When Was The Last Time...

[pvr]

When was the last time the Blackhawks outhit their opponent, including the playoffs? Choose your guess in the poll.

Click to read more...

 

[pvr]

Went through the box scores to find this out. I've been completely annoyed by the fact that when the puck is dumped into the Hawks' zone, the defensemen almost never hits the forechecking/retrieving opposing player, even if that player arrives to the puck before the Hawks player. I keep on yelling to myself, "Just hit that mother****er!". Drives me crazy to see that player come up with the puck more often than not, only having to deal with a poke check to impede his retrieval. The defense must pass up 10 or more hits a game on that one aspect alone.

I understand the whole puck possession thing, actually love it, particularly when they can turn the play around in the neutral zone and quickly counter attack. But hockey is a physical game too, and the Hawks just sit there and take it game after game after game... There is a place for hitting, but apparently not on the Hawks.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I went 1-50. Anything more than a hundred would surprise me. I mean, not even once?

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I'm pretty sure we outhit a team at least once this year.

But.... still thing kind of an odd thing to complain about. We constantly got outhit in 2010, 2013, and 2015 as well.

 

[JaegerDice]

Where's the 'who cares' option?

 

[pvr]

Where's the 'who cares' option?

We did nothing to slow down Nashville this series. Our weak board play, lack of forecheck, lack of physicality, let them out of their zone too easily, and let them control the boards below our goal line.

 

[Marotte Marauder]

We did nothing to slow down Nashville this series. Our weak board play, lack of forecheck, lack of physicality, let them out of their zone too easily, and let them control the boards below our goal line.

That the team can only play one style and when it doesn't work they are sunk.

No adaptability.

 

[JaegerDice]

We did nothing to slow down Nashville this series. Our weak board play, lack of forecheck, lack of physicality, let them out of their zone too easily, and let them control the boards below our goal line.

Lack of speed is what lost the series to the Predators.

Lack of physicality was much less an issue. That said, the physicality you're describing this his post is faaaaaaaaaar more valuable than 'hits'.

I'd rather my team get outhit every night. Ideally by wide margins. Meant we had the puck all night and probably won.

 

[pvr]

I went 1-50. Anything more than a hundred would surprise me. I mean, not even once?

This past season the Hawks had five or less hits in a game five times. They were in single digits 13 times, and had ten hits in a game another six times. 23 out of 86 games they had ten or less hits. That's simply pathetic.

 

[JaegerDice]

This past season the Hawks had five or less hits in a game five times. They were in single digits 13 times, and had ten hits in a game another six times. 23 out of 86 games they had ten or less hits. That's simply pathetic.

How many of those games did they lose?

Hint: There's no positiver correlation between hitting and winning. Actually, it's the exactly opposite.

https://hockey-graphs.com/2015/02/09/the-usefulness-or-lack-thereof-of-hit-totals/

 

[pvr]

That the team can only play one style and when it doesn't work they are sunk.

No adaptability.

Thank you. Totally evident and completely frustrating to watch. It was obvious the adjustment that needed to be made, yet it wasn't done. Nashville takes away the neutral zone, prevents stretch passes, and we can't dump, chase, and retrieve the puck because we can't get physical.

 

[pvr]

How many of those games did they lose?

Hint: There's no positiver correlation between hitting and winning. Actually, it's the exactly opposite.

The Hawks were outhit by almost a thousand this year. Over 86 games, it averaged out to 11.23 per game! That netted them a +31 goal differential on the year.

We all know there is a (negative) correlation with puck possession and hitting. However, it has to be in the arsenal to hit when necessary, and the Hawks don't have it. I'm willing to bet you that the Hawks were the worst hitting team amongst the 16 playoff teams, and were the first to be eliminated.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Hawks need to focus on having the puck more. Not chasing it and making more hits as a result. Hits is one of the most meaningless stats imo.

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

I have no idea, but I honestly probably would have put 0 if it was an option because that was my first guess

 

[pvr]

Hawks need to focus on having the puck more. Not chasing it and making more hits as a result. Hits is one of the most meaningless stats imo.

And why do you think the Hawks didn't have the puck as much? They did a terrible job of separating the man from the puck this year.

Nashville's defense was able to activate the whole series because our forwards did nothing to keep them honest and in their own zone. They joined the rush with impunity.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

This past season the Hawks had five or less hits in a game five times. They were in single digits 13 times, and had ten hits in a game another six times. 23 out of 86 games they had ten or less hits. That's simply pathetic.

Are you saying you don't even know the answer?

 

[JaegerDice]

And why do you think the Hawks didn't have the puck as much? They did a terrible job of separating the man from the puck this year.

Nashville's defense was able to activate the whole series because our forwards did nothing to keep them honest and in their own zone. They joined the rush with impunity.

You are aware what a small percentage of changes in possession occur as the result of a hit, right?

