More along the lines of he allowed other guys to slot with little or no drop off, and he sucked up quality minutes, which kept wear and tear down on other guys, and was the guy ever hurt ?? I think he missed like 10 games in 4 years.. his absence will possibly be more noticed as the year moves on.. his smarts, stick and shot blocking are not easily replaceable ..
- dozerD10

Having a significantly better 3rd pairing in Rutta and Forsling so far will alleviate minutes more than having him would. He'll be missed, but it won't break the D core.

You're letting a loss to a young, fast team erase a 15 goals in 2 games demolition of playoff teams from last year? Bold strategy. Not having Schmaltz destroyed our second line. Sub 25% Corsi is not good for anyone.
- JRoenick97

Totally agree JR. Schmalz's speed will be missed in all future games and he's a key to that successful 2nd line. It's apparent already watching how much slower this team looks without him. We need him to return healthy and stay heathy. Hopefully Q will then begin to increase his roles on this team as in #1 PP unit, PK unit, and OT 3 on 3 responsibilities. The "older" core guys seemed gassed last night, as they did last spring against Nashville.

Youth and Speed needs to continue to be the focus of Stan Bowman, whether it's up front, or on the back end. He has the depth and the cap space like never before to accomplish this.

I think people may underestimate how deeply the loss of Hossa will impact this Hawks team. Or maybe they don't underestimate it, I'm not sure. But it will sting

What the hell happened to Brent Seabrook? That dude used to be really good, no?

Brandon Saad is an awesome player, at both ends of the ice. Why no Selke love for this guy?

Having said all this, the Hawks were completely out-classed last night. This Leafs team is unbelievable. Score should have been 6-3 Leafs, or something along those lines

The Hawks of 2012 or 2013 could have competed with this Leafs team. But not anymore....
- AxlRose91

Totally, never really thought about how much the loss of a hall of fame horse would hurt this team.

Hey look....Toews just got tossed for another face off
- PatShart

We get it...you aren't a Toews' fan. Weren't you banging the drum last year about faceoffs not being that important?

Thanks JJ
Game showed we have a good back up goalie.
The Leafs are good and fast
Kane missed Nick S
and we are still a work in progress but we have more overall speed this year!
Wish there was room for Vinnie H but who sits?He has speed but size??
- CTblackhawkfan

hmmmm, ya in the first period.
We need stamina and to roll 4 lines. Tired legs do not equal speed. This could be just like last year. Other teams wear us down and not vice versa. During the golden years, a 2 goal lead was golden for the Hawks. But hey, just one game

Mathews line alone outshot the Hawks 20-3.

And yet the Hawks were up 2-0 until Kane got caught floating in the middle of the Dzone and not covering his man Zaitsev.
- RickJ

Yep, and his turnover in OT lead to a big push by the Leafs. He's not the only one that lost coverage, but some of his mistakes lead to goals against. I argue he shouldn't have been in that role in the first place and he tried hard to contribute offensively in the 3rd / OT, but fact is that the forwards were much more responsible for the bad game than the defense.

Good to see you declaring them dead after 3 games. 2 of which were 10 and 5 goal wreckings of the defending champs and a playoff team from last season. We also beat Toronto both times last year. Missing Schamltz effectively killed our highest scoring line and they couldn't hold the puck. They got destroyed possession wise. Kane was on the ice for 30 shots against and 5 for. We'll be fine when Schmaltz is back.
- JRoenick97

I respect your optimism but the difference between the 2 teams that played last night is FAR greater than anything one player can offset.

Hawks were outclassed to such an extent that you cant possibly say its because one player was out of the lineup.

Hawks team speed isn't quite what we thought it was. Neither is the team defense. Both got exposed big time last night.

Please hammer the Habs. lol

I respect your optimism but the difference between the 2 teams that played last night is FAR greater than anything one player can offset.

Hawks were outclassed to such an extent that you cant possibly say its because one player was out of the lineup.

Hawks team speed isn't quite what we thought it was. Neither is the team defense. Both got exposed big time last night.
- SimpleJack

So games 1 and 2 showed no team speed and was simply circumstantial?

Having a significantly better 3rd pairing in Rutta and Forsling so far will alleviate minutes more than having him would. He'll be missed, but it won't break the D core.
- JRoenick97

TOI breakdown says Rutta wasn't bottom pairing

28:11 - Keith
25:04 - Seabrook
17:27 - Rutta
16:23 - Forsling
16:21 - Murphy
14:47 - Kempny

I respect your optimism but the difference between the 2 teams that played last night is FAR greater than anything one player can offset.

Hawks were outclassed to such an extent that you cant possibly say its because one player was out of the lineup.

Hawks team speed isn't quite what we thought it was. Neither is the team defense. Both got exposed big time last night.
- SimpleJack

Eh, one player could offset it though.

If Schmaltz plays, Kane's line gets the OZS that they normally do vs putting the biggest offensive threat in a pseudo checking line role. If starting in the OZS around 60% like normal, would Kane have been more effective offensively? Would he have been put in situations where he's lodged in the defensive zone unable to transition out?

