Protecting Kane
When you have a a franchise player such as Patrick Kane, the last thing you want to see if a grinder like Detroit's Dan Cleary running around drilling him around the head.
Cleary's hit Tuesday caused Kane (who did have his head down, I admit) to crumple to the ice, twisting his right leg. Kane said afte the 4-0 loss that his ankle was fine, but the Cleary hit raises the question: Do the Hawks need more protection for their star winger?
Troy Brouwer gets marks for trying to respond and Ben Eager picks his spots here and there to enforce, but do the Hawks need a guy who actually intimidates?
I thought there should have been more of a response to Cleary, who had his elbow up in Kane's face. Quenneville said he had no problem with the hit, which surprised me since Q likes his scraps. Wonder if he'll say the same thing Wednesday after looking at the tape a few more times. Kane called it a "clean" hit. OK, if they say so.
Maybe the Hawks should go after Zetterberg or Datsyuk on Thursday with hard hits. Send a message back to the mighty Red Wings.
I know this is the Winter Classic, and the NHL wants everyone to play nice on national TV, but I think there needs to be a Hawks response for the hit on Kane, clean or not. I say not.
Who says you can't fight outside?
first, he was hit while the hawks were on the pp and it wasn't a shot to the head by cleary, tho kane is small and may be more susceptible to hits to the head simply because most guys are bigger than he is. he also hurt his ankle by getting his skate caught in a rut - not as a direct result of the hit, which on replay looked clean.
if the pk'er overcommits to try to take kane out with a hit, kane's job is first to avoid coughing up the puck by either laying it off to an open guy or trying to elude the guy 1v1 ...with the best option being passing off to an open guy.
second, agree with earlier comments about taking undisciplined penalties - best way to defend kane might be to goad him into sitting in the box for a couple minutes or maybe more...he needs to stop taking costly undisciplined penalties or be introduced to the pine for a period again...
re: an "enforcer", i think having a legit heavyweight would be a useful roster addition, a lot of top teams have guys like that - montreal has laracques, washington has brashear, anaheim has parrots, rangers have orr, to name a few - these guys don't necessarily dress unless the opponent calls for it, but not having a guy who can keep the other team honest while provding his own team with a stiffer spine, particularly with so many young guys & skill players, does hurt the team, imo. that said, the hit on kane wasn't something an enforcer would prevent.
It's always good to read other posts because most guys here point out things that I miss or overlook during each game. For instance I read as much as I can about prospects but I have a limited insight.
I still think you hold onto Bulin and Havlat as long as you can, but if it takes trading one of them to go get the pieces this team needs, then do it. The object is to win and field the best team possible, but at the same time going into the remaining part of the season with glaring holes is stupid.
The faceoff concerns are legit. Bolland, Frazer, and Toews are all young and should develop into decent center-man. However, Sharp is not a center. THey need to find a guy to play with him and Kane.
I also agree with all the posts about how to beat the Redwings. That team is loaded. They come in waves and it seems that the first 2 games they weren't motivated until the 3rd period and then flicked the switch and showed how scary they can be. The hawks need to hammer these guys, but do it cleanly. Taking running cross checks at guys heads doesn't help. I saw Hossa and Franzen outwork Hawk players physically last night, and this needs to be copied by our players.
There is still a long way to go in this season, and I still think this team can finish as a top 4 as is, but I'm worried when Kane starts trying to settle his own scores and takes runs at people or carves them up with his stick. He shouldn't have to worry about that. Tweaks are needed and the sooner the better. Waiting until 3/3 is not a wise move. With all this depth on defense and prospects blocked, why not plug a few holes now?
Lastly, I like Foley, but he is a bit of a homer. However, he is still the best option. Eddie O needs to go. I don't care that he gets his national tv work, it doesn't make him any better. Is Joe Buck that good? I would think not. Eddie O was a coward as a player and all you have to do is google Hawk-Wings fights and find the self proclaimed tough guy in the fetal position as Probert wails on Nsylund. The sound of "stop it right here" makes the hair on my neck stand up. Where as Murray is right on most of the time.
