Blackhawks 2010-2011 season

[kujay]

btw, cullimore was the main reason that OT goal happened

 

Even blind squirrel's...

I had the same reaction as I did last year against Nashville when Sopel pulled the same move.

 

For fun St. Louis fan reaction, go here:

 

http://www.stlouisgametime.com/2010/10/18/1759578/blues-at-blackhawks-gdt-seems-like-theres-a-regular-slogan-we-use-for#49718711

 

Based on that you'd think every Blues fan is a 12-year old who just learned his first curse word.

[UMFan83]

4-2-1 is very nice after a slow start, but that's amazingly still behind the pace of last year's team

[bukie]

4-2-1 is very nice after a slow start, but that's amazingly still behind the pace of last year's team

If the Hawks win one of the next two, they're on the pace of last year's team.

[UMFan83]

Did you guys see that Byfuglien and Ladd both scored on Niemi last night, in a 4-2 Thrashers victory? Buff's goal was the game winner.

[kujay]

Did you guys see that Byfuglien and Ladd both scored on Niemi last night, in a 4-2 Thrashers victory? Buff's goal was the game winner.

 

Didn't see that. I'm rooting for those guys to do well more than I am Niemi though. Perhaps I'm blaming him for relying on bad advice, but whatever.

 

Speaking of the recently departed, I would argue the guy we miss most right now is Ben Eager. He fills exactly the role Q is trying to shoehorn Jon Scott into right now. And it's not working.

[jersey cubs fan]

I would argue they aren't really missing anybody, with the exception of Brian Campbell.

[kujay]

I would argue they aren't really missing anybody, with the exception of Brian Campbell.

 

I'm not seeing the same level of play as last year. Yes, they are getting by and winning games against good teams. But the 3rd and 4th lines aren't doing it, and sooner or later they are going to be needed.

 

As the season goes on, they'll need someone to provide the kind of energy and occasional scoring that Ben Eager provided last year. I see Bickell doing a little of that, but he's up with the skill guys and that's not really his role on this team. At least not right now.

[jersey cubs fan]

I would argue they aren't really missing anybody, with the exception of Brian Campbell.

 

I'm not seeing the same level of play as last year.

 

I think the difference in level of play between playoff hockey and October hockey is so high it's nearly impossible to compare level of play this year with last year. I really don't remember what it looked like to watch the first games of last season, other than being mildly unimpressed. I feel like it wasn't until November that they really started to look impressive.

[Flames24Rulz]

One thing that I've noticed is that we haven't really seen that dominating edge the team had the last couple of years, particularly with shots on goal. The game on Saturday against Buffalo was particularly strange because we've been the team that outshoots opponents by 20 plus shots in the past.

 

4-2-1 is a pretty decent start considering how we've looked in many of the games. St. Louis looked like the better team last night, then Hossa got the PP goal to finally get us going. Besides Columbus, we've looked pretty shaky in almost every game, yet we have a decent record to show for it. Once the continuity improves between the forward lines, I think you'll see the level of play improve quite a bit.

[UMFan83]

But there is no doubt we had periods of play where we were less than dominating last season, most notably right before the Olympic break and the last part of March. I cant sit here after 7 games and say we are much worse than last year. We haven't played well as we did in the playoffs or as we did last December, but all factors considered, that doesn't surprise me.

 

I do want to see the prolonged period of domination that we had last year. The kind where it seemed like we won every game for a month 5-2. Where it seemed like no matter who we played, it was obvious to even a novice fan who the superior team was. That's what I'm hoping to see at some point.

[SpongeWorthy]

Let us remember that there was a multi month argument between like Kyle and dex about how crappy the team was or wasn't. Plus all hope was lost after Game 3 of the SCF so let's not pretend a good stretch of dominating play is going to prevent you nutters from flying off the handle.

[17 Seconds]

last year's hawks were pretty simple. they were completely and ridiculously dominant in the first half, and decidely mediocre in the second half (even goal differential, etc).

 

this year's team will never be the dominant team that the 09-10 Hawks were for a good portion or that season. that's just not going to happen. we'll still be good, but the reason we were so ridiculoous last year was because of insane depth (and GOOD depth), which is what we lost this offseason. remember how ridiculous our 3rd line usually was last season? [expletive], even our 4th line was good. we were stacked.

 

i haven't checked, but we aren't outshooting teams like we were last year so far. that was one of the main things that stood out last season. we would just obliterate teams in shot differential every night.

