GDT: Hawks Vs Wings - 7:30PM CT on NBCSCH+ -- Man Dog Meets Madhouse on Maddison

[RayP]

I was out of town at game time. Listened to radio feed of the game live and just now watched it on PVR.

You watched the game and are adamantly defending a goalie who gave up 6 goals in 40 minutes on 17 shots?



Were they all soft goals and entirely his fault? No, of course not. Was he any good? Also a big fat no.

What positives did you draw from Ward from this game?

 

[BobbyJet]

You watched the game and are adamantly defending a goalie who gave up 6 goals in 40 minutes on 17 shots?



Were they all soft goals and entirely his fault? No, of course not. Was he any good? Also a big fat no.

What positives did you draw from Ward from this game?

Did you watch? Ward did make some fine saves in the first period, especially to keep the score close. Which goals should either Ward or Forsberg have stopped? As I said in a previous post, the 4th goal was probably the most stoppable but it was certainly no softy. I'm done with this thread.

 

[Pez68]

Actually he wasn't. Wings were allowed to hang around the crease too much and a few bad bounces made it a lot worse. Ward could have had the 4th Wings goal but even that was a great look, a point blank wrister from about 20-25 feet. Wings speed was not handled very well.

So who is the better option in your opinion? Ward or Forsberg?

 

[BobbyJet]

So who is the better option in your opinion? Ward or Forsberg?

I'm sure Q will give both goaltenders a chance to prove themselves. Assuming of course that Crawford doesn't return. If CC does return I expect it will be AF who will be the odd man out. No matter what else happens in the nets this season, Ward is destined to be a 1a or 1b this season.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Frankly, don't give a fats rat ass how many shots on goal that Wings had.

Did you watch the game? If you did, tell me honestly which goal was a softy. Answer, none.

Goal #2 was garbage. It hit him in the glove... and wasn't a very hard shot, either.

Goal #3 he kicked the rebound out right to a Detroit player, and in fairness, this is also on whoever wasn't there to pick up the trailers for Detroit, but he still needs to control that rebound better.

Goal #4 was garbage. He barely even moved his glove for this one.

Goal #5 was garbage. He lost track of the puck, and was busy sliding around on his knees while it fluttered in over his shoulder. He was down way early for it, and never recovered, which is why he let a flutterer go in over his shoulder.

Goal #6 was also glove, and again, he barely even moved it in reaction to the shot.

It was obvious his glove was awful in this game. His glove hand barely moved on these goals, and at least 3 of the 6 were to a very slow glove hand. He wasn't tracking the puck/seeing things very well at all.

He was not good. Not even close to being average. He was exactly what most expected him to be - bad.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Well perhaps you should before taking a stand that is based more on bad stats then anything else.

Ward has played what, 3 periods of preseason with Blackhawks? It's obvious he will be the fall guy for some posters all season long. I can only wish that that is all that has been wrong so far in the preseason.

I don't need to. A goalie that lets in 6 goals on 17 shots doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt. Make a damn save.

I had some time.
1st goal - a tough one for Ward since the clearing attempt by Seabs went off Dcat, but Ward was playing so deep in his net there as well, making himself smaller than he is.
2nd goal.
A wrister from the top of the circle, that deflected off his glove into the top of the net, no deflection, no screen. Weak.
3rd goal
Gives up a rebound right into the slot to a wide open wing. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as Mantha intended to do that.
4th goal, another wrister from the top of the circle, just over his glove. A good shot, but not amazing. An average goalie probably saves it.
5th goal
A fluke bounce that found its way in. Hard to blame any one.
6th goal
A good passing play, but it shows Wards weakness. Can't move side to side very well and lost his net.

Not all the goals were his fault, but if he makes a save on the two wrister from the top of the circles, the game changes. He didn't make a single difficult save.

 

[BobbyJet]

Goal #2 was garbage. It hit him in the glove... and wasn't a very hard shot, either. Perhaps was stoppable. Got a piece of it and it certainly was no softy.