Sorry for the length, but I prefer to address most posts in one, instead of responding as is. I feel for you guys who live in Michigan.
this article is retarded, the wings did exactly wut they needed to do to win, if they didnt be agresive and keep kane and toews and others away from the puck they would have scored, this is complaining that they won basicly...im sure dan cleary wasnt trying to injure him, he just ran him over n he fell on his ancle wrong. wich sucks, i dodnt wanna see a player hurt just like ne hawk fans for that mater but he had the puck on the power play wut did u want him to do lay out a red carpet in the derection of conklin? and then to write about going after z or pav is no better, dan cleary wasnt head hunting he was playing hockey,or did u forget that? i wish kane the best of luck w his injury and am looking forward to another detroit shut out on thurs ;)
Steve from chicago & SteveP make excellent points about players willing/needing to have a physical aspect as part of their game. Really everyone makes good points, but I just want to expand a tad on this particular point. Of course not all players play/have the same style of game. So when you have certain large-size players, they have to be doing something very well in order to stay in the lineup -- and if it isn't producing a lot of points, then they have to be accountable for their physical play and defensive responsibility as well. Coach Q has a challenge of making certain players become focused and better at the physical aspect, although it may never come completely natural to them. Practice makes perfect -- or at least better -- so drill & teach them -- and with some bangers at Rockford -- reward & punishment has to be Q's final stand on this issue. A Ladd I am more or less willing to live with his effort the past 25 games or so. But Brouwer in particular and Big Buff must bang and station themselves in front of the opposing net as often as possible. Yes, put Buff on a line with Kane & Sharp. Eager is also a good choice there if Buff doesn't follow Q's instruction(s). You know a Blunden would be chopping at the bit to do what he is told. I would offer a Brouwer/Kontiola and others mentioned (but maybe not Eager) if we can get a physical winger in return -- not a goon/strictly fighter. Ironic that Ottawa added some character in Ruutu and coach Hartsburg, yet still has the problem child (apparently) in Spezza. Would love Neil, Fisher, Ruutu and would consider moving a Barker, maybe even just one strong prospect from our stable. Coach Q would do well to stress to his team how Detroit was able to beat us last night, and how his young team needs to do much the same against RedWings as they played against us. It is also in our best interest to (if possible) replace a slower skater with a better skater (every advantage we have can make a difference). Why not see if Skille will follow directions up here? Would he play a more physical brand of hockey? He'll use his speed effectively backchecking. Not that Brouwer is a bad player, just that we can find someone who doesn't have his slowness afoot and lack of consistent intimidation/physical play. That Brouwer gets involved in fights is helpful, but he isn't really physical enough. I'm on record as stating that I do not care having both Fraser & Burrish on board due to skill level/skating issue. I can live with both (Fraser for face off and defensive responsibility) but not Brouwer, too, on a top line. Having more physical players on the roster will only help a Kane and Versteeg. Not sure if eventually I favor a fast skilled point producing center or a tough, moderate point producer as regular #2 center (Sharp back to wing). Does Barker alter the left/right defense pairs too much if he replaces Walker in lineup? Maybe even a Johnson and Brouwer for a more physical winger? Sorry I've blogged this long here -- trying to make valid points-- lastly, much thanks TheRealWiz for your junior update. Also interesting to see if any previously drafted junior players can impact our playoff contender's rosters. Filatov is lighting it up for Russia! maybe he could replace injured Brassard. Calagary may yet finish with better record than us.
I'm a native Michigander who has been watching the Wings his entire life. Here's how to beat the Wings:
1. Pound their forwards and undersized defense. And by pound, I don't mean take runs at them--the Wings are slippery and very skilled at drawing calls, which brings up the most important point...
2. STAY OUT OF THE BOX. This team is dangerous enough five-on-five, but beatable if you keep them there.
3. Traffic in front of the net--and not just on the power-play. Do the Hawks have a player with the size and cohones for this task? I think it's an important question.
4. Skate through the clutching, stickwork, and the skate-into-path-of-the-forechecking forward-in-the-same-direction-interference picks. Accept you are not going to get these calls against the Wings and SKATE, SKATE, SKATE. Getting frustrated and failing to keep the feet moving is the best way to get humiliated against the Wings. We saw it last night and the Sharks got a taste not too long ago.
5. Final point, and this is especially relevant to the Hawks--KEEP ATTACKING, even with a lead. Sitting back against the Wings is like playing a loose zone against Peyton Manning.
Of course, this is all easier said than done because the Wings are deep, fast, smart, and skilled, but the Hawks have all the physical tools to beat the Wings; the question is, do they have mental toughness and maturity? It's hopeful to think this will come with time, but it's not going to come automatically or easily.
How the Hawks respond tomorrow will be as great a measuring stick as any.
