Don’t have a whole lot today, but here’s a quick rundown of some interesting items:
–Anyone still holding out hope for Stan Bowman to make a trade soon, don’t hold your breath. While the topic of Long Term Injury Reserve is brought up, it once again went completely unanswered. Here’s Bowman’s take:
“It was the same thing with Burish and it was the same thing with Hossa. We know these guys are going to be back during the season so you don’t want to have to undo something later because these guys are ready to go and you can’t get them into the lineup.”
I’m still having trouble figuring out how putting Burish or Bolland on LTIR and allowing a Rockford forward du jour to take up a roster spot is going to have to be undone later. No one’s asking the Hawks to go out and get Ilya Kovalchuck (though that would be nice); all anyone with a half of a brain wants to know is why the Hawks are avoiding LTIR like it’s the Ebola virus.
Is it to save Rocky Wirtz a few hundred thousand dollars? Is it because no one in Rockford is worth the trouble? Unlike the salary cap, the answer can’t be that complicated.
–I meant to mention this after Wednesday’s game, but instead ended up answering it in the comments. The two Colin Fraser scraps were the epitome of a desperate man. With Hossa all set to come back within a couple weeks, Fraser has done the math and knows he needs to do anything to get the attention of the coaching staff. So his best solution is to drop the mitts with anyone willing.
To me, this was depressing more than anything else.
–I will be making my maiden voyage to the United Center tomorrow night. During the mid-90’s, it felt like there was a three-year stretch where the Hawks and Leafs played each other 734 times. Now it’s a huge deal when they play once a year, even if one of the teams is a turd in the punch bowl. So if you see a Mediterranean-looking fellow hurl himself towards the glass to celebrate a Blackhawks goal, that’s not me, but I’ll be near by.
Something has been gnawing away at me for a couple of weeks and it’s not when did “The Office” turn from one of the few can’t miss shows on television into just another mediocre sitcom.
When we wrote our article for “The Committed Indian” last week, we examined the relationship between Stanley Cup winners and their head coaches. To recap, we found that almost every head coach had at least won a conference championship by his fifth year of coaching.
In the aforementioned article, I went as far back as 1980 to discover Jacques Demers and Al Arbour were the only coaches of Cup champions with more than five years experience who hadn’t at least a conference championship.
This time, I went as far back as the 1967-68 campaign a.k.a. when the NHL expanded from six to twelve teams and discovered the number of coaches stays the same. Demers and Arbour were still the only coaches in the exclusive club.
Now before I go any further, let me make this clear- This isn’t meant to be an indictment of Joel Quenneville.
What I’m really interested in figuring out is why this seems to be the case. Why is it that the head coaches of Stanley Cup winners, as a rule, had to have won at least a conference championship by their fifth year?
Let’s try and clear up the obvious first. The fact that the NHL was dynasty driven from the late 60’s to late 80’s plays a fairly large role. The Montreal Canadiens won 8 Cups in the 70’s with Scotty Bowman directing them to 6 of them. The New York Islanders and Arbour won 4 to start the 80’s and the Edmonton Oilers with Glen Sather (coach for 4) and John Muckler (1) closed out the decade with 5 of their own.
In 42 years, that’s 17 Cups won by only three teams. Not to mention, Bowman also won 4 more Cups with Pittsburgh and Detroit.
That still leaves 21 other Cup winners, so the lingering question remains, and to be perfectly honest…….I don’t have a slightest clue as to why this is the case. Sure, there are a few cogent theories.
The life span of NHL coaches is relatively short to begin with. There aren’t many coaches that get more than five years to prove their chops. In most cases, if a coach hasn’t righted the ship by his third year, then he’s going to get canned and he may not get another shot at redemption.
The more playoff failure a coach experiences, the harder it is for him to shake it. Joel Quenneville is actually a pretty good example here. Last year in the playoffs, Hawk fans were given an up-close and personal view on some of Coach Q’s warts. His incessant line-matching can be maddening and his epic meltdown in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals didn’t exactly help the situation. The longer it takes for a coach to win, the more they try to force the issue.
Scotty Bowman. Nowadays, Scotty has assumed the position of Black Hand within the Blackhawks organization previously held by Bob Pulford. Before that, he was, without question, the best coach in NHL history. Of the 42 Cup Champions since league expansion, Scotty was a part of a ridiculous 24% of them.How many coaches lost their chance at immortality because of him? At least 10, including Joel Quenneville.
