[A] Shark Bite: CHI 3, SJS 5

[Ton]

The Blackhawks have extended their losing streak to seven games in a row, inching ever so close to the double digits mark.



It's pointless to keep harping on the same things that the Blackhawks keep failing to do night in and out. It's embarrassing that we've even come to this point and quite frankly a product I am sick of viewing after we've all come to the point that we accept the loss. This will be the shortest game recap of the entire season... why? It's not even worth it.



Jonathan Toews was beat up so badly, Quenneville was forced to place Jamal Mayers on the top line to attone for the Sharks actions. Is this what the NHL has succumb to? Back to the 80's? I'll tell you one thing, I wasn't the least bit of entertained to see Jamal Mayers forced to exchange fists with Ryan Clowe in order to provide the justice that the referees were unwilling to give. Obviously, I'm not blaming the officials for the Blackhawks incompetence issues. However, it is certainly something worth looking at when Joe Thornton is allowed to punch our captain in the face and get away with it, not only scott-free (no pun intended) but giving his team a power-play advantage.



The NHL is lucky this one didn't turn into a bloodbath. Everyone knows that is the last thing they want their product to be.



My question: How is McDonough going to find a way to justify price increases with a losing product? How is he going to keep fans in the United Center with a losing product?



These guys better figure it out of some heads will roll.



BLACKHAWKS THREE STARS OF THE GAME



1. Marcus Kruger

2. Patrick Sharp

3. Jamal Mayers



Click here to view the article

 

[Pez68]

You mean SJ, not CBJ, right? lmao

 

[the canadian dream]

Same shit different opponent.



lol ton is predicting the score of the last game of the road trip...which will probably be the case.



not winning tomorrow night this teams going to have dick all in the tank for that game and the yotes always get us when the hawks come off a game the night before. doan will get a hat trick.



only thing that saves us tomorrow is goalkeeping....and thats probably not happening.



hawks could go 1 point this road trip. they really could..how pathetic.

 

[Pez68]

Not only could they, I think they will. I think this coaching staff has completely ruined Leddy, btw. From playing him with Keith against the other team's top forwards in the beginning of the season, to using him on the PK, to playing him 25 minutes a night. The kid's confidence is fucking SHOT. He is constantly second guessing himself and panicking with the puck. He used to be confidence and take his time and make smart plays. Gone are those days... Why are so many defensemen regressing here? At what point do you look at the defensive coaching and the misuse of personnel as the reason? I'm tired.

 

[the canadian dream]

Ill agree with that. This coaching staff def has a problem with the blueline on this team and misusing them. I'll give you that. I too don't like how Q and the gang manages them. I still dont think its an overly talented group of blueliners but it is certainly better than what has shown and I will agree thats coaching. Its the one thing about the coaching staff I hate the most. More so than the forward line juggling.



They totally misuse Leddy. Not sure if they are ruining him but they certainly forcing far too much on him too early in his career. and forcing the wrong things on him.

 

[Pez68]

By the way... Frolik, Kane, Brunette? I mean, what the ****? Seriously? W T F



Frolik, Stalberg, Brunette? Again. W T F.



W

T

F



Did you see how fucking passive Bolland and Hossa were on those first two PK goals? They looked completely lost. You KNOW they are coaching one of those forwards to sit in the middle of the slot, right? This shit is just exhausting.

 

[the canadian dream]

Well Eddie was right about Hossa on one of those 2 1st period PK goals (think it was the second one). Too busy trying to intersect the pass at the blueline and looking for the sh chance that he totally gave the Sharks point man a clear lane. That was Hossa brain fart and player instinct at work not a structured play. Had it worked obviously Hossa would have been a hero but it was a high risk play by Hossa. Maybe less time thinking sh and more time thinking killing the powerplay. That didn't help Crawford and the rest of the PK. Might be getting coached to sit in the slot but they arent being coached to make bad instinctive plays. But I agree and see where you are coming from.



Haven't been impressed with Hossa this road trip to be honest. Theres a guy thats gone MIA at the wrong time.

 

[the canadian dream]

****

 

[Pez68]

Stalberg getting benched for a mistake that Kane makes multiple times a game without repercussion left a bad taste in my mouth as well.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Moral victory - it's better than nothing at this point. There were some positives. Olsen played pretty well even though he caught an unlucky break whe he knocked the puck in for the jumbo jerk. Kruger got off the schnide and Bickell actually did a couple positive things in the game - course he also did a couple negative things but I'm trying to be positive here. The team played better for a longer stretch than has been seen in a while.



But then there are a few not so good things too. Crawford slow to react with post to post move and goal#1 goes in. Crawford kicks big juicy rebound right into prime shooting area and goal#2 goes in. Crawford losing his net to the extent he had to come from almost behind his net and get's there late and goal#4 goes in. The fact there were 6 penalties against the Hawks. The fact that they gave up 3 goals on those 6 chances. The fact the Hawks went 0 for 3 on their PP chances.



And then there was the continued abuse of Toews. It seems the word is out to work over Toews because nothing will be done about it. Course - even if he were predisposed to throw down when pushed over the line - or slapped around by a prick like Thornton - it's probablt not good timing to do something like that right now after the wrist injury that appears to not be back to 100% based on Toews' faceoff percentage since the injury and his shot no where near what it normally is.



And what's with Hossa lately? After playing MVP-like up to the allstar game - he hasn't played very well since then. His passing and pass receiving or off. He's making mental mistakes and turnovers and he just doesn't look 100% out there.



