Should be a great series. The first team to play defense could win because both teams love to fly with the puck. Not expecting too much dump and chase/forechecking hockey.
Good luck TB fans.
Good luck TB fans.
NHL Playoffs
- Thread starter KnighttimeJoe
- Start date
Going to be a fast series.
Hawks fans always worry about the big, physical, teams, but the Hawks still seem to find a way to come out on top in those series. Now I'm thinking speed will get the best of them, especially with the defense hurting like it is. If Duncan Keith keeps playing this many minutes, and they still win, then he needs the MVP this time around.
This is certainly going to be the most fun to watch.
Hawks fans always worry about the big, physical, teams, but the Hawks still seem to find a way to come out on top in those series. Now I'm thinking speed will get the best of them, especially with the defense hurting like it is. If Duncan Keith keeps playing this many minutes, and they still win, then he needs the MVP this time around.
This is certainly going to be the most fun to watch.
Nice deflection, you said I have never proven you wrong, care to explain my last post? As for Chicago, I said based upon the first period of the game I was talking about, the Ducks looked like the clearly superior team. I also said that I wanted the Ducks to win because their goalie sucks and that was the difference. Its not unlike the Rangers/Lightning series except the better team won with the less talented goalie.
You're such a joke, caught in another lie and you deflect to saying it's my reading comprehension. Fact is you said that the UNC scandal was not affecting recruiting and it clearly is.
Now please stop with the insult on intelligence, you're a freaking piano teacher. You probably really believe you are a doctor. Now that is some funny stuff.
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hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaha!!!!!!!!! This really is too easy!!!!!!
Lovely grammar, you unintelligent fool. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ask anybody who has played hockey about how bad it hurts when you impale yourself with the butt end of a stick going for a puck in the corner. Everybody has done it once or twice before they learned. It will make grown men think they are going to die. It just takes the wind completely out of you. The one that I remember that I did, we were using these foam bumpers to divide up mini rinks. I was coaching and not even playing, but I somehow managed to get my stick wedged between two of the boards as I was skating over to grab a puck and it impaled me and lifted me off of the ice a couple of inches. I was on the bench for a good 10 minutes trying to catch my breath and the bruise was about the size of a softball.
Now take that action and sharpen the point with a split stick. You will get the impact pain followed by the puncture. Probably wouldn't kill you but could mess you up for a bit. That sounds extreme, but that is what the primary concern is.
Despite what people think, it isn't the refs concern that a player would use it on another player, but rather the accidental impact to another player or themselves. The refs try to kick them out of the way as do players often times. The ref doesn't want to lose focus on his core job of calling penalties and goals while he cleans the ice and he doesn't want to accidentally spear somebody in the course of trying to clear the ice. The ref's job is to police the game while simultaneously not becoming a part of the game.
Hey joe, my piano is sick, can you help it? When you call yourself a doctor, do you make sure there are no real doctors around first?
LOL....my FB post about the Lightning being in the Finals got me a "F you" from one of my NYC friends, who I assume was cheering for the Rangers. LOL.
Tampa needs to rediscover how to win at home. Had the best home record in the regular season, yet got drilled by NY last 2 home games, despite winning twice at 2-0 while in New York. However I do think there was something to the report that the flu went through the TB lockeroom for game 6.
I'm a homer but I don't think Chicago will have a defensive answer to Johnson, Palat, Kucherov, Stamkos, Boyle, Killorn. It's incredible when one of the top 3 goal scorers is on your 2nd line.
I'll say Lightning in 7.
I'm a homer but I don't think Chicago will have a defensive answer to Johnson, Palat, Kucherov, Stamkos, Boyle, Killorn. It's incredible when one of the top 3 goal scorers is on your 2nd line.
I'll say Lightning in 7.
I really hope it goes the full seven games. Last year, the Cup finals were good (several of the games went into OT), but it only went 5 games. I think Tampa has a great shot if Bishop plays well. Chicago is just a damn tough team. They've been there before, get knocked down, and keep coming back.
If Tampa can find a way to pay all of these guys, this team could be dominant for a long time. They're the youngest team in the NHL and most all of their star players are 25 or younger. I think Johnson/Kucherov/Palat are all like 21 years old.
Experience is totally overrated in sports, but Chicago certainly has it.