For the most part, though, there is no concrete evidence as to why coaches need to win at least win a conference championship by their fifth year. It really shouldn’t make a difference, but just a mere glance at 40 of the last 42 years proves otherwise.
With Joel Quennville never winning more than 9 games in a playoff campaign throughout his 13-year coaching career, it would certainly behoove him to start reversing this trend as soon as he can.
*On the Farm*
–Byron Froese scored a goal and was a +2 in Everett’s 3-1 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday.
Posted in Random Thoughts on November 1, 2009 by blackhawkbob
There’s much to be excited about on this first day of November, but none should exceed the excitement one feels when he/she views the uniforms the Canadiens wore last night in Montreal. Sure, we saw the multi-striped Habs uniforms during last season, but the gloves … the gloves … they’re … they’re … beautiful.
Pairing old-style, leather-colored gloves is a brilliant touch to a throw-back uniform originally worn during an era when leather-colored gloves were the norm. And, this true-to-time touch far exceeds the look of the same uniforms last season, when the Habs wore blue gloves to match the plain blue pants.
It begs the question: Has this ever been done before? I can’t recall a time when an NHL paired throwback uniforms with throwback leather gloves. Anyone?
Congratulations to those who had October 27th in the “When will Colin Campbell re-define the NHL rules” pool. According to the Hockey Central crew on Versus, the NHL will not be suspending Toronto Maple Leafs forward Colton Orr for making contact with an official.
In case you missed it, here’s his scrap with Anaheim’s George Parros from Monday night.
Scroll to the one minute mark to see the contact.
Now before we go any further, let’s look at the NHL rules as stated in their rule book when it comes to players making contact with an official.
41.3 Automatic Suspension – Category II – Any player or goalkeeper who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner, which physical force is applied without intent to injure, or who spits on an official,shall be automatically suspended for not less than ten (10) games.
So let’s rundown this checklist and apply it to this situation- Orr deliberately sticks out his hand, places it on the lineman’s chest, and pushes off. Yes, he’s a bit off-balance so the fall makes it more dramatic.
Unfortunately, the rule clearly states ‘any manner, which physical force is applied without intent to injury’. He made physical force and applied it without intent to injure. What else does Campbell need to see?
Apparently, I’m the only one who feels like the hammer should have come down on Orr. Lord knows the Anaheim color guy doesn’t agree with me.
Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer for the people in charge of the NHL to enforce their written rules instead of trying to figure out what Orr actually was trying to do by pushing off the linesman. He deliberately made physical contact without intent to injure. End of story. 10 games.
If you really want to diagram the situation, let’s look at it from the linesman’s perspective. The two guys were fighting for nearly a full minute, throwing a ton of punches. One of the combatants loses his helmet and appears to be wearing out. If Orr was to fall to the ice and crack his head, everyone would be wondering why the linesman didn’t step in. Instead, he steps in, gets shoved to the ice, and then gets blamed for it.
Why should the NHL stick up for its officials, it’s not like they’re important or anything.
–A couple of really odd items from Tim Sassone in his weekly examination of the NHL. And that’s not even taking into account his bizarre pining for a NHL team to take a flyer on the ancient Chris Chelios.
Sassone bemoans the current injury epidemic currently affecting the league:
Some of the game’s best players are out with injuries, which isn’t good for the NHL.
The Thrashers have lost Ilya Kovalchuk for a month with a broken foot. Kovalchuk joined the growing list of injured stars that includes Jonathan Toews, Johan Franzen, Marc Savard, Daniel Sedin, David Booth, Brent Seabrook, Danny Markov, Sergei Gonchar and Mike Modano.
Whoa, that’s a lot of names. Let’s look at them one-by-one.
Ilya Kovalchuk- No question, he’s a star and also my wet dream trade-deadline acquisition for the Hawks.
Jonathan Toews- Captain of an Original 6 franchise, if I squint for awhile, I guess he’s a star too.
Johan Franzen- Key component of a Cup winner. Solid two-way player. Unfortunately, he’ll never be confused with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, so I’m sorry, he’s not a NHL star.
