Stan Wasn't Kidding: Saad Returns, Panarin becomes latest Blue-watchamacallit

A day or two ago, Stan Bowman said something to the tune of "you don't just go out and get another Marian Hossa".  Well, this is about as close to doing that as one can imagine.
No need to drone on about what Saad brings to a team...any team, as he's a known quantity.  His trade to Columbus was easily the most regrettable of the spate of necessary deals made over the last couple of years.
Along with Saad, The Hawks get a potential backup for Corey Crawford, one Anton Forsberg. Forsberg, 24, has had only a handful of NHL starts with Columbus but posted good numbers in the AHL, and will presumably duke it with Jeff Glass (right...) and Lars Johansson for that gig.

And of course, off to CMB is Artemi Panarin.  I wondered if Panarin might be vulnerable after his utterly indifferent effort in The Hawks' rather short playoffs.  One could argue that the bad press Panarin generated after a video from his KHL days surfaced with the young Rus chuckling through some racist remarks might have had some bearing on this...but I doubt it, and the less said about that the better.  More likely, and back to the first sentence in this post, Stan identified what The Hawks need and went out and got it.  Tyler Motte, who began last season with The Hawks but found himself behind Schmaltz, Kero and even Hinostroza before too long, joins Panarin in CMB.

We're not giving up much in the goal-scoring department with this move and, while Saad isn't the passer that Panarin is, he is the more complete player, able to kill penalties and win puck battles rather than skate around them.

And maybe, just maybe, if The Hawks feel he's ready for prime time, you just parachute wee Alex DeBrincat into Panarin's slot and see what happens.

Maybe I'll just hold off on posting again until after the weekend rather than running to the typer every time Stan dials his phone.  Fun times, fun times, indeed.

Excuses, Excuses: Senators 4, Hawks 3

Another late one, so short & sweet it shall be.
The Hawks stuck to their script....start slow and pour it on in the third period but, this time, it didn't quite go according to plan.  Here's why:
Puck Luck: Only the bounce to Motte leading to The Hawks' second goal went their way.  Two goalposts for Panik, another for Kane and a couple of pretty sketchy penalty calls had the home side up against it for much of the game.
Hossa Out: Never a good thing.  Not only did Hoss play only a few shifts before retreating to the room, but the necessary line-shuffling and the chaos that always brings didn't help, either.
No Go-To Guys:  Missing Hoss and Artem Anisimov, The Hawks were without the guys that have together scored half of the team's game-winning goals.

Aw, well, sometimes it just goes that way.
Forward to Friday, then, when Crow is expected to start and perhaps Hoss & Large Arthur will be feeling better, as well.

It Drives Me Nuts and They Don't Care: Hawks 5, Flames 1

Indifferent first period.
Sloppy second period.
Hell-bent for leather in the third.
Sound familiar?

This has kind of been the pattern for The Hawks all season.  It's hard for me to complain too much since they've only dropped 1½ games in their last eight, but the way they're going about it is a little worrisome.  Late-game charges got the job done vs. New Jersey and Toronto, while they simply ran out of time against Columbus, and I wonder how long they intend to play one great period each night and still be able to succeed.  But, hey, at least they're not blowing leads like they did so often the last few seasons, right?
The Hawks were outplayed for much of last night's affair...sort of.  Calgary carried the puck a lot more and took a load of shots, but rarely got the second chance.  Crawford was good but he didn't need to be great in this one, despite the gaudy shot count, and The Hawks' D did a mostly good job clearing pucks away (although I thought I heard circus music on one particular sequence with Keith and Soupy stepping all over the puck...).
Sermon & summary over.  On to the bits.

