Hawks can beat Canucks
CALGARY - Lot of good matchups in the West semifinal series between the Hawks and Canucks, starting in goal with Nikolai Khabibulin and Roberto Luongo.
The Hawks' defense did a good job shutting down Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen, but now it gets tougher with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Mats Sundin, Pavol Demitra. Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler presenting all kinds of problems.
Look for Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to be on the ice whenever the Sedins are on.
The Canucks have a physical defense, but the Hawks showed against the Flames they can hold their own physically.
Game 1, likely on Thursday at GM Place, could be key with the Hawks having some momentum and the Canucks off since last week.
Looks like another long series, six or seven games. The Canucks are the favorites, but don't sell the Hawks short. They could win the thing.
Khabibulin was sensational in Monday's series-clinching 4-1 win over the Flames with 43 saves and was the MVP for the Hawks thanks to his work in Games 1,2 and 6.
The Hawks played a complete series, answering questions about if they are physical enough and getting contributions from all around.
Cam Barker stepped up, as did Adam Burish and Dustin Byfuglien. And the Hawks' stars outplayed the Flames' best players by a mile, starting with Brent Seabrook, Martin Havlat, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane.
The better team won.
The Flames? Good riddance.
nobody seems to notice the quality shifts dave bolland is puttin in for them hawks. 20 minutes a game, killing penalties, and doing any role joel asks of him. having a memorial cup ring on his finger bols knows how to handle the pressure
As a Canucks fan, I'm just stopping in to say hi and wish you guys a good series. Looks like some pretty well-informed opinions posted here, so congrats to you guys on having a civil board to talk hockey.
I'm going to admit that you definitely have a chance to beat us here, with a number of key players really running hot right now for your club. I do think that many of you are under-estimating the Sedins though: Keith and partner will not be able to shut down their puck-control, cycle game the same way they stifled Iginla's run and gun game. The "sisters" was a pretty apt nickname in their first few years, but those guys are tough to knock off the puck now, and they have really pushed their game to new heights this year.
Looking forward to Thursday!
Mike
PS: to the guy who suggested the conferences be re-aligned because of time zone travel: hate to break it to you, but even if you could re-align a couple of teams more intelligently, the bulk of the large cities in NA are still east of the great lakes, so the West is *always* going to involve more travel.
As you said, re-alignment is not practicle, the problem I have with the current format is that Chicago finished with more points than Vancouver, yet the Canucks get home ice because they won their division. Obviously winning the division has to count for something, but I would suggest that perhaps the only thing winning the division should guarantee is just simply a playoff berth. But it should not necessarily guarantee any particular seed. Ensure all of the division winners are in the big dance, but once the field is set, I believe that the seeding should be based on point total.
Oh well, it is what it is, and there's obviously nothing that can be done about it the Hawks will just have to deal with it and try to steal one on the road. Can't wait to see how it all plays out. I'm ready to drop the puck!
& thanks for keeping it civil.
always great to talk hockey with civil, knowledgeable fans, whether they are hawk fans or otherwise & it is interesting to get the perspective of fans of other teams.
I agree with you that a lot of hawk fans are underestimating the sedins, but there are a couple of other guys that scare me more - kesler & burrows - those guys aren't afraid of doing the dirty work & paying the price to do what needs to be done - driving the net, hitting, killing penalties in the case of kesler, & they can handle themselves physically - the hawks D, especially smaller, less physical guys like keith & campbell will have their hands full with those two guys.
hawk players that canuck fans might underestimate include seabrook (some hawk fans even underestimated him during the season, but not any more), versteeg & bolland & hjalmarsson. (i didn't mention toews or keith since you guys already know what they can do.) the other thing canuck fans might underestimate is the composure and toughness of some of the hawks younger players - i think the flames certainly did.
this should be a very good series - i think the hawks best chance is to steal game 1 while the canucks are still trying to get rid of the cobwebs, and then hold on home ice.
may the best team win.
...this will likely come down to a depth contest, as most playoff series between fairly evenly matched teams do. I have been impressed by Seabrook throughout the first round, versteeg too. Can't say I have a good understanding of bolland or hjalmarsson yet though. I'm sure I will soon.
