I wasn't able to watch the game last night but, I just saw a replay of Dach's goal. Very sweet move to give himself a wide open net to shoot at.

I initially thought it was the wrong move to keep Dach on the team when it was scuffling but as long as they're competitive and staying in games it looks like Dach is building off that. I hope it continues.
- Rota's Rooter

He got rocked a few times when he put himself into a few vulnerable positions. Needs to get stronger, but the talent is all there

I wasn't able to watch the game last night but, I just saw a replay of Dach's goal. Very sweet move to give himself a wide open net to shoot at.

I initially thought it was the wrong move to keep Dach on the team when it was scuffling but as long as they're competitive and staying in games it looks like Dach is building off that. I hope it continues.
- Rota's Rooter

He got rocked a few times when he put himself into a few vulnerable positions. Needs to get stronger, but the talent is all there

De Haan has always been a solid money in the bank player. No nonsense, reliable, old school, north/south type who is showing me some offensive IQ. Watching him closely he gets a lot of shots off from the point but a lot get blocked below the dots. If he gets some of these thru he'll be even more valuable. ......... His pinches seem right many more times than not.

But his biggest value so far is making Seabs less a liability. Smart move to pair him with Seabs.

Hawks were again brutalized in corsi but again despite that they were near even in high danger for and against. It was 14-13 Vegas despite the shot total at 5 on 5 being 33-25. So at 5 on 5 the Hawks SOG differential wasn't as bad being a -8. IIRC they had more HDSF than Toronto and were -1 vs Vegas. The formula seems to be working and bought into. You'll get more shots off than we will, our goalie will be better than yours and we'll go even in high danger shots but our finishers will be better than yours and again our goalie better than yours..........

My biggest takeaway was the 3rd period. Up 2 they stayed on the gas and outshot em 9-8 allowing 1 high danger shot while taking 4. Showed this is a confident team that has all hands on deck. Would have been easy to keep 4 guys behind the puck trying to protect a 2 goal 3rd period lead and hope for the best but they stayed with the "system" and they played to win, went for the throat and were rewarded.

Funny how a guy on the bench who can play pushes an athlete. Lehner has brought the very best out of Crow who the past three games coming in had a 2.62 GAA and a SV% of .929............ Best we've seen Crow in a long time.
- Mr Ricochet

The more I watch him the more he reminds me of Hjalmarsson.

Holy wth happened there? has his play really fallen off that much?
- SaskHawkFan

Ladd blowing out his ACL has a lot to do with this.

Lou Lamoriello says Isles will place LW Andrew Ladd (LTIR/knee) on waivers for the purpose of re-assigning him to Bridgeport (AHL). Lou says organization did not see enough from Ladd in five-game conditioning stint to believe he's ready to return to NHL. Lou believes he'll clear

Lou Lamoriello says Isles will place LW Andrew Ladd (LTIR/knee) on waivers for the purpose of re-assigning him to Bridgeport (AHL). Lou says organization did not see enough from Ladd in five-game conditioning stint to believe he's ready to return to NHL. Lou believes he'll clear
- walleyeb1

Snatch him! Ladd on one ACL will be a gazelle next to Smith!!!!

This is interesting from Friedman's 31 thoughts about the Islanders:

One coach told me his team’s internal metrics indicate that no one spends more time in their own zone than the red-hot New York Islanders. He wondered how that was possible, so he took a look. Answer: “They let you go where they want you to go — on the outside.” You get time, but you don’t get quality.

This is interesting from Friedman's 31 thoughts about the Islanders:

One coach told me his team’s internal metrics indicate that no one spends more time in their own zone than the red-hot New York Islanders. He wondered how that was possible, so he took a look. Answer: “They let you go where they want you to go — on the outside.” You get time, but you don’t get quality.
- LAHawk

Similar to what we are seeing with the Hawks' opponents shot metrics...very interesting

He's NMC can't be drafted.
- rpeters01

Technically, he can if he agrees to waive.

