OK, well Laz mentions same meeting and timing in their podcast today, too. Says it came from on high, but organization-wide decision on how to fix. Sat down together to figure it out.

https://theathletic.com/p...az-and-powers/?episode=14

(around 8:10 in)

So leaks or direct conversations with sanctioned sources, the word has been put out. Both of them mention getting the word about the meeting about a week ago.

Maybe it's as simple as this.

Maybe once a month during the season, the front office and JC have a meeting to discuss the on ice product. So during the November meeting, Stan and McD discuss with JC the Seabs "lack of communication" comment and the innuendos expressed by 2, 19 and 88 during post game interviews about the system.

McD and Stan take the veterans view point (after all they won 3 cups which greatly increased the value of the franchise) on the situation and "encourage" JC to change the system to what worked the 2nd half of last season.

JC having just bought that new crib in Chicago and with a family to feed takes the hint. He figures what's he got to lose so he reverts back to playing a more offensive system. The downside is he loses face in the locker room.

I admit I didn't listen to Zawaski's pod cast so I don't know what he inferred. Maybe the meeting took place and he is embellishing certain aspects of it.

Beuadin won't ever be a regular NHL player He isn't very good
- GPHawksfan

You’re (your) funny.

Anybody got anything other than trade Gus?



Its February 2nd again!!! Insert a horse beating a ground hog emoji.....
- TrueGrit

You’re Funny.

Have the Baaaaahstan @ TOR game queued up for 6:00 puck drop. Figure it will be a good one and if not StanBow's USHL team the Tri City Storm is in Dubuque to tangle with the MN Wild owner's Saints (humming along at a league leading .773 clip but behind the Chicago Steel in the standings) at 7:00 as Plan B. ....... Didn't make the connection until now but I got back channel scoop that StanBow fired his Storm GM and head scout a couple days ago. Hmmmmmmmmmm?

Got off track, sorry. Ceci has not been a very very pleasant surprise paired with Reilly all yr on the 1st pairing? Muzzin is not a highly underrated Dman, a damn good one in my book. It's a surprise to anyone that Barrie is a Gus like player best served as a 3rd rotation PP specialist? He's of use if slotted properly just like Gus (my concern has always been Bovquist would be a Barrie/Gus type).

McDermott has shown use as has USHL kid and Hawk draft pick Justin Holl but yea I agree it ain't perfect by any stretch but cuz of Ceci's play probably a better defense than last yr, no?

TOR made the calculation that they'd spend 95% of their cap dollars on the forwards and goalie and outscore you. Doubt it wins a cup but it is some damn entertaining hockey just like the Hawks are right now.

Kappanen for Matta and Beaudin/Delia/Lankanen? Would they be foolish enough to trade for Gus?
- Mr Ricochet

Hope you were watching, real good veteran team Bruins stick it to the top heavy, overrated Leafs. One is a Cup contender and the other tries to sell sizzle.

Marchand walks Morgan Reilly for 2 goals. If that was Duncan Keith this board would fry him.

Leafs have given up 1st goal 6 games in a row, are banged up, can't defend in their own zone and have 11 of next 13 on the road. So that's all I have to say about your admiration for the Leaf defence.

Paul R and I are loving this. Read the Toronto media for Babcock abuse coming soon.

I would try to pry Nylander off of them if possible. Send the Murphy/De Hann/or Maata + gritty forward for Nylander.

They are against the cap, so this frees up some cap space and gets them a much needed player.
- RedRevenge

You can't be serious. If I was Stan I wouldn't trade Alex Nylander for his overpaid turnover machine brother William even up.

You’re (your) funny.
- Ogilthorpe2

So apparently both Bowman and Bergevin are fooled.

Bergevin has a young dman whom has been playing (Mete) so he can't be too wrong evaluating dman prospects.

Beaudin has a few star of game this season. He must be fooling others

Young dmen have up and down moments or even stretches of games. Perhaps you caught some bad moments. The things Beaudin are noted at being good at, are some of the more difficult aspects to excel

Hope you were watching, real good veteran team Bruins stick it to the top heavy, overrated Leafs. One is a Cup contender and the other tries to sell sizzle.

Marchand walks Morgan Reilly for 2 goals. If that was Duncan Keith this board would fry him.

Leafs have given up 1st goal 6 games in a row, are banged up, can't defend in their own zone and have 11 of next 13 on the road. So that's all I have to say about your admiration for the Leaf defence.

Paul R and I are loving this. Read the Toronto media for Babcock abuse coming soon.
- RickJ

I just visited the Leafs blog. The posters are clamoring for Babcock's head.