I should have finished my thought on Keith vs. Sedins more thoroughly. I'm not guaranteeing that he will fail to contain the Sedins, I only meant to suggest that if he can do it, he will need a totally different approach to the game than he used against Calgary. Also, I am including Burrows as part of the "keith vs Sedins" comment, as Burrows has very clearly helped inject a degree of tenacity and aggressiveness that was sorely needed by the twins.
I also forgot to mention that Willie Mitchell is arguably the equal to Duncan Keith in terms of shutdown defencemen, so that will be a fun comparison to make throughout the series too.
I certainly hope nobody in Van is underestimating the mental toughness that your kids have acquired in the last 6 games (plus reg season). They're looking great... hope your GM is smart enough to ensure he has some cap space cleared out in time for the Toews/Kane contracts coming due!
cheers,
Mike
NO. And for that matter neither does Detroit or Anaheim. The Canucks can be beaten, no question about it. Hawks have to use their speed and knock Sedins off their game. And Burrows should be hit anytime he is near the puck in the first game. I am actually content with a first round victory, we were the better team, and it would have been a downer to lose to the Flames. Now the rest is gravy. You have to love this team and the coaching. Bib Buff looking like the force...
Detroit doesn't scare you? Even just a little?
The Vancouver series will be a battle - time to get back at the hair pulling Burrows and turtling Sedins. YOu get back at them with solid hard checks, strong skating, and wins. We will need Khabby to play like he did in game 6. The Hawks will have to play their game and hopefully get some traffic in front of Luongo. Luongo is playing very confidently, the Hawks need to change that.
I am hoping the powerplay stays hot and the hawks stay out of the penalty box. Vancouvers powerplay is better than Calgarys and Vancouver is healthier. I am not sure where Sundin stands as he did miss one game.
Anything can happen in the playoffs especially with a hot goaltender - for example, Anaheim and Hiller. Wow.
By the way - i am still worried about the Hawks powerplay - did the Hawks improve or just Calgary stunk on the pk (because of the injuries).
Theory:
1) There are good 'hockey people' in the Hawks organization that know the value of Habby and Havlav. Without them definitely no 2nd round and perhaps no playoffs in the 1st place.
2) There are good salespeople - McDonough - who knows the value of a promotion. The performance of the team is secondary in importance (look at the Cubs - be just good enough so they'll 'wait 'til next year'). It is more important to build 'fan favorites' hence how Kane and Toews are featured ad nauseum (they earn a lot of good publicity too).
I fear that Habby and Havlat are going to get their walking papers after the season because we don't see any publicity other than what they create for themselves.
McDonough is looking for fan favorites he can sell, not some foreigners that don't like to talk to reporters. Let's hope that the Hockey People win out.
The one BIG disctinction between McDonough's Cubs and the Hawks is that the Hawks have said unequivically that their goal is to win the Stanley Cup. You will NEVER hear anyone in the Cubs organization say their goal is to win the World Series. Their goal is to "be competitive". In other words, sell TV/Radio time, merchandise, tickets and beer.
& it won't be a hockey decision, but a financial one - every post-season game these two guys help the hawks win drives up their asking price and the hawks simply won't have the cap room to accommodate their likely demands, at least if they want to keep happy the young marketing faces of the franchise, namely toews & kane, as well as keith.
there have been rumblings in canadian media that the hawks are trying to negotiate a franzen type deal with havlat to keep him, which have led to further rumblings that there are some among the hawks senior "braintrust" (presumably mcdonough) that aren't very happy with the team's cap situation and pointing the finger at Tallon, who might be the odd man out if things (i.e. negotiations with up to 15 RFAs after this season, besides havlat, pahlsson etc.) don't go well this offseason.
