Reality Check Time

[Matthew]

I keep hearing multiple people on this forum bring up the players we were forced to let go this off season, key word being "forced." As some people completely ignore the issue of a hard salary cap and seem to think we unloaded salary for the fun of it. Now we are 13 games into the season and it is clear the new guys are not the issue right now.

Kris Versteeg is leading all forwards in Toronto in ice time and has only netted 2 points in 9 games. It is clear that he does not have the top 6 talent most people in Chicago thought he had. Victor Stalberg only sees half the ice time Steeger does per game and has double the points. Right now on average Stalberg nets a point every 30 minuets of ice time while Steeger averages a point per every 90 minuets of ice time. Not to mention Steeger is on the Leafs top power play unit and plays with Toronto's best play makers in Kessel and Bozak while most of Stalbergs time has been on the 4th line. Not to mention we also got a good prospect in Paradis and an average one in DiDomenico. So far we have come out ahead in this trade.

Dustin Byfuglien is hot right now but everyone who does not overrate Buff because of his play against Vancouver in the playoffs the last two seasons know that won't last. He is such a streaky lazy player who only shows up in short stretches during the season. He has good hands for a man of his size but refuses to fore check or back check when he is playing up and has awful positioning when he is on the blue line. Brent Sopel is missed right now because of the Campbell injury but Nick Boyton has been killing penalties and blocking shots like a champ, once Campbell returns the loss of Sopel is not a big deal. Ben Eager... not need to go into that, 4th line energy players are a dime a dozen. Basically we traded Buff for our top offensive prospect who nearly made the team out of camp as a 19 year old and will be on an ECL for 3 years... I say we won this trade as well, wait till Buff disappears and stops putting up a point per game and wait till Morin sees NHL ice time.

Andrew Ladd is the only player I miss (I miss Brent Sopel right now but only because our depth is messed up with Campbell down), he was the last player Bowman dealt and only did so out of necessity because Ladd was due for a large raise. Still we got a 2nd round pick for him and a high end defensive prospect who has seen significant NHL ice time as a 20 year old in Vishnevskiy. I cannot say we outright won this trade but for it being necessary we got good compensation in return.

Letting Niemi walk for Turco looks genius right about now... think how Nemo would look behind this years defense allowing 10 more shots per game. I always knew he was the product of our defensive system. Even Huet had a really low GAA stat line last year with that defense.

There was talk about Sharp and Hossa being moved, Bowman marked them to stay because the versatility those two bring to the team and they have been our entire offense so far this year. Dave Bolland is now injured after an awful start, I still have full confidence despite his recent play he will show that he is still one of the top two way shut down centers in the NHL once he comes back healthy and finds his game. I am not giving up on the guy after 12 games being he was our best player (along with Duncan Keith) during the Cup run.

Please stop blaming the front office for the poor play of this team from the start of this season. Stan Bowman made all the right calls, it is on our top players that are under performing right now. Toews, Kane, Brouwer, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, and Bolland all need to step it up. Coach Q also needs to find the lines that are going to work and fast because it is early right now but pretty soon we will be mid season and that excuse won't fly.

 

[Capt. Serious]

Stalberg has a whopping 4 points. He isn't this stud muffin people make him out to be.

He still hasn't scored in consecutive games because he has no consistency.

He's a -3 for a reason. And i'm tired of the excuses for Skille.

Him bringing energy isn't good enough. Start finishing or trade his ass.

As for Buff/Steeger, i'm not claiming for either to be back.

A guy like Laddy is severely missed & it's showing.

 

[Matthew]

No Joehawks, stop. The fact is Stan Bowman had to make all those trades... and now looking back on it I would have made every single trade regardless of the cap minus the Ladd trade.

Who said Stalberg was a "stud muffin" but he has played well enough for his ice time. I will admit his presence comes in streaks and can be invisible at times but he is playing well.

