* That's probably The Hawks' season done & dusted. Maybe they were out of it earlier, maybe not, but this half-assed effort underlines how far off the plot they are. If you're only willing, or only able to play 20 - 25 minutes of half decent hockey this is the result you can expect.
* Oesterle, despite his qualities as an okay puck-mover, is a shitty, shitty defender. He has no business being anywhere near the ice during 3-on-3 overtime 'cos he hasn't got anyone to back him up, which he needs. A lot.
* Three goals against were caused by turnovers, one of which was inexcusably stupid, and the fourth saw Oesterle get absolutely pantsed. Too much responsibility is being placed on so-so players and it probably seems necessary to the coaching staff because many of the players who should be carrying a heavier load have been making a mess of things far too often
* Tonight's lineup "featured" four skaters who failed to make The Hawks out of training camp. This is not to slag on those players; Kampf and Jurco have had good moments and Hinostroza's been a pleasant surprise, but what the hell can one expect if a team that hopes to contend is leaning on Guys that are mostly marginal?
* BUT the reason those Guys are up from Rockford is because too many players are underachieving mightily. Toews works hard every game but, especially lately, accomplishes little. Saad has been a disaster. Anisimov, albeit recently back from injury, has been out of step. I'm not sure what to expect from Duclair but it would sure be nice to see him win a puck battle someday or not lose the handle while trying to stickhandle around defenders. After a promising rookie season Hartman has been a disappointment. Kane has been good for the most part and Schmaltz & DeBrincat have been outstanding given where they're at in their careers, but how much can one line's worth of players accomplish?
* That so many Hawks are somewhere between struggling and pissing the bed makes me wonder....how much of this is on the players and how much is on the coaching staff. It just seems so odd, so improbable, that so many players that The Hawks are counting on to produce, cannot. Is it a lack of skill or a lack of motivation?
If this season ends badly, and all signs point to that being the case, expect a major housecleaning, top-to-bottom.
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