Tin Foil Hats, Creationism, Anti-Vax Truthers, and Goaler Problems.

Ya, know...

I have a problem, and it needs and intervention. I'm an addict. I get sucked into more internet idiocy than a sane 40 year old man should. Instead of just letting the meatballs off themselves by natural selection, I get into pointless debates over utterly stupid ideas. Following yesterday's game with the Bruins, the insanity hit a head. Actually, the insanity started in the third period. Let me calmly, and hopefully thoughtfully, go over a couple of things. Even though, I am fully aware that meatballs aren't capable of being saved, I still try.


The initial knee jerk reaction of the meatball coalition was to blame Corey Crawford for the loss to the Bruins yesterday. I will fully agree that he certainly didn't help, there were many other factors that led to this embarrassing loss. The first three goals were as much the fault of the defenders, as they were Corey Crawford.

• First goal was a backdoor goal, which is 50/50 for a goalie. Most backdoor saves are luck. It's hard to ensure a backdoor save if the puck isn't low, and even that isn't a sure thing.
  
• Second goal was a redirect of a puck that was going three feet wide, two feet in front of Crawford.
  
• Third goal was Milan Lucic walking right through FIVE defenders. FIVE DEFENDERS. Against one player. Not only did he get a decent shot off on the initial shot, which Crawford saved, but the rebound.
  
• Fourth goal was bad, but the entire team had shit their collective pants at that point. I'll give the meatballs this one, though. Soft.
  

Antti Raanta, the goalie that SOME meatballs want to turn the crease over to, didn't fare any better.

• Fifth goal was a long shot that had decent coverage and just flat out beat Raanta badly.
  
• Sixth goal was brutal, and you can tell by Raanta's expression after. Long distance, he had all the space and time to make an easy save.
  

It is lazy to blame the goalie for every goal. Three of the six goals were legit bad. Say, for instance, the Blackhawks "terrible" goalers stopped those three bad goals. The Blackhawks still lose 3-2, and some might argue the Bruins would have tried harder on the second Blackhawks goal. Their #4 defender missed 2/3rds of the game and the other bottom two were terrible. I'm not even touching on the top three guys, who weren't stellar by any means. Where is the goal scoring from the juggernaut? Where are Patrick Sharp and Brad Richards? Open your mind, people. Tunnel vision makes for a lazy and misinformed fan. I don't claim that Crawford isn't overpaid or that the term of his contract isn't too long, but he had Bowman by the short hairs. Bowman was not going to let his Stanley Cup winning goalie walk for a second time. Crawford is a slightly above average position goalie. He's streaky and will give up awful looking goals sometimes, but he is the best goalie in the Blackhawks system, and they cannot trade for anyone cheaper or better. So knock it off, already. PERIOD. Now, let us discuss some of these silly solutions:

• Trade Crawford - Granted someone has to want to trade for him, which a couple of teams with spare cap space might. The Blackhawks would then need to somehow acquire an NHL, mid level at minimum, goalie. Raanta, Darling or any other goalie the Blackhawks have rights to are not even mid level NHL goalies, yet, but I'll touch on that later. No team is going to win the Stanley Cup, in what might be the last serious run of this stretch, after trading their #1 goalie mid season. NO ONE!
  
• Trade Patrick Sharp - Sure. What is the return? Tim Erixon? Bunch of minor leaguers? That is all the Blackhawks are going to get when the rest of the league knows you are desperate. Bowman is going to get a much better return when teams are trying to improve in the off season. Let us not forget that trading one of your assistant captains in the tight final playoff race with this group isn't exactly smart.
  
• Trade/Waive/Kill Rozsival, Rundblad and Erixon - Again, sure. Who takes ANY of them? Rozsival has a NTC and makes $2 million. Rundblad, well, if anyone wants him, they would have him. Erixon, is so bad the Blackhawks made up an injury to explain why they won't dress him.
  
• Trade Bickell - Once again, SURE. Who is taking his $4 million salary? They won't trade him to a division foe. Would someone want him in the Eastern conference? Maybe. Wouldn't it be nice to have one big body in front of the net in the playoffs though? They only have one. The last two years, he has been a beast come playoff time. The salary sucks, but he also had Bowman over the barrel. At least he isn't David Clarkson or Ryane Clowe. On top of all this, what return do you get? Slim to nothing, which is not wise if you want to keep your job.
  
• After trading Crawford for a hill of beans, turn the crease over to Raanta and, the newly extended, Scott Darling - In one word, NO! Raanta and Darling were shielded behind the Blackhawks strongest defensive play, this season. Raanta is a step down from Crawford. I like him, but he is over aggressive and slightly small. Also, based on recent events, he may be headed elsewhere. This brings us to the apex. Lemont Native Scott Darling.
  
  Did you know he was from Lemont?
  
  I can't believe I have to keep saying this. Over, and Over, and Over! Scott Darling cannot even win the outright #1 spot in Rockford. THE AHL! He plays best behind the Blackhawks defence, because they don't need much out of him, when they remove their heads from their asses. They need a big positional goalie, that can keep them close, and somewhat control rebounds. Like Corey Crawford. Once Darling gets hung out, he is big and awkward. He is still not "bad". I like him. It is a great story. BUT; if you want to willingly pin the hopes of another cup on a completely unproven backup AHL goalie, you're insane. That's chicken little stuff. Panic. No team was ever successful because of forced panic. I hope he turns into something but, currently, he is an NHL backup AT BEST.
  

Wrapping this up, Bowman needs to do something, and this is why he was moved into this position. He can either pull off a miracle, or wallow in the shit pond he and Quenneville have created. The mismanagement of the prospects and lower level players in this organization are now becoming glaring mistakes. If these two clowns can get over this cock measuring show, they might be able to pull off one last Stanley Cup with this core. Or, they could bow out in the first round and point the finger at Crawford, like the rest of the meatballs.