I'll just add. Q is one of the greatest coaches of all time. He deserved the credit for how well the Hawks did. The team needed a change because they weren't winning. The problems aren't just personnel and time will tell if JC is the guy. Time to move forward and not worry about the past.
- breadbag

You new here?

I'll just add. Q is one of the greatest coaches of all time. He deserved the credit for how well the Hawks did. The team needed a change because they weren't winning. The problems aren't just personnel and time will tell if JC is the guy. Time to move forward and not worry about the past.
- breadbag

Amen, Bagster.

That sounds gross! Call Ben Affleck, I heard he's a good Accountant.
- I Am The Breadman

Really good movie. Accidentally came across it one evening an
Nd knew nothing about it. A great find.

You new here?
- Elbows15

Good one. There's a 1st for everything.....

Rutta, Kempny, Saad, Shaw, Johns, Tuevo, Danault, + Panarin were all Stanley Bowman Draft Picks or UFA Signings. He traded away his own "guys" both during and after Quenneville's tenure. Manning is gone bc he sucked and I applaud Stanley for fixing his own mistake. Caggiulla, depending on the severity of his concussion and recovery, looks to be a solid grinder forward piece.
- EnzoD

My post is not any sort of vindication of SB over Q. It speaks to the point that both GM and coaches need to be on same page. Like HR/Recruiting and Managment. Otherwise the organization works against itself.

He traded some of those guys for cap reasons and others because Q was not going to play them like them Kempny and Danualt.

Cagguilla is the kind of guy the hawks will get more of. Some hate my reference, but when you look at Tampa, you see the Yanni Gourdes, Tyler Johsons, Anthony Cirelli, guys who can skate and play with grit and add some skill. Clearly this team is being built to play that style of hockey.

Perspective everyone before we jump on the JC > Q bandwagon.

Same time last year 29-32-8 66 pts
Same time this year 30-30-9 69 pts

A three point delta does not a case make either that the switch to JC was a good move, that this team is playing any better, or is in any better position to make the playoffs. I would argue they are worse due to the balloon in GA to over four per game since New Year's.

The two game win streak they are on now came against very weak offensive teams. That is about to change.

Looking at the last four games on the schedule, they have WPG, STL, DAL and NSH. They basically have to be in the last wild card spot plus nine points after game 78 to allow for losing to them all and avoid any tie breakers.

That means they have to go 9-0 over the next nine games to not have to win ANY of their last four, AND hope everyone ahead of them loses some games.
- Return of the Roar

This is your mantra every year though. Every year is worse than the previous year. Maybe you had them overachieving in 2010 since I wasn't posting here then...but if I had to guess, you likely had them as a first round out that year since Niemi wasn't all world and had proven nothing at the time. Oh well...carry on.

My post is not any sort of vindication of SB over Q. It speaks to the point that both GM and coaches need to be on same page. Like HR/Recruiting and Managment. Otherwise the organization works against itself.

He traded some of those guys for cap reasons and others because Q was not going to play them like them Kempny and Danualt.

Cagguilla is the kind of guy the hawks will get more of. Some hate my reference, but when you look at Tampa, you see the Yanni Gourdes, Tyler Johsons, Anthony Cirelli, guys who can skate and play with grit and add some skill. Clearly this team is being built to play that style of hockey.
- TrueGrit

So...

ABSOLUTELY agree with you on Tampa and its player makeup. VERY well built roster.

But Bowman getting Caggiula is the indicator that this is the kind of team the Hawks will become? Dude - he is the ONLY guy who plays with grit on this team every night. While I hope it is true, there is still a lot of contact avoidance going on out there.

Thanks man! This is a wild storm. Wind is ripping the snow horizontal and already about 5”+ of accumulation. Snow only started 5 hours ago too.
- EnzoD

Not a good situation. I have relatives in Denver and in Laramie they are saying the same thing. Stay home and hopefully we can all watch a Hawks win tonight.

I'm a Q guy - I'll be one forever, given the 3 Cups (I know, Savvy, it woulda been 10 if he wasn't a dolt). That said, it was time for a change. Q's message got stale. The eye test says they're a better team now. And Q ain't coming back anyway.
- mohel

Fixed

Let’s address the last point first. You make somewhat of a strawman argument suggesting the Hawks will again be a destination team for free agents. When weren’t they? When was the last time Chicago had the cap room to even try to sign a free agent? And what free agent didn’t sign with Chicago because of the team philosophy?

What do free agents look for? You say team philosophy. I say money and if it is a winning team, in that order. Chicago will be a destination for free agents if they have cap room and if the team is winning, not because of philosophy or who coaches the team. Again can you point to an article or a link that says a player didn’t sign due to the team philosophy?

Hopefully when the Hawks dip into free agency it will only be done to fill holes in the lineup, like they did with Hossa. And this summer isn’t the time to sign a big name free agent who is likely to be almost as old as Kane and Toews and command a similar contract. If you look past the last two games, the Hawks do have glaring holes in the lineup. The defense is brutal. Their best defensemen are still Duncan Keith and Seabrook and neither are close to what they were 4 years ago. Gus is great offensively but he isn’t good in his own end. Murphy is OK and beyond that there is nothing in the current lineup. Yes they do have some good looking prospects on the way.

