Post Game Talk: Hawks fall to Nucks 2-1 in Shootout

[TorMenT]

Just finished watching the game from last night, as I had prior obligations that kept me from watching it last night. Here's my thoughts:

Saad - Saad was definitely the best player on the ice. He tried harder than everybody, and also was talent-wise the best, last night anyways.

Crawford - Another great game by Crawford. This team needs to start helping Crawford out. He's playing like a top 10, if not top 5 goalie this year constantly. He'll get tired and will start to struggle more if the offense can't start helping him out by getting him a few of these wins against teams that he holds to 1-2 points in regulation, and even 3 I would say most of the time.

Bolland - I am one of the people who has thought he hasn't looked great on the second line at all this season. I hope his injury is nothing serious and he comes back soon, but when he does I think it needs to be on the 3rd line. We tried it, and he just doesn't work in the top 6, at least on the line he is currently on.

Sharp - Sharp looked non-existant, like he has a lot of times this season. He disappears for long stretches, and has committed a lot of turnovers. He's also not the offensive threat that he was the past few years. I think the 2nd line needs to be jumbled up somehow and maybe that will take care of it.

PP - The PP looked bad other than maybe 1 combined PP minute between all the PP's. It was a sad performance, and something needs to be done about it. Get someone like Saad on the PP because he's earned a shot with his effort and has some skill as well. They need to get more shots on net instead of just floating the passes around hoping someone will get a perfect beauty. Get it on net and crash the net and good things can happen.

OT - I still think it's annoying that if there is penalty time left in the game at the end of OT, they don't finish OT. A team that was committed a penalty against should be given the remainder of the time of the penalty to score. Not going to blame this for the loss because we had plenty of chances before this, but that has always driven me nuts.

SO - Poor choice at players to shoot. Crawford saved the first 3, and if your goalie does that, you can't blame the loss on them. I don't know why Sharp shot 3rd again and am even less sure why Leddy shot 4th. Saad played his tail off, he should have at least shot 4th. Clearly Sharp is not a SO guy, give someone else a chance.

Overall - We deserved the win more than they did. I remember at least 3 crossbar/post shots, a Saad shot with an early whistle that was probably a goal, and a scrotum save by Luongo that we almost capitalized on as well. We controlled majority of the 2nd and 3rd period and had plenty of chances to win, as well as OT. It's good that we have a goalie that will keep us in most, if not all games this year (minus a couple horrible games that all goalies have). Once our offense gets going again, we should be ok. We have the offensive talent and effort to score at least 3 goals a game, which should be enough if Crawford continues to play well. We need to make it out of this road stretch and things will improve.

[Chris Hansen]

Originally Posted by TorMenT

and a scrotum save by Luongo that we almost capitalized on as well.

Luongo makes a lot of scrotum saves. Uses everything he's got.

But good write up, agree with pretty much everything. If Bolland's out for a while, Sharp should play #2C. Not like he's playing well at wing, although he has picked up points.

[Sergei Shirokov]

Originally Posted by Blackhawkswincup

If there is one coach more frustrating to watch handle a team ,, Its Vigneault

I will take Q and his idiotic coaching choices any day over your coach

Damn

I see we feeling the same way on AV.

Oh well was worth a shot.

[BobbyJet]

Maek Lezarus’ column describes last night perfectly by this line:

“As far as bloodlust-fueled vengeance games between two of hockey’s most heated, hated rivals go, Friday night’s Blackhawks-Canucks tilt was a major letdown.
As far as re-energizing bounce-back games go for the Hawks, it was worse.”


It was another take the single point and run type of game. Could have been worse.

[BronYrAur]

Originally Posted by BobbyJet

Maek Lezarus’ column describes last night perfectly by this line:

“As far as bloodlust-fueled vengeance games between two of hockey’s most heated, hated rivals go, Friday night’s Blackhawks-Canucks tilt was a major letdown.
As far as re-energizing bounce-back games go for the Hawks, it was worse.”


It was another take the single point and run type of game. Could have been worse.

Gotta love it when people invent narratives for the stake of having a story.

I mean, seriously? Hawks really needed a "bounce back" after losing in a shootout to the Wild on the road? Honestly, by that reasoning the team would need to bounce-back from a shootout win because most teams realize that the skills comp doesn't really inform them of our their team played.

And then they dominated play for 2nd and 3rd periods AT Rogers Arena against the Canucks, killed another 5-on-3 against the always-very-dangerous Canucks PP, and again, lost in the shootout. And that was "even worse." So horrible for those Hawks. They must be really feeling terrible.

Give me a break. 2/4 points so far on the road against 2 quality teams is not bad.

As far as the game being a letdown, sure I agree with that. Or maybe it was a very well-played game by both teams' defenses and goalies.

[Bubba88]

Originally Posted by nottchi

Not sure that I'm willing to drag my butt out of bed at 3am to watch another game like that against the Nucks, I was really hoping it would have a bit more spark.

It's always worth it my english friend