A lot of people are really hyped up about the hawks success so far this season and about how they are only going to get better. no doubt, these young hawks are having a tremendous season, in part thanks to very good contract years from khabi & havlat, and they do have some very good young players who are only going to get better, but anyone who thinks all this success they are having isn't going to actually make it more difficult to keep all these kids together is "kidding" themselves.
the more success they have this season, (some perhaps "artificial" based on two UFA vets who won't be back next year), the greater the contract demands from RFA guys like versteeg, bolland, barker, brouwer, eager, fraser & the two rockford goalies, especially given 1. their playoff contributions & 2. high comparables thanks to Tallon's generous contracts to byfuglien, sharp, sopel, etc.
then add in pahlsson, who is also a UFA whose value goes up the further the hawks advance, and in a likely declining cap environment despite the hawks leading the league in attendance, and it won't be long for some of these kids to realize that the more dollars that are given to another guy, the less available to them - that doesn't bode well for keeping a good young team together, unless some of them are willing to take less perhaps a lot less than they could get elsewhere (like edmonton, vancouver, etc.) and that isn't something I would expect or count on.
ironically, it is the CBA itself that constrains teams from becoming too strong by limiting the dollars they can pay & the more success the young hawks have, the less likely all these young guys are going to be prepared to take "less" as they enter their prime earning years just to keep the team together...goes against human nature.
that is a major reason why I thought Tallon should have moved khabi & havlat by the deadline for something rather than let them walk for nothing after the season, since those two aren't going to lead this team to a cup this year, but they could, by increased success in this year's playoff, create increased & unrealistic expectations & pressure from fans going forward, which will lead to higher salary demands & less ability to keep the young team together in the future...
i still think longer term, this team would have been better off moving havlat & khabi even if it meant not as much playoff success this year, since it would have reduced expectations and set things up better for next year & the years beyond, when they would be in a better position to contend (less success = lower contract demands = more likely to retain young guys + more experience = contender)
i hope i'm wrong, but too much early success isn't necessarily a good thing & I think that will become evident in the next season or two.
Here's the good news:
I get the sense that the Hawks are patterning themselves after Detroit. It's no coincidence that they brought in Scotty F. Bowman to guide them. Their formula for success has been:
A) Winning is the top priority. Revenue comes from winning (are you listening McDonough?). Mike Ilitch makes his money selling pizza and gets personal satisfaction from hockey (including his Little Caesar's youth hockey club). The old Wirtz saw the Blackhawks only as a revenue generator like McCaskey and the Tribune Co.
B) Go out and get what you need / You get what you pay for. Hire the best coaches, trainiers, managers, accountants and lawyers to get the job the done. Detroit helped Petr Lima defect from commnist Czechoslovakia. It also led the way for bringing in Russians. When they needed a goalie they got Hasek. They needed more scoring they got Brett Hull and made him a two-way player to boot. The list goes on.
C) Always improve. The most remarkable thing about the Red Wings is that they have been at the top for the last 15 years. I am hoping this is what Rocky is trying to build.
The other positive item for the Hawks is that players may begin to recognize that Chicago has things to offer that other cities don't that go beyond the paycheck.
1) A GREAT hockey town with the best fans.
2) A great media market. It's no surprise how many ex-athletes stay in Chicago.
3) An organization that is committed to winning.
4) A mountain of endorsement and career opportunties.
5) Deep dish pizza, Portillos hot dogs and beefs, steaks and Tommy 'tunes' Salvatori's homemade sausage.
Chicago no doubt is one of the greatest cities on the planet, with a great original 6 hockey tradition that now has an up & coming, exciting young team, & no longer has to beg or overpay players to consider playing for them - in fact, they may get some guys at a discount - and if guys can sense that the team is close to serious contention, some may be willing to sacrifice dollars for the chance to stick around & get their name on the cup at least short term.
