Like the wind, Beav. Or so I hear.
- mohel

Heck then, I'm on board. With the 3rd pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks select from Papua New Guinea.....

Ya this just in, that Trotz guy can coach!

Islanders sweeping the Pens, who saw that coming on July 1st last year. Everyone thought they might not win a game.

Only thing that would make playoffs better right now, is if Isles would beat the leafs, and Tavares would go scoreless and be a -10 for the series.
- vabeachbear

And then Trotz can beat his old team in the District.

Ya this just in, that Trotz guy can coach!

Islanders sweeping the Pens, who saw that coming on July 1st last year. Everyone thought they might not win a game.

Only thing that would make playoffs better right now, is if Isles would beat the leafs, and Tavares would go scoreless and be a -10 for the series.
- vabeachbear

That would be interesting, whoever faces the Isles is going to put in a lot of heavy lifting, very rare they give up an easy unobstructed shot on goal, at least in this past series. Malkin, Kessel and Crosby, 3 SOG, Crosby wide open off the goal post.

Hey, Chief, what about the rest of the report? How was Boqvist?
- mohel

Boqvist was at times the best guy on the ice. He is magic when he has the puck on his stick and he has exceptional vision of the ice. His skating is strong, he's fast, he's quick and he can change direction quicker than anyone else I saw him play against. He has a gret shot, a quick release and he passes very well but his passes are so good and so out of nowhere many of his teammates can't do anything with them because they aren't of the same calibre to expect, much less take the pass.

Now this is where he and Entwhistle are different. Where Entwhistle is capable of playing well in any situation, Boqvist is not. His defense, while it has improved dramatically over the season is just OK. He isn't too interested in being first to pucks in the corner or against the boards, while he is good at digging pucks loose to win puck battles he won't win many if he needs to be physical. Part of why Entwhistle is more complete is age and probably size but part is also personality. Boqvist is almost pure finesse and I think he needs to get some edge to his game. Watch some tapes of Keith to see how do get to loose pucks, move them out of the zone and THEN avoid a hit.

Hopefully another season in London helps him get his defense to a competent level and hopefully he brings it beyond that using Keith as an example.

But wait. True Grit told me that their young coach, John Cooper, was soooo much better than the old school dinosaurs like Q and Torts. So, Torts put in a defensive system and Cooper couldn’t figure out how to beat it.

Perhaps there still is a place in the game for playing defense, coaching defense, and limiting shots and goals against? Shocking!
- scottak

Well if defence is still a consideration when assembling a winning team, the Hawks have a long way to go, a very long way.

And size and some nasty dispositions matter, in April and May the ballerinas tend to end up going on vacation when the real show starts.

Boqvist was at times the best guy on the ice. He is magic when he has the puck on his stick and he has exceptional vision of the ice. His skating is strong, he's fast, he's quick and he can change direction quicker than anyone else I saw him play against. He has a gret shot, a quick release and he passes very well but his passes are so good and so out of nowhere many of his teammates can't do anything with them because they aren't of the same calibre to expect, much less take the pass.

Now this is where he and Entwhistle are different. Where Entwhistle is capable of playing well in any situation, Boqvist is not. His defense, while it has improved dramatically over the season is just OK. He isn't too interested in being first to pucks in the corner or against the boards, while he is good at digging pucks loose to win puck battles he won't win many if he needs to be physical. Part of why Entwhistle is more complete is age and probably size but part is also personality. Boqvist is almost pure finesse and I think he needs to get some edge to his game. Watch some tapes of Keith to see how do get to loose pucks, move them out of the zone and THEN avoid a hit.

Hopefully another season in London helps him get his defense to a competent level and hopefully he brings it beyond that using Keith as an example.
- paulr

Nice report, Pallie.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with him next year. Maybe his offense is better with the better players in Rockford. Maybe he needs to improve his defense in London before hitting the Rock. Maybe he's not challenged enough there to do so.

Nice report, Pallie.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with him next year. Maybe his offense is better with the better players in Rockford. Maybe he needs to improve his defense in London before hitting the Rock. Maybe he's not challenged enough there to do so.
- mohel

Smarter people than me would have to figure that out, so that includes pretty much everybody.

