GDT: Game 37: Hurricanes @ Blackhawks | 12/27/15 6 p.m. CT (WGN)

[TLEH]

I don't think Toews was ever meant to be an Ovechkin or Benn type player. Some say he could've been a time ago, but perhaps at the expense of developing an overall game that makes his teammates better. Point is I still wouldn't take any other player that what Toews actually is--and I'm sure you agree with that. I won't begrudge a dime or that contract until he starts missing those chances in game 5's, 6's or 7's.

I get that hockey is an emotional game with emotional fans (lord, do I know...). I just figured that Blackhawks fans of all people would know when the appropriate time is to be emotional. Unless you personally harbor an extraordinary amount of hatred for the Carolina Hurricanes or their fans, I don't see how this loss rates above "extra five minutes in morning traffic" in the anger meter.

jamie benn is a better hockey player than toews.

 

[Ace Rothstein]

I don't really remember many posters, outside of one in particular, complaining much about the Vermette trade.

 

[KA Olimb]

Didn't see the third period. Panarin especially has been ineffective the last 5-10 games or so. Other teams are giving him and Kane very little room to do their mojo. I remember the start of the season he was doing those crazy dekes at least 3-4 times a game and mostly got away with it. Either he has been told to tone down the fancy moves or he has lost confidence. Swap him and TT just to shake things up a bit.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Anisimov has been problem as well

He has faltered over last 15 or so games

 

[LordKOTL]

Didn't see the third period. Panarin especially has been ineffective the last 5-10 games or so. Other teams are giving him and Kane very little room to do their mojo. I remember the start of the season he was doing those crazy dekes at least 3-4 times a game and mostly got away with it. Either he has been told to tone down the fancy moves or he has lost confidence. Swap him and TT just to shake things up a bit.

Anisimov has been problem as well

He has faltered over last 15 or so games

IMHO those are 2 major problems.

1st off, everyone needs to simplify. There seems to be too many cutesy plays, and compounding that is the fact that everyone seems to be looking for the "perfect" play. They need to simplify and get back to hockey 101. The on-ice 'hawks gameplan the past 2 games simply didn't work. You could argue that Dallas is that good of a team (even though not so good that the Stars shellacked us as bad as they did IMHO), But Carolina? Come on. The 'hawks should have come out as if Dallas embarrassed the hell out of them and the sting should have fired them up. But instead our offensive players couldn't even score in a Tijuana brothel with a C-note tied around their generative bits. That's a problem.

Compounding that was the cooldown of the Breadmaster/Buttery Pat line--which was bound to happen especially since every team is going to be focused on shutting them down. Yeah, Anisimov has been milquetoast for awhile and Panarin is being way too cute, But that line shouldn't have to should the team's entire O.

IMHO the team does need a shakeup at this point because there' little mojo in the Kane line left. The other thing is give Darling a start. Not because I don't have faith in Crawford. Let's be honest here, he was the only reason last night was remotely close and it's hard to steal a game if your offense is impotent. But I think that it does no one any good if Crawford is Kiprusoff'ed (i.e. driven into the ground), but also because Darling has looked human and that has historically given the skaters the kick in the pants they need to elevate their game.

 

[hawksfan50]

The lack of will and urgency/disinterest is a problem..the eyeball test tells you who is hustling and who is not....your best need to be your best but last night 1st and 2nd lines did not show...4th line did and parts of 3rd line did but they are not the cream and will not score much anyway.. Keith our best D-man also very pedestrian last night..so when your best are not there it is tough to win in the NHL...

Do not know what Country Club Q is instructing them but 8t ain't working...from lack of hustle to faulty shooting to whiffing on basic one-timers that looked like slapstick laughs than shots professionals ought to be able to execute. ..it makes you wonder what tge hell Q dies in his practices..if I were coaching:
I would require hustle races for loose pucks and if you lag you gotta do laps with bag-skate. .and I would require shooting g drills for tge other half of practice time....how to execute one-time r at speed. ..how to get shots on net...how to release quicker. ..how to get shots through from the point and how to deflect shots in tge slot...Also I would have required reading of Roenick's book: 'Shoot First,Pass Later' plus whole all this is being practise and harper on ,you have one message played 9veralk and over again on the speakers...that message is:'The object of this game is to outscore opponents...you do that by out shooting them and finishing ...you do not do this by disinterest in getting to pucks first and by flubbing shot opportunities by whiffs or missing the net or not being able to get your shots through on net...You must all play to the level that justifies your paycheck.You must show up and be competent. You must not take winning for granted..You must respect the Indianhead.

