TGDT: 11/3 Devils @ Blackhawks 7:30PM CSN

[5Minutes4Fighting]

For the record, Turco has now surrendered 3 game winning goals in the 3d period that can be charecterized as soft - flukie. Overall Turks has been very good, but there is no excuse for not being glued to the post on that 3d jersey goal. Blame that on the lines or injuries?



-5Minutes

 

[MassHavoc]

For the record, Turco has now surrendered 3 game winning goals in the 3d period that can be charecterized as soft - flukie. Overall Turks has been very good, but there is no excuse for not being glued to the post on that 3d jersey goal. Blame that on the lines or injuries?



-5Minutes

I just feel like they haven't been good in the 3rd all year. And I'll blame that not just on the injuries but the lack of depth causing what seems to be a lot of top line minutes. I haven't looked but I would bet that Keith isn't the only one averaging 2 more minutes a game this year. I don't think the stamina is there to close out the games yet? They just haven't put it all together yet. Of the new guys, (not with the team last year) I think only Stallberg I've liked. I like Bickell, not sure why he was scratched, I get the inconsistency, but you cant' be consistent if you don't play. Hopefully he irons it out. Dowell is fine. Skille, well i've been over that.

 

[R K]

This is the major problem whether some want to admit to it or not. I cannot even put all the blame on injuries. Hossa missed how many games last year? How many did Bolland miss? But yet the Hawks did rather well last season if memory serves me correctly.



Ton and myself and some others made refernece abou the lack of depth recently and were shouted down. It was lack of practice and some other BS......yada. yada. yada.



The Hawks were able for overcome injuries last season because they had guys like Buff, Ladd, Versteeg, Madden and so on. Those guys are long gone and the Hawks flat out don't have the quality depth to replace them and don't have a huge amount of options because of the same reasons those players are no longer here.........the cap.



As far as the 4th line that was on the ice, I have no idea what Q was looking for from them. I wish I knew.



As far as the team not playing with any urgency. The Keith interview after the first period pretty much spoke volumes regarding that issue. And the weakass lack of shots on goal in the opening period clearly backed him up.



Speaking of Keith, the third goal last nite pissed me off to no end. But more because Turk didn't hug the fucking post.

Chemistry IMO more than lack of depth. And with the way Q swaps them on musical lines I'm not sure how he finds chemistry.



There are far to many tangibles to just grasp "stanley cup hangover".



I could see if they had a majority of the team left from last year THEN you might use the Hangover theory. But they dont!

 

[R K]

Right now, minus Hossa, this team looks a lot like the 07-08 team to me, a team that missed the playoffs by 3 points.



Let's go through the lineups, shall we?



There are about 6 guys that played for both teams: Sharp, Toews, Kane, Seabrook, Keith, and Bolland. That's our core right there. Yes, it's more experienced now, and all those guys are better players than they were then, but the core guys are the same. Bolland only played 39 games in 07-08, however.



Hossa, when healthy, is obviously far better than anyone on that team, making us way better when he's in the lineup. However, if he's hurt like he is now and like he was for the first two months last year, I actually like some of the guys we had back then (Ruutu then Ladd, Buff, Havlat, Lang, Jason Williams) over the guys we have now (Stalberg, Skille, Bickell, Brouwer, Kopecky), although that's not an indictment on any of those new guys, as I actually like most of them, but the first group then were better collectively than the latter group is now, in my mind.



We are far better defensively now with Campbell and Hammer than we were 3 years ago with Vandermeer, Wiz, Sopel, Barker and the abomination that is Zyuzin and Johannsen, despite our third pairing of Culli, Boynton, Hendry, etc.Both teams had an experienced netminder in Turco now and Khabby then.



Without Hossa and a healthy Bolland, I don't think this team has enough to be more than a 6-7-8 seed in the west and that's the kind of play you are getting. Good to great some nights, horrific the next. This is not a surprise to me.

We haven't been because Campbell just came back and Hjarlmarsson has been playing like shit, which leads to your prediction for the season. How in the hell can you make a prediction when the team D has been so dicombobulated so far? It's a surprise to me!



They are 14 games in and you are predicting 6 through 8th? Really.....



Strange.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

We haven't been because Campbell just came back and Hjarlmarsson has been playing like shit, which leads to your prediction for the season. How in the hell can you make a prediction when the team D has been so dicombobulated so far? It's a surprise to me!



They are 14 games in and you are predicting 6 through 8th? Really.....



Strange.

I predicted them 4th.

Doesn't mean anything.



What matters is getting to the second season, and perhaps addressing the D problem via a trade (then fitting it under the cap). Positioning really doesn't matter with the exception of home ice. Both of the Hawks trickiest opponents were both respective 7th seeds in their conferences last year.



They need to get healthy, and have consistent lines. This team has been losing man games all year, something that they were fortunate to be not bitten with much last season.

The Circus trip is going to be an interesting barometer.

 

[roshinaya]

Oddly my post seems to have disappeared as a ton of posts appeared in this thread. Last time I checked there were no new posts since the game ended.

Either way, if there is one team that will pull out of this slump, it's the Hawks. It's just a matter of time. They play like ass now, but in the end we will be wondering what we were worrying about at this time.

 

[PatrickShart]

I think the D has been playing better already, since Campbell coming back. Last nite there were some "flukey" plays that resulted in NJ goals. But pre-Soupy, the Hawks puck possesion sucked and the SOG have been much higher than last year. In the last 2 games...the Hawks have allowed 22 & 23 SOG respectively....while - IMO - dominating both zone time and puck possession. When Hoss gets back, that will help even more.



