Soderblum is garbage hands down.. kurashev is a product of having extended minutes and having 54 points— you’re three steps from the blue line and you do that?

My god is soderblum trash

Glad this season is finally over. Great effort tonight, but these guys only know how to lose.

It was a nice play… I just tuned into the 3rd period and have seen three goals?
- Chief4Feathers

Slaggert stripped Kopitar at his own blueline and fended him off all the way as he entered the Ozone and made a play. No small feat.

It was a nice play… I just tuned into the 3rd period and have seen three goals?
- Chief4Feathers

Maybe the Kings came out for period three relaxed having outplayed and clearly the better team. They had a two goal lead.

But the Blackhawks played with intent, working hard. And Talbot is a weak link in goal as far as I believe. So the setting was ripe for us to roar ahead

Break out the El Bandino. Not quite yet for the "W." Hold on Kurashev accidently shot the puck over the glass. The Kings going with empty net, 6-4. They tie the game and now changed their playoff opener with one point tonight.....if the score becomes OT the Kings only needed one point.

So J Anderson is related to M Anderson. Vegas plays Dallas. Really tough opening games.

The future is here in OT .....Korchinski and Bedard on ice, please bring Nazar on. Well six seconds Into OT Kempe scores. 23 -53 -6 and outshot tonight 36-16 which shows the team needs to improve. hopefully will draft second. We should start seeing some forward prospects get a look next season but I have no answer where Mr Richochet's favorite dman prospect will turn up. Other: still have to wait and see whether a misfortune later choice instead could force selection one of two dmen or possibly go for Lindstrom over Catton.

5 wins against bottom feeders ARI, ANA, and SJS, 2 against collapsing CGY and PHI,, just one quality win against DAL. They still have a ways ago to win against quality competition.
- boilermaker100

Green chutes, BM. The Hawks beat who was in front of them.. IMO the club has been better since Bedard came off of IR. Kid learned from his time off the ice, turned it over less, dumped. He's on the ice so many minutes even small increments from the kid and the squad improves.

And was this the most fun game of the yr? The pace was way up, Hawks were attacking, playing a skating/skill game. Anderson, Nazar, Bedard, Slaggert, Reichel were dangerous often enough to see what the hope is, the rebuild ends up being, looking like. A skill/speed game.

I might say that getting Nazar up was the best thing to happen to Bedard this yr. Bedard sees a young green kid playing solid 200 ft hockey with good habits. IMO Bedard will learn more from him than anyone else on this roster... Probably hope, but to my eye Bedard has played his most complete hockey since Nazar came up.

With only 5 Dmen dressed it was an excellent effort and a damn fun watch....

Why wasn't Vlasic out there? Bad move. That loss was on the coach.

Maybe the Kings came out for period three relaxed having outplayed and clearly the better team. They had a two goal lead.

But the Blackhawks played with intent, working hard. And Talbot is a weak link in goal as far as I believe. So the setting was ripe for us to roar ahead

Break out the El Bandino. Not quite yet for the "W." Hold on Kurashev accidently shot the puck over the glass. The Kings going with empty net, 6-4. They tie the game and now changed their playoff opener with one point tonight.....if the score becomes OT the Kings only needed one point.

So J Anderson is related to M Anderson. Vegas plays Dallas. Really tough opening games.

The future is here in OT .....Korchinski and Bedard on ice, please bring Nazar on. Well six seconds Into OT Kempe scores. 23 -53 -6 and outshot tonight 36-16 which shows the team needs to improve. hopefully will draft second. We should start seeing some forward prospects get a look next season but I have no answer where Mr Richochet's favorite dman prospect will turn up. Other: still have to wait and see whether a misfortune later choice instead could force selection one of two dmen or possibly go for Lindstrom over Catton.
- jhawk59

My Guy von Kaiser??? Love that kid. Posted early in the season Kaiser will be a fixture for 10-12 yrs, a kinda Hammer. I still stand by it.. Maybe even a poor poor man's Morrisey.

Or Phillips? He's in tough but he's got tools, man.........

Gun to my head I think if Levshunov is on the board they take him. I just don't think they can pass on a fine skating, good sized, right shot, some good offensive ceiling, take tough minutes, Doughty like Dman.

But if KD swings it might be the freakish big, fast, physical centerman Lindstrom.

Why wasn't Vlasic out there? Bad move. That loss was on the coach.
- bjphawkfan

You can't have Bedard take the faceoff to start OT. IIRC this is the 2nd OT game he lost the opening draw and the opponent scores with the Hawks never having possession.

With only 5 Dmen dressed it was an excellent effort and a damn fun watch....
- Mr Ricochet

It’s almost as if having an empty spot is better than the smurph who was out…

Soda looking like an NHL goalie tonight.
- Dieselhead

Yeah, not so fast......

I couldn’t say it any better:


Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
Foligno with some blunt words postgame:

"We are a team that needs to make some changes. This isn't good enough; this can't be good enough. This has to change drastically over the summer."

I couldn’t say it any better:


Ben Pope
@BenPopeCST
Foligno with some blunt words postgame:

"We are a team that needs to make some changes. This isn't good enough; this can't be good enough. This has to change drastically over the summer."
- LAHawk

I think there'll be some changes but it likely won't be good enough on the face of it to placate some here. Should be an interesting offseason and looking forward to the draft.

Soda looking like an NHL goalie tonight.
- Dieselhead

You Sure?

