Red Wings Dominate Blackhawks In Detroit
The Blackhawks entered Friday night’s game in Detroit having enjoyed a lot of recent regular season success against their rivals. But with Pavel Datsyuk back in the lineup, the Red Wings dominated a hapless Hawks team.
Giveaways by Kris Versteeg, Patrick Kane and David Rundblad all ended up in the back of the net. Versteeg’s led to him spending the final 13 minutes of the first period on the bench. The goals following the Kane and Rundblad turnovers came 70 seconds apart in the second period as the Wings put the game away.
Brendan Smith added an empty net tally in the third to close the books on the night.
Corey Crawford was one of the few bright spots for Chicago on the night. This game could have easily seen the Wings score five or six, but Crawford continued his strong play. Chicago’s netminder stopped 33 of 36 but took the loss. He did serve up a big rebound to Tomas Tatar that led to Detroit’s third goal, but was good the rest of the night.
Trevor vanRiemsdyk spent most of the night with Duncan Keith and looked good once again. The rookie skated 21:04 and was credited with three shots on net and one blocked shot in the game. Keith led the Hawks with 27:35 in the game, and Johnny Oduya (20:28) was the only other Hawks defenseman over 20 minutes in the game.
Up front, coach Joel Quenneville threw his lines in a blender throughout the third period to absolutely no success. Marian Hossa was limited to 16:11, skating only three shifts in the third period.
Kane scored the Hawks’ only goal, a power play marker in the first period. Chicago’s penalty kill was perfect against three Detroit power plays, and the Hawks were 1-4 on their own power play.
The Hawks return home to host a struggling Dallas Stars team on Sunday night. Chicago still hasn’t won three games in a row this season, but will look to get back on track at the United Center.
Good news- Hawks look like they found a cheap -TvR – top 4 (perhaps top 2) D man…
they are going to need it moving forward… Cuz they NEED some changes and some help Cap wise… Bring Up Pokka and Johns/Dahlbeck… and the dumping of some of 27,32,7,29 and??? will allow the Hawks to buy some forwards who can skate (29), have net presence (bigger than 65 (who has to lead the league in PP penalties!!!)), and won’t turnover the puck every other game (23)!!!
I thought Richards and Morin looked ok.
Gonna be a long year boys!!!
Kane- Another bad TO leading to Another Goal!!!
— it was ONE game. Obviously, not a good one. The Hawks were outworked/outplayed about 90% of the time…in addition to the three deciding turnovers.
I wouldn’t, and I would bet Stan Bowman doesn’t start “the dumping of some…”. I hope they’re ready to play Sunday.
Go Hawks!!
17 games in and it seems like the rest of the league has figured out how to play the hawks. Since the only real hammer that q has is ice time, every guy out there ,with the exception of rundblad knows he is playing sunday.
I think Stan needs to really focus on the upcoming road and if this “group” ,as they love to say in hockey, does not string several wins together, needs to be shaken up through a trade that sends shock waves through the much talked about and beloved “core”
— the Hawks aren’t running away with it in the NHL Central Division, but, as lackluster and disappointing as the season has been (so far), they are still ONLY four points out of first/behind the Blues…(and, ONLY six point behind Anaheim, the Western Conference leader).
Maybe “a trade that sends shock waves through the much talked about and beloved ‘core'” will be necessary (- be the “right move”) at some point, but maybe it’s a little early to over-react…?
When people start saying things like, …getting scared for a long road trip. That is when we are going to turn the corner and not look back.
20-19-81
23-91-88
29-12-65
28-16-13
The more talented team beaten by superior coaching.
That game had nothing to do with coaching. It had everything to do with Blackhawks best players not showing up and bad turnovers.
The loss may have been caused by 3 turnovers but we were beaten because Babcock got more out of his players than Q did. The Hawks were outplayed, out shot and out chanced even without the turnovers. The Hawks generated one PP goal against a team that beat us on the boards and in the neutral zone. Q was unable to adjust or motivate his team to play a better game. Sorry, at least last night, he was simply out coached.
