Re: 2009 Chicago Blackhawks

[chuckywang]

I am in a Newark cab, help me

 

Call Patrick Kane for advice

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Detroit is losing 4-2 to Philadelphia.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Niemi looks fantastic right now. Also, turning around your Blackhawks' season: Tomas Kopecky?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Kaner's point drought ends at four games.

[UMFan83]

I rather enjoy when the Blackhawks play Calgary.

[UMFan83]

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/38/flamesgoaliehawks.jpg

 

Haha

[UMFan83]

Hawks clinched the Central when Detroit lost earlier, but they celebrated it with an emphatic victory over Calgary today. Niemi looked really really good in the third period as he had to stand on his head a couple of times. According to Foley, Niemi has allowed 2 goals in his last 9 periods. What a difference a week makes.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Let's just run this win streak through the rest of the (post)season, plz.

[kujay]

What a difference a week makes.

 

No kidding. I wouldn't call today's win "emphatic" or otherwise dominant, but they did what they had to do. Great goaltending, shutdown defense when they needed it and they cut off the second chances. The breakouts were just weak, and I put that on being shorthanded on defense.

 

Sure would be nice to sneak up and grab that #1 seed.

[NewUserName]

The Hawks win also clinched a playoff berth for the Wings:)

[Garwilly]

SJ was down 4-2 in the 3rd, and has now tied it with under 2 minutes to play. Even if they get 1 point, the Hawks control their fate for the #1, but them getting the 0 would've been huge.

[17 Seconds]

Detroit is losing 4-2 to Philadelphia.

 

unless you want them in the first round, we should be rooting for detroit to win

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Detroit is losing 4-2 to Philadelphia.

 

unless you want them in the first round, we should be rooting for detroit to win

 

Them losing today clinched the division. Not that it was in doubt, but it's nice to know when it happens.

[UMFan83]

SJ was down 4-2 in the 3rd, and has now tied it with under 2 minutes to play. Even if they get 1 point, the Hawks control their fate for the #1, but them getting the 0 would've been huge.

 

The Avs ended up winning in OT so SJ gets 1 point. How do the Hawks control their destiny? We are 2 points behind them but with a game in hand. I assume that we hold the tiebreaker, but I'm not sure what the tiebreaker is. Is it H2H?

[bukie]

SJ was down 4-2 in the 3rd, and has now tied it with under 2 minutes to play. Even if they get 1 point, the Hawks control their fate for the #1, but them getting the 0 would've been huge.

 

The Avs ended up winning in OT so SJ gets 1 point. How do the Hawks control their destiny? We are 2 points behind them but with a game in hand. I assume that we hold the tiebreaker, but I'm not sure what the tiebreaker is. Is it H2H?

Tiebreaker is wins, which the Hawks can no longer lose at this point.

[kujay]

SJ was down 4-2 in the 3rd, and has now tied it with under 2 minutes to play. Even if they get 1 point, the Hawks control their fate for the #1, but them getting the 0 would've been huge.

 

The Avs ended up winning in OT so SJ gets 1 point. How do the Hawks control their destiny? We are 2 points behind them but with a game in hand. I assume that we hold the tiebreaker, but I'm not sure what the tiebreaker is. Is it H2H?

Tiebreaker is wins, which the Hawks can no longer lose at this point.

 

Yep, if they win out and SJ wins out they will be tied but the Hawks will have one more win. I expect both will lose one of their remaining games and the Hawks will take it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The unfortunate corollary to not believing that the slump meant we'd play bad in the playoffs is that a three-game win streak doesn't make me believe we're getting hot going into the playoffs.

[kujay]

The unfortunate corollary to not believing that the slump meant we'd play bad in the playoffs is that a three-game win streak doesn't make me believe we're getting hot going into the playoffs.

 

I like to think that every good game Niemi plays increases his confidence such that it will reduce the incidence of awful games. Of course I have no way of knowing if that is actually true, but it makes me feel better about this team.

