Last Game Talk

[gmalis1]

I'm really not concerned with home ice, hawks and avs are both combined 14 home losses. colorado actually more regular losses at home and with no shootouts in the playoffs its not that big of a deal. I think either rink the series will be 1-1 leaving the home ice and I doubt it goes to 7 games.

Yeah, gotta play raanta. He did better as a starter, but he needs some confidence if he is gonna be needed if Crow gets hurt.

We will see what the lines are like tonite, didnt like hossa and shaw at all. Kinda think Zeus will be with Hossa tonite, unless they unleash Teuvo.

It was hard to pick the three stars yesterday, should be sharp and hossa stepping up.

on a side note, I noticed Seabs was wearing an A, but nobody was wearing the C yesterday. Dont they need an acting captain or are all alternates considered the same?

Wow...Handzus didn't play. TT didn't play (and probably won't until the last game of the year). You still got Shaw with Hossa. Tough nite for anotheridiot predictions. LOL!

Gotta give credit to the Hawks. They are still scrapping away. Nice last second win. Ben Smith really playing well, as we were all clamoring for. Morin looking really good too. Raanta shaky through the first period. Played better as the game went on. I feel he's a bit undersized to be a standout goalie in the league. And he really has to work on his rebound control.

Hawks one point behind Avs, but the Avs have two games in hand. Avs play at St Louis tonight, then play against the Pens. They still have the Sharks and Ducks left as well.

Hawks only have four games left. Regular season grind coming to an end.

Kane skated yesterday and Q said he looked real good. I'm assuming Toews is skating as well, since his is an upper body (presumably elbow) injury. Would like to have some resolution in the final standings after the next two games. Then give some rest to the warhorses Sharp, Hossa, Keith, Seabrook, Hjamarlsson. That would be welcome.

 

[anotheridiot]

yeah, at least I made it home for the last goal, the radio guys were really talking up morin, said he had a jump in his step yesterday. He just needed a run of games to find some comfort. Still looks like he will crash with Bickell when they criss cross entering the zone, but he is getting pucks to the net and delivering some checks. Glad its happening in a hawks sweater and not someone elses, even though he probably wont last long. At least there is some third line production.

Kane, Toews, Hossa, Sharp, Bickell, Shaw, Saad, Krueger, Smith, Bollig are givens for the playoffs. I think Q is resting Zeus for the playoffs since he loves the vets. Theres a chance for Morin if he keeps this intensity up.

 

[gmalis1]

Wow, Brian Elliott sucks. One of the worst goaltending performances in a "statement" game that I've seen in a long time. Rebound control was absolutely horrible by him all afternoon.

Saad has a maintenance day. Kane and Toews still out of course. Hawks still win. Morin playing great with Regin and Bickell. Ben Smith doing it all again, including a nifty empty netter. Sharp lethal with the laser beam after a great pass from Morin. Even Nordstrom looked pretty good out there. Hits the post with a bullet that Kruger puts back in.

Nice game against the league leading team. Need a bit of help from the Pens tonight against the Avs, but the Pens really suck so I don't have my hopes up.

Three games left in the regular season. Hawks getting healthier, which is a good thing. Probably some maintenance days ahead for some of the players if the Hawks can't clinch higher than third in the division. The rest seems to do them good.

 

[anotheridiot]

yeah Elliot had a rough game, but he was getting hit alot. I figured what is St Louis gonna do if Miller played again and the hawks make him look mortal again with this lineup would crush his playoff confidence against this team.
I thought Mo's pass to sharp was a little early, but I guess he had to give it up so Elliot still might have thought Sharp might pass it back and thats why he didnt shift to the post. Mo is getting pucks on net, crashing the net and mixing it up with the other team when his team mates are getting hit. This is what we know he had but the Bowmans went out to find vets again. Nordstrom looked real strong, Smith was awesome, Zeus was slow and late. These kids are good enough, we will see what happens.

 

[JBM73]

Kane, Toews on the mend for Hawks - Chicago Blackhawks Blog - ESPN Chicago

 

[JBM73]

Chicago Blackhawks: Jeremy Morin Making a Mark

 

[anotheridiot]

Chicago Blackhawks: Jeremy Morin Making a Mark

Glad he is getting positive press. If he would have stuck more than two games in a row this would have come out earlier.

I am not worried about Bolligs contract, I am not even worried about Shaw or Bickells contract. We know how the Bowmans work, some of these vets are gonna be moved this offseason and having them locked up at a decent price tag just makes them more interesting to trade, not a last year contract player that is expecting to make a killing.

Just makes you wonder where this team would be if they kept Pirri, Hayes and Stanton.

 

[JBM73]

Just makes you wonder where this team would be if they kept Pirri, Hayes and Stanton.

I was never a Jimmy Hayes (or Dylan Olsen) fan, and Stanton was a victim of numbers and wouldn't really have made much of a difference if he had stayed, but trading Pirri was a definite head-scratcher - unless perhaps he asked for a trade behind the scenes.

 

[gmalis1]

I was never a Jimmy Hayes (or Dylan Olsen) fan, and Stanton was a victim of numbers and wouldn't really have made much of a difference if he had stayed, but trading Pirri was a definite head-scratcher - unless perhaps he asked for a trade behind the scenes.

In 15 games with Florida, Pirri has six goals and six assists for 12 points. Not bad considering the Hawks didn't want him.

Makes me sick that they traded him for a bag of pucks.

