Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks Thread!!!!!!

[shnsajax]

Why does everyone keep harping on the Flyers defense? They allowed 225 goals this season, good for 15th in the league, tied with the Predators. Both the Canucks and Sharks allowed less goals for the season.

 

The theory is, you can throw out the overall regular season numbers for the Flyers because they got hot for the playoffs, and are still hot.

 

Hot or a favorable schedule? The east was a complete mess, partially because of Montreal. I really have no idea what to think or expect. They should have gone down to Boston.

[17 Seconds]

I know. I never said it wasn't. It was a very convincing series against a great team. They absolutely earned it. RedFlash just likes making it seem like I'm insulting the team when I'm not.

 

I've never implied you were insulting the Hawks. If you took it that way, then I'm sorry, but that wasn't what I was trying to say. To me, it seemed you were trying to defend the Sharks. The reality is, how the Sharks played against the Hawks has been the playoff M.O. for the last few years.

 

Then you haven't watched the Sharks in the last few years. This season, Heatley didn't play well, but was hurt. Thornton wasn't great but he was much better than he had been in previous years,. Marleau was great. The team as a whole played well. The hawks were just a little bit better.

 

I just don't understand why it's so hard for you to admit that the Sharks skated right with the Hawks for 3 of the 4 games and could have easily won any of those. It's very strange that you can't admit it.

[TruffleShuffle]

i saw most of game three and thought the play was very even. i thought the sharks outplayed the hawks by a pretty good margin in game one and niemi stole it, and i thought that the hawks deserved to win game two. didn't see that much of game four.

[17 Seconds]

Pretty much how I feel. Game 1, 2, and 4 were right there for the Sharks to win. Niemi was the biggest difference, and the Hawks skaters made a few more plays and a couple fewer mistakes. Game 2 was the one game where I thought they flat out dominated... especially in the 3rd when they slowed down play and just allowed SJ nothing at all.

 

I'm not saying the Hawks didn't deserve to sweep. They earned all 4 games for sure. Just saying that the Sharks skated right with us all series.

[RedFlash]

I just don't understand why it's so hard for you to admit that the Sharks skated right with the Hawks for 3 of the 4 games and could have easily won any of those. It's very strange that you can't admit it.

't ha

 

It doesn't matter if they "skated right with the Hawks for 3 of the 4 games", what matters is they didn't get the job done. Defend them all you want, but don't use the excuse that the Sharks didn't have the luck and that is why they lost. Good, great teams can overcome bad luck, the Sharks didn't.

 

The simple truth is...the Sharks played well enough as a whole, outside of Thornton and Heatley (so help me gawd, if people use the "injury excuse", I will scream. every team is dealing with injuries.) but Niemi had his coming out party. The Sharks did skate with the Hawks, they couldn't finished the job, thx in part to Niemi.

 

So the crux of the debate is dex, you think Sharks were snake-bitten and that they could have won any and all of those games. That is true, but the Hawks capitalize on the breaks, Sharks didn't, luck and injuries be damned.

[UMFan83]

i saw most of game three and thought the play was very even. i thought the sharks outplayed the hawks by a pretty good margin in game one and niemi stole it, and i thought that the hawks deserved to win game two. didn't see that much of game four.

 

I don't think the Sharks outplayed the Hawks by a "pretty good margin" in game 1. I would say it was a slight advantage to the Sharks, but even that is because of a 5-0 disparity in penalties. According to the CORSI ratings, the Blackhawks actually outplayed the Sharks by a good amount at even strength, but I don't think we should rely on that statistic alone to tell the whole story. (CORSI is really just +/- rating but with shots taken (not SOG) when a player is on ice. Seems simplistic, but apparently it's a good tool for analyzing who was controling the flow of the game). Back to my argument, there were definitely big chunks where the Sharks had taken over play, were putting a flurry of shots on Niemi and winning puck battles. But there were also sizable moments when the Hawks were doing that as well, just slightly more for SJ.

[17 Seconds]

I just don't understand why it's so hard for you to admit that the Sharks skated right with the Hawks for 3 of the 4 games and could have easily won any of those. It's very strange that you can't admit it.

't ha

 

It doesn't matter if they "skated right with the Hawks for 3 of the 4 games", what matters is they didn't get the job done. Defend them all you want, but don't use the excuse that the Sharks didn't have the luck and that is why they lost. Good, great teams can overcome bad luck, the Sharks didn't.

