Minor tweaking going on

[gmalis1]

BTW, Joakim Nordstrom sent to Rockford of the AHL. Looks like an opening for Ben Smith. And Brandon Pirri staying for a while, at least.

From the articles published online today, the Hawks are really hoping Pirri can be solid defensively and move into the second line center spot. Q pleased with his offensive production and awareness the past two games.

Nordstrom is just too raw yet. Q hoping he would fit into Frolik's spot on the PK, but that hasn't worked out too well.

 

[anotheridiot]

Nordstrom always seemed to be around the puck. I thought he was playing well. I think Q actually used him to wake up Pirri and Smith.

Bickell will be back on the top line when it counts. Q is doing nothing different than last year. He will put Toews and Kane back together, along with Hossa and Sharp. He did the same with Buff in 2010, its the same plan. Bickell is paid like a top 6 guy, but the hawks only have a top 5.

Bollig, I like what he brings if its 10 minutes a nite. I dont like when he always seems to shoot from the blue line. If he gets the puck deep with two fresh skaters coming there is a better chance to get a goal than a long shot. Getting the puck to the net is good when you got skaters coming down and thats not gonna happen on a change.

The big problem is not the lines, its the PK. only two teams worse than the hawks on the pk while they are 12th offensively.

 

[gmalis1]

Nordstrom always seemed to be around the puck. I thought he was playing well. I think Q actually used him to wake up Pirri and Smith.

Bickell will be back on the top line when it counts. Q is doing nothing different than last year. He will put Toews and Kane back together, along with Hossa and Sharp. He did the same with Buff in 2010, its the same plan. Bickell is paid like a top 6 guy, but the hawks only have a top 5.

Bollig, I like what he brings if its 10 minutes a nite. I dont like when he always seems to shoot from the blue line. If he gets the puck deep with two fresh skaters coming there is a better chance to get a goal than a long shot. Getting the puck to the net is good when you got skaters coming down and thats not gonna happen on a change.

The big problem is not the lines, its the PK. only two teams worse than the hawks on the pk while they are 12th offensively.

I thought Nordstrom was mediocre at best. He wasn't that good on the penalty kill, and I saw at least two instances where he turned the puck over in the defensive zone that cost the Hawks goals...one being in the last St Louis game, which really hurt. But he's young and he's raw and he'll learn. But I thought that was the right move at this time. He needs some more "coaching up" to help him at the NHL level.

As to Bollig shooting from the blue line. I haven't seen that as much as you have. It works if you have traffic in front AND you get the puck toward the net. He's gonna play a full year for the Hawks, like it or not. As I said before, Q seems to really like him. I'm not sure exactly why, but right now there seems to be no other alternative.

The Hawks have some minor tweaking to do. The PK hasn't been as bad as it was the first few games. It seems like it's getting better, so the cumulative numbers and rankings show the Hawks PK as not so good but look for it to improve as Q gets the right people out there. I think the biggest problem so far is just the lack of scoring. The Hawks seem to be stuck on "2 goals" almost every game. That puts a lot of pressure on your defense and goaltending to keep you in games. That third goal, especially when up 2-1, just seems very difficult to come by. But the Hawks will get there. The scoring will open up. They've had tons of chances, just can't seem to get it by the goalie. Q likes those greasy goals and the Hawks are going to have to work hard to get those kind.

Two games in Florida coming up. Would be nice to get at least 3 points there as the Lightning are playing well. Panthers, well not so much.

 

[anotheridiot]

Maybe well did not describe Nordstrom, but there was no hesitation chasing down pucks in big hit areas.

Jimmy Hayes and Kyle Beach needed to challenge Bollig, it didnt happen. I know Beach is probably out the door, but playing over in Sweeden or wherever might give his game some edge it needs. I thought Bollig would be in the lineup against the physical teams, but everybody is playing the hawks physical, its gonna happen all season because they see its the best chance to win.

 

[gmalis1]

Just remember...the Hawks have only one regulation loss thus far. It's not like the wheels are falling off the cart. And if the Hawks weather the last :22 seconds against the Blues in the first meeting, the Hawks wouldn't have a regulation loss yet.

In a way, the season so far reminds me of the 2010-2011 season...the season following the last Cup. Of course, the Hawks have much better players than that team had after it was gutted due to the salary cap purge. But all the champs face tough challenges and challengers. It makes the season for teams to knock off the defending champs, so all the games will be hard hitters and close games.

As we've alluded to before, almost all the teams feel the way to rattle the Hawks is to be physical with them...and separate them from the puck. It's nothing new from last year and specifically in the playoffs.

We've talked about this over and over. It's not the Hawks makeup under Q to run other players. Some guys will be somewhat physical...Bickell, Bollig, Saad some, Shaw. But we all know the Hawks aren't the physical presence some other teams like to be.

Jimmy Hayes was supposed to be that type of player too, but he has other issues. Funny, but what is a glut of talent at the AHL level just can't seem to crack the NHL door down. Hoping Pirri is able to stick. He has a lot of offensive upside. But players like Nordstrom, Hayes, Morin, Beach are just not quite there...yet.

 

[Baseballnut77]

hence part of the issue. There is no way anyone here or on the hawks staff can say with a straight face that a morin or a hayes is not a better player than a bollig. also same can be said of a Stanton or the kid who went over seas is not a better player than brookbank. morin had 30 goals last year in the ahl both Stanton and the other kid had good numbers down there as well. now Stanton is showing in Vancouver that he was ready for the big club. yet we let them go for a song or less. would any of them be perfect every night? no chance. would they be sufficient and also learn on the job? without a doubt. as I said a while back the likelihood that most of these kids will never see the light of day here is high. And wrong in my opinion. You have to groom the kids and bring them up when you let a bolland and others go not pick up dead weight that you know you are going to scratch 40 games a year the second you put them on the team

 

[gmalis1]

Well, in the past three years the Hawks have Shaw, Saad and Pirri in the starting lineup.

Stanton had to be put on waivers before going back to Rockford. He didn't clear and he was picked up. Problem was the Hawks have 8 dmen already for 6 spots. I'd be happier if they would trade Brookbank. But that's just my opinion.

We can hash over and over again Bollig's worth over Morin, Hayes, Beach etc. But Q likes him and he's the coach. No one's asking us.