 

[JBM73]

Chicago Blackhawks: Ben Smith Enjoying Breakout Season

 

[anotheridiot]

In 15 games with Florida, Pirri has six goals and six assists for 12 points. Not bad considering the Hawks didn't want him.

Makes me sick that they traded him for a bag of pucks.

actually it is 18 games with florida. pirri went 6 straight games without a point, so he got a point in the other 12.

I think he is under team control one more year, so the QO will be 660k this off season, you gotta figure the hawks did not plan on extending him an offer so they figured a third rounder was better than nothing. It was probably also grease to florida for the next guy they send over and pay half his salary.

 

[anotheridiot]

I read Kaner is on the ice for the morning skate with the boys. great news that his first practices wont be the day of the opening game on the 16th.

 

[anotheridiot]

havent heard if anyone is resting or not making the trip tonight. guess we will see.

eddie O was on the game, they asked if Morin is on the playoff roster and he said it might be a numbers game. Really?first star last two games, who else is playing better on that wing? Hossa, Kane, Morin, sure sounds like a great rotation. beats brookbank or regin playing that wing. Other side you got Sharp, Saad and Bickell. fourth line should stay with Krueger and Bollig, Smith has been good on that line if he isnt centering the third line, but I havent seen a third line all year that has played better than Bickell, Smith and Morin. Third line has been an afterthought. Hope they dont wreck it with putting versteeg there.

 

[JBM73]

havent heard if anyone is resting or not making the trip tonight. guess we will see.

eddie O was on the game, they asked if Morin is on the playoff roster and he said it might be a numbers game. Really?first star last two games, who else is playing better on that wing? Hossa, Kane, Morin, sure sounds like a great rotation. beats brookbank or regin playing that wing. Other side you got Sharp, Saad and Bickell. fourth line should stay with Krueger and Bollig, Smith has been good on that line if he isnt centering the third line, but I havent seen a third line all year that has played better than Bickell, Smith and Morin. Third line has been an afterthought. Hope they dont wreck it with putting versteeg there.

For what it's worth:

NHL Starting Goalies and Line Combinations | DailyFaceoff.com

 

[anotheridiot]

For what it's worth:

NHL Starting Goalies and Line Combinations | DailyFaceoff.com

Thanks, I've been looking for something like that.

 

[gmalis1]

Versteeg will play in the first two games of the playoffs, then Q will get all pissy like he usually does and bench him in favor of Morin.

Sometimes I just don't get Q.

BTW, I see no difference in the Brandon Saad pre- and post-benching due to coaches decision. Of all the players on the team, I think he has been affected the most by being shuffled around with different linemates.

And does Q stay with Sharp-Toews-Hossa, or does he move Sharp to the second line and play Bickell or Saad on the first line left wing for the playoffs?

Just my thoughts rambling on the morning of the final regular season game.

 

[anotheridiot]

the third and fourth lines kept pressure in the washington zone, were the best two lines on the ice, and no extra shifts for them.,

terrible performance. you watched the montreal game, they skated in the zone about 10 feet and passed backwards. same thing versteeg was doing. This was the reason we did not need him after 2010, it hasnt changed but I doubt q changes his minutes much. Morin is still getting pucks to the net, but they play physical in st louis so he will break up this third line that is playing like a second line. first time all year we had an actual third line that was dangerous.

Saad will only find his game if he gets back with Toews. Thats where he plays best. You give kane sharp to snipe with shaw that will create havoc and you might have a decent second line. I hope Morin Bickell and Smith have an awesome night in nashville and throw a wrench in the plans. so much time was wasted this year, now third line seems figured out and it will be split up if they dont get a big nite.

 

[gmalis1]

Well, I wouldn't put too much credence in last night's game in Washington. The Hawks looked disinterested with no place in the standings to go. And with your three best players sitting out (Kane, Toews, Keith) the Hawks struggled making idiotic plays all night long and generating very little offensively.

Crawford didn't help his team out one bit. The first goal, a power play snipe by Ovechkin, was just awful. Geez, get to the damn post. Ovechkin had about a four inch window between Crow and the post and sure enough, he got it there. But Crawford had plenty of time to get there. He just didn't.

The third goal by Backstrom was worse. Backstrom was below the goal line, he throws the puck at the net, it hits Crawford in the damn back and goes in. Thanks a lot Corey. Just terrible.

Anyways, hope he gets it out of his system before the playoffs. If those goals occur then, we're in big trouble.

Don't expect ANYTHING in the way of any excitement tonight. If Q is smart (which this year, I doubt) he gives the night off to almost anyone of any consequence. See Brookbank play a wing. OOOOH, I can't wait (audible groan). Surely, Rundblad, Roszival get to play D. Would love to see Keith, Seabrook and Hjamarlsson all get a night off (especially Hammer). Regin will play again. Would actually like to see Hossa, Sharp and Shaw all get the evening off. They could use it.

I'm chalking up another Hawks loss tonight, but reading absolutely nothing into it. The REAL season starts next week.

Laughing hysterically that the crappy Blues have put themselves into the situation they are in. Win or lose the division crown. Personally, I'd like to see the Hawks play the Blues first. Avs have a speedy team with an all world goalie in Varmalov. And a high altitude that sucks the oxygen out of the Hawks. Ryan Miller doesn't scare me at all...and the Blues have plenty of injured and banged up players that the Hawks might miss.

 

[gmalis1]

Oh, and for those interested...Kane AND Toews skated today together back in Chicago. Looks like they are both ready to go. Hopefully the rest did some good.

 

[gmalis1]

This just in...scratches for tonights game----Keith, Hjamarlsson, Kruger, Handzus.