There really is going to be an unbearably vocal meatball contingent in Chicago this summer, isn't there? Can't wait for the calls to bring back Andrew Shaw.

 

[BK]

There is a difference between hitting and being physically engaged. Hit on their own mean little bit being physically engaged is crucial. Example: TT in the playoffs last year.

 

[pvr]

You are aware what a small percentage of changes in possession occur as the result of a hit, right?

There really is going to be an unbearably vocal meatball contingent in Chicago this summer, isn't there? Can't wait for the calls to bring back Andrew Shaw.

I've mentioned nothing about gooning it up, and I resent your veiled reference to me as a "meatball".

Here are the games being out hit to end the 2016-17 regular season for all of the NHL teams, Hawks excluded.

Anaheim, zero games
Arizona, zero games
Buffalo, zero games
Boston, zero games
Calgary, zero games
Carolina, zero games
Colorado, one game
Columbus, zero games
Dallas, one game
Detroit, two games
Edmonton, zero games
Florida, two games
Los Angeles, one game
Minnesota, five games
Montreal, zero games
Nashville, four games
New Jersey, zero games
New York Islanders, one game
New York rangers, zero games
Ottawa, zero games
Philadelphia, two games
Pittsburgh, one game
San Jose, five games
St. Louis, zero games
Tampa Bay, two games
Toronto, three games
Vancouver, three games
Washington, zero games
Winnipeg, zero games.

Care to take a guess at where Chicago is? The Blackhawks are what one would call an outlier.

 

[JaegerDice]

There is a difference between hitting and being physically engaged. Hit on their own mean little bit being physically engaged is crucial. Example: TT in the playoffs last year.

I agree. Then why are we counting hits?

 

[BK]

I agree. Then why are we counting hits?

Because hits can be used as an indicator.

 

[JaegerDice]

Because hits can be used as an indicator.

The reliable inverse correlation between shot attempts (possession) and hits suggests that hits aren't a particularly strong indicator of all those other possession-driving physical actions that come up in puck battles, puck protection, cycling, driving to the net, etc.

Which makes sense since hits are counted inconsistently across every arena, and they're actually relatively rare compared to the number of instances of 'physicality' in general listed earlier. You're basically weighing 'physicality' sum total based on the one action that can only be used [legally] when the other team has possession of the puck and you do not.

 

[BK]

The reliable inverse correlation between shot attempts (possession) and hits suggests that hits aren't a particularly strong indicator of all those other possession-driving physical actions that come up in puck battles, puck protection, cycling, driving to the net, etc.

Which makes sense since hits are counted inconsistently across every arena, and they're actually relatively rare compared to the number of instances of 'physicality' in general listed earlier. You're basically weighing 'physicality' sum total based on the one action that can only be used [legally] when the other team has possession of the puck and you do not.

Correct. I look at it a little different. Any game where Hawks don't win possession I look to hits to see if the Hawks were at least engaged. Is it the most accurate way to look at it? Not but if we get killed in possession and have no hits it is typically the games where the Hawks are just not engaged. Make sense?

 

[JaegerDice]

Correct. I look at it a little different. Any game where Hawks don't win possession I look to hits to see if the Hawks were at least engaged. Is it the most accurate way to look at it? Not but if we get killed in possession and have no hits it is typically the games where the Hawks are just not engaged. Make sense?

Fair enough. That seems like a sensible way to at least get a general idea of what you're looking for.

 

[pvr]

I'm surprised more people haven't voted. Surely people watch the games and have an inkling of what the result might be. I was only semi-surprised by the result. All in good fun, except for JD, who only looks at the stats and doesn't see the game.

Here are some more interesting facts gleaned from nhl.com, going back to the 1997-98 regular season, which is the first where total hits are recorded for team play. I'd hazard a guess that prior to 1998, most of the cup winners were physically dominant teams.

There are ten teams which out hit the Hawks with total hits in the strike shortened season of 2012-13 than the Hawks had hits in total this season.

Out of 18 seasons (not including this year), there are ten cup winners in the top half of hitting, and eight in the bottom half.

High shots and low hits don't necessarily correlate with winning the cup. There is one team that finished first in hits (LA 2014) and one last (Chi 2013), two second (LA 2012 and Det 1998), and one second to last (Chi 2015). The spread is essentially clustered in the top ten and bottom ten for cup winners regarding hits. Cup winning teams usually do take a lot of shots, not surprisingly.

Out of the last ten cup winners, four have been in the top half in hits and shots (typically top ten for both), five in the bottom half of hits and top half in shots (typically bottom ten and top ten respectively), and one was in the top half of hits and bottom half of shots (Pit 2009).

So, the overall contention that you can't be physical and win in the modern NHL is absurd.

Including the playoffs, the Hawks were out hit in 2015-16 (2702 to 1592) and 2016-17 (2255 to 1289).