I love hockey. I watch it for the love of the game, and not only just to see my team hoist the Cup (although it was pretty awesome). With that said, I and many others here at PowWow came down fairly hard on this team when it was in 1st place looking down. Not that I didn't enjoy seeing the Hawks in 1st, I just feel like I saw this moment in time coming, although a large part of me hoped it wouldn't. About a month ago, you would be called blind to say the Hawks had issues, or point a finger at Q for a lack of obedience in his team. Now, you would be hard pressed not to find an article on the Hawks that is positive.
I feel it safe to say that this next couple of weeks will tell us exactly what this team is made of. We all know how I feel about Q, so I say this in reference to the players themselves. Make it or break it. Some say the Hawks are in a crisis, and other say, "over reacting guys." Well, the Hawks currently sit at 6th place, with 2 games in hand on the Blues and are 4-4-2 in their last 10. They have one of the worst GA's in the league, facing their 4th goalie change in as many years. They have fallen 7 points behind the Wings, grabbed just 1 point in their last 3 road games with 6 more to go. 3 of the teams hold some real challenges, while 2 of the others can also give the Hawks trouble. Then, after getting through that gauntlet, they have the Blues and Wings at home. Add in the fact that the Hawks are playing their worst hockey of the past 2 years and I see reason to label this a crisis, but maybe it's not.
What I do know is that the Hawks will tell us a little bit more about what they are made of, because some believe that they are only waiting for the playoffs to show us that. This is just a blip, and when they hit the real games, when it really counts, they will wake up and become the giants they are.
Little factoid for you coming from ESPN: Since the NHL expanded to 30 teams, no squad has ranked lower than 18th in goals-against per game and won a Stanley Cup. Only four teams have finished outside the top 10 and won a championship. The Hawks currently rank 25th.
The condition of the team seems to be a lack of confidence, or frustration, although both seem blurred in this one. This is of course ignoring all of the systemic issues we have laid out time and time again on this blog over the past couple of years.
"We have to slow things down and simplify it more,” Seabrook said. “We’ve just got to make it a simple game. As hockey players, we shouldn’t be going out there trying to be fancy. We’ve just got to dig in and work.” Maybe he read my little ditty on simplifying the game, how the Hawks will find some success.
The Hawks goaltending issue could have roots in confidence. Crawford knows the history, and we all know how Q can react to certain players. Crow just might be over-thinking the whole darn thing. What about Bickell, and Frolik? Stalberg last year? Now Kaner too. Ride certain players to breaking points, and never give others a chance. Duncan Keith recently stated something like, there is no blame on one person, the whole team is frustrated and the whole team should be blamed. I also thought I heard a hint of coaching distaste in his voice when on the radio, maybe hinting at the issue of who sits and who plays, and how long.
“The frustration level is probably a little higher than I’ll admit to you,” Steve Montador said. Many other interviews of players have similar responses from them.
“We’ve got to go into every game with the mentality we’re going to win 1-0 and just play a solid, defensive, smart hockey game and not worry about trying to blow teams out or anything like that and just play a solid game.” But, the Hawks have not won any games 1-0 this year, and have yet to record a shutout at all. We saw this kind of approach against Calgary, but it only lasted for 20 minutes and it still ended 1-1. Basically, until the Flames exploited the same damn holes in the Hawks system that every team seems to get by now. My fear, is that playing a game like this will lead to disaster, because the Hawks do not have the discipline, or the mentoring to do it. IMO, the Hawks will be out coached in every game from here on out. I feel for them, but it is on the players themselves to dig this out, and it seems like Bowman feels the same way.
Despite having a goals-against average in the bottom third of the league (2.92), Bowman reiterated his belief in the roster.
“If you watch our team, we certainly get excited to score goals,” Bowman said. “We need them to be equally excited to keep the puck out of the net. We’ve shown we’ve been able to do it before in spurts. We haven’t been able to do it consistently.
“I like our personnel. We’re trying to upgrade. It’s not like we’ve got guys playing that can’t play in the NHL. We certainly have guys that can improve on their level of play. But at the same time, we’re just trying to enhance our group as opposed to completely remake it.” Cough, cough, Bickell, cough, Scott, Cough.
