JC'S Change Tracker - Pt 2

[Rick C137]

Strome and Toews are both near the net. Having a guy just stand there is easier to defend.

Yep they both slide pending on which side of the ice the puck is. That’s a more effective way to screen if you do it correctly. It’s much easier for a goalie to work around an immobile screen than a lot of constant movement in front of him.

 

[BobbyJet]

No one said net presence involves a Hawks player just standing there .... and nothing works if the puck doesn't arrive. In my view an effective PP needs to be diverse yet simple - get the puck to the blue paint by any means possible. A PP that fails to do so will dry up eventually.

 

[AmericanDream]

this power play struggled for years as it seemed everything needed to be forced through Kane and rarely if ever did we cross ice pass opening up the defense...now it seems we are actively looking to the point first, i,e Gus - and letting him decipher to shoot or cycle it back down to either dot...his shot is accurate and gets through it has been an absolute game changer having him run the point on the power play and less of Kane trying to dance and create from the boards on in.

 

[Pez68]

You can't argue with the success of the PP statistically but I would prefer more net presence and not looking for the perfect play. Good PK's will let a team play on the perimeter all night long. Dirty goals will come if they get the puck to the net often.

I mean, a whole bunch of goals on the PP lately have come off screened shots from the point, and rebounds. What are you talking about here?

 

[BobbyJet]

I mean, a whole bunch of goals on the PP lately have come off screened shots from the point, and rebounds. What are you talking about here?

No question the PP is much improved and the puck has found the twine but they still play around on the perimeter too much for my liking. Shots are not taken often enough, mainly (it seems) because of no net presence and/or looking for the pretty plays.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Every team plays on the perimeter on the PP and try to find holes as they move around. You are right that the PP will cool down, but not for reasons you stated. Teams will adapt.

 

[Pez68]

No question the PP is much improved and the puck has found the twine but they still play around on the perimeter too much for my liking. Shots are not taken often enough, mainly (it seems) because of no net presence and/or looking for the pretty plays.

I disagree. The power play is run exactly how it should be right now. It is as close to flawless as I have seen. Every game they are scoring in a different way from a different spot. That tells me they are running a quick, fluid, unpredictable power play that breaks the PK down and capitalizes on the openings.

They are scoring on 1/3 over the last two months. It just doesn't get better than that. You are seeing a problem that doesn't exist.

 

[BobbyJet]

/\

IMO, stats don't tell the whole story here but I hope you are right. Hawks will need continued success on the PP if they have any hope to squeak in.

 

[AmericanDream]

Every team plays on the perimeter on the PP and try to find holes as they move around. You are right that the PP will cool down, but not for reasons you stated. Teams will adapt.

teams can't adapt to skilled cross ice passes...it is why Ovi succeeds so well on the power play, every team knows it is coming but you can't stop it.. and Tampa just cross ice passes like crazy..the defense cannot settle or over commit or they are torched. as long as Kane and Gus remain as skilled as they are QB'ing this thing and setting up others, no reason for the power play to cool off that much IMO.

 

[Hawkaholic]

teams can't adapt to skilled cross ice passes...it is why Ovi succeeds so well on the power play, every team knows it is coming but you can't stop it.. and Tampa just cross ice passes like crazy..the defense cannot settle or over commit or they are torched. as long as Kane and Gus remain as skilled as they are QB'ing this thing and setting up others, no reason for the power play to cool off that much IMO.

It's near impossible to run at a 40% clip (Blackhawks pace since Xmas). Ovechkin can't be stopped because he's Ovechkin. Every PP goes cold for stretches. I believe they can pot 1/4 consistently if they keep it up, but it's not going to run at 40% the rest of the year.

 

[AmericanDream]

It's near impossible to run at a 40% clip (Blackhawks pace since Xmas). Ovechkin can't be stopped because he's Ovechkin. Every PP goes cold for stretches. I believe they can pot 1/4 consistently if they keep it up, but it's not going to run at 40% the rest of the year.

Kane is a top 3 producer in the game right now, Gus is a top 10 producer for his position...I am not saying our power play will maintain that, but I do not expect it to drop off that much - skill is skill.... and yes Ovi is Ovi, but there is a reason why cross ice passes allow him the room to do what he does, we rarely if ever did that prior to JC.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Kane is a top 3 producer in the game right now, Gus is a top 10 producer for his position...I am not saying our power play will maintain that, but I do not expect it to drop off that much - skill is skill.... and yes Ovi is Ovi, but there is a reason why cross ice passes allow him the room to do what he does, we rarely if ever did that prior to JC.

All I said is it would cool down from where it's at right now. It'll fluctuate from being this hot down to 1/4 or 5 for a period of time and then will get hot again.

 

[ClydeLee]

Kane is a top 3 producer in the game right now, Gus is a top 10 producer for his position...I am not saying our power play will maintain that, but I do not expect it to drop off that much - skill is skill.... and yes Ovi is Ovi, but there is a reason why cross ice passes allow him the room to do what he does, we rarely if ever did that prior to JC.

