GDT: Game 38: Cry, Cry, Cry... | Canucks at Hawks | Dec. 20, 2013 | 7:00 PM CT | NHL-US

[CertainAffinity*]

Hawks deserved to lose.

Didn't even bother to show up for the second half of the game.

They also can't be bothered to string together 60 minute efforts for team defense, leading to come-from-behind victories.

Really pathetic display from a team that seems either totally incapable or totally disinterested in fixing the issues that have plagued them all year. Really disgusting.

 

[zac]

Huh?

The Hawks had a pretty good effort the first period. Just only got one puck in net.

First half of the period was alright but that was more of a product of Vancouver not having their legs under them. Our defensemen were awful with their outlet passes, and the forwards weren't very crisp with their passing either.

I lot of credit to Vancouver with their effort and in zone play. If I'm Q I'm highlighting their dzone play from the game film. It's what we should be trying to do as it's killing us (last goal Bollig was daydreaming) on defense. Our forwards don't maintain proper spacing and they don't pressure the puck enough. Vancouver's forwards did an excellent job and I think that has a lot to do with Torts.

I haven't seen enough of Vancouver to say he's been excellent on the overall, but he's much more intelligent than Q for getting his team to play that way.

 

[zac]

Hawks deserved to lose.

Didn't even bother to show up for the second half of the game.

They also can't be bothered to string together 60 minute efforts for team defense, leading to come-from-behind victories.

Really pathetic display from a team that seems either totally incapable or totally disinterested in fixing the issues that have plagued them all year. Really disgusting.

Our forwards are just a ****ing mess out there right now. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what they're doing out there.

The scary part is it's not getting better. It's getting worse.

 

[Fortyfives]

Hawks deserved to lose.

Didn't even bother to show up for the second half of the game.

They also can't be bothered to string together 60 minute efforts for team defense, leading to come-from-behind victories.

Really pathetic display from a team that seems either totally incapable or totally disinterested in fixing the issues that have plagued them all year. Really disgusting.

Hawks didn't play good tonight, but you are being over dramatic!

 

[Kurtosis]

Clear the track, here comes Lack!

Okay?

 

[hisgirlfriday]

No wonder Hossa was gassed enough in OT to get caught from behind. He played 22:37.

 

[CPHawksFan]

Hawks couldn't get anything going on the PP...I know VAN has one of the best PK's in the league, but you gotta convert on at least one of those PP's. On the bright side, I thought the PK looked pretty good and Raanta was real good.

 

[TheFeistyFinn]

im thinking that Raanta should be #1

 

[Salvaged Ship]

Hawks couldn't get anything going on the PP...I know VAN has one of the best PK's in the league, but you gotta convert on at least one of those PP's. On the bright side, I thought the PK looked pretty good and Raanta was real good.

There's no room in here for the bright side, don't you know that?

 

[vanarchy]

Nucks fan in peace. First off, good game.

Second, I fully expect us to wind up in a wildcard position and you guys to be in first. I think a playoff pairing is likely and think it would be something to behold.

 

[Marina]

I'm bad luck. The game was still pretty fun though.

The PK looked a lot better; on the flip side the PP was lacking. Thought Kane and Raanta played great. Glad to see him improve in the shootout.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

Getting real ****ing tired of Toews invisibility act this year.

If he's injured sit his ass and let him heal. If he's not... well somebody in the lockerroom needs to call him out, because he's not getting **** done out there.

And I'm not even talking about goals. The dominant possession and cycling we saw earlier this season is gone two. When his line is in the zone, half the time the play dies on his stick.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I learned tonight that the trip from Evanston to Champaign takes the exact same amount of time for two anthems to be sung and a full game of regulation, overtime, and three rounds of shootout to be played.

Good to know.

Also, good to know that Raanta can be good in the shootout.

 

[thepuckmonster]

First half of the period was alright but that was more of a product of Vancouver not having their legs under them. Our defensemen were awful with their outlet passes, and the forwards weren't very crisp with their passing either.

I lot of credit to Vancouver with their effort and in zone play. If I'm Q I'm highlighting their dzone play from the game film. It's what we should be trying to do as it's killing us (last goal Bollig was daydreaming) on defense. Our forwards don't maintain proper spacing and they don't pressure the puck enough. Vancouver's forwards did an excellent job and I think that has a lot to do with Torts.

I haven't seen enough of Vancouver to say he's been excellent on the overall, but he's much more intelligent than Q for getting his team to play that way.

Torts is no where near as good overall as Q is. He's a strong defensive coach, we're happy to have him but Q is on a whole other level.

Also, Raanta is a very impressive young goalie. What an excellent pickup for you guys.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

Torts is no where near as good overall as Q is. He's a strong defensive coach, we're happy to have him but Q is on a whole other level.

Also, Raanta is a very impressive young goalie. What an excellent pickup for you guys.

There's absolutely no doubt that the team defense in Vancouver has been on a whole 'nother level to the team defense on the Chicago Blackhawks. Night and day, Vancouver's team d is so, so much better.

And the team is working with lesser players to make it happen.

Really impressive.

I don't necessarily blame Q. He proved last year that he could coach great team defense. Thus far this season, he and the team have absolutely failed in that regard. And it cannot continue if this team wants to make a serious run at repeating.

 

[thepuckmonster]

There's absolutely no doubt that the team defense in Vancouver has been on a whole 'nother level to the team defense on the Chicago Blackhawks. Night and day, Vancouver's team d is so, so much better.

And the team is working with lesser players to make it happen.

Really impressive.

I don't necessarily blame Q. He proved last year that he could coach great team defense. Thus far this season, he and the team have absolutely failed in that regard. And it cannot continue if this team wants to make a serious run at repeating.

