My concern is that it's a concussion.
- EbonyRaptor

Could be. Puck hitting the jaw or side of the head in the right spot could cause that.

I certainly wouldn’t object to Dach spending this winter on the Canadian prairie, but I’m not sure you can say the Hughes and Kakko have failed - struggled thru 5 or 6 games to be sure, but not failed.
- StLBravesFan

yes...agree not fail on the long term view I just meant in the short term. Those teams need those guys to perform...thatsa alot of pressure...not all 18 year olds can do that..

the hawks don't need dach to be contributor right away...remember how carefull they were TT.

I would prefer to not have dach here all year and he just struggles...but thats the hawks brass job to assess...they know this kid

the goalie situation bears watching

i said many blogs ago that a craw/lehner tandem could lead to problems if they continue to play well and JC tries to maintain a 50/50 split...neither of these competitive dudes will be happy and goalies like to play...the ole rythem thing...

both are saying the right thing but they are very different personalities with different styles of play...the next 12 days with 7 games should be interesting from the goalie perspective...

not to beat a dead horse, but is anyone else nervous about calling up Dach? I feel like he hasn't played his way to get recalled and this seems more like a desperation move from blackhawks FO; i even wonder if they have an actual plan or if they're just winging it at this point

not to beat a dead horse, but is anyone else nervous about calling up Dach? I feel like he hasn't played his way to get recalled and this seems more like a desperation move from blackhawks FO; i even wonder if they have an actual plan or if they're just winging it at this point
- arps714

Or just trying to make a “stay or go” decision so they can get on with the rest of the season - both the Hawks (with or without him) and Dach (here or in Saskatoon).

Or - the decision has been made to send him back, after “rewarding” / “incentivizing” him with a game or two in the Show - helping him understand what he needs to work on.

Or....

Or just trying to make a “stay or go” decision so they can get on with the rest of the season - both the Hawks (with or without him) and Dach (here or in Saskatoon).

Or - the decision has been made to send him back, after “rewarding” / “incentivizing” him with a game or two in the Show - helping him understand what he needs to work on.

Or....
- StLBravesFan

thats how it should be but expectations seem high esp on this board...

can't wait to see "stanbow fail" after the kid's first couple of mistakes or tough outings..

thats how it should be but expectations seem high esp on this board...

can't wait to see "stanbow fail" after the kid's first couple of mistakes or tough outings..
- bogiedoc

I want to see Dach succeed, but if after a few games it looks like he’s having some problems, I’d have no issue with sending him back to Juniors. And that shouldn’t mean he’s a bust or that Stan missed on the pick - just that he’s 18 and not ready for the show yet.

Now if he languishes in the AHL for the next couple of years (ala Mark McNeil) then that’s going to be a BIG problem.

Small sample of course, but I agree on Krys so far.
I did like the goalie, Tomkins is it? Big and athletic.
- 6628

Yeah, I thought so too - perhaps a little clunky in his movement. I had a chance to see Gravel play last Saturday, same physical attributes, but better positioning and movement IMO.

not to beat a dead horse, but is anyone else nervous about calling up Dach? I feel like he hasn't played his way to get recalled and this seems more like a desperation move from blackhawks FO; i even wonder if they have an actual plan or if they're just winging it at this point
- arps714

3rd overall pick why in gods name wouldn’t we give him a look?

Why do you think Bowman re-acquired him? It certainly wasn't because he has Mario Lemieux skills. It likely was because he brings some testicles and some opponent annoying traits to an otherwise small, passive squad. Just ask Nick Foligno if Shaw irritates him.

Don't like penalties - best to watch non contact hockey at the local triple rinks on Sunday morning.
- RickJ

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
100% agree with your last paragraph Rick!
Guys like myself and Vandy have been blackballed on this site for awhile because we have a different opinion , more old school than most. When ya see a good hard hit or a scrap.....
My take ....” that’s hockey baby!”

not to beat a dead horse, but is anyone else nervous about calling up Dach? I feel like he hasn't played his way to get recalled and this seems more like a desperation move from blackhawks FO; i even wonder if they have an actual plan or if they're just winging it at this point
- arps714

The point of going to Rockford was to was conditioning, to be sure he’s in game shape.

Wish him luck with his first game!