Boqvist was at times the best guy on the ice. He is magic when he has the puck on his stick and he has exceptional vision of the ice. His skating is strong, he's fast, he's quick and he can change direction quicker than anyone else I saw him play against. He has a gret shot, a quick release and he passes very well but his passes are so good and so out of nowhere many of his teammates can't do anything with them because they aren't of the same calibre to expect, much less take the pass.

Now this is where he and Entwhistle are different. Where Entwhistle is capable of playing well in any situation, Boqvist is not. His defense, while it has improved dramatically over the season is just OK. He isn't too interested in being first to pucks in the corner or against the boards, while he is good at digging pucks loose to win puck battles he won't win many if he needs to be physical. Part of why Entwhistle is more complete is age and probably size but part is also personality. Boqvist is almost pure finesse and I think he needs to get some edge to his game. Watch some tapes of Keith to see how do get to loose pucks, move them out of the zone and THEN avoid a hit.

Hopefully another season in London helps him get his defense to a competent level and hopefully he brings it beyond that using Keith as an example.
- paulr

So what you’re saying is Entwhistle > Boqvist and Stan wasted the Hawks first round pick.

Of course they don't come from New Guinea, though .... sounds like saying a cowboy from Brooklyn.
- SC116

You mean to tell me I was asking the Lord to bless them all these years and they ain't even there?

So what you’re saying is Entwhistle > Boqvist and Stan wasted the Hawks first round pick.
- DarthKane

Exactly! Entwistle should be 1C next season and we can send Toews packing for glorious Cap space!

So what you’re saying is Entwhistle > Boqvist and Stan wasted the Hawks first round pick.
- DarthKane

as usual and as expected you may want to add.

Boqvist was at times the best guy on the ice. He is magic when he has the puck on his stick and he has exceptional vision of the ice. His skating is strong, he's fast, he's quick and he can change direction quicker than anyone else I saw him play against. He has a gret shot, a quick release and he passes very well but his passes are so good and so out of nowhere many of his teammates can't do anything with them because they aren't of the same calibre to expect, much less take the pass.

Now this is where he and Entwhistle are different. Where Entwhistle is capable of playing well in any situation, Boqvist is not. His defense, while it has improved dramatically over the season is just OK. He isn't too interested in being first to pucks in the corner or against the boards, while he is good at digging pucks loose to win puck battles he won't win many if he needs to be physical. Part of why Entwhistle is more complete is age and probably size but part is also personality. Boqvist is almost pure finesse and I think he needs to get some edge to his game. Watch some tapes of Keith to see how do get to loose pucks, move them out of the zone and THEN avoid a hit.

Hopefully another season in London helps him get his defense to a competent level and hopefully he brings it beyond that using Keith as an example.
- paulr

Dale and Mark Hunter won't be taking losing this series to Guelph in a very gentlemanly way. Bovqist has now probably heard language he never knew was in the English dictionary.

And if Stanbo is watching what Vegas is doing to EK65 he should resist promoting this young kid to the NHL for another season or 2.

Smarter people than me would have to figure that out, so that includes pretty much everybody.
- paulr

Smarter than me, too. Is Elbows available?

Doesn’t matter what the mechanics of it were, when you tie the regular season point record and get swept in the first round, that’s a choke.
- Ogilthorpe2

You mean like the the Blackhawks did in 2016/17. Or just maybe they weren’t as as good as their record made them appear.

Boqvist was at times the best guy on the ice. He is magic when he has the puck on his stick and he has exceptional vision of the ice. His skating is strong, he's fast, he's quick and he can change direction quicker than anyone else I saw him play against. He has a gret shot, a quick release and he passes very well but his passes are so good and so out of nowhere many of his teammates can't do anything with them because they aren't of the same calibre to expect, much less take the pass.

Now this is where he and Entwhistle are different. Where Entwhistle is capable of playing well in any situation, Boqvist is not. His defense, while it has improved dramatically over the season is just OK. He isn't too interested in being first to pucks in the corner or against the boards, while he is good at digging pucks loose to win puck battles he won't win many if he needs to be physical. Part of why Entwhistle is more complete is age and probably size but part is also personality. Boqvist is almost pure finesse and I think he needs to get some edge to his game. Watch some tapes of Keith to see how do get to loose pucks, move them out of the zone and THEN avoid a hit.

