Hanging your hat on Carcillo...

Might as well just hang yourself instead if you think he's any sort of answer. Hoping he'll do anything effective against the Bruins is an insult to the Bruins. Matt Cooke is twice the hockey player #13 is and he didn't exactly work wonders for the Penguins, did he?

But beyond just ripping Carcillo (which is old hat by now), my point is any player can play tough. It's nothing more than a decision that a player has to make. If the Hawks aren't making that commitment, adding in a guy who's a legitimate liability on the ice (for the 6 minutes or less that he usually plays) is not going to help. Everyone needs to step up.

Al, I think this is the best point of all -- you've put it succinctly for us.

Everyone has "their guy" they want to pick out and dump on -- as well as defend. Seabrook has done some very dumb things in these playoffs and other than 1 game, has not faced the consequences of it by either having a goal scored DIRECTLY from his mistake OR by getting nailed to the bench as Q has done with a few others.

I know everyone wants to pick on Leddy for the 1st goal and by no means am I absolving him on it -- seldom have seem him get faked out like that and not taken the body. It was a play guys from midgets on up should make. However, that play was only the 2nd piece that happened and there were 4 things that went wrong.

1. Sharp doesn't simply pop the puck out of the zone to relieve pressure but does the thing I absolutely hate most -- REVERSES it back deep into our zone where it then becomes Leddy's problem.

2. Leddy goes for the stick check instead of manning up and taking his guy -- so the puck makes its way to the front.

3. Kane lazy on the back check and lets the guy go, doesn't bother trying to tie up his stick.

4. Crawford doesn't get his paddle down and also opens up the 5 hole, letting the puck squirt beneath him. That puck should have been stopped -- but nonetheless, there were several others guys that f'd up before it.

This is what is irritating to me -- calling guys out for dumb plays but not doing so across the board. Seabrook's mistake cost us a goal -- maybe right that the puck came BACK to his guy and he scores. Get the puck out to begin with and we're not talking about it. Sharp gets the puck out to begin with, we're not talking about Leddy getting walked, Kane not backchecking or Crawford letting up a goal he should have stopped.
- savvyone-1

The one point that hasn't been dwelled on enough by me or others...I wrote about on Sunday.

Boston has the edge in experience....Crawford, Leddy, Bollig...young players who have never been here before.

Plus some mistakes by others who should know better.

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

Somebody posted this on Twitter last night...I thought it was pretty good:


- DarthKane

Hilarious

As I said before, the most alarming thing about Saturday's loss was the manner in which they lost. After their second miserable failure of a PP (about 7 seconds of zone time...literally), they were totally dominated in every facet except the scoreboard.

Lots of people suggesting that the 1st period proves the Hawks can dominate if they just play "their game". Problem with that is that is, the 2nd, 3rd, and OT proved that Boston also appears to be able to dominate when they play "their game", and Boston seems better equipped to impose their will.

I hope tonight looks more like Saturday's 1st period, but I fear that in front of the home crowd, Boston may impose their will right from the opening puck drop. I hope I'm wrong, but I feel like a blowout is coming...and not the good kind. 5-1 B's.
- Ogilthorpe2

Correct.....The best of the Hawks beats Boston almost always but it is a case of how long they can sustain that type of effort.

Boston plays a simple efficient game and they can do it for long periods of time.

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

Stalberg IN tonight

Hanging your hat on Carcillo...

Might as well just hang yourself instead if you think he's any sort of answer. Hoping he'll do anything effective against the Bruins is an insult to the Bruins. Matt Cooke is twice the hockey player #13 is and he didn't exactly work wonders for the Penguins, did he?

But beyond just ripping Carcillo (which is old hat by now), my point is any player can play tough. It's nothing more than a decision that a player has to make. If the Hawks aren't making that commitment, adding in a guy who's a legitimate liability on the ice (for the 6 minutes or less that he usually plays) is not going to help. Everyone needs to step up.
- AceRatbang

Most Penguins fans I've seen cite Cooke as one of the more positive performances in these playoffs, a must re-sign. I don't like him for obvious reasons, but in a purely hockey sense he does have an impact.

It is time.
- BulliesPhan87

Is this a fact?
- TrueGrit

yessir

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

You and I, along with roughly 50% of the regulars here were begging for two physical type players at the TDL. What's going on in the series isn't a shock.

i don't see why you'd hit the panic button with clowncillo right now. you won an epic game 1 and tuukka stole the first period of game 2.

b's might wear themselves out only rolling 3 lines most of the time. they're not used to that. claude's double shifting seguin, kelly, and paille with pevs and skipping thornton and doggy. also, krejci has taken campbell's place with paille on the pk.
- yinzer_nation

Not true - if the goal was allowed to stand (which it should have been if they went to review it), then Rask lost the game in the first.

Think about it, the "in the act to blow the whistle" is the only way a Ref can stand by his bad call. If the league was to review the play and see that the puck crossed the line, even though the Ref didn't call it a goal, they can always say they intended to blow the play dead and there is no discussion about the right or wrong call. It is a joke of a situation that the refs know they have in thir back pocket to screw a team. Why even review a play if the ref blew it dead? Think about the logic. No way any team should allow a ref to use this excuse. Either blow the play dead or don't, but don't come back after the fact and say you were going to blow it dead. It's too late!

