Good call by Quenneville to have Turco face Stars
DALLAS - Corey Crawford is the Blackhawks’ clear-cut No. 1 goalie and is coming off a terrific game in Wednesday’s 4-1 win at Edmonton.
But Marty Turco is starting Friday night at Dallas, which is absolutely the right decision by Hawks coach Joel Quenneville.
Never mind the fact the Hawks are playing back-to-back games against the Stars and Coyotes this weekend, this is Turco’s night. He will face the team he starred behind for nine seasons, and Quenneville is banking on the fact the veteran goalie will be pumped and that Turco’s teammates will play their tails off to get him the win.
Turco has been the ultimate pro and teammate this season as Crawford has taken over the top job and deserves this chance to try and beat the team that let him walk as a free agent.
While Turco said he is bringing his family down for the game and that he is looking forward to seeing some old friends here, he knows the most important thing is leaving town with the 2 points.
The Hawks need at least a split of these two games after going 2-2 on the first four stops of their road trip.
Then come three must-win home games next week against Minnesota, Columbus and Pittsburgh.
The Hawks will have a lot of things going for them on Friday such as Turco facing his old team, Michael Frolik making his debut and the fact the Stars have lost four in a row.
Wow. Stick a fork in the defending champs. Don't matter that there's 8 points between 11th and 4th. This team sucks and the way that they give up leads is just icing on the cake. Which prima donna will be cast off? All that salary tied up on 8-10 over-paid, alcoholic, headline reading "stars". Good luck! At least they hoisted a cup in my lifetime, but I ain't expecting much soon.
Did anyone feel comfortable going to the shootout?
Turco playing tonight makes sense. I look for his best game tonight and possibly getting his game set on track again.
Kopecky centering the second line tonight....ARGH.
Forget everything I said on Turco.
Just get rid of him. This isn't working out. I want a goalie I can believe in.
While I appreciate his wanting to come to Chicago...quite simply this signing is a bust.
I don't put the whole blame on him but this one soft goal per game I cannot take anymore.
This obsession with him just have to touch and handle the puck which leads to scrambling in our zone and the awful performance in the shootout is enough to make me turn grey.
Once again...trade him. I 'VE HAD ENOUGH!!
Sorry Tim, I thought Turco was terrible when he played for the Stars last year against the Hawks. Couldn't understand the signing at all. I also wish he wasn't playing tonight so I hope you're right.
...we trade for Kris Versteeg?
All i can say is....he better WIN THE DAMN GAME. Good arguments made here...that the team will be extra motivated for Marty...but if they're not motivated by now...FORGET ABOUT IT.
Also..he may know the shooters...but the shooters KNOW HIM TOO. It works both ways....JUST WIN or it will be a TURKEY SHOOT IN BIG D.
THe problems for this team continue to be inconsistent play at home, and regulation losses. Both of which continue to give away valuable points. Hawks deserved better against Vancouver, and were in a position to steal a point Calgary thanks to Crawford.
THey need to find a way to get 3 points this weekend.
I'll worry about next week on Monday, but coming off a 6 game trip, and having 3 days off before facing Minnesota seems like a trap game. Facing Pittsburgh without Crosby or Malkin is a huge break.
Still 28 games to go....but from 3rd-13th you are only seperated by 10 pts. Hawks have some games in hand.....Time to make a move and force teams below them to win.....
.... getting tired of the old line .... up/lower body injury coming out of the Hawks! It is really getting old. You don't see it nearly as much on the other teams. I can live with it for the playoffs - but not regular season.
The Hawks really have no choice. I believe the NHL dictates what they can and cannot say....supposedly for the protection of the player.
But you're right.....it drives me crazy too!
I wonder how many Hawks have "Upper Body" injuries between their ears.
The NHL allows teams to be vague when they talk about injury status, but they don't require it. At least that's my understanding.
The idea being, that if the Hawks don't want to come out and say it, they don't have to, but they can.
Take a look.... most are more descriptive than upper/lower.
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/injuries
The Hawks looked like crap playing in front of Hasak too , his style was too different than Belfours . Crawford and Turco also have a little different stlye , but not that much . Turco plays the puck alot , but he has let in too many soft ones this year and has not come up with the big save when needed
has made many great saves this year, however, he obviously needs to elminate the softies. Coming up huge on a save after a weak one puts you back to even on the scoreboard. Eliminate the softies and I think he makes an adequate amount of big saves.
If the Stars having lost 4 is a good thing. If I remember, we ran into Calgary on a slide and they ripped our heads off.
Will be determined after the weekend. We won't know if this is a good call until we see how the game goes.
It is a tough call, because Crawford has been the better goaltender, but the back to back situtation is a consideration.