Both teams are fast and can score at any moment. Bishop has been hot, Crawford not so much.
Chicago's defensive injuries might be the factor. I want the Hawks to win, but it can go either way. That's how the finals should be.
Both teams are fast and can score at any moment. Bishop has been hot, Crawford not so much.
Chicago's defensive injuries might be the factor. I want the Hawks to win, but it can go either way. That's how the finals should be.
For me, TB has to play team defense every game. Don't put bishop in the position to have to be tremendous.
The next key is how Chicago matches up against the Stamkos / Filpula line. If Chicago shuts them down, it could be a long series for TB. The triplets are going to get the lion's share of defensive attention because they work so well together. So if Stamkos and Callahan can make some noise, it causes Chicago to have to account for more than just the triplets.
It could go in 5 or 7 depending on those matchups and who responds to the opening bell.
As far as going forward, it is going to be up to how they treat Johnson. Egos aside, he is more important to the team than Callahan, but Callahan is getting more money. So they will need to just address that right away. That being said, Johnson does well because of his linemates and Hedman. There are going to need to be raises and extensions in the off-season even though they aren't due just to keep things moving forward. Look for Filpulla and Callahan to be dealt to make room in the budget. Also look for JT Brown to get dealt simply because they just don't have room for him. He could be a second liner in a lot of places, there just isn't a spot for him in the top 2 lines in Tampa.
The next key is how Chicago matches up against the Stamkos / Filpula line. If Chicago shuts them down, it could be a long series for TB. The triplets are going to get the lion's share of defensive attention because they work so well together. So if Stamkos and Callahan can make some noise, it causes Chicago to have to account for more than just the triplets.
It could go in 5 or 7 depending on those matchups and who responds to the opening bell.
As far as going forward, it is going to be up to how they treat Johnson. Egos aside, he is more important to the team than Callahan, but Callahan is getting more money. So they will need to just address that right away. That being said, Johnson does well because of his linemates and Hedman. There are going to need to be raises and extensions in the off-season even though they aren't due just to keep things moving forward. Look for Filpulla and Callahan to be dealt to make room in the budget. Also look for JT Brown to get dealt simply because they just don't have room for him. He could be a second liner in a lot of places, there just isn't a spot for him in the top 2 lines in Tampa.
It will be interesting to see what Tampa can do on the offensive side. Chicago has some very good defensive players but this will be the worst goalie TB has played against during the playoff run. Against an average goalie Friday, TB would have scored five goals.
Stop posting in the hockey thread. It is obvious you don't know what you're writing about.
Detroit's goaltending is not better than Crawford. Lundquist is virtually the same, statistically, if not a little worse. Montreal's goaltender is the best in the league.
Bishop has been hot, but he isn't better historically than the goalies Chicago faced in Minnesota and Nashville.
It's interesting because the Wild team was a young fast team that was supposed to give Chicago fits and we saw how that worked out. Of course, Q has the Wild's number so it's skewed, but it still shows you that the Hawks have been more than adequate to the task in fast games. Wednesday night is going to be great. where are the Hawks fans meeting up to watch the game?
You're somewhat right but the bigger point is that TB has now beaten Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist. The best goalie in the NHL and arguably the best over the past 5-7 years.
And has put up some pretty serious goal totals against them in the process.
Crawford doesn't bring the same skill set that either goalie brings and Chicago's defense is beaten up right now.
Bishop is a lot better than his regular season stats suggest. The Lightning took a ton of offensive chances and were fine with giving up stuff the other way.
The Wild ranked 12th in team scoring during the season; the Lightning were first.
They have a few fast guys- TB has 3 entire lines of extremely fast guys. Even Hedman is one of the fastest defensemen in the league.
It's not the same type of speed or comparison.
Crawford is a lot better than most people, especially Chicago fans, give him credit. He was 6th in the league in Save Pct. during the regular season. He's no sloutch.
But, the defense is completely beat up. The only reason they beat Anaheim was because Duncan Keith playing an outrageous amount of minutes, and he's that damn good. The best defenseman in the league. Seabrook and Hjalmerson are solid. Oduya is serviceable... after that, ouch.
It will be interesting.
This is one topic where Chemmie is spot on. It is refreshing.
