Their not all first year players, however even in boqvist case his offensive side which we had all seen before has went missing. Now maybe that lies on the coaching staff holding him back from that side. But strome and cat ? Not sure you can argue their newbies.

Nylander knock on him prior to stan trading for him was his work ethic or lack of.
- Taylorst1

I have not heard one iota of criticism since Nylander came to the Hawks of a lack of work ethic. What have you heard?

I agree with your point. That's life some people develop slower or faster some over achieve some simply produce. But as a forward in the nhl at 22 years old your at a point of being avg , excelling or a bust.
- Taylorst1

Tell that to Sean Couturier

Things I saw last night:

1st 2 periods, the Hawk seemed to have crisp passing and back-checking.

Only 19 shots on goal for the Hawks? They are strong offensively, but this won't cut it. Not sure how they can improve this to a more consistent place though.

Toews/Kane hit posts. If both go in, the 3rd period would have been different. Almost gives fresh hope that with a little bit of puck-luck, the Hawks are very close to being comparable to Vegas. But then the sun rose this morning and I realized I have to leave fantasy island.

VGK's depth was easily seen, definite cup contenders for this year. They are also a confident team.

Good experience for the younger players, but also learning how to work together as a team under pressure. No substitute for these kinds of playoff intensity, esp against a very good team. Will help the team understand how to prepare even more in upcoming years.

Saad's unbelievable penalty kill work and the subsequent short-handed goal should be in the Hawks season highlight film... in fact, I think it's the 'play of the year' for the hawks, thus imo the 2020 highlight film should start with that play.

Hopefully Crow turns it around, but if he plays like he has for most of the "post season", do the Hawks even offer him a contract, and look for another goalie?

I'll come back to the point that these are bonus games and an opportunity for the young guys to learn and show what they can do. Even if the Hawks get swept this experience is still worth dropping from #10 to #17 in the draft.

The kids will make mistakes, I fully expect Dach and Boqvist to screw up, they're 19 year olds playing a significant role. ADB hasn't been himself, but he's still worth holding on to and I believe he'll come around. Strome is perplexing, he's really hurting himself in the long run.

Stan has said there won't be too much turnover on the roster next season, but there will be some. I expect to see Strome back, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't.
- DarthKane

Strome is hurting himself and I'm sure it's not on purpose. As the President says, "it is what it is." The other guys are still too inexperienced to make a call. Regarding Boqvist specifically, he is a boy playing against men.

Hopefully Crow turns it around, but if he plays like he has for most of the "post season", do the Hawks even offer him a contract, and look for another goalie?
- LAHawk

No matter how the team played yesterday, they still would have lost the way Crow played. It's not fair to think he is fully recovered and in full dialed in mode.

An awful lot of teeth gnashing going on today. Why though? You have the 12 seed going up against the 1 seed and the favorite won. The Hawks were the 12 seed for a reason. They have 1/2 of a forward group and 2-3 legit NHL defensemen (at this point in time).

Last year's playoffs were an anomaly. You are not going to regularly get all of the 8 seeds beating the 1 seeds and seeing a Cinderella run like STL.

You can almost see our young guys trying to process the play as they are playing. There are a lot of "hope" passes and panicked clears. This is not to say they have no chance, or won't win a game or two. They simply don't have the same amount of developed talent that the Knights do.

Anyone expecting Boqvist to be like Karlsson, or Strome to be like Richards right now is fooling themselves. Guys like this are just barely into or past their first full year in the league. Dach had a tough game. He will have more tough games, but as soon as he gets the confidence in his game to stop deferring he will be a monster.

Players can have bad games, not to mention bad years (were we all recently lamenting the downfall of Toews?). Let's keep perspective about what this team ACTUALLY is, and not project on them what we expect them to be because of impatience.

Strome is hurting himself and I'm sure it's not on purpose. As the President says, "it is what it is." The other guys are still too inexperienced to make a call. Regarding Boqvist specifically, he is a boy playing against men.
- rpeters01

AEL, does Kurashev have a legitimate shot at 3C next year? If so, sign Strome cheap and move him to the wing.
Toews-Saad-Kubalik
Dach-Strome/ADB-Kane
Kurashev-Strome/ADB-Nylander
Kampf-Carpenter-Hagel

An awful lot of teeth gnashing going on today. Why though? You have the 12 seed going up against the 1 seed and the favorite won. The Hawks were the 12 seed for a reason. They have 1/2 of a forward group and 2-3 legit NHL defensemen (at this point in time).

Last year's playoffs were an anomaly. You are not going to regularly get all of the 8 seeds beating the 1 seeds and seeing a Cinderella run like STL.

You can almost see our young guys trying to process the play as they are playing. There are a lot of "hope" passes and panicked clears. This is not to say they have no chance, or won't win a game or two. They simply don't have the same amount of developed talent that the Knights do.

Anyone expecting Boqvist to be like Karlsson, or Strome to be like Richards right now is fooling themselves. Guys like this are just barely into or past their first full year in the league. Dach had a tough game. He will have more tough games, but as soon as he gets the confidence in his game to stop deferring he will be a monster.

Players can have bad games, not to mention bad years (were we all recently lamenting the downfall of Toews?). Let's keep perspective about what this team ACTUALLY is, and not project on them what we expect them to be because of impatience.
- Chunk

AEL, does Kurashev have a legitimate shot at 3C next year? If so, sign Strome cheap and move him to the wing.
Toews-Saad-Kubalik
Dach-Strome/ADB-Kane
Kurashev-Strome/ADB-Nylander
Kampf-Carpenter-Hagel
- tvetter

I don't get why this keeps coming up. Strome was brutal on the wing when he played there.