 

really though, a 4-2-1 start is definitely encouraging when you consider

 

a) we have a LOT of new faces that have to get used to each other

b) we have a lot of young players trying to get comfortable (which also makes the above point even more exaggerated)

c) we're missing campbell

 

like i said a few days ago, i think we should all start to accept the fact that brian campbell is more valuable to this team than we gave him credit for prior to the ovechkin hit. our defense immediately went to complete [expletive] after he went down with the broken collarbone, then when he came back in the playoffs our defense immediately got getter again. he's crazily overpaid, but that's not the point. as a 4th d-man, he's great.

 

we're also missing sopel, who was really good in the second half last year and through the playoffs. he was key on the PK and a beast at blocking shots. he was slow as hell and couldn't skate, shoot, or stick handle.... but he didn't make mistakes either. he was a luxury at the 5th spot, and another example of the depth we lost.

 

i think we look good though. we aren't going to compete for the president's, but we should be a 4-5 seed or better if we stay healthy.

[Magnetic Curses]

i would even argue that campbell isn't overpaid. he got exactly the amount of money it took to get him out of san jose. it's not like we could have paid him far less and still signed him, we couldn't have given him less at all. it comes down to would you rather have him on the roster or would you rather not and have to erase the memory of winning a cup from your brain? he's highly paid but i would argue that he got fair market value for his services and we've gotten a lot of production out of him.

[kujay]

i would even argue that campbell isn't overpaid. he got exactly the amount of money it took to get him out of san jose. it's not like we could have paid him far less and still signed him, we couldn't have given him less at all. it comes down to would you rather have him on the roster or would you rather not and have to erase the memory of winning a cup from your brain? he's highly paid but i would argue that he got fair market value for his services and we've gotten a lot of production out of him.

 

I issued my mea culpas about Campbell, as DM suggested, after the Ovechkin hit. His impact was obvious moving the puck.

 

And to be fair, that's a good bit of my criticism of the team's current play. The breakout is very sluggish, the forwards aren't moving with conviction through the neutral zone and they aren't crashing on the forecheck (except for Toews and Bickell). Campbell won't solve that last part, but he'll make those 3rd and 4th lines look better, no doubt. And, of course, he'll get either Boynton or Cullimore off the ice, which is always a good thing.

 

I still think the contract was a reach. That was Tallon's big splash. He didn't let the market settle out, and after Boyle got his deal it was clear how much over market Campbell got. Now, maybe he wouldn't have gotten him if he waited a few days and didn't make that huge offer. We'll never know. But I can say that he should not be making more than Keith and Seabrook.

[17 Seconds]

i would even argue that campbell isn't overpaid. he got exactly the amount of money it took to get him out of san jose. it's not like we could have paid him far less and still signed him, we couldn't have given him less at all. it comes down to would you rather have him on the roster or would you rather not and have to erase the memory of winning a cup from your brain? he's highly paid but i would argue that he got fair market value for his services and we've gotten a lot of production out of him.

 

i wouldn't erase any move the hawks made over the last few years, because it all ended up with us winning a cup. any tiny change could alter everything.

 

that includes huet. i'm glad we signed huet. if we don't sign him, we either re-sign khabi or someone else. niemi probably never gets a chance, and maybe the goalie that ends up playing for us in the postseason ends up being terrible. everything would have been different, and who knows what ends up happening

 

thank you huet, for sucking and being part of the perfect storm that ended with the cup in chicago.

[17 Seconds]

i would even argue that campbell isn't overpaid. he got exactly the amount of money it took to get him out of san jose. it's not like we could have paid him far less and still signed him, we couldn't have given him less at all. it comes down to would you rather have him on the roster or would you rather not and have to erase the memory of winning a cup from your brain? he's highly paid but i would argue that he got fair market value for his services and we've gotten a lot of production out of him.

 

I issued my mea culpas about Campbell, as DM suggested, after the Ovechkin hit. His impact was obvious moving the puck.

 

And to be fair, that's a good bit of my criticism of the team's current play. The breakout is very sluggish, the forwards aren't moving with conviction through the neutral zone and they aren't crashing on the forecheck (except for Toews and Bickell). Campbell won't solve that last part, but he'll make those 3rd and 4th lines look better, no doubt. And, of course, he'll get either Boynton or Cullimore off the ice, which is always a good thing.

