What the heck's going on?
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - We waited for the playoffs through six months for this?
The Blackhawks embarrassed themselves with their effort and performance in Tuesday's 4-1 loss here that gave the Predators a 2-1 series lead.
You'd have thought it was a game on a long road trip in the middle of December and not a critical playoff game the way the Hawks showed up without any emotion or energy.
Eighteen hits in a playoff game? Really?
If this is how it's going to be, then GM Stan Bowman will have an easy job this summer trimming the payroll. Here's how to correct the Hawks' salary cap problem: Say so long to the guys who don't want to lay it on the line in the playoffs.
How much money is being invested in this offense again? Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Troy Brouwer and Kris Versteeg don't have a goal in the first three games. Dave Bolland had a power-play goal in Game 2, but he was bumped off the second line on Tuesday because of his poor play.
Duncan Keith is minus-4, Dustin Byfuglien and Jordan Hendry minus-3 and Brent Seabrook minus-2 among the defensemen.
Maybe it's time for coach Joel Quenneville to call some guys out instead of the usual pats on the back.
The thing is, the Hawks can still win this series. Game 4 is always such a critical game in any series. Win and they have home-ice advantage again, but can the Hawks beat the Predators and their stingy defense? They can't if they don't work harder to create chances.
It's time to throw Adam Burish back into the lineup and hope he can provide some energy and fire. Maybe Brouwer sits. He played only seven minutes in Game 3, was minus-1 and hasn't been the same player since he left the team to be with his ill father.
Nick Boynton and Bryan Bickell? If they're going to bang some bodies, get them on the ice.
Can Brian Campbell possibly be ready to return? If so, move Byfuglien back to forward. It's apparent that nice little story of him playing defense has run its course.
If the Hawks don't come at the Predators with everything they've got on Thursday, then they're not the team we thought they were.
...the smallest guy on the team, the only one competing and hitting last night?
A lack of consistent effort every night -- not the goal tending -- has been this team's major weakness all year.
Brouwer didn't touch anyone all night, neither did Buff, while Nashville finished their checks all night long (for those Hawk fans who even remember what finishing a check looks like) and put our stars on their asses whenever they touched the puck.
Especially in the playoffs, desire can trump skill -- which is what we saw last night. Our guys looked liked they didn't want to be there.
IMHO, it is the GM's job to put the right guys on the ice and it's the coaches job to get the players to play the way the team expects them to.
We failed in the second part of the equation last night. I don't care how smart Q is -- if he can't motivate his players to compete (like Trotz does), he is not doing his job.
Mystifying how so many guys could play so . . . flaccidly.
Keith stepped up late and was credited with two hits. Looked like he was trying to will something positive to happen.
This looks and smells a lot like '91 right now. Nothing we're doing is working and Nashville seems to have an answer for most everything. Just like Minnesota in '91. Also, they're all clearly on the same page. Credit must go to Trotz for this.
The no hitting last night from the very guys we need to play physical was perplexing at best.
Q should try going back to the line combinations that were working earlier in the season.
Toews-Kane-Brouwer
Ladd-Hossa-Sharp
Buff-Bolland or Madden-Versteeg
Eager-Fraser-Kopecky
Those combinations worked for most of the season until Q squeezed Bolland back in. Brouwer was producing with Kane and Toews and Sharp and Hossa were getting their points. I hope Campbell can play so they can move Buff up front and park him right in front of Rinne like they did last year to Luongo. Not the position we wanted to be in right now but a win on Thursday shifts the momentum back the Hawks way.
That top line is what is needed.
Then, I go for broke with:
Hossa/Kopecky/Sharp.
Those two (Hoss and the Kopecker) seem to like each other, and the experiment of having Ladd on that top line should be officially over.
Do whatever with the other lines, but get Toews and Kane together again, with Brouwer.
Put the Slovaks together with anybody and see what happens.
Maybe tell Madden to watch a game.
During the last 7 games of the season with 6 winners:
Hossa: 1G, 5A
Toews: 3G, 4A
Sharp: 1G, 2A
So including the last 3 playoffs games we have 10 games with Hossa 1G, Toews 3G, Sharp 1G.
Hossa has not scored since the Dallas game...6 games ago....I think this is his longest goal drought of the season. He has had some chances but Rinne has stoned him.
To say the least Hossa and Sharp are due.
