GDT: Hawks vs Devils: 6PM CT on NBCSNCH--Battle of the Former 1sts

[hawksrule]

Some worthwhile reading for you.

Searching for a link between winning faceoffs and NHL games

Read the whole thing, but take note of the linked article to a hockey-prospectus article that looked at the impact on goals scored immediately following a face-off win in the Ozone (hint: there was no significant impact).

Look, I get we have sat through years Pat Foley trying to link every goddamn goal the Blackhawks ever score to the last faceoff won beforehand, and maybe that rubs off via osmosis, but it's simply not the major factor people like to make it out to be.

And if you want Schmaltz to win more faceoffs, make him take more faceoffs. He's not going to get better by never doing it.




Ok?

Did you know that the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks only won 46.8% of their faceoffs in the playoffs? 3rd worst team in the playoffs at it, behind only Vancouver and Toronto.

I think they did ok.

We can trade small samples all day if you like.

They mattered less when we had Kruger to flip the ice.

 

[Marotte Marauder]

Valuing face offs is not statistically supportable. There are so many variable in a fluid game like hockey that the stats will not support their value. But most who have played, coached or run teams value face offs significantly. So much that there are face off specialists brought in to take key draws on many teams, many teams have face off coaches. Do we see such specialization in winning board battles, clearing the front of the net? Of course not.

That few faceoffs result in a goal within 10 seconds is a great stat, that is meaningless. Win a faceoff after an icing and your team desparately needs a change, lose the faceoff and run around your zone for another 20-30 seconds, what happens? A goal or you are forced by fatigue to take a penalty.

The ramifications go on and on if you are inferior at the dot and then inferior on puck retrieval.

The parity spoken of in the article is support of how important draws are. Evrey team is trying to get the edge in the circle, none have been able to decode dominance. All are trying feverishly to achieve that dominance which stats would show is irrelevant. Makes sense huh?

 

[BobbyJet]

Krüger was proven and much better than Kero or Wingles. I'd much rather have him right now.
Hossa is missed for sure. If it's the rookie Version, the prime Version or the 15/16/17 Version. We'd Need him.
Stupid HF Fans, Cap Circumvention my ass. Rather have the Player.

And the myth continues.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Kruger is most definitely better than Wingels or Kero, not even worth debating it. Problem will always be his salary.

 

[JaegerDice]

Wait, are people seriously suggesting any on of Kero, Bouma, or Wingels are better than Marcus Kruger?

Cause that is lunacy.

The loss of Kruger and absence of anybody that can do what he does is really hurting the team right now.

We've gone from a shutdown 4th line that ate up minutes against top 6 QoC in dungeon starts, to a scrub 4th line that meatballs love watching achieve basically nothing against nobody but other scrub 4th lines (lowest TOI and QoC on the team).

That's had a domino effect through the lineup that has led to the 2nd and 3rd lines hurting from the increase in quality of competition. It's a big part of why those 2 lines have had trouble scoring at normal rates. Not the only reason obviously, but a big part of it.

Pray Dauphin can become Kruger 2.0. And pray this 'dur, grit!' phase Bowman went through in the last season only lasts one year and both these plugs walk this summer or earlier.

 

[RayP]

Wait, are people seriously suggesting any on of Kero, Bouma, or Wingels are better than Marcus Kruger?

Cause that is ****ing lunacy.

Has anyone ever said that in terms of pure talent? Because I don't think so. It's all about the cap hit, you know this.

 

[JaegerDice]

Sigh.


Debrincat has been in on goals with Toews, Kane, Saad and Schmaltz over the last two games.

So obviously Q plays him with none of those players.

 

[Pez68]

Moron.

 

[CallMeShaft]

I'd much rather he play with Sharp and Wingels than Bouma. Say what you will about Sharp, but he still has a bit of skill left. He had a damn good shift last game that he just couldn't score on, and he set up his young buddy Brinksy for his 1st NHL goal. Wingels, meanwhile, at least plays better when he's surrounded by talent. He's like a righty Carcillo.

And the way Schmaltz is playing, you don't want to move him back to center right now. So who do you bump from the top 6 then? I guess Panik, but I like him with that top line.


Also, if Hayden is scratched for Bouma I'm going to be pissed.

 

[SAADfather]

Made mention of it in Zawaskis podcast and I had to look to make sure this was true myself - Patrick Kane only has one primary assist in the last month of hockey... and it's to Alex DeBrincat. He hasn't had a primary assist to ANY of his regular 5v5 linemates in a month. I'd be curious to know when the last time that's happened.

Kane needs a shakeup himself and he's put up his best seasons with a top notch trigger man. It's staring Q right in the face but he refuses to give it a look.

 

[BK]

Made mention of it in Zawaskis podcast and I had to look to make sure this was true myself - Patrick Kane only has one primary assist in the last month of hockey... and it's to Alex DeBrincat. He hasn't had a primary assist to ANY of his regular 5v5 linemates in a month. I'd be curious to know when the last time that's happened.

