reaves was goading hayden and just looking to be the jagbag he is with a score like that with about 6-7 minutes left...ya know the ole were tough guys despite the beat down..refs said screw you...off ya go
- bogiedoc

Glad to see that idiot in the other conference so we don't have to put up with this garbage on a more regular basis.

Awesome game.. Watching Schmaltz last night reminded me of Toews when he was younger. Just a horse. 19 was rather ghost-like. Didnt see much from him in terms of generating play other then the assist for Saad. Panik and Saad? Geezus. What a force those guys area.

Overall a great game from all four lines. Debrincat!?! Kid is fearless. Love it.
- z1990z

Much more to this sport than game statistics, especially when the other team has 2 horses like Crosby and Malkin. That's where the term 200 foot game comes from; when he is right that's what Toews plays. And he may be one of the few guys in the league that can actually harness McDavid a little bit and really help his defenceman.

Let's talk about the D?

Keith had some moments where he looked to be struggling a bit but was overall very good. I thought Seabrook looked good too(if he can stay in shape).

Was really impressed with Kempny, definitely showed a step or two forward. Forsling looked okay too, a few mistakes but some nice plays as well. Rutta, Oes were okay too.

Overall, I thought the defense pushed the puck up the ice quickly once they gained possession, made good passess, and stretched the ice deep and wide to create space for the Hawks speed players.

Thoughts?

It looks to me Q and the coaching staff know a whole lot more about the players and who got to play than the negative posters here, lynching young defenders, old vets and line and dee pairings.

I respect you all for your opinions, but they seem to know hwo to play THEIR players and their style.

one of a very important top dozen games.

You wish they could have saved some goals for a rainy day, but the confidence of what happened from little deBrincat, to the "on the decline back broken Toews, to the Czech dee pairing to that standout precision passing and hockey IQ the hawks showed, they don't look like a doormat depiste Niemi sucking out the joint earlier before Matt Murray couldn't stop the next six goals...

It's over.

But we don't look like a bad team or one that will not make the playoffs, or needs tooToo or Duchene...can I get an ahem?

What did everybody think of Toews' play? He looked ok to me.... helped make some plays on both ends but definitely not the 10million dollar player he was when they signed him.

Thoughts?
- Bjm84

I thought he looked quicker and handled the puck more efficiently than he did late last season.

Loved everything about the game last night. To my eye, I think ADB could have easily been replaced with Dauphin or Wingels. I think the ADB love-fest from Q and the brass is puffed up so that they can use him as trade bait
- phantasmo

You're ridiculous. The kid was positioned defensively very well all game and did plenty of things that don't show up on the score sheet. He's a 19 year old kid and that was his first NHL game. He played an overall sound game and is very poised for his age... the offense will come.

Let's talk about the D?

Keith had some moments where he looked to be struggling a bit but was overall very good. I thought Seabrook looked good too(if he can stay in shape).

Was really impressed with Kempny, definitely showed a step or two forward. Forsling looked okay too, a few mistakes but some nice plays as well. Rutta, Oes were okay too.

Overall, I thought the defense pushed the puck up the ice quickly once they gained possession, made good passess, and stretched the ice deep and wide to create space for the Hawks speed players.

Thoughts?
- Bjm84

Not enough of a sample size to comment on the D yet. Too lopsided.

What did everybody think of Toews' play? He looked ok to me.... helped make some plays on both ends but definitely not the 10million dollar player he was when they signed him.

Thoughts?
- Bjm84

I was at the game and while Toews was somewhat quiet on the scoresheet with a pretty assist on Saad's third goal, what I saw was more of the Toews of previous years where he held the puck more and was MUCH more creative with the puck (some real nice lateral cuts around defenders) and in cycling the puck down low. Very encouraging, in my eyes anyway.

Let's talk about the D?

Keith had some moments where he looked to be struggling a bit but was overall very good. I thought Seabrook looked good too(if he can stay in shape).

Was really impressed with Kempny, definitely showed a step or two forward. Forsling looked okay too, a few mistakes but some nice plays as well. Rutta, Oes were okay too.

Overall, I thought the defense pushed the puck up the ice quickly once they gained possession, made good passess, and stretched the ice deep and wide to create space for the Hawks speed players.

