Theo Fox: Twin Defeats A summary of the Blackhawks vs Wild game where Kevin Lankinen stood tall but the defense couldn't seal the deal in the closing minutes of regulation or overtime.

Plus, a summary of the Icehogs vs Stars game where Michal Teply remained hot with 2 more goals and a shootout tally.

Let me guess… everyone else on the team sucks too? We should trade them all? Coach is no good and the GM is a disgrace? Have I covered all of the salient points?
- Chunk

You forgot the trainers.
- Angotti

Even though it was an away game but in memory of Sage, you forgot Corny the anthem butcher.

Thanks Theo. They are NHL .500 with King, isn’t that what this team is? No more, no less, so why do people go bonkers when they lose to one of the top teams in the west? Hawks management needs to determine path forward, IMHO they need to see what they have in some of the unknowns. Play Borgstrom 15 minutes on top nine, if you bring up Kalinuk, then freaking play him, sit Gus, you already know what you have in Gus. When you bring up Slavin to taxi squad, add him to roster and play him, don’t let the young guys sit unless you want them to watch a game from upstairs. By the way I thought that Kurashev played a real good game, he battled all night, him and Stillman are the blue skies so far this year, sorry Wiz but that’s my take.

How hard is it to figure out 3v3 in the defensive zone. It is basically man on man with some possible switching with good communication. The Hawks just floated and no one picked up anyone.

Kane was in the penalty box. But if they intentionally did anything (offsides) to get a whistle he gets back on the ice before OT ends.

I was a Kubalik supporter. But he really has flatlined. No improvement in some areas of his game (that need improvement). I am not against trading him now. But signing him for reasonable dollars and term would be ok too.

Lankinen just played his 50th NHL game. He may not be a stud #1 goalie. But if you go with he and Soderblom next year your cap hit for goaltending is probably less than $2 mil. Next year is the year to tank.

I am through with King. Playing Carpenter, Hardman, Entwistle, Lafferty, Khaira on one of the top two lines at different times is nuts.

Hagel seems to have chemistry with whoever he plays with. Dach has no chemistry with anyone he plays with. But I will have a lot of patience with Dach.

Borgstrum deserves top 6 minutes. My lines right now:
Debrincat Strome Kane
Hagel Toews Borgstrum
Kurashev Dach Kubalik
Entwistle Lafferty Carpenter

Even though it was an away game but in memory of Sage, you forgot Corny the anthem butcher.
- HawkintheD

Too bad the game couldn't replay with the following lineup changes:

ADD: Slavin, Reichel, Barret, Altybarmaken, Galvas, Mitchell

SUBTRACT: Kubalik, Dach, Toews, Carpentar or Kurashev, and two among Murphy, deHahn, Gus

I would even go as far as to let Kane end his season if he needs surgery. Give the kid McLaughlin a turn. Teply needs to keep playing well the remainder ofvthr AHL season.

Maybe I will grant a longer look at Kurashev and Strome can stay in the lineup while he gives a good effort

I agree with your take on Stillman and Kurashev.

Lankinen played very well, but still has rebound control issues. I will grant you that he hasn’t played in a month, but the third goal, he gave up a rebound right up the gut.

I just don’t understand how Kubalik ended up on the ice less than a minute to go in OT. Will someone please explain what he was doing? Especially those that say he is a good 200 ft. Player?

Toews with the selfish penalty. As someone mentioned in the previous blog, there is no Seabrook for intervention.

Dots, if you think all the calls are going against the Hawks, what do you think will happen if the Hawks get the reputation as whiners. Until there are robots, refs. Are human too. Just ask the players on Hawks teams after the Lysiak incident. You probably had to go to when the officials in the league at the time retired.

Thanks Theo. They are NHL .500 with King, isn’t that what this team is? No more, no less, so why do people go bonkers when they lose to one of the top teams in the west? Hawks management needs to determine path forward, IMHO they need to see what they have in some of the unknowns. Play Borgstrom 15 minutes on top nine, if you bring up Kalinuk, then freaking play him, sit Gus, you already know what you have in Gus. When you bring up Slavin to taxi squad, add him to roster and play him, don’t let the young guys sit unless you want them to watch a game from upstairs. By the way I thought that Kurashev played a real good game, he battled all night, him and Stillman are the blue skies so far this year, sorry Wiz but that’s my take.
- Angotti

Hey Lou, agree on your hockey points. Borgstrom pots 2 playing on a 4th line. I’m hoping like you, he gets regular mins in the top 9 and makes it impossible for King to take him out of the lineup.

Idk about owing an apology to Wiz where Kurashev’s concerned. I generally like his contributions and analysis. Definitely committed to his craft but he seems a bit married to an analysis on Kurashev he made a few years back.

