A Half Effort and Zero Reward: Nathan MacKinnon 6, Hawks 3

Oh, to have just ten minutes back from that game.
In that ten minutes (more like 11, but whatever) Colorado scored four times, took what seemed like half of their total shots and pulverized The Hawks in puck possession.
It didn't help that The Hawks were shorthanded most of that time but, hey, you make your bed, right?
Otherwise, The Hawks weren't completely terrible.
Some quick Bits:
* Anton Forsberg was not sharp.  Circumstances were not ideal, with the penalty parade and several coverage errors in front of him but, really, 3 of the 5 GA looked soft from my angle.  Another poor start will possibly cause a phone to ring in Rockford.
* Nathan MacKinnon simply ran amok.  When he decides that's what he wants to do there's not much you can do about that.

                                           This is not how it looks, but it may as well be.
* Poor Coverage and Soft Play - the first GA was a double-shot, with Rutta taking way too much time doing whatever he thought he was doing behind the net, while Forsling stood idly between two COL Players, not covering either of them.  On the third COL goal it was a gamble lost by Kempny that led to the Av's breakout, and he and Sharp were thereabouts when MacKinnon tapped the goal in, but as spectators, watching but not actively checking anyone.  It didn't help that Seabrook had given up his gap and resorted, yet again, to laying himself out.  On the fifth GA, the guy in the most dangerous place on the ice was the only one not being covered.  All small mistakes with big consequences.
* Too Many Odd-man Chances - yes, this again.  I have no problem with the D joining the rush, and they've been doing that a lot lately but, when the puck inevitably comes back toward The Hawks' zone there is One Guy Back more often than not.  It seems to me that the D needs to tone down their offensive adventures and/or The Hawks' forwards need to ensure that someone hangs back to support the lone remaining D-man.  As it is there appears to be very little communication in this regard.
* Forsling was hurt in the first period and left the game.  Truthfully, The Hawks played better after he left.  Coincidence?  Let's see.

                                                            Crow's lament.
Was there anything GOOD to say about this game?  Sure.
* Cody Franson was excellent, full-stop.  More, please.
* Crawford, in relief, was very good.  He didn't see a lot of action but he did make a tough pair of saves on a shot-rebound combo in the third.
* Shots-for and Possession - all very good.  The missing piece element here is turning those shots & chances into goals.  That, and not having every single error end up in a goal against.

"Despite The Outcome": Predators 2, Hawks 1

I have so much to say about this game I've actually been typing all night!  Okay, of course I haven't and, in fact, I missed half of the third period because of a sick puppers, but let me have a go, anyway.

* All Change: all four lines and each D-pairing were altered going into this game. It's tough to judge whether or not this gambit worked or not based on a single game.  A casual observer might remark "they lost - there's your answer", but of course it's not as simple as that.  Also, Coach Q shuffled his lines more or less back to how they were on Wednesday for most special-teams and in the late going when they were trying to net the equalizer, so there's that.  Despite the result, though, I saw some interesting things, some of which might be the result of the new line combos.  More on that in a bit.
* Shots!  The Hawks outshot NSH 44-30, which is possibly the first game in which they outshot anyone in weeks.  While that's quite encouraging, how come only one goal for?   How about...
1) Pekka Rinne was outstanding.  It's probably safe to say that his hip isn't bugging him any longer
2) More chucking by The Hawks, which I'm not entirely opposed to but, if that's the plan, you have to take a lot of shots to make it work, and...
3) Rebounds - Rinne did not yield many and The Hawks failed to pounce on more than a handful of the few he allowed

* Nick Schmaltz finally returned from his injury (despite "playing" the last four games) and was the best Blackhawk on the ice.  I don't know what changed, as I doubt Schmaltz' resurgence had much to do with Panik drawing in on his left, but it was terrific to see him moving with urgency and being so creative.  He should have notched his first point since Game One after flat-out taking the puck away from Subban.