Thoughts?
- Bjm84

I liked the aggressive offensive zone play by the young guys.

Let's talk about the D?

Keith had some moments where he looked to be struggling a bit but was overall very good. I thought Seabrook looked good too(if he can stay in shape).

Was really impressed with Kempny, definitely showed a step or two forward. Forsling looked okay too, a few mistakes but some nice plays as well. Rutta, Oes were okay too.

Overall, I thought the defense pushed the puck up the ice quickly once they gained possession, made good passess, and stretched the ice deep and wide to create space for the Hawks speed players.

Thoughts?
- Bjm84

Yeah, that young defense and Keith barely got by without the help of the forwards weathering a ONE goal STORM in front of Crow.

It is time to NOT pick apart stuff...save it for a losing streak, ok?

My take on last night:

- Top Line: Looked to be working fast and hard. JJ talked about it perfectly, unpredictable. Toews didn't have a huge point night like others, but imo had a great game making things happen in the o-zone and strong defense. Saad/Panik on his wings is going to be a very dangerous line.

- Second Line: Kane doing Kane things, just a magician with the puck. Schmaltz (1 game in, I know), looks like he can be the real deal. A lot of confidence out there. That one timer . Hartman, JJ in the comments mentioned beneficiary of the line rather than drive, is what is needed on that line. Get to the right spot and be there when Kane wants to get you the puck, and capitalize. That dish from Kane to Hartman was beautiful.

- Third Line: Sharp/AA/ADB as a third line?! This is going to be a good line too. Sharp and AA looked pretty good, but impressed with ADB out there. Throwing his body around and put a solid hit on Cole. Got me to jump out of my seat. Build that confidence and trust with this line and we'll see what happens.

- Fourth Line: Wasn't spectacular and get the sense there will be a lot of rotations on this line. Hayden looks to be a mainstay there though. Glad to see Bouma/Hayden not get into it with dbag Reaves last night. There will be a time and place to drop the mitts, but last night was not the time. Smart.

- Defense: Benefited hugely from the o-zone control, but didn't make any big mistakes. Good ease in game. No plays made me miss Hjalms, so I guess that was a personal win.

- Crow: Wasn't tested too much, but made a few good saves. Crow always amazes me on the breakaways, has a knack for stopping them.

Good confidence builder overall for the team. Hockey's back!

I was at the game and while Toews was somewhat quiet on the scoresheet with a pretty assist on Saad's third goal, what I saw was more of the Toews of previous years where he held the puck more and was MUCH more creative with the puck (some real nice lateral cuts around defenders) and in cycling the puck down low. Very encouraging, in my eyes anyway.
- FourOrr

Toews didn't need to be the scorer last night. To me, it seems that he scores goals when the team needs him to, and last night they didn't. They had enough goal scorers, and what they needed from him was to contain Crosby, which he did excellently!

It's early for sure but I was impressed with Hayden last year and again last night. The Hawks may have something with him in a bottom six role. If he continues to bring that energy and works on his in-zone coverage, he could be a staple on that 4th line and occasional filler on the 3rd. Really like that kid's work ethic.
- acmidd28

He took some hard hits and was involved in a few collisions that made me wince thinking of the concussion he dealt with last year.

You're ridiculous. The kid was positioned defensively very well all game and did plenty of things that don't show up on the score sheet. He's a 19 year old kid and that was his first NHL game. He played an overall sound game and is very poised for his age... the offense will come.
- SoftServe

I am sure that he was nervous as heck too and would like to have some of those passes and shots back. He showed puck handling skills last night that I didn't know he had. He will get better the more he plays.
I was watching the Pittsburgh feed and their guys seemed to like him a lot.

Hawks fortunately caught them on their first of 19 back to backs and the Pens aren't the same team as the past 2 years, its a partial rebuild on the fly. It may be a little rough for them first half of the season, but they"ll figure it out. But it may have to be with a different backup than Niemi.
- RickJ

The only significant loss without adequate replacement is at goaltender. Twenty of twenty three names on the Cup returned. Niemi is not going to remain their new back up because he is not good enough. His best came when he was a Blackhawk. Both Niemi and the Penguins entire team was overwhelmed and really never had the mental edge to seriously care or battle when the score became exponential.

