2014-2015 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

[BrockLanders]

Someone who knows things, please break down the TB v Chi matchup for dumb ol' snood.

 

Tampa Bay has one insanely good scorer (Stamkos) and a really hot scoring line.

 

The triplets line has been "really hot" for about 100 games now. It's not a streak, they're just really, really good.

[Guest]

Someone who knows things, please break down the TB v Chi matchup for dumb ol' snood.

 

in terms of entertainment value, it's literally the best series you could have. two extremely skilled teams with fast, high powered offenses. get your popcorn ready.

 

Prediction?

 

hawks in 6. the lightning probably aren't as worn down as chicago, but the hawks are better.

[kujay]

LeBrun talked to five NHL coaches last night, without identifying them of course. All praised Tampa but those that gave a prediction said the Hawks would win in 6 or 7. One said 5 I think.

 

Here it is:

 

http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/12983944/nhl-2015-stanley-cup-playoffs-tampa-bay-lightning-vs-chicago-blackhawks

[jersey cubs fan]

Ryan Getzlaf: Great Choker, or Greatest Choker?

Also, eliminating Kesler never gets old.

On a less petty note, I believe the Hawks have finally captured David with their awesomeness.

 

Not the first time I've tried to jump on the bandwagon in the playoffs (in like a "maybe if I get sucked in at its best, I can actually learn to like this" type of way). Last year I watched most of the Kings series. Then they lost game 7 and I forgot about hockey again.

 

It's not the Hawks awesomeness I have to learn to like. It's hockey. I find it hard to watch because of the frenetic pace coupled with the low scoring. I can handle low scoring low pace games and high scoring high pace (ala basketball). With hockey I have no idea when something good is going to happen (a goal) until it happens, which means you have to have your focus on the game at all times if you want to see the scoring. That's how it is for me, at least.

I don't know hockey like I know baseball and football because I never played it competitively. It has taken time but eventually you get to the point where you see when a good thing is about to happen before it does. It's pretty amazing how fast it has to happen and you will appreciate that speed and pace.

[Soul]

If it was low scoring like soccer then I would probably lose interest. But there's enough payoff to justify the time investment, IMO.

[Guest]

I don't take Tampa Bay lightly at all. They aren't the best team we've seen in the Finals, but they are a different type of matchup and not one we've always excelled in.

Id rather play a Tampa finesse team than a big bruising 2010 Flyer or 2013 Bruin team

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I don't take Tampa Bay lightly at all. They aren't the best team we've seen in the Finals, but they are a different type of matchup and not one we've always excelled in.

Id rather play a Tampa finesse team than a big bruising 2010 Flyer or 2013 Bruin team

 

Have we *ever* lost to a bruising team in the playoffs during this run? Vancouver and LA were uberteams like us, and Phoneix just got insanely lucky.

[Guest]

Very happy! The NBC Live Extra feed was a bit choppy, but I watched the final 10 minutes with my laptop and hotspot. The barrage of happy texts updating me on scores allowed me to save most of my data for next Saturday (game 2).

 

Thanks to whoever suggested NBC live. I didn't know that was out there. I'm pretty tech savvy, but I guess I'm still behind the times.

[UMFan83]

Very happy! The NBC Live Extra feed was a bit choppy, but I watched the final 10 minutes with my laptop and hotspot. The barrage of happy texts updating me on scores allowed me to save most of my data for next Saturday (game 2).

 

Thanks to whoever suggested NBC live. I didn't know that was out there. I'm pretty tech savvy, but I guess I'm still behind the times.

 

No problem! Glad it (sorta) worked.

[Guest]

must apss out

 

No, you keep drinking until Toews lifts the Cup

My head hurts.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Someone who knows things, please break down the TB v Chi matchup for dumb ol' snood.

 

Basically, when you beat Montreal, NY, and the Red Wings in 7 game series you're pretty [expletive] good. But, the BLACKHAWKS are better. TB will scare us, but there really isn't a team in the league with a core at the level of Toews, Kane, Keith, Hossa, Hjarmalsson, Seabrook, and Sharp. Any one of those guys can put the game on their shoulders.

[Guest]

Someone who knows things, please break down the TB v Chi matchup for dumb ol' snood.