Marc Savard- Tremondous individual stats, been a point-per-game player for the last 5 years. However, I’ve yet to hear someone say, ”Hey, guess who’s coming to town this weekend? Marc Savard and the Bruins.” Not a star.
Daniel Sedin- Franchise player but also might be more famous because he has an identical twin. Nevertheless, we’ll say a star.
David Booth- Nice player, but in absolutely no way would anyone in a sober state of mind consider him a NHL star. The player who put him on the injured list is a different story.
Danny Markov- We’ll give Tim the benefit of the doubt on this one. Danny Markov, a journeyman defenseman, retired four years ago. Andrei Markov was probably who he meant. While he’s incredibly important to the Canadiens success, nobody is going to confuse him with Larry Robinson anytime soon.
Sergei Gonchar- First of all, he could be on a list of injured players in nearly every season he plays. Second, not a star.
Mike Modano- Hasn’t been a star since the Clinton Administration.
If you’re keeping track, that’s three injured stars and a bunch of other guys. Not exactly the most desperate of times for the NHL.
Then, there’s this:
Hawks GM Stan Bowman told WGN radio any tough guy he might consider acquiring would need to be able to skate to play on the team.
Here are five tough guys who might be available:
1. Derek Boogaard, Wild: Heavyweight is an unrestricted free agent after the season.
2. Matt Carkner, Senators: Led NHL with 5 fighting majors through the weekend.
3. Darcy Hordichuk, Canucks: No way the Canucks send him here, right?
4. Colton Orr, Maple Leafs: The Maple Leafs need to shake things up.
5. Dan Carcillo, Flyers: Philly also has Ian Laperriere
Naming five guys who would have a tough time getting 10 minutes a night for the Rockford IceHogs, let alone the Blackhawks, is probably not what Stan has in mind.
Like I said, odd.
*On the Farm*
Rockford came out like gangbusters against the Chicago Wolves. They outshot them 17-6 in the first period and to show for it, they had a 1-1 tie. Bryan Bickell got the IceHogs on the board with his second goal of the season with assists from Nathan Davis and Bracken Kearns.
The Wolves answered back with the next two goals. Chris Chelios had assists on both of them. The Hogs tied it late in the second period when Nathan Davis scored his fifth of the year. Bickell and Evan Brophey were credited with assists.
The game remained that way until the shootout. All the IceHogs were denied by Manny Legace and Tim Stapleton was the only player to score against Corey Crawford to give his team the win.
–Byron Froese was held off the scoresheet for the Everett Silvertips. Fortunately, they still held on to beat the Kootenay Ice 4-1.
–Kyle Beach had a hat trick for the Spokane Chiefs. It wasn’t enough to get the win, though, as they lost 5-4 to the Brandon Wheat Kings. Beach scored his first two goals within a minute and a half in the first period including one on the power play. His third goal came in the third with his team down 5-3.
Posted in Random Thoughts on October 27, 2009 by blackhawkbob
– Brent Sopel played exceedingly well yesterday evening, reminding watchers why Dale Tallon signed him to a three-year, $7 million deal two seasons ago. It proves – beyond a shadow of a doubt, to me – that Sopel is a much better player when asked to play big minutes against top offensive players, as opposed to fewer minutes against third and fourth line players. And, he wouldn’t be alone in that. Playing against the other team’s best players seems to allow Sopel to simplify his game; to concentrate on defending the opposition with quick decisions, rather than feeling responsible for more against less talented grinders. He’ll have to remember this mindset when he’s again asked to play against lesser talents, as he most certainly will be when Seabrook is ready to go.
– While they’re certainly very different players, watching John Madden play this season reminds me of watching Brian Campbell during the beginning portion of last year. I remember being stunned – following years of being subjected to below average defensemen – by watching a blueliner who could legitimately move the puck on a nightly basis. This year, while I continue to respect the defensive efforts of Jonathan Toews, Andrew Ladd, and others, John Madden is in a world of his own as a defensive forward. His speed, tenacity and strength on the puck make him a must-watch every night. I’ve also been impressed with his offensive ability.
– There’s been a Tomas Kopecky sighting! While I remain incredibly underwhelmed by the new Hawk, he showed spurts of what he’s capable of last night. To me, he seems miscast as a grinder; his skill set seems more fitting of a top-six role – a role he’s unfortunately not quite skilled enough for at the NHL level. More broadly, the fourth line played well, too.
