Blackhawks fall to Kings

Awful 3rd period! Time to come home.

What a game, I honestly thought that they would have played alot better. To me it seemed like LA wanted the game alot more than the Hawks did. Sure they are at the end of a long road trip and did play the tough teams well. But comeon Huet has not won a game yet since taking over for Khabby. I was happy with Huet until the 3rd period. The Hawks defense was to blame for the first 2 goals. They did not clear the puck out of the zone and they paid for it.

I did not like the fact that Huet is giving up the rebound like he is. Top goalies cover the puck up and do not give up that many rebounds. Please Khabby come back soon.

I am happy with the overall results of the circus trip. They were able to win 3 games, and take one to OT. So they got 7 out of a possible 12 points. That is really not that bad. However they should have won tonight and that fustrates me. Especially when I see a goalie that we are going to have for a while and he is not winning games.

I think that Havlat needs to step up and put the puck in the net. Towes has scored recently but he too needs to score more goals. The overall devense needs to improve. Sopel what the heck is wrong with him. Personally I say trade him, Wiz is coming back soon so please trade Sopel.

Tim the kings when they were on the offensive in our end there was a guy at the front of the net providing a screen. They got at least 3 of thier goals because Huet was either screened or the Hawks were beaten to the puck, If the goalie makes the first save part of the defenders job is to clear the rebounds and it wasn't getting done.
When we were in their end we were firing a lot of long shots and their goalie could stop them all day long. He was getting better support from the Kings defenders they controlled what Olechuk and Foley were calling the soft area and we weren't.
This was a disappointing effort and the third period had to be one of the worst I saw them play all year. It seems almost every game lately we are taking a too many men on the ice penalty. That is just poor discipline and control at the bench, just shouldn't happen that much.
Dhoughty, Sthal and Odonnel playe a great game for the Kings. Has anybody seen Havlat lately? his vanishing act in the circus trip would make Houdini jealous.
Get back home and regroup. Still a lot of work to be done.

Paul, I know I saw the screen, remember that guy he wore a Hawks jersey for a few games, Handzus. The Defense was responsible for the first 2 goals, they should have cleared the puck. But with the top goalies in the league they don't let that many rebounds. Well we are on the same page with Havlat I said he needs to score more. What do you think about Sopel?

The guy doesn't impress me. They tried him at forward against the Ducks and that didn't work either. Sometimes he seems like he is lost out there. Idon't know if we tried to trade him what value we would get back. If we want to send him to the minors we have to put him on waivers and could lose him with no return. He would have to be part of a package to trade him.
On the bright side for next year we just had an exhibition series against the Russians and Beach played for us on the games in western Canada. He scored a goal in one of the 2 he played and looked real good. He may be ready for the show next year. The news about Aliu isn't as good. The guy really tees me off because he has size and talent but has the most rotten attitude.Aliu wasn't invited to play against the Russians. Beach will probably play at the world juniors but team Canada don't seem to want Aliu.

Anyone explain to me what Tallon and crew saw in Huet....he is a free agent bust.....not worth trading and certainly not worth the money...he must be laughing on the inside....he is pathetic.....and so are the Hawks if they stick with him.....trade him, ship him, or let him play back up to our third goalie...what a dreadful excuse for a goalie....

yea, easy to knock Huet for giving up rebounds, and Foley & Olzcyk certainly did, but the reason the kings scored on a couple of them was that the hawks D consistently allow forwards (not just vs LA) to gain position at the net and get in behind them, effectively leaving the goalie to not just to make the initial save, but also save any rebounds as well. you could have patrick roy in his prime and he would give up a lot more goals than he did with that kind of defense.

it would be good if huet was better at controlling rebounds, but the losses the past two games aren't on him imo, they are on the hawks defensive game (including forwards).
with khabi, they got away with poor coverage since he was playing well and didn't give out as many rebounds and when he did, he managed to somehow make some key 2nd saves, but that doesn't let the D off the hook for not doing what they are supposed to do.

Barker essentially let getzlaff score on a rebound yesterday - instead of taking the body after getzlaff got the first shot off, barker tried to stick check the puck off the guy and it ended up costing the hawks the game.

and with guys like keith & campbell, not exactly noted for their physical strength, it is even more important for them to gain position on opposing forwards, getting between the goalie and opposing forwards to give the goalie a chance to cover any rebounds before the opposing forward gets a free second and third shot.

one of the reasons why i think the hawks D is getting caught out of position is because the forwards aren't providing enough support down low - part of that is due to the forwards' inexperience and maybe a bit too much confidence in the D & goaltending.
the forwards need to come back deeper when the puck is loose & collapse deeper especially when the opposing team has possession.

a good veteran forward who is solid defensively (like a john madden) would be a big help as the hawks really don't have any forward who is strong in their own zone.
yea toews tries hard, but is still learning and defensive zone coverage isn't exactly the strong suit of guys like havlat, kane and even sharp.

if they want to compete & have a legit chance to beat tough defensive teams like sj, anaheim and yes LA, the hawks need to match those teams defensive games.
some other observations on the game - a lot of little things that add up like

1. byfuglien making a bad hard pass out of his own zone that missed his target by 15 feet even tho he wasn't being forechecked and ended up in an icing call, on which Q used his lone timeout - a complete waste of the timeout.

