TGDT: 12/30 Sharks @ Blackhawks 7:30PM CSN

[PatrickShart]

Well, what is he then? Because he doesnt really hit either with 19 hits on the year.



He had 8 in 22 playoff games. I'm sure when he sat at the negotiating table, he brought that up. I think Soupy has shown to make him a better player - not the other way around. Hjarmalsson was lost without him to start the year. If all he's going to do, is be a top 20 shot blocker for that salary - thats more pathetic than what the 5 and 6dman are doing.

 

[Ton]

What do you expect Boynton or Cullimore to be?

I dont mind Cullimore, hes a good 500k player.



Boynton on the other hand... play Hendry instead.

 

[PatrickShart]

I didnt know Boynton had a slashing penalty translates to Niks (easier to spell) inability to tie people up ever in front of the net.

 

[Ton]

I didnt know Boynton had a slashing penalty translates to Niks (easier to spell) inability to tie people up ever in front of the net.

They scored on that penalty and Boynton was a -1 besides that. I don't care how much he is paid, he is the worst player on the team by far, no contest and needs to be replaced. His mistakes are far more costly than anyone elses on the team.



Guys like Hammer will make mistakes every once and a while. Its up to guys like Boynton to not drag the team down and blend in... hes not doing that, hes an impact player but on the wrong end of the spectrum... impact as in for the other team!

 

[PatrickShart]

What do you gain by Hendry? Maybe more mobility. He's not physical and not a good shot blocker. His outlet passing isn't much better.



Boynton's the teams second most physical defenceman - behind Seabrook. And 3rd in shot blocking playing alot less than Nik and Keith ahead of him.



The Dgroup isnt physical as it is...Hendry doesnt solve or bring anything to the table on the blueline. If they can find another vet for there - thats another story. They lack either another physical defenceman or a puck moving defenceman for the transition game. Hendry is neither of those.



Personally, I hope Leddy is back after the WJC for that 3rd pairing. He'd be an upgrade, not Hendry.

 

[the canadian dream]

His running and signing that 3.5mil dollar offer sheet - is a big part of the reason 500k Boynton/Cullimore are on the ice.



Sign a big boy contract - better play big boy hockey. 3pts and a -2 on the year? I know....I know..he does soooo much more than score. He is 20th in the league in blocked shots. Whoopee. He has 10 more blocked shots than shitty Boynton. Can get someone for half that 3.5mil to be a shot blocker.

He is having a straight up shitty season, no doubt about that. He started off crappy and his progress up to this point hasn't been very spectacular. Not worth dumping on him yet though. I still think he has the ability to be a hell of a good blue liner as his career moves forward. He hasn't played enough NHL games yet to be throwing him to the wolves. Contract def isn't acceptable for the current time and place but who's fault is that? It was worth re-signing him after the offer sheet was thrown at him. We can thank the cap mess the Hawks put themselves in. No use in going through all this again. We got a cup so I really don't give a shit who was managing the books and who brought in Huet (which started the entire mess).



Hindsight is 20/20 on who the Hawks should have kept. No one knew what this season would bring as far as Hammers inconsistant play. I also think his hit on Roy earlier in the season has really set him back in the hitting department. It's in his young head that incident which sucks and shows how young he is. Hammer still has a lot of maturing to do on the ice. Let's not throw him to the wolves yet.



I agree with you on Bolland though. Biggest disapointment of the season injuries or not. He isn't the same Bolland I thought we were going to get. That's probably injuries sigh.

 

[PatrickShart]

They scored on that penalty and Boynton was a -1 besides that.

They scored because Nik didnt get infront of the guy in front of the net. Is every goal scored because of the guy in the box, regardless of coverage/lack there of?



And...his minus 1, was on the Nichol goal. When Sharp failed to press a puck on a bad pass/dump in by Scott - when all 5 went for a change and he just jumped on the ice. Was that his fault too?

 

[PatrickShart]

But...in hindsight....should they have kept Ladd?

 

[PatrickShart]

And I do think one of the top 4 will have to go - to make room for Leddy (maybe Lalonde) in the future. Campbell is damn near untradeable and Keith's locked up for 12 for a reason.



Do you think it will be Seabrook or Hjarlmarsson....or that neither?

 

[the canadian dream]

But...in hindsight....should they have kept Ladd?

Oh that would have just been common sense to resign Ladd.

Hawks did **** up on that one and they know it and should have known it at the time. Everyone knew it. You knew it, I knew it. 90% of this board knew it and 90% of those who watch this sport closely knew letting Ladd go was dumb. That wasn't a cap issue either that was the Hawks brass not even trying or caring.



Anyone recall how much better the team looked in the playoffs when Ladd returned to the lineup in the Flyers series? I do. Remember how Buff was getting all the attention in the Canucks series while Ladd was doing his job getting his boy Kessler off his game (Canuck fans will like to think it was Kesslers shoulder issues..yah right). He also has always made Bolland a better center with the space he creates. Ladd is the physical grinding defensive forward this team misses the most...end of story on that one. We all know it.



100 bucks says the Bowmans didn't want anything to do with Ladd because he was a Tallon/Dudley guy. Ego's on that one. People can yap about Scotty the great hockey mind all they want. What Scotty also has and what is becoming apparent with the jr. is that they both have huge annoying egos. I actually don't like Stan nor have I ever rode the Scotty bandwagon. I think half od Scottys success has been being in the right place at the right time. KNow who turned the Redwings franchise around? Steve Yzerman. And he is proving it in Tampa. Yah I said it. Scotty Bowman is over-rated.

