IS IT TIME TO PANIC?

Well this is getting ugly.Stan Bowman is gonna start getting some heat,the question is how well can they deflect to Joe. Is it time for a change? Looks like we might have been in to much of a hurry to dump Dale Tallon what do you think Hawk Fans.

As of right now this is a borderline Playoffs team which means they didn't improve single bit over last years team and that sucks.

Hawks have mediocre to bad goalies and defense is even worse then last year since Campbell is gone, plus coaches run terrible defensive system.

This team definitely needs some change, be that via. trades for high quality goalie or defenseman, some kind of coaching change (defensive oriented assistant), or even more drastic changes like new HC/GM.

As of right now this is a borderline Playoffs team which means they didn't improve single bit over last years team and that sucks.

Actually they are much improved over last year. Even after this six game losing streak, the Hawks are on pace for 101 points. People can be upset about the losing streak all they want, but ridiculous statements like this really grind my gears. I'm just as pissed as anyone that they've lost six in a row, but the reality of it is that all the hard work they put forth early in the year to gain all those points has put them in a position where this losing streak, while it hurts them, won't take them right out of the home-ice race(especially since they have 7 games left against NSH/STL)

As for the borderline playoffs team comment...... You're wrong. They're 7 points ahead of the 9th place team right now and are comfortably in a playoff spot despite this losing streak. 

Looks like we might have been in to much of a hurry to dump Dale Tallon what do you think Hawk Fans.

Firing Tallon took too long.   He is an absolute joke of a cap manager and system builder.    He's proving to be a well below average drafter as well.    2004 and before was Mike Smith's work and Scotty Bowman was hired in July of 2008.    He would have been a terrible gm for this team, and I can't imagine that the team would look like it does now.   I'm confident that Cam Barker and Jack Skille would have premier roles and there is almost no way that Seabrook, Sharp, Hossa, Leddy, etc. would still be here.   
Maybe he can judge talent, but I don't think he's that good at it, and he was an administrative nightmare and his mess is still being picked up 3 years later.

Hawks have mediocre to bad goalies and defense is even worse then last year since Campbell is gone, plus coaches run terrible defensive system.

The system looks like it might work, the problem is the communication, guys like Stalberg, Kane, Sharp, etc. have made consistently terrible decisions with the puck and somehow they think they have to make a big play every shift, and then they position to score instead of positioning to make up for a teammate's movement.    Other guys on the team do it, but a few of them have been mental disasters.   That's coaching too, but I don't think it's the system per se.

This team definitely needs some change,

Yes, but I don't think a trade will do enough.  They are too in love with their own offensive skill sets and are too unafraid of getting is a shootout imo.   They don't respect other teams.    Even after this streak, I still don't think they take opponents serious enough.  

Actually they are much improved over last year.

I agree they are much better.   They are better in all areas except blueline speed and general brain function.   The system is better and deeper, the cap is in a good position to be managed for the long term finally, and they have made moves to address most deficiencies in terms of missing skill sets.

I'm not worried about them missing the playoffs.    A couple more quick losses will eliminate them from a chance for the division title.   

It's aggravating but it's not the end of the year.   They have to get their heads adjusted, they don't need new faces or trades, I don't think they'll help out enough to fix the mistakes they're making.  

The Hawks aren't getting beat as much as they're beating themselves, that's much different than last year.    Less high risk passing in the middle 80 feet of the ice, and more putting the puck well into the other zone, and things will be better.   When the forwards acknowledge the position of their own defensemen, things will be better still.

It's going to be 3 more straight losses to get me to panic.

Well that's 2 more losses.   One more and I'm in panic mode.     Even Savard's 2008 team didn't have an 8 game losing streak or such a horrendous road losing streak.  

Anybody catch Foley's exasperation when he described Kane turning away from the puck in the offensive zone?

It's a good thing PHX isn't filled with playmakers, PHX would have lit them up for another 3.    Too much space and too many open passing lanes.   Frolik didn't high stick anybody though.

Yes and he also summed it up when be said. "Hawks have a 4 on 2 rush....ugh, you gotta do better than THAT". I have been on the ledge for 3 games now. This is not all on the players, the coaches need to take credit for this too. Who deserves more responsibility, coach Q or Kitchen?I have to say the latter.