Well, our D was absolutely atrocious at the beginning of the year. Hamhuis looked like a friggin' AHLer out there. You know it's weird when lots of us are starting to think Tanev might be our best defensive defenseman. Torts has really brought Tanev along into a solid Top 4 guy.

Also, a lot of credit has to go to Mike Sullivan. NYR's defense looks awful now that he's gone. Perhaps it's less of a Q issue and more of an assistant coach issue? Plus, the Hawks are such an offensive juggernaut that I can see why the D makes more risky decisions, the reward is high and you guys can usually outscore any lapses. The reason we were such a high scoring team with Vigneault is because he loved when the D would make risky pinches for an offensive play. It was great when it paid off but it bit us in the ass soooo many times.

 

[Marina]

Getting real ****ing tired of Toews invisibility act this year.

If he's injured sit his ass and let him heal. If he's not... well somebody in the lockerroom needs to call him out, because he's not getting **** done out there.

And I'm not even talking about goals. The dominant possession and cycling we saw earlier this season is gone two. When his line is in the zone, half the time the play dies on his stick.

Agreed, he made a lot of dumb passes to no one tonight too. Just been very meh.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

Well, our D was absolutely atrocious at the beginning of the year. Hamhuis looked like a friggin' AHLer out there. You know it's weird when lots of us are starting to think Tanev might be our best defensive defenseman. Torts has really brought Tanev along into a solid Top 4 guy.

Also, a lot of credit has to go to Mike Sullivan. NYR's defense looks awful now that he's gone. Perhaps it's less of a Q issue and more of an assistant coach issue? Plus, the Hawks are such an offensive juggernaut that I can see why the D makes more risky decisions, the reward is high and you guys can usually outscore any lapses. The reason we were such a high scoring team with Vigneault is because he loved when the D would make risky pinches for an offensive play. It was great when it paid off but it bit us in the ass soooo many times.

Powerful offense is great, but it's not what made the Hawks nearly unbeatable last year. It wads their relentless, aggressive puck-pursuit and back-checking away from the puck that demolished teams.

When the other team had the puck, their puck careers had fractions of a second to react and make a decision before one or more Hawks were on them. They forced mistakes, picked up the fumbles, and burned teams on transition.

When other teams tried taking the puck into our zone, the fast, aggressive back-check allowed the defense to stand up on the blue line. Our forwards basically pushed the opposition into the jagged rocks, causing more turn-overs, rushed/sloppy passes, and stripped pucks.

It's gone now. Replaced with passive, disorganized ********, and instead of addressing it (cause the problem has been clear and obvious since game 1), they've just relied more and more on outscoring their problems.

And the 2010 Capitals and 2013 Penguins can tell you just how effective that strategy is once the games start to matter.

 

[Kurtosis]

I still want an answer to what left-handed shot is supposed to replace Keith on the PP.

 

[Addison Rae]

Just stopped by to say Patrick Kane is just unreal, the things I would do to have him on the Canucks.

 

[thepuckmonster]

Powerful offense is great, but it's not what made the Hawks nearly unbeatable last year. It wads their relentless, aggressive puck-pursuit and back-checking away from the puck that demolished teams.

When the other team had the puck, their puck careers had fractions of a second to react and make a decision before one or more Hawks were on them. They forced mistakes, picked up the fumbles, and burned teams on transition.

When other teams tried taking the puck into our zone, the fast, aggressive back-check allowed the defense to stand up on the blue line. Our forwards basically pushed the opposition into the jagged rocks, causing more turn-overs, rushed/sloppy passes, and stripped pucks.

It's gone now. Replaced with passive, disorganized ********, and instead of addressing it (cause the problem has been clear and obvious since game 1), they've just relied more and more on outscoring their problems.

And the 2010 Capitals and 2013 Penguins can tell you just how effective that strategy is once the games start to matter.

Yeah you make a good point. I can't figure out why though. I mean, the only change in your D-corps is Kostka and he's what, your 7th when everyone is healthy? Maybe they've let the success go to their heads? I think I might be tinfoil hatting now.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

I still want an answer to what left-handed shot is supposed to replace Keith on the PP.

Leddy seems like the obvious answer. He's better at gaining the offensive blue-line too.

 

[Kurtosis]

Leddy seems like the obvious answer. He's better at gaining the offensive blue-line too.

I am talking about on the whole PP (should have clarified). I don't have a problem with Leddy moving up, but if Keith doesn't replace him on unit #2, who does?

 

[CertainAffinity*]

Yeah you make a good point. I can't figure out why though. I mean, the only change in your D-corps is Kostka and he's what, your 7th when everyone is healthy? Maybe they've let the success go to their heads? I think I might be tinfoil hatting now.

It's either a systems change, which makes absolutely zero sense, or the Hawks have been reading too much of their own press, and believe that they can outscore any problems.

It's irritating, cause every time they put up a particularly bad performance and get blown out, they come back with several great defensive efforts.... and then they start slacking again, start losing close games they should have won (or flat out put away early), before ultimately getting blown out again and repeating the cycle of arrogance.

 

[CertainAffinity*]

I am talking about on the whole PP (should have clarified). I don't have a problem with Leddy moving up, but if Keith doesn't replace him on unit #2, who does?

Keith would still be the best option for the left side on the 2nd PP unit.

It's not ideal, but quite frankly nobody says he has to shoot it.

Some of his best PP highlights have been slap-passes from the point onto the stick of a guy in front, or just hard passes to the guy on the doorstep. He has the vision to get pucks through, his wrist shot just isn't great and his slap shot takes way too long to get off so it's easy for defenders to get into the lane.