Give the Hawks the Cup

[elocomotive]

They are going to win it.

I mean, sure, everybody still has a chance. But the Sharks are pretty done now. The Flyers can't beat this team. I'd say the Habs have a slim chance IF they beat Philly, but that would likely go to 7 anyway. Only so many times you can take a series to 7 games, squeak out a win, and still have enough in the tank to take on a team with more and deeper talent.

So congrats, Hawks.

I'll be the first to put it out there. And if they don't win, feel free to bump this thread in perpetuity and make me look like an ass.

 

[scottflyers88]

just curious. the flyers beat the hawks in the regular season. i know it is postseason. and why do you give montreal the better chance at winning against the hawks?

 

[Automattic]

Or the Hawks lose in the SCF and complete another step in their journey to win a cup, possibly next year...

 

[pixburgher66]

i think the only way they don't lose is if montreal continues. philly's style just doesn't match up as well, and the hawks are clicking together at the right time.

 

[scottflyers88]

they have hossa though. just kidding.

 

[GagneFire12]

A lot of people assumed Washington and Pittsburgh would dismantle the Habs. Tis' why the games are played.

 

[DerringerEagle]

A lot of people assumed Washington and Pittsburgh would dismantle the Habs. Tis' why the games are played.

Yes, but Western Conference teams are built a little differently. Given what I have seen in the ECF so far, whoever makes it out of that series is going to get steamrolled I'm afraid.

 

[elocomotive]

You're right, Gagne. But I'm a gun jumper. And I was not one of the people who thought the Caps would dismantle the Habs.

 

[IPostedWhat]

It's just like the Oilers a few years back as the 8th seed. They put on one hell of a performance to get the the Final, but you knew the winner would still come out of the East.

It just sucks that it had to be Carolina.

 

[scottflyers88]

well i predicted the west to win last year. whoever wins the west will be the favorite no matter what the matchup is. hopefully if the flyers can make it and have a healthy team they will have enough depth and defense.

and whoever thinks you need an elite goalie to win the cup is wrong. check out the goalies left. who would have thought in the beginning of the year the goalies left would be halak, leighton, niemi, and nabakov.

 

[dash]

they have hossa though. just kidding.

He actually played quite well tonight (I was flipping between this game and the Mem Cup game). Of course, he usually plays one good game per series, so he'll coast until game two or three of the SCF now.

 

[DerringerEagle]

well i predicted the west to win last year. whoever wins the west will be the favorite no matter what the matchup is. hopefully if the flyers can make it and have a healthy team they will have enough depth and defense.

and whoever thinks you need an elite goalie to win the cup is wrong. check out the goalies left. who would have thought in the beginning of the year the goalies left would be halak, leighton, niemi, and nabakov.

Even at full health, Hawks are far deeper than Philly are, up front and defense.

 

[scottflyers88]

i know they are which is why i said they would be favorites. i think the flyers do have a better top 4 on defense though. and if carter is healthy i do not think the hawks have a huge edge on offense. however the flyers still have work to do and it might be montreal in the finals.

i just do not know why people would say the flyers have no chance and the canadiens do. the canadiens have a weaker defense, and are smaller up front. if they played the hawks i think they would just get pushed around.

 

[pixburgher66]

i know they are which is why i said they would be favorites. i think the flyers do have a better top 4 on defense though. and if carter is healthy i do not think the hawks have a huge edge on offense. however the flyers still have work to do and it might be montreal in the finals.

i just do not know why people would say the flyers have no chance and the canadiens do. the canadiens have a weaker defense, and are smaller up front. if they played the hawks i think they would just get pushed around.

you see...i'd agree with that if it weren't for the Carle and Pronger show last night...anyway, i do agree with you, there IS a reason they play the games! it's just that the hawks match up VERY well against both teams. they play a puck possession game (something which works very well against the flyers) and i think they're too big and fast for montreal to trap to death.

 

[scottflyers88]

i agree. well, pronger and carle were pretty bad last night although that was pretty much their first bad game this postseason so i am not going to really say anything bad about them.

i also said the east will be underdogs and they will.

 

[DerringerEagle]

i know they are which is why i said they would be favorites. i think the flyers do have a better top 4 on defense though. and if carter is healthy i do not think the hawks have a huge edge on offense. however the flyers still have work to do and it might be montreal in the finals.

i just do not know why people would say the Flyers have no chance and the canadiens do. the canadiens have a weaker defense, and are smaller up front. if they played the hawks i think they would just get pushed around.

The one thing Game 3 of the ECF showed is the Flyers have a big problem with speed. They can't hit what they can't catch and when they have to chase teams around the ice they start taking penalties. I think the ones who aid the Habs had a chance and the Flyers didn't may have been looking at it from that aspect. Montreal would have a better time keeping up with the game pace? I don't know.

That being said I personally think Philly would stand a better chance in the Finals with the Hawks. Pronger vs. Toewes and Big Buff should be fun to see.

 

[scottflyers88]

i see their point of view. obviously i am biased. and i do agree either team in the east will have their work to do. the problem with last game though is that the flyers just seemed very lazy. montreal does have speed although the flyers did not do simple things like making passes, or breaking out of their zone. the flyers did win against the hawks in the regular season and it was a great game. possibly the best game for the flyers all regular season. i do not know if the canadiens or flyers could keep up with that pace for a series.

 

[GagneFire12]

I think the Flyers matchup better with Chicago. The Shark Tank has been a house of horrors for Philadelphia the last ten years. Now, either way, it's not a good matchup. The Flyers would have the edge in a few categories, but on paper the Hawks would be the clear favorite.

Of course, this is only relevant if the Flyers actually dispatch Montreal (and right now, the series is a toss up).

 

[Comeds]

I think the Sharks played pretty well tonight, and they still lost. When they lose this series, this is one year I dont think they choked.

The Blackhawks are just better IMO.

And I agree with DE, in fact on another site I used the same word he did and posted that either east team is likely to get "steamrolled" by Chicago.

But you never know.

 

[elocomotive]

The Blackhawks are just better IMO. .

Yeah, I agree. I really thought the Conf. finals this year would be the Hawks over the Sharks and the Caps over the Pens. I was right in the West, but boy was I wrong in the East!

If I offended any Flyers/Habs fans, I'm sorry, it's just my opinion. As someone stated, that's why they play the games.

But it does remind me a little of the Caps' fun in '98. All the big faves went down in the East, the team got hot, and we made the SCF. But we knew the party was over then. I think the Flyers/Habs have a shot against the Hawks, but I think it's slim.

It seems to me that over the years, anything can happen in first two rounds, but things tend to follow chalk from the semis on in. Not always true. I think that is a function of a team being hot sometimes, and that can only be sustained for so long.

That said, if the Habs were to somehow win it all over the Caps, Pens, Flyers, and Hawks, I would think that's a top 5 cinderella story in hockey lore. I'll be rooting for them.