Rarely recently. But teams always have adjusted against it with the Hawks. That was their bread and butter, pun intended, in 15-16 and 10-11 the two years under Q they had to 5 PP units.

But teams did adjust to it, the problem is when that happened if they had no other plan they just gave up trying it and went to poor quality point shots. But things differ If they still have Gus a good point man, Strome being talented up top and I like the Toews in the middle adjustment because he keeps plays alive more and he was too often uninvolved from his too the side of the net spot. Teams adjust but they have a good unit to adjust with.

 

[AmericanDream]

All I said is it would cool down from where it's at right now. It'll fluctuate from being this hot down to 1/4 or 5 for a period of time and then will get hot again.

agreed, I never said it would stay at 40% either lol...

 

[pvr]

JC doubles down on the continued dman rotation of Dahlstrom, Forsling, and Koekkoek for their gradual development. After the unfortunate Darling news.

Former Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling requests leave of absence from Hurricanes

““We’re developing them,” Colliton said. “We’re not just thinking about, ‘How are they going to play now?’ It’s how are they going to play in 10 games, 30 games, next season. That’s something we’re going to continue to balance.””

 

[Toews2Bickell]

 

[Toews2Bickell]

 

[AmericanDream]

nahhhhh f*** of JC - #noimprovements #teamwouldbeinplayoffswithQ

 

[Blue Liner]

I was looking for the "I still wouldn't have fired Quenneville" before I realized it wasn't a Laz article.

That Strome quote is a pretty damn good sign.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

I was looking for the "I still wouldn't have fired Quenneville" before I realized it wasn't a Laz article.

That Strome quote is a pretty damn good sign.

Haugh ripped the move at first, if I remember correctly

 

[BobbyJet]

I think it is time that this thread needs to be bumped. I gotta say that my views of JC 's coaching have eroded down the stretch. I'm not ready to throw him under the bus yet but ....well, we'll see once he gets a clean start in 2019-2020.

 

[BK]

I think it is time that this thread needs to be bumped. I gotta say that my views of JC 's coaching have eroded down the stretch. I'm not ready to throw him under the bus yet but ....well, we'll see once he gets a clean start in 2019-2020.

To further the discussion, what actions/inactions, etc are driving this specifically?

 

[BobbyJet]

My main beef with JC to date is that too often he has coached exactly like Q did before him. Whether that's out of respect, I don't know. I'm not going to get into details right now. I'm just too disgusted at the team's performance to comment but anyone following the Hawks closely knows what I am talking about. You can start with the 4th line and the PK.

 

[AmericanDream]

I think JC has to learn over time that just because you are a veteran player does not mean you need to see the ice. At certain points in a game, you need to shorten the bench and that means the 4th line gets skipped in the rotation and third pairing as well..you can't go into a third period of the biggest game of the season and ice Kunitz, Kruger AND Seabs at the same damn time- that was a disaster unfolding in front of our eyes - Avs scored on them, though a flukey goal, still a goal.

I hope he gets the confidence to start sitting veterans that do not perform like they should be next season. That comes from stepping in mid season and not rocking the boat with his reluctance to do that outside of Manning and Kunitz. With an entire training camp under his philosophies and rules, I think he will have more confidence and faith in himself to makes those calls and not fear of losing the locker room...it is very obvious who the main name I am referring to will be, KFCeabs needs a reality check next season as Kruger and Kunitz are both likely gone. Seabs can still have a role here, but he has to be on the third pair with very limited power play time and absolutely zero pk time...he is too slow, falls out of position too much blocking shots- he can't get back into position quick enough anymore. Can JC do this to his boy, and anyone else if Kane or Toews take a dump next year??

 

[Kevin Musto]

I think JC has to learn over time that just because you are a veteran player does not mean you need to see the ice. At certain points in a game, you need to shorten the bench and that means the 4th line gets skipped in the rotation and third pairing as well..you can't go into a third period of the biggest game of the season and ice Kunitz, Kruger AND Seabs at the same damn time- that was a disaster unfolding in front of our eyes - Avs scored on them, though a flukey goal, still a goal.

I hope he gets the confidence to start sitting veterans that do not perform like they should be next season. That comes from stepping in mid season and not rocking the boat with his reluctance to do that outside of Manning and Kunitz. With an entire training camp under his philosophies and rules, I think he will have more confidence and faith in himself to makes those calls and not fear of losing the locker room...it is very obvious who the main name I am referring to will be, KFCeabs needs a reality check next season as Kruger and Kunitz are both likely gone. Seabs can still have a role here, but he has to be on the third pair with very limited power play time and absolutely zero pk time...he is too slow, falls out of position too much blocking shots- he can't get back into position quick enough anymore. Can JC do this to his boy, and anyone else if Kane or Toews take a dump next year??

I think part of it is JC trying to gain the trust and respect of the locker room. If he came in right away and started alienating players (especially cherished vets) by not icing them, there may have been some hostility towards him.