How long it takes the Penguins to replace Niemi is hard to say. They have a youngster in the AHL but probably do not want to jeopardize his development by backing up in the NHL.

How long does it take for us to see that Nashville playoff smothering defence enacted....right away.....And a pretty good netminder just for kicks! Not exactly just for kicks....this season is going to be an ongoing "battle of will" and the adjustments are what good players and good teams are always working on

Both Q and Bowman are acutely aware of the nature of the battle of will and adjustments. Both are capable and up to the challenge. Their jobs depend upon having this right approach. If you care to extrapolate this, think of how you or your favorite baseball player makes adjustments when you stand in again against Sale. He might have your number but you might gain the upper hand with an adjustment of how you swing, when you swing against the lanky lefty's next offering.

Basicly Q should be grateful that Dineen had that pow wow with McDonough. Everyone was much more on the clock to perform well.

I cannot say I am totally surprised how well Kempny and Ruuta played. I was hoping that the Samuelson connection turn out well so far real well.

It would be a special bonus if Forsling also keeps up the good play. What we can take away from the nod he was given to suit up over a veteran [Franson] is just this: Samuelson and Q feel they know Forsling is capable.

Whether Forsling is good enough, or shows progress after he has a rough moment, is quite interesting. Any crack in the armor, "omg" a loss and Q replaces with Franson. Osterlie is hanging out here, too and Q may want to give him a look. So even if Forsling keeps playing well, I would guess Forsling sits before anyone else.

Right now it is refreshing to bask iin the success of the team and each defenceman played amazing. Next up is the improving Blue Jackets. Should be a great game. Now I am signijng out, next to check when Rockford gets their season under way.

Let's talk about the D?

Keith had some moments where he looked to be struggling a bit but was overall very good. I thought Seabrook looked good too(if he can stay in shape).

Was really impressed with Kempny, definitely showed a step or two forward. Forsling looked okay too, a few mistakes but some nice plays as well. Rutta, Oes were okay too.

Overall, I thought the defense pushed the puck up the ice quickly once they gained possession, made good passess, and stretched the ice deep and wide to create space for the Hawks speed players.

Thoughts?
- Bjm84

Not sure which game you were watching. The Defense overall was fine, a few miscues by the young guys, but nothing too brutal. If anything Seabrook looked "lazy" at times, but when you have such a huge lead it is tough to criticize anyone on the club for just taking it a little easy. Glad you thought Oesterle was okay, since he was watching from the pressbox.

I thought he looked quicker and handled the puck more efficiently than he did late last season.
- 67hawks

I need people to not ignore the latter half of last year when talking about Toews.

Toews was about a PPG in the second half of last season.

Another thing I forgot to mention, out of 11 goals scored I don't remember any of them being cheap.

It looks to me Q and the coaching staff know a whole lot more about the players and who got to play than the negative posters here, lynching young defenders, old vets and line and dee pairings.

I respect you all for your opinions, but they seem to know hwo to play THEIR players and their style.

one of a very important top dozen games.

You wish they could have saved some goals for a rainy day, but the confidence of what happened from little deBrincat, to the "on the decline back broken Toews, to the Czech dee pairing to that standout precision passing and hockey IQ the hawks showed, they don't look like a doormat depiste Niemi sucking out the joint earlier before Matt Murray couldn't stop the next six goals...

It's over.

But we don't look like a bad team or one that will not make the playoffs, or needs tooToo or Duchene...can I get an ahem?
- wiz1901

AND....we still have Cap space to fill out the roster. A rarity for us within a season. Stan can now let things play out a bit and see what's out there to help us most!

Well that was something.

The only significant loss without adequate replacement is at goaltender. Twenty of twenty three names on the Cup returned. Niemi is not going to remain their new back up because he is not good enough. His best came when he was a Blackhawk. Both Niemi and the Penguins entire team was overwhelmed and really never had the mental edge to seriously care or battle when the score became exponential.

How long it takes the Penguins to replace Niemi is hard to say. They have a youngster in the AHL but probably do not want to jeopardize his development by backing up in the NHL.