Drake is the last person that deserves a demotion. Shaw can go to the 4th line or the press box until he learns how to stay out of the box.
- Ogilthorpe2

The problem isnt shaw ! Drake has no business playing in a top 6 role, his energy doesn't produce points.

Chicago's current numbers through 5 games 15 goals for 15 goals against .

Those numbers goals for are not good enough to compete.
The problem that is starting to standout is the teams inability to score .

Right now Chicago isn't getting the production they assumed, and the energy on the top 2 lines seems to be missing

Shaw was always a gritty player I don't have a issue with that.
The problem also lies in the powerplay which is nonnexsistent

Kirby Dach plays tonight against the Caps. I think that is awesome to see what the kid brings, but against that team? Wilson especially! I hate that cheap shot, waste of space, mother (frank)er.
- I Am The Breadman

I wonder who sits? I would guess Nylander. JC will likely want to keep Smith and Carpenter for the PK.

I wonder who sits? I would guess Nylander. JC will likely want to keep Smith and Carpenter for the PK.
- DarthKane

Nylander has put in solid effort all over the ice and provides much more upside for the team than Smith. But unfortunately you’re probably right.

I am aware that AEL_FOX does not feel that Tuulola is a legitimate nhl.prospect but more likely could be a career AHL. Tuuola actually will throw a check and does everything fairly well. I would like to suggest he.cpuld play nhl with some team. Tuuola is maybe playing in place of Boqvist .
- jhawk59

Tuulola plays really physical and does a decent job defending the crease. It's not that I think he's not a legitimate prospect but more so that he has a lot of other D prospects to leapfrog over to carve a niche in the NHL.

He was a 7th rd pick of the Hawks back in 2012.

He played all 4 years in college (Ohio St) and ended up back in the organization.

I believe he didn't originally sign with Chicago but they kept him on an AHL deal the last few years.

He was one of the better goalies in the ECHL last year.

A nice depth goalie now to be able to fill in at the AHL level when needed. Not sure if he'll amount to anything else.
- Tyler Cameron

Good summary on Tomkins, Tyler. He's likely 4th on the goalie depth chart behind Delia, Lankinen, and Gravel but could be slightly ahead of Gravel given that he's actually in the pros.

Tomkins is at least ahead of Peeters (poor drive to advance in the ranks), Nalimov (on his 7th KHL team in 4 seasons), and Basse (just drafted this summer so too early to know how he'll project).

An interesting tidbit that was shared in one of the recent Hawks broadcasts was who ranked 1st in Goodman's annual battery of 30-40 fitness tests. The player with the highest composite score was Tomkins not only this year but the last 3 years.

Kampf was 2nd which isn't surprising given he's a crossfit athlete in addition to a pro hockey player. And I believe Perlini (?) was ranked 3rd.

I wonder who sits? I would guess Nylander. JC will likely want to keep Smith and Carpenter for the PK.
- DarthKane

I think your correct Darth. Nylander has so much raw talent and he is young . Imo he just needs more time positive feedback from The coaching staff and put on a line that matches his talent then left their to play and grow.

People have short term memories , Kane when he was young made tons of mistakes on and off the ice he to this day won't go into the corners that much, however he has learned to play a backcheck game. That was taught to him by hossa .

I watched a lot of the game last night and the same tonight. I agree on Gilbert - he didn't look very good these two games ... but he looks better than Krys who is awful.

The ice was terrible with the puck bouncing all game long. Fortin had a breakaway and the puck looked like a rubber ball ... now, being that it was Fortin it probably wouldn't have resulted in a goal anyway but he had no chance to do anything with it.

No Boqvist again tonight - missing 2 games because of a puck to the mouth seems a little odd. Hopefully it's not a concussion.

Beaudin plays a very nice steady game. Solid in the d-zone and makes good decisions in the o-zone. Not flashy but I like his chances to be a solid NHL d-man within a year or two.
- EbonyRaptor

Yeah, Krys is terrible at zone exits and can't make an accurate pass in any zone.

Beaudin, Tuulola, Gilbert, and even Boqvist have been good at making quick zone exits with one pass out. This is what I've liked so far about Maatta.

And good call on Beaudin. He's really impressed in a quiet way. Plays fundamentally sound. Honestly, I could see him pushing for a spot on the Hawks blueline next fall if he keeps this up and gradually adds playmaking that he showed in juniors.