* Kane's Penalty - okay, that was 100% a screw up by the referees.  It happens and we'll all move on but, man, that call could not have been more poorly timed, as The Hawks had put together a short string of great shifts and having to endure another PK really messed up their momentum.
* Defense Not All There Yet - it was generally a better effort than in recent games, and I see the six guys that played last night as the "ideal" group at the moment, but there were still a handful of ghastly things that went on.  Early on it appeared that the Seabrook - Forsling duo might be okay, as Seabrook took a more conservative role as Goose was more often the one to carry the puck forward.  That kinda fell apart with all the penalties, though, as Q chose to reunite Forsling and Rutta again for PK duty.  Kempny & Murphy were alright, which I can accept, and Rutta with Keith was mostly good; Keith was fairly solid defensively but, hoo boy, did he struggle with his passes, the worst of which arguably costing The Hawks the game, in which he threw Calle Jarnkrok a rose right in front of Corey Crawford.  Meanwhile, Seabrook only performed his signature bellyflop "move" once last night, which is an improvement over recent games.
There were still a worrying number of odd-man rushes by The Predators, though, but some of these guys might need a game or two to establish how they're going to position themselves alongside a new D-partner.  It's a work in progress.

                                     I don't want to know what was going on here.

* At Forward....I dunno.  The Hawks were buzzing the NSH zone for much of the game, crushing The Preds in the possession dept., but only one of the tweaks among the forward lines really caught my eye.  DeBrincat looked perfectly at home with Saad & Toews and could, in time, be the guy who can dart into the gaps to take a pass from the aforementioned corner-men.  That said, my dog could pot 10 goals playing with Toews & Saad, but I thought DBC looked good there.
Panik with Schmaltz & Kane...also fine, but I kinda think Panik is going to do the same stuff, good or bad, no matter what line he's on.  He could maybe have kept his feet moving a bit more to make more of his rather deceptive linemates, as he was often content to simply park it up in front of Rinne.  Another work in progress, I suppose.
Hayden was alright on the third line but it wasn't a large sample as they actually didn't play together a whole lot with all the penalties to both teams.  That's probably worth another look.
And finally, Hartman.  I assume his placement on the fourth line is equally punishment and "he has to go somewhere". He hardly played and I hardly noticed him.  With only a single point in his last six games and, to be honest, far too much goofy histrionics, lately, he needed a change, too.

Press on, I say, give these lines and pairings another game or three.  Q persevered with the previous groups so long while they were accomplishing nothing one hopes he'll have the patience to see this experiment through.
Colorado tonight, with both teams having played and lost last night, although The Hawks' can take heart that they coulda shoulda got at least a point vs. NSH, whereas The Avs were tuned up 7-0 by VGK.  Two teams with lots to prove AND NOTHING TO LOSE, ho ho.

The New Normal: Golden Knights 4, Hawks 2

Last night's nightmare marks yet another garbage effort, making it something like six consecutive games in which The Hawks were found lacking.  This was a golden opportunity to get back into something like a groove, too: a game after a few days rest against a team still finding its feet, with their third-string goalie making his first-ever NHL start.  It should have been easy.
Yet, lately, The Hawks have made most things look difficult.  Quality chances have been scarce by their standards, defensive errors have been legion and I don't know when the last time someone in the top-six has collected a rebound.
I don't know what, exactly, is going on here, but of course I have a few ideas.

* The Hawks couldn't make a pass for the first half of the game and didn't improve much in the late going, either.  I lost count of the number of passes in players' feet, on the wrong side of their body and way-too-soft cross-point passes that left the recipient, who should have had enough time for a good shot or another pass, under pressure from a VGK forechecker.  As in the last game, also, there were far too many path of least resistance passes, in which the puck was dispatched to the nearest teammate, regardless of whether they were ready, being checked themselves or heading in the right direction.
* Were Nick Schmaltz' first couple of games a mirage?  Is he still not quite right after being banged up almost three weeks ago?  Has he lost what little nerve he had at the beginning of the month?  Since returning he's only shown brief flashes or creativity and hasn't won a board battle, period.  Patrick Kane has appeared utterly disinterested a lot, lately, and I dunno if it's because his line hasn't been clicking or if his line isn't clicking because he's only been pushing himself 10% of the time.

Our best at work, being split by A Guy

* Team Defense: it's been poor.  Rutta and Forsling have been the most consistent pairing, recently, which is great for them but, holy shit, if that's the new reality on The Hawks' back end it's gonna be a long season.  Keith's performance has wobbled between "okay" and "brutal" and, as for Seabrook, when his killer move is to flop onto his belly and wave his stick about you really start to question why he's pulling 20+ minutes every game.
* The Toews Line has been posting shots and getting okay possession numbers, but the tangible results just haven't been there.  I wonder if they're leaning too hard on a crash-the-net kind of approach, as that's the line that stands out as being awfully bunched up in front of the opposing net, too close for a short pass or to get much in the way of rebounds.  It just feels like the rewards have not been in line with the effort.
* I've been critical of Coach Q going to the Line Blender™ too soon and too often, but this team is simply flailing and there's been surprisingly little done in terms of line adjustment.  At this point, would it hurt to try pushing DeBrincat up the order, as he's not self-actualizing with Sharp and Anisimov?  Since even the Toews line has failed to produce much, lately, maybe it's time to swap out Saad and Hartman, perhaps, just to see if a change there can spark something. The status quo isn't working, so whatcha' gonna do, Q?