I think motivation is a non-factor here, because I don't see how this Hawks team could require any extra motivation other than the fact they are on the outside looking in. Turco facing his old team or not, these guys need to bring it and I think they know that.
We need the win, so play the best guy. CC. The end.
This is all wrong to me. Now is the time to take care of business, not go for feel good moments.
Anyone who want to feel good can watch Rudy.
since both have been oh so guilty of soft late goals all season.
Frankly, I thought Turco should have gone two in a row after his performance last week in Vancouver.
This team wins by how well the TEAM plays late in games AND the goalies making the big saves.
Play a solid system game in front of them, backcheck and be responsible in your own end, the goalie shouldn't matter as much.
Would love to see Big Hoss playing with Frolik tonight but that doesn't look likely.
Q generally makes the right calls with these guys but if Turco has another rough outing the second guessers will be screaming. But that's why he makes the big bucks.
I'm just as interested to see how Frolic does this weekend. I know Junior and Q have boasted about his versatility but is there anyway he doesn't center the second line from day one?
I will also be curious to see where Brouwer ends up spending most of his time. He's pretty productive whenever he plays with Kane and Toews but disappears for lonnnggg stretches when playing with anyone else. Sharp took the first line spot against Edmonton and the boys lit up the scoreboard but this team needs Brouwer to get in the middle of everything if they want to get on a roll.
Brouwer has really picked it up lately, and other than Sharp is the only one who holds his own on the top line. Hope he doesn't get screwed and put on the 4th line or something just so they can keep the Eastern European line together. Kopecky doesn't deserve that spot over Brouwer, at least not yet. If Brouwer moves to the 3rd line, would you move Pisani or Bickell to the 4th?
I'd like to see:
Sharp, Towes, Kane
Kopecky, Frolick, Hossa
Brower, Bolland, Bickell
Pisani, Dowell, Stalberg
I think there was a time last year that Bolland-Brower-Bickell played together. It was a very aggressive line.
I'm gonna have to go ahead and . . . disagree with ya there. But just a little.
I'd try Brouwer with Hoss and Frolik. Brouwer creates a lot of space and he gives Frolik another option as a shooter (a little better than Kopecky). Plus he's a righty shot on the off-wing.
At the end of the day, Brouwer and Kopecky bring a lot of the same things to the table, I just like Brouwer a little more as a top 6 guy than I do Kopy. And I think Kopy's a little better suited to a third line role because he might be a bit better than Brouwer defensively.
I'd also factor in Johnson as a fourth option on that fourth line. Like, depending on the opponent, Stalberg sits some nights.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that the Line 1 has been pretty good lately (Toews-Kane-Brouwer)... I would like to keep the together. I would try Frolik between Hossa and Sharp. The latter two played well together when Sharpie centered the line, why should it be any different if they are both on the wings? Playing with those two, Frolik could easily elevate his game to the level of last 2 seasons.
Third line has also been solid lately, showed some offence, too, in addition to shutting down opposition top lines, so I would like to keep them together as well. That makes Kopecky the odd man out and puts him on the forth line, where he probably belongs... He is a grinder with lot of energy, so he should be suited very well there.
Now if Stan goes out and get a big strong defensemen to replace one of our smaller defensemen so when the other team get in front of our goalie he knows someone is going to crush them we will be a step closer to competing, and maybe, and i say maybe we can make the playoffs.
A very good observation - Turco is the right call and i agree with you. If Turco has to play a game in the back to back game scenario, this is the game. We don't want to wear out Crawford and back to back games for a goalie takes alot out of a goalie.
Hawks have a better chance to win this one, Dallas is not playing as well and a few Dalllas players got a few bumps (not sure if they are back yet).
I'm with Doc on this one. If it were early in the season, sure why not? Crow deserves the next game on merit alone, not to mention his outstanding performance versus the Oil.
Now the 'Hawks have to go into this game thinking they'll need to score at least 4-5 goals to have a chance. Turco is a bust, and I really hate saying that. The team plays completely different in front of Turco versus Crow; and it is not good.
Let's not reward banality here....
starting in another post. It's time to win games. C2 is the guy and he played well in Calgary and Edmonton after not playing for couple of weeks.
The Hawks need wins not homecoming sentimentality. This team can not afford another 3-4 goal Turco cough up. His GA = 3.1...forget it!
Stars have lost 4 in a row and the Sharks have caught them. I suspect they will relish coming after their former team mate.
The rah rah lets win one for the hometown boy is pathetic.
Honestly every game from here on out is huge for the Hawks. They may have to come close to running the table with their final 12 games at home because I don't see them any better than .500 on the road given the road schedule they have.