RedFlash

Same stuff, different day. This team is very similar to last yrs team, in the since that you feel like a big hot arse streak is coming. But the problem is....that hot streak never came in 2009 and it is very likely won't happen this yr. So....2011 is the year......right? Prolly not.

Memorial Day.

I always nicknamed McCreary as McCurseWord. There is a working theory among one Hawks site is that McCreary has a grudge against the Hawks. Considering how crappy he calls games against the Hawks, I definately could buy into it.

I think I am still irritated that Gorzo is forced into a demotion, because Grabow sucks at his job. Cashner is being brought up because the organization hasn't a clue as to what they want to do. Yeah, I think, let me chance that to I know I am still irritated by this organization's lack of direction.

Best quote I've seen about Game 1.

Was the referrring as bad as what several Hawks site are suggesting? Cause I've seen the name McCreary mentioned in tonight's game, and I remember he is by far one of the worst refs, I've ever seen and I have always wonder what does McCreary have to do to get fired from the NHL? I mean I wouldn't trust McCreary to ref a little league hockey game, much less a Stanley Cup game.

I know I am not going to watch the NBA Finals.

Great character win for the Hawks. Even though he didn't play lights out, Niemi holding onto the lead for the last 11 minutes and change of the game spoke volumes about his mental focus for this game.

Kopecky in? Yes.

Phillips once acquire Jason Bay for Lou Collier, but that good move was counter later that year when Phillips sent Bay to San Diego for Steve Reed. Not to mention Phillips also offered up Jose Reyes to the Indians as part of a package for Roberto Alomar, Indians wanted Alex Escobar. Ha. To top that bonehead almost decision, Phillips also offered David Wright to Toronto for Jose Cruz, Jr, only for Riccardi to save Phillips from his own stupidity, by declining that deal. No wonder Phillips hasn't gotten a call to be a GM since being fired from the Mets in 2003.

OMG. Nobody in their right friggin' mind would even offrer Strasburg for Oswalt, much less trade him. But then again Phillips isn't in his right mind. This is why Phillips will never get another GM job, because this is an epic failure on Phillips part.

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.

'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.

1: I agree, I think this is a negotiation tactic by Jackson to get a few million more out of his boss. My question is, why are both Jenny Buss and the Bulls helping him? 2: I know NJ has the new Russian owner and he flushed with cash, but honestly if Phil went back to the East Coast, it wouldn't be for friggin' New Jersey. And Cleveland, no chance. Again, for Phil it's either LA, Chicago, or Montana to retire. My money is still on Phil returning to LA.

I don't know about that. Philly fans have their own form of anxiety to deal with. Remember they have to face the Hawks, the best team they will face in the playoffs. Let's remember one thing....Flyers haven't won a championship since 1975 (I think that is correct). Both teams fanbase have anxiety about what will happen in this series.

I got it, hence the "sarcasm is duly noted". June is going to be a long month, unless a certain baseball franchise can turn it around.

Sarcasm is duly noted, GUYS, I thought it would interesting to talk about. Beside I put up "take it with a grain of salt" warning. I thought it would be fun, cause we have nothing else to talk about concerning the Bulls till June 20ish for the draft.

Apparently, there are several NBA GM's that are telling Chad Ford that the feeling around the league is that Lebron James is heading to Chicago. Not to mention there are stories coming from front offices that Lebron James to Chicago is "all but a done deal." Take it with a grain of salt like I am. If you interested (I'm sure guys like Sponge, UMFan, and Kyle might be since they go over there, periodically) there is a thread call "Bulls reached out to Jackson---page 7" and it gets good around page 12 or so. And man the Bulls fans in that thread were pissing off the one Knicks fan in that thread. Just a heads up.

WOW!!!!! I always thought of Stevie Y as a Red Wing lifer, so him taken a GM job with the Lightning is kinda of surprising to me.

Yeah...I didn't say I was buying it. In fact, I'm pretty excited about that idea. This summer is setting up to be either a boom (ie Phil Jackson and at minimum Lebron James) or bust Lawrence Frank and at minimum Joe Johnson).

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.

i hate to go with the "you must not have watched the games" line, but did you? nobody who watched all 4 games can honestly say that he played as well as he could have what if he doesn't give up the soft byfuglien goal in game 1? what if he stops the bolland breakaway in game 3? what if he doesn't score on himself in game 4 to get the hawks back into it? all 3 of those games ended up being won by a single goa l(the empty netter in game 4 wouldn't have happened). so yes, the series was that close, even if you can't admit it for some reason. the blackhawks could EASILY be down 3-1 right now. i'm not saying this to take away from the blackhawks at all. san jose is a great team and sweeping them by dominaing them all 4 games was unrealistic. "There are a lot of people who are going to say it was a one-way series," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "Anyone who knows anything about hockey knows that three of those four games could certainly have gone our way." boyle is right, and most unbiased hawks fans would agree But Nabakov wasn't the major reason why the Sharks lost, tho, dex. Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley playin like their heads are up their butts were far more devasting then Nabakov. If anybody on the Sharks could have helped Patrick Marleau then the Sharks would still be playing. So basically it was Marleau .v. the Blackhawks, seeing as Marleau scored, I believe, 5 out the Sharks 7 goals. I am a believer that a goalie is only as good as the team that is put in front of him, and the Sharks were clearly talented, but the 2nd best team in the series. Yes, I realize a break here or there and the Sharks are still in it, but come on man, sports is often about luck and momentum. But what Boyle said has some truth in it, no doubt, but it sounds like the Sharks version of, "had Alex Gonzalez turned that double play in the 8th inning," or "had Alou not thrown a hissy fit," etc, etc He may not have meant to say it how it was said, but there is a little whining in what he said. But as Hawks fans, we know how a sweep can be often look as one team dominating another team. (cue the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals) Bottomline is, Niemi was freaking awesome in the series (something like .949 save percentage, and 1.67 GAA). Luck notwithstanding, the Hawks may not have dominated the Sharks, but Niemi personally did. So defend the Sharks if you want, dex, but the Hawks showed and proved why they were as good as they were all season, and finishing with a just a point behind the Sharks for the reg. season.

If a pig had wings............. Nabakov, I thought played as well as any goalie could have played against a hard charging team like the Hawks. So I don't know if I would say "a few more saves from nabakov" would have made a difference, but you know what would have made a difference? If Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley didn't play like butts and play to the talent level. Had they played to their talent, the WCF would be still going on.

It was actually 0-3, but who's counting?

neither niemi nor the blackhawks dominated vancouver. But Philly isnt Vancouver. I'm just saying whoever the Hawks face in face in the Finals, could easily be the weakest opponent Chicago will face in these playoffs.