The bottom line appears to be the Hawks can't win unless the big-4 carry them and Kane has been in a slump for a while and now it looks like the other three are not playing up to their first half level either.



End of rant.

 

[Pez68]

Frolik is useless and starts off the game by making an impact... by taking a four minute high-sticking penalty. He doesn't get benched for a single shift, let alone an entire period, like Stalberg was benched. At a point when the Hawks could have desperately used him. Unfuckingbelievable.

 

[Rex]

glad i stopped watching after the first.

 

[the canadian dream]

Stalberg getting benched for a mistake that Kane makes multiple times a game without repercussion left a bad taste in my mouth as well.

Was he benched? the two baffoons were hinting it was injury or flu (what ever had been bothering him and forced him to miss practice). Thats why he didnt skate in the 3rd.



Kanes making lots of good bad decisions I agree. Really getting tired of the stanley cup winning goal shot he always tries. Hasn't hit it all year. I know he is trying to catch a goalie cheating but its a stale move and its not hitting target (barely getting rebounds off if it). Defensively Kane is what he is...not good lol. Kane doesn't get off scott free as individual play goes..no way. His PP decisions are also boring and tired. He has become a bit predictable teams step up to him now and have solved him. Much like teams have with Ovechkin.



Q has probably lent a hand in Kanes struggles this season also with the **** fest of positioning but meh he has had lots of time back at RW now and same below his average production even strength and on the pp.

 

[jaxhawksfan]

Maybe they are trying very hard to stay in the 6th spot so they face a weak (according to record) apponent in the WEAK Sharks division? If that's the case, they better try to win a few games or they can kiss 6th spot goodbye.

 

[Pez68]

I saw Stalberg on the bench, so yeah, I'd assume he was benched. This team is almost unwatchable.

 

[BigPete]

I saw Stalberg on the bench, so yeah, I'd assume he was benched. This team is almost unwatchable.

Per the papers this morning he was benched. Not that I think he should go without a stern talking to about making that play, but it doesn't help anyone when Kane does it all the time and no one says shit to him. It also hurts the team to pull him off the ice when he is clearly one of the faster and better puck handling tier 2 players on the team. Q needs to find a different way to coach when this stuff happens. Fucking the team to "teach a player a lesson" is minor league tactics and downright bullshit when you need all hands on deck (ie in time of mass injury).



Q has fucked with the head of so many of these guys that they can't function anymore. He may be taking a page out of Scotty Bowman's book circa Montreal 1960s dynasty...but it isn't working with these guys. I maintain that Frodo is a head case, Stahlberg soon will be, Shaw might not be far behind...and on and on. The only guys that will escape it are the ones that are older and lucky to have a job, ie Mayers, Brunette, ODonnell.



The coaching is failing this team. End of story.

 

[bookjones]

Per the papers this morning he was benched. Not that I think he should go without a stern talking to about making that play, but it doesn't help anyone when Kane does it all the time and no one says shit to him. It also hurts the team to pull him off the ice when he is clearly one of the faster and better puck handling tier 2 players on the team. Q needs to find a different way to coach when this stuff happens. Fucking the team to "teach a player a lesson" is minor league tactics and downright bullshit when you need all hands on deck (ie in time of mass injury).



Q has fucked with the head of so many of these guys that they can't function anymore. He may be taking a page out of Scotty Bowman's book circa Montreal 1960s dynasty...but it isn't working with these guys. I maintain that Frodo is a head case, Stahlberg soon will be, Shaw might not be far behind...and on and on. The only guys that will escape it are the ones that are older and lucky to have a job, ie Mayers, Brunette, ODonnell.



The coaching is failing this team. End of story.

He certainly fucked with Brouwer's head. Shaw has not looked good of late. Leddy appears to be regressing rather than improving right before our very eyes because of misuse. Hjalmarsson, while still valuable in terms of blocking shots I feel has regressed overall since the Cup season. Gah, It's so maddening watching all their mojo and confidence and hockey sense evaporate.

 

[PatrickShart]

These poor, poor players and everything they've had to endure. I don't know how they even go to the rink.



Maybe they need milk and cookies in between periods? Put out some cots for naptimes?

 

[Variable]

Haha, there's always one.

 

[the canadian dream]

Q hasn't been hard on stalberg all season. Anyone in their second full season in the league getting large minutes on the first line ismt someone i would consider getting their head fucked with. Benching last night was stupid though. And i do agree q did a good mind **** on brouwer.



Team def looks deflated. Q can take a lot of responsibility so can the players when they continually do stupid shit on the ice...these guys aren't robots...this ain't football where every play is planed by the coach. These guys aren't getting help from q but they also aren't helping themselves very much either. Some very stupid decisions on the ice have been costly. Dumb ass turnover at the offensive blueline blundering defensive decisions and horrible goalkeeping shit shot selections missing the net are not qs responsibility no matter how one spins it.



Im all for a new coach. Maybe when that day comes the new coach will be harder on these players because frankly q isn't hard on them despite what some think. Maybe these guys need some harder kick in the asses along with a system adjustment.



Ps someone wake hossas instincts up again. They have been sleeping. Maybe that's a guy that needs to sit on the bench for a few shifts. Where has he gone the last 7 games?



**** it Im tired and frustrated. This is a horrific slump and we could be in the same situation as last year on the last day of the season if this shit doesn't correct itself soon.