Kane needs a shakeup himself and he's put up his best seasons with a top notch trigger man. It's staring Q right in the face but he refuses to give it a look.

The podcast would be so much better without James Naveau. The guy is just clueless. Powers and Jay Zawasaki need to combine their shows.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Kane needs to play better period. It's not like he's been setting up his line mates and they haven't been finishing. He hasn't been doing much at all.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

The podcast would be so much better without James Naveau. The guy is just clueless. Powers and Jay Zawasaki need to combine their shows.

So much this. Especially now that Hedger is gone from Powers ( I didn't like him either).

 

[SAADfather]

The podcast would be so much better without James Naveau. The guy is just clueless. Powers and Jay Zawasaki need to combine their shows.

Agreed. Like a lot of things Jay said on the last podcast and rolled my eyes when James brought up bringing in Dave Tippet to coach.

If Powers and Zawaski had a hawks podcast I don't think I'd miss an episode.

 

[featherhawk]

Sigh.




Debrincat has been in on goals with Toews, Kane, Saad and Schmaltz over the last two games.

So obviously Q plays him with none of those players.

High quality coaching it takes to make a decision like that

 

[CallMeShaft]

So much this. Especially now that Hedger is gone from Powers ( I didn't like him either).

I didn't care for Hedger much, but he had good chemistry with Powers and Powers is the freakin' man when it comes to Hawks coverage. So I was always okay with Hedge because it'd make Powers that much more comfortable talking.

 

[JaegerDice]

I was so glad when Hedger left the podcast.

His constant pining for large men and dismissal of smaller talent got real old, real quick.

 

[Blue Liner]

So much this. Especially now that Hedger is gone from Powers ( I didn't like him either).

I would've donated to Hedger's flight out of here if there was an option. Guy is terrible. Terrible. He called the OHL a bad league and in the same train of thought said the Q was the superior league of them all, if I recall correctly. Do you really need any other evidence?

Zawaski and Powers would be excellent. What I like about both is they admit if they don't know something and are willing to learn. Don't act like know-it-alls. I respect and appreciate that, which is not to say they don't both know their stuff because they do.

 

[SAADfather]

Something I just thought about while trying to give Q the benefit of the doubt - Do you guys think watching Panarin regress as a player into just being Kane's trigger man is having any kind of impact on Q being unwilling to put him with Kane?

 

[BK]

I would've donated to Hedger's flight out of here if there was an option. Guy is terrible. Terrible. He called the OHL a bad league and in the same train of thought said the Q was the superior league of them all, if I recall correctly. Do you really need any other evidence?

Zawaski and Powers would be excellent. What I like about both is they admit if they don't know something and are willing to learn. Don't act like know-it-alls. I respect and appreciate that, which is not to say they don't both know their stuff because they do.

I read something the other day that showed that the USHL has passed the QMJHL. If it is true, it is huge.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Sigh.


Debrincat has been in on goals with Toews, Kane, Saad and Schmaltz over the last two games.

So obviously Q plays him with none of those players.

He'll continue to do everything but put Cat in the top 6 because he's a rookie. Then when he finally does do it... he'll think he's some kind of f***ing genius... when even the average fan can see that Cat should NOT be outside of the top 6. This kid has the potential to be a Calder finalist, and he's being handicapped by Q's stupid f***ing philosophy that kids don't seem to belong in the top 6.

Let's play to loyalties instead of merit/talent.

Maybe Q needs to lay off the damn sauce for a while and actually do what any coach with half a brain would do. Put the elite offensive talent in the top 6 where he belongs. Such a moron.

 

[Blue Liner]

I read something the other day that showed that the USHL has passed the QMJHL. If it is true, it is huge.

I believe there were more picks in the last draft from the USHL than the Q. I'd have to go back and look, but I think even if you took out the USNTDP players from that group the USHL still outdrafted the Q. I am going to look back at all of this and doublecheck.

 

[featherhawk]

Too many free bees from Binneys

 

[Pez68]

He'll continue to do everything but put Cat in the top 6 because he's a rookie. Then when he finally does do it... he'll think he's some kind of ****ing genius... when even the average fan can see that Cat should NOT be outside of the top 6. This kid has the potential to be a Calder finalist, and he's being handicapped by Q's stupid ****ing philosophy that kids don't seem to belong in the top 6.

Let's play to loyalties instead of merit/talent.

Maybe Q needs to lay off the damn sauce for a while and actually do what any coach with half a brain would do. Put the elite offensive talent in the top 6 where he belongs. Such a moron.

Where would Saad be right now, had Carcillo not injured himself and got himself suspended that season? Because Q was playing him in the top six over Saad.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Where would Saad be right now, had Carcillo not injured himself and got himself suspended that season? Because Q was playing him in the top six over Saad.

Q loves to stunt the development of talented young players... So who knows.