Who deserves more responsibility, coach Q or Kitchen?

Both.   I'm putting Haviland in the group too.    I think the special team play is the biggest indictment on the coaching.   Tougher to blame them for everything else.    Quenneville or Bowman need to  can an assistant.    Market to inflated to make a big trade, only reasonable way to cause a lockerroom shakeup.  

Ginney, 
  A shot from just inside the blue line on a 4-2 pathetic.


Hockeybob,

 The only trade i see possible to shakeup the locker room is Kane, sick of hearing Kane knocked off the puck or watch him circling from beyond the dot on the power play. Has he ever takin a shot from beyond 15 feet out so other teams respect a shot and would they even respect it, he would probably try a backhander from the point.

 Not sure i would want to trade Sharp and Hossa's contract isn't going to make it easy. Toews is the only player that should be untouchable right now.  
       
  

I just don't see trading Patrick Kane, he's to young, he's a playmaker and he will get it back together. Will it be this year, well I hope so.


I personally think this team is in big trouble, hard to believe a month ago they we on top on the NHL in points. Bring back Jimmy Hayes for sure, maybe it's time for a players only meeting, someone needs to get this ship going in the right direction. The talent is there to win games in the playoffs, they have palyed some dominating games this year.


To back to the question at hand " Is it time toi panic "  Yes it is, although it doesn't mean the season is over be any means.

Teams are putting pressure on the Hawks by crowding the offensive zone blue line because they know the Hawks try to finess the puck through the neutral zone. Often times are getting into the offensive zone only to be met by q host of defenders, then to make matters worse, they take a wide open shot that is easily seen and gloved. For now, I would prefer to see more dump and chase, taking advantage of team speed, getting behind the net and setting up some plays with traffic in front of the net.....more centering plays with screens. Clog the crease and take more high % shots. It seems that this team has seen next to no rebounds and second or third chances. Where is the traffic in front of the net I ask ya? Beat the defensive wall at the blue line by dumping it in and use your speed and set something up in front....and try and stay off the boards against the more physical teams.

Hockeybob, 

 The only trade i see possible to shakeup the locker room is Kane, sick of hearing Kane knocked off the puck or watch him circling from beyond the dot on the power play. Has he ever takin a shot from beyond 15 feet out so other teams respect a shot and would they even respect it, he would probably try a backhander from the point.

I have a question.  If the Hawks are going to trade Patrick Kane, what are you looking to get for him?  And where are the Hawks willing to trade him?  We're talking about a 23 year old kid whe the last 2 seasons before this had 160 or so points in around 155 games, guys like him don't come around very often.  I'll admit I've asked the question as well ( maybe even to hockeybob) but after giving my head a shake realized you almost can't trade a kid like Kane. 

Rounders 19, Your right, trading Kane WOULD create a stir, and I respect yours and everyones opinion, but I just can't see trading Kane. He is a finess skater, puck handler and shooter who would thrive on a team that could put traffic in front of the net. Give him a small opening and a goalie screen, and let him shoot. The issue I see is that the role players (or lack there of) arent doing there job. No net presence!!

Redwing,

 i don't want Kane traded and i agree at his age with his skill set where do you trade him, was commenting on Hockeybob's remark to shake up the locker room. I guess i didn't clarify it but was trying too when i said i didn't want to trade Sharp and Hossa would be tough to move. The Hawks need to improve team D, so can't move Keith or Seabrook.  So if you take the 4 of them and Toews out of the picture that left only Kane as a guy that would be traded to really shake up the locker room.

 
 
   

I do however feel that no one on this team other then Toews should be untradeable. I'm sure Stan will make a few small tweaks, it's been brought up half a dozen times that we should bring back up J. Hayes to provide size and a spark.  I also would like to see Olsen stay around even if it's just 3rd pair minutes maybe coach Q could take a couple minutes away from Keith so he wouldn't have to play 30+ minutes. Olsen seems to have decent size and finished a few checks the last 2 nights and won some corner battles. 