 

Basically, when you beat Montreal, NY, and the Red Wings in 7 game series you're pretty [expletive] good. But, the BLACKHAWKS are better. TB will scare us, but there really isn't a team in the league with a core at the level of Toews, Kane, Keith, Hossa, Hjarmalsson, Seabrook, and Sharp. Any one of those guys can put the game on their shoulders.

Sharp? Not so much any more.

 

Stick Saad there instead.

[minnesotacubsfan]

I debated that, but it also shows their depth. Saad and Tuevo both are on the rise and not far out of the core

[minnesotacubsfan]

I read some reporters idea that Brad Richards could be the BLACKHAWKS "x-factor", what ever the hell that means. I just feel like he's too old to contribute greatly this late into a playoff run. He has had 2 good games that I've seen, but if I'm thinking of a guy who hasn't had a great run thus far but who could, I'd look at Sharp. He's had a down year, down playoffs, but he's been so consistent in his career and he's been here before with this same group.

[Guest]

So does Q flip Hossa and Kane back to "normal" so that he can use the Toews line to more effectively check the triplets?

[NewUserName]

I think Tampa has better depth, especially scoring and defense. I think the goalies are about even to a slight lean towards Tampa. Hawks top tier talent is waaay better. This will be an interesting series, but I think the Hawks will win in 6. Wouldn't be surprised if the Hawks get blown out once in the first couple of games in Tampa. It should be a lot of fun to watch.

[rawaction]

Ryan Getzlaf: Great Choker, or Greatest Choker?

Also, eliminating Kesler never gets old.

On a less petty note, I believe the Hawks have finally captured David with their awesomeness.

 

Not the first time I've tried to jump on the bandwagon in the playoffs (in like a "maybe if I get sucked in at its best, I can actually learn to like this" type of way). Last year I watched most of the Kings series. Then they lost game 7 and I forgot about hockey again.

 

It's not the Hawks awesomeness I have to learn to like. It's hockey. I find it hard to watch because of the frenetic pace coupled with the low scoring. I can handle low scoring low pace games and high scoring high pace (ala basketball). With hockey I have no idea when something good is going to happen (a goal) until it happens, which means you have to have your focus on the game at all times if you want to see the scoring. That's how it is for me, at least.

I don't know hockey like I know baseball and football because I never played it competitively. It has taken time but eventually you get to the point where you see when a good thing is about to happen before it does. It's pretty amazing how fast it has to happen and you will appreciate that speed and pace.

 

It's when Patrick Kane has the puck in the offensive zone.

[RynoRules]

TB is closer in style to Minny than they are to Anaheim or Nashville. Difference is that TB's top 3 lines are (arguably) much better than the Wild, and they are better 1-6 on defense (though Suter is better than any single D Man they have).

 

I may be wrong, but I think Bishop is just the proverbial hot goalie. He can be had, as the Rangers showed in Game 6.

 

Their offense really make me nervous though. Everyone knows Stamkos, but Killorn is solid and Fillpula drove us nuts when he was with the Wings. The triplets are very scary, Kucherov especially. He has a wicked shot and Saad/Kane type speed. When you are able to put Callahan ob your third line and Morrow and Boyle on your fourth, that's significant depth.

 

So who is going to have to be particularly on? The 3rd and 4th lines will have to continue to dominate the possession and face-off battles. That's been an underrated key to how far they have gone, particularly after Q got his head out of his ass went with TT-Vermette-Sharp and Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw.

 

And of course, Keith and Seabs have to continue to play at an all-world level. Keith in particular is playing the kind of hockey you get to see maybe once in a generation. He's actually underrated, IMO.

 

Oh, and I want to give props to Richards. He's been solid against some very difficult competition, especially defensively.

[minnesotacubsfan]

TB is closer in style to Minny than they are to Anaheim or Nashville. Difference is that TB's top 3 lines are (arguably) much better than the Wild, and they are better 1-6 on defense (though Suter is better than any single D Man they have).

 

I may be wrong, but I think Bishop is just the proverbial hot goalie. He can be had, as the Rangers showed in Game 6.

 

Their offense really make me nervous though. Everyone knows Stamkos, but Killorn is solid and Fillpula drove us nuts when he was with the Wings. The triplets are very scary, Kucherov especially. He has a wicked shot and Saad/Kane type speed. When you are able to put Callahan ob your third line and Morrow and Boyle on your fourth, that's significant depth.

