- This topic has 1,387 replies, 29 voices, and was last updated 5 months, 3 weeks ago by
.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
-
Posts
-
The good:
23 SOG against is a welcome improvement.
Kaiser looked good.
Mikheyev very tough on the puck.
Knight excellent.
Less penalties.The bad:
13 SOG is just plain no damn good.
Rinzel and Bedard with very dumb penalties.
I have no idea what Bertuzzi is doing that has any value to team success.The ugly:
First power play was an embarrassment. Completely incompetent trying to enter the zone.And if Mikhelev keeps playing the way he does, I wouldn’t be able to trade him, i was so impressed with his effort and defensive play vs the Habs.
Agreed. Also might help out Kantserov if/when he gets here.
And if Mikhelev keeps playing the way he does, I wouldn’t be able to trade him, i was so impressed with his effort and defensive play vs the Habs.
Mik’s picked up where he left off last year and continues to play with a lot of confidence and determination. Good to see a change of scenery work out for someone that ends up in a Hawk uni. Arty and Mik seem to have a bromance going similar to Pickle and Martinez last year. Unfortunately, they play different positions but maybe it’ll work out.
And if Mikhelev keeps playing the way he does, I wouldn’t be able to trade him, i was so impressed with his effort and defensive play vs the Habs.
I’ve got to admit Kaiser really has impressed me so far this season. I think he’s getting better with each game, which is fantastic, it’s really looking like Vlasic, Rinzel and now Kaiser, are top 4 defenseman
With the forwards playing defense back checking and taking scoring passing lanes away in the dzone, my guess is we’ll be drafting higher than at least 5th OA when all said and done.
Wow Frenchy, nice breakdown of the breakdown. Coming from a scout I hope folks reread and file your explanation in their archives. …. I’ve found if a scout is willing to talk it’s a good idea to listen but how often does it happen unless you’re at the rink often and approach them properly with ears open and mouth closed.
Kind of a window into how complicated it can get and especially so when you have an NHL top 6 guy dangling and zooming around the zone. Chemistry, being on the same page and coaching is what gets pucks out.
Some updated prospect reports and news here:
Loved what i saw of the Ice Hogs tonight
Couldn’t agree Moore Dots! They came out like Little Caesar’s hot n ready in the 1st even after playing a really tough game the night before. Kudos to the new coach for having the boys ready to roll out of the gate. Love their compete. They went up early and kept their foot on the gas. New goalie had 29 saves on 31 shots, Lardis’ pass for his helper was astounding and Moore looked great in that 3-on-1 scoring a goal at a high pace as Kyle asked him to work on. Looking forward to their next game already, go Hogs!
@LAHawk: Thanks for your question and great observation.
I reviewed the goal several times, and honestly, the entire sequence was a mess. The Blackhawks’ defensive coverage broke down completely — there was confusion, poor communication, and bad positioning, starting with Foligno. At one point, you can literally see four Hawks lined up together with only one player up top (#28).
Let’s go through it in detail:
1️⃣ The Setup:
Suzuki rims the puck down low to Hutson. Bedard is the high forward, and three Hawks collapse low in front of the net — that’s fine at first. Foligno is down low with Burakovsky and Rinzel, while Vlasic is a bit too far up on the right side.2️⃣ The First Breakdown:
As Hutson gets the puck along the boards, the Hawks should switch from a box +1 to man-to-man coverage. Bedard recognizes it and moves toward Hutson, but Foligno drifts toward Rinzel instead of holding his lane. That movement causes confusion — Burakovsky ends up as the high forward, which is a good reaction to maintain defensive balance after Foligno went too low.(stuck in front of the net)3️⃣ After the First Shot:
Hutson takes a shot that’s blocked, and the rebound lands near Bedard. He tries to clear the puck, but Caufield intercepts. Montreal quickly resets in a 2–3 formation, while Chicago collapses into a 1–4 shape, which leaves too much space up top.4️⃣ The Secondary Sequence:
Caufield shoots again, creating a rebound in front. Now Hutson becomes the bumper, Vlasic is behind Hutson and cover Suzuki too, and Foligno is planted in front. Rinzel is covering Slafkovsky, while Bedard is simply watching the play develop. Hutson kicks the puck to Suzuki — Vlasic is close to him, but Hutson makes a strong play to push the puck through.At that moment, Burakovsky goes lower to help defend Suzuki even though Vlasic is already there. Bedard’s positioning improves slightly, but Guhle is left completely alone at the blue line. Suzuki finds him, and Guhle’s shot goes in after deflecting off Rinzel’s skate.
5️⃣ Final Breakdown:
At the time of Guhle’s shot, the Hawks had reset into a box +1 — but they were too tight together, leaving the entire top lane open. The whole problem started with Foligno being too low in the zone and the team failing to communicate. Three Hawks collapsed in front, no one covered the high point, and that’s how Guhle found the space to score.Unlucky deflection, yes — but the root cause was positional confusion, led by Foligno’s misread and a lack of defensive communication.
