Just wondering if anyone saw this on Saad's goal last night - He built a tent, started a campfire, and made some s'mores before he scored. Maybe Toronto was watching too much of Chicago's tape?

no question the leafs turned it up a few notches in the third...and they had plenty of reserve because they were lazy and careless for the first 2 periods...

the hawks couldn't find the empty net, couldn't get the puck and when they did they made terrible clearing decisions: seab, keith, kruger to name a few...

almost blew a 5 goal...gotta admit these games are awfully entertaining and unpredictable...

esp with these two teams: 2 games = 22 goals....

Maybe the play was too ice the puck and Saad was hustling to save icing, but you know Keith and his weak shot
- BetweenTheDots

Its a common play. Win the draw, offside winger flies the zone which makes the D leave the zone to cover you. The problem is the TO winger did not forcheck and went to the wall where he kept the puck in. I blame Keith for just thinking the play was automatic and did not look up to see he had time. Seabs did the exact same thing a few seconds later. What a waste of 2 solid faceoff wins to ice the game.

From today’s LeBrun article

“
“I feel we’ve made some good strides this year,” said Keith. “I still feel like there’s a lot of good things going on in Chicago.
- scottak[i]At the end of the day, there’s not a lot of teams that you really look at and think, ‘OK, they’re that much better than this team[/b].’ So, I like it in Chicago, I like the group, I know we have to be better, but I’d like to be part of that.”
.

This is the most important thing he said.

The players/team recognize the parity of the league. Heck, right now, a couple over time wins and you flip 1 loss you are a playoff team. Outside of Ottawa, there are no doormats in the league, and even Ottawa plays hard every night.

Saad blew the zone off the face off win. No doubt he assummed Saad would be on the wall. If Keith takes another stride or 2 and looks up, he has other options.


They will go to school on that. If that play happens, Hawks win 5-3

Winning games like that, no matter how ugly is step in the right direction. They can build off of that.

Its like the never ending blather here about top 4 dmen and can't win with this guy, and this guy is a number 7 on a good team. All nonsense. The NHL game is so fast, have to win the initial foot race and make correct play. We won some of the races and did not execute on the pass or clear. When JC said we have a few things we can clean up, that is what he refers to. Those plays at high speed, happen dozens of times each game, for the first 50 minutes, we won most of them, the last 5 minute, yes when it counted most, we had a few lapses. You can coach that, players can visualize and train themselves to react differently.

Coming on this board, thinking you are going to have 4 hall of fame defensemen shutting down the other squad every night is not realistic. Every team has too much speed and skill. The hook and hold rules make it near impossible to shut anyone down. The hawks will play a team in Montreal that plays the same way as they do, with less fire power.

Defense...

Getting to pucks first
Winning wall battle
making correct pass or play

All at 35 mph.... big slow d men are useless, no matter how tough they may be.
- TrueGrit

I don't think having 2, 3 or 4 top 4 dmen is unreasonable. Didn't ask for hall of fame players, who said big and slow either?

Failed exit by Keith, Seabrook, Dahlstrom couldn't handle a good pass from Delia and all led to more scoring chances.

Did Keith and Seabrook forget how to close game out?

Im glad they won, and am optimistic about this team's future, before you spin it, but they need better dmen. Hopefully Bowman hits on a 3rd of his draft picks.

This is the most important thing he said.

The players/team recognize the parity of the league. Heck, right now, a couple over time wins and you flip 1 loss you are a playoff team. Outside of Ottawa, there are no doormats in the league, and even Ottawa plays hard every night.


- TrueGrit

they do...any team can beat you any night by any score...hockey is way different than basketball or football...

hard to believe the hawks have the best record in the league next to bolts over the last 30 games or so

I agree with this. Bickell was a valuable player before he got sick but he was more of stand in front of the net guy with nice tip/rebound scoring ability and he played more physical. Perlini has much better speed and is more of a prototypical power forward in today's game - like Saad.
- EbonyRaptor

Who had his best stretches in the playoffs - where the game slows down and becomes a "half-court game" - fewer end-to-end rushes (where Bickell would be too slow to get into the play before it turned around, and then too slow to get back - and maybe thought the game too slowly).

He had time to get to where he needed to / should be in the slower game that takes over in the tournament.