 

But it's not all goaltending.

[brinoch]

The defense has been much better, all around. The forwards are covering better, the forechecking and backchecking is looking very good (creating notable chances again), the defensemen are clearing the slot and cutting down the passing lanes, the shotblocking looks good, and the goaltending has been excellent.

 

Yesterday, there were a few moments of duh!, but all in all, a very good effort against a motivated, hungry opponent.

 

The team looks much more like the confident team from earlier in the season: solid defense, puck possession and no stupid penalties. The PK was excellent, as usual, and the PP looked like it not only had a clue, but was dangerous.

 

I attribute most of the "struggles" to the end of season doldrums as the players and staff get ready for the playoffs. It wasn't just the Hawks that were having a tough team -- there have been a series of articles about the "elite" teams all struggling at the end of the season. For a team that's clinched, it can be tough to stay as focused as a team that's trying to get in the playoffs or players auditioning for 2010-2011.

 

Niemi's play has been very good as well, and I think his play has improved the defensive play all-around, both from the obvious lack of goals against, but also in re-assuring the rest of the defense that the goalie can and will pick them up when they make a mistake.

 

Still, make no bones about it, losing Campbell has been a blow. He's a great puck-carrying defenseman, and that's something the Hawks rely on. Buff, to his credit, has been a huge asset in overcoming this loss.

[kujay]

Still, make no bones about it, losing Campbell has been a blow. He's a great puck-carrying defenseman, and that's something the Hawks rely on. Buff, to his credit, has been a huge asset in overcoming this loss.

 

No doubt. The silver lining in this for Campbell is that I think we'll all appreciate him a little more. Even if his contract is still a nightmare and will be for years.

 

It seems to me that whoever is developing defensemen in the organization is doing a hell of a job. Matt Walker was no rookie, but he flourished last year. And Hjalmarsson is getting pretty universally recognized as a rising star. And that's not to mention Keith and Seabrook. And now Hendry is playing very well. He got walked pretty badly once yesterday, but overall he was very solid and is starting to make some great plays getting the puck out of the zone. I have no doubt he has solidified himself as one of the top six defensemen going into next year.

 

With that, 5/6 spots are nailed down and they only have one to fill. Not too bad.

[kujay]

With the way things have played out for Huet in the last few weeks, I don't see a scenario in which he comes back to this team next year. Does anyone know the particulars of the salary cap rules with respect to what would happen if they bought him out?

[Soul]

Still, make no bones about it, losing Campbell has been a blow. He's a great puck-carrying defenseman, and that's something the Hawks rely on. Buff, to his credit, has been a huge asset in overcoming this loss.

 

I give credit to Q for making that move. Buff wasn't performing very well where he was, then we lost Campbell. He turned two bad situations into one good one (at least for now), by making a single move that I'm not sure every NHL coach would have made.

[NewUserName]

With the way things have played out for Huet in the last few weeks, I don't see a scenario in which he comes back to this team next year. Does anyone know the particulars of the salary cap rules with respect to what would happen if they bought him out?

 

I think the Hawks would be on the hook for 2/3s of the contract. Also believe that will be the salary cap hit, but am not sure.

 

edit: Salary Cap is reportedly going up about 1 million next season.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I *think* that buying out Huet would switch them from a 5.6 million cap hit the next two years to a 1.9 million cap hit for the next four years.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

With the way things have played out for Huet in the last few weeks, I don't see a scenario in which he comes back to this team next year. Does anyone know the particulars of the salary cap rules with respect to what would happen if they bought him out?

 

I think the Hawks would be on the hook for 2/3s of the contract. Also believe that will be the salary cap hit, but am not sure.

 

edit: Salary Cap is reportedly going up about 1 million next season.

 

You take his remaining salary, pay him 2/3rds of it, but spread the cap hit on that 2/3rds over twice the number of years as he had remaining.