And Foley was clearly drunk last night, wasn't he?

Better, Worse or Just Kind of The Same?: Hawks 4, Coyotes 2

A road win and another two points are always great, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, here, because The Hawks took the scenic route to victory and had to lean on some of their lesser lights to pull it off.  Let's get right to the Bits.
* The Opponent was not good.  They have a handful of promising forwards, one pretty good defenseman but a black hole where they thought they put their goaltenders.  With everything ticking along as it should The Hawks ought to destroy these no-hopers.  Yet...
* Shots against remain too high.  There's no way PHX should ever be even on shots with The Hawks, especially given that The Coyotes managed only a single shot on their 4+ minute powerplay.  This "come at me bro'" defensive posture has to change.  
* Coach Q teased us by starting Murphy with Keith but, after the first TV timeout it became clear that he was merely tossing Murph a bone by slotting him into the starting lineup in the barn he used to play in.  Status quo, sadly, was soon restored with Seabrook waddling back to Keith's side for the remainder of the match.
Keith, Rutta and Forsling were all okay with only a rough shift here and there, and even Seabrook wasn't awful if you discount the shot he took on his own goalie.  Murphy wasn't great though, falling all over himself as often as not and, while I previously complimented his willingness to take chances, Oesterle spent the evening writing cheques that his talent couldn't cover.  Against a better team (i.e. any other team) their effort would have been found wanting.

* The Forward lines were all over the place, with Toews' trio enjoying many dominant but unproductive shifts, Schmaltz' and Wingels' lines blowing hot & cold and the Anisimov group having a largely indifferent outing.  Toews' line looks ready to have an explosive game very soon, as their puck movement and awareness are tip-top at the moment, hampered only by some indiscriminate and often inaccurate shooting.  The second line had several great shifts and Hartman, in particular, pursued the puck with great determination all night, but Schmaltz and Kane weren't "there" for all of their shifts.  DeBrincat tried some interesting things but, alas, Sharp and Anisimov were nowhere to be found a lot of the time.  DBC's best play was his cross-crease pass to Rutta, his best option when 10 and 15 were swanning off, somewhere.
* The Penalty Kill got a good workout though, and apart from one lazy clearing attempt, Anisimov was very good in that role.

                                                    May I be excused?

* The Fourth Line had themselves a bit of a night.  Bouma and Wingels' over-exuberance handed PHX that 5-on-3 power play, which wasn't great, but they had enough effective shifts to offset that.  Bouma, of course, managed to keep it together sufficiently to sweep in a rebound for the game winner, while Wingels led the team in hits, put up a couple of points himself and, together, they formed the rush that led to Wingels' penalty shot.  A good effort from those guys.
And of course the penalty shot was a no-goal - Wingels had already lost control of the puck and Dominque had actually pushed it back to him, so shut up, intrawebz.

Next up: Vegas, baby Vegas and, with two days off in Sin City between now and then, it's gonna be a mess.

Repeating Myself: Oilers 2, Hawks 1

I really didn't feel much like typing this, not entirely because The Hawks lost, but as much because I'll be mentioning a lot of the same stuff as in the last post or two, which probably shouldn't be happening after fewer than ten games.  I'm also irritated that, even with the departure of TVR to I-don't-care-where, I again find myself droning on about one particular player. If you think reading the same complaints about the same guy over & over is tiresome well, try writing them.  Let's see if I can muster up any enthusiasm for some bits.