So Mike, by that Logic, did Q out coach Babcock the half dozen times we beat the Wings????? Smh……
Very disappointing game. Perhaps the worst effort of the year. I agree wall, 29, 32 and 27 are just not cutting it. 27 is the most troubling. I did not expect anything out of 29 or 32 this season but 27 has turned into a turnover machine who can’t even skate anymore. But don’t worry folks, Carcillo is on the way. He couldn’t finish and score if he had a breakaway with an open net. Note to genius Q- how about stopping the blender action for 10 games and see what happens. Blending lines sure is not going to help an inconsistent team. Time to bring up some fresh, young and hungry talent from Rockford. Danault, Mcneil, Dahlbeck and TT.
1961– spot on w/ 27… he is not skating well, losing edges, AND TO’s…
Only hope is he starts to play much better- and Hawks can dump him to a PO contender near deadline- otherwise- He will fetch nothing on the Market and take up a
spot for Dbeck or Pokka…
imo- Pokka is now the #1 D man on the Farm
General thought- Teams really seem to be doing LESS forechecking/pressuring AND just sitting in the lanes- waiting for the Hawks to get frustrated and Make passes/plays they shouldn’t.
Once again I do not understand “Q” logic. Versteeg has a turnover and is benched, Kane has a bad turnover and gets more ice time. The double standard needs to stop.
Big Al,
I agree with Mike. The players seem to be tuning out Q, so yes he did get out coached and did not get enough out of his players…again
Babcock had a few day to prepare for the Hawks, and YES he is much better at getting “The Most” out of his players in the NHL or Olympics and a little better at strategy and can adjust the style of play without this “lame and knee jerk” shuffle the lines. Hawks problem is singular, they take too long to get out of their own zone. Leddy was the only d-man who could come out with SPEED, not gain speed but be at his top speed and out. Hawks continue to look for the “stretch pass” which means d-men look up, around, pause, think, look and pass. Not Good, Babcock just too the center ice away period! Wings also do a great job of going north “up ice” straight up” and with 3 men side by side and they ALL GO TO THE NET a carbon copy of KINGS offense. Simple, Straight away, 3 guys, all to the net shoot, rebound and pressure, nothing fancy. Cory did play well and TVR is still holding his own. Hawks do NOT have players (except Kane) who can be put in the BLENDER of LINES and Produce, maybe Sharp. But literally everyone else needs, support, chemistry and balanced speed. Hossa as great as he is, scoring will disappear if he’s not on a high skill line. Anyway Hawks will be average all year, lack of speed out of our zone and lack of true size on our D-men will haunt us, BUT they can easily be playing their best hockey in JUNE when it really matters. I have said for 6 year now this Hawk Team needs to play almost perfect to win, the need a lot out of everyone to win, if not you get the Wings Game.
waitforthewhistle says: What I have been saying this for 5 years, put Kane or Towes on the 4th line, that sends a message! Stop dorking around with Versteeeeg and Shaw who will always be mid-tier players on the 4th line, this is why Babcock is Babcock and Q is well . . . Q. Towes to me with this “bloated contract” can be now be seen as over rated, he’s the best defensively but he is no Ryan Kessler IMO. Forget the raw numbers Toews gets a lot of ice time on the top line on every power play, He’s gotta step up Physically, get in front of the net more and play harder in the corners and more consistent. We are no relying on our D-men to generate offense which is the always in the NHL (see the stats) of a long term decline in a NHL Franchise. Too many mid-tier players on Hawks that Fans expect perfection from, ain’t gonna happen and they are not built for that, Shaw, Smith,Kruger, Morin (potential) Richards, Carcillo, Versteeg all provide limited production and will make mistake but they should never be thrown under the bus like Q does. . But we do have STARS that can play and step up . . .
