Blackhawks Are Back!!

[LDF]

That's the one thing about hockey "fans" that I dont understand.  They act like hitting means youre going to win.  And hitting is going to make your team better. It's a shame that these fans think that hitting is such a big part of the game.  Its a method to steal the puck, not kill someone.  So if the team isnt as physical but still gets the job done, I'm ok with that.  Saying not hitting enough is a reason for losing is horrible.  The game was lost on bad defensive decisions and too many penalties, and poor goaltending.

 

hitting is use to make the other team look over their shoulder, if they are constantly doing that then you disrupt the flow of their game and game plan. thereby giving you an edge.

 

in the 60's and 70's. esp with bobby hull, player was always looking to see or keep a presence on where he was. which lead them not playing their own game.

 

that is the reason with a hard hitting game and i mean a clean hard hitting game.

 

this also lead to the late 70's season, when teams would be hurting after playing the hawks.

[GoodAsGould]

I might watch if they showed the games on TV but since they dont its pretty hard for me to get into them.

[Pauly8509CWS]

hitting is use to make the other team look over their shoulder, if they are constantly doing that then you disrupt the flow of their game and game plan. thereby giving you an edge.

 

in the 60's and 70's. esp with bobby hull, player was always looking to see or keep a presence on where he was. which lead them not playing their own game.

 

To the first paragraph, have you played competitive hockey?

 

To the second, I wasnt alive back then, but I'm pretty sure they wanted to know where Hull was because he could score. Yeah, he hit people, and made them think twice about carrying the puck, but I think most of the time teams were aware of his offensive presence.

[SnB]

I might watch if they showed the games on TV but since they dont its pretty hard for me to get into them.

^

and there's a hella lot more of us out there.

[WHarris1]

I might watch if they showed the games on TV but since they dont its pretty hard for me to get into them.

Agree 100%

[LDF]

To the first paragraph, have you played competitive hockey?

 

To the second, I wasnt alive back then, but I'm pretty sure they wanted to know where Hull was because he could score.  Yeah, he hit people, and made them think twice about carrying the puck, but I think most of the time teams were aware of his offensive presence.

 

yes i played hockey.

 

with ref to where hull was, he was such a punishing hitter that players didn't want to get hit that hard blindly. so you look over your shoulder. that goes to reason on why you don't like to draft small for a d-man and go for someone who can clean the front of the net and make them aware.

 

i remember a another story where phil espostito (sp) hated as most other players hated camping in front of tony, it was b/c tony would whack the s*** out of there shins if they got too close. again making the players become more aware and not concerating on their game.

[kapkomet]

Some of the arguments on this thread are funny, playing competetive hockey or rec league hockey or whatever.

 

I'd suggest some of you spout things only if you know what you're talking about.

 

However, some of you are very astute with your observations.

 

Interesting thread, indeed.

[LDF]

Some of the arguments on this thread are funny, playing competetive hockey or rec league hockey or whatever.

 

I'd suggest some of you spout things only if you know what you're talking about.

 

However, some of you are very astute with your observations.

 

Interesting thread, indeed.

 

would you care to explain.

[kapkomet]

Nah, I'd like to be cryptic here. As the season goes along, you'll understand, as long as the same posters are involved in conversation.

 

[LDF]

let me change the subject here about the hawks.

 

i am so what knowledgeable and i am not living in chi. so i am only listening to friends.

 

some has said that rene borque (sp) looks a lot like a young steve larmer when he was a rookie. nothing flashy but at the end of the day, he got points.

 

what is your take

[Pauly8509CWS]

I guess my competitive was mistaken. Organized I guess would have been a better term to use. My point is punishing hits and such don't affect the game as much as Hawk fans believe. Big hits, meh, give me the stick check and a quick pass and I'm a happy camper. You dont need to knock people on their ass all the time. Yeah, drafting big defensemen works sometimes, but you dont always need size to clear out the front of the net. Positioning is a big part of it.

[LDF]

I guess my competitive was mistaken.  Organized I guess would have been a better term to use.  My point is punishing hits and such don't affect the game as much as Hawk fans believe.  Big hits, meh, give me the stick check and a quick pass and I'm a happy camper.  You dont need to knock people on their ass all the time.  Yeah, drafting big defensemen works sometimes, but you dont always need size to clear out the front of the net.  Positioning is a big part of it.

 

 

there are some russian and finesse players when hit and i mean by a clean hard hit, will disappear for the game. so you are telling me that will not affect a game plan or team are not looking to take them out of the game plan.

 

i am saying and so are some of these posters, good clean hits is part of the hawks game plan, and if they are not doing it, then they are failing.

 

with ref to the d-man, yeah i can see a 5'0 - 6'0 ft d-man trying clearing the net if a mark messier or a mario lemeuix camp there.

 

a skilled d-man will always know what to do,

[Heads22]

I slip on ice.

[The Critic]

I might watch if they showed the games on TV but since they dont its pretty hard for me to get into them.

This is their biggest organizational flaw IMO.

Even really bad teams generally play better at home than on the road.

If all you're showing are the road games, you're going to show more losses than wins, plus the crowd is cheering against "your" team. This plants a seed in the viewer that the Hawks aren't very good, since they lose whenever you see them.

How did the Cubs become the "sweethearts" they are? By showing afternoon home games on TV, thereby indoctrinating an entire generation of kids as Cub fans.