How long does it take for us to see that Nashville playoff smothering defence enacted....right away.....And a pretty good netminder just for kicks! Not exactly just for kicks....this season is going to be an ongoing "battle of will" and the adjustments are what good players and good teams are always working on

Both Q and Bowman are acutely aware of the nature of the battle of will and adjustments. Both are capable and up to the challenge. Their jobs depend upon having this right approach. If you care to extrapolate this, think of how you or your favorite baseball player makes adjustments when you stand in again against Sale. He might have your number but you might gain the upper hand with an adjustment of how you swing, when you swing against the lanky lefty's next offering.

Basicly Q should be grateful that Dineen had that pow wow with McDonough. Everyone was much more on the clock to perform well.

I cannot say I am totally surprised how well Kempny and Ruuta played. I was hoping that the Samuelson connection turn out well so far real well.

It would be a special bonus if Forsling also keeps up the good play. What we can take away from the nod he was given to suit up over a veteran
- jhawk59[Franson] is just this: Samuelson and Q feel they know Forsling is capable.

Whether Forsling is good enough, or shows progress after he has a rough moment, is quite interesting. Any crack in the armor, "omg" a loss and Q replaces with Franson. Osterlie is hanging out here, too and Q may want to give him a look. So even if Forsling keeps playing well, I would guess Forsling sits before anyone else.

Right now it is refreshing to bask iin the success of the team and each defenceman played amazing. Next up is the improving Blue Jackets. Should be a great game. Now I am signijng out, next to check when Rockford gets their season under way.

No better way to break in a 'kid' defenceman than to play him and then the next day review what the good things were and what mistakes he made. That's what Samuelsson is going to do with all of these guys.

If they can get 40-45 good games out of Forsling, that would be great. I think Oesterle will alternate somewhat with Forsling.

And Franson looks to be the 8th defenceman until he proves to be better.

He's def not the $10 Mil player but he looked good in the dot and Saad will bring the best out of him. Still an asset and so critical that his line is a threat. Too much of a one line team the past two years.

People can debate his contract but he's the team's best center and still one of the better two-way centers in the league.
- acmidd28

He looked noticeably faster but the puck was still bouncing off his stick at times. I actually think he might figure a few things out give him 10-15 games. IN other news.... Mr. Panik oh my just ragdolling grown men off pucks. He also adsorbed a hit on one skate in the ozone and put a guy down. Any one else notice that? Think is was in the 2nd.

Just for reference for how Q used / deployed the lines.

Toews v Crosby + Letang-Dumoulin, 45.45% OZS%

Schmaltz v Malkin + Cole-Schultz, 37.5% OZS (Kane/Hartman were 50% OZS though)

Anisimov vs McKegg + Letang-Schultz, 35.71% OZS%

Kero vs Rowney + Maatta-Cole, 75% OZS

Keith-Seabrook v Crosby (w Toews)

Kempny-Murphy v Malkin (w Anisimov)

Forsling-Rutta v Malkin (w split time with Anisimov/Schmaltz)

It looks to me Q and the coaching staff know a whole lot more about the players and who got to play than the negative posters here, lynching young defenders, old vets and line and dee pairings.

I respect you all for your opinions, but they seem to know hwo to play THEIR players and their style.

one of a very important top dozen games.

You wish they could have saved some goals for a rainy day, but the confidence of what happened from little deBrincat, to the "on the decline back broken Toews, to the Czech dee pairing to that standout precision passing and hockey IQ the hawks showed, they don't look like a doormat depiste Niemi sucking out the joint earlier before Matt Murray couldn't stop the next six goals...

It's over.

But we don't look like a bad team or one that will not make the playoffs, or needs tooToo or Duchene...can I get an ahem?
- wiz1901

What are your thoughts on Forsling? I think he made some solid plays but he still looked lost to me at times that led to some odd man rushes.

I was at the game and while Toews was somewhat quiet on the scoresheet with a pretty assist on Saad's third goal, what I saw was more of the Toews of previous years where he held the puck more and was MUCH more creative with the puck (some real nice lateral cuts around defenders) and in cycling the puck down low. Very encouraging, in my eyes anyway.
- FourOrr

And if Panik and Saad keep flying around, hitting people, going to the net hard and scoring Toews is going to have a lot more room to operate.