Quoting: exo2769
I'm not saying your wrong. Nor am I saying I'd hate for Bowman to go for it. I do think this team is better than they are playing. BUT, I do ultimately have a different opinion. Right now is their competition..
Just for the wild card. Sure BOS is a potential cup contender, but that's it. All the other teams right now are wild card bubble teams. If you can't make it into a playoff position in the next 9 days...the players did NOT do enough. It's on Kane's disappearance the last two games...when they needed him. It's on toew's disappearance when they needed him. I LOVE those guys as Hawks and I'm not saying trade them. I'm saying this team CAN'T cut it...because they've proven them can't cut it against wild card competition. Not even cup contender competition.
To simply tank is the wrong direction. They are a bubble club, but with goaltending they have had all season, their is potential to have post season success. I have said all season, fix the power play, and this team would be in the playoffs.
This team is what I call “an artificial rebuild”, a kind of work on the fly. The Hawks goaltending this season at time made a bad club respectable. If the goaltending wasn’t there, then the club would have been forced into accepting a “full blow rebuild”.
Considering how the team has played over the last month, to how poorly they played in November, trading UFA’s simply because you receive players and picks back doesn’t strengthen your team. To me that is the definition of a general manager: To make the team better. The fate of this club is in their own hands. However, if Chicago is still looking on the outside of a play off spot after the trading deadline, there all some things to consider: #1 In March, they have 4 road games. Yes, they haven’t played great at home, but I would try and win at win in March than on the road. #2 their last 4 game are against teams outside their division.
I have never once said this team is a cup contender, but in my opinion, this team isn’t that far from being competitive. At least, what I currently see. Three scoring lines, and much better defensively (compared to last years train wreck) Boston, was a good test to how evaluate this team. The Bruin’s speed (forecheck) created all kinds of problem for the Hawks in their zone. Passes were not sharp, puck support and management was not there. Colliton said the 3rd period was the Hawk’s best. I thought it was the 2nd. But in a tight game like that, the difference can be the power play. There have been too many 1 goal games where the difference could be Chicago scoring on the power play. You are going to win too many hockey’s when your power play ranks 28th. Imagine how many game could have been won if the team was middle of the road. Dallas is currently 15th, with 19.5%. Chicago is 15.2%.