus through free agency.
- DarthKane

they come back this d corp a year later and you will get the same or worse results....

Fun facts: The Hawks have played 57 games and in 31 of those games they have given up 4 or more goals. They have given up 209 goals so far this year which is the worst in the league, 4 more than second worst Ottawa and 15 more than the 3rd worst New Jersey, who they play on Thursday.

they come back this d corp a year later and you will get the same or worse results....
- bogiedoc

Agreed. Feel free to back up the truck on everyone in uniform if you can get anything decent in return.

Agreed. Feel free to back up the truck on everyone in uniform if you can get anything decent in return.
- gabriel

Referring to our D-men of course. I like Colliton a lot, but he also needs to start answering some tough questions about his defensive schemes. I'm sometimes unable to discern whether it's the players, scheme, or both, that are the problem.

i am chill about this team...they can score: kane, toews, cat, strome and saad with gus can get light it up; but they suck defensively and the pk coughs up a goal a game and that has been the constants with this team...damn their goalies have to do headstands keep it 3 or less.
- bogiedoc

They’ve been playing entertaining hockey scoring goals and having a ridiculous Powerplay conversion % . Expecting Forsling-Gustafson to defend against a heavy forecheck like Boston....you saw the result. IF The Hawks continue their PP success when it was 5v3 in the 1st and make it 2-0....it’s a different game. Shows how you ultimately can’t live and die on special teams when your 5v5 play is pedestrian. Their PK is simply atrocious, Dead last in the league and not showing improvement.

New Jersey is a very winnable game but this was a clinic by Boston on physicality, tight checking, and structure defensively.

Could be worse, imagine being an Ottawa fan....so much sucking just to watch that 1st overall pick go to Colorado...then watch Duchene walk as a UFA a week later on 7/1.

If there is a positive about this lose to Boston, is that maybe it will help mgmt pump the brakes if they were thinking of a silly short term "add". Stay the course. Trade for prospects, picks and young assets.....or to move contracts and salary for bigger off-season signings. Hawks MAY make the playoffs....unlikely, but possible. But, need to keep building the talent and prospect base before being a contender for the Cup.

If there is a positive about this lose to Boston, is that maybe it will help mgmt pump the brakes if they were thinking of a silly short term "add". Stay the course. Trade for prospects, picks and young assets.....or to move contracts and salary for bigger off-season signings. Hawks MAY make the playoffs....unlikely, but possible. But, need to keep building the talent and prospect base before being a contender for the Cup.
- hawk35

Good advice
Expect management will do just as you say.

Why should anyone be shocked or even disappointing. The ballyhooed 7-game winning streak was in spite of being badly outplayed/outshot in most games. The Red Wings game was horrible. They have not been playing top teams either. Last night, road game against a playoff team, results obvious. Things were not/are not sustainable. Some good pieces, but this team goes NOWHERE with the defensive core they have. DEAD LAST in goals against and the goalies have played well.

Anisimov value is probably a 5th round pick at this point.

they come back this d corp a year later and you will get the same or worse results....
- bogiedoc

Yep. It's a joke the entire defensive core is suggested to return. I wouldn't be upset if they replaced 4 or 5 of them, it's a clown show, only thing missing is the laugh track.

Yep. It's a joke the entire defensive core is suggested to return. I wouldn't be upset if they replaced 4 or 5 of them, it's a clown show, only thing missing is the laugh track.
- kwolf68

Idk that they need to swap out almost the entire defense. Like someone suggested Jokiharju likely draws back in after the TDL and Koekkoek had been playing well.

Will be interesting to see if they continue rotating dmen after the TDL. Either way, I wouldn't mind seeing Forsling involved in a hockey trade at some point.

The other suggestion was swapping out most of the bottom 6. Do that, acquire a top 4 dman in the offseason and work on team defense when camp opens. Seems it's more a team issue than just having a bunch of lousy blue liners.

I'd rather they focus on that after the parade than going after a Panarin or Stone.

Soft play goes far deeper than Forsling. It started in 1926.
- Return of the Roar

Fixed.

Just tweeted... is this what it would be like if Blackhawks made the playoffs?

The Bruins have been dominating the Hawks.

This is the quality of competition that they qould be facing in round 1.
- Justin Lowe

Even so - technically in this game they scored more goals than in the entire last playoff series that they were sorta in. I guess that is the glass half full approach.

Fun facts: The Hawks have played 57 games and in 31 of those games they have given up 4 or more goals. They have given up 209 goals so far this year which is the worst in the league, 4 more than second worst Ottawa and 15 more than the 3rd worst New Jersey, who they play on Thursday.
- EbonyRaptor

You'd think they'd have switched back to zone defense by now but JC seems dead set on the man to man system

In other news, Ek has it wrong again with Getzlaf potentially headed to LVK. Stan will get him at the deadline.