Just wondering if anyone saw this on Saad's goal last night - He built a tent, started a campfire, and made some s'mores before he scored. Maybe Toronto was watching too much of Chicago's tape?
- powerenforcer

Ha. That is what happens when all 5 Leaf players go to one side of the ice and leave a man standing in front.

The Hawks still a very outside shot to sneak into the postseason and this flu talk doesn't help inspire confidence.

Would be great if Cam Ward is back soon as I think having a vet backup at this point would be great. That said, I'm sure Delia learned a lot from the experience last night. While he wasn't having a great 3rd in terms of dealing with the pressure, he did enough to get the W.

Just wondering if anyone saw this on Saad's goal last night - He built a tent, started a campfire, and made some s'mores before he scored. Maybe Toronto was watching too much of Chicago's tape?
- powerenforcer

Yup, I posted on it yesterday. 4 Leafs all chased Sikura into the corner, leaving 1 guy to cover the other 4 Hawks. Absolutely terrible by TOR.

i get delia is young and is not a finished product...not as technically sound as craw...

but he faced 30 (frank)'n shots in the 3rd period coming from all over the ice and every direction...the hawks were slow to every puck and puck battle

he got bailed by a couple post hits but he made 3-4 saves in the final 90 seconds that saved this team from another major implode loss...

delia competes and never gives up on a puck...hell on the 3rd goal he made 2 great saves before it got poked in

Ha. That is what happens when all 5 Leaf players go to one side of the ice and leave a man standing in front.
- breadbag

You forgot to mention the two below the goal line.

My point was that if Bowman and management now realize that 19 and 88 still have Cup potential because of the year they're both having, they might not be willing to wait 2 or 3 years for Beaudin, Mitchell, Joki, and Bovquist to be "ready" for a Cup run.

Yes the TD showed us (by doing nothing) that they are still in the evaluation mode, but it's more and more evident to everybody that a couple of top quality dmen are needed NEXT SEASON.

And I'm not sure that a Chychryn or a Manson couldn't be top 2 dmen if they were given the chance. What possible current top 2 dmen are going to be available anywhere in the league ? I'm guessing none.
- Hawkytalk

Are Toews and Kane gonna be in the retirement home in two or three years? They are 30. They will play and be productive for more than two or three more years, maybe not all star level but the second line has 3 players 23 years old or younger that are scoring and can probably get better. They ha e no choice but to wait for their prospect dmen to mature and become nhl players and that's exactly what they should be doing. No trading prospects or picks to appease the impatient mouth breathers.

That's not usually the problem when the flu comes on suddenly.
- 6628

It is if you have diarrhea

i get delia is young and is not a finished product...not as technically sound as craw...

but he faced 30 (frank)'n shots in the 3rd period coming from all over the ice and every direction...the hawks were slow to every puck and puck battle

he got bailed by a couple post hits but he made 3-4 saves in the final 90 seconds that saved this team from another major implode loss...

delia competes and never gives up on a puck...hell on the 3rd goal he made 2 great saves before it got poked in
- bogiedoc

He was absolutely peppered by an angry team that probably got their Maple Leaves handed to them by Babcock. The only issue I would have with Delia and it's a minor one, freeze the puck more. I get it, he probably just wanted to keep the clock moving, but kicking the puck out to the side it seemed TO got most of those and reset their offense.

Still, he did the best he could and only had the one soft goal from Tavares, the others were tough. But 2 points is 2 points and it's nice to see them battle, even if they made some bad decisions at the end. But that was a murder's row of offense from TO.

Are Toews and Kane gonna be in the retirement home in two or three years? They are 30. They will play and be productive for more than two or three more years, maybe not all star level but the second line has 3 players 23 years old or younger that are scoring and can probably get better. They ha e no choice but to wait for their prospect dmen to mature and become nhl players and that's exactly what they should be doing. No trading prospects or picks to appease the impatient mouth breathers.
- GPHawksfan

I’d be open to trading one or two prospects for some more immediate help, but it would have to be worth it for both now and in the long run. Can’t mortgage the future for the next two years, but if they can get someone who’s young enough to be a factor for 5-7 years then go for it.

Two weeks ago Perlini looked lost, he skated around seemingly in a fog, it looked like he had no idea what he was doing or what he was supposed to do and worst of all he looked disinterested and lazy. Then in the last 2 weeks or so it was like the movie Awakenings where suddenly the lights turn on and he wakes up from a slumber.

