ChiliIrishHammock24 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 10, 2011 -> 04:29 PM) No one expected Crawford to have the season he had. I had no problem with how the goalies were handled. Not saying we SHOULD have, but I can't imagine how much better of a seed we would have if we did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiliIrishHammock24 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 (edited) Hawks in 6, making Loungo cry for the 3rd straight year. Edited April 11, 2011 by JoeCoolMan24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 (edited) OK, Hawk Fans. For somebody who just can't follow hockey closely during the regular season (yes I was a bandwagon fan and watched every postseason game last year),tell me two things as quickly as possible. 1.) Why did the Hawks suck this season after being so dominant last year. I know the salary cap crap. But what players did the Hawks lose that killed the team and who did not step up that was supposed to??? 2.) Tell me why I should believe Chicago can win it all again. Is there any hope of getting hot? ANy hockey enthusiasts see SOMETHING in this team that could do it? Edited April 11, 2011 by greg775 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFanForever Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 They lost a good shot blocking PK'er in old man Sopel. They lost good secondary scoring/defensive forwards in Madden and Ladd. They lost secondary scoring in Kris Versteeg. They no longer have the Bolland line that could lock down other teams top scoring units. They are playing in front of a new goalie. Duncan Keith didn't play nearly as well as he did in his Norris winning season last year. The West is better than it was last year. We didn't suck this year. We were just that amazing last year. Any team can get hot and win in the playoffs. It's all about matchups. The Hawks may still be in the heads of the Nucks from the previous two seasons. Also, while not as deep, these Hawks can still beat any team on a given night. We dominated Detroit the majority of the season prior to the game today. You also have to hope with the way they seemed to kind of coast this year that they have a lot of energy for the playoffs and know they need a sense of urgency right out of the gate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiliIrishHammock24 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 It mainly came down to the Hawks lost lots of depth, and had a to play w/ a new, worse goalie. Luckily, Corey Crawford literally saved the season for the Hawks, and Sharpie having a breakout year helped too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Someone needs to have a Minnesota Wild avatar after that win. They showed amazing heart in that game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Thanks guys, you helped educate me. Hope we can get a hot goalie in the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiliIrishHammock24 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 11, 2011 -> 01:57 AM) Thanks guys, you helped educate me. Hope we can get a hot goalie in the playoffs. That's exactly what happened last year w/ Niemi. He played out of his skull in the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleHurt05 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Thanks for the victory Minnesota, even with all the ex-Hawks sitting on the bench. Bring on Luongo! QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Apr 11, 2011 -> 01:43 AM) That's exactly what happened last year w/ Niemi. He played out of his skull in the playoffs. I'd say that only against San Jose did he play out his skull. He was decent against NAS & VAN, but then he didn't do much vs. Philly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 QUOTE (SoxFanForever @ Apr 10, 2011 -> 11:41 PM) They lost a good shot blocking PK'er in old man Sopel. They lost good secondary scoring/defensive forwards in Madden and Ladd. They lost secondary scoring in Kris Versteeg. They no longer have the Bolland line that could lock down other teams top scoring units. They are playing in front of a new goalie. Duncan Keith didn't play nearly as well as he did in his Norris winning season last year. The West is better than it was last year. We didn't suck this year. We were just that amazing last year. Any team can get hot and win in the playoffs. It's all about matchups. The Hawks may still be in the heads of the Nucks from the previous two seasons. Also, while not as deep, these Hawks can still beat any team on a given night. We dominated Detroit the majority of the season prior to the game today. You also have to hope with the way they seemed to kind of coast this year that they have a lot of energy for the playoffs and know they need a sense of urgency right out of the gate. This and a lot of key injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9347 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 The Hawks went from having the deepest roster in the league to one that has basically 1.5 lines that scare you on a consistent basis. Hell, their third line last year was better than their 2nd line this year. They've done a great job patching on the fly with injuries and loss of depth (Campoli, Smith have been nice surprises) while some guys we'd hoped would step up haven't yet (I'm looking at you, Stalberg). The biggest key to us in the playoffs is going to be Frolik, who needs to step up and be a key contributor like he was in yesterday's loss. Either way, we're really going to miss Byfuglien in this Canucks series. The 'Nucks are out for revenge, are easily the best team in hockey, and we're half the roster we were last season. We need a minor miracle to win this first series. If the Hawks go anywhere in the playoffs, it will only be because our stars