For those who were asking earlier, Malkin suspended one game.

https://www.nhl.com/news/...gainst-flyers/c-304759462
- pdx2ord

I didn't realize the playoffs already started. What an absolute joke for a repeat offender.

They’ve been playing entertaining hockey scoring goals and having a ridiculous Powerplay conversion % . Expecting Forsling-Gustafson to defend against a heavy forecheck like Boston....you saw the result. IF The Hawks continue their PP success when it was 5v3 in the 1st and make it 2-0....it’s a different game. Shows how you ultimately can’t live and die on special teams when your 5v5 play is pedestrian. Their PK is simply atrocious, Dead last in the league and not showing improvement.

New Jersey is a very winnable game but this was a clinic by Boston on physicality, tight checking, and structure defensively.

Could be worse, imagine being an Ottawa fan....so much sucking just to watch that 1st overall pick go to Colorado...then watch Duchene walk as a UFA a week later on 7/1.
- EnzoD

Everyone needs to be fired on that team.

Excerpt from the Athletic's Haynes, about TDL acquisitions...

It’s​ a great trivia question to try out​ on your buddies the​ next time​ you’re​ gathered​​ at the pub over a few pints and some wings.

Name the only two players in the last 15 years, who were pure rentals picked up at the NHL trade deadline, who cost a first-round draft pick to acquire and who ended up being sized for a Stanley Cup ring four months later.

By pure rental, I’m talking about guys on expiring contracts. Not players with another season remaining beyond the current one. Strictly that high-end hired gun, widely sought after, who commanded a first-round pick as part of the package to acquire them.

Answer

2015 | C Antoine Vermette, Chi
2011 | D Tomas Kaberle, Bos

Yep. It's a joke the entire defensive core is suggested to return. I wouldn't be upset if they replaced 4 or 5 of them, it's a clown show, only thing missing is the laugh track.
- kwolf68

IMO, here’s next years D properly slotted.

Keith . Jokiharju
??? . Murphy
Dahlstrom . ???
Seabrook

You will not contend for Stanley Cups with Forsling, Gustafsson, or Koekkoek taking regular shifts. Stan has work to do, as it’s unlikely that 2nd pair D man can be filled by one of next year’s rookies.

12 NHL games last night - the winning team was outshot in seven of them. Seven mirages.

No word on face offs, but I'm sure all the winners also won the face off battle.

They’ve been playing entertaining hockey scoring goals and having a ridiculous Powerplay conversion % . Expecting Forsling-Gustafson to defend against a heavy forecheck like Boston....you saw the result. IF The Hawks continue their PP success when it was 5v3 in the 1st and make it 2-0....it’s a different game. Shows how you ultimately can’t live and die on special teams when your 5v5 play is pedestrian. Their PK is simply atrocious, Dead last in the league and not showing improvement.

New Jersey is a very winnable game but this was a clinic by Boston on physicality, tight checking, and structure defensively.

Could be worse, imagine being an Ottawa fan....so much sucking just to watch that 1st overall pick go to Colorado...then watch Duchene walk as a UFA a week later on 7/1.
- EnzoD

That’s completely on Colliton. Someone needs to tell him he’s coaching in the NHL, not a 2nd tier league in Sweden. #CollitonSucks

Excerpt from the Athletic's Haynes, about TDL acquisitions...

It’s​ a great trivia question to try out​ on your buddies the​ next time​ you’re​ gathered​​ at the pub over a few pints and some wings.

Name the only two players in the last 15 years, who were pure rentals picked up at the NHL trade deadline, who cost a first-round draft pick to acquire and who ended up being sized for a Stanley Cup ring four months later.

By pure rental, I’m talking about guys on expiring contracts. Not players with another season remaining beyond the current one. Strictly that high-end hired gun, widely sought after, who commanded a first-round pick as part of the package to acquire them.

Answer

2015 | C Antoine Vermette, Chi
2011 | D Tomas Kaberle, Bos
- HawkintheD

Might be in the minority here, but felt then and still do now that Vermette put that team over the top. They were in dire need of someone who could own the FO and he did just that. Won countless board/puck battles, solid defense, and checked like a MF. Was tough to see him head back out west after the Cup win.

12 NHL games last night - the winning team was outshot in seven of them. Seven mirages.

No word on face offs, but I'm sure all the winners also won the face off battle.
- mohel

It’s not the total shots, it’s the quality.

It’s not the total shots, it’s the quality.
- scottak

Yet I keep reading posts about the total shots. I agree that shots are part of the picture. Faceoffs are also part of the picture, but not nearly as much as the board seems to think.

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