Blackhawks @ Jets IGT 3/29 at 6:30 p.m.

[Shantz My Pants]

To get an old, slow, aging Roszival out, you replace him with a 36 year old Boynton?

I figured the sarcasm in my comment was implied.


Sent from my Texas Instrument Calculator

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

So far the Timonen experiment isn't working. If he is trying to get his cardio and skating legs up to NHL Dman standards its been a couple of weeks so in that aspect he should be getting close. Expecting a lot from a 40 year old though.... even if its 10 minutes a game. :dunno:

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

I figured the sarcasm in my comment was implied.


Sent from my Texas Instrument Calculator

I did laugh.

 

[LordKOTL]

I understand playing veterans over younger players and why that's benefit. I don't fault Q for that. But I do fault Q for refusing to give some younger players a shot when the veteran players aren't contributing shit. Handzus and Roszival are the gold standards for this tendency of Q's.

Playing veterans is one thing. Playing ineffective veterans when there are younger players who never get a chance is another.

Or, what happened last year:

Playing vets who were liabilities (Rosival, Versteeg) over younger players proven, not only in that year's playoffs, but in the same freaking series to be better than the vets they were replacing (Brookbank, Regin), and costing the team the series. I get it though. Q gambled and lost--much like farting and following through.

Even so, it's not a reason to fire Q. I think if anything this year so many things are out of sync overall that it can't be distilled down to "a coaching problem."

Back on topic:

Hell of a victory to pull out last night. Gotta keep that going against the motherfucking Queens.

 

[PatrickShart]

Ok...lets put this Handzus thing to rest.

In the playoffs last year, he was 12th on forwards in ES TOI. He led the forwards in TOI in the PK. His total TOI a game in the playoffs was 10th out of the forwards. So he wasn't played as much as some tend to think.

The PK was 84.6% - near the best in the playoffs (behind NYR and ANA in teams that advanced 1 round)

As far as the D, Keith/Seabrook/Hjarll/Oduya will all be at 20+ min a game. Roszy and Timm will be @15min each. Again, those 2 know their roles, won't try to do to much, can sit for 5-7 min for a stretch and be plugged back in there. Having 2 players in that capacity as vets is much better than some other teams 5-6 Dmen. Of course, it would be fantastic to have Ryan Suter or Drew Doughty as the 5/6 dman - but no team has that depth. No team has 5/6 dmen that is stellar.

The reason at times during the regular season you see Rozy/Runblad with Keith....is to create balance with the D pairings. Same when he puts Oduya with Rozy or Seabrook with Hjarll. At any time, Q knows he can (and will) go to Keith/Seabrook and Oduya/Hjarrll. But he also knows that by shuffling the other pairings - there is familiarity if/when needed to use those pairs in games.

 

[DMelt36]

So far the Timonen experiment isn't working. If he is trying to get his cardio and skating legs up to NHL Dman standards its been a couple of weeks so in that aspect he should be getting close. Expecting a lot from a 40 year old though.... even if its 10 minutes a game. :dunno:

I don't think we'll be able to make any real conclusions on that deal until we see how he handles the postseason. That's why he's here.

 

[Novak]

This was a good one. I must admit, I didn't have a good feeling about this game but the hawks came through. Tazer was pumped.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Tazer was mocking Buff with his scoring celebration after the GWG.

 

[PatrickShart]

Was it Toews or Sharp? I thought I heard Sharp....but didn't see either

**** them...Wheeler thought he was cool taunting Oduya

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Mark Lazarus, this morning said it was Toews. I didn't notice it last night.

 

[DMelt36]

On another note, Oduya is starting to look like his old self again, which is real nice. They need him if they're going to make a long run again.

 

[Ares]

On another note, Oduya is starting to look like his old self again, which is real nice. They need him if they're going to make a long run again.

This.... he looked better...

On another note, has TVR just stunk it up in Rockford or what? Seems like a younger Dman like him would be worth more in the coming weeks than T-Roz.

 

[Novak]

On another note, Oduya is starting to look like his old self again, which is real nice. They need him if they're going to make a long run again.

He'll never be black enough to fill the 1 required blacky per team unspoken rule though. No matter what he does.

 

[Tater]

Was it Toews or Sharp? I thought I heard Sharp....but didn't see either

**** them...Wheeler thought he was cool taunting Oduya

And Buff seemed like he was out to get TT all night.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Wrestlemania was awesome! !!

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Wrestlemania was awesome! !!

You still wearing your wrestling day leotards?

 

[Variable]

On another note, Oduya is starting to look like his old self again, which is real nice. They need him if they're going to make a long run again.

Other than getting Kane back, Oduya getting back into form is the single biggest thing for the Hawks going into the playoffs. If they can get that Hammer-Oduya pairing to even somewhat resemble what they were the past few years, which was their best pure defensive pairing, then that'll make a huge difference because of what that would allow Keith-Seabrook to do.

 

[DMelt36]

Other than getting Kane back, Oduya getting back into form is the single biggest thing for the Hawks going into the playoffs. If they can get that Hammer-Oduya pairing to even somewhat resemble what they were the past few years, which was their best pure defensive pairing, then that'll make a huge difference because of what that would allow Keith-Seabrook to do.

Agreed 100 percent. If you got the Hawks top 4 on D to be that good again, with the way Crow's been playing of late (for the most part), I'll give the Hawks, at the very minimum, a fighting chance against anyone in a 7-game series.