Hopefully another season in London helps him get his defense to a competent level and hopefully he brings it beyond that using Keith as an example.
- paulr

If Byram is the guy and since we have a bevy of d-prospects and since it's probably not a good going to happen where all of them are in the lineup at the same time - should the Hawks think about converting Boqvist to wing?

Dale and Mark Hunter won't be taking losing this series to Guelph in a very gentlemanly way. Bovqist has now probably heard language he never knew was in the English dictionary.

And if Stanbo is watching what Vegas is doing to EK65 he should resist promoting this young kid to the NHL for another season or 2.
- RickJ

Would you put Boqvist in London or Rockford next season?

Dale and Mark Hunter won't be taking losing this series to Guelph in a very gentlemanly way. Bovqist has now probably heard language he never knew was in the English dictionary.

And if Stanbo is watching what Vegas is doing to EK65 he should resist promoting this young kid to the NHL for another season or 2.
- RickJ

Karlsson is so overratted it's not funny. He can't play defense to save his life, he commands a 1st pairing salary and can only play situationally. If Stan isn't watching he runs the risk of Boqvist being exactly the same. All the top teams are being dominated by the thing many "modern" hockey types despise ... DEFENCE!

Would you put Boqvist in London or Rockford next season?
- mohel

Or trade him because he isn’t a knuckle dragger?

Would you put Boqvist in London or Rockford next season?
- mohel

Rockford to start if the provision to send him back to junior still existed. Or to the Swedish Elite League if the team guaranteed the Hawks he would get big ice time and could be recalled if they want to do that.

Karlsson is so overratted it's not funny. He can't play defense to save his life, he commands a 1st pairing salary and can only play situationally. If Stan isn't watching he runs the risk of Boqvist being exactly the same. All the top teams are being dominated by the thing many "modern" hockey types despise ... DEFENCE!
- paulr

Correct, he plays defence like he is in a non contact league. Plus he is injured, maybe permanently.

If the contract offer from Ottawa actually was true, he should have taken Melnyk's money. Because he will never get a better one unless the idiot owner Pegula in Buffalo pulls a stupid.

If Byram is the guy and since we have a bevy of d-prospects and since it's probably not a good going to happen where all of them are in the lineup at the same time - should the Hawks think about converting Boqvist to wing?
- EbonyRaptor

Geez that's a discussion for it's own blog. As far as I recall there have only been a few instances of a guy moved to from defense to forwrd or forward to defense. Burns, Byfuglien and Wendel Clark come to mind. All played well at their new position but none were great at it, although Leaf fans have Clark pencilled ahead of Gretzky or Orr as the best ever. I have no idea if it's something the Hawks should consider.

Geez that's a discussion for it's own blog. As far as I recall there have only been a few instances of a guy moved to from defense to forwrd or forward to defense. Burns, Byfuglien and Wendel Clark come to mind. All played well at their new position but none were great at it, although Leaf fans have Clark pencilled ahead of Gretzky or Orr as the best ever. I have no idea if it's something the Hawks should consider.
- paulr

Hawks have done it with Doug Mohns, John Marks, and John Scott in addition to Buff (who went back to defense). There was an article a while back about Gus, and how he felt there was no way he would be any good as a winger.

Yep but dmen have to have awareness of where the forwards are, limit breakaways, i think Boston in game 1 gave up 5-6 breakaways/2 on 1s
- BetweenTheDots

I realize that and I’m not saying we’re anywhere near good with our Dmen. But how many times this season did you see our forwards pressuring and hemming in a team in, in their own zone. Heck they didn’t even bother to challenge opponents in the neutral zone most of the season.

How many times were Dmen looking for someone to make that first pass to only to find our forwards weren’t even back to our zone yet.

Smarter than me, too. Is Elbows available?
- mohel

That's setting the bar pretty low.

Or trade him because he isn’t a knuckle dragger?
- HawkintheD

If Stan acts now he might be able to salvage a mid-2nd round pick for Boqvist.

I've always felt Beaudin would turn out to be the best defensive prospect (followed by Jokiharju) and I stand by that.