 

[Ton]

Sorry, I don't care who was in front of the net, that was a DUMB penalty that anyone with half of a brain would not of committed. Boynton put the Hawks in a bad position with a needless penalty, no penalty no goal.



Same with Kopecky, same with Cullimore, and Scotts penalties.



This game was lost because our team took lazy and dumb penalties, not because the PK couldn't kill 10 minutes of PK time and a 5-on-3.



If this team was disciplined they never would have taken those stupid penalties and put themselves in a bad position. They shot themselves in the foot and the PK couldn't bail them out.

 

[R K]

What do you expect Boynton or Cullimore to be?

Coyotes!

 

[R K]

Sorry, I don't care who was in front of the net, that was a DUMB penalty that anyone with half of a brain would not of committed. Boynton put the Hawks in a bad position with a needless penalty, no penalty no goal.



Same with Kopecky, same with Cullimore, and Scotts penalties.



This game was lost because our team took lazy and dumb penalties, not because the PK couldn't kill 10 minutes of PK time and a 5-on-3.



If this team was disciplined they never would have taken those stupid penalties and put themselves in a bad position. They shot themselves in the foot and the PK couldn't bail them out.

This game was lost because Quenneville had his head up his ass.



The Phantom call on Seabrook to give them a 5 on 3 to start a period certainly didn't help.

 

[Ton]

This game was lost because Quenneville had his head up his ass.



The Phantom call on Seabrook to give them a 5 on 3 to start a period certainly didn't help.

I think both were a major impact in the outcome of the game.

 

[PatrickShart]

I think letting Ladd go was just to piss you off.



The key to the cap era - isnt the 500K/or the "fill in" players. Its the "paid" players or the core, not playing like shit or under their contract. DET is the perfect example of that.



Their 5/6 defenceman vs CHI -

Salei 1.1mil - 36gms - 0g - 6a - 6pts - +4 - 32pims - 59hits - 54 blks

Boyntn 500K - 37gms = 0g - 6a - 6pts - +2 - 34pima - 47hits - 67 blks



Ericson 900k - 29gms - 2g - 7a - 9pts - +7 - 40 pims - 46hits - 10 blks

Culmore 500K - 33gms - 0g - 7a - 7pts - +4 - 8 pims - 36hits - 34 blks



But they dont have players making 3+ million not producing/contributing - (other than Hudler - 2.875mil - 10pts). I think that Bolland in the forward group and Hjarlmarsoon in the D group have both been underachieving. Keith hasnt had a great year either in his own zone (better of late, but still has had moments). You never see DET's 2nd line center/Franzen disappear like Bolland, or Lidstrom struggle for lengths like Keith this year. Hell, Keith never did in previous years like he has this year. (Note...I realize Lidstrom is all world but Keith has still not been his normal self, IMO)



I think the mid level contracts/players have been playing up to par. Of course, I wish Stalberg wasnt in his 15(?) game goal drought or Kopecky is expected to be a top 2 center...heck Pisani had to play center. Those players are being asked to step up/out of their roles. Kopecky was 53% yesterday for faceoffs - best of all Hawk centers. Thats pathetic for all the other regulars, IMO.



Maybe I just look at it a different way.

 

[PatrickShart]

Coyotes!

Ha..cant afford them!

 

[R K]

Ha..cant afford them!

Islanders have money.



Hey since Kopecky would rather toss practice pucks to the fans than actually skate during preskate the islanders can give us a bag of pucks for each one.



That's a fair trade. Then Q can put Skille as d with Scott and leave Hendry on Wing.

 

[Ton]

Bolland has 5 points in the last 5 games and an assist last night (9 points in last 10 games)... and now hes playing bad?



Well, I'm stumped. I expect Boynton to at least be able to play at the NHL level, what do you expect out of Bolland?



Kopecky is playing out of position, Q is to fault there considering he has 4 centers (Bolland, Sharp, Johnson, Dowell)

 

[R K]

Oh that would have just been common sense to resign Ladd.

Hawks did **** up on that one and they know it and should have known it at the time. Everyone knew it. You knew it, I knew it. 90% of this board knew it and 90% of those who watch this sport closely knew letting Ladd go was dumb. That wasn't a cap issue either that was the Hawks brass not even trying or caring.



Anyone recall how much better the team looked in the playoffs when Ladd returned to the lineup in the Flyers series? I do. Remember how Buff was getting all the attention in the Canucks series while Ladd was doing his job getting his boy Kessler off his game (Canuck fans will like to think it was Kesslers shoulder issues..yah right). He also has always made Bolland a better center with the space he creates. Ladd is the physical grinding defensive forward this team misses the most...end of story on that one. We all know it.



100 bucks says the Bowmans didn't want anything to do with Ladd because he was a Tallon/Dudley guy. Ego's on that one. People can yap about Scotty the great hockey mind all they want. What Scotty also has and what is becoming apparent with the jr. is that they both have huge annoying egos. I actually don't like Stan nor have I ever rode the Scotty bandwagon. I think half od Scottys success has been being in the right place at the right time. KNow who turned the Redwings franchise around? Steve Yzerman. And he is proving it in Tampa. Yah I said it. Scotty Bowman is over-rated.

Sorry they did not have money for Ladd.



He was 100% a cap casualty.

 

[PatrickShart]

I thought Skille was sick or something....



Anyone notice Haeckel had to throw another Skille shot out there..



Clear out some of the failed experiments (John Scott, Jassen Cullimore, perhaps Jack Skille), and really start to look at some of the talent in Rockford on a more regular basis



Apparently, Skille is a "failed experiment"....lol