 

[Backyard Hockey]

Why are people comparing the highly-skilled Hawks who left to the bottom-six guys who were brought in just for salary reasons? Of all the intellectually dishonest paths used to justify ledge-jumping, that might be the most dishonest.

Anisimov was brought in to do what Vermette did. That's the answer and you know it. What's next: "We lost Sharp and all we have to show for it is Tanner Kero. Panar-who? Never heard of him..."

Except he isn't. Vermette was a beast at the dot. Anisimov isn't.

I like the addition, but let's not be so quick to crown him. Was his emergence a result of his play or the fact that he was gobbling up some points based on the unreal historic play of 88? Now that 88 has slowed down, we are seeing 15 slow down tremendously. He has what, one goal in has last 13 games or so?

 

[Backyard Hockey]

I don't think Toews was paid all the money to stuff stat sheets in December. If his struggles resulted in the team being a cellar dweller or otherwise fighting for a wild card I might be more concerned. But since his team is in decent shape, I'm happy to give him the benefit of time to work through a hidden injury/create chemistry with TT/otherwise get over whatever slump he's in.

And that goes for Hossa too.

Is the team in decent shape? Yes, they are at the top in points and that's good. That said, they are losing key games to their division rivals and suck on the road. Really want to be in a battle for a WC spot?

The team has the points they do because of the epic play of #88 and some great goaltending by 50. 88 and the entire second line has slowed down so has the offensive production.

The 'hey, they have 44 points' is a good thing but it's a bit of smoke and mirrors when it was done on the back of one line, heck, one player really, doing all the scoring.

 

[Putt Pirate]

Pretty much everyone in division behind us has 1-3 games in hand as well. Sure they gotta pick those points up but we should not be leaving too many points laying around that were there for the picking.

 

[Marina]

Wasn't sure where to put this, but groan.

No line rushes yet, but based on jersey color, Andrew Shaw is back in the top six and Teuvo Teravainen's back in the bottom six. #Blackhawks

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

Toews on pace for career lows. 11 goals through almost half a season. 7 5 on 5 goals.

And he's the highest paid player in the a NHL

That is the biggest issue on this team. If he and Hoss are perfo in they way they are being paid to, Hawks have at least 6 more points

Hossa has the 107th highest cap hit in the league right now.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

I don't really remember many posters, outside of one in particular, complaining much about the Vermette trade.

I do. It seems to me that at least a third of the posters thought they had no shot so it was stupid to give up a pick. Hawks were going to be out of the playoffs before Kane would come back and Vermette couldn't replace his production anyways.

 

[BobbyJet]

I can be patient but I do wish they played more exciting hockey. There have probably been close to a dozen games this year that have been straight up snoozefests. A few times on the Sunday night games I've flipped over to the football game during a commercial and forget to flip back over.

Boring, stifling hockey is what Q likes but it does nothing for the fan unless the team is winning. Hawks can bring back the 2009/2010 style any day.

All the complaints we hear about other teams playing trap, boring hockey. Hate to say it but Hawks are one of those teams. Yep. Hawks are ripping fans off.

 

[Hawkaholic]

IMO, the Hawks don't have enough offensive talent to run and gun every game. If Toews and Hossa start doing something then we can think about it. Playing defensive hockey is the best thing for the make up of this team until they start burying more golden chances.

 

[BK]

Anisimov has been problem as well

He has faltered over last 15 or so games

No he hasn't but at least we no know who your new target is. 72 has struggled and that has caused 15/88 to dip a bit. AA is playing the same same that he was when people praised him. He is far from an issue.

 

[Backyard Hockey]

Hossa has the 107th highest cap hit in the league right now.

