Torts may be an excellent coach - he seems to get the most out of his players and gets better results than perhaps they should.

But - he really seems to be an bumhole to the public - not recognizing that part of his job is to answer questions, talk to the press, explained what he and his team did or didn’t do aand why it worked or it didn’t.

In his very brief presser, he wad very short and annoyed on one question I saw, then didn’t like the next question and walked out.

He should get fined a lot for that. Be a stand-up mench - answer the questions like all of the other players and coaches, no matter how stupid they sound. Don’t go off and hide without taking responsibility for the results.

It’s hockey - it’s entertainment - it’s the fans that make it work.

Torts may be an excellent coach - he seems to get the most out of his players and gets better results than perhaps they should.

But - he really seems to be an bumhole to the public - not recognizing that part of his job is to answer questions, talk to the press, explained what he and his team did or didn’t do aand why it worked or it didn’t.

In his very brief presser, he wad very short and annoyed on one question I saw, then didn’t like the next question and walked out.

He should get fined a lot for that. Be a stand-up mench - answer the questions like all of the other players and coaches, no matter how stupid they sound. Don’t go off and hide without taking responsibility for the results.

It’s hockey - it’s entertainment - it’s the fans that make it work.
- StLBravesFan

That is probably why Torts won't get fined. As much as a pud that he can be, he is very entertaining. He's the Dennis Green to Colliton's Lovie Smith.

Think Trotz gets a lot out of his players too.

Would a Gallant or LaViolette or even Crawford to a much lesser extent get more out of the Hawks personnel?

I think the Q blunder last night was more than minor. In an elimination game, it hampered Toews and Kubalik from doing best what was expected of them- to score. Q could have been put on the 3rd line or 4th line or played less.

I want to take a look real quick at the big picture stanbow method over the last 4 years.

cap isssues and aging stars cost the hawks sharp and hossa...
they add TT to give away bickell
they could not afford a young pannerin

so they have settled for this keep the aging core and fill in around method to stay competitive and try to hit paydirt one more time.

a couple of euro hits with kahun and kubalik but

Bottom Line: it hasn't worked

The core continues to age and they team defensive and offensive stats continue to trend poorly...

so next year...do the same and expect something different...right. thats all they can do

Hawks are allowing JC to learn on the job and get things going. I think that is fine for now as long as the team is in development mode. This isn't "win now" mode yet. If the Hawks get a roster that is ready to actually compete for a cup, then by all means, get a new coach, one with experience to get the W's.

Think Trotz gets a lot out of his players too.

Would a Gallant or LaViolette or even Crawford to a much lesser extent get more out of the Hawks personnel?

I think the Q blunder last night was more than minor. In an elimination game, it hampered Toews and Kubalik from doing best what was expected of them- to score. Q could have been put on the 3rd line or 4th line or played less.
- Popsghostly

Sure, Q playing probably wasn't the best thing, but it's not like Toews-Saad-Kubalik was getting a lot done while together against the Knights. You can argue that splitting them up actually helped them generate more offense since Saad got ADB and Strome going a bit.

Sure, Q playing probably wasn't the best thing, but it's not like Toews-Saad-Kubalik was getting a lot done while together against the Knights. You can argue that splitting them up actually helped them generate more offense since Saad got ADB and Strome going a bit.
- Chunk

Yes. People would have complained about that top line if they didn't get anything going. Why did the coach not change it up? It's pretty much damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Think Trotz gets a lot out of his players too.

Would a Gallant or LaViolette or even Crawford to a much lesser extent get more out of the Hawks personnel?

I think the Q blunder last night was more than minor. In an elimination game, it hampered Toews and Kubalik from doing best what was expected of them- to score. Q could have been put on the 3rd line or 4th line or played less.
- Popsghostly

So they put Saad with a struggling Strome and ADB, and they were the best line the Hawks had, too bad JC didn't clone Saad, then you could of had him on both lines. As far as 4th line or whoever out at the end of the game, did anyone see the team was gassed? They gave it their all, it was not to be. They lost to a better team. How many teams have Torts coached? He has coached 19 years and missed the playoffs 8 times. One Stanley Cup. They upset Tampa last year when the GM went all in, but not close to sniffing a cup.

Who's to day that he didn't? He had enough players for 2 adequate-to-above-average forward lines and 1.5 defensive pairings. Not to mention the only viable goaltender was just coming off of COVID.

I'm not a big Colliton fan, but anyone thinking that another coach would have made a notable difference is kidding themselves.

Yes, Colliton made the head-scratcher of putting JQ in and playing him a lot. Is that the reason they lost? No. They were completely overmatched top to bottom. No scheme, line combo or substitution would have changed the outcome. Maybe if all of those posts were goals, but even then with the way that Vegas plays, they would have still been overpowering the Hawks.
- Chunk

This. I'm definitely not a Colliton fan either, but the current roster would have required three or four players coming out of nowhere to have big series in order for the team to have a chance to win. The Hawks don't have those kinds of support players, though I suppose you could argue that Highmore and Maatta brought some mojo.