A great game plan by Detroit, they really schooled the youngsters on playing under playoff conditions. The Hawks did look good early, but missed a few early chances. The Hawks got rattled and did not really skate their game after the Kane hit and Detroit’s second goal. Toews said the Hawks played their game in an interview following the game, but Detroit is better. I do not agree with Toew’s statement. The Hawks were rattled and did not skate very well and took bad penalties. The turning point was the Kane hit, it should have been a penalty – a hit to Kane’s head. But Kane did have his head down. The second turning point was Versteeg missing that goal and then taking the second penalty, which led to the second goal. Concerning an enforcer, the Hawks don’t need one. The Hawks just need to play their game. Buffy is no enforcer, but he skates like an enforcer. Brouwer is developing and gaining more confidence. If Brouwer can be a little more physical, that would be great. But the primetime Hawk players were a non-factor in the game. If the Hawks just would have skated, the opportunity to make a big hit will present itself. I also wondered what was Walker thinking letting Franzen go to the net. Also this could be fodder for Hawks getting a more experienced and physical player/center or defensemen. But no enforcer.
With each day I am starting to see how badly this team needs a g-damn face off guy. It's a joke. How can Toews, Frazer, Bolland, and Sharp not know how to win a faceoff? Isn't this elementary hockey? Again, last night they were destroyed in the faceoff department and for the first time in 3 games, they played a team that plays a puck control style so they couldn't make up for it.
The Hawks have size. You have a Seabrook, Wisniewski, Eager, Brouwer, Ladd, and Buf. Yet only Eager, and Wisniewski will initiate physical play, and Brouwer picks his spots. Eager tried to stir it up last night, but I'm really getting tired of Seabrook. Throw your weight around. Why do the Hawks always end up with large players with little heart? Quenneville needs to send a message to Seabrook that he MUST play physical consistently. Not picking his spots. Wisniewksi stands guys up and sends a message that carrying it over the blue line will end up with you on your @ss. Seabrook takes a wide approach to the puck and looks to see if somebody is going to hit HIM. It's a joke.
IT's one loss, but the Redwings showed their "a" game last night and completely destroyed the Hawks.
Tomorrow will be big to see how the Hawks respond. Play clean, but everyone should be hitting.
Great post, everything said is exactly what needs to be our focus. Especially like the Seabrook comment. Would one of our coaches (who were former defensemen themselves) be able to correct Seabrook's errant performance game in, game out? Would you trade one of our best prospects in order to obtain a physical winger who can skate and has some skill? This player also must be able to do well in squaring off against NHL heavyweights. Therefore it won't be a cheap price to pay for the sort of player described WHOM makes Kane and Versteeg better. Happy enough with Ladd? Agree with my long post points. I'll tell you what, I agree with most every one of your posts, but also HP53 and Chicohawk and whomever else sometimes when there is bickering, just move on and forget it. If I've ever antagonized anyone -- like Chuck H with length, numerous post -- sorry, will not often do it again. But all post people have good insight. It is a new year. Forgive and forget if anything upset you. I'm no one to say what you should do, but it's a new year and really is it worth bickering? I'd love to buy a beer for you guys at that place on madison a few blocks away from the stadium -- what's the name -- I temporarily forget. Please all keep your comments coming. By the way, chgsportsfan, ever get out to or see any Wolves vs Rockford games? Your or others impression of Rockford players whom could help parent team? I think I've said enough concerning my views on Icehog players.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Hawks need a "true tough guy"... call it a goon, call it whatever you want, but the Hawks need to get more Physical on the Ice. I'm sorry but the kids seem to be bouncing off others when they go to check them. Buff right now is the only one that seems to HIT with consistancy.
Wait til the Playoffs... you think the hitting is big now?
An Old School type goon is not needed. We don't need someone sitting on the end of the bench, playing 2-3 shifts and not producing any goals. They do however need a response to a hit like Cleary's. Someone, anyone, who can and will challenge the opponent who runs your top players. Big Buffy could have hammered their stars and didn't. Walker didn't. Wiz didn't either. Nobody stood up and responded to their physical game. You don't have to drop the gloves all night. Just pound their prima donnas and eventually they'll get the message. Tomorrow's game had better start off with several shots on Henrietta and Pussel to send the message missing last night.
That is the one question about the Hawks...when the intensity raises to a higher pitch, will they be tough enough? Hope they learned a lesson from last night since its only going to get tougher for them. Good players and consistency will win alot of regular season games, but you need to mix in toughness from the top down to win playoff games.