Also, lunacy and unhappiness are fairly defining characteristics for the board dynamic.

The anger doesn’t seem quite as misplaced as it was when people were losing their minds and the team was winning.

Good game from Borgstrom, although King needs to be mindful or his ice time. 8:06 is a bit much if Borgstrom remains in the lineup, he should be closer to the 6:00 mark.

Dach should take juggling lessons from Strome, if that was what it took for him to significantly improve at the face-off dot.

Thanks Theo. They are NHL .500 with King, isn’t that what this team is? No more, no less, so why do people go bonkers when they lose to one of the top teams in the west? Hawks management needs to determine path forward, IMHO they need to see what they have in some of the unknowns. Play Borgstrom 15 minutes on top nine, if you bring up Kalinuk, then freaking play him, sit Gus, you already know what you have in Gus. When you bring up Slavin to taxi squad, add him to roster and play him, don’t let the young guys sit unless you want them to watch a game from upstairs. By the way I thought that Kurashev played a real good game, he battled all night, him and Stillman are the blue skies so far this year, sorry Wiz but that’s my take.
- Angotti

I wasn't upset they lost, i was furious at the refs not protecting players like Toews, Cat and others on the ice. It's their job, if they can't do it find others that can.

I have to admit it felt really good to let my crazy fan out of the box last night. It always does.

I really liked how the Blackhawks themselves played, they had 2 opponents last night the Wild and the refs.

They really need to figure out how to play 5 on 6 hockey have no idea what Seth Jones is doing that far away from the front of the net.

Good teams find a way to win and not so good teams find a way to not win. But thankfully this game was a much better watch than the previous night.

I wasn't upset they lost, i was furious at the refs not protecting players like Toews, Cat and others on the ice. It's their job, if they can't do it find others that can.

I have to admit it felt really good to let my crazy fan out of the box last night. It always does.

I really liked how the Blackhawks themselves played, they had 2 opponents last night the Wild and the refs.

They really need to figure out how to play 5 on 6 hockey have no idea what Seth Jones is doing that far away from the front of the net.
- BetweenTheDots

Just last night? Although with your assertion that the refs are against the Hawks because of 2010 you did bring it up three or four notches.

I wasn't upset they lost, i was furious at the refs not protecting players like Toews, Cat and others on the ice. It's their job, if they can't do it find others that can.

I have to admit it felt really good to let my crazy fan out of the box last night. It always does.

I really liked how the Blackhawks themselves played, they had 2 opponents last night the Wild and the refs.

They really need to figure out how to play 5 on 6 hockey have no idea what Seth Jones is doing that far away from the front of the net.
- BetweenTheDots

Maybe Jones was tired? He played 32 freaking minutes.

What are the key attributes for being an NHL center (vs being a wing) in order of importance? The reason I ask is that the Hawks iced a roster with seven players listed as centers.

Toews
Strome
Dach
Borgstrom
Lafferty
Kurashev
Carpenter

Maybe they try to find the ones with the best skill set to actually play the position and let the rest do their best to make it as wingers.

Too bad the game couldn't replay with the following lineup changes:

ADD: Slavin, Reichel, Barret, Altybarmaken, Galvas, Mitchell

SUBTRACT: Kubalik, Dach, Toews, Carpentar or Kurashev, and two among Murphy, deHahn, Gus

I would even go as far as to let Kane end his season if he needs surgery. Give the kid McLaughlin a turn. Teply needs to keep playing well the remainder ofvthr AHL season.

Maybe I will grant a longer look at Kurashev and Strome can stay in the lineup while he gives a good effort
- jhawk59

While I do like them to give younger players a look, you can’t have too many inexperienced players dress for a game at same time, they’ll get killed and demoralized, which is not good for their development.

What are the key attributes for being an NHL center (vs being a wing) in order of importance? The reason I ask is that the Hawks iced a roster with seven players listed as centers.

Toews
Strome
Dach
Borgstrom
Lafferty
Kurashev
Carpenter

Maybe they try to find the ones with the best skill set to actually play the position and let the rest do their best to make it as wingers.
- Chunk

Lafferty, Kurashev and Carpenter are wingers who can fill in temporarily at centre, I wouldn’t consider them full time centres. I think the jury is still out on. Borgstrom.

Lafferty, Kurashev and Carpenter are wingers who can fill in temporarily at centre, I wouldn’t consider them full time centres. I think the jury is still out on. Borgstrom.
- DarthKane

And Dach... and Strome... and now Toews.

Too bad the game couldn't replay with the following lineup changes:

ADD: Slavin, Reichel, Barret, Altybarmaken, Galvas, Mitchell

SUBTRACT: Kubalik, Dach, Toews, Carpentar or Kurashev, and two among Murphy, deHahn, Gus

I would even go as far as to let Kane end his season if he needs surgery. Give the kid McLaughlin a turn. Teply needs to keep playing well the remainder ofvthr AHL season.