Detroit is a good model to try to emulate, but if Rocky is the apple, did he fall far enough from the WWW tree and closer to the Illitch tree? it is too early to tell the answer to that - recall that when WWW took over control of the team in the mid 60's, they went on to finish 1st for the first time in their history...lots of good things happened on the ice under WWW in his early years, until he pissed Bobby Hull off & ultimately contributed to the creation of an entire new league that helped drive salaries skyward & ended up costing WWW more than hull would have cost him.
a lot of people also forget how long it took illitch to actually win a cup, despite the fact that he raided the islanders of some of their best people at the peak of their dynasty (i.e., devallano, polano & neil smith) & drafted yzerman in 84.
even after they brought bowman in to coach what was in 93 already a perennial contender, it took another couple years to make it to a final in 95 & another year to manage to win a cup after having several san jose type regular seasons...
the hiring of bowman by the hawks was most certainly encouraging - his track record ain't too shabby, but at his age, I think he saw chicago more as an opportunity to be closer to his son than about building a winner, though i'm sure he'd like nothing better than to win a cup together with his son with the hawks.
the most encouraging sign of all to me was the firing of savard after 4 games this season - that had bowman's fingerprints all over it & said loud & clear to players & fans alike that it was no longer business as usual, but the hawks were serious about winning.
When Savard was fired, many people (including myself) figured Tallon was next, and though the team has done great on the ice this season, there are some serious financial/cap issues the hawks face going forward as noted in my original reply, and some Cdn media reports are suggesting those issues are going to cost Tallon his job as GM.
It is clear that the bar has been raised across the entire organization (ala Detroit). Everything from players, coaches, management, back office, everything has been raised. I think the only question mark in my mind is Tallon? Not sure if he is reaching the bar. I honestly don't know. Whether Havlat or Bulin stay or go... I have a new confidence that it is being done thoughtfully and responsibly with a mind towards a better overall club. They are not perfect yet... but it is refreshing and fun to be a hawks fan.
Let's be thankful that the old regime is gone. The only bar they knew served Canadian Club.
What may save Tallon are the kids Kane, Toews, Versteeg, Brower, Hjalmarsson, Skille, Niemi, etc...
What may kill Tallon are the kids. Now he has to find a way pay/keep 3 of the best rookies in the last two years Kane, Toews and Versteeg.
Dont get me wrong Im a Sox fan and generally wish misery on Cub fans. But Im fairly certain you can go find a quote from someone in the Cub front office that has said they would like to win a World Series at some point.
Tallon may think he weathered the storm but I believe he hasnt seen the worst of it yet. I think he will have no choice but to resign Havlat and let Bulin go. At that point there will be outrage over the Huet signing among even causal fans who may not know all of those money details yet on our goaltenders.
If Khabby gets us to the Conference Finals and God willing the Stanley Cup and we have to let him walk it would be SO Hawks.
Tallon has created a mess for himself.
I have carefully listened to what Chicago teams say and they very cleverly dance around stating that a championship is their goal. They use a lot of hedges and double-talk like:
"we want to make a run". But NEVER are they unequivically committed like the Hawks have said this year. I never thought I would see the day. Thank you Rocky!
Perhaps Rocky has set a new standard in Chicago.
The Old Way was to:
1. Keep the journalist well lubricated so they wouldn't be too critical and tow the party line.
2. Pay one player - the fan favorite (like Ryne Sandberg) - a lot of money and let the key players walk (like Greg Maddux). No sense in paying a whole team when you need one or two draws.
3. Run a lot of hype before the season tickets go on sale about a marquis player (remember bringing Brett Hull to Chicago - would never happen) that they have no intention of signing so that they can give the fans something to believe in (what 'til next year).
4. Whatever you do, don't win a championship. That just creates headaches - harder to resign, raises expectations, raises overhead, etc...
5. Get rid of the top draft choice by trading down. Costs less. Lower expectations. The one exception to this rule is if they need a fan favorite (see #2).
6. Get a firebrand coach that can get blood from a turnip (Keenan, Tessier, Graham, Murray)
7. Look for bargains (Orr, Fleury, Probert, etc...)
Never did I figure to read wise words that come from the yellow pages! Couldn't resist that line!
Briefly an addendum to your comments: Tallon can now bask in the glow of playoff success. But this summer and forward he has plenty to drive him crazy. McDonough's old ways likely resulted in overpayment for Campbell & Huet. First priority is to re-sign Havlat & kids. Next, how do we improve? Will the team take a a step backward? It is looking like the only way possible to improve is through development of our kids, not only on the present roster, but those drafted and yet to be drafted.
the campbell & Huet signings to provide some push to his off-season marketing campaign, but Tallon has enough history with inflated UFA signings (khabi, aucoin, lang, lapointe, barnaby, brown, cullimore, etc.) that all predate McDonough to suggest he signed those guys all on his own.
