1/7 IGT: Flames at Blackhawks (Get to win No. 20 edition)

[Tater]

well...kick Nashville while they are down and we can call it a wash. The offense got robbed a few times too, and even that Kubalik shot with just a couple minutes left was actually so so so close. Kane had a couple looks, Boqvist should shoot more...not sure who on defense has more dangerous ideas or such a versatile arsenal. He can blast it, flip it, shuttle it, saucer, or pull it back and skate it in. Gus can only blast it or shuttle it to Kane. Keith hasn't cleared a shin in 4 years but remains on PP despite need for rest.

One day can we look back and wonder under what justification a human being would stick with JC over Leavolette, even a human as full of themself as SB.

I hope the bold, but a team with a new coach can be very motivated.
Agreed about Gus and Keith.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

Last nights loss is a clear indication of why this team wont make the playoffs. They must win these types of games versus teams a head of them in the wildcard standings to have any sort of chance of wining a spot and once again they fell short.

 

[anotheridiot]

Tough game, no word on the Strome ankle injury, days, weeks, months. Then the two that started on the top line (with the goal scorer) are dropped for Kane and Sikura beause we lost the third line faceoff forward?

It just keeps going back to get on a run, JC is off the hot seat, the team seems upset he will still be here and they play shitty.

Did not get home to see much of the game, who gave up the two turnovers? Last game it was Highmore and he sat because of it.

 

[LordKOTL]

Tough game, no word on the Strome ankle injury, days, weeks, months. Then the two that started on the top line (with the goal scorer) are dropped for Kane and Sikura beause we lost the third line faceoff forward?

It just keeps going back to get on a run, JC is off the hot seat, the team seems upset he will still be here and they play shitty.

Did not get home to see much of the game, who gave up the two turnovers? Last game it was Highmore and he sat because of it.

1st one it looked like Keith, and then Toews lost his man.

2nd was was Murph.

Had to catch this ex post facto as well. Those turnovers were brutal--and it's not like it was Highmore, Dach, Boqvist, etc. These were guys who are paid to play better. Good luck with benching them a game or 2.

I have said it before: Kane can't do it all. He even got an assist on Kubalik's tally.

Even though I think Crawford should have been better on Murph's blunder, He still held the opponent to 2GA and posted a .929 on the night...which is not bad. Meanwhile all Captain intangibles did was his best Yannik Perrault impersonation - and even then both Strome and Kampf were better at the dot.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Tough game, no word on the Strome ankle injury, days, weeks, months. Then the two that started on the top line (with the goal scorer) are dropped for Kane and Sikura beause we lost the third line faceoff forward?

It just keeps going back to get on a run, JC is off the hot seat, the team seems upset he will still be here and they play shitty.

Did not get home to see much of the game, who gave up the two turnovers? Last game it was Highmore and he sat because of it.

the fucktards "system" gives up turnovers.

 

[Raskolnikov]

1st one it looked like Keith, and then Toews lost his man.

2nd was was Murph.

Had to catch this ex post facto as well. Those turnovers were brutal--and it's not like it was Highmore, Dach, Boqvist, etc. These were guys who are paid to play better. Good luck with benching them a game or 2.

I have said it before: Kane can't do it all. He even got an assist on Kubalik's tally.

Even though I think Crawford should have been better on Murph's blunder, He still held the opponent to 2GA and posted a .929 on the night...which is not bad. Meanwhile all Captain intangibles did was his best Yannik Perrault impersonation - and even then both Strome and Kampf were better at the dot.

I think Toews is worth Saad's contract, and Saad is worth Shaws or Smith's, who shouldn't be making above the vet min. Together with Seabs and two goalies thats the large extent of our current cap hell.

The rest of the season should be cleaning up contracts so they can retain Lehner/Strome/Kubalik long term and put them in the core.

 

[Granada]

Did not get home to see much of the game, who gave up the two turnovers? Last game it was Highmore and he sat because of it.

Kubalik and Kane.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Kubalik and Kane.

Well, hard to blame the two guys playing their asses off to save the season along with the goaltenders and defense circling the wagons against all odds.

 

[Granada]

Well, hard to blame the two guys playing their asses off to save the season along with the goaltenders and defense circling the wagons against all odds.

Right, but then again, we should call a spade a spade. I found it ridiculously goofy how all the Hawks analysts easily called-out Kubalik when he turned the puck over, but every single one of them (in-game and intermission/post-game analysts) refused to mention Kane's turnover. I get it: guy's playing well, but he made a shit play there, it's okay to admit it, analysts. I hate when they pretend as if fans are stupid.

Ironically, both turnovers were mirrors of each other: D-men ringing the puck up the boards to the high forward, high forward makes cutesy-ass backhand pass to middle of ice (instead of simply getting it out and/or engaging in battle along the boards), only to turn the puck over, resulting in both of Calgary's goals.

A lot of people think this is the D's fault, but that's what they're supposed to do (ring it around to an available forward); it's the forwards that keep messing it up. This has been the major problem for the Hawks going back to at least last season now, if not longer. Our forwards are scared of contact and always trying to make a cute play to transition out of the zone, instead of a hard play; or they lose their battles on the boards.

Kane wasn't even pressured on the play --he had plenty of time and space to either skate it out of the zone or chip it out.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Two guys playing hard got tired and made a lazy turnover.

I'm not gonna focus negatively on the hardest working members of the team right now. Like Carpenter, we just need two more like them.

 

[Granada]

Two guys playing hard got tired and made a lazy turnover.

I'm not gonna focus negatively on the hardest working members of the team right now. Like Carpenter, we just need two more like them.