Panarin: It's hard to get too excited about an empty net goal, but Small Arthur's effort and skill on this one was a joy to behold.
Motte: the speed, the puck control and especially the little kick he had to make to get the puck back to his stick made me swoon.  There's no way Elliott was ever going to go cross-crease in time to stop that, as long as Motte recovered the puck in time.
Forsling returned after missing two games and it seemed to me that Calgary was intent on rattling him (again) by aggressively finishing their checks on the wee Swede.  While that did lead to at least one bobble, and while New Goose was not always able to squirm away from The Flames' forwards, he instead made smart, safe outlets.  I suspect he's been cautioned about the long passes he was prone to attempting earlier this season.
Panik had a strong game despite not cashing in, probably his best all-around effort, with some hits that mattered and some signs that he isn't necessarily married to the 100% forward attack mode he most often favours.  He pumped the brakes a few times, using his D to organize some pressure rather than simply launching everything toward the net.  It's a small thing, but I wonder if he's just feeling more confident with his role, and not constantly worried that he'll tumble down the depth chart & back to the press box.
Rasmussen was as good as I've seen him, logging the most PK time of all the forwards and, while Moose was not outstanding at the dot, he won a crucial draw while killing Kruger's penalty.  
Penalty Kill: more of this, please.

Crawford was good, Large Arthur racked up another two points to maintain his streak (and now leads the league in scoring) but it's tough to ignore Kane's three points, the most satisfying being the zinger he fired through the not-as-good-as-they-say-he-is Brian Elliott.  #88 receives the Nod of Approval.

The King Isn't Dead But He Might Be in Trouble: Hawks 3, Kings 0

That was better.
The Hawks may have laid back a little more than I'd like after crushing The Kings in the first period, but I mostly liked what I saw.  Toews scored his first of the year and Large Arthur kept his streak alive.  Onwards:
Hossa was a beast.  Not always fully in control or appearing to have a plan, but he charged hard all evening.  His short pass to Anisimov was brilliant, unexpected and welcome.
The Defense did a good job for the most part, with Kempny looking as comfortable as I've seen him, so far.  Only Soupy's whatever-that-was into Keith's shinpads marred an otherwise excellent showing.
Schmaltz had some of his best shifts as a Hawk tonight. There might just be something there.  I liked the Motte-Kruger-Hartman trio in preseason but I liked Schmaltz in Hartman's stead even better.
The Forwards, in general, did a good job against the fearsome Kings defense, happily taking the middle when those brutes tried to pinch them to the boards.  I didn't catch who Motte scooted between in the second period but I assume they'll be looking at video tomorrow.
The Kings looked rather toothless tonight and, upon inspecting their roster, concluded that their forwards consist of three studs and nine fourth-liners.  As a team, though, they're so darn good defensively that they usually don't pay their lack of depth, so I don't know if this was an off night or if The Hawks have them figured out....all I know is that I didn't expect it to be this easy.

Two in a row for Crawford.  Toews and Hossa were very good tonight, but hopefully this marks Crow getting things fully on-track.

Out-Everythinged: Hawks 2, Blues 5

Sure, go ahead and try to mitigate this deplorable loss by pointing out "this was really a 3-2 game with two empty-netters."  Sorry, kids, but when one of those empty-net goals is salted away by one of your own players maybe it should count as two goals against.
The bottom line here is that The Hawks played a pretty good six or seven minutes before The Blues got the wind in their sails and took over.  

                        Moments before The Fun Machine took a crap and died.

How did this go so very, very wrong?  I have some ideas (of course I do).
- Imprecision: too many missed passes, rushed passes or no pass at all.  Panarin was probably the worst offender, last night, but plenty of his teammates got in on this act.  Some fall into this group because, well, they're just not good at passing, while the young fellas in particular often looked like they were rushing things, just as they had been doing during the early part of the preseason.  First game yips, maybe?  Let's hope so.
- Chucking: far too many shots were taken when better opportunities existed.  Bad angle shots abounded, and more than a few times an attempt was launched without any apparent awareness of where linemates were.  The stats don't tell the whole story on this, though, since lots of those ill-advised shots missed the net entirely.
- Jordin Tootoo was outplayed by Ryan Reaves, who he was presumably in the lineup to counteract.  I challenge you to say that out loud without tasting bile.
- Idiotic penalties by guys who should know better, and also TVR.
- Did Nick Schmaltz play?
- Seabrook made a few nice plays, mainly out of desperation but never mind because it worked, but what we'll remember about him in this game is the no-look-back-pass-to-who-knows-where that slid into The Hawks' own net.  Dude, a no-look pass behind oneself like that will get most Bantam players benched.