– Jake Dowell willingly threw his name into the “If Ben Eager Won’t Be Back Anytime Soon, I Can Be Your Enforcer-Type” hat yesterday evening. To his credit, during his scrap, he seemed to fight to get loose from Minnesota’s Shane Hnidy, but Hnidy didn’t seem to want to go with the former Badger.
– Kris Versteeg played a heck of a game, too. If Q can just find the right combination to fully utilize Versteeg’s skill with the puck, one could see Versteeg making himself into a Kane-like threat. The problem’s never been Versteeg’s skill, though; it’s been his ability to show it most nights.
– Dustin Byfuglien played a very active game.
– Yes, the power play has to be better, but as long as the penalty kill is great, there’s time.
Posted in Random Thoughts on October 23, 2009 by blackhawkbob
It’s the Chicago Blackhawks question seemingly older than the NHL itself: ‘Do the Hawks need an enforcer?’ More recently, giving the giving the age-old inquiry a more relevant twist, many have asked, ‘Do these Hawks, led by young and slight super stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, need an enforcer?’
The answer for the past 13+ months has been simple – at least to the Feather: no. With big boys Matt Walker skating among the top-six defensemen on a nightly basis and willing – thought not necessarily able in each instance – combatants Ben Eager, Adam Burish and Craig Adams mucking and grinding on the fourth line, it seemed to many that a typical goon just wasn’t necessary. ‘It’s enforcer by committee,’ many would say. Sure, problems arose from time to time, but the group was just large enough to keep competitors honest.
But with the aforementioned Walker, Eager, Burish and Adams all either gone or missing in action due to long-term injuries, it seems only natural to ask, ‘With the “committee” gone, what now? Who’s responsible for filling the role this time around?’
This time around, the story’s a bit different. Big guys Brent Seabrook, Cam Barker and Troy Brouwer all play big, important minutes – and none is particularly adept with the fists – and the fourth line, where most enforcers lurk in today’s game, is home to a group of forwards I’d trust to babysit your children. (Would you let Derek Boogaard or Marty McSorley take your kid to Chuck E Cheese? ‘Sure,’ you’d say, ‘but only if Tie Domi chaperones.’)
Sure, Colin Fraser works hard; he’s mostly responsible; and, hell, he scored 17 goals in the AHL during 2007-2008, but he’s no more an enforcer than the man he was acquired for: Alex Zhamnov. Remember when Fraser was called up a few years ago? As is typical for youngsters, Fraser fought to open up the eyes of Hawks’ management; his fight opponent responded by opening up a gash above his.
Andrew Ebbett is cheap and offensively capable, but you’d be hard pressed to tell him and Patrick Kane apart from the neck down, ignoring any crabs. Needless to say, not only is Ebbett out of place on the fourth line, he’s about as scary as Hannah Montana with a fly swatter.
Finally, there’s Tomas Kopecky. All you have to remember about Kopecky is how Patrick Sharp went toe-to-toe with him last season. He’s also played punching bag to a few, more established bounders during his day.
It all leads to my point: especially without the dearly departed Jack Skille, the fourth line has taken a huge dip in all areas when compared to last year’s groups. This year’s trio is smaller, slower, less physical – and much less capable of keeping other teams honest using the fisticuffs.
So, with the trio falling well short of allowing Coach Q to roll four lines and, in so doing, failing to fill any role typically assigned to an NHL fourth line, why not think about bringing in a big goof to fill at least one of those roles?
With another season under way and the Blackhawks still one of the hottest stories in the city, there are plenty of things to talk about. Unfortunately, there’s only one story you’ll ever hear about- the goaltending- and that became cliche two weeks ago.
There appears to be nothing left of Cristobal Huet’s battered corpse. It’s been beaten so many times, it supposedly took the Cook County Coroner nearly three days to identify him.
On the bright side, there should be no shortage of unemployed Chicagoans after going through this, because we now have enough goaltending coaches to employ a Canadian province. Nevermind the fact that most of these people at this point last year thought the ‘butterfly position’ was something they tried with their girlfriend in college. They know what solid goaltending fundamentals look like and Huet doesn’t have them.
With that being said, I’m going to try and help you find different things (real or imagined) to discuss among your Blackhawk fan brethren that won’t make you want to stick your face on a hot iron. Who knows, maybe we’ll even learn something out of this.