have carried us. If Dunc can step up, take a puck to the mouth and remember how to play defense, we might stand a shot as well. I'm ever an optimist, but even I have to say Canucks in 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyCaucasian Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Hawks in 6, maybe 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlliniKrush Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Well, I take my hat off to the Wild. Also thanks to Dallas for pulling an even larger choke job yesterday. They were playing a Wild team with a ton of AHL regulars in their lineup and a backup goalie which they torched all year, and still couldn't get it done. Everyone remember to send a Christmas card to them in December. New season. And making the playoffs for this organization is a million times better than missing it the year after you win the cup. At least you have a chance. Canucks should win obviously. They are a much deeper team than the Hawks, and they didn't have to play like hell to even get in (see Crawford playing the past 4959 games, for example). This Canucks team is better than the past few years, and the Hawks are much different as well. On paper, Canucks in 5/6. It's a weird situation to be in, but the Hawks have nothing to lose. They lose - well they are supposed to, regardless of the "defending cup champs" crap which I don't believe in. Can't really be disappointed in a loss. No pressure. You win - well you make heads roll in Vancouver, which would be fun to watch. We'll see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurcieOne Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Could there be anything sweeter (outside of a repeat) than beating the canucks again? I actually would rather beat them again then beat the Redwings. Outside of a sweep by Vancouver, this series will be a lot of fun to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9347 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Either way, I'm excited as hell to have Blackhawks playoff hockey to watch Wednesday night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurcieOne Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Scott Burnside is picking the Hawks in seven. Link: Hawks-Canucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleHurt05 Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 The thing that worries me is that this Canucks team is way better than the teams the Hawks beat the last two years. I have a hard time seeing them hang with Vancouver for 7 games. They need to get after Luongo and get in his head early to have a chance. He still hasn't really proven himself in the NHL playoffs, so there will definitely be pressure on him. (He did win Olympic gold, but that was 100% a product of the team around him, he did nothing special). I think I have to go with Canucks in 6. Hope I'm wrong. Picking the Bruins to beat San Jose in the final. (Although I can see Montreal knocking Boston out in the 1st round.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockRaines Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 It would be nice to oust the most annoying fan base in professional hockey once again. They are already talking about traveling here and needing guns and knives to walk anywhere in the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Controlled Chaos Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 (edited) QUOTE (MurcieOne @ Apr 11, 2011 -> 11:29 AM) Scott Burnside is picking the Hawks in seven. Link: Hawks-Canucks He doesn't really make a great argument for that pick other than it was his preseason prediction. I understand why...Vancouver beats the Hawks in probably every statistical category measured. I'm personally going with the whole "anything can happen" mantra. Even as the defending Stanley Cup Champions, Hawks are the underdogs here. Vancouver has a ton of pressure, not just fan or ownership pressure, but as the article states...entire country pressure!! A couple unfortunate bounces here or there can get them pressing. It will take a Herculean effort, but the Hawks have the mental edge. There is no way Luongo wanted to face the Hawks, that's not to say he doesn't relish the opportunity now, but 3 or 4 goals against and the old thoughts can come creeping back in rather quickly. Hawks are missing some of the sandpaper needed to rub the Canucks the wrong way, but if a couple guys can step up and take that role...Vancouver will take some dumb penalties. Of course the PP unit has to start clicking again for it to matter and they need to stay out of the box themselves. There are a lot of "ifs" going on here, but even so, I don't think confidence is lacking for the Hawks. They have beat this team and they know they can do it again. If everyone can play above their heads a little and get this series to 6 or 7.....anything can happen!! Great to have some playoff hockey. This was a pretty incredible year considering what went down in the offseason IMO. Edited April 11, 2011 by Controlled Chaos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenryan Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 QUOTE (RockRaines @ Apr 11, 2011 -> 02:17 PM) It would be nice to oust the most annoying fan base in professional hockey once again. They are already talking about traveling here and needing guns and knives to walk anywhere in the city. I'm a Bruins fan so I would have to say Montreal fans are the most annoying. But it is fun watching Canadian hockey fans get excited about their teams come playoff time even though a Canadian team hasnt won a title in almost 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 After reading what you all said in response to my questions ... I see no way the Hawks win more than two games this series. No way. Our goalie sounds like