* Shots.  I had no idea that EDM had outshot The Hawks until long after the game, 'cos it looked to me as if The Hawks carried the play for the most part.  The possession stats kinda bear that out, as The Hawks were slightly better there...it was all those blocked shots and shots that missed the net, I guess, that has The Hawks' shot total so low.  That, to me, is a blip, but with a qualification.
* Shot Selection and puck patience were problems in this match.  A lot of Hawks were chucking, and that's mostly okay, but there wasn't a lot of attention paid to what their linemates were up to when they were shooting with such abandon.  Wait a fraction of a second before shooting and maybe your winger is there for a rebound.  Or how about not shooting at all if there are five players standing between you and the net?  I think if they had been a little more choosy there would have been some higher quality chances.
* The Jam was attempted 261 times and failed every time.  Get it right or just stop.
* Oesterle was in for Kempny and he was okay.  He looked slower when facing an actual NHL team and looked a little lightweight in board battles, but I like that he's got some nerve - dude carries on like he's Paul Coffey.
* Forsberg was fine except that he made poor decisions when handling the puck. After only two starts who knows if this is an actual weakness or just a bad night in that regard.  If the former, he'll need some coaching on what to do as much how to do it.
Okay, here's the part I hate.
* Seabrook was horrible, again. I get that Connor McDavid is good for one or more preternatural plays each game, and the pass through The Hawks' crease to Maroon for their first goal was just that but, holy shit, Maroon was Seabrook's guy.  He had one job, but chose to gawk at McDavid instead.
Yeah, he's getting older and we all know, and even expect, that he's getting slower, but what bugs me is that he's getting dumber, too.  Other old dudes like Hainsey, Chara and Orpik have also lost a step (or the entire gearbox in Orpik's case) but they've managed to keep their careers going by adjusting how they play so that they don't have to rely on speed to get by.  Seabs hasn't done that and, until he adopts a more cautious approach, he's gonna be gasping to keep up opposing forwards who just beat him and are skating off into the sunset.
And why does his speed drop-off have to be coupled with bad decisions?  I just don't get that.
Rutta took a lot of shifts with Keith after the halfway point of the game last night so that's some indication that Coach Q isn't entirely opposed to Seabrook sliding down the order, as he should.  Seabs has been a great Blackhawk and a clutch guy so many times, but I doubt he has that in him any longer, and I'm afraid the time to try to trade him has come.  Yeah, he has a no movement clause, so there's that hurdle, but Stan Bowman had better get cracking before the gap between Seab's reputation and his capability becomes so large that they won't get anything in return for him.

Ah well, The Hawks missed the net a lot, hit a few goalposts and got schooled a couple of times by the best player in the world .  Take the point and on to the next...

Rubbish: Blues 5, Hawks 2

It was only a matter of time before The Hawks coughed up a furball like this, but why did it have to be against St. Lewis?  I have gripes, so straight to 'em.
* While Crawford did make many fine saves, many of which he shouldn't have had to make if the guys in front of him had their act together, two goals were squarely on him, and were both borne of momentary indecision.  First, he half-challenged Schwartz, and then didn't really do anything at all, allowing the little fella to easily swoop around him.  Second, on the Brodziak goal, he seemed unsure whether to square up to the shooter or to pay attention to Tarasenko coasting into the slot. While Brodziak's shot was terrific and he might not have stopped it anyway, Crow has got to commit to the shooter in this situation.  If he was wavering because he didn't trust Forsling to take away the pass we've got a big problem.
* How many times in recent years have The Hawks played like garbage after anything more than two days off?  Does it really take 50 minutes to skate off four days' rust?
* TOO MANY unforced turnovers!  Every defenceman except Murphy (!) committed at least one and Seabrook looked determined to set a modern-day record for coughing up the puck under zero pressure.  His pass to an empty corner while on a power play was....breathtaking (or maybe I couldn't breathe because of all the vomiting).
* Only Toews' line was putting in consistent shifts, at least until the final ten minutes when Kane suddenly became interested, but even their efforts were undone repeatedly by their D making bad passes, lazy passes in which they just shoved the puck to their nearest teammate regardless of what direction they were heading or if that player was being forechecked, or simply looking at the puck until a Blues player relieved them of it.
* On the subject of lines, I sincerely hope that Coach Q didn't scratch Kero because he loves the chemistry of the fourth line, because they were beyond awful tonight.  It's also pretty crap that Kero was airdropped in 2C last weekend, it didn't work out, and then he gets scratched because the coach deployed him north of his talent level.

Still....
* Most of the final ten minutes were pretty good, assisted mightily by a power play, but they maintained power play-like pressure after that, causing The Blues to take more penalties.  
THAT.  DO THAT.  
They have to use their speed to force the other teams' hand, to wear them down and to generate chances.  Why does it so often seem like The Hawks figure this out only after a game is out of reach?
* Despite being held accountable for the turnover that led to the Tarasenko goal, Ansimov wasn't bad.  Why was Seabrook passing to a guy in traffic, anyway?
* DeBrincat was tremendous with the puck and a disaster without it.

