Hossa sits out; Ovechkin ejected
The Blackhawks were without Marian Hossa and Kim Johnsson on Sunday due to lower body injuries.
They also lost Brian Campbell at 12:16 of the first period with an apparent shoulder injury after Washington’s Alex Ovechkin hit him from behind into the boards.
Ovechkin, who plays reckless game on the edge of the rulebook, was given a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct.
Ovechkin needlessly shoved Campbell from behind into the end boards after the Hawks defenseman had made a pass.
It was a gutsy decision on the part of referees Dan O’Halloran and Frederick L’Ecuyer to eject Ovechkin, one of the NHL’s marquee players, in a game nationally televised by NBC.
It was the third game misconduct of the season for Ovechkin, which calls for an automatic one-game suspension under NHL rules.
ovechkin?...i wouldn't have kicked him out.he would have gotton 5 minutes, then let him face the music, the wrath or lack there of of the hawks. thats the problem in todays game, these guys hammer someone then they get to hide behind the refs by being kicked out of the game knowing possibly they won't play these guys again for over a year and everyone will have forgotten about it.screw that let this kid get his phucking ass kicked a couple of times and he'll get the message!same goes for the instigator rule! out with it!let the players police the game(well not in the hawks case, they have crossing guards not cops!),you will see how fast those cheap hits will stop.but today ovechkin would have drilled another guy and these patsys would have probably told him, nice check ovie,kick my ass again!!on to seabrooke,decent player,overhyped draft choice,the second coming of chris chelios??!! give up the #7 kid,you ain't it. hossa it isn't his fault bowman didn't get him another playmaker to hone his skills with, instead he's on the clubfoot line.hossa should be with 19&88.hats off to16,11,goood honest players, i hope they are back next year. 10,your new radio gig with eric&kathy is probably more important to you entering the playoffs! alot of others also having their heads filled with pr helium too! nice going jay! parade them around some more during the most important time of the season! no excuses for these guys, they are getting payed very handsomely for playing a game they love! you want burn out? talk to a copper working in #7 OR #15 going on drug raids or getting your ass kicked ,talk to a medic doing 25 runs a day on the west or south sides of the city same with the firefighters, how many got blown out of a building a couple of weeks ago?? these men and women , go to work,love their jobs and do it well with out screaming burn out and don't make nearly a drop of what these kids make! so the burn out and fatigue bullshitte don't fly with alot of hawk fans!!l
Is it me or are the Hawks simply not physical enough to put people away late in games. Seems like the last 2 months I've been noticing the Hawks straying away from taking the body more and more. I realize the puck possession game has something to do with that but all too often it seems like the opposition is allowed to skate free in our zone with no one knocking anyone down. Every now and then I'll someone take the body but it's just not consistent enough. I can't help but think if the Hawks game was a bit simpler in their own end and if they played with more grit they wouldn't have such a hard time closing these games out where they have the lead. Hopefully Hossa, Johnsson, and Campbell are ok.
There's no doubt the Hawks are way too easy to play against, especially with the lead.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure the Hawks are built to play the attrition game.
However, the Hawks get beat off the boards too often, can't clear the net, and stick-check when they should play the body in the defensive zone. I mean, we can agree that they don't have to be Broad Street Bullies to take a man out of of the play.
It's almost as if the Hawks have become so dominant with the puck that they sometimes forget how to play without it.
I have confidence that Q will stop the bleeding, but this is not how a championship team plays--in September, March, or June.
>Mentally tired players chase the puck around in their own zone trying to get it back instead of staying with their check (forwards) or protecting the prime scoring areas (D-men)
>Mentally tired players stop moving their feet with the puck (Seabrook)
>Mentally tired D-men back up instead of stepping up and drilling the puck-carrier
>Mentally tired players fall in love with completing passes on the power play instead of creating scoring chances
>Mentally tired players focus too much on themselves and forget the importance of short intense shifts (Kane, Buff)
>It's up to the coaching staff to pull these guys through the fatigue of this long regular season that ends with a ton of games in just a few weeks
>The "mind" of this team needs to stay in the present moment for the full sixty minutes -- and the coaching staff has the skill to do it
>We will find out soon enough who really has what it takes, and who doesn't
Look at who the two guys are who always immediately look up at the scoreboard to see if they're getting credited (same guys who don't back check and take limo rides).
And neither one of them is Byfuglien.
I don't see too many guys on this board holding Q accountable. Other than Versteeg, he hasn't taken away minutes from any starting players to send a message. The commitment to defense is no longer there on this team, and it's the coaches job to address it.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say the Hawks are trying to slip down to 3rd or 4th seed to avoid Detroit in the first round.
Nobody is holding him accountable because if this thing blows up, he won't be held accountable..he will pull a Lovie Smith and just fire his assistants,,hey they are all Savards guys..the perfect scapegoats.