As far as Ladd not being on this team it came down to Ladd or Sharp. The rumors were Sharp was to be traded to Toronto and Stan Bowman backed off and dealt Ladd to Atlanta instead because of Sharp's versatility. He made the right decision.

Skille is playing probably our 5th best forward right now. Yes he has not finished plays but he does create a ton of opportunities. Points come in streaks for most players I think once Skille catches the net he will take off. Jack Skille's problem is he plays at 100% speed all the time, he needs to learn to slow the play down and look for options. That is easier for a guy to adjust too rather than him not being able to handle the speed of the NHL. He does have a hell of a shot, he just needs to learn to slow down and look for the best angle to rip his wicked wrist shot. Remember he is a rookie.

 

[Captain Iago]

At least you were able to understand this thread was about you, Joe, but how about addressing the points made in Matt's post and countless others' posts? Your response is more bitching and complaining (I'm stunned...). You have been asked numerous times to lay out a thoughtful response to the cap restraints, and as Derosa has mentioned, you disappear. Yup, you disappear anytime some intelligent hockey discussion challenges you and your 7 year old girl whining. It's long overdue for one of the responsible parties here to do something about you as now even a member with <100 posts is pissing on you. I'm waiting...:twiddle:.

 

[Matthew]

I am not trying to call out or "piss" on Joehawks. Yes this thread was partially directed at him but there are a couple other posters on here who constantly bring up Ladd and Buff's numbers this year. Also most of the uninformed bandwagon Blackhawk's fan base who only watched the playoffs and saw Buff's big production in stretches. Those fans then hear he has been traded and they do not realize his production was mostly from playing with Toews and Kane and they fail to notice he was useless all season except for that series with the Nucks. In fact most Chicago sports writers are new to hockey and are ignorant to that fact as well.

 

[Captain Iago]

Well, Matt, I understand you're taking the high road and not trying to call out or piss on Joe, but believe me as a member who's been around here awhile, it's well deserved. SC has joked (albeit there's truth in it) that dealing with Joe has become a rite of passage for this forum. You've made it, congratulations. But in being a bit serious about it, it's sad it comes to this. Sure, there is always some navigating around the clueless dipshits on forums, but when is enough enough when a member is consistently spewing shit and hiding afterward when challenged by others with common sense and hockey intellect? I don't know what they think, but to me, that's trolling. And having to navigate through the same argument over and over with one asshole is bullshit. It makes me want to disappear, and in most cases, I think I have more patience than most.

 

[derosabomb]

many people encounter joehawks and never log the **** back onto this site. worst member ccs has is joecawks

 

[southern_cross_116]

I appreciate the reasoned approach ... I haven't always agreed with Matthew- but you know this is actually (imo) what this site is about.

I should add though that in this case, I do.

____

On another note, I know the feeling that Iago is talking about, and have had it was well.

Joe, to me, is an interesting guy - in that he does write things that shows he is really into hockey....

but, there are those other times, when given a chance to show he is more than just messing around on the boards - that, well .... you see what you get ... - it has happened so often over the months that, there is no way that it is not intentional trolling.

I understand that he is fairly young (by a screen shot posted here), but then again pretty much everyone here is younger than I am. . . so sometimes I have cut the guy a break because of it -- but, well yeh I suppose the obvious answer is leave the guy on ignore ... the issue, though is that I think that Derosa is right, and I have felt like Iago at times -as I really would rather talk about actual hockey.

 

[Capt. Serious]

Way too many kool aid drinking Hawks fans.

Thinking everything is "perfect".

The minute someone brings up an issue, they get their panties in a bunch.

 

[southern_cross_116]

And as you can see when given the chance to write something even remotely sensible what you get...

 

[bobferg]

Way too many kool aid drinking Hawks fans.

Thinking everything is "perfect".

The minute someone brings up an issue, they get their panties in a bunch.

You are not good at writing in haiku.

 

[Matthew]

Way too many kool aid drinking Hawks fans.

Thinking everything is "perfect".