And yet, I personally feel that they have it in them to do good enough. Win a Cup, hell no, not with the current situation staying stagnant (but, now that I said it, watch them win it all). But win enough games, and get to the second round maybe. Enough to keep us fans happy for another season, or lack there of the following year.
I do believe that the Hawks can win when they get to the playoffs simply because of the stakes. Their roster is why. The Hawks aren’t committed to playing defense right now, because their system doesn't necessitate it. Come April and May, it’s safe to say they’ll care. Both Q and SB have essentially said the same thing recently: These individuals and this team have done good things previously, so they expect them to do it again. The problem with that line of thinking is the Blackhawks have not played well defensively at any point this season, and it is complete bull coming from the coach who is supposed to have a hand in the whole darn thing.
Is it really that the Hawks just don't care about these game right now? Because, it seems like they do, or am I just contradicting myself now? We have some darn good talent, but we also have a failing system of play. this might cause enough balance for a stint in the playoffs, but one might also tip the other over.
Lets look at this way for second. The Hawks PK is actually designed to allow shots and even prevent forwards from blocking them. Point men are pushed to the faceoff circles by the forwards to seemingly bad angles. But in reality, those shots aren’t so bad when they have a clear path to the slot with traffic in front of the net. Bolland and company simply won’t block shots for fear of getting hurt, hence the strategy of the forward pushing the D-man over instead of simply getting in front of the shooter as most teams do. Is this some crazy plan to keep players from getting injured until playoffs?
"This strategy is making their D-men -- and subsequently their goalie -- look bad. Obviously the coaches approve of it or it would change." Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com
Now here is the bad news: This season the Hawks have proven they can win only one way. With offense. Goaltending hasn’t won them much and neither has team defense. Their dynamic offense will most assuredly win them many more games the rest of the way. But at this moment, they are a one-trick pony. When they even try to play defense, it takes away from their offense because they don’t know how to find that balance. Their coach has neglected it for too long.
If looking for a simple answer to the issues of the team, I get back to what I mentioned in a previous comment here: I see a slight change in lines giving a large enough boost to the team. The hole at 2nd line center has been avoided for too long, and Bolland is the guy. The 4th line is pretty kosher, so that leaves just the 3rd line to worry about, and there are ample reasons for such worry. The road to Solutionsville might have started with Morrison coming over. Shaw makes a pretty good winger there, and if we can get Frolik producing, we might be okay without any further trades. Or, why not move Mayers up, adding grit and maybe even a scoring touch. Hell, given the offensive power of the other lines, the 3rd would just have to break even. If trades do come, it will most likely be in the form of a defenseman and we will just have to wait and see.
Tomorrow night is most definitely a must win, given who will follow. Can the Hawks split the rest of these 6 games, and where will that even get them with the other division teams playing well above average hockey? Frankly, the condition of the Hawks is not so promising.
Filed under: View from the Bench
Tags: Chicago Blackhawks
Not this time, I've been here before. I fell hook, line, and sinker for this "we'll turn it on when it matters most" BS last year and I'm not buying it this time around. Three games in the playoffs—when they had no choice but to win—is all they did. It won't be enough this year either.
After some reflection over the past few days, my expectations for this squad have been lowered considerably and while I agree with what you wrote HH, I'm even more convinced today that this team is completely delusional from the top on down, They're living and dying by what was done two years ago, and we all know that team does not exist anymore. SB is in denial if he thinks this team is remotely good enough to come close to winning the cup. Sounds to me like he'll settle for mediocrity. I'm the first to call out the players for being complacent but you can see that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in this case. I'm tired of the clichés. I've heard them all before. Nope not biting this time.
This team—and it could be argued it's a better team—has regressed in many ways from last year's squad. Coaching surely hasn't improved. Any sense of urgency from last year has clearly not affected these players and if they think they'll just turn it on at will, they best take a look at how the teams in their conference have improved. My point here is, that they'll need to be better than last year and I have seen nothing to think that is the case going forward.
Stop drinking your koolaid Stan. To think that this team will suddenly put on a different mask and play solid defensive hockey from here on out is ridiculous. To think that this team can compete in a physical series and escape it with a series win is also ridiculous. You've got too many leaks in the dike here, Stan. The first step to solving a problem is to admit that you have one. I'm tired of this Blackhawk spin, shit or get off the pot, Stan, and stop babying your crumbling empire. I have another cliché in me but I can't remember how it goes … the fish rots from the head on down… or something like that.
