Well, I guess it's time.
I'm unsure how much enthusiasm I can muster for this, so some of this might come out as just random half-thoughts out of context with anything. Let's see what occurs.
On The Nashville Series
The Hawks started the series with one pretty good game but couldn't score, and they finished the series with an okay game...in which they couldn't score. Games two and three were so bad I don't even want to mention them.
They ended the season with a pair of losses in which they had no fire, no urgency. Yes, their place in the standings was secure and avoiding injuries was a priority, but did that ain't-give-a-damn vibe just kind of carry over into the playoffs? I'm probably selling The Hawks short as far as their pride and professionalism goes but, after seeing the lazy thinking and poor decisions that were made in Round One (of One, damn it), I was really wondering if they just stopped caring, or if they were just tired of the grind. Or both.
Did they give up part way through Game Two when they realized they probably had nothing for the supremely dialed-in Predators?
Or was it more a case of not being able to keep up?
Far too often The Hawks had the puck...and then they didn't, and the Preds didn't make especially heroic plays to gain possession - they just played their positions, were mindful of what was happening and The Hawks just gave it to them, by virtue of a bad pass or trying to skate through the neutral zone when a chip and chase might have been the safer bet. I'd agree that several Nashville goals had a tinge of good fortune 'pon them, but if you do the fundamental things correctly and keep skating you'll be more likely to capitalize on those lucky bounces, converting close calls into goals. On the flip, if you're constantly out of position and not keeping your feet moving, those same close calls aren't going to go your way very often.
We didn't get the best performances from some players who are expected to provide more than they did. I'll type more about that a little further down, but allow me to pop in a few remarks here:
Panarin was a huge disappointment, apparently unwilling to stray too far from his Happy Shooty Place, even when it was clear that The Predators were not going to allow him to camp out there.
I'll pass on casting scorn on Anisimov, as he was clearly not at his best, physically, but what he did provide was nowhere enough. Similarly, Nick Schmaltz was a non-factor, but more because he just hasn't enough miles on him to really prep him for when things get serious. I think his deployment was fine - skating with Toews and Hossa/Panik was wholly appropriate, but I think he did about what he can do at this stage in his career.
Oduya wasn't the answer. I never really believed he would be, as he'd already lost a gear before leaving to Dallas, but a girl can dream.
I've probably written the equivalent of a novella on the many ways in which van Riemsdyk drags the entire Hawks' effort down, so why stop now? Ultimately, the blame where TVR is concerned falls on Coach Q, as he draws up the roster & doles out the ice time. There's always a guy, it seems, in which Q sees something that probably doesn't exist. Barker, Cullimore, Boynton, O'Donnell and Handzus all came before, but no one has stuck around as long nor have they had the profound negative effect that van Riemsdyk has. Case in point: Q dressed seven D for Game Four which would, one would hope, mean less ice time and therefore less harm caused by 57-Varieties-Of-Bad. Oh my, no, as TVR logged the second-most ice time among the D, second only to Keith, including 1:55 on the power play. This was in a do-or-die game. TVR rarely succeeds in making a defensive play, has little idea of positioning and is dead slow, to boot, so when he's inevitably not where he should be it takes forever for him to get there, if it occurs to him at all. The mind reels. I'll also note that TVR benefited from incredibly cautious and generous zone starts, so his stat line is flattering to deceive, which might actually be a good thing with Las Vegas drawing up their expansion draft wish list.
Hartman needs to sort himself out. He basically wasted Games Two and Three, first by being a complete dumbass and then by barely playing after being inexplicably included in the lineup. Then he played a fantastic Game Four. Just do that, for god's sake, and skip all the bullshit. Maybe it's silly and unfair to once again draw comparisons to Shaw, but when he's switched on, Hartman is miles ahead of what Andrew Shaw can provide, but too often becomes distracted with the very things that bring him back down to Shaw's level.
Toews - I'm not sure what to say. The desire seemed to be there but the execution was not. Clearly, his best days are behind him and he's likely carrying one or more significant, lingering physical issues, but what to do? Even at half-chat, he's still among the Hawks' best, but it's getting to be about that time when they shouldn't plan on leaning on him as much as they've done for almost ten years. There's no one ready to assume his 1C spot, yet, but that will be necessary, soon enough.
