not a good game for him tonight.
- busmaster

He has been far better than KK, Tinordi and Zaitsev.

He’s wandering all over the place. But saved by the offside. Some has to sit him down in a video room and show him how often he’s out of position
- paulr

KK seems to be getting pulled way up and to make it worse he's all the way on the opposite wall!!! Guess he figures his partner or centerman is gonna cover for him.

Nothing unexpected out of a 19 yr old but it ain't fun to watch as he works thru it.

Annd back to the IR for Blackwell.

4 guys below the goal line. Who the (frank) they going to pass to even if by some miracle they win a board battle

The coaches need to tell KK to stop rushing and pinching for the time being and just focus on his defensive game. Simplify his game to focus on his weaknesses. He does allot of things well but the most important part.

Raddysh not ready for a gift pass.

Waive his ass.

The coaches need to tell KK to stop rushing and pinching for the time being and just focus on his defensive game. Simplify his game to focus on his weaknesses. He does allot of things well but the most important part.
- paulr

Name one

Hey, Arlington Rob, give Elbows his phone back.

Take a seat Connor. That will be called every time.

Name one
- Elbows15

A very good passer, strong skater, great edges, stickhandles well.

Name one
- Elbows15

His passes are tape to tape, but not denying that he needs to improve defensively.

A very good passer, strong skater, great edges, stickhandles well.
- paulr

hardly. his acceleration is poop. a strong skater has excellent acceleration and edge work.

he is at best a sheltered PP guy as his ceiling. He is Gus without the toughness.

he will be known as Korbustski just like Trubustsky and Bustin Fields.

hardly. his acceleration is poop. a strong skater has excellent acceleration and edge work.

he is at best a sheltered PP guy as his ceiling. He is Gus without the toughness.
- Elbows15

I think his acceleration is decent, it’s definitely not elite. At full stride he’s pretty fast. With his above average edge work and good balance I’d still categorize him as a strong skater. But we all see it differently.

Take a seat Connor. That will be called every time.
- Elbows15

Lol--- um, well they just don't make sticks like they used to, do they? I was the freak down here that insisted on using a cheapo wooden stick -I used to be able to break them shooting until I got ancient.... but a tap like 98 did - in the day it wouldn't have chipped the paint ... those were the days.

Still hilarious that he was ticked off at the call.... like you said .. um that one gets called ... er, pretty frequently, actually rook. :D

On a side note who the heck sewed Mrazek's mit shut -it felt like he was trying to play one handed - and was rebound city tonight (compared to the last couple of nights).

I guess maybe they can go for a moral victory tomorrow now, and maybe get a real W in the game after that ... 0-:] (to be fair, it is what it is --- but that's no fun writing to that point).

I think his acceleration is decent, it’s definitely not elite. At full stride he’s pretty fast. With his above average edge work and good balance I’d still categorize him as a strong skater. But we all see it differently.
- paulr

Watch how many strides he has to take to get to speed, paul.

Seriously. Watch how many foot races he loses. Or how often he is able to skate away from someone.

Quite a few and not very often.

Watch how many strides he has to take to get to speed, paul.

Seriously. Watch how many foot races he loses. Or how often he is able to skate away from someone.

Quite a few and not very often.
- Elbows15

Ho-hum just anther loss , many more to come.

Lol--- um, well they just don't make sticks like they used to, do they? I was the freak down here that insisted on using a cheapo wooden stick -I used to be able to break them shooting until I got ancient.... but a tap like 98 did - in the day it wouldn't have chipped the paint ... those were the days.

Still hilarious that he was ticked off at the call.... like you said .. um that one gets called ... er, pretty frequently, actually rook. :D

On a side note who the heck sewed Mrazek's mit shut -it felt like he was trying to play one handed - and was rebound city tonight (compared to the last couple of nights).

I guess maybe they can go for a moral victory tomorrow now, and maybe get a real W in the game after that ... 0-:] (to be fair, it is what it is --- but that's no fun writing to that point).
- SC116

The sucking isn't the worse part. I knew they weren't going to be good. Its the fact every game is the same story. They get hemmed in their own zone for days on end. Mainly cause the forwards are never in position or can win a board battle. The system needs some changes. They leave the points open constantly which in turns leaves options for the guys down low.

We will see if KD can make some moves this summer to get some players in here who aren't plugs or bottom 3 guys.

Watch how many strides he has to take to get to speed, paul.

Seriously. Watch how many foot races he loses. Or how often he is able to skate away from someone.

Quite a few and not very often.
- Elbows15

I’ve watched, and it’s decent except when he is chasing the puck to the boards and he seems to always let the opponent get to it first. I think he’s a little timid. The problem is he should have been left in junior to work on the weaker parts of his game and at the very least he should have been loaned to Team Canada. But rightly or wrongly he’s in the NHL now and needs to work on the facets of his game he should have brought to the NHL. My fear is if his defense doesn’t improve he’s going to have to learn it in the AHL next season.

I think Blackwell wants to keep his spot.
- paulr

Beyond that, probably wants to play well enough to get traded at the deadline.

I’ve watched, and it’s decent except when he is chasing the puck to the boards and he seems to always let the opponent get to it first. I think he’s a little timid. The problem is he should have been left in junior to work on the weaker parts of his game and at the very least he should have been loaned to Team Canada. But rightly or wrongly he’s in the NHL now and needs to work on the facets of his game he should have brought to the NHL. My fear is if his defense doesn’t improve he’s going to have to learn it in the AHL next season.
- paulr

They were damned if he started in juniors, and damned if he started here, it seems like. I would give him a few games to get going again, in the meantime. It's been a tough month for him off the ice.

If that’s judged as contact to the head he’ll be missing a few games. The IIHF are pretty strict and they don’t like big hits.
- paulr

Looks like an elbow to the head

Looks like an elbow to the head
- bjphawkfan

Gotta agree- IIHF- I imagine it would be seen as exactly that.

---
You know I think they'd been getting a little better at covering the point (forwards - that is- when a D man pinches in).

Zaitsev-Korchinski was the most effective D pairing tonight -leastwise that's what it looked like to me. Some of those goals -sorry to say, they looked pretty soft (uncharacteristically considering the last several games) - not throwing stones, it happens.

The difference being I think Chicago was trying to the perfect pass -and Montreal was getting the puck to the net with numbers- getting either a rebound or to gather in the puck because ...well, to be honest, sometimes a rebound will just show up in the perfect place - it did that for Mtl's #1 draft choice last season...that Czech kid I think. A really tough deflection, the 5th goal -not counting that.... the offside non-goal, ok- well I was also factoring that into the -ok who told Mrazek to make a closed fist then put on his catcher ... because he was having a tough time (or it looked like)....

I don't actually think Chicago got outplayed; they'd had other games in the past where they were doing a lot more of the 5 skater 'box' when hemmed in their zone. They seem to be minimising that. But I mean, their strength is they are really only effective when generating a rush and creating something off of that. Other teams, I am sure, are aware of that ... and the end result being ... looking up at a lot of (maybe it is still all of them) teams in the standings.

Bedard seems to know which players have a open line to the net. saw a few of his passes go to players with an open look at the net. Too bad those open players couldn't finish.

Bedard seems to know which players have a open line to the net. saw a few of his passes go to players with an open look at the net. Too bad those open players couldn't finish.
- wizardofi

Players who cannot finish and players who just throw the puck away. Looking at you Reichel -how many times did you do that last nite? The one good thing about that is Reichel´s next contract should come in cheap.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a belated Happy Hanukkah to everyone out there.