Coming Up:  a stern talking-to, Edmonton tomorrow night and, we assume, Forsberg in net.  Get it together guys and let's not be The Oilers' huckleberry.

Two Halves of The Coin: Hawks 2, Predators 1

How can a team dominate for half of a game and be completely out-to-lunch for the other half?  It drives me nuts, but it is what it is, right, because we're stuck with Seabrook.

The Hawks came out in the first with a little fire and generated a few almost-chances, but then tripped all over themselves for the remainder of the period and all of the second.  And that second period was an absolute horror show, in which no one could make a pass and the puck was turned over countless times, all while Coach Q fiddled with the second and third lines.  Seabrook was the worst offender with several passes to no one, including a drop pass to....Corey Crawford while his teammates were poised to break out.  I expect he has "33" burned into his retinas as he was left huffing and puffing while Mags Arvidsson streaked away from him at seemingly every opportunity.
Yet, they hung in and hung on, and a timely keep-in by Franson followed by some fine board work by Hayden set up Sharp's backhand goal.  The momentum had swung in The Hawks' favour enough that, by the time they reached overtime, only a bad bounce or a gack of the highest order would deny them the win.  The four shifts in the OT period were their best all night, epitomized by the excellent give-and-go between Saad and Kane.
Here, have these bits.

* No Crow = No Chance:  Crawford was outstanding, once again, especially in close.  Maybe he'll finally get some credit for being one of a handful of truly elite goaltenders without the tiresome disclaimers about "the great defense in front of him" 'cos in recent years it hasn't been that great at all.
* Anisimov wasn't super but he was better than in recent games, getting a few looks whilst stationed in Pekka Rinne's kitchen, and his breakout pass to Panik was superb.  He was actually better when he slid down the order to join Sharp and Hayden.
* Hartman is no center-man but he did alright in the late going and, with DeBrincat alongside he and Kane, the second line put together a string of solid shifts in the third.  The indication is that Schmaltz will be back for the next game but, if not, I wouldn't mind seeing this trio again, or even DeBrincat in Hartman's spot.
* While Franson was caught flat-footed once or twice his offensive acumen was welcome in the late-going, as well.  He made several nice keep-ins and kept the puck heading toward the Nashville goal.  That oughta earn him another game, I'd say.
* Kero's fish-out-of-water state was never more evident than when he goofed up the three-on-two late in the second period.  He does what he does pretty well, but an offensive threat he is not, so to expect more than what he can realistically deliver is just unfair to everyone.
* Toews' line seemed on the wrong side of it for most of the night.  Toews looked creative on the power play with Kane, as well as in OT, but he and his usual linemates generated precious little.  That's just going to happen, sometimes, and I refuse to believe that their honeymoon is over.

Alright, job done, and a wee break before venturing to The Midwest's worst city.  Hey, at least David Backes won't be there to re-injure Schmaltz, right?

Clumsy: Wild 5, Hawks 2

Well, there went a missed opportunity.  There were actually a few notable bright spots in this match but those were unfortunately eclipsed by a combination of circumstance and a few key players coughing up furballs.  I'm in no mood to type a whole lot, so let's go.
* Seabrook and Keith were absolute garbage.  Those two need to be at least "average", given the amount of responsibility they receive.
* Too much time was wasted messing around with Kero & Wingels centering Kane & Hartman.  Go ahead and make a change, but don't spend half of a period figuring it out.
* Panik had exactly one effective shift.  This was always going to happen, so I guess tonight was the night.
* Sharp was less bad, but he, too, alternated between okay shifts and stepping on the puck.
* The failed coach's challenge was a big setback; not only did The Wild score on the resulting power play but the whole ordeal seemed to take what little wind remained in The Hawks' sails.

But it wasn't all bad.
* The Hawks were fortunate to escape the first period even-steven and managed to pick up the pace and started winning some puck battles after that.  I hesitate to say that they dominated but, despite the score, The Hawks were the better team in the last half of the game.
* Forsling, Kempny and Murphy all had pretty good games.
* Anisimov was rubbish only half the time, which I'll take, for now.
* Hartman had a good bounce-back after being lost at sea for a few games.  It wasn't a perfect effort but he was invested in it, at least.
* The Wild got a bit lucky, managing to salt the game away when The Hawks were starting to hit their stride.  They managed this with only eight forwards late in the game, too.

Get well, Nick Schmaltz.