 

So who is going to have to be particularly on? The 3rd and 4th lines will have to continue to dominate the possession and face-off battles. That's been an underrated key to how far they have gone, particularly after Q got his head out of his ass went with TT-Vermette-Sharp and Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw.

 

And of course, Keith and Seabs have to continue to play at an all-world level. Keith in particular is playing the kind of hockey you get to see maybe once in a generation. He's actually underrated, IMO.

 

Oh, and I want to give props to Richards. He's been solid against some very difficult competition, especially defensively.

 

 

Keith is my legitimate #1 jersey choice, and it has everything to do with this playoff run. He's been irreplaceable

[BrockLanders]

I'm puzzled by the consensus here that Tampa has more depth than Chicago. Tampa essentially doesn't have a 4th line, they've been running 7 D out there regularly. Tampa's 3rd line will get worked by Chicago's 3rd line. Tampa has more capable defensemen available, but there's a huge dropoff for them after their top pair, which they stack with by far their two best guys.

 

Conversely, folks claiming the Hawks stars are far superior to the Bolts stars are seriously underrating the best and most productive line in hockey. That's their second line, because their first line has the best scorer in the world not named Ovechkin. While Hedman might not be Keith, we're talking about comparing something like the 2nd best defenseman to the 5th best. Stralman is better than Seabrook.

 

Like any series between two very comparable teams, it will probably be decided by which goalie plays the best.

[UMFan83]

Just realized I'm going to be in Orlando for games 6 and 7. Can't celebrate in Chicago unless they win it in 4 or 5. The good news is that I can easily get to Tampa if there's a game 7.

[RynoRules]

I'm puzzled by the consensus here that Tampa has more depth than Chicago. Tampa essentially doesn't have a 4th line, they've been running 7 D out there regularly. Tampa's 3rd line will get worked by Chicago's 3rd line. Tampa has more capable defensemen available, but there's a huge dropoff for them after their top pair, which they stack with by far their two best guys.

 

Conversely, folks claiming the Hawks stars are far superior to the Bolts stars are seriously underrating the best and most productive line in hockey. That's their second line, because their first line has the best scorer in the world not named Ovechkin. While Hedman might not be Keith, we're talking about comparing something like the 2nd best defenseman to the 5th best. Stralman is better than Seabrook.

 

Like any series between two very comparable teams, it will probably be decided by which goalie plays the best.

 

TB's 4th line guys all seem to be playing between 9 (Morrow) and 14 (Boyle) minutes per game. Our 4th line is playing the same (Kruger-Boyle) or 3 - 4 minutes more per game. So our 4th line plays more, yes, but not that much more.

 

Hopefully you're correct re the 3rd line. I think you are.

 

Your comments about the defensemen are confusing. I can't understand why you'd rather have Runblad and Cumiskey over Carle and Sustr. Neither pairing is ideal, but TB's is better.

[BrockLanders]

Your comments about the defensemen are confusing. I can't understand why you'd rather have Runblad and Cumiskey over Carle and Sustr. Neither pairing is ideal, but TB's is better.

 

I wouldn't. But I think Chicago has a huge advantage with their second pair (which I was referring to as depth in the context of talking about the stars), since I would take both Seabrook and Oduya over either Coburn or Garrison. If Chicago has 4 of the 6 best defensemen in the series, I'd rather take that than Tampa's depth of usable, but unremarkable options.

 

My main point was I don't think Chicago's defense is better because Keith is so superior to Hedman, but because I don't like what Tampa has to offer after their first pair.

 

I also think Tampa is shooting itself in the foot by not playing Jonathan Drouin, which would actually give them 4 full lines they could throw out there and a dangerous scoring presence outside of the top two lines. Because of how much forwards control play and the fewer minutes they can take compared to defenseman, I would much rather have quality depth at forward.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Ended up flipping through various Blackhawks highlights on Youtube today, realized something I hadn't thought about: Timonen was the guy Kane beat to get the shot on Leighton that won the Cup in 2010.

[kujay]

So, work is taking me to Florida this week. Naples, which although not terribly close to Tampa is close enough to maybe get over there for Game 1. I'll pack my sweater just in case.