If the "scoop" is true I have a real problem with players whining about lack of communication with the coach. It's one thing for the FO to step in and tell Colliton to change his system because the season is slipping away but if the player(s) did an end run around Colliton to complain about lack of communication rather than trying to work it out directly with Colliton vis-a-vis man to man - that is wrong. Even if there is a "lack of communication" regarding who will be out of the lineup - here's an idea - play well enough so it isn't you that get's sat, and if you're not able to play well enough any more, like Seabrook, maybe just keep your yap shut and be happy you still have a roster spot in the NHL.

OK, well Laz mentions same meeting and timing in their podcast today, too. Says it came from on high, but organization-wide decision on how to fix. Sat down together to figure it out.

https://theathletic.com/p...az-and-powers/?episode=14

(around 8:10 in)

So leaks or direct conversations with sanctioned sources, the word has been put out. Both of them mention getting the word about the meeting about a week ago.
- pdx2ord

I can see them in a think tank and coming up with concepts and theories, and trying them in games, but i don't buy this notion JC is being given ultimatums, the reason i don't buy it is because as an org they seem to respect one another. FO ain't dumb if they don't show any respect to the manager the players won't. If they didn't believe in him they would fire him, period, it's what they did with Savard. There's what $2 mill left on his contract that's chump change for the Blackhawks.

Honestly i think Laz took a big swing and a miss, JC isn't here to win he's here to develop

If the "scoop" is true I have a real problem with players whining about lack of communication with the coach. It's one thing for the FO to step in and tell Colliton to change his system because the season is slipping away but if the player(s) did an end run around Colliton to complain about lack of communication rather than trying to work it out directly with Colliton vis-a-vis man to man - that is wrong. Even if there is a "lack of communication" regarding who will be out of the lineup - here's an idea - play well enough so it isn't you that get's sat, and if you're not able to play well enough any more, like Seabrook, maybe just keep your yap shut and be happy you still have a roster spot in the NHL.
- EbonyRaptor

If the FO didn't support JC there's no way Seabrook sits for 2 games.

Another day, another leaf loss. 4 straight losses and a record worst than the Hawks.

If they fire Babcock, do the Hawks consider bringing him in?

Another day, another leaf loss. 4 straight losses and a record worst than the Hawks.

If they fire Babcock, do the Hawks consider bringing him in?
- RedRevenge

No

No
- I Am The Breadman

(frank) no

No
- I Am The Breadman

#overrated

Another day, another leaf loss. 4 straight losses and a record worst than the Hawks.

If they fire Babcock, do the Hawks consider bringing him in?
- RedRevenge

I think like Q you hire him if you have a team in position to win, Hawks aren't quite there yet

#overrated
- Ogilthorpe2

One poop wonder

FWIW, Zawaski just dropped this "scoop" on his Madhouse podcast: https://podcasts.apple.co...080477414?i=1000456933180

Between the San Jose and Vancouver games, there was an ivory tower come-to-jesus meeting with Colliton, in which a collection of FO (and others?) told him:

1. Change your system and improve things or we'll step in and change it ourselves (me: who?)
2. Veterans are unhappy with lack of communication from
- pdx2ord[you] the Head Coach. they don't know if they are going to be in or out of the game, where they stand, when they will or won't be playing (me: I'm assuming within the game?)

System was changed immediately to "do your thing/what you were doing last year" since it was implemented in a game without any interaction between coaches and players other than a morning skate before the Vancouver game.

Zawaski said that this kind of direct group dressing down and confrontation is not StanBo's style. (me: think all know whose style it is) Wonder if StanBo was also receiving any messages by default.

They posed the right questions on the podcast and to the source, who had no answers - what does this do to affect the players' relationship with the coach? Is all respect gone? Can he ever get them to change what they are doing? Kane was first to jump on the JC bandwagon - has JC lost him? the other vets? other players?

Have to say my respect for Seabs has dropped a little with this if it's true - his pride being hurt could have (maybe did) cause a major rift between the room and the coach. I didn't agree with how JC supposedly handled it, but c'mon, Seabs.

And, did Keith get his role back on the PP because of this? If so, UGH

Dysfunction Junction...what's your function?

In a related story from Justin Bourne for the Athletic:

Steve Stamkos said:

“We just got totally outclassed by a team (Carolina) that was hungry to play, had a game plan, played to their structure. We just continue to be the freewheeling team that thinks that we can come into games and win because we’re skilled. I don’t know how many times we can just continue to try to keep doing the same things. We saw the results in the playoffs last year, we talked about it in camp – trying to change the way we play – and we just keep falling back into the same old bad habits that we’ve been doing that cost us the season that we had last year.”

So as some fans, skilled players, and FO keep pushing the same narrative, other veteran players are seeing trends and the truths that come with it. The Lightning are off to a subpar start to this season trying to change things up, but keep losing because they keep falling into “bad habits” which teams that play a better system, which beats them time and time again.

Stamkos is right and McD is wrong, along with “bored fans” and “skilled players”.

