If those flashy forwards aren't willing to do any dirty work, this is going to be a short series. The top line showed up for the Avs but the other lines sucked

I don't watch him often but i really like Heiskanens game, so solid
- BetweenTheDots

totally agree.

Here is an observation to give you a heads up about Hawks personnel choices and the great Stan. How many ex-Hawks are currently playing (playing time and not just on the roster) in the last 8 teams in the playoffs?

totally agree.

Here is an observation to give you a heads up about Hawks personnel choices and the great Stan. How many ex-Hawks are currently playing (playing time and not just on the roster) in the last 8 teams in the playoffs?
- Topshelf2010

Lehner
Motte
Hayes
Leddy
Nordstrom

That said, it's a bad argument.
1) You can't put team performance on a single player. A player can be very good and not have team success (see McDavid for most of his career).

2) Why did the Hawks get rid of said player? Were they not good? Did they have to for cap compliance?

3) Were they injured?

That's fine you don't have to be, but i saw enough even from Nylander that tells me not to give up on these kids, imagine if Bowman didn't have patience with Bickell. Frolik, Stalberg, Kruger and Saad, don't believe we would of won 2 Cups in 3 years
- BetweenTheDots

I'm not saying they are not "serviceable" players but I do not think they are "top six" players to carry us to a cup. We should not overestimate what they are? Somebody has to play "top six" right now they are place holders. There's a saying in sports "good enough to lose." And I have backed Nylander all season.

Lehner
Motte
Hayes
Leddy
Nordstrom

That said, it's a bad argument.
1) You can't put team performance on a single player. A player can be very good and not have team success (see McDavid for most of his career).

2) Why did the Hawks get rid of said player? Were they not good? Did they have to for cap compliance?

3) Were they injured?
- Chunk

I always liked Nordstrom and he was signed as a 13th forward for the minimum we let him go for what was supposed to be an upgrade, I don't remember who?

I'm not saying they are not "serviceable" players but I do not think they are "top six" players to carry us to a cup. We should not overestimate what they are? Somebody has to play "top six" right now they are place holders. There's a saying in sports "good enough to lose." And I have backed Nylander all season.
- rpeters01

So what makes a player "top 6"? Is it subjective?

I always liked Nordstrom and he was signed as a 13th forward for the minimum we let him go for what was supposed to be an upgrade, I don't remember who?
- rpeters01

Mashinter? Panik?

Mashinter? Panik?
- Chunk

Just looked up the rest of that team...

Garbutt
Rasmussen
Kero
Dano
Hartman
Sekac
Tikhonov
Hino
McNeil
Baun

All of these guys played in actual NHL games for the Hawks the year after Nordstrom went to CAR.

On the Blackhawks Instagram account they confirmed they’re picking #46 in the 2nd round.

I'm not saying they are not "serviceable" players but I do not think they are "top six" players to carry us to a cup. We should not overestimate what they are? Somebody has to play "top six" right now they are place holders. There's a saying in sports "good enough to lose." And I have backed Nylander all season.
- rpeters01

Well other than Saad none of those players were top 6, and Saad didn't do poop in 2013 playoffs? Or did you think all the players i mentioned were top 6 players?

totally agree.

Here is an observation to give you a heads up about Hawks personnel choices and the great Stan. How many ex-Hawks are currently playing (playing time and not just on the roster) in the last 8 teams in the playoffs?
- Topshelf2010

So many, but many were the result of trades, moving overpaid players with a young promising player. The scary part is Bowman has traded more NHL talent than some teams draft

Well other than Saad none of those players were top 6, and Saad didn't do poop in 2013 playoffs? Or did you think all the players i mentioned were top 6 players?
- BetweenTheDots

Kubalik played significant time with the first line and we have tried ADB with Kane more than once.

Colliton explains his defensive system (for those of you who don't have The Athletic), maybe one of you who is a coach or player can explain to me why this should work (or why it is not). It sounds to me like short shifts, one guy changes at a time, and man-to-man.