I wonder if some of you grasp the salary cap with these constant calls for bringing guys up. I know one poster here doesn’t … sure let’s bring up Danault, McNeill, TT, and Dahlbeck all at once. Yeah right, THAT will help an inconsistent team, bringing guys up and doing who-knows-what with the guys already here every single time you’re frustrated with a loss.
Wall … Pokka isn’t ready yet. You saw him in one game, judgments off one game are scary and almost always inaccurate.
Turnovers lost that game. Coaches don’t play, players do. If this team has so much vaunted leadership, they need to start showing it. Starts with Dallas tomorrow.
I think some of us want the youth to come up and ship some age out.
Leddy: was chosen to be traded over Oduya. SB made a mistake I think. Unless Oduya gets traded at deadline we get nothing for him. Leddy is an RFA after this season. This is not hindsight. I am not saying Leddy is better than Oduya. But I think it was a tactical error by SB. In the end the team is older and slower.
Rosy: Keeping him was a mistake given his salary, age and play. So what if we got a 7th rounder for him. There is someone in Rockford that could play at Rosy’s level. Again in the end the team is older and slower.
Richards: I hope and even think he will come around and will help the 3d and 4th line. But as a 3d or 4th liner, I think someone in Rockford could have fit into the 3d or 4th line. In the end the team is older and slower.
Carcillo: If he plays and Morin sits, the team is older and slower.
The “core” has enough veterans and age to work with younger guys. We don’t really need the guys listed above. This league belongs to the young and fast. Last night was a perfect example.
^^ Ship some age out … to who, for what, and will the other teams ask the Blackhawks to pick up some salary? They can’t right now. Ship out some age when? Now, according to some posts? Not a lot of trading activity going on in the NHL now. It’s not even the quarter pole of the season. Or should they just put guys on waivers and try to dump them? They’d have to eat salary and can’t do that right now.
I am not a huge Carcillo fan but the team can use a guy like him. Brings energy.
Roszival is depth, nothing more. They may need a guy like him later in the year instead of having to rely on a rookie (which they may have to anyway because guys get hurt). Leddy/Oduya, that has been beaten to death. They got a young d-man in the deal who could, in time, be better than either of them. Some of you want to call that guy up right now (Pokka).
I think this is their team for now, barring injury.
Yes Mike, SB made a big mistake on the Leddy deal. He trades a fast 23 year old with upside potential for a 32 year old that is at the end of his career. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the cap. Many of us on this site want the Hawks to get younger and faster to keep up with the competition. Mediocrity does not win cups. 29, 32, 27, 13 and 12 are mediocre. Start moving some dead weight and bring up some of the hungry youngsters.
I meant to say SB trades a 23 year old and keeps the 32 year old.
Hof… didn’t say Pokka is ready now… imo- he is the #1 D, now!!! You are right- I have only seen him once… But — I have seen Cden a few times… and NOT impressed with his D and skating… So my statement is more – forward looking- then
bring Pokka up now…BUT if Hawks continue to be average… I can hope for a scenario that the Best D prospect gets a chance ( ASSUMING we can move a D man near dead line…which is a BIG assumption- but u never know w/ possible injuries around the league)
I don’t know how long you have been following this site… But – I will “toot my own horn” here and add– I was the first guy on this site stating that Saad, Shaw should be brought up (way before they were)… 1st guy to say that Nordstrom would make the team out of camp (last year)… 1st guy here to suggest that TvR looked better than ALL of the Hogs… said- Pirri couldn’t skate (so not in Hawks future-long term)…
I like to think I have a decent/OBJECTIVE eye for talent…
Hof, yes those decisions were made over the summer. My point is that there is a huge youth movement in the NHL. SB chose to go against that grain by keeping 27 and 32 and by letting Leddy go and by picking up 13 and 91. The result is a wonderfully terrific team with some big holes. Many of us think those holes should be filled by younger, faster and hungrier players. Even if the results are the same in the present.
^ Start moving the dead weight … to who? For what? When? Now? They should just dump their depth players in November? Not smart.