Goal #3 he kicked the rebound out right to a Detroit player. Yeah a rebound from a breakaway. The Wings player shot low looking for a rebound chance as he should. A good play by him and nobody covering the Wings player looking for the rebound. Hawks were puck watching instead. No chance for Ward.

Goal #4 was garbage. He barely even moved his glove. Yet another point blank chance from 20 - 25 feet. The Wings player was unchallenged by defense. Perhaps stoppable but it was a snipe.

Goal #5 was garbage. He lost track of the puck, and was busy sliding around on his knees while it fluttered in over his shoulder. He was down way early. Pin ball goal from too many Wings players standing around near the blue paint.... and batted out of the air as I recall.

Goal #6 was also glove, and again, he barely even moved it. Another goal as a result of poor defensive coverage.

We saw more of the same when AF took over. Wings were given way too many grade A opportunities all game long. Both goalies were often left on their own. Looked more like an All Star game. Q must have been disgusted.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Goal #2 was garbage. It hit him in the glove... and wasn't a very hard shot, either. Perhaps was stoppable. Got a piece of it and it certainly was no softy.

Goal #3 he kicked the rebound out right to a Detroit player. Yeah a rebound from a breakaway. The Wings player shot low looking for a rebound chance as he should. A good play by him and nobody covering the Wings player looking for the rebound. Hawks were puck watching instead. No chance for Ward.

Goal #4 was garbage. He barely even moved his glove. Yet another point blank chance from 20 - 25 feet. The Wings player was unchallenged by defense. Perhaps stoppable but it was a snipe.

Goal #5 was garbage. He lost track of the puck, and was busy sliding around on his knees while it fluttered in over his shoulder. He was down way early. Pin ball goal from too many Wings players standing around near the blue paint.... and batted out of the air as I recall.

Goal #6 was also glove, and again, he barely even moved it. Another goal as a result of poor defensive coverage.

We saw more of the same when AF took over. Wings were given way too many grade A opportunities all game long. Both goalies were often left on their own. Looked more like an All Star game. Q must have been disgusted.

If he lets in shots to his glove like that all season, it isn't going to be good. Average goalies should stop most of those goals to his glove hand. They were primarily clean looks with no screen, and he just didn't react. He barely moved the glove on all those that went in to that side. He just wasn't seeing the puck well, or tracking it well.

Goal #2, hit him in the glove, and it was a weak shot. Yes it was a softy.

Goal #3, he has to control the rebound better. Yes, the Detroit player planned what he did, but he has to kick it out farther, or close to the boards, and not straight back out in front of the net to a trailing Detroit player.

Goal #5, he was down too early. If he's standing up, that puck hits him in the shoulder. I'm not a goalie, nor was I ever one, but to me, he was down early on that play, considering he didn't even know where the puck was.

I touched on the glove hand shots. His glove was garbage all night.

He didn't play well. You can say the team D left him hanging to some extent, but he did not play well at all, and there is no denying that.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Goal #2 was the definition of soft, come on Bobby. If that was Crow????

He didn't make a single tough save, stop defending his play.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Goal #2 was the definition of soft, come on Bobby. If that was Crow????

He didn't make a single tough save, stop defending his play.

Bingo.

 

[BobbyJet]

Goal #2 was the definition of soft, come on Bobby. If that was Crow????

He didn't make a single tough save, stop defending his play.

That statement confirms to me that you see what you want to see. Wings had 2 or 3 more great looks in the first period that were stopped by Ward and at least one more in the second period.

Back to the second goal. Did it hit Boqvist's stick? If not, his half-hearted poke check made it doubly difficult for Ward to pick it up.

 

[Hawkaholic]

That statement confirms to me that you see what you want to see. Wings had 2 or 3 more great looks in the first period that were stopped by Ward and at least one more in the second period.

Back to the second goal. Did it hit Boqvist's stick? If not, his half-hearted poke check made it doubly difficult for Ward to pick it up.

Why would I want to see our #1 goalie (for now) struggle? And you saying that confirms to me you have a bias for Ward, for some odd reason. He made saves he should have, not one was difficult where I would say, wow, that was a great save. You are lying if you think there was one of those saves.