Maybe I will grant a longer look at Kurashev and Strome can stay in the lineup while he gives a good effort
- jhawk59

Use AHL players, get AHL results.

Use AHL players, get AHL results.
- Chunk

And that is a good reason to think long and not short term. Watching some posters lose their minds when the hawks lose, constantly complaining about the team and the players, then continuing to complain game after game even though the team hasn’t made any improvements seems pointless to me.

And that is a good reason to think long and not short term. Watching some posters lose their minds when the hawks lose, constantly complaining about the team and the players, then continuing to complain game after game even though the team hasn’t made any improvements seems pointless to me.
- paulr

My biggest problem is that I don't have the background to know what to look for regarding what actual development looks like. Example: Strome is looking good now. Is there something he is doing that is fundamentally different, or is it simply more consistent effort (maybe two sides of the same coin there).

This is why I asked the question about the center position. Borgstrom is pretty slippery and seems able to glide into and out of scoring areas quickly and effectively. Would that skillset be better suited for a winger? Is he missing something to play center?

What are the key attributes for being an NHL center (vs being a wing) in order of importance? The reason I ask is that the Hawks iced a roster with seven players listed as centers.

Toews
Strome
Dach
Borgstrom
Lafferty
Kurashev
Carpenter

Maybe they try to find the ones with the best skill set to actually play the position and let the rest do their best to make it as wingers.
- Chunk

I know I have been pounding a dead horse on this but move dach to wing. He lazy floats loses position in the d zone at times and cannot win face-off or at the very least tie up the other center opposite of him so dach's wingers could get the puck.

My biggest problem is that I don't have the background to know what to look for regarding what actual development looks like. Example: Strome is looking good now. Is there something he is doing that is fundamentally different, or is it simply more consistent effort (maybe two sides of the same coin there).

This is why I asked the question about the center position. Borgstrom is pretty slippery and seems able to glide into and out of scoring areas quickly and effectively. Would that skillset be better suited for a winger? Is he missing something to play center?
- Chunk

Your hockey knowledge is better than you admit.

What to look for in a center? Each of us probably has our own ideas but I’d begin with skating ability. Then hockey smarts. Then passing and shooting ability. Faceoffs and specific strategies can be learned. I think what Strome has done is compete a little more consistently. Strome getting a center position has more to do with the team’s lack of talent and experience than Strome being a particularly good centerman. I really can’t get a read on Borgstrom but I think that considering the team is very unlikely to make the playoffs King should give the younger guys opportunities at increased ice time and various positions instead of overplaying veterans.

After last night and 97 with 2 high sticking penalties, if Maker finishes the game I am writing rocky personally to get him a coach that has the balls to tell players to check somebody. F the respect when there are players and refs who don't!

I agree with your take on Stillman and Kurashev.

Lankinen played very well, but still has rebound control issues. I will grant you that he hasn’t played in a month, but the third goal, he gave up a rebound right up the gut.

I just don’t understand how Kubalik ended up on the ice less than a minute to go in OT. Will someone please explain what he was doing? Especially those that say he is a good 200 ft. Player?

Toews with the selfish penalty. As someone mentioned in the previous blog, there is no Seabrook for intervention.

Dots, if you think all the calls are going against the Hawks, what do you think will happen if the Hawks get the reputation as whiners. Until there are robots, refs. Are human too. Just ask the players on Hawks teams after the Lysiak incident. You probably had to go to when the officials in the league at the time retired.
- LAHawk

That should be on a t-shirt.

I know I have been pounding a dead horse on this but move dach to wing. He lazy floats loses position in the d zone at times and cannot win face-off or at the very least tie up the other center opposite of him so dach's wingers could get the puck.
- Scott1977

For all of Dach's weaknesses, I am ready to give him plenty of time. He just turned 21 and only has played 120 games in the NHL (less than 2 full seasons). He has had injuries, was in covid protocol, played with a huge variety of linemates (some of them were bums) and under some pretty weak coaching. He has shown flashes of top 6 material. A cup half full says he is trying to figure things out and that is why he is processing things so slowly. After he figures things out he will become more instinctive and will not require the over thinking. The cup half empty sees a player with some tools but lacking in hockey sense and vision. 3C or a 2nd/3rd line winger at best. The Hawks are not making the playoffs this year and probably for a few years. What is the harm in letting him play center and see what he can do. Toews, Strome, Borgstrum, Dach, and if/when T. Johnson could be top 9 centers. None are playing like a stud #1c. The opinion on this blog is that they are all playing like #2 or #3 centers on a decent team. What is the rush? Tap the breaks. Let things play out the rest of this year and next year.