GDT: Blackhawks vs Coyotes - 6:00CT, NBCSCH - How About 3?

[Styles]

Firing JC won’t do anything at this point. Effort. Play hard. That’s it. We did good tonight but they couldn’t close the door. Kept letting them back in the game. That’s on the players. Period.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

The problem with the Fire JC takes is it doesn’t actually solve the multitude of problems the team has.

It’s like there’s a big fire in the other room, and to fix it you close door.

On the flip side, keeping JC doesn't fix the problem. The whole "Change comes from within" I don't know about. Having a bunch of whiney millionaires on your bench who have special rules written into their contracts is like coaching the rich kids on the travel team with every parent in your ear all night.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Lehner hasn't stopped and SO shot yet. I don't care if there is no SO in the playoffs. You have to get there first.

There's no way you can argue Lehner hasn't won us at least 4-6 games that 75%+ of starting goalies in the league would not win if in net.

 

[Backyard Hockey]

The problem with the Fire JC takes is it doesn’t actually solve the multitude of problems the team has.

It’s like there’s a big fire in the other room, and to fix it you close door.

But it might

witness mike Sullivan and Craig Berube.

JC just looks like a guy in over his head. Some questionable decisions and for whatever reason, he just can’t seem to get his team to play 60 minutes

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Actually there's more to it, IMO. Lehner is not a reflex goalie. His strength is playing the angles and when the player is allowed time he can change those angles in an instant. Crawford is the same type of netminder and to an extent has the same issues but has adapted better than Lehner.

Lehner absolutely is a reflex goalie. He’s not Tim Thomas or Hasek, and he’s technically very good but he’s an athletic specimen. His size and quick twitch combined with his technical ability is what makes him.

Crawford is a smaller version of the same guy and he’s fine in shoot outs. It’s all between the ears.

 

[coolhand]

Lots to criticize the Hawks in this games, but the penalties are on the refs.

A couple of weak calls I agree. But you have to be in control of the game to get the calls and after the 1st the Hawks had no control over this game

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I hate blaming refs but man over the last few weeks does it feel we’ve been hard done by.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

I hate blaming refs but man over the last few weeks does it feel we’ve been hard done by.

Bad calls are so much more important when you're not a dominant team. Every bad call seems like it's gonna tip the scales.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Hawks had more scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances at even strength tonight against the best team in the Pacific, while missing two of their three LHDs.

I've said this several times here, but refs changed this game. I know that they won't always catch everything, but they missed a few blatant trips and slashes (the trip on Cat at the end of the 2nd was pretty damn apparent), missed Kane getting punched in the back of his head while he had possession, and didn't whistle Demers for boarding Cat in one of the worst parts of the rink to get hit from behind. Bush league.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Bad calls are so much more important when you're not a dominant team. Every bad call seems like it's gonna tip the scales.

Sure. But if you can’t overcome that adversity you aren’t going very far anyway.

These are lessons my father drilled into my head as a kid. “Champions overcome. Losers make excuses.” That was a wooden sign we had hanging in the stairway going into the basement of my childhood home. It’ll even out over time or it won’t. I was saying this when we were getting the absolute screws put to us in 13 against Detroit.

 

[BobbyJet]

A couple of weak calls I agree. But you have to be in control of the game to get the calls and after the 1st the Hawks had no control over this game

If Hawks could finish on breakaways they'd be so much better. How many did they blow this game? I count at least 3.

And the number of failures to shoot the puck is chronic.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

This team lacks depth.

Hawks are missing at least a legit second liner next to Toews and Saad (maybe Nylander becomes that at some point, but not yet)

Missing possibly two second liners to go with Dach (I’d say Dach is already average third line quality and should be played as so)

Shaw should be a key piece on the fourth line with some PP time, and can bump up only when necessary.

When you look at other good teams across the league, they have more than two full lines of top-six guys. Ya, they don’t have a Kane, but they’re a better overall team. (Or they have a super line and depth)

 

[RayP]

I hate blaming refs but man over the last few weeks does it feel we’ve been hard done by.

Winners overcome.

 

[CallMeShaft]

 

[Salvaged Ship]

Wish that would have inspired the team to better play but instead Arizona scored on that power play and we lost. Great that Gilbert stuck up for a teammate like that but the Hawks margin for error is so thin that one goal against probably cost them a win. So tired of this team losing these last 3 years, nothing inspires them and even when they try to pump each other up it backfires.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Wish that would have inspired the team to better play but instead Arizona scored on that power play and we lost. Great that Gilbert stuck up for a teammate like that but the Hawks margin for error is so thin that one goal against probably cost them a win. So tired of this team losing these last 3 years, nothing inspires them and even when they try to pump each other up it backfires.

They went toe-to-toe with a division leader without Keith or Maata (or Shaw or Caggiula, who are both not huge losses). The refs not calling the Cat hit is the issue here, not the team's inability to kill off the penalty for Gilbert having to take matters into his own hands. If they called Demers on that boarding hit, we wouldn't have been short handed there and given up a 3rd goal.

 

[Salvaged Ship]

They went toe-to-toe with a division leader without Keith or Maata (or Shaw or Caggiula, who are both not huge losses). The refs not calling the Cat hit is the issue here, not the team's inability to kill off the penalty for Gilbert having to take matters into his own hands. If they called Demers on that boarding hit, we wouldn't have been short handed there and given up a 3rd goal.

Well they didn’t call it and we don’t have Keith or Maata or Shaw or Caggiula. As I said, the margin for error is razor thin with this team. Whatever

 

[BrianE]

On the flip side, keeping JC doesn't fix the problem. The whole "Change comes from within" I don't know about. Having a bunch of whiney millionaires on your bench who have special rules written into their contracts is like coaching the rich kids on the travel team with every parent in your ear all night.

This is funny and spot on

 

[CallMeShaft]

Well they didn’t call it and we don’t have Keith or Maata or Shaw or Caggiula. As I said, the margin for error is razor thin with this team. Whatever

My point was that it was a close game, despite us being worse on paper. If the refs didn't swallow their whistles for every transgression against the Hawks, we likely would've walked away with 2pts tonight despite having a short handed roster.

 

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Am I wrong?

Are you seriously telling me that having Toews out there instead of our 2nd best scorer was the way to go?

You're not wrong Walter, you're just an asshole

 

[saluki]

I don't think subbing a goalie for a shootout will happen, especially with nothing on the line.

But hypothetically: if the Hawks were to creep into the playoff chase and every point was a must would it be impossible for Crow to go down the tunnel and stretch during the last 5 minutes of a tie game, and then do some on-ice warmups in between the 3rd and OT to prepare in case there is a shootout?

 

[Panzerspitze]

... he just can’t seem to get his team to play 60 minutes

Neither could Quenneville, for years, until he's relieved of this bunch...

 

[swerdnase]

They were badly outplayed after the first but if not for the unlucky Koekkoek tip we might have been celebrating a win tonight.

 

[CallMeShaft]

They were badly outplayed after the first but if not for the unlucky Koekkoek tip we might have been celebrating a win tonight.

Hawks were the better team at even strength (more scoring chances for and more even strength goals). Not their fault they couldn't get a whistle to save their ass.

 

[Geoist]

What’s huh about it?

this team is a not a playoff team.

and, the extra point gained in shoot outs over the course of a season can mean the difference in a playoff berth or not. Every season we see teams miss by less than 3 points.

I know they aren't a playoff team. Just weird you immediately follow 'hawks aren't a playoff team' with some comment about shootout points getting teams into playoffs.