I think there'll be some changes but it likely won't be good enough on the face of it to placate some here. Should be an interesting offseason and looking forward to the draft.
- HawkintheD

Yep, lots of inflated expectations, imo. It is interesting to me that the board expected doom when the Hawks were great, but now expect greatness now that they suck.

Yep, lots of inflated expectations, imo. It is interesting to me that the board expected doom when the Hawks were great, but now expect greatness now that they suck.
- mohel

So the expectation should have been lower than having the least amount of points for a Hawks team since the start of the 70 game season?

So the expectation should have been lower than having the least amount of points for a Hawks team since the start of the 80 game season?
- LAHawk

No...if you're being realistic, the expectation should have been for some modest improvement and a team that could compete on most nights.

Also, if we're being realistic, when injuries happened to a number of key players with no ability to absorb those injuries, in large part due to where they are in the process of a rebuild, the original expectations were no longer realistic.

Yep, lots of inflated expectations, imo. It is interesting to me that the board expected doom when the Hawks were great, but now expect greatness now that they suck.
- mohel

It is a weird paradox going on here.

No...if you're being realistic, the expectation should have been for some modest improvement and a team that could compete on most nights.

Also, if we're being realistic, when injuries happened to a number of key players with no ability to absorb those injuries, in large part due to where they are in the process of a rebuild, the original expectations were no longer realistic.
- HawkintheD

The team was tanking again so they weren’t trying to put up points. I know you had a hard time watching the terrible hockey, I did too, we all did. But most of us, I think you too, knew That KD wasn’t going to try to do anything to make the team better this season in his pursuit of a top draft pick. I expect next year there will be progression, albeit slow progression. I hope to see some younger hungry rookies push out the washed up NHL veterans and AHL caliber placeholders. I expect to see a free agent or two as well. Hopefully next year we see a team pushing for a playoff spot. And most importantly a team that gets better as the season goes.

4-4-4-4-4

(No joke)

The team was tanking again so they weren’t trying to put up points. I know you had a hard time watching the terrible hockey, I did too, we all did. But most of us, I think you too, knew That KD wasn’t going to try to do anything to make the team better this season in his pursuit of a top draft pick. I expect next year there will be progression, albeit slow progression. I hope to see some younger hungry rookies push out the washed up NHL veterans and AHL caliber placeholders. I expect to see a free agent or two as well. Hopefully next year we see a team pushing for a playoff spot. And most importantly a team that gets better as the season goes.
- paulr

Yes, indeed. I'd add/clarify, that KD is trying to make the Hawks really good in a few years. Making the Hawks good next year is not - and has never - been the plan. Adding guys to help the kids develop (and reach the cap floor) is part of the plan; adding vets to have more standing points in the short run isn't.

The team was tanking again so they weren’t trying to put up points. I know you had a hard time watching the terrible hockey, I did too, we all did. But most of us, I think you too, knew That KD wasn’t going to try to do anything to make the team better this season in his pursuit of a top draft pick. I expect next year there will be progression, albeit slow progression. I hope to see some younger hungry rookies push out the washed up NHL veterans and AHL caliber placeholders. I expect to see a free agent or two as well. Hopefully next year we see a team pushing for a playoff spot. And most importantly a team that gets better as the season goes.
- paulr

He's making the team better by playing young players. Vlasic Korchinski, Kurashev, Bedard, Reichel, Kaiser, Phillips, now Nazar and Slaggert. The problem is so many want instant gratification. He's not building this year or next years team better its the 3 to 4 year away team He's building and it started this season.

Yes, indeed. I'd add/clarify, that KD is trying to make the Hawks really good in a few years. Making the Hawks good next year is not - and has never - been the plan. Adding guys to help the kids develop (and reach the cap floor) is part of the plan; adding vets to have more standing points in the short run isn't.
- mohel

I think you visited KD’s Kool-Aid stand one too many times, Bub!

He's making the team better by playing young players. Vlasic Korchinski, Kurashev, Bedard, Reichel, Kaiser, Phillips, now Nazar and Slaggert. The problem is so many want instant gratification. He's not building this year or next years team better its the 3 to 4 year away team He's building and it started this season.
- BetweenTheDots

I thought I said that?

Green chutes, BM. The Hawks beat who was in front of them.. IMO the club has been better since Bedard came off of IR. Kid learned from his time off the ice, turned it over less, dumped. He's on the ice so many minutes even small increments from the kid and the squad improves.

And was this the most fun game of the yr? The pace was way up, Hawks were attacking, playing a skating/skill game. Anderson, Nazar, Bedard, Slaggert, Reichel were dangerous often enough to see what the hope is, the rebuild ends up being, looking like. A skill/speed game.

I might say that getting Nazar up was the best thing to happen to Bedard this yr. Bedard sees a young green kid playing solid 200 ft hockey with good habits. IMO Bedard will learn more from him than anyone else on this roster... Probably hope, but to my eye Bedard has played his most complete hockey since Nazar came up.

With only 5 Dmen dressed it was an excellent effort and a damn fun watch....
- Mr Ricochet

It was nice to have that 8-6 record in that time frame. Baby steps, yes. Watching them win games is much more enjoyable. And I'm sure winning those games gave the young players some confidence and a taste of what they can accomplish in the NHL. But the fact remains after that they went 0-5-1 against two bubble teams and 4 playoff teams. (Definitely a nice come back last night.) I'm just putting out that there's a lot of work to do to build this team until it reaches the skill and compete levels of the top teams.

I think Nazar sticks on the big team next year. Slaggert had a good game, Reichel may have waken up. Hopefully he carries on next season.