For sure, I won't argue that the Stalberg situation has been handled perfectly. However, when line-up changes need to be made Stalberg has made himself a candidate to be benched. We need more than a couple timely assists from Stalberg and the fact that this is his third consecutive playoffs where his offense has dried up doesn't help him. I want Stalberg in the line-up and producing just as much as anyone, but it hasn't happened. If Stalberg is going to be considered (abd be paid like) a legit 20 - 25 goal scorer he needs to produce more than 3 assists.
- DarthKane

"When lineup changes need to be made". Don't think they needed to be made.

You and I, along with roughly 50% of the regulars here were begging for two physical type players at the TDL. What's going on in the series isn't a shock.
- Beaver-Warrior

What is that, that the series is 1 to 1 in two one goal games in Overtime?

Correct.....The best of the Hawks beats Boston almost always but it is a case of how long they can sustain that type of effort.

Boston plays a simple efficient game and they can do it for long periods of time.

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

Well, the Coach has to give his best players the greater amount of ice time as well.

Saad getting 6 more minutes than Sharp; both Bolland and Shaw getting more ice than Kane and Sharp? That distribution of minutes has to be questioned.

You and I, along with roughly 50% of the regulars here were begging for two physical type players at the TDL. What's going on in the series isn't a shock.
- Beaver-Warrior

What is that, that the series is 1 to 1 in two one goal games in Overtime?

But where does Stalberg play then?

Watch out Johnny T! last time he was unleashed in the finals, he clocked his own teammate Carter
- ikeane

Fourth line with Fro and Kruger

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

Carcillo's reputation means if he breathes near another player he gets a penalty. Then he gets 3 mins of ice time the entire game because Q is afraid/unwilling to run him back out there, leaving the forwards short handed.

Not to mention Carcillo has looked like he doesn't have any strength in his legs/knees/whatever. He's not the same guy he was a year ago. I love his style of play when he's on but he hasn't been on this year other than a couple of shifts the season opener before he hurt his other knee. Put Stalberg in.

Well, the Coach has to give his best players the greater amount of ice time as well.

Saad getting 6 more minutes than Sharp; both Bolland and Shaw getting more ice than Kane and Sharp? That distribution of minutes has to be questioned.
- RickJ

Yeah it makes no sense.

>#25 in according to Canadian Press, too
>http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=425699
- SnapitUpstairs

Hopefully Vik is under control early. I remember after his benching vs Detroit, his first shift back, he nearly broke his neck trying to make a hit.

"When lineup changes need to be made". Don't think the needed to be made.
- ilinkhawk

Maybe not to us, but to Q the change need to be made and that's all that really matters.

If Stalberg would hit people at all, i dont think anyone would have any problem with him being in the lineup ever. He just doesnt do it (often enough) though

that said, if he's in he better be ready to hit and be hit, i dont like seeing him get hit then immediately looking at the officials for a call. its annoying
- BlazinMike

That's generally been the complaint against Bickell until this years' playoffs.

Quirky board ... now it bolds MY comments instead of the quoted text I've highlighted. Weird.

Hanging your hat on Carcillo...

Might as well just hang yourself instead if you think he's any sort of answer. Hoping he'll do anything effective against the Bruins is an insult to the Bruins. Matt Cooke is twice the hockey player #13 is and he didn't exactly work wonders for the Penguins, did he?

But beyond just ripping Carcillo (which is old hat by now), my point is any player can play tough. It's nothing more than a decision that a player has to make. If the Hawks aren't making that commitment, adding in a guy who's a legitimate liability on the ice (for the 6 minutes or less that he usually plays) is not going to help. Everyone needs to step up.
- AceRatbang

Unless you're talking about potential for bad penalties, I don't see Carcillo as any kind of liability. He may not help much, but I doubt he hurts us. I think worst case it's a wash between Carcillo, StalHlberg, and Bollig.

Maybe not to us, but to Q the change need to be made and that's all that really matters.
- DarthKane

It's all that counts... Yes. But none of this banter counts or matters.

It's all that counts... Yes. But none of this banter counts or matters.
- ilinkhawk

That's true.

So I guess we're all just going to be crickets until the puck drops?

Well, the Coach has to give his best players the greater amount of ice time as well.

Saad getting 6 more minutes than Sharp; both Bolland and Shaw getting more ice than Kane and Sharp? That distribution of minutes has to be questioned.
- RickJ

Whoever plays with Hossa and Toews is going to get a ton of minutes, they're the best line and the best 2 forwards. Also, with Sharp's declining defensive play, and Kane's lack of defensive play, its hard to match that line up against Bergeron or Krejci without feeling you're going to get killed. It's a tough spot for Q to be in

Well, the Coach has to give his best players the greater amount of ice time as well.

Saad getting 6 more minutes than Sharp; both Bolland and Shaw getting more ice than Kane and Sharp? That distribution of minutes has to be questioned.
- RickJ

I bet most if not all of that 6 minutes occurred as a result of PK time...the one area where Saad has excelled inthe post season.