Rounders19.  Ok, I getcha now !   You're right, hypothetically speaking if you're going to make a massive move it has to be Kane because as you pointed out it certainly can't be Toews, Keith or Seabrook.

The weird thing about the Hawks situation is there doesn't appear to be one thing you could point to as a reason for what's happened lately.  It's very rare for a team this good and this talented to go through a terrible slump like this, unless there is a good reason for it. For example if the Hawks had a ridiculous amount of injuries, it would make sense.  If we knew there were serious internal problems, it would make sense.   But as far as we know none of that exists.... which makes this really strange.

What I'm seeing with the Hawks is crazy.  Losing 8 in a row by a total of 35-15 for a team with this much talent makes little if any sense to me at all.  Giving up 3 goals or more in 8 consecutive games is absolutely nuts considering teams with zero talent compared to the Hawks don't do that.  Being outscored 16-6 since the embarassing game in Edmonton is even crazier because you'd think that game would have provided the Hawks the kick in the pants they needed to get moving and start playing some hockey. 

I think hockeybob made a great point though, making a trade right now isn't going to do much for the Hawks.  Actually from what I'm seeing it's going to do nothing, I might even suggest if a key player is traded it might even hurt the Hawks and make the team much worse since the players might feel management is giving up on them.  

Has the coach lost control of this team? Did the players, for some odd reason just suddenly stop responding to him?  I don't know.. I'm just asking the questions because even as the biggest NHL fan i know I have zero for answers.  

Redwings,

 I totally agree, this slump doesn't make since and your correct in saying that blowout in Edmonton should have given them the motivation. I see your point that a trade might be more destructive then good.  Coach Q has shuffled lines and benched players (Bickell, Stalberg, Montador) with little to no results. 

 So as an outsider is firing a coach like Kitchen, that others have suggested be enough or is that not enough.     

The 8-game skid is depressing. And perhaps unexceptable from a team that has shown that it can play much better.

Last season when the Hawks got beat it wasn't necessarily because they played worse than their opponent. It was usually because they'd face a hot goaltender who seemed to stop everything. With that in mind...

I feel the Hawks played their best game at the beginning of this road trip in Vancouver. They dominated that game. Unfortunately Corey Schneider played incredibly great. Nucks win. Since that game, their play has steadily gotten worse. Maybe they're trying to do too many things? Maybe it's a case of too many line adjustments that don't gel well during the game?

I guess my point is the Hawks (prior to this road trip) have played great and still lost. So maybe this is a simple case of: they are just playing bad. It happens to all NHL teams. Teams go through slumps. Did we get so used to winning that a poor stretch of games is now a time to panic?
I'm not trying to look at this with rose-coloured glasses. Crawford has look shell-shocked in more than just some games. Defense has had more turnovers than Pillsbury. But some of this play is consistent from last year's and the Cup year. The difference being that we've put the puck in the net to get the victory. Which is not happening lately.

I still feel that they'll right the ship. I hope.

This team lacks better coaching (defensive system is just terrible, constant rotations kill chemistry, PP & PK totally suck), they also need a better goalie and another quality defenseman, that's why they won't contend for Stanley Cup this season and beyond until they fix those things.

Don't get me wrong, they are and will still be solid low seed Playoffs team, but for title challenge they'll need to fix those issues.

 So as an outsider is firing a coach like Kitchen, that others have suggested be enough or is that not enough.     

In most cases I would suggest the coach have a meeting with key players leading the team to try and find out what's going on in the player's heads.  That being said there is a problem, I think this is where you wish your leaders were a lot older, guys like Toews, Kane, Keith and company are young guys that I doubt.  I could be wrong but I doubt firing any of the coaches is going to make anymore of a difference right now then a trade would. 

The answer is in that dressing room, the players have to figure it out..... and fast !!!   This would be simple to figure out if we knew for sure the coaches were hated or if the goalies were just disgusting.   You can fire a coach and/or trade for a goalie to fix your problems, if that's really what the problem is.   Right now you have star and even superstar forwards looking like mediocre to bad players and dmen that are giving up the puck a lot more then they should.  It's a team effort, or the lack of a team effort is where the problem lies....

It'll be interesting to see how the Hawks finish up this road trip.... right now though, it doesn't look good.