The power play is always a popular topic, but be careful because it can quickly turn into something as boring and dull as a goaltending debate. The media likes to cover this story by asking, “What’s wrong with the power play?” followed by Coach Q or Brent Seabrook saying something along the lines of, “We’re looking to move the puck more, get more traffic in front, shooting more, etc.” Not much substance there.
Here’s something worthy of discussion though: Why have the Hawks changed their philosophy on the power play at the start of this year as opposed to last year?
If you recall, through the first few months of last year, the bread and butter of the Hawks power play was working the puck off the sideboards (using Kane mostly), all the while looking for the weak side wing (using Sharp) to bang home a one-timer. By February, teams took that play away from the Hawks and they subsequently struggled with the man advantage until they adjusted.
So far this season, the Hawks have generated all their power play pressure from the points. They plant one big body in front of the net, use the other two forwards to work the top of the circles, and move the puck around until one of their defenseman fires the puck off a one-timer.
Is this something they’re consciously doing so when teams finally adjust to them they can go back to the weak side one-timer later in the year? Or maybe they feel like they’re going to be more successful with this newer strategy and don’t really care what shows up on film?
Other questions to debate:
Will Patrick Kane ever play with linemates capable of handling one of his sweet, delicate passes? If any one is spending extra time in the trainer’s room to see how Marian Hossa is feeling, it’s Patrick Kane. I can’t imagine he enjoys it much when he takes the puck behind the opponent’s net after skating past their defensemen only to get bumped off the puck by Byfuglien. Nor does he probably like it every time one of his passes rolls off Bolland’s stick.
Can Andrew Ebbett actually become a successful 4th line wing? With long term injuries to Ben Eager and Adam Burish, Ebbett is being asked to play a position where he already has a distinct disadvantage because of his size. His real purpose is to be a 2nd line center and if Bolland needs extra rest for his back, then the Hawks will be in good shape with him. Unfortunately, their 4th line won’t be, which leads to….
Can the Hawks win games in the early going despite being a three line team? After being a team that relied on rolling all four lines last year, the Hawks are already finding out they can’t do it this year against good teams. The Detroit, Dallas, and Calgary games showed just how far the talent level drops off when the Hawks throw their 4th line on the ice.
How much porn is Patrick Sharp watching on the road with a new fiance and a hotel room to himself without Adam Burish? Think about it.
Did Kyle Ortman and ‘Dis Nemmi Guy’ go to the same college? The Chicago Meatballs have already displayed their love affair for Antti Niemi. Unfortunately, they have no idea how to say his name nor do they remember him actually playing in a game. Last week before the Oilers game, The Score’s Laurence Holmes had to inform a caller that Niemi had, in fact, never played against Detroit despite this man’s push for ‘Dis Nemmi Guy’ to be the starter because as he put it, “he stood on his head against Detroit last year and the only goals that went in were because of a 5-on-3.” I think I missed that game too.
It appears this idea of not having what it takes to win the Stanley Cup in October will not be going away anytime soon. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to show you how ridiculous this rhetoric is.
To look at a current situation and think a player (with a proven track record) performing poorly will continue to be bad for the rest of the season is, I don’t know, a bit short-sighted. Even the always respectable Tim Sassone is wrong occasionally. Just take a look back at this blog posting of his from last November.
Wow, this might be one of the most hilarious strands of Blackhawk thoughts from last season. Especially since we now know how it all actually played out. Among my favorites:
Havlat is frustrating the Hawks and don’t be surprised if GM Dale Tallon starts shopping the winger, who is making $6 million to not be a difference maker. Havlat is going to be an unrestricted free agent after the season and there’s no way he will be asked back. No chance. None.
Who knew in five months the Chicago media would be reporting breathlessly about Havlat’s tweets and whether or not he was returning to the Hawks.
Or this one:
What were the Hawks thinking when they gave Byfuglien a three-year, $9 million contract anyway.
The outcomes in San Jose and Anaheim could have been different with Havlat, Ladd, Bolland or Brouwer stepping up.
So when Sassone blogged on Sunday afternoon about what to do with the ‘Huet situation’, I just had to smile. He seems to believe sending Huet to Rockford is a real possibility and it certainly might be.
However, if Huet clears waivers and is sent to Rockford, then he’s probably not coming back here until the playoffs start.