Hawks have 28 points left in this regular season.
They have a tough short road trip with the Ducks, Kings and then Yotes back to back. We will see what what this team is made of now. BTW how did those Yotes get so good?
Other than home ice does finishing first really do them any favors?
Sharks have 30 points left. Hawks down 2. Of course they can still get it done. Sharks have a weird schedule with 3 games left with Dallas and three with the Canuckelheads.
Now Canucks could get it going and give the Hawks a run for the 2nd seed currently they are down 7 points but have 9 of their 14 games at home.
That's why they play the games.
Well I am looking forward to the last game of season with Detroit. Would love to say Detroit with a must win for a playoff spot and Hawks knock the crap out of them....that would be sweet!!
I think 2 out of 6 points on the road would be a miracle this week. Detroit has owned our ass for the last 10 years and nothing will change that the last game of the season. They are finally healthy, have a decent goalie and alway find a way to shut Toews and Kane down. Hawks will stumble into the playoffs witht the 3 or 4 seed and get bounced by one of the up and coming teams in the west in 6 or 7.
But this is SERIOUS gut check time.
Time to see who mans up and battles through. Aside from #19, #10, #22, #4, #81, #16 and maybe #2, there is not ONE guy on this team who should not be worried about getting dealt in the offseason.
Yes, including #88. And especially #32.
Sadly, when the team is built on marketing, those kinds of hard decisions will not be made. Until the decision maker is eventually replaced.
I agree that it isn't early anymore and that this is character building time. Campbell's injury is not going to help. However, there is still plenty of skill on this team and there is no reason that they can't get their act together again. The tough road trip this week should help focus a few guys. None of the games will be easy and you can pretty much extend that out for the rest of the season. The only good thing about the recent injuries is that we'll get to see some different guys get crucial ice time this year which will help make roster decisions for next year. I'm not too worried about the Hawks dropping into 3rd place in the conference. The only potential matchup that could haunt them in the first round is Detroit and they could get them if they finish 1st or 2nd too.
As far as offseason deals, Kane isn't going anywhere as he is by far the most consistent and dangerous offensive weapon the team has. He's vastly improved defensively and his arrow is still heading up. He's also got some serious on ice chemistry with The Captain who isn't going anywhere either. Neither are Campbell, Keith or Hossa. Everyone else is potentially trade bait though. The salary cap mandates some movement even if the boys win it all and that's just the way it is. Players shouldn't really worry about this too much though since pretty much anyone can and has been dealt in the NHL over the years and they have no control over any of this anyway. But a couple of these guys need to be concerned with becoming a healthy scratch for Wednesday's game or perhaps not being on the playoff roster.
but 88 isn't going anywhere. No chance.
The only other uniform Kane might wear in the near future is one that has the numbers on the front.
#32 Should have been dealt at the trade deadline.
Don't like the trend - last year - - - the Hawks owned the latter parts of games. This year - a step slow, mental breakdowns and not finishing. Conditioning? They need quicker changes and start lowering the minutes for the Olympians
I am surprised know one is busting on Buf, he was barely visible yesterday. Today, he stayed on the ice way too long in OT. Instead of changing, he stayed on the ice and was late to the rush and even tripped Brouwer. Then he had no gas to back check. Just a poor decision.
Don't know why the fourth line doesn't get more playing time
TOP SHELF,NO SENSE BEATING A DEAD HORSE ANYMORE REGARDING #33! WE ALL KNOW HE'S A P--SY!
Buff is a lot of things--including a deserving target of criticism on this board--but he's not a...well, you know.
He can be nasty. REAL nasty. And even though he's not a fighter, he's not afraid to drop the mits.
Buff might be inconsistent, or perhaps even lazy, but I can't agree that he's a coward.
Byfuglien has not been on the scoresheet, but he has been all over the front of the net for the last ten games or so. He's been inconsistent, but he is not selfish. And I think we all know what he'll provide in the playoffs, when guys like him make a much bigger difference.
Dumb penalties.
deal with much said here by posters but when I have to go with you, I start to worry.
The talking head Milbury was right, that was a 2 minute penalty or no penalty and Campbell got huirt because he got caught in a rut. boo hoo
make the UC colder and the ice stays together a little better.
There was no intent to injure.
I won't pst anything about either game...unnecessary...as the losses.
But I truly believe this is the best time for all this to be going on.
Belanger was moved in to face off vs Toews anddid a nice job.
But I was at the game and then came home to watch it again and I surely don't agree at all with you. Take some more looks at it. Milbury doesn't know what he's talking about half the time. You can see it in his face. It did look like Ovie felt a little bad, but I'm not so sure. I was hoping the final would have been Blackhawks 6, Ovie 3. So much for that. I'm a big fan of Ovechkin but not if he plays like that. He should be on Vancouver if he wants to play like a sissy.