1) comparing what a team did prior to the finals means nothing. Guys play out of their mind for the Finals. They all have been waiting to hoist the cup since they were 4 years old.
2) Any goalie that has gotten this far is more than just serviceable. They are a Top 10 goalie.
3) Chicago can be fast when they need to be, but can they keep up with the young legs in TB? Can they beat the energy out of those legs and show TB who the boss is?
4) Keith and Hedman are arguably the most active defensemen in the league. Will they even match up against each other?
It will be fun and both teams.
To get the series started right, Blackhawks fans will be meeting behind the dumpster of the local Walmart where all of the rest of the bums hang out.
I know Friendly Confines Lake Mary is having a watch party for Hawks fans.
I already have other plans, so I won't be there. But, I'll be in Tampa this weekend, and hopefully will be there for Game 5 to watch the Hawks win the whole enchilada.
I already have other plans, so I won't be there. But, I'll be in Tampa this weekend, and hopefully will be there for Game 5 to watch the Hawks win the whole enchilada.
So you are agreeing with chemmie that Lundqvist is equivalent to Crawford? Okay, got it.
Looks pretty close to me, when looking at stats.
Regular Season GP SvPct GAA
Crawford: 57 .924 2.27
Lundquist 46 .922 2.25
I would post playoff stats, but Crawford was horrible in the Nashville series, with only a .85 save percentage, and that wouldn't prove my point.
Regular Season GP SvPct GAA
Crawford: 57 .924 2.27
Lundquist 46 .922 2.25
I would post playoff stats, but Crawford was horrible in the Nashville series, with only a .85 save percentage, and that wouldn't prove my point.
Yeah, ok. Tampa's the fastest team ever to hit the ice and the guys from the west won't be able to keep up (I'm having deja vu here from the Fiesta Bowl). And statistics obviously tell the whole story.
The Wild played in the same division with Chicago and St. Louis who were #2 and #4 in goals against per game and Nashville was #9 and Winnipeg at 10. Tampa did have Montreal at #1 and Boston at #8 but that's it in the top 10. Now, you could say that the west's offenses suck but given the last few SCF results I'd lean away from that.
This is fun but can we just drop the puck already?
I'm from Chicago and don't know anyone that is a Blackhawks fan. They're all bandwagoners. Tampa is likely worse though. The last time I cared about them was 2004.
Not sure I agree, I had season tickets from 2004 to 2012 for the Lightning and the arena was always pretty packed. What cracks me up is how many Blackhawks fans that will show up for these games went to to see them this year before the playoffs.
I still wear my 20 year old Chris Chelios Blackhawks jersey. I used to watch Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Steve Larmer, Ed Belfour, Tony Amonte, Denis Savard, a young Dominik Haseck, and the best goon of all time Dave Manson, on WGN as a kid. Pops took me to the Capital Center in Maryland and I got to sit on the glass right next to Manson. Those were the days...
I was a Blackhawks fan until they decided winning was overrated and traded everybody away and left chelli there to rot by himself. About the same the lightning were starting and I could go to the fairgrounds whenever I wanted and guys I knew who worked for them would let me in.
I then got to meet espo and the gang that owned it and they were great guys and I was hooked. I was living in Miami at the time and could do the same with the Panthers but most of the people that worked there were jerks and I never could see myself doing anything but hating them.
Hockey was great tonight as all of the Blackhawks stuff came out on guys and it was merciless on the ice and then the bruins fans tried to jump in and got buried.
I then got to meet espo and the gang that owned it and they were great guys and I was hooked. I was living in Miami at the time and could do the same with the Panthers but most of the people that worked there were jerks and I never could see myself doing anything but hating them.
Hockey was great tonight as all of the Blackhawks stuff came out on guys and it was merciless on the ice and then the bruins fans tried to jump in and got buried.
Loved that Blackhawks team. That team should've won more though. Love the expansion bandwagon fans questioning Chicago fan hood. It's cute.
You sound like an SEC douche bag. By the way, if it were not for expansion, your beloved NHL would be battling major league lacrosse for air time on ESPN 8.
I completely disagree. Bandwagon Tampa fans equal Bucs and Rays for sure; the Lightning has a very dedicated group of fans that show up whether they're in contention for the Cup or if some Hollywood nutjobs own the team.