Madden has not scored since the Caps loss and has only 1 assist since then!!
Brouwer 1 goal and 0 assists since March 25...10 games ago.
Slim pickings indeed!!
Hasn't Madden's line been the shutdown line though?
Its interesting that two teams that have had such high regard during the regular season as the Canucks and Hawks find themselves in the same place.
With us, it is a sudden inability to kill a penalty.
With you guys, its more of a will thing. The Preds are just playing that same defensive style they have for years.
But the Hawks are letting them. I watched your game last night. It seemed that it was just too easy to blame the stars.
It was everyone, letting their immediate check get by, or not skating with them ( surprising from such a fast team as the Hawks ). I don't know how many times I saw a forward back checking and slow because he thought the defenseman had it.
The sudden appearance for the Canucks of a Kings PP makes one praise it...they are so good and all. More like a good PK suddenly went cold. Just the way you choose to look at it.
The truth is, the Canucks have badly outplayed their opposition 5-5. The Hawks have done the same, they just didn't do it in the last game.
Game 4 for us is as big as it is for the Hawks. Getting too high or too low is just not helping.
You fans have been a rightly confident bunch all year. So has your team. Don't give up on that. Hyperbole like "worst ever" is not going to help.
Its just a bit of adversity. To quote the Black Knight.."...it's just a flesh wound!".
Out coached is what we were. That ridiculous crap with playing Huet (until 10 games remaining in the season) so much when we all knew Niemi should be starting. We damn knew it back in October! And of course it all came down to a measley point when Kane forgot to cover in OT against Detroit in the last regular season game. It should never have come down to one point like that! We should be playing Colorado right now as Conference Champs and the Sharks dealing with Nashville!
I'm ready for a new coach. I've had enough of Quennville.
No matter who played in goal in the regular season and where the Hawks finished #1 or #2, it doesn't really matter. Colorado is giving San Jose about all they can handle, and a Hawks team that can't deal with Nashville right now, wouldn't have a chance of advancing past round 2. Sorry, but the way they are playing, the seed doesn't mean a thing. Q isn't coach of the year and should be adjusting to keep the team successful right now, but he obviously isn't terrible either. Maybe they do need a new coach, but I have doubts they would hire someone better.
I never understood putting all the blame on the coach. It's up to the players to actually put effort in and they didn't even bother trying yesterday. I don't know how that can be blamed on Quenneville.
. . . if you've ever played sports at a competitive level. Once a coach "burns his bridges" and shows his troops that he isn't as smart as they thought, is unable to make in-game strategy changes based upon what your opponent is throwing at you -- after a certain number of games or amount of time, you stop listening entirely. It surely appears that this is what has happened.
Best example I can think of is on the PP. We have seen now for weeks this drop pass bull-crap and have almost been scored on several times by this nonsensical setup. Don't you think the players see it and "get it?" That it doesn't work, but they're "following orders" because this is what they're being told. They know if doesn't work and now they're executing it, only halfheartedly.
If you don't think this is on Q -- well, that's all I'll say . . .
SCORE MORE THAN ONE GOAL
since many here think the Hawks are dead burried for Thursday game....is there hope coming back from down 3-1....not much....the only team to do it in the last 4 years is the Caps over the Rangers 1st round last year.
For what its worth during their six game season ending win streak they scored the following goals: 4,2,4,5,6 and 5. Thats was with Sharp-Toews-Hossa and Kane with Bolland.
Were a large percentage of those goals scored by the fourth line, during that run? How many goals has a Toews-Hossa line produced? Not too many if my memory is correct, and certainly not consistently like Hossa and Sharp or Toews and Kane.
Fun coming here to watch the Hawks and their fans implode. Even if you can muster up two goals a game to beat Nashville you will get bounced in the next round.
Detroit knows how build a team that can win come April while the Hawks will continue to be our lap dog.
So glad you took Hossa off our hands. Enjoy him for the next 20 years while you cripple your cap and his skills fade more and more each year. Just remember Hossa goes on vacation April 1 every year.
I guess it won't matter next year since the Hawks won't make the playoffs. Maybe you can find a home for Huet and his $6million salary at forward next year while the Wings reload for another Cup.
Asa Hawk fan, I hate the Red Wings because none of them can speak English, but they are damn good, and it sucks to see them always perform well when it counts.