These are growing pains boys. Like when the Red Wings spanked the Hawks in 2009.
- DarthKane

I'd take getting spanked in the Western Conference finals against the 2 time defending conference champs vs. getting it from a 3rd year expansion team, in the 1st round of the playoffs.

But your main point is spot on, great learning experience going on. Hopefully they can break thru with a victory or two, that'd be even more learning.

An awful lot of teeth gnashing going on today. Why though? You have the 12 seed going up against the 1 seed and the favorite won. The Hawks were the 12 seed for a reason. They have 1/2 of a forward group and 2-3 legit NHL defensemen (at this point in time).

Last year's playoffs were an anomaly. You are not going to regularly get all of the 8 seeds beating the 1 seeds and seeing a Cinderella run like STL.

You can almost see our young guys trying to process the play as they are playing. There are a lot of "hope" passes and panicked clears. This is not to say they have no chance, or won't win a game or two. They simply don't have the same amount of developed talent that the Knights do.

Anyone expecting Boqvist to be like Karlsson, or Strome to be like Richards right now is fooling themselves. Guys like this are just barely into or past their first full year in the league. Dach had a tough game. He will have more tough games, but as soon as he gets the confidence in his game to stop deferring he will be a monster.

Players can have bad games, not to mention bad years (were we all recently lamenting the downfall of Toews?). Let's keep perspective about what this team ACTUALLY is, and not project on them what we expect them to be because of impatience.
- Chunk

Impatient? Don't you know if you aren't established in the NHL by the time you are 22 you are already on the downside of your career?

RED FONT

AEL, does Kurashev have a legitimate shot at 3C next year? If so, sign Strome cheap and move him to the wing.
Toews-Saad-Kubalik
Dach-Strome/ADB-Kane
Kurashev-Strome/ADB-Nylander
Kampf-Carpenter-Hagel
- tvetter

That group doesn't inspire much confidence ugh!

I'd take getting spanked in the Western Conference finals against the 2 time defending conference champs vs. getting it from a 3rd year expansion team, in the 1st round of the playoffs.

But your main point is spot on, great learning experience going on. Hopefully they can break thru with a victory or two, that'd be even more learning.
- DontKnowNutin

A third year expansion team that made the cup finals the first year, was robbed of going to the conference finals the second year, and if the Hawks are the youngest team in the bubble, Vegas is one of the oldest.

I don't get why this keeps coming up. Strome was brutal on the wing when he played there.
- Chunk

If he doesn't become more of a power player with some skill, he has the size and frame, I don't see where he fits anywhere? But I am not a scout or talent evaluator...
There's a saying in sports "good enough to lose." You don't want to be that team you're constantly in the middle of the pack.

Great quote by Keith, who is not one to just say the party line:

"We have a great opportunity here," Duncan Keith said. "The first game is under our belts. At the end of the day, not many teams are giving us a chance to win. So I think part of it is just going out and having fun, especially for younger guys — everybody, really. Enjoy the challenge. It's a great challenge, but it's also a great opportunity for our group.

"We're right there. It's one game. I don't think we're happy with the game, but we know that we can be better and I think that's a good thing too. And we're going have to be better."

Nylander and Carpenter are bigger and stronger than Sikura and Hagel...
- rpeters01

You could fool me.

Impatient? Don't you know if you aren't established in the NHL by the time you are 22 you are already on the downside of your career?

RED FONT
- LAHawk

Yeah, you REALLY didn't need to specify "red font" on that.

Another reason why you likely won't see a lot of chances taken by the D:

Definitely sounds like the Hawks plan on sticking with the conservative style moving forward.

Colliton basically said that's the only way to match up against this Vegas team. "We know it's going to be a grind."

I don't necessarily agree with this. It sounds like what they were trying to do at the beginning of the year. That said, outside of a 10 minute stretch when things got away from them in the 3rd, the numbers actually show that they did a decent job of containing the Knights.

Who knows, maybe they make things more competitive.

I don't get why this keeps coming up. Strome was brutal on the wing when he played there.
- Chunk

and another thing!

Great quote by Keith, who is not one to just say the party line:

"We have a great opportunity here," Duncan Keith said. "The first game is under our belts. At the end of the day, not many teams are giving us a chance to win. So I think part of it is just going out and having fun, especially for younger guys — everybody, really. Enjoy the challenge. It's a great challenge, but it's also a great opportunity for our group.

"We're right there. It's one game. I don't think we're happy with the game, but we know that we can be better and I think that's a good thing too. And we're going have to be better."
- LAHawk

Another reason why you likely won't see a lot of chances taken by the D:

Definitely sounds like the Hawks plan on sticking with the conservative style moving forward.

Colliton basically said that's the only way to match up against this Vegas team. "We know it's going to be a grind."

I don't necessarily agree with this. It sounds like what they were trying to do at the beginning of the year. That said, outside of a 10 minute stretch when things got away from them in the 3rd, the numbers actually show that they did a decent job of containing the Knights.

Who knows, maybe they make things more competitive.
- Chunk

Take away two bad goals by Crow, one short side partial screen, another off his blocker and it's 2-1. Clean up the mess where Vegas used their size and jammed one in and it's 1-1. The game was closer than the score.

and another thing!
- rpeters01

Twice in one day? I need to say something positive about ADB.

Take away two bad goals by Crow, one short side partial screen, another off his blocker and it's 2-1. Clean up the mess where Vegas used their size and jammed one in and it's 1-1. The game was closer than the score.
- rpeters01

Vegas only had 7 high danger chances (of course the Hawks only had 4), BUT the Hawks used to give up 7 high danger chances in a period. I can't think of many odd man rushes (R Smith's goal being one). The Hawks are playing improved defense, that is something to take out of this post season. As much as we malign KK and Matta, they have played very well this post season as a third pair (with KK sometimes taking Bovquist spot with Keith).

Pittsburgh fired all the assistant coaches.