2. too many men on the ice penalties - the hawks must be near the top of the league in these - Q needs to start sitting the guys who are jumping out too soon and getting caught - it resulted in the 4th LA goal & put the game out of reach.

3. poor defensive clearing - brouwer had opportunities to clear the zone two separate times (different shifts) and failed twice - that not only causes the D to have to unecessarily work longer & harder to try to clear, but when your guys have already been on for 45 seconds and looking to change, it plays right into the hands of the opposing team. too often guys are not thinking or making good decisions quickly enough - if they want to truly win, they really need to be in the game - knowing whose on the ice & how long they've been out, especially in the 2nd period when the D have a long way to go to get to the bench, and not be afraid to make the safe, simple and above all SMART play.

similarly, there was a play (with the hawks up 2-1) where versteeg & his linemates were at or near the end of a shift - versteeg, instead of dumping it in deep to complete the change, decided to carry the puck into the LA zone on his own down the left side where 3 LA guys were waiting for him!!! fortunately he happened to keep possession long enough that allowed the other guys to change, but if he had turned it over, it could have been very costly.

obviously the hawks are a very young team, lacking experience and will make bad plays and hopefully they learn from them, but it is frustrating to see them have some basic fundamental breakdowns that end up costing them the game after they made a couple of great plays as they did on the two goals with seabrook's great heads up pass after penetrating to set up sharp's goal, and sharp moving back into the opening created after campbell penetrated to set up Kane's one timer.

as the team is structured now, the hawks are a pretty good bet to make the playoffs (tho they can't afford to rest on their laurels - as LA showed today, the west is very competitive).

even if they decide to keep khabi and havlat for the rest of the year to improve their chances, and let them walk at the end for nothing back, this team isn't a cup contender - they might win a round if they get the goaltending. the better option is to move both khabi & havlat & get something for them that can help both now & in the future.

i really think Tallon (i.e. Bowman & co) needs to make a couple of moves, using their surplus of prospects if necessary, to help the current roster and try to take the next step by adding a couple of proven, solid, smart veterans, namely a forward (like madden) and a dman (like a brendan witt), who have reasonable contracts and know how to play in their own zone and provide some much needed leadership and support for all their inexperienced young guys.

obviously they'll have to move a big contract to add guys like this. with khabi injured, i think the focus now has to be on moving havlat before he gets hurt and really ties their hands.

tallon blew it last year by not supporting a young team that showed promise of contending for a playoff spot before sopel & toews went down to injury. in fact, he moved a veteran Dman in vandermeer just before sopel got hurt, after saying he was looking to add one. not surprisingly, they quickly fell out of the playoff race.

if he doesn't act soon, he may undercut an even younger team's chances...

ps reports tonight out of Toronto suggest Tallon met with Sundin in LA yesterday - Sundin might help, but frankly, i'd rather have Madden at probably a lower cap hit and this guy actually knows what it takes to win not just one cup, but two...

Hawks should have went after Brian Burke - listening to his press conference today, i think the Leafs will be contending a lot sooner than many think...

Well this game leaves a bad taste. Glad the trip is over. Sharp and Kane seemed like the only forwards that had any jump. If Brouwer didn't hit the post when they were up 2-1 and made it 3-1 who knows what would've happened.Huet? Woo, i'm not going their. He is what he is. He looked good for two periods...

I don't think Sopel's worth much and with the way he's playing and his contract I don't know who would want him.

The Hawks defense, which has been their anchor in the first 1/4 of the season has let them down in the last half of the road trip. Keith's blunder against the Sharks in O.T.was costly, and the defense made too many mistakes in L.A.

As bad as he has played, you can't blame Huet for the loss to the Ducks.
Where was the ofence?

Q is beginning to look like Denis Savard with all the line juggling.
Earlier in the season he had set lines and it worked well.

Someone, namely Q needs to put his boot in the rear of Havlat and wake him up. He's doing nothing.

The Hawks will face the Ducks again when they return home. Let's hope for a better outcome.

