Post-Game Talk: Banner raising NOT spoiled! Hawks down Caps, 6-4!

[ChiGuySez]

Now that Green's healthy again, him and Ovy on the PP points is just unfair

They're going to have more than a couple 3+ PPG games that's for sure...sick depth showing tonight for us.

PP teams dont get far. Id rather have the best transition team in the league.

 

[RayP]

Now that Green's healthy again, him and Ovy on the PP points is just unfair

They're going to have more than a couple 3+ PPG games that's for sure...sick depth showing tonight for us.

No kidding... not to mention I can't even recall the last time I saw the Caps play that hard. They really brought it tonight.

 

[HockeySauce]

But if you're scared to make the aggressive play, it doesn't matter how fast and smart you are. Smith plays with that aggression no matter what. Hopefully Nordstrom brings more of it going forward, and that penalty at the end doesn't shock his confidence and scare him from making the aggressive plays on the PK.

Nordstrom won that job because he was great all pre-season. Being intimidated in your first NHL game, trying to shut down a PP that includes Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mikhail Grabovski and Mike Green would scare a lot of players.

They'll get it sorted out. The butterflies should be gone. The first win of the year is under their belt. They know the PK can give up goals and they know what they did wrong. Pressures off, just go out and play hockey.

 

[RayP]

Nordstrom won that job because he was great all pre-season. Being intimidated in your first NHL game, trying to shut down a PP that includes Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mikhail Grabovski and Mike Green would scare a lot of players.

They'll get it sorted out. The butterflies should be gone. The first win of the year is under their belt. They know the PK can give up goals and they know what they did wrong. Pressures off, just go out and play hockey.

Oh I know, and I'm not saying he's going to be a bust... but I also don't see him as a guy that if he doesn't improve to keep throwing out there for 50+ games. We have plenty of talent elsewhere if it doesn't workout with him.


All in all, a very satisfying night, and just pointing out the one weakness that did really stand out to me.

 

[HockeySauce]

If Nordstrom doesn't improve off tonight, he won't be on the Hawks long. But it was one game, and the first of the year. I get what you're saying, but it's the first game. It'll be concerning if it's happening over 4-5.

 

[RFIP]

Not concerned about Nordstrom or the PK at all. They'll get ironed out within a few weeks.

Didn't like the STYLE of OK at all...lose the draw and then the puck never gets out because we turtle 25 feet from the net and give away shot after shot and depend on guys to blocked wicked one timers all game long? That's insane!

But hey, opening night, banner ceremony AND a W? Yeah, I'm in!

 

[madgoat33]

I'll worry if we are consistently playing sketchy d with a bad pk. First game of the season with a win is definitely nice. PP looks so much better than last season as well.

 

[RFIP]

One thing that stood out to me tonight was it did not seem like there was a lot of shot blocking? Seemed much easier for either team to get pucks to the net. Made for a fun game that is for sure.

Oh and Mr "hello and good bye" yeah, I like that!

 

[HockeySauce]

That would be because your most recent memory of an NHL game was the SCF, where everyone's giving up their body on every shot. Lot of flamingos out there tonight.

 

[nick61*]

I'm as big a Ben Smith fan as there is (while keeping my expectations of what he can be in the NHL realisitic). Plugging in a smaller, slower player to the PK isn't going to help it be anymor9e aggressive.

Nordstrom is smart and fast. He or Danault would be the best options in the system to replace Frolik.

I want Morin on this team too. But I don't see where he fits right now.

but they gotta pressure the points more. That is where the PP begins.

 

[RayP]

One thing that stood out to me tonight was it did not seem like there was a lot of shot blocking? Seemed much easier for either team to get pucks to the net. Made for a fun game that is for sure.

Oh and Mr "hello and good bye" yeah, I like that!

NHL.com says we blocked 18, and the Caps blocked 15... but HockeySensible brings up a good point.

 

[BronYrAur]

Nordstrom wasn't bad. He wasn't great but he wasn't bad. The 4th line was rather effective as a whole....considering it consists of a center who can't win faceoffs, an enforcer, and a rookie, I'd say that's a pretty good thing.

But really I am actually a lot higher on Bollig than most folks. He was quick and generally doesn't look out of place out there.

 

[RayP]

I am about as anti-Bollig as it gets, but I gotta give him props.. he played a great game tonight from start to finish. Very active out there tonight.

 

[madgoat33]

but they gotta pressure the points more. That is where the PP begins.

yea, but I wouldn't expect too much point pressure. Even with our top **** pk units last year, we played pretty passive most of the time.

 

[HockeySauce]

Nordstrom wasn't bad. He wasn't great but he wasn't bad. The 4th line was rather effective as a whole....considering it consists of a center who can't win faceoffs, an enforcer, and a rookie, I'd say that's a pretty good thing.

