2017 WCQF Series Topic - Blackhawks vs Predators

[JaegerDice]

Anybody 5'11 185 or so and strong on their skates is more than large enough.

Once you go smaller than that, you can still be very effective but you have to be smarter, pick your spots.


Yes, every team salivates over the big guys who can skate and pass. But size is merely an input, no different than speed, or vision, or stick-handling, or a great shot.

Toews has spent his entire career, even these last two down years, turning the much larger but still strong skating Getzlaf into a squeegee to wipe the ice with. Likewise David Backes. And many other larger players. And he's gone shift for shift with the much larger Kopitar.

Very few of the best, most effective players in this league are actually over 6'1 or 200lbs.

Being able to get there on time or faster than the other guy, is faaaaaaaar more important than being the bigger guy once you get there.

 

[BobbyJet]

Skill with size only trumps skill without size if those players are outworking you... Quick feet, balance, and quick hands also go a really, really long way in winning board battles. Again, energy. Nashville won those board battles because of their energy and compete level. Nothing more.

Definitely but the likes of Kane, Panarin, Hartman, Kero, Schmaltz, Hino, Kruger all are at a disadvantage when up against 200+ lb ops. wingers or dmen.... in any series.

 

[JaegerDice]

Definitely but the likes of Kane, Panarin, Hartman, Kero, Schmaltz, Hino, Kruger all are at a disadvantage when up against 200+ lb ops. wingers or dmen.... in any series.

Kane was part of a line that picked apart a a line including Lucic and a Dpair including Chara (and Seidenberg aint small either).

Yes, they had help from Bickell who was great, but I still think youre overstating the importance of size in the face of speed and skill.

 

[BK]

Kane was part of a line that picked apart a a line including Lucic and a Dpair including Chara (and Seidenberg aint small either). I think youre overstating the importance of size in the face of speed and skill.

Kane is also incredibly driven when he wants to be. Heart and effort cannot be understated.

 

[Pez68]

Kane is also incredibly driven when he wants to be. Heart and effort cannot be understated.

Ding, ding, ding.... Nashville had twice as much of both in this series.

 

[hawksfan50]

So in the CSN Chicago segment "What is done, and what lies ahead",they excuse Q from any blame for his pkayer's not getting upto top compete level required at playoffs...excuse Q from any blame for his team being lackluster in playoff effort level ....because they say it is upto the players. ..grown men and professionals, t9oget themselves in the right frame of mind to compete at their best ...not a coach's responsibility at all...

Well I disagree. ..A coach sets a tone of expectation ..A coach should Demand his team plays hard for him. .not that tgey can goid off in Meaningless games down the stretch and coast ..then he expects them to flip a switch on for playoffs. . THAT is Country Club coaching and you betcha it bis a coach's fault for setting such a bad tone going into playoffs....a coach needs to prime his players to be at best form going into playoffs..he needsvtpmbecsddtrssed keep motivation up ..Nashvilke maintained battle form down the last month before plauoffs. ..got even better and we're ready to sweep anything in their path. .Anaheim has gone 15-3 in their last 18 games and carriedcthebMo to sweep CGY ..Go in hot..stay hot..capiche..but Q let his footboff the gas andvhisbplayersctook the cue they could coast ..and the Hawks never got their mono back ..

The "Who Can Beat The High Flying Hawks? " of February...coasted in March and April to completevfizxlebout.So yes I do blame Q and I accept his own takingbofvthe blame for this. .I think he now realized he goifedvbadlybby letting his player's coast to the end of the regular seadon over the ladt5 weeks before playoffs..

Sure,the players as individuals must also accept blame for not getting up their compete level ...But as a Team all for one on mission mentality..that is a Coach's responsibility...Q says it is his fault. .I agree.

 

[hawksfan50]

Excellent article by John Dietz in the Daily Herald on the 4 resons why the Hawks lost to the Predators ...you can go to John Dietz twitter page and find the link or go to the dailyherald.com site and find the article..Says everything many have posted on these boards but in a precise more eloquent way..says everything to explain why this happened. Pulls no punches.