Ovechkin shoved Campbell, when Campbell was in a bad position. The guy was vulnerable, and there is no reason to shove a guy from behind.....ever.
7 doesn't suck. He's playing poorly, but he's shown the ability many times in the past. Something's up.
He sucks right now.....I still think he's overrated.
Ya right- a lot of overrated players make the Canadian Olympic roster. He's hit a rough stretch. He's a great player.
He had a great stretch at the right time that earned him an Olympic roster spot. If the team was decided today he wouldn't even be in the discussion. The good news for the Hawks is that they didn't pay him Keith money and are stuck with his contract for the next 20 years.
Like no player has had a bad stretch before. Hell, there's good players that have had entire seasons they'd like to forget.
....at the end of the bench in the Olympics. To say he's hit a rough stretch is an understatement. He starting sliding before the break, hopefully he can figure it out before playoff time.
"Great" players don't make 7-8 turnovers a game, or cost their teams multiple goals a game, or play flat out horrible for 2 months. 5 games? Fine....bad stretch. Not 2 months....
What was your favorite Seabrook moment today?
-The turnover on the PP that led to Semin racing in all alone on Neimi?
-The horrible turnover that led to Hendry's high stick when Seabrook AGAIN failed to clear his zone?
-Seabrook bailing out on Backstrom in OT giving him a clear shot?
Or what about yesterday?
-Did you like his attempt at a blind back handed pass in his zone, in the 3rd period, even with Keith covered, even though the boards/glass option was open?
-Or did you like the fact he couldn't turn his head and realize that Pronger was racing in behind him?
That isn't great.....He also got benched in Vancouver, as Babcock saw how bad Seabrook's decision making has been.
What I've been talking about, and it doesn't make me very happy calling out Seabs. I do love this guy as a player, but he has been very very bad lately. Hopefully he can get mentally ready to go before the playoffs start, because we cannot have this.
There is still plenty of time to right the ship here. Is there a dominant team in the league that the Hawks can't beat? The Caps have the best record in the league and they had to struggle to beat a Hawk team not playing it's best hockey since the Olympic break. The goaltending over the weekend was better not great but better. These two games certainly leave a bad taste and the Hawks are struggling a bit but they still have time to finish strong and gain some momentum going into the playoffs. Remember the White Sox in their World Series season blew a huge lead and limped into the playoffs only to catch fire at the right time win the championship.
Another Knee jerk reaction by the posters. This weekend was disappointing in the W-L column but everyone turns to doom and gloom. The team took two terrible double minors and the Caps got back into the game. That is more back luck than anything. Sure you can call it careless, but it isn't something that will happen everyday and get you ejected from the playoffs, not unless you are borderline in the series to begin with.
The Hawks had something really encouraging this weekend, and that was solid goaltending from each goalie. Huet was especially good early in the game against Philly and Niemi equally so vs Washington. If either or both of these guys can keep it going, the Hawks will just need to play smarter in front of them.
These two loses game down to mistakes by forwards and D late in the game and giving up just too many quality scoring chances in the middle. The third goal by Washington was a prime example of just 7 or 8 chances they had to shoot from right out in front.
You sound like Dave Wanstedt.....if only one or two bounces went our way.... Bottom line if Ovechkin was playing the game wouldn't have even been close at the end. Hawks caught a break and still find a way to blow it. Winning teams close the deal when given those opportunities and the Hawks are not going to cut it come April.
Have to disagree with you. In fact, I think the points you made in your last paragraph point out why this is a concern. These are the same mistakes the Hawks have been making since prior to the Olympic break. We've been hearing the same thing over and over again, if it wasn't for the 2nd period, if it wasn't for the 3rd period. The Hawks better realize they need to play 60 minutes of hockey or it will be a short playoff run. My concern is that because of their success earlier in the season that they think they can just turn on the intensity when the playoffs begin. That's hard to do.
Seems like the Hawks' breakdowns are the result of burnout...they've looked mentally fragile, and disorganized at times since the Olympics, and giving up leads that they can't seem to recover from. I was at the game and those last couple of goals just sucked the life out of the UC.
What does look encouraging is that the goaltending looks better the last couple of games, as well as their dominance in the first period.
Hopefully this is just a bump in the road and that Q can rally the boys for the last few weeks of the season and the playoffs!
That's what seperates the great teams from the good teams. Right now it looks like the Blackhawks are just a good team.
The Hawks had a small chance at the Cup even a month back but what really pisses me off is that Bowman did nothing at the deadline to insure this team can stay competitive heading into next year. Even the great teams of all time like the Oilers and Islanders need to take a few shots before winning it all. Bowman could have moved Buff, Versteeg, Sharp packaged with Huet for players with less of a cap hit heading into next year and free up cap space to sign a real goalie. Now the Hawks will be looking at a one and done come April, Huet in nets next year and still have to let guys like Ladd and Sharp walk in the offseason for nothing.