Look at the young guys who played well for the Red Wings last night. Without looking I’d venture to say many of them had ample development time in Grand Rapids. Detroit has long been known as a good franchise for player development, they don’t rush guys which again is what you want to do.
If they brought those young guys up now, well first of all they can’t due to salary cap, but if they did it’d take two games before the complaints started about those guys … because they’re not ready yet and they’d make mistakes. The grass is always greener, whatever the team doesn’t have, or did have, is apparently what they should have.
You’ll see plenty of those young guys next year, or even this year in the event of injuries.
As for Bickell … I don’t think anyone would take him right now without asking Chicago to pick up salary. He has to get his motivation from within, or from his peers, or the coaching staff needs to sit him a game or two.
They are going to be patient with this team for now I am very confident. They may use the ice time hammer but they are not going to overreact by calling up 4 guys because they’re frustrated about a few games. But, carry on.
Mike, the reason they got Pokka and the goaltender from NYI is because they were willing to trade Leddy. They always have to keep their eye on the horizon. It was a chance to get a good young D prospect and allow them to keep their top 4 D-man rotation intact. Oduya will likely have to go elsewhere after this year but they are playing to win this year as well they should. Don’t forget Oduya was playing with a sore leg last night too. Not an excuse for him, but reality. I am not so quick to dismiss TJ Brennan either, Islanders didn’t want to keep him due to $$ for him playing in the AHL. He’s playing pretty well in Rockford too.
Brad Richards, the jury is still out whether that was a good move or not but he has been playing somewhat better. It is November, we’ll see. They’re not even at the 1/4 pole yet.
@ Wall … ok so you are looking longer term for Pokka … ok I understand. Your posts were implying bring him up NOW.
At some point soon he may well be the #1 D prospect though. I think in time he will be a pretty good NHL player.
I do expect at some point in the not too distant future the Blackhawks will move one of their young D prospects for another team’s prospect or minor league player they like. Remember they added significantly to their minor pro staff this summer (4 guys, all former NHL ers as I recall). MacIsaac said maybe they can’t spend more for NHL salaries due to the cap but they can spend more on scouting, there’s no salary cap on scouting staffs. The rationale was they wanted better and more up to date info on guys in other teams systems, pro or amateur and it makes sense.
The Leddy trade and Q’s stubbornness have been killers and have sealed the Hawks fate at least in the short term. The Hawks possession numbers have slipped from #1 two years ago (when Leddy was in the 2nd pair most of the year) to #4 last year to #14 this year. (in contrast the Islanders have have moved up to a top ten possession team this year after years of being in the bottom half)
Q has lost this team – just look at the veterans faces during games. There have been more than a few remarks from the vets that changing lines constantly does nothing to promote team chemistry. Add in the bizarre benchings and you get a coach who is way too full of himself. Coaches get stale just like everybody else
These are all signs of bad management. Time to shake things up not double down.
You may be on to something Hawkfacts. Perhaps Q is losing the team. Perhaps the players are starting to see the problems with Q’s coaching that have been discussed on this blog.
1961 … read the 11:11 am response which was directed to you, maybe you will begin to understand things. Players are the ones who play and determine the results. It wasn’t Q’s coaching that caused Versteeg to make that bonehead play.
People who continually blame coaches and managers and always insist the grass is greener really don’t understand the big picture. Yeah let’s call up 4 players from Rockford, that’ll help with consistency. LOL.
I don’t know if you can/should blame Q… In Hindsight… SB signed 29, SB could have kept 67 for at least 1 more yr. (which -imo- would have put Hawks over Kings last year)…
Hawks are built to play/quick skate/pass… when other teams sit in the Neutral zone and take away passing lanes ( no longer hitting Hawks w/ Hard fore check- and allowing for break-outs when Hawks break/beat the fore check)… Hawks aren’t built for the dump and chase and win board battle/net battle… So I don’t know how u pin that on Q… now he can change strategy and tell them to dump and chase… (when they want to run-n-gun)… at best chip n chase will lead to (the ring around the rosey- 5 on 5 half-court game… which will lead to Perimeter shooting and the low goal scoring that we have been seeing ALL year… once again, imo- players (23,88) know they are making risky passes… but are frustrated – (no breakouts/and don’t want to play dump and chase) so are willing to make those plays- to create skating room.