Playing Boqvist and Nylander was a recipe for losing .Boqvist should have been spending this season and maybe next in London under Hunter guidance definitely a miss guided P R move . Nylander is useless and after watching his brother playing scared for Toronto I have little faith he will amount to anything . The HAWKS should be in the market for a new head coach and maybe GM also ..
- oldduffman

And an owner who does give a poop about money.

So they put Saad with a struggling Strome and ADB, and they were the best line the Hawks had, too bad JC didn't clone Saad, then you could of had him on both lines. As far as 4th line or whoever out at the end of the game, did anyone see the team was gassed? They gave it their all, it was not to be. They lost to a better team. How many teams have Torts coached? He has coached 19 years and missed the playoffs 8 times. One Stanley Cup. They upset Tampa last year when the GM went all in, but not close to sniffing a cup.
- LAHawk

Agree absolutely gassed. Never thought the Hawks would beat them but I wanted to see them take a least two games.

Also VGK can roll 4 lines for sure. They had a short story about how none of them went home so they all had been practicing with each other the entire break. They all did appear to be playing in unison like a well oiled machine. I'll like to see how they fare against either the Blues or Avalanche.

I want to take a look real quick at the big picture stanbow method over the last 4 years.

cap isssues and aging stars cost the hawks sharp and hossa...
they add TT to give away bickell
they could not afford a young pannerin

so they have settled for this keep the aging core and fill in around method to stay competitive and try to hit paydirt one more time.

a couple of euro hits with kahun and kubalik but

Bottom Line: it hasn't worked

The core continues to age and they team defensive and offensive stats continue to trend poorly...

so next year...do the same and expect something different...right. thats all they can do
- bogiedoc

This is the only problem that I have. They were never going to be able to sustain that level of competition indefinitely and this situation was always going to come. Sharp getting older and slower, Hossa succumbing to his condition, Keith and Seabrook no longer being a top pair, etc. I would argue losing what Bickell brought to the team was more detrimental than losing TT (see this past series).

It takes money to be able to either bring in or retain that top end talent. This is not to say that Stan hasn't made mistakes, but it would have happened with anyone running the team.

Playing Boqvist and Nylander was a recipe for losing .Boqvist should have been spending this season and maybe next in London under Hunter guidance definitely a miss guided P R move . Nylander is useless and after watching his brother playing scared for Toronto I have little faith he will amount to anything . The HAWKS should be in the market for a new head coach and maybe GM also ..
- oldduffman

I would think the world was ending if I took this guy seriously....

luke tuch with the puck!!
- bogiedoc

No!!! Luck crosses the Blue Line...Pat: "Where's Alex"? got so sick of that during Canuck games

Agree absolutely gassed. Never thought the Hawks would beat them but I wanted to see them take a least two games.

Also VGK can roll 4 lines for sure. They had a short story about how none of them went home so they all had been practicing with each other the entire break. They all did appear to be playing in unison like a well oiled machine. I'll like to see how they fare against either the Blues or Avalanche.
- Popsghostly

i think Blues/LV could be an epic series

Agree absolutely gassed. Never thought the Hawks would beat them but I wanted to see them take a least two games.

Also VGK can roll 4 lines for sure. They had a short story about how none of them went home so they all had been practicing with each other the entire break. They all did appear to be playing in unison like a well oiled machine. I'll like to see how they fare against either the Blues or Avalanche.
- Popsghostly

I bet Vegas makes it to the SCF. No team in the west is as deep. Avs have 2 lines and then Makar.

This is the only problem that I have. They were never going to be able to sustain that level of competition indefinitely and this situation was always going to come. Sharp getting older and slower, Hossa succumbing to his condition, Keith and Seabrook no longer being a top pair, etc. I would argue losing what Bickell brought to the team was more detrimental than losing TT (see this past series).

It takes money to be able to either bring in or retain that top end talent. This is not to say that Stan hasn't made mistakes, but it would have happened with anyone running the team.
- Chunk

Look at what Nashville has become after winning all those participation trophies

need a speed skater to train Strome murph and maata.
- kmw4631

For the bolded, you will also need to find a competent piano mover to get the 2 grands off 17's back -- and then you will also need to make a stop at the local U-Haul to hopefully get them to unhook the trailer attached to his azz.

17 has no speed whatsoever, accelerates as if he has the aforementioned grands on his back and trailer hooked to his butt. Edges are so/so (have seen him fall down numerous times when trying to make a sharp turn).

Other than having decent hands and smarts, he can't get to the spots he needs to be before the puck and opposing team have left him sucking their fumes.

Also: Murph and even Maata could easily beat 17 in a foot race.

Think Trotz gets a lot out of his players too.

Would a Gallant or LaViolette or even Crawford to a much lesser extent get more out of the Hawks personnel?

