There is upside and down side to Dan Carcillo. A great evening for Carcillo is that he upsets the other team. The down aside is he put himself first by taking a cheap suspendible act or take a costly penalty.
- dingo8urbaby

No argument from me. He's a better hockey player than Bollig, though. All depends on his knee.

If Boston wants to take an extra two, the Hawks can use the power play practice. Fighting is and should be a non-factor in the playoffs. Carcillo should not be out there to fight. If he can draw someone else into something dumb, advantage Chicago.
- John Jaeckel

When is the last time Carcillo fought?

"Have been told including via text last night from . . . with team that team cannot understand why Bollig is in and not Carcillo who they want in."

Good source.

When is the last time Carcillo fought?
- eburgio

Long tim, of course he's been hurt a lot.

When is the last time Carcillo fought?
- eburgio

+100

Carcillo is not fighting anyone, and hasn't in a while. No need to start now.

If Carcillo's knee is OK, I think he can bring something. The Hawks need to change the tone from Game 2 back to Game 1.
- John Jaeckel

Sometimes Carcillo (to me anyway) looks fast out there. When he looks fast he looks good, cause hes around the puck and making an impact, but other times he just looks out of position going for home run shots and missing. I would mind seeing him in there though, i didnt think Bollig was terrible.

Meant to say i "WOULDN'T" mind seeing him in there

Nice blog! Also glad you changed the title.

Through 2 games, this has been an incredible series! This is the most evenly matched finals in years!
- BOSS_TWEED

I could enjoy it more if my team wasn't playing. But then again, the tradeoff of my team potentially winning the Cup is worth the small heart attacks I experience during the games.

They have to get tougher, not more timid.
- John Jaeckel

Agree to disagree on this
What got us here was speed,puck possession,puck moving defence,solid goal tending and an amazing PK.
I have been listening to all this love for Carcillo for two years and every time he plays he takes stupid penalties at the worst of times so I don't get it.

Getting meaner is for the off season if that is the way the franchise chooses to go.
Trying to switch gears to nasty this deep into the playoffs by inserting Carcillo won't happen.

The lineup with Stals inserted will need to play the game we were built to play.
More of what we did in the first period of game 2.If we can manage that for 6 periods we can split in Boston and make this a 2 of 3 series with home ice.

If not we will lose this series.

I will be shocked is Carcillo plays in this series because what has he done to deserve to play? Not much.

If I am wrong I will be happy to eat some crow tomorrow.

Sometimes Carcillo (to me anyway) looks fast out there. When he looks fast he looks good, cause hes around the puck and making an impact, but other times he just looks out of position going for home run shots and missing. I would mind seeing him in there though, i didnt think Bollig was terrible.
- BlazinMike

1st game Bollig was great, 2nd game he was a waste of space. If he isn't hitting he doesn't need to be out there. For that kinda play they could have just turned to Stalberg.

I'm all for throwing Carcillo in there. When I watched him on lines with skilled players, he seems to have a good sense of where to go with the puck, and isn't a total loss in the offensive zone. As long as he brings energy, and doesn't play like the knucklehead he can be, I'm all for it. If anything else, it will give Boston a distraction, and another guy for us who will do the dirty work. Too many afraid to do those things the first two games.

"Have been told including via text last night from . . . with team that team cannot understand why Bollig is in and not Carcillo who they want in."

Good source.
- John Jaeckel

To fan the flames on the Stalberg debate just a smidge, I have a question. The Bruins D was pinching like crazy last game. Ference's pinch contributed to the 1st goal (Leddy's hesitation was the primary culprit). Could the addition of Stalberg keep the D honest?

We all know he can finish as well as a neutered Beagle, but does the threat of his speed keep the D at home? There's still another 3 lines the Hawks roll, so it's not like he's out there on every shift.

1st game Bollig was great, 2nd game he was a waste of space. If he isn't hitting he doesn't need to be out there. For that kinda play they could have just turned to Stalberg.
- droe411

Yeah but minus the lazy play on the puck at the end of overtime that gave the game away by Bollig....wait nevermind, that pissed me off i dont care if hes in or out

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Missed Saturdays game so I have no perspective regarding that. My brother said it was pretty much all Hawks for at least the first + an uninspired OT which sounds more like a focus not personal problem. Also seems like they should have buried the game 10 minutes in. Finishing chances > bullpoop toughness Carcillo brings.

If you haven't seen a show at Red Rocks just outside of Denver, wow, highly recommend. Beautiful place, awesome ambiance, killer sound. Grace Potter and the Trucks / Tedeschi band were incredible. If you haven't seen either of them and are into rock/blues, totally missing out.

Anyways, 4 minutes of Carcillo < 8 minutes of Bollig. Ben Smith would be a better option, has a stockier frame, is a better skater and a mythological hero from his performance against Vancouver. Stalberg for being an idiot in the neutral zone and his own zone can break a game open if he plays strictly north south and shoots the puck instead of making cute passes.

Sharp centering line dos I think spreads things out a bit better and allows that second line to transition a bit better.

Either way, Toews hits two tonight, Keith skates +30 minutes (over 3 periods) and the final score is 3-2 somebody with more goals than somebody else.

Nice blog title

Good catch. Fixed. My bad. Wasn't thinking. And my apologies to anyone offended.
- John Jaeckel

I agree that he is in theory a good guy to insert in place of Bollig. I would be apprehensive, though, because the officials do not seem to allow him any leeway whatsoever due to past history, so if he can't play his game, why bother?

I also agree that at this point Stalberg might bring nothing more than the possibility of stretching out Boston's D. While I think there is value in that, I certainly wouldn't yell about giving Ben Smith a shot.