According to Micah and ChicoHawk it isn't Huet's fault....it's the poor defense cleearing, out of position players, well boys as a goalie in the junior hockey league it is quite simple...you don't put rebounds out in front of you...you don't give 2nd and 3rd chances on one rush....you put the puck away and Huet is bad at protecting his net....he goes down too quickly, can't move back to his feet quickly, and loses sight of the puck after it bounces off of him...yes you can blame Huet....get rid of him and give Crawford a shot while our real #1 goalie is healing....This loss is on Huet as usual....

chico_hawk wrote:

obviously the hawks are a very young team, lacking experience and will make bad plays and hopefully they learn from them, but it is frustrating to see them have some basic fundamental breakdowns that end up costing them the game after they made a couple of great plays as they did on the two goals with seabrook's great heads up pass after penetrating to set up sharp's goal, and sharp moving back into the opening created after campbell penetrated to set up Kane's one timer.
as the team is structured now, the hawks are a pretty good bet to make the playoffs (tho they can't afford to rest on their laurels - as LA showed today, the west is very competitive).
even if they decide to keep khabi and havlat for the rest of the year to improve their chances, and let them walk at the end for nothing back, this team isn't a cup contender - they might win a round if they get the goaltending. the better option is to move both khabi & havlat & get something for them that can help both now & in the future.
i really think Tallon (i.e. Bowman & co) needs to make a couple of moves, using their surplus of prospects if necessary, to help the current roster and try to take the next step by adding a couple of proven, solid, smart veterans, namely a forward (like madden) and a dman (like a brendan witt), who have reasonable contracts and know how to play in their own zone and provide some much needed leadership and support for all their inexperienced young guys.
obviously they'll have to move a big contract to add guys like this. with khabi injured, i think the focus now has to be on moving havlat before he gets hurt and really ties their hands.
tallon blew it last year by not supporting a young team that showed promise of contending for a playoff spot before sopel & toews went down to injury. in fact, he moved a veteran Dman in vandermeer just before sopel got hurt, after saying he was looking to add one. not surprisingly, they quickly fell out of the playoff race.
if he doesn't act soon, he may undercut an even younger team's chances...
ps reports tonight out of Toronto suggest Tallon met with Sundin in LA yesterday - Sundin might help, but frankly, i'd rather have Madden at probably a lower cap hit and this guy actually knows what it takes to win not just one cup, but two...
Hawks should have went after Brian Burke - listening to his press conference today, i think the Leafs will be contending a lot sooner than many think...

Good analysis on both posts.Your call is about the same as how todays game looked to me. The delay of game penalties are way too frequent and are a bench discipline problem. Again too often Huet was left hanging after the initial save someone has to get the rebounds looked after and that is a D-man or bacck checking forwards job. We do have some good young talent but we need a solid vetern to help show them the way. Gary Roberts played that role well with the Pens last year.
What did you think of Doughty and Stahl? Doughty is a candidate for rookie of the year for sure. Hard to believe he is 18 and playing 23 minutes on D in the NHL.

Micah wrote:

The Hawks defense, which has been their anchor in the first 1/4 of the season has let them down in the last half of the road trip. Keith's blunder against the Sharks in O.T.was costly, and the defense made too many mistakes in L.A.
As bad as he has played, you can't blame Huet for the loss to the Ducks.
Where was the ofence?
Q is beginning to look like Denis Savard with all the line juggling.
Earlier in the season he had set lines and it worked well.
Someone, namely Q needs to put his boot in the rear of Havlat and wake him up. He's doing nothing.
The Hawks will face the Ducks again when they return home. Let's hope for a better outcome.

I lived in Ottawa and watched Havlat when he was there. The guy is inconsistent and he just disappears at times.He was especially invisible in the series the Sens played against the Leafs.Move him now for a solid veteran.

allchifan wrote:

According to Micah and ChicoHawk it isn't Huet's fault....it's the poor defense cleearing, out of position players, well boys as a goalie in the junior hockey league it is quite simple...you don't put rebounds out in front of you...you don't give 2nd and 3rd chances on one rush....you put the puck away and Huet is bad at protecting his net....he goes down too quickly, can't move back to his feet quickly, and loses sight of the puck after it bounces off of him...yes you can blame Huet....get rid of him and give Crawford a shot while our real #1 goalie is healing....This loss is on Huet as usual....

I'd agree with your take on Huets play. I'm not a fan of Huet's style but this loss was a team effort..Hey, those red pads sure look good.

The defense was at fault for the first 2 goals. No doubt about it, however Huet can not give up that many rebounds period. When you look at the top goalies in the NHL you will see that they do not give up alot of rebounds. Now saying that I still think that Nimi would be a much better goalie than Crawford.