Hey Foxy - what's the deal with Boqvist not playing again last night? Two games missed because he took a puck to the mouth seems a little fishy to me.
- EbonyRaptor

Not sure but Chief4Feathers may be on to something. A puck to the face could be benign on the one hand or could also be severe on the other, i.e. jarring enough to cause damage or symptoms elsewhere or longer term than that moment. My hope is that it's just precautionary to sit him another game last night.

Could be. Puck hitting the jaw or side of the head in the right spot could cause that.
- Chief4Feathers

I'm not a boxing or MMA fan but I believe if you're going to stun your opponent, hit them in the temples as that severely impairs their balance and hurts like a mother.

Yeah, I thought so too - perhaps a little clunky in his movement. I had a chance to see Gravel play last Saturday, same physical attributes, but better positioning and movement IMO.
- Chief4Feathers

From what I've read on him, Gravel is really good at tracking the puck and has worked on his movement post to post given his size (6'3" 220 lbs). His agility and quickness need to ramp up so he's not easy to beat on rebounds if the other team can get him moving around in his crease.

Small sample of course, but I agree on Krys so far.
I did like the goalie, Tomkins is it? Big and athletic.
- 6628

Krys has a lot to work on at the pro level. He is often paired with Beaudin, someone he really needs to emulate more: smart, simply plays and think defense first.

Another D prospect to keep an eye on who could eventually supplant Krys on the depth chart is Jakub Galvas. He played 3 years in the Czech elite league before starting a 2-year deal in the Finnish elite league with Jukurit. He's on the top D pair, plays solid defense, and is a decent playmaker.

If he registers a strong season in Finland, I could see the Hawks signing him to an ELC and try to void his 2nd year on his current Liiga contract. I can imagine it's easier to get out of that contract versus KHL contracts.

Agreed, but if Dach is going to be a big-time player in this leagues, guess what he is going to be targeted. Take the kids gloves off and let's see what Kirby can do. Tired of hearing that he might have been getting ran in the AHL so that is why they brought him up. The last thing the kid need is a "soft" label before he ever plays a NHL game. Then guys like Wilson will really come after him. Dach like all young players will learn to play through side-show BS, or he will never be the player people thought he would be.
- ChicagoHope

Agree on the bolded. Not saying that Dach isn't willing to play through the tough stuff because I think he is but the prosepcts who will prosper are the ones who can do this. The ones who have shown this capacity so far are Sikura, Kurashev, Highmore, Hagel, Entwistle, and Soderlund.

Not changing the 3rd line seems to be a common thought on this board and in the press I’ve read. However, the 3rd line point total after five games is Saad 2/1/3, Kampf 0/1/1, Kubalik 1/1/2 for a total of 3/3/6. They’re also a combined -5 for those who still look at +/-. Also, one of Saad’s goals was an empty netter, and... Kampf is barely over 40% at the dot.

While I acknowledge they’ve played some quality shifts shutting down opposing lines, it appears I’m in the minority in not viewing that line as untouchable. IMO, if JC determines Dach or anyone else can perhaps provide an offensive spark to the 3rd line, he shouldn’t hesitate to try them out. Ideally, Dach would eventually slot in at 3C and Kampf moves to 4C. Nylander is most likely the odd-man out if Dach is inserted into the line up, but he needs to earn a spot in the top 9 somewhere - or go to RFD to work it out. His game is not really suited for 4th-line play.
- Chief4Feathers

I'm not married to the current 3rd line either. It worked for the initial set of games but I just can't see it being a season-long fixture.

Saad and Kubalik as a duo are something to build upon. Love their chemistry and ability to drive the net and generate scoring chances. Both play 200 feet, too. Get them a 200-foot playmaker and their line could take off.

Kampf's shutdown capacity is something to build on, too, but his offense is so limited. Longer term he may be best suited as 4C with Carpenter and a rotation of Smith, Caggiula, or prospect like Highmore.

Kirby Dach plays tonight against the Caps. I think that is awesome to see what the kid brings, but against that team? Wilson especially! I hate that cheap shot, waste of space, mother (frank)er.
- I Am The Breadman

Yeah I think he should have finished his stint at Rockford. Milk the time allowance and then bring him up.