Post-Game Talk: Hawks Win Game 1!

[ChiGuySez]

The bright side? That's nauseat.. oh no.. errrmahgerr..

.. oh god.. I'm so sorry.. can we please, once and for all, stop looking on the "bright side" on this board?

I can't. I just.. I can't. Stop. Please stop.

lirl.

 

[Gurth]

Honestly, I feel like it has gone down hill since we won the cup. I don't know if it is the expectations, fans just being spoiled or what, but the negativity around here seems to have just snowballed in the last few years.

I think it's a Chicago sports fan thing. The main Hawks board on the official page is far worse than here. I stopped posting there when I found this but it turns out there are people here who like to complain about the little things too and who can't seen to grasp the big picture.

It gets tiring. It's why I don't post much here.

Guys are gonna have bad games or bad stretches or even bad seasons. This isn't EA Sports. It happens. That's why there are 20+ guys on a roster and why it takes a team.

I guess it's too much to ask that people have a little loyalty to the guys who represent us.

 

[HockeySauce]

I think it's a Chicago sports fan thing. The main Hawks board on the official page is far worse than here. I stopped posting there when I found this but it turns out there are people here who like to complain about the little things too and who can't seen to grasp the big picture.

It gets tiring. It's why I don't post much here.

Guys are gonna have bad games or bad stretches or even bad seasons. This isn't EA Sports. It happens. That's why there are 20+ guys on a roster and why it takes a team.

I guess it's too much to ask that people have a little loyalty to the guys who represent us.

It really is.

It doesn't matter who you are, what your resume is, how good you've been as a Hawk, if you had a bad stretch, or bad season, Chicago fans will feed you to the Sharks. Heaven forbid Toews should continue on without a goal, or.. even worse.. have a "bad" season, where he scores 25 goals and 35 assists. What would this board do, implode?

Your post is what I've been saying basically all season. It's nice to see another (and I know there are others) share the same sentiment.

 

[Bubba88]

loyalty to our players just isn't as funny as thorwing them under the bus this week just to praise them next week later

 

[Chelios]

I think it's a Chicago sports fan thing. The main Hawks board on the official page is far worse than here. I stopped posting there when I found this but it turns out there are people here who like to complain about the little things too and who can't seen to grasp the big picture.

It gets tiring. It's why I don't post much here.

Guys are gonna have bad games or bad stretches or even bad seasons. This isn't EA Sports. It happens. That's why there are 20+ guys on a roster and why it takes a team.

I guess it's too much to ask that people have a little loyalty to the guys who represent us.

Maybe that is it. Us maritimers aren't nearly as negative

 

[Nothingman*]

Is it OK if I still dislike tommy Hawk? His performance has really been down this year.

 

[Sir Psycho T]

Is it OK if I still dislike tommy Hawk? His performance has really been down this year.

Like every other poster on here, guy has been one of the top bird mascots in the NHL for years and he has one down year and we want him gone, typical.

 

[theaub]

Like every other poster on here, guy has been one of the top bird mascots in the NHL for years and he has one down year and we want him gone, typical.

He did complain about his screen time during the first round. Selfish move and I can't believe they let him almost step on some guy's head during last game. Heard they might bring in Carlton the Bear to shore things up for the rest of the series.

 

[BobbyJet]

We do have depth issues, as most teams do, mainly due to the salary cap. Contenders like Bruins, Rangers and Pens made some significant acquisitions to shore up that depth. Stan as usual went low key with Handzus. IMO, that wasn’t enough and it is likely we go another year without the Cup. Are we contenders? Perhaps, but certainly not the favourites as we keep hearing on TSN and elsewhere. Mainly from folks who look at stats more than anything (and our stats are impressive, no doubt about that). However, I’m more optimistic today then I was a few weeks ago. I liked it when we drew The Wild, and it helped tremendously to win the first series in quick fashion. Drawing Wings next is also desirable relative to SJ. Hopefully SJ will give LA a good and physical tussle this round, and soften them up a bit, and of course I also hope we can beat Wings and stay as healthy as possible in doing so. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t. Assuming both teams advance, LA vs Blackhawks will be a gigantic challenge for Hawks. My main concern remains between the pipes.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Is it OK if I still dislike tommy Hawk?

Yes.

Cereal Box Tommy Hawk sucks. Old Tommy Hawk was badass.

 

[Ace Rothstein]

We do have depth issues, as most teams do, mainly due to the salary cap.

Really? The 3rd and 4th lines have 4 goals each in 6 playoff games so far. That's damn good depth. They need their first liners, besides Hossa, to start producing.

 

[ChiGuySez]

Our third liners are other teams first liners.

 

[BobbyJet]

A team can never be deep enough, and that is the mentality that Stan needs to have.

And in case folks have forgotten. It was Dale Tallon who gambled big time to make this team the powerhouse it was in 2010. He loaded up, knowing it was essentially a one off opportunity…. And it worked.

 

[Central PA Hawk Fan]

wut? we're one of the deepest teams in the league. Sheldon Brookbank is in the pressbox, he would be playing for quite a few teams still in the playoffs. Not to mention Stalberg sitting, we have really good depth.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Hawks have depth issues...now I've heard it all.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

We could've won all 48 games this year by multiple goals and be 5-0 in the playoffs so far, and there'd still be people on this board nitpicking.