Now look at the forwards. Kane, Toews, ADB, Strome and Saad are a solid group. Kahun, Caggulia look pretty good, and Perlini is playing better the last four or five games. So let’s assume Perlini’s play of late isn’t an anomaly, the Hawks have 8 forwards.

So right now the Hawks need to find 4 forwards, at least 3 defensemen and a secondary goalie to backup and become Crawford’s replacement. They are not ready to open the vault and sign a 27 plus year old to a huge contract.
- paulr

Fair point regarding my destination comment. I tried to make a disclaimer about cap space when I made it. I also agree, that, unless somehow you move SEabrooks contract, that spending a lot of money in one place would be a bad move. However, if somehow, you were able to obtain the services of a solid top pairing dman, you may have to consider.

My philosophy comment in retrospect, is a little unfair. However, as you know, there are underachieving players who may play better/flourish/revive their career playing a style the hawks are playing vs other styles. Strome and Perlini are great examples of this. I know that was the case with Perlini and Tocchet in Phoenix. I will also cede to you the small recent sample size; however there is a lot to like about his tools.

Fixed
- HawkintheD

Great story from a buddy of mine who went and watched leafs and lighting a few months back.

Couple of leaf fans were sitting behind him and proclaimed that in the 60s, the leafs won 13 cups.

My buddy did a double take. How can a team win 13 cups in 10 years? Maybe 10 years US is 15 years Canadian?

Actually I am looking forward in the sense that the best thing these players could do for this team is get a lottery pick.

There won't be any money for FAs, only money to maintain status quo.

They won't unload any boat anchor contracts to make space.

They have no trade chips that won't result in creating another hole, or salary that can't be paid.

Their youth may get ready/better but that in my mind is a minimum of two years out.

If I had a choice as a GM between a lottery pick and a quick playoff out with the #16 pick and two games of 65% of the gate in revenue, I'd take the lottery pick ALL DAY.
- Return of the Roar

.

Sure has worked for Edmonton, Frorida, and Buffalo the last 5 years, all with consistent picks in the top 10, and all have had at least 1 #1.

Great story from a buddy of mine who went and watched leafs and lighting a few months back.

Couple of leaf fans were sitting behind him and proclaimed that in the 60s, the leafs won 13 cups.

My buddy did a double take. How can a team win 13 cups in 10 years? Maybe 10 years US is 15 years Canadian?

- TrueGrit

Were they passed out by the third period?

Was at a Wings vs Hawks game and some kid next to us had been at the Tiger game earlier that day. He was hammered, talking a lot of trash, giving my wife poop that she was at the game with a Hawks fan, etc.

In between periods he caught up on nap time. Wish I'd had a Sharpie.

Were they passed out by the third period?

Was at a Wings vs Hawks game and some kid next to us had been at the Tiger game earlier that day. He was hammered, talking a lot of trash, giving my wife poop that she was at the game with a Hawks fan, etc.

In between periods he caught up on nap time. Wish I'd had a Sharpie.
- HawkintheD

Hahahaha!!!

Were they passed out by the third period?

Was at a Wings vs Hawks game and some kid next to us had been at the Tiger game earlier that day. He was hammered, talking a lot of trash, giving my wife poop that she was at the game with a Hawks fan, etc.

In between periods he caught up on nap time. Wish I'd had a Sharpie.
- HawkintheD

So you could pour it on him?

Really good movie. Accidentally came across it one evening an
Nd knew nothing about it. A great find.
- Spec41971

I don't like how the whole plot is packed in 5 minutes at the end of the movie, but overall I enjoyed it.

Were they passed out by the third period?

Was at a Wings vs Hawks game and some kid next to us had been at the Tiger game earlier that day. He was hammered, talking a lot of trash, giving my wife poop that she was at the game with a Hawks fan, etc.

In between periods he caught up on nap time. Wish I'd had a Sh rpie.
- HawkintheD

Corrected your error.

Great story from a buddy of mine who went and watched leafs and lighting a few months back.

Couple of leaf fans were sitting behind him and proclaimed that in the 60s, the leafs won 13 cups.

My buddy did a double take. How can a team win 13 cups in 10 years? Maybe 10 years US is 15 years Canadian?

- TrueGrit

They were Leaf fans, nuff said!

JR dong color? *locates mute button*

Not a good situation. I have relatives in Denver and in Laramie they are saying the same thing. Stay home and hopefully we can all watch a Hawks win tonight.
- BGKarras

Yessir! Roenick replaces Eddie O as the color guy with Doc on NBCSN.

NHL draft lottery - April 9.

JR dong color? *locates mute button*
- Elbows15

I have to listen to Doug MacLean who calls half the Leaf team superstars.

Yessir! Roenick replaces Eddie O as the color guy with Doc on NBCSN.
- EnzoD

Not in the leprechaun outfit right? The poop that guy does.....

I have to listen to Doug MacLean who calls half the Leaf team superstars.
- paulr

Only half?

Not in the leprechaun outfit right? The poop that guy does.....
- I Am The Breadman

Lol he’s actually off to a good start. No mumbles or brain freezes like he used to do on TV so often.

Hawks 6-5 in OT