Last night I thought Perlini had his best game as a Blackhawk, better even than his night against the Coyotes. Perlini looked big, fast, strong and confident. That pass to ADB for his goal was amazing and he made other good smart plays. I won't get to far ahead of myself and claim he's the next whomever but he's been looking really good and I'd like to see him build on that. There are still weak parts of his game. He really has no idea what to do in his end when the Hawks are under pressure. He seems hesitant at times when he's forechecking. If he can enhance his game he could be really valuable and can be an all round player who is needed in all situations. I thought a couple of months ago that Bowman had won the trade just getting Strome, if this is the real Perlini, Bowman should be investigated for robbery.
- paulr

When he was going good in Arizona he reminded me of a poor man's Blake Wheeler. Not as physical and Wheeler took a while to become what he is too. It's encouraging that Perlini seems to have righted the ship. Confidence is an amazing thing for players.

I don't think having 2, 3 or 4 top 4 dmen is unreasonable. Didn't ask for hall of fame players, who said big and slow either?

Failed exit by Keith, Seabrook, Dahlstrom couldn't handle a good pass from Delia and all led to more scoring chances.

Did Keith and Seabrook forget how to close game out?

Im glad they won, and am optimistic about this team's future, before you spin it, but they need better dmen. Hopefully Bowman hits on a 3rd of his draft picks.
- BetweenTheDots

Wasn't directing that at you, just taking the opportunity to speak to many refrains....And no doubt, hope they add 1 or 2 or improve.

It is if you have diarrhea
- GPHawksfan

That’s not the flu, that’s a stomach virus or bacterial upset. The Flu (influenza) is more like a really bad cold...coughing, sneezing, aching, stuffy head, fever.

they do...any team can beat you any night by any score...hockey is way different than basketball or football...

hard to believe the hawks have the best record in the league next to bolts over the last 30 games or so

- bogiedoc

You can't say that here....lol

Bruins may be better too....record wise over same stretch.

I’d be open to trading one or two prospects for some more immediate help, but it would have to be worth it for both now and in the long run. Can’t mortgage the future for the next two years, but if they can get someone who’s young enough to be a factor for 5-7 years then go for it.
- Ogilthorpe2

Yeah, I agree with the premise that the T&K window will not extend forever so the objective is to be in position to make a Cup run by 2020/21 and then have a 2 or 3 year window from that point to be in contending status before the old core declines. So the idea is to be ready by 2020/21 - not be easing the 2 or 3 or 4 d-prospects into the NHL at that time. If that means we use Mitchell or Beaudin or some other prospects to acquire a ready to play player now - then that is a price worth paying ... IMO.

This team is improving. They are a better team then they have been all season. It took a while, but you can definitely see the improvement. There was a lot not to like about this team in December. But you can see almost every game one area or another that they are getting better at. Kudos to Stan and JC and the core leadership. I would like to see this improvement continue for the next 13 games, possibly the playoffs (yes, still a longshot), and through training camp.

Crow being healthy and in top form is the key to next year. If he is not healthy they are a fringe playoff team. If he is healthy and in top form, they add a top 4 defender and a 3C, and the team defense continues to trend better they could be very dangerous. Then they add a little something at the TDL next year.

I’d be open to trading one or two prospects for some more immediate help, but it would have to be worth it for both now and in the long run. Can’t mortgage the future for the next two years, but if they can get someone who’s young enough to be a factor for 5-7 years then go for it.
- Ogilthorpe2

I'm ok with that too. I don't know who they could target but not Josh Manson. They'd have to consider the players age and salary also and that makes it even tougher.

Love this, from the Toronto Globe & Mail, on Saad's goal:

The Leafs’ defence was just as loose as it was on Monday when the Lightning scored six goals.
The shining example of this came on the Blackhawks’ fourth goal with one minute and 14 seconds left in the first period. By this time it was established the Leafs were not going to show up for this game either.
The play started when the puck was dumped into the corner of the Leafs’ zone. Four of the Leafs on the ice decided it would be a good idea to head to the puck. This included defenceman Nikita Zaitsev, who tried to clear it along the boards.
But he fumbled the attempt as his teammates watched and the puck went to Chicago forward Dylan Sikura. It was hard to miss Blackhawks winger Brandon Saad standing all by himself in front of the net so Sikura sent the puck to him for an easy goal.

You can't say that here....lol

Bruins may be better too....record wise over same stretch.
- TrueGrit

yep the bruins have been on fire that last 25-30 games