Hossa lost the plot in Game Two and never really found it again, making lazy or optimistic plays that rarely worked. Hjalmarsson made one in four passes. Could Seabrook get any slower? If Panarin was working...Hossa or Toews or Anisimov or Schmaltz were not, for whatever reason. Mix and match that to suit whatever situation you like, 'cos there were precious few occasions in which an entire Hawks line put together two dominant shifts in succession.
But it wasn't all bad.
Kane was one of only a few Hawks that looked truly invested in the series. As the series wore on he was used a lot outside his usual line, what with Panarin not often making himself useful and Anisimov just out of sync. Efforts to jumpstart Toews didn't quite work, but by the time Q resorted to that The Hawks had skipped past urgency and headed straight into desperation.
Frustratingly, and I hesitate to put it that way because I appreciate these guys and their effort, the most consistent Hawks apart from Kane were Kruger, Panik, Rasmussen and Kero. As mentioned in an earlier post, though, these fellas' maximum just isn't that much, and still falls short of what's required to win a playoff series these days.
Hawks GM Stan Bowman spoke to media on Saturday.
Top to bottom we need more. This is unacceptable to be where we are today. There will be change moving forward. Change comes in many different ways. So the specifics of how we are going to change things into next year are not really meant for this forum. But I can promise you we need to be better.
Oh, good, because The Hawks' winning ways have already proven to be unsustainable if the team remains just as it is.
The Hawks have continued to rely on the same guys that they have for eight seasons, guys that were almost supernatural in their abilities and able to summon even more when required.
Yet, these players are still being asked to be THOSE guys, even when the legs, back, knees etc. are eight years along, many of those years very long ones, with deep playoff runs, Olympics and what-have-you. The honeymoon is over, I'm afraid.
It's past time for The Hawks' team-builders to realize that a succession plan is required and that some of the old boys need to become complementary players or, more likely, be asked to waive their no-trade clauses.
What changes Stan alludes to are anyone's guess. He may not even have a plan in mind, yet, but he's no dummy and he knows that, as tempting as it might be to make small adjustments and hope for the best, some considerable retooling is in order.
Kane, Crawford and Toews are likely untouchable, even with Toews as battered as he is. I also believe that Keith will remain as well; even though he's a shadow of his former self, he's still The Hawks' best defenseman. He tried, and probably did as much as he could, which still wasn't enough but he didn't give up. The lack of speed among The Hawks' D (Seabrook, Hammer, Oduya) and the no skill at all (TVR) made his job harder than its ever been, at a time when he, himself, is past his peak.
But what's on the horizon? Forsling could be ready for a full time gig, or may have to be ready. Whether that's along with Campbell or instead of him, we'll have to see, but I'm leery of Stan relying on Q to use what he's got, since we've all seen the Nick Leddy movie already. Kempny is quicker than Seabrook and Hjalmarsson and should have been in TVR's or Oduya's spot all along, but Q's overestimation of Oduya and TVR kept him on the sidelines until the last moment. I'm not sure what Q expects from Kempny; he was scratched frequently in favour of an idiot, got the least ice time when he did play and was punished for any indiscretion he committed. I've said it before, but Kemp's confidence must be in rough shape, cos he knows if he plays a less than perfect game it's back to the press box, and that's not an ideal headspace to be in. Given the opportunity to succeed, or to fail and learn, at least, I think he'll be fine, but Q doesn't seem to agree. Really, if Kempny were smart, he'd retreat back to The KHL.
There are sure to be a few quality d-men available over the summer and I wouldn't be too alarmed if Seabs or Hammer are asked to waive their NTCs to make space, both physically and salary cap-wise.
The picture at forward is less clear, I think, as The Hawks may believe they have options already within the organization. Stan may wish to stand pat for the most part, hoping that Hartman and Schmaltz continue to develop. Hinostroza, Motte and even Alex deBrincat have all the speed The Hawks could ask for, and John Hayden will almost certainly stick on the bottom six, but it's left to be seen if the first two have the head and the hands to stick in The NHL and whether deBrincat is ready to make the jump is anyone's guess. Another big question is Hossa; how much has he got left in him, both in terms of skill and desire?
Anyway, I didn't expect to be typing this so early. I guess the saving grace is a long summer for the lads and a chance to recharge and refresh.
We'll catch up at the expansion draft.
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