His cap hit is $5.2M. His salary is $7.9M. Is he putting up the production of an $8M player?

 

[Hawkaholic]

His cap hit is $5.2M. His salary is $7.9M. Is he putting up the production of an $8M player?

No one cares about his actual salary other than Rocky.

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

His cap hit is $5.2M. His salary is $7.9M. Is he putting up the production of an $8M player?

Why do you care what he is getting paid? Cap hit is all that matters because it's what you have to use to fit a team. I'm sure in 3 years when he's making 1 mil with the same cap hit, you won't say well 30 points for 1 mil is a good bargain even though he's taking up a $5.2 cap hit.

 

[Backyard Hockey]

No he hasn't but at least we no know who your new target is. 72 has struggled and that has caused 15/88 to dip a bit. AA is playing the same same that he was when people praised him. He is far from an issue.

How is he 'my new target'? The reality is that he has fallen off. The entire 2nd line has. I believe Anisimov has one goal in his last 13 or 14 games and he isn't winning the dot as much as we'd like. That's not a target. That's reality.

I attribute it largely to the fact that line is paired with Rosi and Scuderi and seemed to spend a good chunk of their shifts hemmed in the D zone.

You are right though, he isn't an issue per se, but there's no denying his production has fallen off. In a team with only one one scoring, that becomes and issue when that very line isn't scoring anymore.

Which all goes back to the failures of the first line.

And to an extent, the 3rd line. The third line last year featured Patrick Sharp. Sure, a down year, but one removed from a 30 goal campaign. Sharp was a 'could break out of it any minute' player. Does this year's third line inspire that confidence? TT was also on that line.

I expect little or no offensive production from the bottom 6. Couple that with the first line issues and we see what we are seeing.

But as I've said, if 19 and 81 are are playing the way they are SUPPOSED to be playing, this team most likely has at least 6 more points and is ahead of STL and we all have fewer concerns.

 

[BK]

How is he 'my new target'? The reality is that he has fallen off. The entire 2nd line has. I believe Anisimov has one goal in his last 13 or 14 games and he isn't winning the dot as much as we'd like. That's not a target. That's reality.

I attribute it largely to the fact that line is paired with Rosi and Scuderi and seemed to spend a good chunk of their shifts hemmed in the D zone.

You are right though, he isn't an issue per se, but there's no denying his production has fallen off. In a team with only one one scoring, that becomes and issue when that very line isn't scoring anymore.

Which all goes back to the failures of the first line.

And to an extent, the 3rd line. The third line last year featured Patrick Sharp. Sure, a down year, but one removed from a 30 goal campaign. Sharp was a 'could break out of it any minute' player. Does this year's third line inspire that confidence? TT was also on that line.

I expect little or no offensive production from the bottom 6. Couple that with the first line issues and we see what we are seeing.

But as I've said, if 19 and 81 are are playing the way they are SUPPOSED to be playing, this team most likely has at least 6 more points and is ahead of STL and we all have fewer concerns.

You are not BWC.

 

[BK]

How is he 'my new target'? The reality is that he has fallen off. The entire 2nd line has. I believe Anisimov has one goal in his last 13 or 14 games and he isn't winning the dot as much as we'd like. That's not a target. That's reality.

I attribute it largely to the fact that line is paired with Rosi and Scuderi and seemed to spend a good chunk of their shifts hemmed in the D zone.

You are right though, he isn't an issue per se, but there's no denying his production has fallen off. In a team with only one one scoring, that becomes and issue when that very line isn't scoring anymore.

Which all goes back to the failures of the first line.

And to an extent, the 3rd line. The third line last year featured Patrick Sharp. Sure, a down year, but one removed from a 30 goal campaign. Sharp was a 'could break out of it any minute' player. Does this year's third line inspire that confidence? TT was also on that line.

I expect little or no offensive production from the bottom 6. Couple that with the first line issues and we see what we are seeing.

But as I've said, if 19 and 81 are are playing the way they are SUPPOSED to be playing, this team most likely has at least 6 more points and is ahead of STL and we all have fewer concerns.

Wait I din't even quote you....I think it might be time to check some IPs.