A 6-in-5 pace should be enough for the playoffs. There's a home-and-home with Nashville coming up, better take points from that or you're really putting yourself behind early.

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The outcome was pretty much what I expected except I figured all our offense would come from the 2nd line.

We all knew the Blues would be better than us this season. It's a retooling season where you hope to get into the dance this year. The Blues are contenders.

I like how the kids played.

Toews blows.

Nothing more to really take from that game.

According to Fels, Toews is a Ricky Williams-level pothead.

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I could see that. Bummer.

Just finished the game...It was nice to see them play. I hope it comes together but don't really expect it to. That 2nd period was all Blues. They looked like they were interested the whole game though. Is there too much difference between the aging core and the new people. I get the feeling I won't like Campbell as much this time around. I miss Shaw. I still miss Sharp but that one doesn't bug me as much.

I don't follow hockey too closely, but Campbell was a big disappointment the first time around, wasn't he? Now he's old.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I don't think so. People would say so based on his contract. He is a stable vet, above avg IMO. He will help out and stabilize the young guy he is paired with.

I've said this before. This will not be a cup year. This will be a transition year or growing year. The cap needs to be figured out, and atleast 2 if not 3 people will have to leave, that are under contract. Krugs for sure. Maybe AA, and someone between Seabs/Crow.

Not a disappointment, because he brought what he could reasonably be expected to bring, he just cost too much. He was a second-pairing puck-mover who didn't really kill penalties, so that made him the fourth-best defenseman but the highest-paid one. These things happen, and ultimately, having three defensemen better than Brian Campbell in his prime was a good problem to have. Tallon overpaid for Campbell and Huet in the summer of '08 because we badly needed defense and goaltending but Chicago in 2008 was still radioactive as far as free agents were concerned. If there was a disappointment to Brian Campbell, it was simply that we had no choice but to send him to Broward for Rostislav Olesz, a failed European project who got complianced a couple years later and has seldom been seen since. In spite of his age, he did put up some good seasons with the Panthers, so I'm not too concerned about him turning into a pumpkin this year or anything (though to be fair, that does happen to the Hawks a lot).

Jordin Tootoo played like four minutes and got his shit pushed in the whole time. Why are we doing this.

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3 guys: Kane Tazer, Keith want it

Toews and Kane lobbied for Dan Carcillo to come back, too. I guess that's why they're paid so much: they're collecting salary as players and assistant GMs.

Hjalmarsson should draw in for van Riemsdyk (Forsling and Kempny were quite encouraging) and Rasmussen for Tootoo, pushing Schmaltz to wing.

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I am excited about Forsling(Kempny as well). I am not sure about the expansion draft, but I hope he is not one to be unprotected. I know TVR will be one.

Forsling and Kempny won't have enough service time to be exposed. The Hawks' clunky mix of no-movement clauses and rookies/sophomores makes them unusually resistant to losing much in the expansion draft. It'll probably be someone like Ville Pokka or Scott Darling.

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Second line was crap last night.

I liked Motte.

Vinnie was fine.

Schmaltz was near invisible.

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Tough game. Hawks looked good in the first period (solid puck possession) ...and the opposite of that for the remainder of the game.

I couldn't stop laughing when Motte / Hartman combined for that goal after Motte tripped over Hartman's stick. It looked like some 3 Stooges type shit.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

really impressed with Forsling and to a lesser extent Kempny.


Up front, Kane played well, but Panarin's lack of finish kept that line off the board. Toews and Hossa played well, don't need to see Panik on that line long term. As for the rooks, the only one who was invisible last night was Schmaltz. Would like to see him get a shot in the top 6, but my guess is he'll get Q'd all season and be a bottom 6er and part time AHLer.

Missing Hammer hurt, TVR was awful in the top 4.

Keith was little rusty which is to be expected.

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TVR was terrible. It was like watching a trainwreck...when he was on the ice I had to watch him just to see how he would screw up next.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

Disappointing to see the turning point of the game (prolonged 5 on 3 at the end of 2nd/start of 3rd) brought on by three veterans.

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