For ChicoHawk saying that Keith is not physical, I disagree, maybe in this game but he is pretty physical. Campbell is offensive defensman and he can get physical when needed but that is not what the Hawks are paying him for. The other defensman need to get with the program. And why would you get called at this time for too many men on the ice. That is just stupid. Well it looks like Khabby might be back next week, great job daily herald.

paul wrote:

<quoted text>
Good analysis on both posts.Your call is about the same as how todays game looked to me. The delay of game penalties are way too frequent and are a bench discipline problem. Again too often Huet was left hanging after the initial save someone has to get the rebounds looked after and that is a D-man or bacck checking forwards job. We do have some good young talent but we need a solid vetern to help show them the way. Gary Roberts played that role well with the Pens last year.
What did you think of Doughty and Stahl? Doughty is a candidate for rookie of the year for sure. Hard to believe he is 18 and playing 23 minutes on D in the NHL.

Paul - good suggestion re: Gary Roberts - exactly the type of proven winning experience and veteran presence this team needs - he is a winger rather than a center, but would add a physical element that madden would not and he likely would be easier to land in a deal, being older and tampa appearing out of it.

the only question would be how many useful miles are left in the tank considering the way he has played the game.- i think he would be worth the gamble considering it probably wouldn't take much to acquire him.

Re: Doughty, the guy is a stud - hard to believe he is only 18. I was calling for Tallon to move up in the draft to snag a top Dman like him, and even after LA took him, I was hoping the hawks might be able to work out a deal with a 3rd overall Dman in barker...

Doughty is going to be a much younger & much cheaper version of bryan campbell

Re: Stahl, im not sure which one you are referring to, but i'd take any of the 3 - jordan might be the only one available considering he's behind crosby & malkin on the depth chart.

allchifan wrote:

According to Micah and ChicoHawk it isn't Huet's fault....it's the poor defense cleearing, out of position players, well boys as a goalie in the junior hockey league it is quite simple...you don't put rebounds out in front of you...you don't give 2nd and 3rd chances on one rush....you put the puck away and Huet is bad at protecting his net....he goes down too quickly, can't move back to his feet quickly, and loses sight of the puck after it bounces off of him...yes you can blame Huet....get rid of him and give Crawford a shot while our real #1 goalie is healing....This loss is on Huet as usual....

so you don't give out rebounds and you've simplified the game tremendously. i look forward to your impending appearance in the NHL. lol

i'm sure since you've mastered the position already in junior, you'll soon be facing the likes of Joe Thornton, Cheechoo, Getzlaff, Kopitar, being screened by 6'4" guys like Handzus,

and even tho you won't see some shots that simply hit you (hopefully because you are in proper position), you nevertheless won't give any rebounds in front...after all, it's real simple, you'll just cover up shots or deflect them into the corners...you're apparently just that good.

yea its good to keep things simple, except when you oversimplify something that isn't that simple.

the only thing you accomplish then is showing ignorance and a lack of understanding. good luck in your junior career - sounds like you'll need a lot of it if you have any aspirations to go further.

Tim - Hockey Rules wrote:

The defense was at fault for the first 2 goals. No doubt about it, however Huet can not give up that many rebounds period. When you look at the top goalies in the NHL you will see that they do not give up alot of rebounds. Now saying that I still think that Nimi would be a much better goalie than Crawford.
For ChicoHawk saying that Keith is not physical, I disagree, maybe in this game but he is pretty physical. Campbell is offensive defensman and he can get physical when needed but that is not what the Hawks are paying him for. The other defensman need to get with the program. And why would you get called at this time for too many men on the ice. That is just stupid. Well it looks like Khabby might be back next week, great job daily herald.

Re: Keith - is 6' and under 200 lbs - and very light on his skates, which is a good thing for him since that is why he can accelerate the way he does and have the stamina to play almost half the game every night, but it also means he doesn't have the bulk to be an effective physical Dman.

he has trouble moving/clearing bigger forwards physically from in front - he has to be in a very specific position relative to the forward to gain the physical leverage to do that and the game is just too quick to allow him the time to get into those positions fast enough.

if he tries to use his body, he'll either simply bounce off much bigger forwards or hurt himself (besides putting himself out of position)

so if he wants to be effective defensively he has to use finesse & his head (like lidstrom), not his body, to position himself properly in varying situations so that he can use his mobility & quickness to defend.

Gary Roberts isn't even playing in TB and is hurt right now and when he has been in the lineup he's taken some bad penalties. I don't argue that the Hawks couldn't use a vet such as a Roberts but at this point he's spent plus he's making 1.5...I'm not knocking anyone that has brought up Roberts name...Shanahan would be a better fit but with the cap and the fact that he doesn't seem to be able to find a team that he wants to play with probably knocks him out of any Hawk Scenario...Any thoughts?