The Wings came out to play as intense a regular season game can be and the Hawks didn't show up.
The hit on Kane should have been responded to, but all of our big guys are more interested in jerking guys around by their sweater than t'ing someone up with all the cross ice and drop passing the Wings do.
Why go after Chelios? To take away some of the 5 minutes he gets on the ice anymore?
The Hawks need to learn to match the intensity to win statement games. The hits will come if they are willing...Right Big Buff?!
What if Q put Buff on a line with Kane and told him his primary responsibility was to protect Kane...would he know what to do?
No, Buffy would not know what to do. He skated on their line last season and stood by while they got nailed. He is not the answer.
A goon with no skill on an NHL roster today does nothing more than cause you to lose games. So we have Chris Neil, Cleary takes a run at Kane and Neil goes over and beats the crap out of him while Cleary goes into the shell. Detroit gets a 5 minute PP and scores two more goals. Detroit is so smart and well coached the goon squad won't help in today's NHL. You need team toughness. I like guys like Eager who can at least give you a few good shifts a game. I do wish guys like Eager would have taken a few runs at Detroits skill guys once the game was over in the 3rd period. Can't wait for Wednesday.
To beat the Hawks:
1) Play a defensive style that drops three men back as soon as the Hawks gain possession. I will bet most of the Hawk goals this year were scored in transition or on PP.
2) Give Toews, Kane, and Sharp no room to move. If you take away space you take away time to find someone free. The Dead Wings did that very well last night
3) When you do get possession in the Hawks zone pound them and keep the puck deep which makes a transition game difficult
The Hawks are venerable when
1) they believe they can be a finesse team every game no matter what the opposition throws at them. The Hawks needed to hit and take the body, not cheap shots, but tough hits. When in Rome do like the Romans
2) they forget to plant a body in front of the net. In the 3rd period nary a Hawk was seen in front of the Wing net because they were looking for those easy finesse goals.
The Winter Classic will be Coach Q's toughest test. He needs to get the players focused and make adjustments at the same time. Maybe having Kane off the sidewall makes some sense. Maybe putting Ladd or Eager on the same line makes sense. The Hawks will have the last change so that will help. Still Q and not the players is on the spot. A good coach will be able to teach and modify for results.
The second time someone made a run at Kane (after we were holding our collective breath he wasn't hurt on the first hit) Brouwer has to drop the gloves and go right then and there. No talk, just grab the guy that hit Kane, and pound him. I'd like to think Burish would have.
No team toughness at all. Hawks didn't have one guy step up and follow the "code" and protect Kane, Sharp, etc. They let Detroit run them all night. Very troubling to see.
To me a response should have been immediate to Cleary and the hawks should have pounded Datsyuk, Zetterberg, etc. when given the opportunity.
Did the hawks finish more than 5 checks last night? And a response is actually dropping the gloves with Cleary (even if he doesn't fight back). A response is not a half hearted attempt to challenge someone (Brouwer, Eager) either like we saw.
Very disappointing. Where is the team toughness Q likes to talk about? Let's see how they come out on Thu but that wasn't good enough at all yesterday.
I'm not talking about getting a goon, I'm talking about having enough toughness on the team to not let this happen. Think that would have been OK in Pitts if someone hit Crosby like that? Clean or not, you should pay a price for running a star player.
Could not agree more. Versteeg looked intimidated all night, and it showed when he missed an empty net. Someone needed to step up and no one did. With Burish coming back, Adams was obligated to do something or I queston leaving him in the lineup.
I find it funny on a night when the Hawks get thrashed by a team that threw their weight around and has a better record, without a goon running around, that so many people on here are saying the Hawks need an enforcer.
You guys need to think this stuff through. You probably don't even get the irony of your "need an enforcer" posts after last nights game.
Just have your big bodies (you hear that LITTLE Buff) throw their weight around on their stars too.
Darren McCarty. Injured and by today's standards a middleweight, but an enforcer nonetheless. Last year it was Downey and Drake.
There's a difference--especially in today's NHL--between an enforcer and a goon. Just because Detroit is a take-a-run-and-turtle team doesn't mean they don't have "tough guys."
The Hawks DO need an enforcer, but one that can play.