Meanwhile all the hype surrounding the young Chicago's is turning out to be just that ...hype.
As they say...Detroit sucks! (But the hockey team is damn good.)
I know, I live there.
I have heard that things have gotten even bleaker in Detroit if that's possible. It was once like downtown Beruit but I can only imagine what it must be like now.
Also, has anyone noticed how many vacant seats there are at the Joe? A sign of the times no doubt.
But they are far from good.
Pistons guard Dave Bing is new Mayor.
But the area is a mess.
Joe Louis Arena stinks like pee in the corridor.
Wings are there for at least 2 more years as Mike Illitch struggles with local politicos to build new arena.
Unemploy is at 14% as many union jobs have left and will not come back.
Those not smart enough to see it coming are left out in cold w/no future as schools are jam packed with unemployed trying to build new careers.
The Wings are all the area has.....
Northern suburbs are beautiful, though. Lots of wildlife and topography.
Illitch is my hero.
He turned the Red Wings around and is one of the few professional sport team owners that puts winning first and making money second. It's interesting to see what he has done for Detroit as a private business man - especially on west Woodward - compared to Coleman Young who ran the city into the ground with taxation and big government.
I used to go to Detroit 3 times month on average and loved the Birmingham area. The Landing Strip by the airport was nice too.
I feel bad for all those stuck there. But the changes forced upon them will make them better off in the long run.
. . . to be conceding, particularly to some random troll.
Trotz? (g)
Because Detroit has been so awesome against Phx... The username on here matches you. You are a wingnut and I mean that is the nicest possible way. You can gloat when your team actually accomplishes something this year, until then you have nothing. This isn't 2009 or any other year, it's 2010.
The way the Wings have looked so far, you might want to start watching golf.
Yeah, Hossa goes on vacation every April 1. That's why he almost took the Wings to a Game 7 two years ago during that frantic finish in Pittsburgh.
You sound bitter that things didn't work out better for you last year.
Your team is and has been great for a long time. But, seriously, it reveals either a chronic lack of employment or an actual life if you spend your days visiting other teams' message boards trying to pick fights. What's happened to your economy is tragic and I actually feel sorry for you.
Best of luck in your battle against the Coyotes.
Tim,
Most of the wins and a lot of goals this season came from these two lines:
Brouwer - Toews - Kane
Ladd - Sharp - Hossa
Since the return of Bolland this team has not been the same. I'd love to make Sharp "feel comfortable" by playing him on the wing, but the fact is that these two lines just work. The team is better with Sharp at center, and the team is better with Brouwer, Toews and Kane on the first line. If this means one of Bolland, Madden or Fraser have to sit so be it. What's the deal with QStash? This is the playoffs, let's put out some lines that can score.
Sharp actually has had his best point production while playin center...hmmm.
Yeah, lets get rid of our Captain. Assuming you have watched the 3 games from start to finish...Hossa has consistently been the best guy on the ice for the Hawks.
Or are you only looking at the 'G' column? Jeez, Kane only has 1 goal, lets trade
him too.
>>>In my 47+ years of hockey, I have never, ever, seen such a lack of effort in a Stanley Cup playoff game from a Hawk team.<<<
With all the hype and first round 4-1 or 4-2 exit is major humiliation and will have a carryover effect.
Wow...little overstatement here myabe....over 47 yeras includes alot of bad and good Hawk playoff teams that got smoked and mailed it in.
Like others I don't like the constant line shuffle either. Players need to know their roles and when you keep mixing it up that can cause confusion and that extra second of confusion or someone is not where they should be and it can cost you.
How the puck flips: Buff was praised for his defensive efforts the last two weeks of the season when he was matched with Keith. Now Q reunites Kieth and Seebs and Buff is a liability.
Forget about Cambell and Johnsson. They won 6 of 7 to end the season with out them they will have to win with out them now. Bringing back Cambell early....not in game shape....is just nuts.
Look back at he 05-06 playoff and you will see the olympic play kills higher seeded teams. While all the top teams send their players to play extra games for 2 weeks the lower seeded teams are home resting and recovering. When the playoff start The top teams are ripe for the picking. I can see it in the Hawks play. The heart says yes but the legs and the mind say NO. Just a split second slow mentally or physically you can see it. Just not finishing. 05-06 playoffs Detriot a 1# seed upset by Edmonton an 8# seed. Dallas 2# upset by Colorado 7# Edmonton 8# upsets Anaheim6# to got to the cup and then Carolina a suprise team beats Edmonton to win the CUP . I have seen this before.