he's been overworked. And he's young. With no backup, it could get ugly. Feel free to respond as I am only going off what I've learned of late in this thread. I am a playoff bandwagon fan sadly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiliIrishHammock24 Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 (edited) QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 12:55 AM) After reading what you all said in response to my questions ... I see no way the Hawks win more than two games this series. No way. Our goalie sounds like he's been overworked. And he's young. With no backup, it could get ugly. Feel free to respond as I am only going off what I've learned of late in this thread. I am a playoff bandwagon fan sadly. Well I mean, we have a backup, and honestly Turco (our backup), would be starting for a lot of teams. So if you think about it, the Hawks have probably one of the best backups in the league, the problem is that the better goalie is the inexperienced rookie with no playoff games under his belt. I am personally pretty optimistic about this series. Yes, we are playing the #1 seed, but the past two seasons have ended for the Canucks at the hand of the Blackhawks. Loungo probably has nightmares about hearing Chelsea's Dagger. I think we are better off than other #8 seed would. Edited April 12, 2011 by JoeCoolMan24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IlliniKrush Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 12:29 AM) Well I mean, we have a backup, and honestly Turco (our backup), would be starting for a lot of teams. So if you think about it, the Hawks have probably one of the best backups in the league, the problem is that the better goalie is the inexperienced rookie with no playoff games under his belt. You couldn't be more wrong. Please let me know which teams Turco would be starting for with his save percentage below .900 (40th), his GAA above 3 (39th) and his propensity for the soft goal. Turco was AWFUL this year. There's a reason Q didn't even give him ONE start past February. He was the #1 this year and slowly lost the job to a rookie because of his poor play. He would not start for many, if any, other teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleHurt05 Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 12:29 AM) Well I mean, we have a backup, and honestly Turco (our backup), would be starting for a lot of teams. So if you think about it, the Hawks have probably one of the best backups in the league, the problem is that the better goalie is the inexperienced rookie with no playoff games under his belt. That didn't seem to be a problem last year. Unfortunately, the team in front of Crawford is not as good or deep as the team that was in front of Niemi. If Corey puts up the same numbers that Niemi did in last year's playoffs, I think it might be tough to repeat, cause the rest of the team is not the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Controlled Chaos Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 11, 2011 -> 11:55 PM) After reading what you all said in response to my questions ... I see no way the Hawks win more than two games this series. No way. Our goalie sounds like he's been overworked. And he's young. With no backup, it could get ugly. Feel free to respond as I am only going off what I've learned of late in this thread. I am a playoff bandwagon fan sadly. It's nice you admit being a playoff bandwagon fan, not so nice that you're going to make bold predictions about something you know little to nothing about. You won't see me telling an EOD technician, "No Way" you should cut that blue wire…I read it on the internet. He's knowledgeable on diffusing bombs and I'm not...I'll keep my uninformed opinion to myself, especially, if I'm going to be so matter of fact about it. There is a way they win more than 2 games and it's not as far fetched as you think. Is it possible they don't or that they even get swept...sure...it's also possible I was right about not cutting the blue wire. I mean s*** happens...but here's some food for thought... No doubt Vancouver was the better team this year, but this is the NHL playoffs. The No. 8 seed has upset the No. 1 seed nine times in 32 tries (28.1 percent). I'm also pretty confident those past upsets didn't have the recent history these two teams have, with the Hawks knocking the Canucks out 2 years in a row. There's a different level of intensity between common foes and both teams are definitely geared up for this series. Also, even though the standings have the Hawks at the 8 seed, 97 points is a pretty good season, especially when you're the defending champs with a target on your back, especially after the roster changes and especially given some of the freak injuries this year. I can't find a resource for man games missed by Blackhawks, but I believe Kane, Hossa, Campbell, Sharp, Bolland, Pisani and Hendry have all missed significant time. If you followed them all year, you would know, even when they missed out on 1 or 2 points, they were more often than not the better team on the ice. If everyone is healthy, this is a different team. Hell, just having Bolland back to annoy the Sedin twins can make a huge difference. Luongo has allowed 43 goals in his last 12 postseason appearances against the Blackhawks, an average of 3.58 goals against per game. In seven of the eight losses, he has allowed four or more goals. Also, Chicago is 5-1 at Rogers Arena in the past two postseasons. They won there once this season by a 7-1 margin. They need to rattle Luongo and he will be vulnerable. The term "no way" shouldn't even be uttered for this series. It will take a huge effort, but it can be done. Go Hawks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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