Q (from reporter): Over the past two years, the team was worst or second-worst in the league in shots against and most other metrics covering scoring chances and high-danger chances, and it’s been in the bottom 10 six straight years, so it’s a problem that’s existed long before you took over. What’s the path back to a team defense that works, and do you believe you can get there with the personnel you currently have?

A (excerpts): A lot of it is just commitment to doing the right things every time you’re on the ice and understanding that you’re out there for hopefully 35-40 seconds and you’ve got to be totally focused on your job and beat the guy you’re up against. Where we get into trouble, particularly our team and where we’re at now, is when we don’t manage the puck. When we have a structure and we’re fresh and you’re able to defend from structure, then I think we do a pretty good job. Where we get into trouble is when we start turning the puck over in critical areas, whether that’s in our own end or around the blue lines, those important areas. It’s really tough to get your structure back. You put a lot of stress on the team as far as the reaction to get back on the right side and get defensive position. Maybe you’re outnumbered. Or the next part of it is, you end up playing tired.

We’ve got to do a better job of getting off, finding a way to advance the puck, get it in, and then change one at a time so even if we don’t create offense out of that particular shift, we’re in a good position to defend. [...] We’ve made progress. I think particularly the Edmonton series where we were out-changing them and we were defending when we’re fresh and we were forcing them to defend when they’re not.

And for those of you who wanted the answers to the Toews game 3 decision scenario:

Q: A few of your decisions that had been second-guessed after the Vegas series were having Jonathan Toews on the bench and not using a timeout at the end of Game 3 and the quality and quantity of ice time you gave John Quenneville in Game 5. Do you regret any of those decisions or could you further explain them?

Toews Answer: After a series and after every game, you look at some of the things you did and you walk it back and say is there another door we could open. All I can do is you go through it and look at the reasons why. The timeout in Game 3 … First of all, Tazer, they had an offensive zone faceoff at four minutes and didn’t work out. They ended up getting hemmed in for a minute. I think that took a lot out of him. And then when we got his next shift, I think it was around the two-minute mark. He just looked like he didn’t have any juice. Looking at him on the bench too, just felt like he was gassed. I didn’t think that 30 seconds was going to be enough to get him ready to go.

[PDX: me thinks Toews might have had another opinion on this...Boyle from NBC called BS on this on the podcast today]

As a hawks fan , it's very disappointing how this team went from winning multiple cups and being a contender year after year to a team that is light years away from any hope.


Stans presser along with Danny wirtz offering support for stan and JC all but ensures that 2020-2021 both are safe in their jobs. I think once Chicago finds and names it's new President we will see come next summer a dramatic change if this team isn't going in the right direction. Stan and JjC imo are a package deal now .


Last I heard next years season sounded like a 48 game season starting late January? Can anyone confirm if that's true ?

So what makes a player "top 6"? Is it subjective?
- Chunk

Keep the puck in the other teams end more than your own and stop blaming the coach in a nutshell...

Just looked up the rest of that team...

Garbutt
Rasmussen
Kero
Dano
Hartman
Sekac
Tikhonov
Hino
McNeil
Baun

All of these guys played in actual NHL games for the Hawks the year after Nordstrom went to CAR.
- Chunk

A hall of fame.

So many, but many were the result of trades, moving overpaid players with a young promising player. The scary part is Bowman has traded more NHL talent than some teams draft
- BetweenTheDots

Many were cap casualties especially in 2011.

I don't watch him often but i really like Heiskanens game, so solid
- BetweenTheDots

The NHL and it's sportswriter clearly have Makar's offensive powers in their hands but those three defenders in Dallas are really good. H, K and L...