BAM!
Best part: "Any sense of urgency from last year has clearly not affected these players and if they think they'll just turn it on at will, they best take a look at how the teams in their conference have improved."
Truth.
The goals against is the number that bothers me most as well. You need good defense to be relevant in the playoffs. The only thing that gives me some optimism there is that I believe the addition of a solid D man could make a difference in this team. It's a long shot that SB can actually find such a player, but a true second pair veteran would address one glaring issue. If they did that, the season goals against don't mean much IF they start to improve from here.
My take is that their confidence is shot. They play decent first periods but fall apart when the other teams scores, especially if they give up a two goal lead. Whether this team as it currently is built is a true playoff contender is a debatable point. But they aren't a shitty team. I think the effort is there, but the shoulders start to slump way too early when it gets a little tough in the game. I dunno, I hear those comments by the players about simplifying and I kind of laugh. This team does not and will not play simple hockey. Either they find a way to win "their" way or they get nothing. Despite the high goals against and frustrating cute passes, this team can still score goals and are third in their conference.
Without the addition of a guy who can drop the minutes of all the current D, it will be impressive if they can make the second round.
To my eye the hawks play boring, faceless hockey. They lack spark spunk savvy. What has been said many times before is the hawks lack chemistry, which is painfully apparent on the power play. No way it should sputter with the firepower that our core possess. Hell, they don't even get set up in the attacking zone.
The core does not make the players around them better. They excell at playing well with other core members. In fact, there appear to be two hawk teams, one comprised of the
core and the other a cast of role players designed to support the core. A little pecking order seems to have developed, a very shaky one, at that. It doesn't take much for the sky to start falling, evidenced by the astonishing up and downs these guys go through.
Lastly Corey Crawford has been weak this year. That sliding back and forth across the crease is so fricking pee wee. Sagging
shoulders come from easy goals.
Hawks need something to rally around. How about Scott beating the crap out of the guys who slashed sharp and toews? Neandrathal, I know, but where is the defiance, the guts, the pride?!
Okay so the Q slot machine handle has been pulled again and now in the midst of a 5 game skid multiple guys have to find chemistry with guys they are unaccustomed to playing with. I understand that when things are going south there is a need for a shakeup, but a shakeup to pretty much everyone of your lines? I don't know about everyone else but it seemed to me that the Toews/Kane/ Stahlberg line had been doing some pretty decent things lately. You can just see the confidence Stahlberg has skating with these two. Now he is relegated to a third line role with Kruger and Morrison. No offense to those two but they aren't exactly the table setters that Tazer and Kaner are. Instead on the first line we now get Andrew Shaw, who despite all his Shawfacts has been a bit snake bitten as of late.
If no offensive moves are made by the deadline I feel the lines should play out like this 25/19/88, 10/16/81,65/36/67, 39/22/15. I feel the chemistry that Hayes, Mayers, and Brunette had in their limited time together was excellent. Hayes also gives the Hawks a big body that can be used to create traffic in front of the net on the PP, something that has been sorely lacking for the Hawks all year.
Will these moves cure what ails the Hawks? Obviously not, as defense has been an even bigger problem this year, but I do believe that a bit of consistency of the lines may lead to the Hawks finally being able to find a system that works for them and that they can actually fall back on when times start to get tough. Thanks again for listening, keep up the good work, and hopefully the Hawks can get a big W tonight in the land of the Lanche.
I hear you Zinger. Stalberg is getting sort of punished for playing well. What about moving Kane down a couple of lines? (just saying). That line has been dynamite anyway, so why mess with something that is not broken. I get the logic of spreading the wealth evenly, but with your top 5 guys on the top 2 lines, it is hard to see how Q uses that logic. This change worries me, but hopefuly Stalberg can bring some energy to that 3rd line (if they get enough minutes on the ice).
Now, Bolland on the 2nd line is something I kind of like at this point.
Your point about Hayes is right on. Not sure how the coaching staff doesn't feel the same way.
I love that Q thinks mixing up the lines will fix what is going on.
I love the slot machine metaphor zinger. That's Q to a tee. Problem is, like any concotion, you keep putting the same ingredients in, in the same quantity, and the concotion is going to taste the same.
Time for some new ingredients, I think.
Time for a new chef.