We all wanted some magical trade where Bowman could clean up after Tallon and fix the cap problems going forward, but it wasn't realistic. We don't know what was offered to the Hawks or what they were willing to part with. We can't pass judgment on what they could have done or not. The Hawks have a better chance than most teams at playing for the Cup in the final. They could have seriously hurt those chances at the deadline and I'm glad they didn't. Not saying they would have, but a lot of deadline deals are flops year after year. They have the off season to work on putting a good team on the ice next year.
How does Sharp or Ladd walk away for nothing? Sharp is still under contract and Ladd is RFA....
That's a good choice to ignore McGuirre Aztec36.
Tools are easily ignored.
Absolutely inexcusable way to lose a hockey game today. 3-0 goiing into the 3rd on home ice...just brutal. I don't blame #31 for this one, just horrible defense in front of him today. If they keep this up, I'm with all of you on these comments who say 1st round and out.
They haven't been playing a full 60 for some time now, but the first two periods today were the best I've seen from them since before the break. I think what we saw today was a team that rode the wave of emotion for the first two periods today but hit the wall at the end of a killer weekend of hockey. They have had a couple major collapses this year (Minnesota comes to mind), but today was just plain fatigue in the final 15 minutes.
We here under Sassone's writing should send a strong message of biased, purposefully misleading, false reporting by McGuire. Let's see if we can cost him his job. He's not even a tool; he's discredit to his profession. If you can't say it right, keep your mouth shut. You aren't selling the product by being controversial and it isn't even about being a canadien fan and not an american fan. It's professionalism to do your job honestly and present this great ice hockey product fairly. What's your problem, McGuire? You merit a wife to slaps you across the face! Maybe that wouldn't really matter. He doesn't need a reality check. He simply doesn't care. Get him off the air!
....is so damn annoying. He comes up with two or three early statements and then repeats them over and over, louder each time. Drives me nuts!
Just a pathetic, horrible loss.
2 stupid, idiotic pentalies cost this team, and that's probably why both are scratches on an usual basis. You have to control your stick.
You can make any excuse you want, or blame whoever or whatever, but the fact remains is that this team CAN NOT hold a g-damn lead. 2 games, they led in the 3rd period, and they get 1 point out of a possible 4.
Niemi kept the ship at bay, but his defense let him down. For such a defensive wizard, Dave Bolland's inability to tie up Backstrom gave the Caps a huge 2nd goal, when it looked like the Hawks were going to take back the momentum by killing off a 5 on 3 for the full 2 minutes. I will NEVER get the love affair for this goof. How long are we going to keep saying he's rusty? He's been a ghost.
Seabrook? Hate to keep pilling on, but when you are playing this bad...you are noticeable. I counted 6-7 UNFORCED turnovers that led to Capitals chances, and his horrible bailing out on the overtime goal....shows again how overrated this guy is. It's time Quenneville wake up and mix up his defensive pairings. Seabrook is a liability right now.
This team played well for 2 periods, only to be undone by stupid pentalies, and horrible defensive coverage. Now it's on to a 3 game road trip, which could very well lead to the Hawks dropping to the 3rd seed before too long.
Oh come on! My God man, you have back surgery and see how quickly you come back.
If you wanna be angry at this weekend's games, fine, but calling Bolland a goof....is just asinine.
The guy is a 3rd line center.
The Hawks DID NOT miss a beat when he was out....that tells you something. #3 centers are attainable...see Pahlsson, Madden.
He's a second line center but his injury takes him down a level this season. He bulked up during this past summer so he wouldn't be pushed around as easily but his back injury negated all that summer work. He's back down to around 175 lbs. again.
LOAGS..he might be a second line center on a talent short team, or a young team just trying to make the playoffs. He doesn't have enough offensive punch to be a number 2, Rainer is right, he is a three..makes for a good defensive checking line center. If his back is still an issue, sit out. This team was better before he returned.
He had 47 points in his first full season in the NHL last year as a third line center. I'm not sure exactly what you expect in a second line center.
As for as his back being an issue....I'm saying his overall strength is not what he was hoping for this season because of his injury. He won't have a chance to add more mass until the summer.
You guys are way too quick with the trigger finger. This was to be his second full season in the NHL. If he hadn't had the back problems I'm betting he would have improved his stats this year.
If he was healthy all year, he might have better numbers, that support him
being a two. But I did expect his return to help spark the team a bit, that has
not happened...I am not giving up on him yet, but if he stays healthy I need
to see improvement next year. Hopefully a healthy off season will do the trick.