The White Sox lost a lot of fans when they pulled their games off broadcast TV and put them on ONTV and then SportsVision. The Sox are now aiming a lot of attention at kids in an effort to build long-term Sox fans, and I think they're doing it well.

The Bulls had a decade-long sellout streak while showing every home game on TV.

Television is a valuable marketing tool when used correctly, and the Hawks' stubbornness towards "protecting the season reservationists" is going to backfire when those reservationists die off and there's no one interested enough to pick up the available tickets.

[IlliniKrush]

I guess my competitive was mistaken.  Organized I guess would have been a better term to use.  My point is punishing hits and such don't affect the game as much as Hawk fans believe.  Big hits, meh, give me the stick check and a quick pass and I'm a happy camper.  You dont need to knock people on their ass all the time.  Yeah, drafting big defensemen works sometimes, but you dont always need size to clear out the front of the net.  Positioning is a big part of it.

Yeah, big hits aren't the huge key. Playing physical overall is key...more so being able to play physical when it is called upon, i.e. playing the body in a certain situation is better than playing the puck, etc. It's knowing HOW and when to play physical is the thing. It's something the Hawks might struggle with all year.

 

Big hitting as imtimidation works up through the high school level, from my experience.

 

Edit: For credibility sake, if necessary...i played travel hockey for 9 years, varsity hockey for 3, and now play (and coach) college roller hockey.

Edited October 10, 2005 by IlliniKrush

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Television is a valuable marketing tool when used correctly, and the Hawks' stubbornness towards "protecting the season reservationists" is going to backfire when those reservationists die off and there's no one interested enough to pick up the available tickets.

 

 

You mean there are still people dumb enough to hand Dollar Bill that much money for season tickets?! Holy WASTE OF MONEY Batman!!!!!!!!!!

[Pauly8509CWS]

Yeah, big hits aren't the huge key. Playing physical overall is key...more so being able to play physical when it is called upon, i.e. playing the body in a certain situation is better than playing the puck, etc.  It's knowing HOW and when to play physical is the thing. It's something the Hawks might struggle with all year.

 

Big hitting as imtimidation works up through the high school level, from my experience.

 

 

That's put alot better than I did. Thank you.

 

Do you ever go to the U of I hockey games? Theyre just a club team but it was pretty exciting. The fans are brutal.

[IlliniKrush]

Yeah, i go to some of the games, and i've played with some of the guys at rat hockey and IMs.

 

They actually won the national championship last year at their level. They are very good, but most of the teams they play (at home that is) are brutal.

 

The fans, some of them belonging to a group called "the harrassing illini", are indeed brutal. However, none of them know anything about hockey, so they are really annoying.

[Jake]

A teacher at my school I've been told is in the U of I sports hall of fame for hockey. Ed Lipinski if you're interested in looking.

[Pauly8509CWS]

Yeah, i go to some of the games, and i've played with some of the guys at rat hockey and IMs.

 

They actually won the national championship last year at their level. They are very good, but most of the teams they play (at home that is) are brutal.

 

The fans, some of them belonging to a group called "the harrassing illini", are indeed brutal. However, none of them know anything about hockey, so they are really annoying.

 

Lindenwood was horrible. The Illini took the lead and just owned them in the second and late in the third there were three fights going on simultaneously. It was crazy. The harrassing Illini may not know much, but theyre worth a few laughs IMO. Especially the, "It's all your fault" chant at the goalie. How good are the players, because U of I is one of my college choices and playing hockey would be a huge plus.

[IlliniKrush]

I was unaware they played Lindenwood this weekend. Funny that they are brutal, though, because their roller hockey team is one of, if not the, best team in the nation. They are flat-out nasty. It's easily a roller hockey school before it's an ice hockey school it appears

 

There are some damn solid hockey players on that team, and from what i can tell it's a good program. The coach is pretty solid as well. They've been going to nationals the past few years.

 

Also doesn't surprise me there were fights, s*** always starts at those games.

[Pauly8509CWS]

They were mostly sophs and juniors and alot of them were from Canada so I'm expecting them to be pretty good next year.

[LDF]

You mean there are still people dumb enough to hand Dollar Bill that much money for season tickets?!  Holy WASTE OF MONEY Batman!!!!!!!!!!

 

hitting and being physical goes hand and hand.

 

the discussion was the hawks lack of, whatever you want to call it, hitting or being physical. they are built to play hard and sometime they don't do it.

[Pauly8509CWS]

hitting and being physical goes hand and hand.

 

the discussion was the hawks lack of, whatever you want to call it, hitting or being physical. they are built to play hard and sometime they don't do it.

 

Playing hard and hitting DONT go hand in hand. Some players and teams are not the hard hitting type and they still play hard. One of my favorite players to watch, Nikolai Zherdev, is decent sized, works his ass off and is a goal scoring forward, he probably will throw one check per game. You dont have to punish the other team to be successful.

[LDF]

Playing hard and hitting DONT go hand in hand.  Some players and teams are not the hard hitting type and they still play hard.  One of my favorite players to watch, Nikolai Zherdev, is decent sized, works his ass off and is a goal scoring forward, he probably will throw one check per game.  You dont have to punish the other team to be successful.

 

first of all i never made mention of playing hard when i was making my assessment.

 

next what is the make up of the hawks? are they a finesse type of team or not? what was the the topic > hawks not playing their game which is???? (hard hitting and physical type of play)

 

i never mention that on every hit the players do, it has to be a punishing hit, and the philosphy of the hawks game plan has most often been put a body on them, let them know you are there and distrupt thier game plan or flow.