 

[Nothingman*]

Hawks have depth issues...now I've heard it all.

My stomach hurts laughing at the thought we have depth issues.

Remember when we were without Sharp and Hoss and still winning? I do. Our depth sucks.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

We do have depth issues, as most teams do, mainly due to the salary cap. Contenders like Bruins, Rangers and Pens made some significant acquisitions to shore up that depth. Stan as usual went low key with Handzus. IMO, that wasn’t enough and it is likely we go another year without the Cup. Are we contenders? Perhaps, but certainly not the favourites as we keep hearing on TSN and elsewhere. Mainly from folks who look at stats more than anything (and our stats are impressive, no doubt about that). However, I’m more optimistic today then I was a few weeks ago. I liked it when we drew The Wild, and it helped tremendously to win the first series in quick fashion. Drawing Wings next is also desirable relative to SJ. Hopefully SJ will give LA a good and physical tussle this round, and soften them up a bit, and of course I also hope we can beat Wings and stay as healthy as possible in doing so. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t. Assuming both teams advance, LA vs Blackhawks will be a gigantic challenge for Hawks. My main concern remains between the pipes.

what areas do you find particularly "shallow"?

 

[Blue Liner]

A team can never be deep enough, and that is the mentality that Stan needs to have.

And in case folks have forgotten. It was Dale Tallon who gambled big time to make this team the powerhouse it was in 2010. He loaded up, knowing it was essentially a one off opportunity…. And it worked.

You're saying two different things. In your previous post you talked about adding/loading up at the deadline. Then you mention Dale loading up leading to the 2010 Cup win. That's two different points

For one, Dale, as I'm sure you remember, wasn't around in 2010. The GM who was made a small deal (at the time) to acquire Johnsson and Leddy. Hardly loading up or a block buster. We know what that team went on to do.

Two, Stan's take the approach to load up on young talent through the draft and trades (many he was forced to make on account of Dale's deals), keep a core locked in long term, and build around it with the talent from within and wise free agent acquisitions. Has it produced a Cup yet? Nope. But let's see what happens this year and next now that he's had time to actually put his own fingerprint on the organization. "Loading up and gambling" isn't the only way to win a Cup. It's failed plenty. And this is not a Tallon-Bowman crap fest so let's not go there.

Point being, this team has won 5 out of 6 playoff games so far, quite convincingly at times, and has a core that's won and is hungry to do it again. Let's see what happens with this team-building model first, and not use two apples and oranges points to argue simultaneously.

 

[Hawkaholic]

A team can never be deep enough, and that is the mentality that Stan needs to have.

And in case folks have forgotten. It was Dale Tallon who gambled big time to make this team the powerhouse it was in 2010. He loaded up, knowing it was essentially a one off opportunity…. And it worked.

Who did he load up with? Hossa was signed by Bowman, unless you consider handing out a ridiculous contract to a player "loading up".

 

[theaub]

Also if its true that Bowman was the one who didn't file the RFA offers he definitely contributed to the gambling.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Also if its true that Bowman was the one who didn't file the RFA offers he definitely contributed to the gambling.

Yeah, Mr. Pocket Protector had no knowledge of fax sheets or anything of the sort. Fat chance, I think it was a conniving power play, personally, but yeah, we'll never have the full truth.

 

[ChiGuySez]

Hawks are not without holes despite the record. Second line center being the most prominent. Hawks just have the least amount or smallest holes to fill.

 

[HockeySauce]

A team can never be deep enough, and that is the mentality that Stan needs to have.

And in case folks have forgotten. It was Dale Tallon who gambled big time to make this team the powerhouse it was in 2010. He loaded up, knowing it was essentially a one off opportunity…. And it worked.

The team is deep enough. You're not making any sense, Bob.

And how did Tallon, "load up"? That team was built from within. He didn't, "load up". Hossa seems to be seen as a universal Bowman signing, but John Madden and Tomas Kopecky were 4th liners and it was Bowman at the helm during the TD, and he got Johnsson.

Toews, Kane, Sharp, Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Versteeg, Byfuglien, Brouwer, Bolland, Burish, Eager, Sopel and Ladd were all drafted, or acquired long before the Hawks ever looked like Stanley Cup contenders. Tallon never loaded up for anything. He built from within (and a lot of those players weren't even his draft picks). Which is pretty much what Bowman's done.

Bowman drafted Saad and Shaw; traded for Leddy, Frolik, Stalberg and Handzus and signed Carcillo, Mayers, Roszival and Oduya. Bickell also got his chance under Bowman, who was neither a Bowman or Tallon pick.

 

[HockeySauce]

Yeah, Mr. Pocket Protector had no knowledge of fax sheets or anything of the sort. Fat chance, I think it was a conniving power play, personally, but yeah, we'll never have the full truth.

It's funny.. if Bowman ever screwed something like that up, people wouldn't look at Norm McIver, all the blame would be on Bowman. But because it was Tallon, with Bowman in the wings, it's clear that Bowman had to be the one that screwed up, knowing it would lead to Tallon being removed as the GM.

What did Tallon try to do again, mail the contracts to the players via express shipping or something, at basically the last second? Whether you think that's on Bowman or not, Tallon should have made sure the contracts were sent out way sooner - regardless of how they were sent.