Beat 'Em At Their Own Game: Hawks 3, Canadiens 1

For a few years, now, The Montréal Canadiens have iced rather uneven teams, with much of their lineup populated by Guys, often relying on All-Universe goaltender Carey Price to steal wins more often than not.  Well, tonight the skate was on the other foot, as Corey Crawford continued his dominance of The Habs by thoroughly "Pricing" MTL in their home opener.

Make no mistake, The Habs have a number of truly fine players beyond Price; Shea Weber has yet to fall off the cliff as I had predicted he would, Pacioretty and Drouin are good all-rounders and Paul Byron is an underrated gem, despite being so small that he can order from the Kids Menu without argument from his server.  Even Tomas Plekanec, at age 63, continues his sterling two-way game.  Then we get to The Guys....Benn, Petry, Shaw, Mitchell and so on...marginal at best and too often entrusted with tasks beyond their grasp.  Spare a thought, also, for Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk, two talented youngsters who have endured so much mismanagement and mind fuckery that you wonder why they haven't bolted to The KHL to sweat it out until their contracts expire.

My point is that, between the brace of below-average skaters, promising players being crushed by the weight of expectation and a front office that allows the Montréal media to influence their decisions, far too much is left to Carey Price who, somehow, has yet to crumble under this enormous responsibility.  The Canadiens are not nearly as good a team as they are made out to be.

ANYWAY
The Hawks barely played well enough to win this one, but an indifferent effort by Price and an outstanding performance by Crawford allowed them to slip out of la Belle Province with another two points in the bag.  Here are ya Bits:

* Ah, so much gushing over Alex DeBrincat potting his first pro goal but, apart from that and the helpie he picked up later, he didn't really have an outstanding game, otherwise.  Still, it's great that he was able to contribute and perhaps he'll get a little confidence boost as a result of tonight or, better yet, maybe tonight's efforts will be enough to earn him a look alongside Kane.
* The second line was essentially rubbish again.  Yes, Anisimov scored, finally, albeit on a tap-in that anyone but myself could have completed.  Hartman has been nowhere since the moment Schmaltz went down on Saturday and, for some ungodly reason, Kane spent a chunk of the game skating alongside Hayden and Wingels.  I get that the second line was flailing but, man, there has to be a better option than deploying Kane with the fourth-liners.

* In the feel-good story of the fall, however, the first line continues to steamroll over everything in its path. Their backcheck has been solid, their forecheck relentless and their offensive awareness shockingly apt.  The two quick, pinpoint passes that led to the Saad goal were beautiful to behold.  While other parts of The Hawks' lineup have struggled these last couple of games Toews, Saad and Panik have been consistently excellent, all the more important with the other lines being such a mess at the moment.
* I didn't mind Franson slotting into Murphy's spot.  Sure, The Habs had him running around a bit in his own end but, really, he wasn't any worse than Murphy has been at times and, surprisingly, no slower.  The big upside with Franson tonight was that The Hawks had another option on the power play; Franson's shot is hard, low and he doesn't waste any time unleashing it, and his cross-ice pass to DeBrincat was borne of equal parts skill and nerve.  I'll take my chances with Franson's shortcomings if he can bring this 'zazz on a regular basis.

I'm still deeply concerned about the wide-ranging effect of Schmaltz's injury.  If this is what happens when a second year forward who played only half the time last year goes down.....well, Toews and Co., as well as Corey Crawford, had better be prepared to carry the mail.  A Lot.  

Something Had To Give: Maple Leafs 4, Hawks 3

In only the third game for each team, the NHL's two scoriest teams met in what many lunkheaded hockey pundits would deem a truth-telling match: are these teams for real and, if so, has their early form given any true indication of where they're at.
Yeah, sort of, actually.
At full strength maybe The Hawks could have had something for The Leafs, but it would appear that I was wrong about things being just fine with Anisimov bumping up 2C and Kero drawing in at 3C.  There were other issues, as well, but the sub-20% possession stats for the Hartman - Anisimov - Kane line was a huge factor in this defeat.  Lemme break it down:
* Anisimov was, quite simply, garbage tonight.  He wasn't the only underachiever on The Hawks' side, but his failure to provide....well, anything concrete, was the most glaring example of a player found wanting.  When you see him get chased down and stripped of the puck by a guy ten years his senior you know it's gonna be a rough ride.  He can be better, probably.  Hopefully.
* Kero was ridiculously miscast in the 3C role, thrust into that position out of necessity, but the fact remains that The Hawks had two lines completely out of whack in the absence of Nick Schmaltz.  The take away here, of course, is how terribly brittle The Hawks' offense is, particularly down the middle and, if Schmaltz cannot remain healthy (or even finish a game or two) some personnel adjustment will most certainly be required.
* The Hawks' D ranged from so-so to downright bad.  Keith couldn't make a pass for love nor money, Seabrook was straight-up giving the puck away (once on a Hawks powerplay, no less) and, for all the good things he did in the offensive zone, Forsling was too often swallowed up and outmuscled by speedy Leafs' forwards.