 

The simple truth is...the Sharks played well enough as a whole, outside of Thornton and Heatley (so help me gawd, if people use the "injury excuse", I will scream. every team is dealing with injuries.) but Niemi had his coming out party. The Sharks did skate with the Hawks, they couldn't finished the job, thx in part to Niemi.

 

So the crux of the debate is dex, you think Sharks were snake-bitten and that they could have won any and all of those games. That is true, but the Hawks capitalize on the breaks, Sharks didn't, luck and injuries be damned.

 

I NEVER said the Sharks were snake bitten or that the Hawks don't deserve everything they got, yet you keep acting like I have.

 

Once again, I'm not arguing anything you said in this post. (other than heatley... he had a serious groin injury in the Colorado series. Not the type of injury that "every team has" this time of year)

 

You just continue to miss the point.

[E.J.]

Don't know if it's been posted or not, but the Blackhawks are considering having viewing parties at the United Center when the games are in Philly.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nhl/news/story?id=5219885

[Magnetic Curses]

I know. I never said it wasn't. It was a very convincing series against a great team. They absolutely earned it. RedFlash just likes making it seem like I'm insulting the team when I'm not.

 

I've never implied you were insulting the Hawks. If you took it that way, then I'm sorry, but that wasn't what I was trying to say. To me, it seemed you were trying to defend the Sharks. The reality is, how the Sharks played against the Hawks has been the playoff M.O. for the last few years.

 

Then you haven't watched the Sharks in the last few years. This season, Heatley didn't play well, but was hurt. Thornton wasn't great but he was much better than he had been in previous years,. Marleau was great. The team as a whole played well. The hawks were just a little bit better.

 

I just don't understand why it's so hard for you to admit that the Sharks skated right with the Hawks for 3 of the 4 games and could have easily won any of those. It's very strange that you can't admit it.

 

i think the hawks were in their heads the whole series after coming back from an early deficit in game 1. the hawks had an answer every time the sharks got a lead and by game 4, i think san jose expected the hawks to come back and win.

[UMFan83]

Don't know if it's been posted or not, but the Blackhawks are considering having viewing parties at the United Center when the games are in Philly.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nhl/news/story?id=5219885

 

Yeah I heard that on the radio. I'd definitely consider attending on a potential clinch night, as long as they sell beer :)

[RedFlash]

You just continue to miss the point.

 

NYou imply that the only reason why the Sharks lost was because of luck, bad breaks, etc, etc. I never denied that the Sharks could play/skate with the Hawks, and that is a point I do agree. To me, at least, you sound like you were trying to defend the Sharks.

[17 Seconds]

You just continue to miss the point.

 

NYou imply that the only reason why the Sharks lost was because of luck, bad breaks, etc, etc.

 

No I didn't. Let me explain this one last time. Games 1, 3, and 4 were played evenly enough where either team could have won each game. I'm NOT saying that the hawks didn't deserve to win, or that they got lucky. The Hawks made the plays. Niemi made the saves. We were better and we deserved to win each one. I'm not saying anything that suggests otherwise. We WON those games, the Sharks didn't lose them. However, we did not dominate them, at all, in any of those 3 games. They were close games and the Hawks were a little better and prevailed in the end.

 

To me, at least, you sound like you were trying to defend the Sharks.

 

I am to an extent, but I don't see what the problem is with that. All I'm saying is that they hung with us more than the 4-0 sweep would suggest. I really don't see why that's unnacceptable to say. I'm not taking anything away from the Hawks at all. I just think you're selling the Sharks really short.

 

If anything, I'm giving the Hawks MORE credit with what I'm saying. The Sharks showed up this series and played pretty well overall, and we STILL swept them. Sweeping the Sharks when they were close to their best is more impressive than if they had just choked and gotten crushed.

[Banedon]

Man I hate Philly fans.

[Soul]

Man I hate Philly fans.

 

I've been trying to ignore them.

[Banedon]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls?pCat=46&sCat=1284

 

I only post this because I think the map is interesting. Only 2 states are picking the Flyers to win...Pennsylvania and....Delaware. Weird.

[Terp]

That "which is more of a hockey town?" question being dead even at 50-50% really surprised me.

 

Edit: After trying to view the map it looks like the results are just screwed up for that one.