But really I am actually a lot higher on Bollig than most folks. He was quick and generally doesn't look out of place out there.

Kruger was 59% on the dot.

 

[HockeySauce]

yea, but I wouldn't expect too much point pressure. Even with our top **** pk units last year, we played pretty passive most of the time.

The PK had great pressure last year. They played that 1+triangle last year, with the high forward pressuring, and the 2nd forward at the top of the triangle, ready to cover whoever gets the puck off the pass created by the high forward pressuring the point. It was very effective.

Tonight was a confused box, with too much focus given to the high man in the slot and too little to the points. Nordstrom should be the aggressive forward there, but again, he looked unsure of what he was suppose to do, and once they started getting scored on, the PK became more tentative.

They'll get it sorted out though.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Wasn't impressed by Bickell in his new first line role...but I guess it's only the first game.

 

[madgoat33]

The PK had great pressure last year. They played that 1+triangle last year, with the high forward pressuring, and the 2nd forward at the top of the triangle, ready to cover whoever gets the puck off the pass created by the high forward pressuring the point. It was very effective.

Tonight was a confused box, with too much focus given to the high man in the slot and too little to the points. Nordstrom should be the aggressive forward there, but again, he looked unsure of what he was suppose to do, and once they started getting scored on, the PK became more tentative.

They'll get it sorted out though.

hmm, I though I remember that we looked fairly passive last year compared to a lot of other pk's around the league I saw. Could just be wrong though.

 

[Kurtosis]

Wasn't impressed by Bickell in his new first line role...but I guess it's only the first game.

I thought he looked decent from what I saw. He certainly has room to improve though.

 

[HockeySauce]

hmm, I though I remember that we looked fairly passive last year compared to a lot of other pk's around the league I saw. Could just be wrong though.

You're thinking of 2011-12, with the same system, but incredibly passive. Last year, the 1+Triangle worked beautifully, with Frolik, Toews and later in the year, Saad being the aggressive forwards, and Kruger, Hossa and Handzus being the passive-aggressive forwards, in the "2nd wave", at the top of the triangle.

 

[theaub]

Yeah, last year we stepped out to the point a ton and completely took away the middle lane with the 1+1 up top

This was pretty much our terrible '11-'12 PK that just has the forwards keep retreating down to the faceoff dot and lets the d-men move it back and forth and blast away unmolested. Especially against these guys pretty much saw what's expected from that strategy

tbh we moved back to the passive PK as the playoffs went on, and it burned us too (see:game four of SCF)

 

[CertainAffinity*]

The PK had great pressure last year. They played that 1+triangle last year, with the high forward pressuring, and the 2nd forward at the top of the triangle, ready to cover whoever gets the puck off the pass created by the high forward pressuring the point. It was very effective.

Tonight was a confused box, with too much focus given to the high man in the slot and too little to the points. Nordstrom should be the aggressive forward there, but again, he looked unsure of what he was suppose to do, and once they started getting scored on, the PK became more tentative.

They'll get it sorted out though.

The way I remember it:

They ran that inverse-T shape, kind of a hybrid triangle with Fro and Kruger at the 'point of the spear'. The top guy would pressure a little but not much, getting their bodies in the shooting lanes and blocking shots, and using their stick to push the play toward one side (usually Keith's side). Then, when the guy at the point made the play, the guy immediately behind that front guy on the PK would identify and be the first guy to the puck (or opposing player) on the boards, and we'd out-support the other team to fire it down the ice. We were aggressive once the puck dropped to the half-wall, patient when it was at the points, but the PKers made sure there were few if any good looks at the net from there.

The most passive part of the PK was the guy in front of the net. They basically just went hands off and let Crow handle it, rather than getting into a shoving match and putting an extra body in Crow's view.

 

[member 151739]

That's hockey, baby.

 

[madgoat33]

The way I remember it:

They ran that inverse-T shape, kind of a hybrid triangle with Fro and Kruger at the 'point of the spear'. The top guy would pressure a little but not much, getting their bodies in the shooting lanes and blocking shots, and using their stick to push the play toward one side (usually Keith's side). Then, when the guy at the point made the play, the guy immediately behind that front guy on the PK would identify and be the first guy to the puck (or opposing player) on the boards, and we'd out-support the other team to fire it down the ice. We were aggressive once the puck dropped to the half-wall, patient when it was at the points, but the PKers made sure there were few if any good looks at the net from there.

The most passive part of the PK was the guy in front of the net. They basically just went hands off and let Crow handle it, rather than getting into a shoving match and putting an extra body in Crow's view.

that's what I remember too.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

PK needs a lot of work

Saad looks amazing