He clearly had his own motivations to do so.
Consider that Tallon's history as GM has until now not included the playoffs and he must have felt a fair amount of pressure that they/he had to make them this year if he wanted to keep his job (see savard's firing). With mcdonough's marketing machine primed for the season ticket/One Goal = Playoff push, Tallon figured he better do all he can to give his team the best chance to make the playoffs & keep his job...and he'd worry about the cap implications later.
that same short term playoff thinking (at the expense of longer term) is why khabi & havlat weren't moved by the deadline - extra job security protection for the current GM.
in that scenario, the stories making the rounds in some canadian media (the same guys who nailed how the moore/pahlsson deals went down) that Tallon has several detractors among the hawks top brass isn't that big of a surprise.
While I cast a skeptic eye towards Johnny Mac I have to say I think sometimes he gets too much dirt thrown his way. Maybe even from me. Its only natural he is going to push for the big names but ultimately that buck has to stop with Rocky. As President he has veto power over all of them and if the Hawks leaned toward the marketing aspect the buck would stop with him.
Plus I wouldn't think Scotty B. would be around if he thought the Hawks were more interested in marketing than winning the Cup.
Just get rid of the W flag with the feathers on them.
In my opinion this is garbage that the HAWKS have to go on the road against a team they finished with more points than. NHL needs to fix this !
Awesome job against the Flames - we need to do the exact same thing against the Canucks and we will be just fine.
Go HAWKS Go
It's been 13 long years without a playoff series win and the Tee Pee has been smouldering for a long time just like the hearts of Flames' fans this morning. And all us true diehards have had to take some schtick over this long drought but thanks to a fantastic effort by the lads....the Tomahawk has risen again. Thank you boyz for the spiritual lift !!!
Vancouver is a far dangerous animal than the one we just vanquished but the kids CAN DO IT !!! Strong play from Khabby, continued hunger from our young legs, harrassment of Luongo and steady discipline will be 4 keys. A split in the first 2 would be ideal. I have a lot of respect for Van. They finished the year the right way and seem to be peaking at the right time. I know we can give them a great fight and with some luck...we can prevail. LET'S DO IT.
Its not only the playoff format, but how about some logical re-alignment? The wings and ducks will have to travel across all 4 time zones and the Hawks/canucks 3, while the eastern conference gets to stay in 1 time zone. This has to change. Bettman must go!
The Canucks were masterful in blocking shots and taking away good look at the net, unless far out like near the blueline. Their experienced defense corp also includes underated Edler, a smooth skating, offensively capable second year player (as a regular). What we have here is a known fact in the addition to the Vanc. lineup have produced results, lifting them into a HIGHER WINNING STRATOSPHERE than they ever could hope to achieve in past years. By that, I reference the impact of Burrows on the "sister's line," Sundin, Wellwood, Bernier, and DeMitra up front provide depth and scoring missing in past years. Kessler is also a scorer whom is underated imo. A couple of speedy, descent talent wingers in Raymond and Hansen can fill out their forward ranks.
It is true that having a large sized, proven playoff goaltender could also be their trump card. But it is that veteran, good both ways blueline corp that should make the attack work well. Of course, as Quenneville's team showed, support from the forwards makes a big difference -- that and gap control, AS WELL AS NOT BEING INTIMIDATED.
I say Chicago still has some proving to do to Vancouver. Will we handle the physical play better than the late season debacle on West Madison? Will Bufuglien keep up his very strong play? Go ahead and hate Bieksma, by the way, but he is a good player. Salo and Bieksma are two of the better defensemen around who don't get a lot of accolades. Mitchell is tough, and Ohlund is quietly one of the better defensemen in the league for many years. No, I'm not attempting to describe an all star cast on their back line, but it is likely that if their defense is better than ours, they win the series. That defense consists of their defenseman and their goaltender and if you are level headed, you have to give them the edge.