Yeah, lets get rid of our Captain. Assuming you have watched the 3 games from start to finish...Hossa has consistently been the best guy on the ice for the Hawks.
Or are you only looking at the 'G' column? Jeez, Kane only has 1 goal, lets trade
him too.
There is one person to blame here. Coach Q. He is changing lines more frequently than Savard did, who was fired for that activity by the way. Q needs to stop mixing things up like a mad scientist and find some functional offensive lines and defensive pairings.
I have yet to understand why Brouwer, Toews, and Kane are not the top line. I have to understand why Bolland, Sharp, and Hossa are not the second line. Ladd, Madden, and Versteeg should be together and finally Eager (NOT Burish), Fras, and Kopecky need to round out the fourth.
Stop confusing EVERY single forward by changing the lines up constantly and you will see performance improve as linemates get comfortable with each other.
As for the D, put Seabs and Keith together, Buff and Hammer, and Sopel and Hendry AND LEAVE IT ALONE Q!
Who do want in place of Q and Bowman? You probably want the Mike Smith regime and Alpo Suhonnen back?
The Great Honey Bear with all of your knowledge should be the next coach, GM and Marketing guru!
The Great Honey Bear with all of your knowledge should be the next coach, GM and Marketing guru!
I tell you what, if that was the case, I'd bring back some more grinders and scrappers like Graham and Jocylien Lemieux and Curt Fraser, I'd have a roster full of skill guys who can fight like Manson and Secord, and I'd get the Ice Girls to have even skimpier outfits, and I'd lower the price of beer, while bringing back Mike Keenan to coach! No one would mess with us, in our house! NOW LET"S DO THIS!!!!!!!
I will be the first to say it....although I did so back at the trade deadline.
They are done.
The dipsy doodle, fancy-fanny hockey they have played all year does not work in the playoffs (I said that too, back then).
Evidence? Watch how the Hawks try to enter the zone on the PP. It is the Harlem Globetrotter blueline weave.
As a fan, I am p.o'd as all hell, because I bought into the sunglasses/microphone commercial 'one goal' crap.
You say stuff like that, you better be willing to pay the price, from management level making right decisions on down to the players getting dirty to get a goal, and goaltending not giving up weenie goals.
The Chicago Blackhawks have not been doing any of the above since the trade deadline, and you do not suddenly find that type of determination if you have not had it in 3 months.
So Boldirev is going to owe me a case of beer and a bottle of Crown Royal....if he shows up.
They are done. Bank on it. Maybe they pull rabbit out of hat vs Nashville. Hurray if that happens.
Their style of play will not get them much further.
Consider yourself off the bandwagon, and when they win again, you will not be invited back!
I have been a Hawk fan longer than this Honey Bear person has been alive.....
Hell, I pulled the damn bandwagon back in 1971 as a 9 year old.
I was at the game where the 'Skate The Cup' tradition started! (Crying my 9 year old eyes out as Le Gros Bill took the Cup around Stadium ice before retiring.....)
I also watched a Hawk 'home' playoff game skated on the ice in Long Island against the Islanders because Dollar Bill Wirtz booked Led Zeppelin at playoff time.
Bandwagon my fanny.......................... I was also at the playoff game where the Anthem cheering tradition started.
What are your credentials, Honey babe?
Get some length in the tooth, then come back with this bandwagon stuff.
It seems to me like the biggest difference between this series and the regular season is that we are not attacking. It ALWAYS seems like Nashville has the puck, even if they are not getting shots.
I only remember 2-3 times where Kane handled the puck from one end of the ice to the other and I think that's when we're at our best offensively, when he's creating opportunities for others. Campbell did the same to some extent in the regular season, but obviously he's not been around.
I agree with a lot of the comments made here, but mainly with the McDonough the marketer. With the Cubs, he was really good at making money for the club, filling the seats, creating high expectations with the fans, overpaying players, then letting the fans down in the end, because the hype did not add up to championships. Seems very similar here.
No way should we have traded Barker. When you're close to a championship, you ADD people who can get you over the hump, you don't subtract for salary reasons. You worry about that after the season. The goalie issue was obvious to everyone too and to not have taken action on that is a crime, which the fans will pay the price for.