                                                  A little help, fellas....?

* Anton Forsberg's debut was a mixed bag, as he was mighty in the scrambles around his crease, which were plentiful, in which he showed superior concentration and quickness.  Buuuuuut, three goals through the five-hole isn't especially flattering (although I suppose there wasn't much to do about JVR's off-the-skate goal...).  Still, he outplayed his overrated counterpart, for what little that's worth.
* At least the Toews line was able to mount a consistent attack; Saad and Panik were both excellent, I thought.  The fourth line of Hayden - Wingels - Bouma punched above their weight but, even so, what's that gonna get you?

Montréal tomorrow and a very real possibility of more of the same, should Coach Q stick with the same line combos, which he will because what other choice does he have?  Don't be shocked to see Franson and/or Oesterle draw in on the third D pairing.
En avant.

Yeah, but...: Hawks 5, Blue Jackets 1

Once all of the inevitable Saad / Panarin chatter died down we saw an entertaining hockey game, got a result and perhaps got a little insight into this year's Hawks team.  Let's go.

Nick Schmaltz was out of the game within two minutes, the victim of a greasy Malachi Crunch between two large CMB defenders, and will not travel to Canada for the games vs. TOR and MTL.  Not to pin too much emphasis on Schmaltz's absence but, after that and the line-shuffling chaos that followed, only the Toews line was a consistent offensive threat.

                                Best play of the game and he didn't even touch the puck.

Yeah, but the Toews line was fantastic and, all slumps, funks and potential injuries aside, could well tear The NHL a new one this season.  Interestingly, I hardly noticed Toews out there: he won the draws, disappeared into the weeds and reappeared later to take a pass or pounce on a Saad or Panik rebound. Saad was great and Panik had one of his finest games as a Hawk, forechecking and getting after loose pucks (leading to his third period goal) choosing his shots wisely (no tries from the goal line in this one) and, best of all, perfectly executing a search & destroy mission on Seth Jones to create the Toews goal.

The shots-against and Corsi numbers were not especially flattering, but that often happens when a team has a three goal lead by the halfway point of the game.  Crawford did make a handful of sparkling saves but all credit to The Hawks' D, as there were precious few second attempts available to the Blue Jackets. Let's not forget that Crow was a hair's breadth from a shutout, if not for an unlucky bobble through Hartman, sliding into the crease.

On The Hawks' D, it was a mostly-good effort. Seabrook was swallowed up a couple of times by swifter CMB forwards (I guess that would be all of them, actually...) and Kempny had another one of those basically solid efforts, tarnished slightly by a WTF moment or two.  I thought the best pairing was Rutta and Forsling, which is as unexpected as that pairing even being a thing.  I barely noticed Connor Murphy which, given how much I noticed him flailing a week ago in the preseason, is probably a Good Thing.

The Line Shuffling and what failed to come from that, as mentioned above, could signal something significant....or nothing at all.  Once Schmaltz went down and the revolving door opened, with Sharp, Anisimov, DeBrincat and Hayden all filling in on Line 2, the only offense The Hawks received beyond Toews' line was on the power play and on an audacious 50-foot backhand saucer pass from Kane to Rutta, in which the other players on the ice were irrelevant.  

So, was this an indication of how brittle The Hawks' lineup is, and that the loss of one top-six forward can throw their entire effort into disarray?  Maybe, but I kind of think Coach Q took the opportunity, what with an early lead and all, to try some stuff, specifically to see how DeBrincat and Hayden performed when elevated up the lineup.  With special-teams duties, Kane double-shifting with Bouma and Wingels and the occasional insertion of Sharp & Anisimov, though, I'm not sure if anything concrete was learned there.  Hayden's barge up the middle in the first period was fun but he didn't do much else, and DeBrincat wasn't particularly noticeable, aside from clanging the post late in the game.  Hartman did not have a super game, either, but was inserted at center for much of the game which is still an unfamiliar position for him at this level.