Forget the frontier justice the real issue is the zero goals against the Wings minus Lidstrom. The Hawks aren't beating the best of the west because it's boys against men. What could Buff bring on the trading market? His bloated salary for a 3rd line winger could be redeployed for a veteran for the top two lines. Eager, Fraser, Adams, Brower, Burrish, Buff, Kontiola, Skille and Ladd could all be shopped right now for a veteran or two. Opportunities to crack the top of the conference don't come around often and there are future Kane's and Toews in every team's system. Too many inexperienced guys to even think that a long playoff run is possible. Dale Tallon was on the hot seat and on his way out the door four games into the season and it's the media like our boy Tim above and all the bloggers who are blinded by a little early season success against a bunch of mostly non playoff teams who have completely taken him off the hot seat. Even Bob Pulford would have tinkered with this group by now.
The Hawks will probably spout the company line i.e. 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'....'were a team that is tough by committee'...blah, blah, blah. But cutting to the chase...i think the Hawks could make a big move by going after the Sens' Chris Neil. With Ottawa struggling, this quality tough guy might be had for a reasonable price, say a package of a mid round pick and 2nd tier prospect. Neil is a guy that many dismiss as a mediocre enforcer.
But take a close look at this guy and he EXEMPLIFIES BLACK HAWK PRIDE. He's the ultimate team guy who never backs down, he plays a smart game, finishes his hits, wins the lions share of his fights and he's a decent point producer for a legitimate heavyweight.
What's more....i think he could he could be plucked right now by Chicago and give the United Center faithful the first solid heavyweight since Bobby Probert retired.
At the very least, he'd be a KEY AQUISITION if our GM could land him.
The Wings beat the Hawks because they had a sound game plan and saw that during the Hawks recent streak they faced very little physical play. The contact part of the Blackhawks game is their Achilles heel, they have players of size but no one who delivers punishment with purpose. YES they need an enforcer. Shoot back in the day they specialized in bringing in quality tough guys from Dave Hutchison to The Grim Reaper and then that all dried up. Detroit is an elite squad with great depth but more importantly role players who know when to deliver the hit and to whom, to throw the opposition off their game. Their coaches sat down, figured out that they'd have to bang a couple guys around (like Kane) to get the Hawks off track, and then let the Datsyuks and Zetterbergs pass and fire away.
Oh yeah, and they started Georges Vezina Conklin. Where did this guy come from and why can't the Hawks beat him? they had him on the ropes in the first two games of the season and last night he stoned them.
Not very happy with the way Kane reacted to getting crunched twice.. Took 2 bad penalties and now teams around the league will see how Kane reacts to being hit and will go after him more often. I agree that the Hawks need an enforcer to protect Kane. I cannot believe Cleary got a free pass after the big hit. I will give Brouwer props because after Lilja hit Kane, he went right after Lilja. Datsyuk better have his head up all game on Thursday, because Winter Classic or not, Hawks need to send a message!!!
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I think its that time of the year where Buff needs to watch a few games from the nose-bleeds. Does anyone remember Buff throwing a check last night, besides the one time he checked himself over the blue line and onto the ice?
The NHL wants everyone to place nice? Do they realize this game is being played in Chicago? The chants of "Detroit sucks" are going to be very loud from the opening minute until the last buzzer.
How about Kane just keep his head up? Guys get laid out all the time when they put their head down. That's how the game is played.
We absolutly need a bigtime enforcer.
The message needs to be if you touch Kane or Towes your a dead man. Plain and Simple.
All the Ben Eagers in the world arent going to help Kane. We need a Parrosh- type
The Wings did to the Hawks what the Hawks did to them last season, hit them and got them off their game. The big difference . . . Byfuglien. Last year, he was crushing the Wings' guys. Last night? Hello?! The Hawks can out hit and outmuscle the Wings, but they have to commit to play that game. Do it like they do on the street. Pick out their toughest guy and whip him. Stuart or Holmstrom. Not saying to pick a fight or take a dumb penalty. But someone needs to get run over and then if the Wings want to go, be ready. Brouwer is no heavyweight but he can beat anyone on the Wings in a fight. Walker can, too.
