zrf 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Hawks fan here, and I'm interested in hearing your early season strengths and weaknesses as well as your best and worst (or most disappointing) players. Strengths: - Our overall team speed is unparalleled with Sopel being the only pylon on the team. - One of the best (if not the best) 5 on 5 offensive hockey teams. - Overall depth. - Offenses prowess from the blue line. - Forechecking. - Offensive play in front of the net. - Our pokechecking and play near the blue line is good and much improved over last year. Weaknesses: - Propensity to yield mindnumbing TOs - Goaltending (duh) - 3rd line defensive pairing (Sopel and Barker are liabilities by themselves let alone together) - Lackodaisocal backchecking (too many odd man rushes; a big reason why opponents, goaltending aside, score so many goals on relatively few shots). - Horrendous special team schemes: Our box-in PK philosophy is ridiculous. Great teams such as yours eat this strategy alive as they skate, cycle, and collapse for easy shots at will (that KILLED us in the CF series last year). The PP is equally as ridiculous as we bomb shots from the point, instead of use our superior puck handling and speed create easier, high percentage shots for Kane and Sharp. There is NO REASON for a team with this fire power to be so poor on the PP (same thing as last year). - Coaching: I think Q is to blame for both the above. - Board play in the defensive zone: still way too many whiffed clearing attempts and half-assed efforts along the boards. - Finishing ability. We can score, but the only guys who consistently finish around the net are Sharp and Kane. This is evident in our horrendous SO record. - Faceoffs: Looks to be a strength rather than a weakness like it was last year. Best Players: - Kane: He's been amazing. Barring injury I'll be shocked if he doesn't surpass 90 points. - Buff: He hasn't taken a game off this year. His aggressiveness and skating have hit another level. - Sharp: Right where he left off. - Madden: One of the best signings by ANY team in the offseason. 36? He doesn't look slow on this team at all (and his backchecking is superb). - Versteeg: No sophomore slump here. - Campbell: He's been very good so far. Him and Hjalmarsson have actually been our best d-men. - Hjalmarsson: See above. We need to find a way to lock this guy up. Worst Players: - Huet: He looked good last night, but the rest? Ugh... - Cam Barker: Yeah he's got a sweet shot, but he is a turnover machine that lacks any hockey awareness whatsoever. Trade bait #1. - Sopel: Q's fascination with terrible defensemen continues. Our defense has been very good in general, outside Sopel and Barker (if they stick together they will cost us games and potentially seeds) - Seabrook: He hasn't been bad, just not very good (defensively). I'm not worried about him though. - Toews: Another slow start to the season...but he hasn't let that affect the rest of his game. So far the Hawks have had a great start to the season. They've got 4 lines capable of barraging you and their offensive pressure is relentless. It is concerning however, that they continually give up high quality scoring chances on a minimum of shots. On the overall the team is getting better at backchecking (Kane is on a whole other level this year; a complete )player now), and the Hawks are now using their sticks and speed to create numerous turnovers throughout the games. But as of right now, I don't think our goaltending is good enough to prevent elite teams from scoring on the numerous oddman rushes. If the Hawks can reduce even ONE of those two weaknesses they will have as good a chance as any to reach the finals. But one of those two (at the very least) has GOT to change. As stated above, our special teams has got to step up. With our top four defensemen and the defensive ability of our top forwards there is no reason why a team this skilled shouldn't be in the top 8. Likewise our PP should be much better, especially if this team starts to utilize it's puck handling ability. Great teams don't keep blasting pucks from the point, the quickly cycle the puck to keep the defense and the goaltender moving. It leads to wide open nets and easy scoring opportunities for the snipers. Regardless it should be a great season as the division is tough as nails. Every team has question marks right now, but at least 4 (except for the Preds who look rather pedestrian right now) have the talent to do damage in the playoffs. I'm interested in what you have to say about your team. - Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Everything is kind of backwards right now for the Wings. Maltby is a point per game player, Homer leads the team in goals (in fact he is in the top 25 league wide), and Ericsson has only trailed Rafalski for the lead on our team in terms of offensive production from defensman. Meanwhile Datsyuk Zetterberg and Lidstrom have been dissapointments (until last game, at least). But its an 82 game season for a reason. I'm not worried about our stars picking up the pace. Actually I'm more interested in whether players like Maltby, Homer, and Ericsson can continue their success for more than 6 games. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Four Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Wait, did we turn in to LetsGoHawks.com? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
XxGoWingsxX 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Wait, did we turn in to LetsGoHawks.com? LOL c'mon man, he really was asking us to give our comparisons to the hawks in terms of everything he just talked about. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just too tired to do it right now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RusDRW 155 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Wait, did we turn in to LetsGoHawks.com? no need for such behavior. I would say that this is very good analysis of one of the best teams in this league. I agree with most of those observations... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swayze 81 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Weaknesses: - Horrendous special team schemes: Our box-in PK philosophy is ridiculous. Great teams such as yours eat this strategy alive as they skate, cycle, and collapse for easy shots at will (that KILLED us in the CF series last year). The PP is equally as ridiculous as we bomb shots from the point, instead of use our superior puck handling and speed create easier, high percentage shots for Kane and Sharp. There is NO REASON for a team with this fire power to be so poor on the PP (same thing as last year). - Coaching: I think Q is to blame for both the above. I seen a hawks/sharks game live a couple years back, when Savard was behind the bench, and the PP was even worse then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Z and D for the C 712 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Meanwhile Datsyuk Zetterberg and Lidstrom have been dissapointments (until last game, at least). Z has 6 points in 6 games too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BigE 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Too many people have the fantasy hockey mentality. When Datsyuk was playing he was our best defensive forward, much like in the playoffs. He also set up both Z and Mule with countless empty nets that they failed to hit. Hes a playmaking center.. hes not Ovechkin or Kovalchuk and never will be. If his linemates are going to blow golden opportunities than its not that crazy to see him with three points. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Echolalia 2,961 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Z has 6 points in 6 games too. I don't know about you, but I'm holding Zetterberg to a higher standard than what he has shown us this year. 6 points isn't necessarily bad, but he's still a - player and the majority of his points are coming on the powerplay (prior to last game he only had two even strength points). I also expect him to be more of a goal scorer, and he has only put the puck in the net once this year. Despite his point count I feel I'm justified in saying his play has been disappointing. Granted he is coming off injury, but that's beside the point I was trying to make in the last post. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zion 93 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Agreed. Zetterberg is playing WELL below his capability. While I think Datsyuk is a better overall player, Zetterberg is THE clutch player on this team (Franzen's goals, notwithstanding), and needs to play much better than he has. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
b.shanafan14 733 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 Wait, was the question to critique the Hawks or the Wings? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dallas27 7 Report post Posted October 17, 2009 (edited) Weakness: The Chicago Blackhawks fan base thinks they have a "rivalry" with the Detroit Red Wings Strength: The Detroit Red Wings fan base is too smart to cave into such claims when in all reality we hate the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of Los Angeles of California of Orange County of Laguna Beach / The Hills or whatever those California teams are calling themselves which is our true rivalry. Best players: Matt Worst players: Scott Lucidi Edited October 17, 2009 by dallas27 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