Not sure about how tired they were -- Kubalik was only on the ice for 14 seconds -- but I get your point. I was only answering anotheridiot's question. Didn't mean to place blame solely on them and infer they're the only ones who turn it over in similar fashion, but it is a massive problem up and down the lineup among our forwards. It's frustrating that it's still occurring after all this time.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Not sure about how tired they were -- Kubalik was only on the ice for 14 seconds -- but I get your point. I was only answering anotheridiot's question. Didn't mean to place blame solely on them and infer they're the only ones who turn it over in similar fashion, but it is a massive problem up and down the lineup among our forwards. It's frustrating that it's still occurring after all this time.

oh yeah...forgot about the one before I even sat back down for second period. I chalked that up to coming out the locker room flat.

 

[Tater]

Not sure about how tired they were -- Kubalik was only on the ice for 14 seconds -- but I get your point. I was only answering anotheridiot's question. Didn't mean to place blame solely on them and infer they're the only ones who turn it over in similar fashion, but it is a massive problem up and down the lineup among our forwards. It's frustrating that it's still occurring after all this time.

Great last couple of posts!

 

[LordKOTL]

...
A lot of people think this is the D's fault, but that's what they're supposed to do (ring it around to an available forward); it's the forwards that keep messing it up. This has been the major problem for the Hawks going back to at least last season now, if not longer. Our forwards are scared of contact and always trying to make a cute play to transition out of the zone, instead of a hard play; or they lose their battles on the boards.
...

This is why I try to emphasize Team D. Yes, there are times the the D-men blindly ring it around the boards without even checking to see if there is an avaliable FWD, or make a cross-ice pass below the hashmarks when there is opposition below the hashmarks. But the 3 FWDs need to chip in and do their job in the backend as well.

They aren't. They are doing exactly what you are saying--going for the cute plays instead of a safer transition, they are weak as wet Charmin™ along the boards, they fail to even try to get open, and regularly lose their check.

And don't even get me started on the sloppy passing--especially in transition.

The D-men deserve their share of the blame, but in no way, shape, or form are the FWD's absolved from the clusterfuck behind our own blueline.

 

[Raskolnikov]

This is why I try to emphasize Team D. Yes, there are times the the D-men blindly ring it around the boards without even checking to see if there is an avaliable FWD, or make a cross-ice pass below the hashmarks when there is opposition below the hashmarks. But the 3 FWDs need to chip in and do their job in the backend as well.

They aren't. They are doing exactly what you are saying--going for the cute plays instead of a safer transition, they are weak as wet Charmin™ along the boards, they fail to even try to get open, and regularly lose their check.

And don't even get me started on the sloppy passing--especially in transition.

The D-men deserve their share of the blame, but in no way, shape, or form are the FWD's absolved from the clusterfuck behind our own blueline.

Yeah...the bottom line is I don't know if there is a coach that can save these players, but the lack of energy combined with the number of mistakes tells me there is no way in hell this current coach is working...or coaching.

What are they waiting for? To keep their illusion of family and loyalty? Cut out the cancer and move on. For fucks sake this team is hard to watch even when they eek out a good stretch of victories.

 

[LordKOTL]

Yeah...the bottom line is I don't know if there is a coach that can save these players, but the lack of energy combined with the number of mistakes tells me there is no way in hell this current coach is working...or coaching.

What are they waiting for? To keep their illusion of family and loyalty? Cut out the cancer and move on. For fucks sake this team is hard to watch even when they eek out a good stretch of victories.

It's rot on every level--it's as simple as that.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

It's rot on every level--it's as simple as that.

The head of the dragon needs to be cut of, for starters, then proceed with the rest.

 

[Raskolnikov]

The head of the dragon needs to be cut of, for starters, then proceed with the rest.

Either Stan cuts off his dick JC or we will have to cut off the head of Stan. Never have truer words been spoken.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

Either Stan cuts off his dick JC or we will have to cut off the head of Stan. Never have truer words been spoken.

The house needs to be cleaned out, starting with Mcdonut Making its way down to JC. Everybody has to accept there fate that they all brought this team down to where it’s at currently. Stan is the major reason but not the only reason. In 2007-2008 when Rocky came in and cleaned house it forever changed the landscape of this team by throwing the garbage out and it needs to done again.

 

[anotheridiot]

This is why I try to emphasize Team D. Yes, there are times the the D-men blindly ring it around the boards without even checking to see if there is an avaliable FWD, or make a cross-ice pass below the hashmarks when there is opposition below the hashmarks. But the 3 FWDs need to chip in and do their job in the backend as well.

They aren't. They are doing exactly what you are saying--going for the cute plays instead of a safer transition, they are weak as wet Charmin™ along the boards, they fail to even try to get open, and regularly lose their check.

And don't even get me started on the sloppy passing--especially in transition.

The D-men deserve their share of the blame, but in no way, shape, or form are the FWD's absolved from the clusterfuck behind our own blueline.

Well, I for one am tired of watching Keith try to make that pass thru the blue paint to clear the puck. Fine if you have all your 5 skaters back there, but if someone is breaking, its a turnover waiting to happen in a dangerous area. The cup winning hawks got away with this all the time, D was better, Corey was better, but the main thing was nobody was expecting it. Last two plus seasons, teams are keeping a forward in the middle of the ice knowing the hawks like to make the easy center ice clear because it keeps them away from getting hit along the boards. This last year of JC it was like wall, glass, or eat the puck until help arrives, which adds up to the puck stays in your zone and puck possession game is lost.
Thanks for the turnover answer. I thought it was Gilbert. I did hear that he might have gotten dinged when Strome got hurt, but if he was healthy and he was not the one liable for the turnover, then why was he benched?