Why? Well, let’s run through this hypothetical situation.
Say Huet gets his act together and the Hawks are running a tandem of Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi. One of them isn’t holding up their end of the bargain and goaltending is still an issue. If Huet is called up, he has to clear waivers once again.
So what would stop a team like the Blues or Red Wings (who are still looking for someone to eventually take over in the post-Osgood era after the failed Jimmy Howard experiment and were after Huet two years ago when he was a free agent) from taking a gamble on him? They’d be getting a respectable goaltender for the next two years while they only have to fit half the bill and their key divison rival takes care of the rest.
And you’re sick of watching him now? How about watching him get his act together for a division rival and the Hawks paying for him to do it? Meanwhile, there’s a black hole of sucktitude standing in the UC net on a nightly basis.
Now maybe you’re saying, “John, don’t be silly. How unlikely does that scenario you just mentioned seem?”
And I would respond to you, my interweb friends, “About as unlikely as thinking last November, Havlat would be the Hawks’ best player come April.”
*On the Farm*
–Rockford won their second game in a row on Saturday night beating the Peoria Rivermen in a shoot-out 4-3. The Ice Hogs trailed 3-0 halfway through the second, then responded with three unanswered goals. Bryan Bickell put them on the board with an assist from Jake Dowell. Matt Keith scored the next two also assisted by Dowell both times. Corey Crawford faced 28 shots and stopped 25 of them. Danny Bois, Rob Klinkhammer, Evan Brophey, and Derek Nesbitt were goal scorers in the shoot-out.
In case you were wondering, in the AHL, they use five shooters in their shoot-out format instead of three.
–According to this guy, Shawn Lalonde missed the last two games for Belleville due to a shoulder injury that’s likely to sideline him for the next month.
–After costing his team on Friday night with a tripping penalty, Kyle Beach scored the game-winning goal for Spokane on Saturday night in their 3-1 win over Kootenay. Of course, later in the third, he was sent off for another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty along with teammate Corbin Baldwin.
–Byron Froese assisted on Everett’s game-winning power play goal against the Kelowna Rockets. He was a +1 and had 4 penalty minutes.
–Minnesota-Duluth swept their weekend series against Minnesota State with a 3-2 win. Dan DeLisle picked up his first point of the season when he assisted on UMD’s second goal. Dylan Olsen was held in check and was a -1.
–RPI went 0-1-1 in the Alaska Gold Rush. They lost on Friday night to Alaska-Anchorage 3-0. On Saturday night, Brandon Pirri was their lone goal scorer in a 1-1 tie with Alaska-Fairbanks.
–Billy Sweatt went scoreless in Colorado College’s weekend against the University of Wisconsin. He did have 10 shots on goal, though. For the season, Sweatt has a goal and assist in 4 games.
There’s a whole lot to cover, so let’s get right down to it:
–Jack Skille was reassigned to Rockford once again on Tuesday. At this point, the Hawks jagging around Skille is beyond curious. The excuse they are giving is their salary cap issues. However, one simple move would alleviate this so-called headache: placing Marian Hossa on Long Term Injury Reserve.
Bobby and I have tried to get to the bottom of why the Hawks haven’t placed Hossa on Long Term Injury Reserve and the best answer we’ve received is the Hawks don’t feel like it.
Ok, so then why are the Hawks constantly calling up Skille and subsequently reassigning him once the game is over?
Well, they obviously don’t think that highly of him. The Hawks would never pull stunts like this with a prospect of an esteemed pedigree.
The only other logical explanation we can think of is money. Every day Skille is up with the parent club, he’s collecting some of his $1.275 million contract. When he’s in Rockford, he makes significantly less. Players on two-way contracts are paid daily based on where they’re playing. So when Skille played on Monday, he collected on some of his $1.275 million. When they reassigned him on Tuesday, he was back to collecting his minor league contract.
Seems kind of silly for a team making bank like the Hawks to try and save a few thousand dollars, but it’s really the only thing we can think of. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.
–Here’s a conversation Bobby and I had during Monday night’s game:
Bobby: Have you noticed perhaps no one in the history of the NHL faces more bouncing pucks than Brent Sopel? Every time a loose puck comes to him, it’s hopping all over the place.
John: No, never noticed.