 

I still think the contract was a reach. That was Tallon's big splash. He didn't let the market settle out, and after Boyle got his deal it was clear how much over market Campbell got. Now, maybe he wouldn't have gotten him if he waited a few days and didn't make that huge offer. We'll never know. But I can say that he should not be making more than Keith and Seabrook.

 

to be fair, i think dan boyle is somewhat overrated too.

[NewUserName]

 

to be fair, i think dan boyle is somewhat overrated too.

 

I dont know if he is overrated. I dont think too many people think he is an elite dman. I think most think he is just a very good dman. He is overpaid.

[17 Seconds]

 

to be fair, i think dan boyle is somewhat overrated too.

 

I dont know if he is overrated. I dont think too many people think he is an elite dman. I think most think he is just a very good dman. He is overpaid.

 

Really? Ever since Tampa won the Cup is seems like he's definitely been considered elite.

 

I know plus/minus on it's own doesn't tell you a ton, but it's always stoof out to me that he's considered a stud, yet never has shown it in the +/- department. he's only +6 the last 2 years, and that's on a sharks team with massive goal differentials. again i know it doesn't mean much, but when his +/- is consistently underwhelming on a yearly basis, it makes me put more stock into it.

[17 Seconds]

btw, niemi got lit up again tonight. 9 goals given up his last 2 starts, and 11 overall in 3 starts this season.

[Prizefight]

As if I needed more reason to hate Vancouver.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NrPP2CnidI

 

He's going to be getting a call from the disciplinary offices. 20 games at least I'd hope

 

 

Edit: Just saw Dexter posted this in the NHL Gen Thread, but going to keep it as most people I'm sure don't even know there are other NHL teams :D

[jersey cubs fan]

I still think the contract was a reach. That was Tallon's big splash. He didn't let the market settle out, and after Boyle got his deal it was clear how much over market Campbell got. Now, maybe he wouldn't have gotten him if he waited a few days and didn't make that huge offer. We'll never know. But I can say that he should not be making more than Keith and Seabrook.

 

I think Huet was the bigger reach. At least Campbell is a proven top flight defenseman. When they got Huet he wasn't even a starter, and had very little starting time on his resume. They spent big on goalie and with Khabi still here were spending far too much. Remember, Tallon is the one who signed Hossa as well. He also previously spent big on Khabi, Aucoin and Lapointe. Campbell and Hossa may have been the biggest deals in terms of money, but those other guys were bigger mistakes.

[Butterscup1679666578]

As if I needed more reason to hate Vancouver.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NrPP2CnidI

 

He's going to be getting a call from the disciplinary offices. 20 games at least I'd hope

 

 

Edit: Just saw Dexter posted this in the NHL Gen Thread, but going to keep it as most people I'm sure don't even know there are other NHL teams :D

 

wow what a psycho

[UMFan83]

Yeah never understood the need to sign Huet. I know Khabi was leaving after one more season, and I know he had a hot playoffs or something and Tallon was looking to be proactive or something. But after seeing the success we had from Niemi last year due to a strong defense, you have to wonder why Tallon found it so necessary to throw a lot of money at a mostly unproven goalie a full year before he needed a replacement for Khabi.

[jersey cubs fan]

Yeah never understood the need to sign Huet. I know Khabi was leaving after one more season, and I know he had a hot playoffs or something and Tallon was looking to be proactive or something. But after seeing the success we had from Niemi last year due to a strong defense, you have to wonder why Tallon found it so necessary to throw a lot of money at a mostly unproven goalie a full year before he needed a replacement for Khabi.

 

He thought he could trade Khabi after the signing, which was wrong. But the bigger problem was him allocating that much money to any one goalie in the first place. Unless you are talking about the elite of the elite goalies, you should not pay them nearly that much money. Khabi got too much as well.

[UMFan83]

Yeah never understood the need to sign Huet. I know Khabi was leaving after one more season, and I know he had a hot playoffs or something and Tallon was looking to be proactive or something. But after seeing the success we had from Niemi last year due to a strong defense, you have to wonder why Tallon found it so necessary to throw a lot of money at a mostly unproven goalie a full year before he needed a replacement for Khabi.

 

He thought he could trade Khabi after the signing, which was wrong. But the bigger problem was him allocating that much money to any one goalie in the first place. Unless you are talking about the elite of the elite goalies, you should not pay them nearly that much money. Khabi got too much as well.

 

Khabi did get too much but his value was never higher...or at least was never higher than after he won the Cup before the lockout dulled everything. Hawks were coming out of the lockout and trying to make a splash I guess.