It was a joke to watch Detroit run around like they did, Detroit sent a clear message tonight to the Hawks just like they did to the Sharks (6-0) that they are the team to beat and they can play different styles. They can out score their opponents, which they usually have to do because of sub-par goaltending, or they can play a physical game. Tonight it was obvious that they wanted to send a physical message to the Hawks and smack them around the ice and show them who's boss. They proved to everyone else in the league that if you take the physical game to the Hawks they can't handle it. You can run at their star players and throw your weight around and this team won't be able to handle it. The result is a team that became frustrated and took stupid penalties that cost them. The Wings knocked the Hawks off their game and exposed a glaring weakness on this team........toughness. They blasted the Hawks back to reality tonight and I won't be the least bit surprised to see a loosing streak 3 to 4 games to follow. Their lack of physical play is going to cost them. The hit on Kane may have been clean but it doesn't mean it is supposed to be tollerated nor should it be. Players like Kane, Sharp, Havlat, and Toews need protection, it doesn't have to be some goon that is only good for fighting but a big physical forward or defenseman (ala Scott Stevens)who will be sure to knock your head off along the boards or in open ice would be nice. Burish stands up for his teammates but do you think teams are worried about him really taking one of their players out if Kaner or Sharp gets nailed? I doubt it. I hope the Hawks come out and show us something on Thursday that they are not going to allow teams to bully them around ice and that they are ready to play with the big boys. Toews said the Hawks played the same on Tuesday as they did during their 9 game streak but the opponent was a much better one(not an exact quote but it's what he said) that's why the result was what it was. So basically they aren't good enough to beat a team like Detroit is what it seems like he's saying. Hopefully Thursday will be a different story.
I would like to see Eager on the Sharp/Kane line instead of Brouwer. Eager will create space where Brouwer will often turn down the hit. I have been unimpressed with Brouwer's game and do not believe he adds a great physical aspect to a line that needs one. Let Kane and Sharp make their passes and let Eager run around and smash everybody and once in a while smack in a rebound. At least you'll get 100% effort everynight from 55, not something I've seen from 22. Once again, I think the power play suffers w/o Barker on top.
Eager doesn't scare anybody in the NHL, Byfuglien just doesn't have it in him to play that way, and no one else currently on this roster intimidates anyone. Yes, they have a few guys that will answer the bell, like Walker, Wisniewski, and Brouwer once in a while, but no one that provides an intimidating presence. Do they need a true enforcer? Maybe for the regular season, to protect the skill guys and get them through the season, but like someone else pointed out, enforcers are useless in the playoffs. Detroit doesn't have one, and doesn't need one. But they will play physical enough to make teams know they have to keep their heads up all the time. That counts a lot more than someone like a Parros or a Boogard running around. Guys like Draper and Maltby, that finish all their checks (unlike a Byfuglien), that's what gets it done when it counts. But I really hope they don't count on a guy like Eager, he just doesn't command that kind of respect.
I thought it was a matter of time before teams started to Run Kane.
It took him off his game tonight and when the Senators did it the other week. Kane needs to get use to being hit. His high sticking penalties after every hit won't make it stop.
We don't need another Koci on this team. I’d like to see his teammates go after the other teams top scorers 1970's style. Get suspended if need be. We have a glut of 4th line players to do the job.
Cleary definitely put an elbow into Kane's jaw -- we might be talking about a Kane concussion -- instead of an ankle -- except that Cleary isn't very strong or powerful. Though the Hawks had an early 12-1 shot advantage over the Wings, the team was not prepared for how physical the Wings played them this time -- including a substantial amount of slewfoots of Hawk players without the puck. I expect to see Burish dressed for the Winter Classic -- he absolutely would not have allowed the runs being taken at Kane and Sharp to go unanswered. The Hawks definitely need a player that other teams truly fear -- the kind of player that other teams know would take out their best player if anybody messes with the Hawk's best. It's a shame you can't put Burish's heart in Buff's body.
Detroits game plan was spot on. They should know... they had to solve the same problem that the hawks have now a couple of years ago when the Ducks did the same to them.
Did you see Franzen on that 1st goal in the 3rd period? What was Walker thinking? Bury him!! Then Franzen just plows his way into the crease - and we had no answer.
No question Burish would have provided the right kind of energy the Hawks needed last night to even have a chance at turning this game in the right direction. I don't believe goons provide the energy. It takes physical checking on key players... and if they don't like it and want to start a fight - then you finish it.
I will take a couple of physical checks (clean but with conviction) and a resulting fight that is a draw or even a loss over a goon picking on another goon.
Hawks need to look at the changes the Wings made to their roster to address the problem they had with the Ducks as a model of what they need to do for the next year or 2.
the wings took the hawks off their game by their hitting. too many players on the team did little or no hitting like buff, brouwer, eager, walker, campbell.
Only seabrook seemed to hit when the opportunity arose.
Obviously the wings coach targeted Kane. cleary wasn't the only one going after him.
why don't the hawks man up?