Similar to what we are seeing with the Hawks' opponents shot metrics...very interesting
- pdx2ord

Not sure the Hawks do it as well as Trotz' boys do.

Not sure the Hawks do it as well as Trotz' boys do.
- StLBravesFan

Took a long time in Washington to have buy in from Ovi and a few others.

Not sure the Hawks do it as well as Trotz' boys do.
- StLBravesFan

Baby steps...

On another note, if I'm reading the graphics below correctly, I could interpret them this way:
1) JC's system was starting to work, even though the team was losing close (and not-so-close) games
2) the team quit on it/him in late October and got demonstrably worse, and
3) since they got their way (and, yes, the players have talked about weighing in with the coach on the system) and subsequent change, it's improving a bit

Good test against Nashville. The D in 3rd last night looked good. Can they/will they actually find that balance?

Baby steps...

On another note, if I'm reading the graphics below correctly, I could interpret them this way:
1) JC's system was starting to work, even though the team was losing close (and not-so-close) games
2) the team quit on it/him in late October and g
ot demonstrably worse, and
3) since they got their way (and, yes, the players have talked about weighing in with the coach on the system) and subsequent change, it's improving a bit

Good test against Nashville. The D in 3rd last night looked good. Can they/will they actually find that balance?






- pdx2ord

Nashville will definitely be a good test. Let's just hope this little win streak Chicago has finally put together will continue. Chicago has I believe 4 or 5 teams they need to jump over just to earn a wildcard spot.

You mentioned the system Chicago was playing and it was gaining certain results.

I agree with your point that the players quit or checked out on JC.
However JC was trying to make all these changes and make players play a style or different position or a rotating line change that the players noticed was not workable.


Example strome playing wing that wasn't why Stan traded for him.

Last night's game was exactly they style and system Chicago is buildt to play a wide open game based on Chicago's talent IMO.
If you look back to October Chicago's offensive players where mia and in large part to JC system and coaching.

Took a long time in Washington to have buy in from Ovi and a few others.
- LAHawk

Not that long, I think - they won the Cup in his 4th year, but won division titles the previous 2 seasons before getting busted in the second round.

Of course, his roster was better than....

Boqvist to Rockford is not a surprise. I think this cup-of-coffee was good for Boqvist's development - he did well and that should be a nice confidence booster to build upon in Rockford.
- EbonyRaptor

And let's not forget, based on what AEL said, that he wasn't the most deserving in Rockford, based on play so far. He was up for other reasons, like giving you highest ceiling D-man a taste of the show.

I expect he completes the year in Rockford and starts next season in CHI.

Don't underestimate the benefit of the couple of tweaks they made on in-zone coverage and breakouts (friggin finally) that are eliminating the propensity for leaving guys wide open in front of the net and giving the defensemen nowhere to go on the breakouts.

Translated - finally they are adjusting to who they have and not playing based on the players they wish they had.

deHaan has been a huge add for the Hawks, and it takes pressure off everyone else. Nice move by Stan there.

Nashville will definitely be a good test. Let's just hope this little win streak Chicago has finally put together will continue. Chicago has I believe 4 or 5 teams they need to jump over just to earn a wildcard spot.

You mentioned the system Chicago was playing and it was gaining certain results.

I agree with your point that the players quit or checked out on JC.
However JC was trying to make all these changes and make players play a style or different position or a rotating line change that the players noticed was not workable.


Example strome playing wing that wasn't why Stan traded for him.

Last night's game was exactly they style and system Chicago is buildt to play a wide open game based on Chicago's talent IMO.
If you look back to October Chicago's offensive players where mia and in large part to JC system and coaching.
- Taylorst1

Yes, it does appear that the change is reaping results, both in W's and player morale. Still think they can get better on D, just based on new team members, like deHaan. Looking forward to seeing it against a powerhouse.

