Reply With QuoteStill waiting for Bollig to make a contribution.
Blackhawks Rookie Brandon Bollig Happy To Duke It Out
Still waiting for Bollig to make a contribution.
@_DaveMelton
He hits, he fights well and he plays smart, pretty responsible hockey.
I don't know what else you're waiting for.
Thanks Bollig for messing up Tootoo!
The game that stands out to me is the one against St. Louis a few weeks back.Originally Posted by Everyday I'm Byfuglien
Blackhawks are losing 1 - 3 at the end of the first and Reaves runs Mayers. Mayers can clearly stick up for himself but Bollig comes in and does the job. Blackhawks end up winning that game 4 - 3.
It is just a small thing in the game but I can almost guarantee you that guys rally around that type of play and it took some pressure off going into the second period.
That is doing your job. He still isn't the best 4th liner out there but I can see him being sticking in the NHL because he gets his job and he keeps it simple.
I don't see much more than a slightly-smaller John Scott with a bit more skating ability.
I'm not expecting the guy to light the lamp on a regular basis, but I don't see him doing much of anything other than dropping the gloves.
I don't see that great of a forecheck. I don't see him finishing that many checks. I don't see him being a 4th line energy guy--just a goon.
If he's not going to do those things I'd rather have Frolik or Hayes skating as opposed to him.
@_DaveMelton
I'll give him tons of credit for this, because Tootoo is one of the biggest tools in the NHL.
@_DaveMelton
Scott is a liability. People would hold their breath when he was on the ice, waiting for him to make a mistake. Bollig is not a liability. Huge difference. Also, people will fight Bollig.
Hayes I'll give you, but Frolik? A small offensive black hole against a responsible tough guy that can fuck guys up.
Bollig corrals guys that do this:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjB6MRLUw0E]Reaves Crushes Kane 11/08/2011 [HD] - YouTube[/ame]
Protecting Kane and Toews is infinitely more important than what Frolik does.
I was in the crowd for that one and I was torn when it happened. The part of me that objects to fights following clean hits just rolled my eyes when Bollig threw down.
But then I thought hey, they're already being embarrassed yet again by a divisional rival and now one of our few tough guys (a respectable one in Mayers) is even being bested. Why not stand up the one way you know how and hope it's contagious.
Stuff like that can work. I think it did in that case. It doesn't always take a lot to spark a team.
Does he really corral those guys? Because I remember Reaves running Jamaal Mayers in the last Hawks/Blues matchup. Granted, Mayers is no Toews/Kane, but the principle is still there. I know that Bollig then jumped in and fought Reaves, but it was Bollig he got the extra two minutes for the instigator.
I get this notion of "protecting" your star players. But because of the instigator rule, protecting your players should not come at the expense of having a player that contributes something other than fighting to the team. You're just going to march to the penalty box while the other team lights you up on the scoreboard. The instigator ruled changed how you protect your players.
Best way to do that now is to score on the power play. Teams want to run your players? Fine. Make it hurt on the scoreboard. That's how the Blackhawks beat teams like the Canucks and Flyers in the postseason.
Of course, this year, they're just screwed on the PP, but that's a debate for another thread.
@_DaveMelton
No offense but how in the hell did he kill penalties in Rockford?
Guy spends more time in the box than on the ice.
it's not fine.
No amount of powerplay goals make up for guys like Toews being out of the lineup.
Reaves has replaced Jackman as my most hated Blues.
Kane wasn't crushed on that hit. He had come to a stop and was barreled over in the direction he was headed. Bahhh- Kane popped up like it was a love tap.
exactly
No amount of powerplay goals make up for guys like Toews being out of the lineup.
Here's my main point: because of the instigator rule, I don't see a reason to have a player on the team that's sole purpose is to drop the gloves. He has to bring something else to the table, or it's just a waste of a roster spot. I'm not seeing enough of that from Bollig. I'll keep an eye on him in the next game and see if I'm wrong.
If they ever drop that instigator rule () then it might be worth it, instead of having a guy that just marches himself to the penalty box every time he's standing up for someone.
But a team like the Blackhawks that plays a skill-based game ... there's really no place for a guy whose only skill is dropping the gloves.
@_DaveMelton
Bollig brings more to than just fighting. In Rockford he was playing 2nd 3rd line minutes. Going up and playing a limited 4th line role doesn't really get to showcase what he can bring. He has shown signs of good visions, and he was a main PK'er in Rockford.
I'm fine with what he is doing now, he goes out plays 4th line hockey, and doesn't have make someone double shift for him.
probably because most of those were majors
im not making my point about bollig, but in general, fighting has become real fucking stupid and it is a waste of a roster spot. this isnt the old days anymore, people need to start to realize that.Here's my main point: because of the instigator rule, I don't see a reason to have a player on the team that's sole purpose is to drop the gloves. He has to bring something else to the table, or it's just a waste of a roster spot. I'm not seeing enough of that from Bollig. I'll keep an eye on him in the next game and see if I'm wrong.
If they ever drop that instigator rule (
But a team like the Blackhawks that plays a skill-based game ... there's really no place for a guy whose only skill is dropping the gloves.
Sure fighting is gone, but hockey will always be the most physically demanding of the 4 professional sports. Sure baseball has the grind, and football is physical as well. NHL combines both of those two.
Why did Vancouver trade a legitimately talented, 22 year old center in Hodgson for a big guy in Kassian who's sole job is to hit and protect his skilled teammates?
Because they're fucking morons?
Why did Vancouver trade a legitimately talented, 22 year old center in Hodgson for a big guy in Kassian who's sole job is to hit and protect his skilled teammates?
Clearly the Canucks know what they're doing, look at all the Stanley Cups they've won recently.
Last edited by DMelt36; 03-29-2012 at 12:57 AM.
@_DaveMelton
I can't argue that point. LOW BLOW!
But seriously. They lost the cup because the Bruins beat the shit out of them and their skilled line up.
The past 2 cup winners have had their share of skill and grit. The Hawks where more on the skilled side but they still had the 4th line plus guys like Ladd, Buff, and Versteeg was a little chippy with his time here. Then of course the bruins who physically wore the Csnucks down. The nucks never really had that gritty type presence which made them go out and trade for guys like Kassian, and Booth.
Buff single handedly neutralized/minimized Chris Pronger in the finals.
Skill doesn't do that (Buff has no skill).
Last edited by Everyday I'm Byfuglien; 03-29-2012 at 01:11 AM.
Bruins certainly took it to the Canucks physically in that series, but I also think they've got a ton of skill with that physical style. Milan Lucic was 2nd on the team with 122 penalty minutes and led the team with 62 points in the regular season. Nathan Horton had 80+ PIMs but still added 53 points.
That's the kind of players Boston looks for. I don't think that's the kind of players the Hawks look for, IMO.
[Edit] I remember reading a few Canucks message boards the day that Kassian trade went through ... thought the city was going to riot again.
@_DaveMelton
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