I think the Q blunder last night was more than minor. In an elimination game, it hampered Toews and Kubalik from doing best what was expected of them- to score. Q could have been put on the 3rd line or 4th line or played less.
- Popsghostly

Do you think Stan sat down to watch the game with his dad, and said "why the (frank) is Q in the game, and where the hell is Nylander"?

This is the only problem that I have. They were never going to be able to sustain that level of competition indefinitely and this situation was always going to come. Sharp getting older and slower, Hossa succumbing to his condition, Keith and Seabrook no longer being a top pair, etc. I would argue losing what Bickell brought to the team was more detrimental than losing TT (see this past series).

It takes money to be able to either bring in or retain that top end talent. This is not to say that Stan hasn't made mistakes, but it would have happened with anyone running the team.
- Chunk

well it happens to all teams who get to the top: the redwings, the kings, the sharks..

soon to join them/us are the caps and pens; the bolts have couple of years of cup window left with stamkos (who now is hurt alot), bruins have done a nice job of staying competitive after a couple of down years but they aren't that top heavy with 2-3 salaries and ypu gotta figure lurch close to shutting it down..

No!!! Luck crosses the Blue Line...Pat: "Where's Alex"? got so sick of that during Canuck games
- glennjpawlak22

where daniel...there's henrique...looking for daniel...

For the bolded, you will also need to find a competent piano mover to get the 2 grands off 17's back -- and then you will also need to make a stop at the local U-Haul to hopefully get them to unhook the trailer attached to his azz.

17 has no speed whatsoever, accelerates as if he has the aforementioned grands on his back and trailer hooked to his butt. Edges are so/so (have seen him fall down numerous times when trying to make a sharp turn).

Other than having decent hands and smarts, he can't get to the spots he needs to be before the puck and opposing team have left him sucking their fumes.

Also: Murph and even Maata could easily beat 17 in a foot race.
- savvyone-1

Hi Savvy. That last line says a lot. And I think it is likely true.

Hi Savvy. That last line says a lot. And I think it is likely true.
- mohel

Hey Mo,
Hope you and yours are all well.
Maata is a good example of a guy with "just-OK" speed but VG hockey smarts. We saw evidence of that and it's why 6 has his name on a few CUPS. Liked the heart we saw from Murph too and I know most don't like him but thought KKKK was pretty solid for a guy that only this year has seen regular action. I happen to think he's a guy worth keeping -- definitely has some talent.

Hey Mo,
Hope you and yours are all well.
Maata is a good example of a guy with "just-OK" speed but VG hockey smarts. We saw evidence of that and it's why 6 has his name on a few CUPS. Liked the heart we saw from Murph too and I know most don't like him but thought KKKK was pretty solid for a guy that only this year has seen regular action. I happen to think he's a guy worth keeping -- definitely has some talent.
- savvyone-1

Hope you're well, too.

I think they should only get rid of the guys you mention when a kid pushes someone out of the lineup.

Hey Mo,
Hope you and yours are all well.
Maata is a good example of a guy with "just-OK" speed but VG hockey smarts. We saw evidence of that and it's why 6 has his name on a few CUPS. Liked the heart we saw from Murph too and I know most don't like him but thought KKKK was pretty solid for a guy that only this year has seen regular action. I happen to think he's a guy worth keeping -- definitely has some talent.
- savvyone-1

Glad to see you and Mohel,Rick J, 6628, wiz, hawksind, olgi, and countless others on here.....

I still stand by my thought entering the series that they should/could have won 2 games. IF you figure you take Crawford game 4 and Fleury game 3....arguably both games they stole wins for their teams with huge key saves....and then you are left with 2, 1 goal games....1 in OT, and an opener where CC was just below average.....For as large as Vegas was, as much as they pinned the Hawks in, the Hawks gave them a helluva effort.

The effort to me speaks volumes on where some guys are.....and even more frustrating for me at least, is it's been what? 3 seasons since they last played meaningful spring/summer hockey and they got waxed vs Nashville? To me...that series was a helluva lot more dominant by Nashville then this was by Vegas.

I hope Vegas gets rolled next round. Remind me of an overhyped Nashville team from the 2000s or the last few years....and shout out to that clown VopatsRush for come knocking when his team couldn't even win 3 games AND was favored....what a clown.

I thought Dach was excellent more times then not. Not selfish enough on odd man rushes. HE was night and day better then his pre-covid self. Boqvist....I hope he pans out. Rough playoffs. Just continual mental mistake after mental mistake that cost the Hawks games, and I didn't see enough offensive upside to at least say he's got that going.....To harp on 27...small, whcih some believe he'll add muscle size as he gets older.....sure.....however the mental side on defense and offense just seems to be majorally lacking. I didn't see 1 rush this playoff where 27 walked into the zone and for a 1st round pick who is supposedly an offensive defensemen, that has to be concerning. Im not advocating jettisoning him off the island, but can we honestly say Boqvist made any on ice improvements this year?