Nashville will definitely be a good test. Let's just hope this little win streak Chicago has finally put together will continue. Chicago has I believe 4 or 5 teams they need to jump over just to earn a wildcard spot.

You mentioned the system Chicago was playing and it was gaining certain results.

I agree with your point that the players quit or checked out on JC.
However JC was trying to make all these changes and make players play a style or different position or a rotating line change that the players noticed was not workable.


Example strome playing wing that wasn't why Stan traded for him.

Last night's game was exactly they style and system Chicago is buildt to play a wide open game based on Chicago's talent IMO.
If you look back to October Chicago's offensive players where mia and in large part to JC system and coaching.
- Taylorst1

How can you possibly make that claim? This implies they willfully stopped playing to win to send a message to their coach? Professional, highly paid and competitive "employees" quit? I guess the goalies didn't get the lets' quit on JC memo. A couple of really bad games (preds and sharks) and you nor anybody else this far away from the team can make such an assertion. Pure speculative BS!

Not that long, I think - they won the Cup in his 4th year, but won division titles the previous 2 seasons before getting busted in the second round.

Of course, his roster was better than....
- StLBravesFan

But he needed Kempny (who couldn't play for Q) to put them over the top.

Well glad that they got that difficult first win against the Knights.

Hopefully Rinne's comments something along the lines of never having such an easy game will inspire a win on Saturday.

The Hawks are playing the way they need to win, the stars carrying the team with some support, well at least Kane, Kat and Strome carrying the team.

Would like to see Tazer capitalize more on grade A chances, he's on the pace for a 30-35 point season this year. But part of it might be having an inconsistent Nylander on his line making it essentially a Saad-Toews line.

Well glad that they got that difficult first win against the Knights.

Hopefully Rinne's comments something along the lines of never having such an easy game will inspire a win on Saturday.

The Hawks are playing the way they need to win, the stars carrying the team with some support, well at least Kane, Kat and Strome carrying the team.

Would like to see Tazer capitalize more on grade A chances, he's on the pace for a 30-35 point season this year. But part of it might be having an inconsistent Nylander on his line making it essentially a Saad-Toews line.
- Popsghostly

The Hawks need to recall Sikura and reunite him with Saad and Toews, that will get the offense going.

Well glad that they got that difficult first win against the Knights.

Hopefully Rinne's comments something along the lines of never having such an easy game will inspire a win on Saturday.

The Hawks are playing the way they need to win, the stars carrying the team with some support, well at least Kane, Kat and Strome carrying the team.

Would like to see Tazer capitalize more on grade A chances, he's on the pace for a 30-35 point season this year. But part of it might be having an inconsistent Nylander on his line making it essentially a Saad-Toews line.
- Popsghostly

It wasn't Nylander's inconsistency that made Toews make the most egregious turnover of the night in the offensive zone that Crow had to bail him out 170 feet away.

I was just looking at an article about the opening game of the Blackhawks' 1932-33 season (don't ask me why), played at the Coliseum instead of the Stadium because of a lease dispute.

The article said the size of the Coliseum rink was only 100' x 80', instead of the 110' x 85 at the Stadium.

Is it right that the size of the rink in the 30s was about 1/2 the size of today's ice?

It wasn't Nylander's inconsistency that made Toews make the most egregious turnover of the night in the offensive zone that Crow had to bail him out 170 feet away.
- LAHawk

Yeah saw that one. Great save. There was also a terrible clear attempt (while gassed) in the 3rd too.

I was just looking at an article about the opening game of the Blackhawks' 1932-33 season (don't ask me why), played at the Coliseum instead of the Stadium because of a lease dispute.

The article said the size of the Coliseum rink was only 100' x 80', instead of the 110' x 85 at the Stadium.

Is it right that the size of the rink in the 30s was about 1/2 the size of today's ice?
- StLBravesFan

I’m guessing that’s a misprint. Stadium ice was 185’ long. Same as the surface in Boston and NY before the rehabs. I believe the Hawks were the last team to go to a “full sized” sheet.