Edited May 26, 2010 by Terp

[jersey cubs fan]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls?pCat=46&sCat=1284

 

I only post this because I think the map is interesting. Only 2 states are picking the Flyers to win...Pennsylvania and....Delaware. Weird.

 

New Jersey is a state too dammit!

 

Not that weird. People are picking the Hawks 2/1, that is likely to hold in every state outside the base of Philly fan support.

[UMFan83]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls?pCat=46&sCat=1284

 

I only post this because I think the map is interesting. Only 2 states are picking the Flyers to win...Pennsylvania and....Delaware. Weird.

 

Not sure if you are joking, but Delaware is right next to Philly, and Wilmington (Delaware's biggest city) is pretty much a suburb of Philly.

[Soul]

That "which is more of a hockey town?" question being dead even at 50-50% really surprised me.

 

Edit: After trying to view the map it looks like the results are just screwed up for that one.

 

I'm not sure it's wrong. Both are multi-sport cities where the baseball and football teams get more attention.

[jersey cubs fan]

That "which is more of a hockey town?" question being dead even at 50-50% really surprised me.

 

Edit: After trying to view the map it looks like the results are just screwed up for that one.

 

You were expecting more Chicago?

 

Philly is a hockey town. It's a football first town, but the Flyers probably have the second most passionate fan base. They have big rivals with NJ/NY (and others) so I'm sure fans of those teams are well aware how much of a hockey town Philly is. The Phillies were largely ignored until the WS season.

 

Although the fans I know are the most annoying ever, as they never pay attention until their team is good and or in a championship and then they are the biggest bunch of crap talking goons in the land.

[Banedon]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls?pCat=46&sCat=1284

 

I only post this because I think the map is interesting. Only 2 states are picking the Flyers to win...Pennsylvania and....Delaware. Weird.

 

Not sure if you are joking, but Delaware is right next to Philly, and Wilmington (Delaware's biggest city) is pretty much a suburb of Philly.

 

Not joking...just apparently bad with New England geography. In my head, I figured Delaware would be more of a Capitals or Devils fanbase than Flyers. But yeah...I guess not...

 

And I swear NJ wasn't red when I just looked at that....haha.

[Banedon]

Although the fans I know are the most annoying ever, as they never pay attention until their team is good and or in a championship and then they are the biggest bunch of crap talking goons in the land.

 

I don't know any Philly fans personally, but this description definitely fits the ones I've come across online.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls?pCat=46&sCat=1284

 

I only post this because I think the map is interesting. Only 2 states are picking the Flyers to win...Pennsylvania and....Delaware. Weird.

 

Not sure if you are joking, but Delaware is right next to Philly, and Wilmington (Delaware's biggest city) is pretty much a suburb of Philly.

 

Not joking...just apparently bad with New England geography. In my head, I figured Delaware would be more of a Capitals or Devils fanbase than Flyers. But yeah...I guess not...

 

And I swear NJ wasn't red when I just looked at that....haha.

 

New England?

[Banedon]

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls?pCat=46&sCat=1284

 

I only post this because I think the map is interesting. Only 2 states are picking the Flyers to win...Pennsylvania and....Delaware. Weird.

 

Not sure if you are joking, but Delaware is right next to Philly, and Wilmington (Delaware's biggest city) is pretty much a suburb of Philly.

 

Not joking...just apparently bad with New England geography. In my head, I figured Delaware would be more of a Capitals or Devils fanbase than Flyers. But yeah...I guess not...

 

And I swear NJ wasn't red when I just looked at that....haha.

 

New England?

 

ROFL...ok...I'm apparently bad at more than New England...considering I thought it included more states than it apparently does.

[Soul]

Why does everyone keep harping on the Flyers defense? They allowed 225 goals this season, good for 15th in the league, tied with the Predators. Both the Canucks and Sharks allowed less goals for the season.

 

The theory is, you can throw out the overall regular season numbers for the Flyers because they got hot for the playoffs, and are still hot.

 

Hot or a favorable schedule? The east was a complete mess, partially because of Montreal. I really have no idea what to think or expect. They should have gone down to Boston.

 

I feel like if Boston wasn't able to win the 4th game, then they should lose. Likewise, if Nashville can't seal the deal when there are mere minutes left and they have a power play, then too bad so sad -- they didn't deserve anything more than what they got. A crushing defeat and a series loss.

 

Anyway, it's just the way I've been hearing Philly talked about. They're a hot team right now, they are better than their record, etc. etc.