As far as the forwards and line chemistry....the injuries to Bolland, Hossa have hurt. Bickell has sucked balls all year, IMO. I thought the role players - Skille, Stalberg, Pisani all had good games, and Dowell is finding his "niche" on the team. Just as Cullimore, Hendry, Boynton and Scott were asked to fill in for Campbell as a #3 Dman - some of these forwards are now asked to fill in for 2 top 6 forwards in Hossa and Bolland - so their game looks worse.



With having only 3-4 top 6 forwards - or 1 scoring line - it made things difficult last nite. Q made the decison to pretty much play 10 forwards last nite and aside from a weak goal with 3min left...it may have worked.



Were those players sent down....to save cap money? I know thier cap hit is weak....and have no idea what it "saved", if anything. Its hard - IMO - to bash when the team has been without some major players at different times so far, as well as all the new faces. I dont think anyone should get to high or too low...it's a long season and this team can build/get stronger through this adversity. They're not going to be building it in 2-3 years like they have in the past - but over the 82gms.



So far this year, I think the team really misses an "edge" at forward. I think Brouwer is playing more physical...Skille and Dowell play hard/in your face. But the team needs a little more "grit". Wheter Bolland gets that edge back or not...who knows....but I think Bickell is the guy that needs to wake the **** up. For the shit that Pisani (4th liner...very good on the PK) gets or Cullimore/Boynton - (5/6th Dman...1 is leading the league in blocked shots)...Bickell hasnt done anything to contribute in any role/aspect of the game. Someone said a few weeks ago he looks drunk out there...and I couldnt agree more.



I certainly don't think its a time to panic or freak out after 1 month and I'll let/trust the coach pull the right strings.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

Oddly my post seems to have disappeared as a ton of posts appeared in this thread. Last time I checked there were no new posts since the game ended.

Either way, if there is one team that will pull out of this slump, it's the Hawks. It's just a matter of time. They play like ass now, but in the end we will be wondering what we were worrying about at this time.

When were your posts?

 

[Rdrhwke]

Chemistry IMO more than lack of depth. And with the way Q swaps them on musical lines I'm not sure how he finds chemistry.



There are far to many tangibles to just grasp "stanley cup hangover".



I could see if they had a majority of the team left from last year THEN you might use the Hangover theory. But they dont!

No argument that chemistry is important and with Q bouncing around the lines the way he is, it's going to be hard to get.



But overall, I honestly believe the Hawks just lost too much talent and with the cap situation being what it is, they're forced to replace them with a number of players they can afford but not nearly as talented..

 

[MassHavoc]

And now for something completely different.......



Can you post the link to the chat in each gameday thread? I couldn't seem to find a way to get to the chat room through the mobile version of the site on my phone.

 

[whalerhawk]

We haven't been because Campbell just came back and Hjarlmarsson has been playing like shit, which leads to your prediction for the season. How in the hell can you make a prediction when the team D has been so dicombobulated so far? It's a surprise to me!



They are 14 games in and you are predicting 6 through 8th? Really.....



Strange.

Ron, go back to my posts from July and August. This is what I have been predicting all along, but you told me not to worry, that the core will lead us, that we were going to be just as good as before. I said we would struggle, and we have.



I haven't changed my stripes on this, not one bit.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

And now for something completely different.......



Can you post the link to the chat in each gameday thread? I couldn't seem to find a way to get to the chat room through the mobile version of the site on my phone.

Yes, I can do that for you needy one!

 

[R K]

Ron, go back to my posts from July and August. This is what I have been predicting all along, but you told me not to worry, that the core will lead us, that we were going to be just as good as before. I said we would struggle, and we have.



I haven't changed my stripes on this, not one bit.

And right now we are three games off the pace from last year. Wow Evan you are god!





At the time you had no idea Campbell woudl be out, Hossa would get hurt Bolland would be injured.



Oi Vey.



Pat yourself on the back there Evan. I'm fucking impressed.



I still think the team will be fine. Early struggles due to a ton of shit you had NO FUCKING CLUE ON, are better than late struggles.



I bow in your magnifigance.

 

[bierboy]

Can you post the link to the chat in each gameday thread? I couldn't seem to find a way to get to the chat room through the mobile version of the site on my phone.

Yes, I can do that for you needy one!

Why? The link is at the top of every page.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Why? The link is at the top of every page.

The mobile version of the site doesn't show the chat button I believe.

 

[Shredder]

I'm not really worried with 67 games left, but that was a pathetic performance.

 

[roshinaya]

When were your posts?

I dunno, maybe 6-7 hours ago. When I posted the only recent post was from 5mins4fighting, who was wondering where everyone were. And now when I came back, I see a bunch of posts that were posted way before I did my initial post, but I didn't see them. Some database hickup?

 

[R K]

I dunno, maybe 6-7 hours ago. When I posted the only recent post was from 5mins4fighting, who was wondering where everyone were. And now when I came back, I see a bunch of posts that were posted way before I did my initial post, but I didn't see them. Some database hickup?

Tony Reset the server yesterday as there were people that could not log on or had their IP blocked. While that issue was fixed we lost a days worth of posts and threads. This is the 2nd game day thread Stu started when the first disappeared.

 

[R K]

I'm not really worried with 67 games left, but that was a pathetic performance.

I agree with this. Long way to go. ALthough RD I do agree our Depth at Center specifically is quite scary. Then again many years it's been like that other than last with Madden being the fail safe.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

Jesus when will the offense show up? Seriously glad to see Pisani finally score......