Didn't really love the 'go to sleep' gesture... just forgot how good that guy was.... and the effort he puts into every shift.

Hossa dinged up. Questionable for tonight.

 Yes the Cabbie puncher! leading my hockey pool ...i dont gamble with hatred or heart

hawks end up with the same fate as the flyers ---- 1 point tonight

It was a pretty evenly played game last night. This is another game that last year's Hawks would have come out empty handed from. I thought they did well to get the 1 point on a night where their best player fo far this season was missing. What was strange game though. The physical part of it kind of mirrored the Mayers/Campbell "fight": it looked intense, but there weren't many big hits.

I thought Keith, Sharp, Stalberg and Kruger all had rough nights and need to be better, especially 10 and 2 when a guy like Hoss is missing.

I liked Kane's game again, and he especially impressed me with his backcheck and defensive zone play. Carcillo was once again a factor, throwing hits and getting some decent scoring chances, while not costing his team. The Carbomb experiment is getting an A+ so far in my view. Crawford made the saves he had to for the Hawks to remain in the game and the Bolland-Bickell-Frolik line was the Hawks' most consistent line out there tonight. Bickell especially looks like he finally has his physical game where it needs to be for him to be successful.

But the most unbelievale thing I saw all night came courtesy of John Scott: In the couple of years he's been in Chicago, I don't think I've ever seen the big oaf take a shot, and he had 2! I think that by his standards, he was an offensive force last night! lol

An interesting thing I noticed league wide last night, was alot of players going in for hits and pulling up when they see a guy's numbers. Max Pacioretty, Eric Cole, Frolik, Dustin Brown and even Carcillo were all good examples last night of how to play a hard game without the need to injure somebody. I hope this is a sign of things to come, and we start keeping more of our league's players on the ice.

Also, did anyone else see Don Cherry swallow his pride and apologize to Nilan, Grimson and Johnson last night? You could almost tell it was killing him inside, but at least he did it.

I didn't watch the whole game but my take was this:

Kane looked awesome.
Toews line still struggles to click.
Hawks gave up a lead just like last season (Toews, Keith, and Leddy to blame)

Posted by andru2797 on 10/16/2011 3:08:00 PM (view original):

Posted by moy23 on 10/16/2011 11:51:00 AM (view original):
I didn't watch the whole game but my take was this:

Kane looked awesome.
Toews line still struggles to click.
Hawks gave up a lead just like last season (Toews, Keith, and Leddy to blame)

That's a bit of boxscore analysis there...tough to say "just like last season" without watching the whole game.

I saw the whole 3rd period (turned the game on after the flyers game ended)...  read the postgame comments from Q and Kane.  Both said it was a 3rd period letdown.  Q actually said worst period of the season. Sounds like they played balls to the wall first 2 periods though --- so just like last season.

from jaeckel:

The Bruins are a very good team who dug deep and showed championship poise in the third. The Blackhawks didn't. As was so often the case last season, and even at times during the Stanley Cup season of 2009-10, when Boston tightened up and got more physical, the Hawks tried to get cute.

The stretch pass wasn't working, nor were a few cutesie drop passes that always seem to forebode a Hawk collapse. The style the Bruins were playing demanded that the Hawks respond in kind: go station to station, be more patient and physical. Get pucks on Thomas (who was giving up rebounds) and bang in the loose change. 

Didn't happen. 

Further, in the third, some Hawks started giving up on plays. They looked tired and/or intimidated at times. 

Can't happen.

Anyways ... it was just one game. All teams will lose a lead at some point. Just as long as it doesn't become a trend.

Duncan Keith is however a concern.... he is not the same guy that won a Norris.

Might be time to off-load him while his stock is still high?

I don't think the time to panic is here just yet with Keith. He still has all the same tools to be successful, but he hasn't looked good defensively so far this season...

One has to wonder though how much of that has to do with him playing with Leddy. Knowing that such a young player is playing next to him perhaps it makes him hesitate just a little with plays and that split second difference may be what's causing the turnovers. In his Norris year, what made him great was his ability to turn away from forecheck pressure and make a quick read and great outlet pass out of the zone. It just seems that he's not making those decisions as quickly since then.

If playing with Seabs means we'll have the Norris Keith (or close to it) back, then depth be damned we need to get those two back together.

Hoss not at practice today...Q said he's definitely making the 2 game trip and he's hopeful he can play tomorrow...very mysterious injury

Olesz was on Kane and Carcillo's wing at practice instead, with Stalberg on the 4th line with Mayers and Kruger. No Scott it looks like, which is great news against the speedier Coyotes and Avs.

Interesting second pp unit put together also, with Carcillo, Bolland, Bickell, Leddy and Seabrook. Bickell and Carcillo would cause havoc for opposing goalies. I wonder if the strategy is changing for the pp, going more for simple screen shots than the back door pass play down low which has not worked at all this season. Either way, good to see the coaching staff not sitting on a pp that has been disappointing so far.

Ben Smith is also close to returning. I wonder if he has the same bite Carcillo has in his game. If he does, wouldn't it be interesting to try him out on the Toews/Sharp line.

Crow starting again tomorrow as well, so it looks like he's 100%.

I'm anxious to see what a fully healthy lineup will look like.