                                       Not your fault, there, Duncs.

It wasn't ALL bad, just mostly bad.
Toews & Hoss were a mixed bag, looking dangerous on many shifts, but also disorganized and, as suggested above, too often hitting skates with their passes.  They'll get their timing sorted, soon enough.
Ryan Hartman's goal was sort of encouraging, yet sort of not, the play beginning with a very good keep-in and finishing with some neat passing resulting in Hartman's first NHL goal.  It could have ended differently, though, as Hartman did what most of the rookies did last night - simply stormed the crease, did not appear to look for a pass and fired an ineffective shot toward the net.  Hartman later chose to shoot from the far-right hashmarks in the third period, a plan which only works if you have Kane, Ovechkin or Lemieux stitched on your jersey.
As I suggested, hopefully the mindless shoot-from-anywhere stuff clears up once the first game jitters subside.
Gustav Forsling had a few very good shifts, especially early on (and thanks for reminding us of that every 30 seconds, Edzo) but faded a bit, mid-game, before being used quite a lot in the late going.  It was a respectable if unspectacular debut.

Before I go and drink Draino allow me to review my predictions from last weekend:
1) Toews would be partnered with Hossa and Panik - check.  Sure, Panik scored but, other than that, he ran around being Richard Panik, which i am not fundamentally opposed to.  I like Richard Panik...just not in the top-six.
1a) Motte would draw in for Panik.  Not yet.  Soon.  Or, more likely, Schmaltz, as Motte and Kruger actually work alright together, so far
2) Hartman would make the team, Schmaltz would not.  Not quite, as Schmaltz managed to make the cut, which I'm fine with 'cos of that whole thing about giving these young men a chance to succeed.  I fully expected Mashinter to stick, though, which sent me on the wrong path.
3) Keith and TVR would make up the first pairing - check, but almost certainly because Hjalmarsson was suspended.  Let's see what shakes out on Friday.

Meanwhile, this is too hilarious to not share:
Matthews Retires as Greatest Leaf in Franchise History

One More Spin: Blues 2, Hawks 1, Preseason Schedule Mercifully Over

Well, that was as boring as a Devils/Coyotes matchup on a Tuesday night in January.

I fully expected The Hawks to test drive some young wingers with Toews tonight, and assumed Hossa would come out and do a few laps, but neither star even dressed for the game.  In fact, The Hawks went with four 4th lines, essentially, for one last look at the handful of fellas still in the running for the 2-3 forward spots, as well as an opportunity for the aspiring d-men to get a leg up in a very tight competition for a roster spot that may not even exist.

Since this was an entirely flat, unexciting game, I offer these unentertaining observations.
- It was somewhat gratifying that The Hawks kept up with a Blues squad that consisted entirely of actual NHL players.  Sure, Bouwmeester and Schwartz sat out, but since Schwartz misses half the games, anyway, we'll call this a viable Blues lineup.
- I see no reason for Nick Schmaltz to make this team.  Evidently, he played 17 minutes tonight and somehow avoided being noticed at all.
- As flat as The Blues were they were still that much better than some of the lineups The Hawks have faced in this preseason, and that put the performances of some of the Hawks Hopefuls into perspective.  Fortin and Hinostroza found themselves with a lot less time and space in which to work, and Forsling, for the first time, really, looked a little less confident and a bit rushed.  Motte was better; not as dynamic as in his last two games but he didn't look out of his depth.  Hartman looked okay, I thought, but the role he's auditioning for is not terribly dependent on controlling the puck.
- I sincerely hope that putting Tootoo out there with the net empty was a going-away present from the coaching staff.

I had hoped to draft up something for the opening night lines & pairings, but the situation is so cloudy I just don't know if it's even worth doing.  I will make a few specific predictions, though.
- Despite all hopes and expectations otherwise it will be Toews, Hossa and Panik on opening night.  When Panik washes out Motte draws in.
- Hartman and not Schmaltz makes the cut, which suits me 'cos it always takes me several tries to type "Schmaltz".  Does that leave room for Hinostroza?  I guess that depends on how many D The Hawks end up carrying.
- Keith and TVR on the first pairing, because....well, I have no explanation for it apart from an increasingly dark world view.  Okay, they'll say some shit about "balance".