Ok - the Hawks are in a tough series with a pesky team that takes the body and plays smart...we all knew that before the series began. How do you counteract that? Great players play great in needed situations. Toews, Kane, and Hossa need to start scoring, period! If our star players, who are more talented than Nashville's stars, continue to be MIA on the scoring sheet, the Hawks will be done. When Nashville scored to make it 2-1, that's when our scoring threats have to step up and make a play. LaFleur did it, Bossy did it, Gretzky and Messier did it! Put the puck in the net and stop messing around!
No wonder these guys aren't motivated. Half the team has already cashed in like they are the second coming of the Edmonten Oilers. Every player on Nashville and their small market budget is playing like they deserve these $100 million contracts.
Hossa, Campbell, Kane, Toews, Keith have more money coming their way the next 10 years than they could every imagine win or lose.
Marginal talent like Buff, Bolland, Madden, Versteeg all cashed in last summer and every single one of these guys took a step back in terms of performance.
Thanks to McDope these guys show up to games on red carpets, have women falling all over them as they party all night, faces planted on billboards, show up on Jay Leno and appear on the cover of video games.
You are right on, Jeb! The Hawks have this false swagger that hasn't been earned yet. This team plays expecting to win because of who they are; Nashville plays expecting to win because of what they do!
Nice trade by Baby Bowman--Barker for Jonnson--and now they have niether. Buff, where's the hitting you should be doing? Brouwer? WTF?-awful!
>Somewhere along the way, these young Hawk millionaires got the idea they would win playoff games just by showing up wearing a Hawk jersey
>In my 47+ years of hockey, I have never, ever, seen such a lack of effort in a Stanley Cup playoff game from a Hawk team
>Heart beats skill every time in the playoffs
>And please, Hawk players, why don't you all just shut the f*ck up until you have actually accomplished something
You play 82 games for what....winning the division means nothing....winning 50+ means nothing...winning the conference means nothing.
I here just "shoot the Puck": Sharks fire almost 175+ shots in four games and they are "lucky" to be 2-2 with the 8th seed Aves with 3 OT games. And their big guns of Thorton, Marleau and Heatly have no goals!!
The nasty high octane Canucks with Mr. Canada Luongo are fighting for their playoff lives as their PK has allowed 7 goals. Hawks have been very good on the PK with no goals allowed.
The offensively challenged Boston Bruins who lost 12 of 13 at one point are giving the Sabres and Mr. USA Miller all they can handle.
Philly barely gets in on the last day on thier 3rd goalie and they are up 3-1 against the great Brodeur and Nashville east Devils.
If anythinks they can just point to this or that reason why games and series go this way or that way....they are just nuts.
The one thing you can't excuse is disinterested and low energy play and that is what the Hawks demonstrated last night.
People and experts can predict all they want when it comes to playoffs, but seriously they can't accurately predict much. Teams go through ups and downs and you can get run out of the post-season in a hurry. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Move Byfuglien back to forward and let him bang his way to the front of the net, they need to get traffic in front of Rinne just like they did against Luongo last year. Use Bickell instead of Brower if he's not ready to play yet due to family issues.
Have more stability in the D pairings by leaving Keith and Seabrook and Hjalmarsson and Sopel relatively intact and then using Hendry and Boynton as the #3 duo.
Kopecky scored a goal but unless he's scoring a lot more, he's not very useful against a team like Nashville. Get Burish in there on the line with Fraser and Eager and let those guys pile up 'smart' hits against Nashville's D.
Play with more damn passion! At least Sharp got in Legwand's face late in the game yesterday but all the guys need to play with fire. Niemi isn't exactly standing on his head but he's playing well enough for the Hawks to win - they're just not getting it done with the skaters.
I quote Tim, from his Twitter feed during the game....
"How much money tied up in this Hawks' offence ?
Maybe they should change the motto to....
"ONE FORE" !!!
Where is Dale Tallon these days? These players could use him now.
What exactly would he be able to do right now?
do you think boynton should get a look? the only reason i would want him in is to replace byfuglien. buff looks out of sorts back there and continues to commit terrible turnovers and play poor defense.
at least with boynton in there we can move buff back to forward where he dominated in last years playoffs.
If I knew what he looked like I would put his face on a milk carton ;-)
I always valued his insights and opinions.