If you loo at the two Tampa deadline pick ups they add the heavy...this was what StanBo attempted to due when he traded Danault and a 2nd order for Dale Weise &
Tomas Fleischmann, except they weren't Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman

More speed and physicality meaning having forecheck that creates havoc in offensive zone like Vegas did to us. Winning board battles going to dirty areas and paying the price. Imo that is what's missing.
- Scott1977

Off the top of my head, St. L, Dallas, Winn all also play a 'heavy' game, so it's not just Vegas the Hawks have to compete with physically... they would need to get better in this area just to finish (have the chance?) to make the playoffs next year. Once there, they'd likely have to play 2-3 physical, big, heavy teams if they were to make it to the cup. That describes the hawks dynasty, a good mix of some 'heavy', plus puck movers, plus good depth... remember how they outlasted the feared Anaheim assault that Kesler stated "No human can withstand that many hits"? We need a team with a few more that can at least absorb the heavy game in the corner on dump ins.

The NHL and it's sportswriter clearly have Makar's offensive powers in their hands but those three defenders in Dallas are really good. H, K and L...

If you loo at the two Tampa deadline pick ups they add the heavy...this was what StanBo attempted to due when he traded Danault and a 2nd order for Dale Weise &
Tomas Fleischmann, except they weren't Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman
- wiz1901

Bowness has been a coach/assistant coach (generally running the defense and PK) forever. In fact, if you count the games he was behind the bench as an assistant, he has more games behind the bench than Scotty Bowman.

Off the top of my head, St. L, Dallas, Winn all also play a 'heavy' game, so it's not just Vegas the Hawks have to compete with physically... they would need to get better in this area just to finish (have the chance?) to make the playoffs next year. Once there, they'd likely have to play 2-3 physical, big, heavy teams if they were to make it to the cup. That describes the hawks dynasty, a good mix of some 'heavy', plus puck movers, plus good depth... remember how they outlasted the feared Anaheim assault that Kesler stated "No human can withstand that many hits"? We need a team with a few more that can at least absorb the heavy game in the corner on dump ins.
- DontKnowNutin

But, but I thought the league was getting faster, and heavy players are going to be dinosaurs?

But, but I thought the league was getting faster, and heavy players are going to be dinosaurs?
- LAHawk

Heavy skilled and can skate. That beats light skilled and can skate every time.

But, but I thought the league was getting faster, and heavy players are going to be dinosaurs?
- LAHawk

All we need is three more Dach's.

Colliton explains his defensive system (for those of you who don't have The Athletic), maybe one of you who is a coach or player can explain to me why this should work (or why it is not). It sounds to me like short shifts, one guy changes at a time, and man-to-man.

Q (from reporter): Over the past two years, the team was worst or second-worst in the league in shots against and most other metrics covering scoring chances and high-danger chances, and it’s been in the bottom 10 six straight years, so it’s a problem that’s existed long before you took over. What’s the path back to a team defense that works, and do you believe you can get there with the personnel you currently have?

A (excerpts): A lot of it is just commitment to doing the right things every time you’re on the ice and understanding that you’re out there for hopefully 35-40 seconds and you’ve got to be totally focused on your job and beat the guy you’re up against. Where we get into trouble, particularly our team and where we’re at now, is when we don’t manage the puck. When we have a structure and we’re fresh and you’re able to defend from structure, then I think we do a pretty good job. Where we get into trouble is when we start turning the puck over in critical areas, whether that’s in our own end or around the blue lines, those important areas. It’s really tough to get your structure back. You put a lot of stress on the team as far as the reaction to get back on the right side and get defensive position. Maybe you’re outnumbered. Or the next part of it is, you end up playing tired.

We’ve got to do a better job of getting off, finding a way to advance the puck, get it in, and then change one at a time so even if we don’t create offense out of that particular shift, we’re in a good position to defend.
- pdx2ord[...] We’ve made progress. I think particularly the Edmonton series where we were out-changing them and we were defending when we’re fresh and we were forcing them to defend when they’re not.

So he basically admits his system completely breaks down if a shift is longer the 45 secs? These are pro athletes. You’re never going to beat the guy your up against every time.

Aside from all the chasing this is my problem with the system! It requires perfection and everything to be right in order to work. If that doesn’t happen the Hawks end up buried in their end and being out chances 2 to 1 most nights.