I don’t believe I blamed Q for Versteeg’s bad play. However, I do blame Q for the following –
1. Line management- Blender mentality leading to lack of continuity.
2. Personnel decisions- Not fielding his best players.
3. Unequal treatment of players- Some players get the pine (especially younger players) and some get a pat on the head for continually making the same mistakes.
4. Understanding players strengths and weaknesses. Why is 65 still a center? Why does 32 keep trotting out there when many other options are available? Why was 26 chained to 88 last year? Why did Bolig ever play?
5. Stubborness/Arrogance- Inability to make obvious needed changes. Everybody knew 26 was not working with 88 but it took Q until the 5th game of the conference finals to figure it out.
6. Resistance to youth movement. He would rather play a tired slow veteran than give a young guy a chance.
Coaches as well as players decline. Q has most definitely declined.
Let me amend point #4. I believe Q understands player strengths and weaknesses. His problem is the inability to admit he made a mistake and to then to remedy the mistake.
Our biggest problem this year, so far, is our inability to protect the puck. We try to make passes / plays that are high risk and we turn the puck over and it ends up in our net.
This problem has nothing to do with Q, nothing to do with lack of a physical presence or toughness. This problem is solved by the Hawk players being / playing smarter hockey.
Period.
Nick Leddy was a great teammate and did everything asked of him in Chicago, however if you happened to watch the playoffs the last few years he struggled big time in tough physical games so let’s stop acting like we let Bobby Orr go. His future potential is what allowed us to get a top prospect in return and I wish him the best with the Islanders. Also, folks need to truly understand the challenges the Hawks have with the salary cap both this year and in the future. With the new deals for 19 and 88 kicking in next year and the possibility that the cap doesn’t go up there will have to be major changes. Clearly 27 and 91 are gone and if there is any chance to move 23 and/or 29 I’m guessing they will be gone as well. In an effort to make another cup run SB took a shot at bringing in 91 and betting that 27 would continue to perform at a high level. The jury is out on these decisions but they are single year bets only. I agree with Hofmeister that this is the team we have and significant changes are unlikely. Regarding Q, he’s a hall of fame coach and I’m going to give him the support he deserves. That being said I don’t understand how changing lines every 5 minutes helps the situation. A few solid wins will go a long way right now and the circus trip has been pretty successful in recent years so hopefully things will turn around on the trip.
Yes the players must execute. But if coaching didn’t matter, what’s the difference. What does coaching do? It promotes order, makes players who might not be so smart to look smart by beating awareness and discipline into them. It creates a system of control. The Wings looked controlled and disciplined last night. The Hawks looked chaotic and out of sorts. If you blame that on the “blender” then the coach has not done his job.
I love Q and what he has done for this team and the city of Chicago. But old habits die hard. All the rule changes of the past 10 years has nudged the league into a skating game rather than the clutch and grab game of the past. Q is being slow to recognize that.
jezzus . . . Hawks won two cups but certainly did not dominate anyone at anytime. Last year while in every game they where near extinction every single game. This team must play “all out” and the mid-tier players got to play over their heads to keep a game close. Q is over rated. Just look at poor Marcus Kruger what he has to do and play at a higher level than is really in his skill set, he’ll be gone with a concussion soon. Hawks have the talent but gotta play faster and smarter . . . that love affair with the stretch pass is killing them and Q not providing goals for each play is obvious. Still a very good team, no one else is really dominating.
Well the last Cup they won there was a lot of domination. The team in 2010 was just sick as hell. Short season really helped them IMO.
Babcock is a better coach in the sense that he can get a lot out of not so much and seems to get a lot out of decent prospects. Being able to maximize young talent is very important. That was a big part of the success LA had last year as well (youth thing). Daytoit still has some pretty big holes in their D corps and bottom lines. Compared to Tampa Bay or the Islanders or even Pittsburgh I think they are a step back talent wise.