Two issues to look for with Chicago would be disturb Luongo with a net presence. No goaltender can always overcome continual harassment in the paint or screens from us or their own players when confronting our guys. And we have to be good in converting on the powerplay. They are capable on the PP and then, too, we have to win a fair share of face offs. I am unaware of their face off proficiency.
We can win, but they are the favorite for everything I've stated. It is obvious that Khabby must continue to shine EACH game...no mediocre play in a particular game like vs Calgary. FYI: I did give this site address to Vanc fans at a late season contest in Chicago, so I hope that adds some flavor to the posts. They were level headed fans and from what I recall, they gave worthwhile commentary already to this site.
Hawk fans keep in mind that without Habby last night we would have been blown out. I just can't understand how all these previous posts talk about other Hawks players and do not mention Habby. Shots were 43 to 15 and believe me if the Flames had beaten him early they would have killed us. Hats off to the Bulin Wall and congrats to the Hawks for a great team effort. It all starts in goal!
Here's the key. Win game 1. They'll be well rested and should be beatable. Winning game 1 means we go home at least 1-1 with the Madhouse on Madison absolutely nuts. Bring your hankies for game 3, the anthem will be a rousing opener to another great night on the pond.
Guys,
We can win this series. These kids are young, excitable, hungry, and willing to do whatever it takes. They don't have to do anything but eat, sleep, and breathe hockey.
By the way, we've got a great goalie too! Khabby can steal us a game in Vancouver and that's all it takes to swing this series our way.
With Seabs and Dunc smashing the Sedin's and the Buff-Sammy-Steeger line taking care of business on the other Vancouver top forwards we have a chance!!! Brouwer-Burish-Eager can also take the body and bang and beat the Vancouver forwards into submission the same way they beat the Flames down.
Are we the underdogs? Sure we are. The kids will relish that role and come out hungry. I can guarantee you this. Vancouver would have rather faced Calgary than us. They know these kids are hungry and willing to go the extra mile to move on to the conference finals!
Get some much deserved rest and then go get 'em on Thursday night boys. We believe in ya!!!!
GO HAWKS!!!!!
I don't care how good the opposing goalie is, if Luongo can't see the puck he can't make the save...this could be a career changing series for Buyfuglien. Who came on strong against Calgary. He's a mountian out there, the mountian can't be moved. Traffic equals goals. Luongo will look like a slice of swiss cheese out there.
Luongo is about to meet the hawks frenzied attack......I think he needs bigger pads.
I was thinking about how terrific of a series this has been...and how the Hawks responded to all the non-sense the Flames tried to create.
1). Bourque hammers Kane, Burish crosschecks him after game out of reach, knocks him out for a game
2). Cammallerri cheap shots Havlat, Eager lays him out, breaks Glencross's nose in ensuing scrum, cherry on top after pure domination
3). Phaneuf takes run @ Toews (elbow) and mixes it up after every scrum, gets knocked out by Brouwer for decisive game
4). Habby outplays Kipro last two games of the series, we head to Vancouver.
They responded well to all the cheap and extra-curricular activity brought on by the Flames, and when they stuck to their game, they wound up victorious. Hawks were smart and waited for the league to recognize that Calgary was abusing their power far to regularly (even for the playoffs). Have to tip the cap to Q....
1). Didn't pull Habby in game 4
2). Avoided war of words w/ Keenan (brief complaint about the hand pass)
3). Juggled lines effectively to maintain consistent scoring
4). Played physical players when the time was right
5). Obviously had this team ready to play as the series became best of three.
Here's to congratulating a well deserved playoff-series win! With that being said, forget about that today.
Start reviewing tape and get ready for the Canucks and Luongo. That man is a beast!
GO HAWKS!
We got into it at the deadline over the Pahlsson trade...I humbly awknowledge you were smarter then me and it was a genius trade. His line all series dominated the flames and his presence alone has Buff playing the best hockey of his career. There are reports he led the comeback in the 2nd period of game 4 in Calgary with his cheerleading and leadership on the bench as well as chipping in a goal. He fits in quite well with Versteeg and Buff...something that wasnt apparent after the deadline.