(Five seconds pass, the puck finds Sopel in the neutral zone and it’s bouncing like a Superball.)
John: You might be on to something there.
–The Hawks absolutely abused the Flames in the face-off dot. They won 41 of the 64 face-offs. Sure, it’s only five games into the season but the Hawks are currently the 3rd best team in the NHL in face-off percentage. They’re winning draws at a 56.4% clip. That’s already quite the improvement from last year’s 48.1%. Being mediocre at face-offs isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it sure is nice to see the Hawks made a conscious effort to improve a glaring weakness from last year.
–Raise your hand if you knew Patrick Sharp was in the middle of a 5-game point streak….Thought so. It’s quite possible Sharp is having the quietest point streak to open the season in NHL history. Maybe it has something to do with how awful he looks playing the point with a man advantage.
I’m all for Quenneville and the coaching staff experimenting with different looks at the start of the season. That’s why you won’t see me complain about Colin Fraser on the penalty kill yet, but using Sharp on the point is wrong on so many levels.
Everything Sharp is below average at doing, the Hawks are asking him to do by playing the point. He’s not an efficient puck handler; he’s not very good at distributing the puck; and that’s without taking into account how asking Sharp to stand there and wait for the puck is the worst thing for him. He’s at his best when he’s constantly moving around, helping out on the cycle, and getting himself open for a pass.
So yeah, anytime they’re ready to ditch the idea is fine by me.
–With Ben Eager out indefinitely, the Hawks fourth line is quickly turning from one of their major strengths into a major weakness. Last year, more than any other player, including the pie-slinging Adam Burish, Eager was the one who gave Quenneville the ability to constantly roll four lines without worry. His ability to forecheck and create offense has actually become pretty hard to replace.
–Colin Fraser is certainly more than capable of being a 4th line center. Unfortunately, if he’s not playing with two players better than him, he becomes a huge liability. He runs around in the defensive zone with the awareness of a Mite player in a scrimmage.
With Fraser between Skille and Kopecky, the Hawks are quickly becoming a three line team. It should be enough to get them out of the first couple months of the season but once the calendar flips to spring, they need to be rolling all four lines again.
–Just so everyone is clear, Bobby is planning on charging $20 a head for anyone trying to re-board the Dustin Byfuglien bandwagon. His goal against Calgary was something to be seen; picking the puck on his backhand, deking Kiprusoff, then sliding the puck through the 5-hole. Do I dare call it a ‘goal scorer’s’ goal?
–Speaking of bandwagons, it appears Sam and I will probably be the only two left on Cristobal Huet’s by the end of the month.
Let’s clear up some confusion because with the Hawks now a mainstream story, the media is adding all sorts of poppycock to this.
This isn’t football and goalies aren’t quarterbacks. If Antii Niemi is named the starter for a couple games that doesn’t mean we have seen the last of Huet. We’ll still be seeing him two to three times a week so the talk about the team losing confidence in him, not believing in him, his season being over, etc. is for the birds.
If anything, goalies are like relief pitchers. It’s incredibly difficult to predict future success, during the season they’re largely interchangable (with the exception of the top 2 or 3 guys), and they’re really weird.
Hell, we’re barely two years removed from Patrick Lalime being named the starter ahead of Nikolai Khabibulin for a brief period. How quickly we all forget.
–I would venture to guess the same people begging Dale Tallon to trade Khabibulin at the beginning of last year because of Huet’s arrival are probably the same people bemoaning the loss of the great Nikolai Khabibulin.
–Sticking with the goalie theme, I have to wonder this: If Huet let in the two goals Antii Niemi did on Monday night, he probably would have needed President Obama’s security staff to help him exit the United Center. Say what you will about Huet’s play to start this season, but he’s yet to give up two goals as bad as those. That’s a fact.
The Hawks are a whopping five games into the season. Five.
The hyperbole of the Hawks not being good enough to win the Stanley Cup because of what happened in an October game is patently ridiculous. If that were the case, the Penguins wouldn’t have had a prayer against the Capitals in the playoffs last year. The Capitals beat them 4-3 on October 16th and Marc-Andre Fleury only stopped 26 of the 30 shots he faced.
I guarantee you there were more than a few Penguin fans proclaiming after the game, “This team isn’t good enough to win the Cup with Fleury as their goalie!!!11″