Alright, that's it until Wednesday, unless I receive some intel from The Hawks' practices.  Which I won't.

Preseason Game III: The Preseasoning

Game Three of The Hawk's preseason schedule featured a slightly more representative lineup than the previous two matches, with about half of the skaters being fellas that are assured a spot on the opening day roster.  On the other bench, St. Loomis had a similar ratio among their forwards, but these were bottom-sixers, to a man, while their D consisted of Shattenkirk and five Guys, so they were up against it from the get-go.
And so, it was a 4-0 win, some capable goaltending and a better sense of where The Hawk's forward corps really are.

Tyler Motte: I texted something to the effect of "inveterate chucker" on Friday, an observation reinforced about 300 times by Pat & Edzo unfailingly pointing out that Motte had more shots on net than anyone in the first three games.  Yet no goals, and not really any decent chances, to speak of. These two very different goals are encouraging, though; good positioning and excellent hand-eye stuff for the first, and a sweet forecheck on Shattenkirk that manufactured a breakaway goal.
Still, I still wouldn't mind seeing the kid pass the puck before Q inevitably slots him alongside Toews.

Jordin Tootoo: Okay, we get it, he's still got all that heart & desire and shit, but he still can't fight, score or skate with the puck worth a damn.  Why was this contract signed?  This should have a "PTO and we'll see" sorta deal.

Mashinter & Rasmussen: Since were certainly stuck with Mashinter it's at least good to see that he's somehow found a little extra speed.  Sure, he still needs the width of the rink to execute a turn, but I'm trying to make the best of this.  Moose looked quicker than usual out there, as well, and was uber-aggressive on the forecheck.  I'm still unconvinced that he's got the finish to secure a lineup spot but he's doing all he can to nail that down.

Nik Hjalmarson: I barely noticed him until he laid out Ty Rattie with an uncharacteristic headhunter type hit.  He'll be speaking to the league office about that on Monday.

Vin Hinostroza: A better effort from him in this one, darting around all evening and getting a couple of good looks.  He's quick and has good puck control, but he's still not breaking through at all.  I suspect he simply lacks the deception that Panarin & Kane, for example, possess.  Hinostroza might work out alright or he might be another Kris Versteeg...looks good enough but something just isn't quite there.  

Ryan Hartman: Enough, already.  He'll probably make the damn team, too.

Ville Pokka: My first look at him and I didn't mind what I saw, as he appears assured and poised. Yet, I saw nothing special, and I suspect this competent averageness will keep him out of the mix.

Michal Kempny: At first (second?) blush, this could be a guy that Q could slot into any of the three pairings, although I still have reservations about his top speed.

Gustav Forsling: Better in each game, so far.  He was more successful in skating his way out of trouble in this game, but let's see how he does against some real NHLers as we get closer to Go Time.

It looks like Q & Co. have already narrowed down who they want to inspect more closely, so I expect to see a similar group of guys tonight vs. Detroit, maybe with Kane & The Arthurs replaced by Toews + ??

Preseason Game #2:

1) The goalies played well enough.
2) Some of the D looked promising.  Roszie was Rozsie and Goose was a bit yippy, but I hardly noticed TVR which is a compliment, I guess.  Kempny appears serviceable; not-fast-but-not-slow, no sign of panic, makes a decent zone exit.  Forsling looks like he knows what he's doing but I fear he lacks the size or speed to avoid being laid out regularly.
3) The forward corps was uninspiring.  Motte had a few looks but insisted on doing it all himself.  Schmaltz showed good patience with the puck but always seemed to lack people to pass to.  Fortin sure tried hard but failed to accomplish anything and fell down a lot.  The rest...ehhhh.

It's tough to judge where the maybe-good guys will figure into the Hawks' plan until they get a look with some proper linemates.  As it is, though, after seeing a bunch of guys underwhelm me completely, I'm little worried about The Hawks' forward depth.