Also, with Schmaltz in the lineup, all the centers get pushed down a line and now Q can roll 4 lines more effectively. Kero as 4C can at least take defensive draws even if it's not against high QOC. That frees up Toews/Kane for OZS, duh. Do you know which line got the highest OZS%? The Wingels line. You don't think it would have made a difference if those starts had been given to Schmaltz-Kane? Q couldn't trust that 4th line anywhere else though so it limits how he rolls lines.

So Schmaltz playing means that Q can not only roll 4 lines more effectively but also in the manner that is best for each line. That leads to less tired forwards which in turn should mean better engagement and responsible play.

I don't know if the Hawks would have won with Schmaltz in the lineup, but it would have most certainly impacted the game. It's silly to suggest otherwise when you can clearly see the ripple effect removing Schmaltz has just looking at usage / deployment.

Mathews line alone outshot the Hawks 20-3.

And yet the Hawks were up 2-0 until Kane got caught floating in the middle of the Dzone and not covering his man Zaitsev.
- RickJ

See it is mistakes like that, or miscommunication, forwards in general not providing proper support......hockey is a game of turnovers....so when critiquing whether Keith or Seabrook are playing superbly all the time, yes their teamattes have an effect on their performance

TOI breakdown says Rutta wasn't bottom pairing

28:11 - Keith
25:04 - Seabrook
17:27 - Rutta
16:23 - Forsling
16:21 - Murphy
14:47 - Kempny
- Slofire94

I think Murphy and Kempny have been lowest TOI each game so far.

Edit: Just wanted to add, I wasn't sure if it was a factor of the score in the Pens and Jackets games (that Q was giving Rutta and Forsling more time) or if that is the how the pairs are breaking down.

Keith Seabrook
Forsling - Rutta
Kempny - Murphy

You're letting a loss to a young, fast team erase a 15 goals in 2 games demolition of playoff teams from last year? Bold strategy. Not having Schmaltz destroyed our second line. Sub 25% Corsi is not good for anyone.
- JRoenick97

If I read an article correctly it said the first two games the Hawks won was against teams playing their second game of back to backs.

If true keep that in mind. Most teams often lose in the second game of back to backs when another team is rested.

The Hawks will be a work in progress on some nights early on. They have a lot of new faces, and some guys are playing in situations that they have never been asked to before. I am excited about the start, but fully aware that there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. Are we contenders? At this moment, probably not. Can we be? That is why this season should be fun in order to see if the Hawks can continue to improve and acquire a piece or two that allows them to chase a 4th Stanley Cup in the Toews-Kane era. I love the team speed when all are healthy, but this team cannot afford a key injury to any of the top 6 forwards. That was proven last night. Anisimov fine on the 3rd line, 2nd line, not so much.

Mathews line alone outshot the Hawks 20-3.

And yet the Hawks were up 2-0 until Kane got caught floating in the middle of the Dzone and not covering his man Zaitsev.
- RickJ

Yep. That goal is 100% on Kane who was pretty terrible last night in my estimation. Not sure what JJ saw out of 88 last night but he didn't have jump and that blown coverage proved costly. Also, the Powerplay was not a threat to score on 5/6 man advantages. It's one thing to not convert a PP, but they didn't even possess the puck or get shots on net. PK vastly improved, PP still bad.

If I read an article correctly it said the first two games the Hawks won was against teams playing their second game of back to backs.

If true keep that in mind. Most teams often lose in the second game of back to backs when another team is rested.
- sparky

Pittsburgh brought in their starter and Murray gave up 6 of the 10 goals the Hawks potted against the champs.

If I read an article correctly it said the first two games the Hawks won was against teams playing their second game of back to backs.

If true keep that in mind. Most teams often lose in the second game of back to backs when another team is rested.
- sparky

Those teams didn't just lose - they were dominated. Playing the night before does not account for how much the Hawks controlled play those games, statistically. If you'd like, I can provide all the info for how tired teams typically play over the last 3-5 years.

>Agree JJ, faceoffs always did and always will matter.
>By all accounts a terrific kid, but Kero's Rockford ticket is slowly being printed by his play -- if he's still hurt, he should sit
>AA should stay at 3C, no higher
>Hawks were dominated down the middle last night, not only at the dot, all over the ice
>If team pace of play and puck possession continues to vanish in future games with the loss of Schmaltz, Hawks will need to rethink the centers
>#20 is one heckuva player

Eh, one player could offset it though.

If Schmaltz plays, Kane's line gets the OZS that they normally do vs putting the biggest offensive threat in a pseudo checking line role. If starting in the OZS around 60% like normal, would Kane have been more effective offensively? Would he have been put in situations where he's lodged in the defensive zone unable to transition out?