In a related story from Justin Bourne for the Athletic:

Steve Stamkos said:

“We just got totally outclassed by a team (Carolina) that was hungry to play, had a game plan, played to their structure. We just continue to be the freewheeling team that thinks that we can come into games and win because we’re skilled. I don’t know how many times we can just continue to try to keep doing the same things. We saw the results in the playoffs last year, we talked about it in camp – trying to change the way we play – and we just keep falling back into the same old bad habits that we’ve been doing that cost us the season that we had last year.”

So as some fans, skilled players, and FO keep pushing the same narrative, other veteran players are seeing trends and the truths that come with it. The Lightning are off to a subpar start to this season trying to change things up, but keep losing because they keep falling into “bad habits” which teams that play a better system, which beats them time and time again.

Stamkos is right and McD is wrong, along with “bored fans” and “skilled players”.
- gifman

Guess we should be very glad we got those three Cups before the league adjusted to and figured out how to consistently shut down our freewheeling approach (in playoffs) that many teams tried to emulate.

I said a little respect, yes, and mostly because of the way they (Seabs, Duncs, etc.) have chosen to air their sour grapes, questioning of coach with with the media first. I'd have no issue with them going straight to JC and dressing him down for a system that isn't working or for not communicating properly. They have earned that right and are the "As," after all.

Skins on wall or not, JC is currently the head coach. Actions like this undermine his authority with the rest of the team, possibly permanently. And, that will affect play on the ice. Some of the guys, the new guys in particular, seemed to be doing very well under the earlier system.
- pdx2ord

There are a lot of things that could be at play here. Seabs, Keith, whoever could have spoken directly to Colliton and not gotten much in return. Same players may have simply gotten impatient and tried to expedite change. The problem that we all have is that we don’t know what the actual team expectations and plan was for this year. FO/ marketing will always say that the goal is the playoffs with the internal goal possibly being development. I’m still going to sit back and watch some entertaining hockey.

No
- I Am The Breadman

Colliton or Babcock?

Well Boqvist is in opening line up ....started with Gilbert as pair.
- jhawk59

Boqvist was quite activate in the opening period but not so noticable in the rest of the game.

On the Griffins second goal, he was directly responsible as he lost his man who snuck in behind him for a tap in goal from the blue paint.

If he wants to be more effective in his own zone, Boqvist needs to stay between his man and the net at all times and not get too focused on tracking the puck.

A few Rockford observations:

Delia is dropping fast in the goalie depth chart with some poor play lately. He seems to have trouble tracking the puck and controlling rebounds.

Lankinen is distancing himself as #1 in the system with consistent, reliable play. Tomkins holding his own and giving Delia a run for his money as well.

Tuulola is one tough customer regulating anyone who tries to crash the crease. Love the way he and Carlsson play with physicality and a mean streak.

Why is Fortin not in Indy with Knott and Noel? For a guy who should have disruptive speed, he barely uses it and is irrelevant most of the time.

Soderlund needs to play every game rather than every 1-2 games. He busts his tail every shift playing in traffic.

OK, well Laz mentions same meeting and timing in their podcast today, too. Says it came from on high, but organization-wide decision on how to fix. Sat down together to figure it out.

https://theathletic.com/p...az-and-powers/?episode=14

(around 8:10 in)

So leaks or direct conversations with sanctioned sources, the word has been put out. Both of them mention getting the word about the meeting about a week ago.
- pdx2ord

Zawaski made it sound like an ultimatum and Laz makes it sound like a hey let’s all talk and figure this out.

If the Zawaski version is true, that is not a good sign for the organization as a whole. First, it comes off as a team losing confidence in a coach. Second, based on his comments, it appears Toews (since he is captain) went straight to the top and passed over the GM. Then obviously McD tore JC a new one, probably in front of Stan.

I don’t know the organization philosophy but from a business perspective, this is unlikely to have happened. The nature and negativity that is coming from this is a PR nightmare. Something I would imagine is very un-McD like.

I honestly feel like the Laz version is a more business like version. You don’t want drama flowing from the organization and that’s paramount.

I would also venture to say that a sit down meeting with the heads, probably was an assessment of the team and if they can handle the new style. Obviously, like I mentioned in the Stamkos quote, the old guard can’t learn the new system. While for the present time, the old system is on and this maybe win games, ultimately we won’t get far in the playoffs. The new style in the NHL is the standard.

Not a lot of change. No sign of Caggiula yet.

Charlie Roumeliotis‏Verified account @CRoumeliotis · 11m11 minutes ago

#Blackhawks lines and pairings in Nashville:
Saad-Toews-Nylander
DeBrincat-Strome-Kane
Shaw-Kampf-Kubalik
Carpenter-Dach-Smith

Keith-Gustafsson
de Haan-Seabrook
Maatta-Murphy/Koekkoek
- Chunk

Carpenter-Dach-Smith I remember some people on here scoffing at the notion not too long ago