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Frenchy, I agree the 12/6 alignment would help the forwards, but Blashill does not use Grzrlcyk, Rinzell or Lev on the PK, plus the 3 of them start less than 10% of their zone starts in the defensive zone. Since Grzelcyk is your third left handed defenseman, unless you stop sheltering either Lev or Rinzel, one of the 2 would have to sit IMO if you only dress 6 D.
Right now Vlasic, Murphy, Crevier are your 3 primary PK er’s then Kaiser is used if Vlasic needs a rest. Obviously Blashill doesn’t think either of Lev or Rinzell are ready to join the PK.
Based on the above, unless an injury, or the Hawks struggle going forward, I see Blashill using the 11/7. Tampa has used the 11/7 often the last few years, so Blashill is comfortable using that alignment.
Frenchy, this write-up is the best piece of journalism that I have read from a blogger or that matter from traditional media that covers the Hawks in a long time.
So, here is a suggestion for the NHL. Institute a rule that reads Any contact with the head, whether intentional or incidental, will result in a game misconduct. Then let’s see how often it happens.
I am fine with any rule change that enhances public safety. But the start of this conversation was about the ref’s cheating cause every call or non-call goes against the Hawks. I guess the Hawks are the only team in the league that complains about the refs
Maybe they still remember when Tom Lysiak dumped a linesman on his ass on a face off cause he didn’t like a call? Or when the old stadium was chanting Ashley is a bum (a very common trait) and Mikita stood in front of him making a conductor’s gesture?
IMO if Bedard wouldn’t have got in the ref’s face, and just skated away and said what he said, no call would have been made. I also thought that instead of a 2 minute penalty, he should have gotten a misconduct. Punish the player, not the team by putting them shorthanded in that instance.
I don’t know what you were looking at, but it was a direct hit to the head with the top of his arm. You can see his head rock back. The problem with this, the NHL doesn’t care. Twice in two games and the NHL hasn’t taken any action. This is deplorable. They need stricter rules on hits to the head. Whether it was intentional or not, it is not acceptable. These are players’ lives. You would think the NHL would care a little about that.
Ryan Lindgren was not suspended for his hit on Andre Burakovsky during their November 20, 2025 game because the hit was determined to be unavoidable head contact under NHL rules.
The hit was reviewed by the NHL Department of Player Safety (DoPS), who found that while there was significant head contact, Lindgren was tracking the play with a proper angle of approach and did not extend his body upward or outward to target the head. The determination was that the primary point of contact was the body, and the head contact was a result of the dynamic nature of the play and Burakovsky’s body positionSo DOps did look at it, and this is the answer.
He has to get away from the 11/7 split. We played two periods with 10 forwards. They were gassed in the third period. If you have to worry about these defenseman so much, maybe they don’t belong in the NHL.
Yep. The forwards were spent come the 3rd period. They had 5 forwards that skated over 20 minutes and they have a 6:00 puck drop 1,000 miles away the next day. ……. I absolutely loved how the 11-7 format has worked for THIS roster. It perfectly acclimated 3 green Dmen to the Bigs thru sheltered minutes. But, it might have run its course to an extent.
We all know, and especially the organIzation knows, that every young player hits a wall in their first full season and running an 11-7 format for too long will exacerbate this. Think how the group didn’t (couldn’t) move their feet in the 3rd. Now imagine an over taxed young group will look in games 60-70-80?
Looked at the lines and loved the fact that TT was bumped to L3 with Mikahev and Donato. With L1 and L2 able to score that L3 is not only dangerous, and will give then secondary scoring, but they can shut down as well. This is what we all clamored for. A fast dangerous top 6 with a legit difference making bottom 6. Depth! ….. Losing Burakovsky is gonna hurt but less so when you have Dickinson coming back bumping TT back up to the top 6.
I know I am not the only one that watches games that do not involve the Hawks, Mackinnon, McDavid, Hughes (often injured) get hacked and whacked in prime scoring positions with no penalty called.
Interesting about head hits too, I remember on the old board when Hagel ran Barkov with a direct head hit in the playoffs without the puck and Barkov was called soft.
With the Burakovsky injury, the 11/7 backfired tonight, like you said Rico the Hawks stopped moving their feet in the third. With Foligno and Burakovsky unavailable tommorrow, and Dickinson I assume iffy, my guess the Hawks call up Slaggert to take to Buffalo.
It is the situation room that makes the call. Trend all year for all teams is if it is not obvious, they are not overturning the call.
If and a big if, they keep performing the way they are so do they trade Murphy? I can see Dickinson definitely being traded.
Murphy has been a loyal warrior for years.
He has a 10 team no-trade list according to capwages.
My guess is they let him have a say in it, unless someone not on his NT list offers way too much. (unlikely imho)Dickinson, it all depends on his health.
Overall I wonder how they approach the trade deadline if (just for example) the Hawks are out of the playoffs
but have an outside chance to get in with a great end of year run.
Would they keep the veterans in order to give the team more meaningful games for the youngsters?Like you said, a big “if” but also a lot of variables too.
Mikhayev is an interesting case. UFA at the end of the year, at 32 y.o. He will be looking for his last big payday. Do you sign him (he probably will want a minimum of 3 years), trade him for an asset at the TDL, or wait until the end of the year and evaluate then?
Frenchy, what game log? Still do not see a game log logging in on my IPad this AM. Not the first time. Can’t comment on the game when you don’t know where to comment. This general blog is way behind most day’s also.
Hawks goalies are keeping the game’s within reach until the offense start’s producing.
Best move that happened over the off season was when the Denver coach declined the offer, and KD turned to Blashill. Last thing this team needed was another coach learning how to be an NHL coach.
Best period I have seen from the Hawks in a long time.
The 1st v LA was a nice period as well, LA……. When the structure beaks down there is no safety net for poor puck management. Same as periods 2-3 vs LA and in this 2nd v OTT. No structure and the mistakes become glaring.
2nd and third against LA the Hawks played right into the Kings 1-3-1 scheme trying to carry it in rather than dump and chase. Played right into the Kings hands.
