2013-14 Defending Champion Blackhawks Regular Season Thread

[Guest]

Ok Crawford is a league average goalie and q is not a moron but its obvious he plays favorites

[gscool89]

So Crawford/Raanta is the new Cutler/McCown? I hate Chicago sports fans.

[Guest]

Who the [expletive] are you and why are you interfering with ny postgame venting?

[Guest]

http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2014/icehockey/story/_/id/10333936/sidney-crosby-got-jonathan-toews-ok-accept-canada-captaincy

 

DETROIT -- Naming Sidney Crosby captain of Team Canada for the Sochi Games, even with his strong resume, wasn't necessarily a no-brainer. Not according to coach Mike Babcock.

 

"Jonathan Toews has won two [stanley] Cups," Babcock pointed out Monday.

 

On Wednesday, Babcock revealed a little more about the process. According to the Team Canada coach, Crosby wanted to make sure Toews was fine with him getting the captaincy before things became official.

 

"Crosby wanted to make sure it was OK with him because of the fact that he's won a couple Cups," Babcock said. "[Toews is] held in high regard, to say the least, amongst coaches, amongst management, amongst players, and he's a huge reason [the Chicago Blackhawks] win as much as they do."

 

it says a lot when the best player in the league asks if it's cool with you first.

[NewUserName]

my irrational dislike of Crosby seems to shrink all the time

[NewUserName]

the 2014 blackhawks are the reason the shootout should be banned.

I think Detroit is only 2-6 in SOs now. I hated the SO long before this though

[UMFan83]

the 2014 blackhawks are the reason the shootout should be banned.

I think Detroit is only 2-6 in SOs now. I hated the SO long before this though

 

I loathe it. When we win a shootout I probably feel about 75% as good as when we win in regulation/OT. That should mean I feel less bad when we lose it but I think I feel worse.

[apete6]

So Crawford/Raanta is the new Cutler/McCown? I hate Chicago sports fans.

 

To be fair, Crawford has been extremely average since coming back and got a pretty much undeserved contract extension in the offseason. People were down on Crawford well before Raanta was involved.

 

The gap presently and going forward is far greater between Cutler and McCown than Crawford and Raanta or really many other goalies in the NHL.

[jersey cubs fan]

So Crawford/Raanta is the new Cutler/McCown? I hate Chicago sports fans.

 

To be fair, Crawford has been extremely average since coming back and got a pretty much undeserved contract extension in the offseason. People were down on Crawford well before Raanta was involved.

 

The gap presently and going forward is far greater between Cutler and McCown than Crawford and Raanta or really many other goalies in the NHL.

 

Plus Raanta is a young prospect and Crawford was not some highly touted stud.

 

This is nothing like Cutler McCown and the comparison was idiotic.

[gscool89]

Corey Crawford off to another fantastic start tonight...oh wait!

[Butterscup1679666578]

not much of an effort tonight

[Guest]

Corey Crawford off to another fantastic start tonight...oh wait!

 

who said they wanted raanta to start over Crawford?

[Banedon]

Glad I gave up on that game after the first period.

[biittner77]

Hawks fans talk about the coach Q random line generator, which apparently was set to puree during the 3rd period last night (I had the good fortune of falling asleep so I didn't see it myself).

 

Here's how the Hawks lineup would look if arranged in alphabetical order:

 

Bickell Bollig Handzus- preemptively nicknaming them the thundering heard

Hossa Kane Kruger

Saad Sharp Shaw

Smith Toews Versteeg

 

Notes:

None of those lines are bad. Probably want more talent around Toews but still.

I like how there's an actual center on all 4 of those lines.

Ironic that alphabetical order could also be random.

[UMFan83]

Come the heck on hawks. Can't lose to the jets in regulation at home. Especially when your next home game comes in March.

 

Hawks dominate the game and are trailing now with7 mins to go

[UMFan83]

And a loss.

 

Hopefully going on the road wakes this team up. 1 point in the last 3 games against mediocre Detroit, mediocre Minnesota, and shitty Winnipeg.

[gscool89]

Somehow this is Crawford's fault. Maybe the team around the goalies stop scoring?

[Guest]

really bad loss, considering the upcoming schedule

 

@ Calgary

@ Vancouver

@ San Jose

@ LA

@ Anaheim

@ Phoenix

@ NYR

vs Pittsburgh

vs Colorado

 

good chance the division is out of reach by the olympic break, and there's a decent chance they drop all the way down to the 5 seed.

[Guest]

Somehow this is Crawford's fault. Maybe the team around the goalies stop scoring?

 

yup, we can't ask for more than 18 saves on 20 shots faced

[Garwilly]

good chance the division is out of reach by the olympic break, and there's a decent chance they drop all the way down to the 5 seed.

 

OK Chicken Little.

[biittner77]

really bad loss, considering the upcoming schedule

 

@ Calgary

@ Vancouver

@ San Jose

@ LA

@ Anaheim

@ Phoenix

@ NYR

vs Pittsburgh

vs Colorado

 

good chance the division is out of reach by the olympic break, and there's a decent chance they drop all the way down to the 5 seed.

 

There's a good chance that they come to play against those teams and go 7-2 over this stretch, and there's a decent chance they go 9-0.

 

Depending on what your definition of good and decent are.

[Guest]

i'm not saying that they're going to tank that stretch, i'm saying that the other top 4 teams are so close that they can't really afford a longer slump.

[apete6]

Pirri recalled for the road trip. No corresponding move announced.

[Banedon]

Pirri recalled for the road trip. No corresponding move announced.

 

I don't believe that one is necessary, with Khabi on long term IR.

[kujay]

i'm not saying that they're going to tank that stretch, i'm saying that the other top 4 teams are so close that they can't really afford a longer slump.

 

Hold on. There is no "5 seed" anymore. We have the division playoffs now. We're going to finish no worse than second in the division and play who, Colorado or Minny? And then we'll have to play St. Louis to get out of the central. That will be a war.