We are thin at center, and being without two of the usual pivots is going to be tough, but I'm confident that if the game was at any time in question Q would have popped Anisimov into 2C and left him there, with the remains of the bottom-six being rearranged as the situation demanded.

Yeah, but The Hawks beat up on a couple of backup goalies to start the season.  True enough, but they also didn't press all that hard after zooming out to early leads, AND they managed these wins with only two actual centers for the majority of both games.  That feels like a push to me.

Toronto is next and it proves to be interesting game, as The Leafs are essentially Hawks 2.0, seven or eight years along (but with even more dire and immediate salary cap problems in their future). Anyway, The Leafs have also potted fifteen goals in their first two games, but did not encounter much resistance from the feckless Jets goaltending nor the ghost of Hank Lundqvist and the imposter known as Ondrej Pavelec.  The Leafs have also allowed seven goals in those two games, and I'm unconvinced that Freddy Andersen is a bona fide NHL starter, but I guess we'll see about that.  

Expect to see Crow start in Toronto and Anton Forsberg to debut vs. the less-scorey Canadiens on Tuesday.

That'll Do, Pig: Hawks 10, Penguins 1

I wonder if anyone has compiled The Hawk's record for these One More Shift events

                             This is roughly when things went awry for The Penguins.

It's late and there's not a whole lot to say, really, except maybe "wow" and "well done". I'll get right to it.
* There were a couple of unexpected personnel shuffles at forward and two defense pairings we had not seen in any preseason games, which was definitely weird, but it worked so I'll shut up about that except to say that Hartman + Schmaltz + Kane = 👍👍👍👍
* Aaaand not to rain on anyone's parade but The Penguins should have taken it as a sign when Antti Niemi fell when he stepped onto the ice for warm-ups.  Granted, The Hawks were very much on-point to start the game and relentlessly so, at that, but this one was done, son, well before Antti let that fourth one through.  The Penguins simply had no will to continue after The Hawks' furious start.
* I was prepared to condemn Coach Q to hell or even Missouri when I realized that DeBrincat would skate on the third line....but given the game Hartman had and the potential for The Hawks to have a third line that will run wild on the opposition's bottom six....well, I'm prepared to be patient on this issue.
* Olli Maata was one of a few Penguins who were -5 on the night and, hilariously, looked as if he might vomit after his third minus.
* I believe this is the first season-opener 30+ years in which The Hawks did not have a lineup spot wasted with some neanderthal goomba who "played" six or seven minutes.  See how well that went?
* Kero and Schmaltz both left the game early but Coach Q stated that both were "fine" after the game.  While Q is often guilty of understating the extent of injuries The Hawks did have the luxury of not having to play those guys after they had come up lame.
* Finally, congrats to Patrick Sharp on his 600th career point!

Okay, we'll be back on Saturday for The Blue Jackets for what seems like the 100th time in a month.  Let's do it again.

More Questions Than Answers: End Of Preseason

Just a few notes about The Hawks' final game of the preseason.
* I guess that was a more or less representative lineup, depending on which d-man/men who didn't play end up sticking around, and which assortment of Guys The Hawks end up settling on.  So, it did little for my nerves to see them struggle to get much done against a Bruins roster made up of a lot of not-yet-NHL players.  They finished better than they started, at least, with the games' only goal coming in the 3rd and with the Saad - Toews - Panik line putting together several good shifts in that final frame.
* Maybe Coach Q was just seeing what DeBrincat looked like with Anisimov & Hartman but I fear that his intention is to bury the kid on the third line.  Bad idea (see also: Teravainen, Teuvo).
* The other reason I'd rather see DeBrincat & Sharp swap places, as they'd been early in preseason, is because I'd rather not have Sharp become too accustomed to having Kane feeding him passes across the slot (see also: Panarin, Artemi and Sharp, Patrick c.2014).  Once he gets rooted in that faceoff circle they'll never get him out.
* Sorry, but Gustav Forsling hasn't convinced me, yet.  Let him play, give him a proper shot at this, but I'm wondering if he can do NHL.  It didn't help that he played alongside Seabrook last night 'cos Seabs mailed it in.
* Connor Murphy was awful.  He looked harried and confused for much of the game.
* Lance Bouma is certainly quicker than I'd given him credit for but, holy crap, are his hands awful.  He couldn't make or take a pass at all.
That's all.  There'll be more when something happens.