Eklund: What's Wrong With The Blackhawks? Who saw this coming?

Eklund: What's Wrong With The Blackhawks? Who saw this coming?
- Eklund

Toews keeping his streak of playoff games w/o a goal in tact

It's all in their heads, perhaps some overconfidence?

Goaltending has not been an issue for the Hawks this year -- plenty of their regular season wins could be considered "goalie" wins. The power play, on the other hand, has been horrible for long stretches this year and that includes going 0/4 over the first two playoff games. It seems like much of their struggle on the power play is simply other teams ability to setup and defend against it.

Goaltending has not been an issue for the Hawks this year -- plenty of their regular season wins could be considered "goalie" wins. The power play, on the other hand, has been horrible for long stretches this year and that includes going 0/4 over the first two playoff games. It seems like much of their struggle on the power play is simply other teams ability to setup and defend against it.
- etchtech

i agree, nothing to do with goaltending. can't win if you don't get prodution from top guys especially with youngters being leaned on for secondary scoring. that said the hawks could still easily win the series if 19,88,72,81 wake up next game

Seems like the Sharks and Hawks are struggling in much the same way. Fortunately San Jose was able to get a win, but 1 for 13 on the PP so far and two shorthanded goals against. Woof.

Ek,
You will get a thousand posts if you leave it up long enough on this one,
My opinion, short and sweet, the remnants of 3cups were Dale Tallon's architectural design not Bowmans as most will disagree.
The Panthers will eventually win and I am glad their ownership saw such and gave Dale total control again before Tom Rowe screwed it all up Down there.
Most of Bowmans trades have been busts,( and while AA is a nice player, he should have gotten atleast 1more significant piece for Saad instead of a pile of garbage along with AA!)
As Ihave stated to some, If Bowman would have a chance to draft Eric Lindros( staring him right in the face and kicking him in the behind at the same time) he would opt for 5"6 ,125 peewee instead.
Teams have figured out the Hawks,hit em and they"ll fold, especially the young kids like NickSchmaultz. I'm not asking for a team of Chromagnums, just some lunch pale red ass grit thatBowman just is reluctant to add.
2first round and out exits potentially , I think ya can't hide behind Dad much longer.
Hopefully they right the ship. Shook my head when I saw Rosenblom's butt kiss column in the trib the other morning. JMO, that is all,Happy Easter to all!

Ek,
You will get a thousand posts if you leave it up long enough on this one,
My opinion, short and sweet, the remnants of 3cups were Dale Tallon's architectural design not Bowmans as most will disagree.
The Panthers will eventually win and I am glad their ownership saw such and gave Dale total control again before Tom Rowe screwed it all up Down there.
Most of Bowmans trades have been busts,( and while AA is a nice player, he should have gotten atleast 1more significant piece for Saad instead of a pile of garbage along with AA!)
As Ihave stated to some, If Bowman would have a chance to draft Eric Lindros( staring him right in the face and kicking him in the behind at the same time) he would opt for 5"6 ,125 peewee instead.
Teams have figured out the Hawks,hit em and they"ll fold, especially the young kids like NickSchmaultz. I'm not asking for a team of Chromagnums, just some lunch pale red ass grit thatBowman just is reluctant to add.
2first round and out exits potentially , I think ya can't hide behind Dad much longer.
Hopefully they right the ship. Shook my head when I saw Rosenblom's butt kiss column in the trib the other morning. JMO, that is all,Happy Easter to all!
- wonthecup10

I know what you were trying to say but this is kinda funny

If people hate advanced stats, I wonder how they feel about unadvanced stats?

SV% Ranking, PP% Ranking, PK% Ranking

What in the hell...

PP bad, PK bad, terrible time winning faceoffs, not enough quality depth scorers, and top players making most money in NHL not producing. Defense also playing poor, players (Oduya, Campbell, even Keith and Seabs) looking old. Best players have been Marian Hossa and Tanner Kero. With the amount of great talent the Hawks jettisoned over the years due to bloated cap structure the model was bound to catch up to them. That said, no team/group of fans would not trade places being only team in post lockout era with +2 Cups. And a good part of that foundation remains so until the Hawks are buried, don't count them out

2011-Canucks up 3-0, series went 7
2013-Wings up 3-1, Hawks win
2014-Kings up 3-1, series goes 7

Twice the Preds had 2-1 series lead, Boston had a 2-1 series lead.

Historically, the Hawks have NEVER blown through a playoffs, the always make things interesting and typically get stronger as the series goes along.

If people hate advanced stats, I wonder how they feel about unadvanced stats?

SV% Ranking, PP% Ranking, PK% Ranking

What in the hell...
- eNDSo

Damn Neanderthals!!

Is the series over? I thought it took 4 wins to win a series. I'm sure the Preds are inside the Hawks heads. A team which has won 3 Cups including coming back down 0-2 vs the Preds. Ek you turd. Why are you making me stick up for the Hawks?