It just seems to me that, while you would think the refs should have been and should still be watching Marchand and Chara like hawks because of their penchant for infractions and dirty play, they haven't. But, you can rest assured that they would be focused like deer in headlights on Carcillo.

But, yes, they DO have to do something.

As always, just in case:

BICKELL - TOEWS - KANE
SHARP - HANDZUS - HOSSA
SAAD - BOLLAND - SHAW
STALBERG (OR SMITH OR CARCILLO ...) - KRUGER - FROLIK

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Missed Saturdays game so I have no perspective regarding that. My brother said it was pretty much all Hawks + an uninspired OT which sounds more like a focus not personal problem. Also seems like they should have buried the game 10 minutes in. Finishing chances > bullpoop toughness Carcillo brings.

If you haven't seen a show at Red Rocks just outside of Denver, wow, highly recommend. Beautiful place, awesome ambiance, killer sound. Grace Potter and the Trucks / Tedeschi band were incredible. If you haven't seen either of them and are into rock/blues, totally missing out.

Anyways, 4 minutes of Carcillo < 8 minutes of Bollig. Ben Smith would be a better option, has a stockier frame, is a better skater and a mythological hero from his performance against Vancouver. Stalberg for being an idiot in the neutral zone and his own zone can break a game open if he plays strictly north south and shoots the puck instead of making cute passes.

Sharp centering line dos I think spreads things out a bit better and allows that second line to transition a bit better.

Either way, Toews hits two tonight, Keith skates +30 minutes (over 3 periods) and the final score is 3-2 somebody with more goals than somebody else.
- fattybeef

That's the other option. Just don't know where anyone gets this idea Stalberg is a playoff performer.

Yeah but minus the lazy play on the puck at the end of overtime that gave the game away by Bollig....wait nevermind, that pissed me off i dont care if hes in or out
- BlazinMike

I'm a glutton for punishment. NHL Network replayed Game 2 and I saw the end again. Seabrook had Frolik on the blue line, right wing. Kruger was in the slot with nobody on him. Keith was below the dot on the other side of Crawford. The only two guys 'covered' were Frolik and Bollig. Yeah, Bollig can't let that puck squirt through, but I just don't understand the logic of the pass TO Bollig in the first place. Still can't. Unless they clean that up, it doesn't matter who plays on the 4th line

It is time.

John Jaeckel: Carcillo Time?
- John Jaeckel

JJ if you're right about what Carcillo brings, I agree. But I've seen virtually nothing from him the last 12 months besides the occasional bad penalty.

>If Carbomb plays, he should have one major objective -- hit Chara and Lucic repeatedly -- no one else on the Hawks seems to be interested in doing so -- though Shaw did hit Chara in Game 1
>Not picking on Q, BUT, to me, a coach should be able to influence his team's skating effort by shift length and benching players who are not moving
>If we see a repeat of Game 2's second half -- timid Hawk players standing around -- Q better use his timeout immediately and get the whip out
>It was nice to see the new Bickel emerge in the playoffs, but the old one showed up in Game 2 -- tell Bicks to stop going cross-ice with the puck -- he turns it over every time he tries to do so -- the whole team should ditch the cross-ice cutsie passes
>Time for Toews to ditch his stale 5 on 5 routine of trying to create below the goal line and then getting bear-hugged and taken out of the play -- start trailing teammates who have the puck, get a drop pass and find some NEW open ice

I agree that he is in theory a good guy to insert in place of Bollig. I would be apprehensive, though, because the officials do not seem to allow him any leeway whatsoever due to past history, so if he can't play his game, why bother?

I also agree that at this point Stalberg might bring nothing more than the possibility of stretching out Boston's D. While I think there is value in that, I certainly wouldn't yell about giving Ben Smith a shot.

It just seems to me that, while you would think the refs should have been and should still be watching Marchand and Chara like hawks because of their penchant for infractions and dirty play, they haven't. But, you can rest assured that they would be focused like deer in headlights on Carcillo.

But, yes, they DO have to do something.

As always, just in case:

BICKELL - TOEWS - KANE
SHARP - HANDZUS - HOSSA
SAAD - BOLLAND - SHAW
STALBERG (OR SMITH OR CARCILLO ...) - KRUGER - FROLIK
- Q...argh

I like these lines. Very effective, and splits talent better. Toews and Hossa are fantastic players but neither are finishing while on a line together with each other. Kane has the same problem when hes not with Toews. And Bickell is getting more attention now because of his break out playoffs, putting him with Toews and Kane will make it tough for Boston to focus in on anyone...at least i think so anyway, maybe it wont be difficult and Boston will just blow it all up no matter what haha

Go Hawks'

Carcillo is almost better when he plays up on lines, like w/Hossa and Toews. When he's on the 4th line he reverts to stupid stuff.

Not sure about everyone else, but my stomach is already in knots. I just don't know what to expect. Will this team show up or will they be intimidated by Boston's forecheck? Will the stupid decisions by the D cease? Can Toews get on the scoresheet? Will Kane be neutralized? Lotsa questions.
- eburgio

Keep your stomach unknotted until the Hawks lose two games in a row...

Inredible start, no finish as the Blackhawks drop Game 2 in OT. My Fox Chicago: FOX 32 News http://bit.ly/11IESN5

It is time.
- BulliesPhan87

Gotta believe in this team. They've faced adversity and know how important it is to take momentum back. They've bounced back before. Trends are trends (re: Hawks 0-3 in game 3s this year and Boston having a ridiculous playoff record in game 3s).. Hawks have bucked trends before, why not now.