Kane is all kind of yikes. I mean seriously. What the hell. And for how good Toews is, I think that it is a big problem not having a secondary scoring threat. Even with how exceptional he is (which I do think he is even with previous statements) I think that the weight on his shoulders is a bit much right now. A secondary threat is really necessary.
I don’t mind playing Richards 12 minutes per game now if that means he can skate 18 in the playoffs. He offers a really good change of pace option and if they would prioritize his ozone starts I think he can do some damage with the right players flanking him.
They got bossed pretty good. Not quite at the 20-30 game mark so no cliff jumping yet. Just some lackadaisical efforts that have been uncommon. Oh well. Onward and upward as it were.
re: Mike the Mook’s “Hawks won two cups but certainly did not dominate anyone at anytime.”
Apparently not losing a game in regulation until AFTER POSTSEASON INVOICES WENT OUT during the lockout season never happened… smh
many of the season opening win-streak games were pretty close. I seem to recall a lot of 1 goal games and game we stole from Calgary along the way…
8 of the first 24 games in 2013 had the Hawks winning by at least 2 goals… sure there were a few nail biters, but to exaggerate that the entire win streak was a fluke is laughably stupid. That team was dominant
to Tab’s point when 2010/2013 teams got down 2 goals… ya felt like they were still in it (like the Kings last year)… now they get down 2 goals… It is pretty much over!!! You can see it it their faces/body language!!!
Wall I’ll agree with you regarding the lads not looking as interested as they should as often as they should. Part may be frustration or could be general malaise in the locker room. Except for Keith, Crawford and Hammer. They seem to have been dialed in for about all of the year. And TVR is looking sharp but its not suck or go home so I’d imagine that being helpful in keeping him in line.
Did anyone listen to the Pat Foley interview on the Kap and Haugh show on “the Game”, last week?
Now Foley is a guy who is “in tune” with the Hawks and knows the game of hockey. He also gets to talk, first hand, to coaches, players and executives in the Hawk organization about the team. He used words like, “bored”, “disinterested” and “lackadasakle” when describing this team. The reason he used those words was because he said that this team realizes that winning the presidents trophy means nothing and that this team knows when and how to turn on the power. Foley and this team know that there are 3 more levels that this team needs to get to in order to be ready for the playoffs. I agree 100% with Pat Foley, but………
1. This team needs to stop the turnovers.
2. Q needs to be more consistent with his personnel and his lines.
3. The players need to start playing a more consistent game.
4. The big names need to start playing the big games.
5. This team needs to stop playing down to their opponents level.
Before we know it, it will be March and we’ll be 33-29-8 and be out of a playoff spot.
My biggest fear is that these players know what is going on and they can’t stop the snowball coming down the hill. Let’s get this fixed tonight at the U.C.!!
Of course that win streak was not a fluke at all, tab. I was just pointing out that it wasn’t all slamming the other teams into oblivion (most of them were 1 goal games). Even then, consistently winning 1 goal games isn’t easy to do and says a lot about the team’s overall strength, talent and dominance of the league if not individual opponents. I reckon the difference in 2010, 2013 and even 2013-14 from what we’ve seen so far this season is that the Hawks won games they didn’t ‘deserve’ necessarily to win. This year, with an admittedly small sample size, it just isn’t happening. Example – that Calgary game in 2013 should have been a blowout except for Emery’s good work. This year that doesn’t happen and the Hawks are losing a lot of those 1 goal games.
Without stringing a few wins together, being 17th in the league for the first time in a long time has got many fans a bit jittery. We all want change to illustrate that something was tweaked so the Hawks can go back to being a ‘contender’ again. One hopes SB and JQ have a lot better idea of the precise limitations between cap, farm, roster and schedule that factor into strategy and tactics around personnel decisions and best-possible on-ice systems of play.