I ripped alot of guys this year namely Buff,Campbell,Kane...these guys are all playing good hockey(kane 50/50)
Nobody on this team played weak which I think is surprising to alot of people.
I just cant believe the level of play BUFF displayed this series as well as Seabrook. These two were monsters on the ice.
I really didnt think the Pahlsson trade would work as well as it has so far...Im sooo ignorant.
Now I get to see the series that I wanted to see since the end of the regular season.
The wish list includes somebody destroying Burrowes and messing up the ugly faces of the sisters.
This is awesome.
This is going to be a great series. We steamrolled the Canucks when we were hot and they were down, and they steamrolled us later when they were red hot and we were coasting a bit.
We know we have to shut down the twins, and we know we can do it. These kids keep learning new things about winning every day.
Go hawks
Boy it feels good that a Chicago team can finally advance in the playoffs...seeems like it has been a while. I wonder how the officiating might work in this series as the NHL tries to hold on to it's last Canadian team. If veteran Hawks hater, Brutal Bill McCreary shows up for game 1, we will have our answer. I dont think local linesman, Andy McElman and Dan Schachte who do a lot of Hawks games during the season, have been spotted yet doing a Hawks game in the post season. Stanley Cup is right on, this series will really feature the net minders. The Hawks will also have to step on the Sedin's, like they did Iginla and Cammalari in rd.1, Seabrook, Keith and Pahlsson better get their rest over the next few days. IF somehow, the Hawks win this series..and the Ducks upset the Wings, maybe just maybe, a return to the finals isn't totally out of the question.
My daughter gets me up at 6, sometimes 5.30. I can't stay awake long enough!
The Hawks can win but they will have to solve Roberto Luongo to do it. Otherwise the Hawks could win every other category on the ice and still lose the series. They had no problems scoring in the Calgary series so hopefully they'll figure out a way to score against Vancouver too. Greedy me would like to see Havlat play on the road like he does at home. He's not terrible on the road....he's just not the same force as he is on home ice, especially offensively. He always seems a step slower for some reason. I know the home team getting the last line change is a factor but maybe they need to fly his chef in or maybe his bed from home so he gets better rest.
In the meantime all of the pressure is on on Vancouver as they are expected to win. The Hawks are playing with other people's money the rest of the way so hopefully we'll see them playing loose and comfortable, even when Luongo does his inevitable spectacular save thing. Vancouver will have been off for more than a week so hopefully they'll be a bit rusty to start the series and the Hawks can win at least one game out there.
This series is going to be very interesting.....
"(The Hawks) had no problems scoring in the Calgary series so hopefully they'll figure out a way to score against Vancouver too."
Crash the net!! Put a rump in front of Loogie and go for re-directions...
Every shift, Brouwer, Ladd and especially Buff need to be parked in front of Luongo. Hawks need to just pound the puck. And keep the puck contained in Van. zone. Keep overhandling or pretty passing to a minimum. He can't stop what he can't see.
I thought our young physical guys would be the difference and I think they were. Lots of heroes for the Hawks. But Byfuglien was an absolute beast. Brouwer's hit on Phaneuf still has me chuckling. What the heck is he made of?
Timmy, I think this one's all about goaltending. Will be a more skilled, up and down series, much better passing and playmaking. Still physical, and Vancouver has a few knuckleheads to contend with. But I like their goalie better than the Hawks'. Canucks in 6 or 7.
I DO agree that the Hawks CAN win it. But I don't think they will.
great effort in the first round. Hawks are finding out they can compete - but now is a better test. True the canucks are favored. But the hawks are still in a place where they don't know any better. Sometimes that is the best way. The hawks have nothing to lose, playing for fun, and seeing how far they will go. I'll savor every moment! GO HAWKS!!
Bravo.
Let us continue on the War Path in Western Canada all the way to the Pacific! Sort of Sherman-esque except we wont burn Vancouver to the ground. Just beat their hockey teams brains in!
Something tells me the Hawks will be none to popular in the Western Provinces for quite some time!