Is the series over? I thought it took 4 wins to win a series. I'm sure the Preds are inside the Hawks heads. A team which has won 3 Cups including coming back down 0-2 vs the Preds. Ek you turd. Why are you making me stick up for the Hawks?
- gergeswillems

You did a nice job. You guys are East now, lets hug it out. I remember how much I used to hate Toronto and Wendell Clark because they were in the Norris with the Hawks, but now I don't hate them at all, even kinda happy they are doing well. My hatred for the Wings kinda went away the moment the Hawks started playing them only twice a year.

Eklund: What's Wrong With The Blackhawks? Who saw this coming?
- Eklund

Looks good on them and their smug fans. Here's to decades of Blackhawk mediocrity.

As for the Leafs...it's too bad the Leafs made the playoffs and got embarrassed by the Caps in the first round. This according to Mike Augello the #1 Leafs expert.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...t_id=84459&blogger_id=177

One of your very own bloggers basically hit this on the head so far...

Ryan Wilson cited/wrote in his blog that the Hawks are a below average possession team with a horrific penalty kill and a mediocre pp..... their big advantage was the perceived strength of Crawford vs Rinne and that hasn't played out yet.

Stan the man has some serious work to do in the offseason if he wants to keep Chicago a contender.... Kane is still elite but Keith, Toews, Hossa, among others are on the backside of their primes.... still good players but Toews needs to produce a point a game to justify 10+ million a year... you can't make that production up unless you are loaded with cheap young talent.

You did a nice job. You guys are East now, lets hug it out. I remember how much I used to hate Toronto and Wendell Clark because they were in the Norris with the Hawks, but now I don't hate them at all, even kinda happy they are doing well. My hatred for the Wings kinda went away the moment the Hawks started playing them only twice a year.
- kwolf68

I don't hate the Hawks anymore. I just can't believe I stuck up for them. One minute Ek is singing the Hawks praises picking them to win the Cup and the next minute he's throwing them under the bus. Ek the Bandwagon blogger.

I don't hate the Hawks anymore. I just can't believe I stuck up for them. One minute Ek is singing the Hawks praises picking them to win the Cup and the next minute he's throwing them under the bus. Ek the Bandwagon blogger.
- gergeswillems

Remember the '02 Wings went down 0-2 to Vancouver at home in the first round. I wouldn't panic yet if I were a Hawks fan. This is where the team leadership needs to step up and from what I have seen of Toews over the years, he will for sure.

Come on, give the Preds some credit... all I keep reading is why the hawks are not winning and it's all about them not playing well. Maybe the preds have figured the Hawks out and are playing to their weakness, ie good coaching. Some credit is due, but I dare not give the preds any they get the big head and will fall flat on their faces...

Remember the '02 Wings went down 0-2 to Vancouver at home in the first round. I wouldn't panic yet if I were a Hawks fan. This is where the team leadership needs to step up and from what I have seen of Toews over the years, he will for sure.
- MartyBurk

Exactly. Most Cup Champs survive some kind of adversity. The Hawks will raise their game and I wouldn't be surprised if they win the next 4 in a row. Sometimes all it takes is a break to get things going. Like the Lidstrom centre ice goal on Dan Cloutier in game 3 in Vancouver. Is it just me or does Seabrook take too many shots? It's like he thinks he's AL MacInnis. But without the results. It might not hurt if he passed the puck to a teammate once in awhile.

Even though Quenneville won 3 Stanley Cups with the amazing teams the front office put together....

One thing always stuck out to me on Quenneville.

Living in Denver and St Louis when Quenneville coached the Avs and Blues...I can't tell you how mad fans were at Q every April.

I remember when q left Colorado...no one thought he would coach in the NHL again. He was that bad at coaching and making in game adjustments. Just like he was in St Louis.

He got lucky that the greatest hockey mind and his son wanted him in Chicago.

Just like Q did in 2000 in St. Louis, it looks like another 1 seed Q coaches is going down in the 1st round.

Come on, give the Preds some credit... all I keep reading is why the hawks are not winning and it's all about them not playing well. Maybe the preds have figured the Hawks out and are playing to their weakness, ie good coaching. Some credit is due, but I dare not give the preds any they get the big head and will fall flat on their faces...
- pred_26

I give the Preds plenty of credit. They deserve to be up 2-0. I'm disagreeing with the premise of Ek's blog which is basically counting the Hawks out. This is ridiculous especially since there's a recent history of the Preds blowing a 2-0 series lead versus Chicago. Maybe Nashville should actually win the series versus CHICAGO before you start looking for a little respect.

Looks good on them and their smug fans. Here's to decades of Blackhawk mediocrity.
- bloatedmosquito

Says a Canucks fan.

Who saw this coming?

I know someone who did?

What was his name again?



Started with a T.........Tanner, was it? Guys a genius!

Says a Canucks fan.
- Matthews_Auston

It's much easier to accept a decade of mediocrity when you've seen your team win multiple Stanley Cups. At least this is what I tell myself.