Hairyducked Idiot

Can we call that a steal for Niemi?

That place got quiet so fast. So fantastically quiet.

Nice play Hendry. Never try it again.

I think it's interesting that NBC says Chicago has "attempted" more shots 52-50, even though fewer have gotten on goal.

Closing the gap on them in the standings!

I find it hard to believe the Sharks haven't committed a single penalty in 2 periods. I can't recall a single play I thought should have been a clear call, though.

Brent Sopel is a professional hockey player who can't skate or stickhandle or pass, but he is so money around his own net.

Also a legit call.

I really didn't hate that period. Both teams skated well, they got a lucky bounce and we didn't.

Post :(

Sucks, but the two I saw were legit calls. Didn't see the third.

W-w-what?

I don't know because NBC won't show a replay.

I really haven't thought things have been that bad. Niemi's been tested a little more than I liked, but not that bad.

Let's just have all the breaks go Chicago's way and cruise to a non-dramatic sweep. Come on dealer one time?

No. 2:1 I might take. But 4:1 is way too much.

4th time in north american pro sports history. 3 times in hockey, 1 time in baseball. Did either of the hockey teams blow a 3-goal lead in game 7? Also, the No. 7 seed has home ice.

Great site. http://www.puckprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=558 That article outlines some of the things I've suspected about goaltending for some time.

Let's just lay it out. Right now, they are more or less exactly at the cap for next season, presuming it stays the same as expected. It might go down up to $1 million, but I think it's more likely that it goes up by some pocket change. RFAs (their cap hit this season) Ladd ($1.5 million) Hjalmarsson ($643,333) Jordan Hendry ($625,000) Antti Niemi ($826,875) * - arbitration eligible UFAs (cap hit this season) Madden ($2.75 million) Eager ($965,000) Burish ($712,500) Colin Fraser ($700,000) Kim Johnsson ($4,850,000) RFA compensation for 2009-2010 (based on a percentage of the cap, so if the cap is the same these should stay pretty close to the same, and it looks like I was still using old figures earlier): $994,433 or below - No Compensation $994,434 - $1,506,717 - 2010 3rd round pick $1,506,718 - $3,013,433 - 2010 2nd round pick $3,013,433 - $4,520,150 - 2010 1st round pick, 2010 3rd round pick $4,520,151 - $6,026,867 - 2010 1st round pick, 2010 2nd round pick, 2010 3rd round pick $6,026,868 - $7,533,584 - 2010 1st round pick, 2011 1st round pick, 2010 2nd round pick, 2010 3rd round pick Over $7,533,584 - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 1st round picks. You can place the players into the following categories. Almost certainly gone: Johnsson Madden Would like to have back at the same price, or could be replaced by the farm system at no loss imo: Hendry Eager Fraser Will try to keep and would hurt to lose: Niemi Burish Hjalmarsson Ladd I think we can safely say that there's absolutely no way anyone offers a second-round pick contract for Burish, or a first and third for Niemi or Hjalmarsson. If they do, that puts you in a bind because they are good players, but that's very good compensation and you laugh all the way to the draft. I'd be surprised but not completely stunned if anyone offers 1st and 3rd money to Ladd, I think you try to match up to about $3.5 million, but let him go after that. So at most, those three we would like to keep (besides Ladd) can make about $7.5 million next season. They made about $2.2 last season, so we'd just need to create $5.3 million in cap space in the worst-case scenario. Sending Huet to Rockford and replacing him with Crawford would save you about $5 million, so that should get you there. But I really don't think they'd do that. Buying out Huet replaces two years of $5.625 cap hit with four years of $1.875, a net savings of $3 million with his replacement at a low salary. That's the more likely scenario, imo. Your other cap-saving moves available to you are: Dump Sopel in a trade, if possible: Savings of $2.333 million Buyout Sopel's last year: Savings of about $1 million, presuming a minimum-price farm replacement Trade Versteeg: Savings of $3.06 million Trade Byfuglien: Savings of $3.00 million Trade Sharp: Savings of $3.9 million Summing it up: Definitely losing Madden Will either have Eager back or get a 3rd rounder for him and replace him with someone equally capable from the farm system Should almost certainly be able to keep Niemi, Burish and Hjalmarsson, and if not get a 1st and 3rd back (or a second for Burish) They might be able to keep Ladd in one of the following scenarios: Trade Sopel Niemi, Burish and Hjalmarsson come in a little on the cheap side, and you buyout Sopel Send Huet to Rockford Trade one of Versteeg or Byfuglien (preferably Byfuglien, who is mostly worthless outside of British Columbia) If not, they get back at least a 2nd rounder, possible a 1st and 3rd.

RFAs are hard to move. If it's under $2.6 million, the Blackhawks can probably fit him in, and if the offer is $2.6 million, the RFA compensation is already up to a 1st and a 3rd, which I don't think most teams will be willing to give up. Edit to fix: was using old numbers

Yes. And with the Huet buyout and Barker being moved, we only need to move one of Versteeg/Ladd/Sharp/Byfuglien, etc. The farm system lacks a true elite talent after all the elites they've promoted in recent years, but it has a *ton* of depth. Look at how well Bickell has slotted into those back lines when he's had to play, and he was rated our No. 16 prospect by hockey's future. I'm not as versed as some on the farm system, but it seems as if Skille Sweatt, Bickell, and Dowell would be ready to move into third- or fourth-line rolls immediately if need be, and Kyle Beach has first-line potential and can't be that far behind. And they have a couple of defensemen who look ready to step in soon as well. As long as the current front office remains intact and doesn't lose their touch, this team will never run out of NHL-quality farm talent.

Almost every bad team in all of sports thinks their team has a good plan for the future. It's fun to see it actually pan out for one of our teams. They went from "awful with no clue" to "awful and drafting well" to "promising young team" to back-to-back conference finals (and maybe more). This is like watching an elite Cubs team with a Hill, Patterson, Choi, Kelton top of the lineup and a Wood/Prior/Zambrano/Juan Cruz rotation.

Preferring a guaranteed gain to a non-guaranteed gain is a common cognitive bias. A penalty shot succeeds about 40% of the time. A power play succeeds about 18% of the time and concedes a shorthanded goal about 2% of the time. So by choosing the PS, you have an expected positive utility of +0.24 goals. I'm willing to wager an extra quarter of a goal adds way more win percentage, on average, than two minutes off the clock.

Would still rather have the penalty shot.

Screw it. If this happens, I'm bandwagoning this team so hard.