Also, with Schmaltz in the lineup, all the centers get pushed down a line and now Q can roll 4 lines more effectively. Kero as 4C can at least take defensive draws even if it's not against high QOC. That frees up Toews/Kane for OZS, duh. Do you know which line got the highest OZS%? The Wingels line. You don't think it would have made a difference if those starts had been given to Schmaltz-Kane? Q couldn't trust that 4th line anywhere else though so it limits how he rolls lines.

So Schmaltz playing means that Q can not only roll 4 lines more effectively but also in the manner that is best for each line. That leads to less tired forwards which in turn should mean better engagement and responsible play.

I don't know if the Hawks would have won with Schmaltz in the lineup, but it would have most certainly impacted the game. It's silly to suggest otherwise when you can clearly see the ripple effect removing Schmaltz has just looking at usage / deployment.
- L_B_R

Umm... What she said

Yep. That goal is 100% on Kane who was pretty terrible last night in my estimation. Not sure what JJ saw out of 88 last night but he didn't have jump and that blown coverage proved costly. Also, the Powerplay was not a threat to score on 5/6 man advantages. It's one thing to not convert a PP, but they didn't even possess the puck or get shots on net. PK vastly improved, PP still bad.
- EnzoD

It's weird how much Q was deploying his line as a checking line role. THat's not something Kane is going to excel at. He should have moved Kero to 2C and kept using AA's 3rd line in that role like he was the first 2 games.

The power play is a train wreck right now. I understand early on some teams do not practice their power play, but the Hawks do the same things over and over. Keith carries it to center ice, drops to Kane for the delayed entry. When the Hawks do set up, Keith gets his shot blocked, and the puck is cleared out, or Kane dangles around until he can fire a shot. Toews is wasted on the PP because all he does is stand in front of the net. Dineen needs to get a little creative here in my opinion if the Hawks want to improve on the PP from a year ago. So frustrating with the talent level they have, and their power play is so bad and painful to watch!!

"you can't get too low over an OT loss to a good team on the road—even when you blew a game you probably should have won."

I take it that the writer is referring to the 2 goal lead in the 3rd as the reason to why he thinks the Hawks should have one.

It certainly wasn't because the Hawks out played the Leafs. If the Hawks did end up winning that game, it would have gone under the category as a game the Hawks should have lost but luckily won.

Was such a fun game to watch - wish the Leafs and Hawks played more games during the season.

2) Faceoffs are still a big issue for this team

As a team, the Hawks were dominated in the dot by Toronto, and their best faceoff man, Jonathan Toews, was repeatedly thrown out of faceoffs for violating the newly enforced setup rule.

Last night anyway, Tanner Kero, the "replacement for Marcus Kruger," played over 4 minutes on the penalty kill and was 37% overall on faceoffs.

Anyone who thinks the the return of Nick Schmaltz (because he went 20-21 in the preseason on draws and that's "awesome!") will solve this problem, I have a bridge you might be interested in purchasing.







Duchene

Eh, one player could offset it though.

If Schmaltz plays, Kane's line gets the OZS that they normally do vs putting the biggest offensive threat in a pseudo checking line role. If starting in the OZS around 60% like normal, would Kane have been more effective offensively? Would he have been put in situations where he's lodged in the defensive zone unable to transition out?

Also, with Schmaltz in the lineup, all the centers get pushed down a line and now Q can roll 4 lines more effectively. Kero as 4C can at least take defensive draws even if it's not against high QOC. That frees up Toews/Kane for OZS, duh. Do you know which line got the highest OZS%? The Wingels line. You don't think it would have made a difference if those starts had been given to Schmaltz-Kane? Q couldn't trust that 4th line anywhere else though so it limits how he rolls lines.

So Schmaltz playing means that Q can not only roll 4 lines more effectively but also in the manner that is best for each line. That leads to less tired forwards which in turn should mean better engagement and responsible play.

I don't know if the Hawks would have won with Schmaltz in the lineup, but it would have most certainly impacted the game. It's silly to suggest otherwise when you can clearly see the ripple effect removing Schmaltz has just looking at usage / deployment.
- L_B_R

I think the Hawks know that icing 4 centerman like Toews, Schmaltz, AA and Kero is a very competitive foursome against most of the NHL teams most nights. Doesn't mean they will win every game, just too many variables - puck bounces, coverage mistakes, poor goaltending, missed chances and who has last change as home team that decide a game.

The coaches have to work with what's going on in a game - anybody here really notice the great scumbag Nazem Kadri's line got significantly reduced ice time for most of the game because Babcock didn't like what he was seeing? Wonder why.

The Leafs are a reasonable facsimile of the Hawks of 2008-09, except there is no Duncan Keith or Seabs on their backend. They make mistakes galore behind their own blueline, so annointing them as world beaters and the Hawks a distant second best to them is a little premature, for now. And the Leafs still have to deal with Tampa in their own division.

And the other annointed (by the posters) 'great team' Edmonton got whacked by the Jets, right after they lost to hapless Canucks.

I thought the Hawks defence stood up reasonably well all things considered. And they are 8 men depth at that position.