The minute someone brings up an issue, they get their panties in a bunch.

Re-read what I wrote, perfect is never once used. This team is far from perfect and I have even said that the issues we are facing could push us out of the post season. I am just saying the fingers being pointed are at the wrong places. It is not the losses from the off season, it is the players we kept and paid that are the problem right now along with the coaching staff.

Before anyone flips on me let me clarify. I do not think we are playing like a team that would make the post season right now, and from a points standpoint I am correct in saying that. But I am fully confident when key players step up and we get past some injuries this we will in fact turn it around and be a top team in the west again.

 

[DewsSox79]

Way too many kool aid drinking Hawks fans.

Thinking everything is "perfect".

The minute someone brings up an issue, they get their panties in a bunch.

I am the farthest from drinking the kool aid, and I know this team is flawed, and I also know this team has the potential to be great and has the potential to possibly miss the playoffs if they are not careful (injuries, experience etc)

As of right now I am not encouraged by what I see in every game, I dont look at the box score and see the final and jump for joy when I actually sit through a whole game, hence the kings game where the final score did not indicate the actual true gameplay that took place, which carried over to the oilers game and that is were we got exploited.

as far as those guys who are gone, remember....they are gone, they are a 2009-2010 memory in our hearts, they are not on the current roster. they werent traded for the hell of it they were moved for a reason.....cap space, and you can blame dale for that for sure, but at the same time he built the team that won the stanley cup, something that hasnt been here in years, not stan the puppet bowman.

some of you guys need to think before you post.period.

 

[stormbolter73]

I am the farthest from drinking the kool aid, and I know this team is flawed, and I also know this team has the potential to be great and has the potential to possibly miss the playoffs if they are not careful (injuries, experience etc)

As of right now I am not encouraged by what I see in every game, I dont look at the box score and see the final and jump for joy when I actually sit through a whole game, hence the kings game where the final score did not indicate the actual true gameplay that took place, which carried over to the oilers game and that is were we got exploited.

as far as those guys who are gone, remember....they are gone, they are a 2009-2010 memory in our hearts, they are not on the current roster. they werent traded for the hell of it they were moved for a reason.....cap space, and you can blame dale for that for sure, but at the same time he built the team that won the stanley cup, something that hasnt been here in years, not stan the puppet bowman.

some of you guys need to think before you post.period.

Make sure you include yourself in that statement. We could all stand to take some time to think before we write something, not just "some of you guys." I would love to see an up tick in critical thinking around here.

 

[Capt. Serious]

BTW, how can anyone say you don't miss some of the guys we dealt or let go?

Yet, stick up for shit like Pisani, Stalberg & Skille?

:rolling:

 

[derosabomb]

this site has turned into clown shoes.

 

[stormbolter73]

this site has turned into clown shoes.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[DewsSox79]

Make sure you include yourself in that statement. We could all stand to take some time to think before we write something, not just "some of you guys." I would love to see an up tick in critical thinking around here.

did you read only the last sentence of my post? just curious.

im specifically talking about people complaining about players that are gone, and the dale tallon contracts....but go on.

and if this site is "clown shoes" then go to another site, i can think of one that has dust on it and is a ghost town, so there will be no clown shoes there, just alot of talking to yourself.

 

[bobferg]

I just got here, but I don't think the site is clown shoes. I think there could be more activity. I think that some posters are freaking jokes (no names yet). And I think that I enjoy the Blackhawk faithful here. I enjoy that some people don't like/agree/understand the moves the 'Hawks were forced to make in the offseason. That can spark some serious debate.

Overall I have enjoyed my time here. I would hate to see more of the awesome Blackhawk posters leave because they think this is clownshoes.

 

[stormbolter73]

Ohhh I read the whole thing, I just found the final statement particularly comment worthy as it seemed to imply that you yourself could do no wrong. I have also been contemplating leaving this site for some time now, and internet boards in general, and this seems as opportune a moment as any. Take care guys.