It didn't hit his stick, and if that made it difficult for Ward to make the save, it's going to be a long season for Ward.

 

[BobbyJet]

Seriously? Why the f*** would I have a bias for Ward? The moment he was acquired some folks began the blame game and I don't see it ending no matter how he plays.

One thing I do agree with is it will be a long season if Hawks defending doesn't improve significantly.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Seriously? Why the **** would I have a bias for Ward? The moment he was acquired some folks began the blame game and I don't see it ending no matter how he plays.

One thing I do agree with is it will be a long season if Hawks defending doesn't improve significantly.

I don't know, you are defending him after a terrible game where he was embarrassed by his own performance. I think it's your round about way of defending Darlings play last year.

Why would I want to see Ward struggle, as you say "I see what I want to see." Sorry, but I don't want to see our goalies be awful like that.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Seriously? Why the **** would I have a bias for Ward? The moment he was acquired some folks began the blame game and I don't see it ending no matter how he plays.

One thing I do agree with is it will be a long season if Hawks defending doesn't improve significantly.

If he had played good any time in the last 6 years, it's probably not an issue... but he hasn't. He hasn't had a league average Save% since 2011. And his GAA has barely been league average the last few years.

 

[BK]

Goal #2 was the definition of soft, come on Bobby. If that was Crow????

He didn't make a single tough save, stop defending his play.

He actually made a few but he did not stop the ones he should have.

The second goal was the weak wrist shot where he was caught leaning right?

 

[ChiHawks10]

He actually made a few but he did not stop the ones he should have.

The second goal was the weak wrist shot where he was caught leaning right?

Yes. It even hit his glove. His glove was disgustingly slow/bad in that game. And I don't see how anyone can say it wasn't.

 

[BobbyJet]

I don't know, you are defending him after a terrible game where he was embarrassed by his own performance. I think it's your round about way of defending Darlings play last year.

Why would I want to see Ward struggle, as you say "I see what I want to see." Sorry, but I don't want to see our goalies be awful like that.

Beats me. Perhaps you are in denial about how bad Q's stick check first, passive defensive system is.

In this exhibition game Wings exploited it badly (with skill and speed) and they aren't even a physical team.

 

[BK]

Yes. It even hit his glove. His glove was disgustingly slow/bad in that game. And I don't see how anyone can say it wasn't.

Ward had a rough game. Blaming anyone other than him for the second goal is just not right. Boqvist played it right as he had another player coming down the short side so he made the right play by maintaining gap and letting Ward see the shooter.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Ward had a rough game. Blaming anyone other than him for the second goal is just not right. Boqvist played it right as he had another player coming down the short side so he made the right play by maintaining gap and letting Ward see the shooter.

Bit of an understatement. His own words called it "embarrassing".

 

[BK]

Bit of an understatement. His own words called it "embarrassing".

Rough mean terrible to me.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Rough mean terrible to me.

It was terrible.

 

[BobbyJet]

Ward had a rough game. Blaming anyone other than him for the second goal is just not right. Boqvist played it right as he had another player coming down the short side so he made the right play by maintaining gap and letting Ward see the shooter.

As a goalie I'm sure you know that waving the stick in a half-assed poke check makes it more difficult to pick up the shot off the stick. Most will say either block the shot or get out of the way. Perhaps that can be classified as a soft goal in some folks eyes. I'm sure Ward himself thought he could have stopped it ... but that's one goal, not all six.

 

[BK]

As a goalie I'm sure you know that waving the stick in a half-assed poke check makes it more difficult to pick up the shot off the stick. Most will say either block the shot or get out of the way. Perhaps that can be classified as a soft goal in some folks eyes. I'm sure Ward himself thought he could have stopped it ... but that's one goal, not all six.

Boqvist played that exactly how a D should. He maintained gap, took away the short side option, and let Ward see the puck. The goal is 100% on Ward. I always wanted see the puck.

 

[RayP]

Bit of an understatement. His own words called it "embarrassing".

This is my favorite part. Even Ward said he was pathetic out there, yet Bobby is still defending him. I always thought he was more pro Darling and not exactly anti-Crow but maybe its just a bias against Crow.