Goalie pads are WAY bigger now, and overall there are more good tenders around the league (fins, swedes) when comparing eras it beneficial to look at average goals per game league wide and factor that into calculations.
- rollpards19

that was my first answer/argument also...overall improvement in both equipment and talent at the goalie position...also big improvement in team and individual defense?

And I think gretzky had over 200 points a few times. unbelievable
- tomcat24

yeah...4 of them....that guys goals and pts records can't see ever being broken...

not with the way the gme is today.

for gods sake gretsky had 10 150 plus pt seasons

I agree about columbus. They are somewhat similar and could shut down our forwards like phoenix did. I agree about bob. But all he has to be is solid like smith was. It waa the phoenix team game that beat the Hawks like Columbus. St Louis scares me because we won't get out of that series totally healthy. We should beat the blues but our team will be beat up and at a disadvantage in rd 2
- tomcat24

The only team that should scare anyone for the Hawks to face in the playoffs is LA. Now that's a team that can grind the Hawks down to nothing.

I pray the Canucks face LA before we do and perhaps through some stroke of luck they are able to knock them out. Rather have another exciting Nucks/Hawks series.

The only team that should scare anyone for the Hawks to face in the playoffs is LA. Now that's a team that can grind the Hawks down to nothing.

I pray the Canucks face LA before we do and perhaps through some stroke of luck they are able to knock them out. Rather have another exciting Nucks/Hawks series.
- teh_HAWKZ

THIS. LA is terrifying

Also, Western Conference home ice throughout, gotta love it

The only team that should scare anyone for the Hawks to face in the playoffs is LA. Now that's a team that can grind the Hawks down to nothing.

I pray the Canucks face LA before we do and perhaps through some stroke of luck they are able to knock them out. Rather have another exciting Nucks/Hawks series.
- teh_HAWKZ

It's the NHL...any team can beat any other club in any round. I expect to be nervous for every game.

The playoffs will, like always, provide us with thrills, chills and surprises.

One game at a time, one round at a time...hope for the best.

Go Hawks.

And who would have thunk it...

Chicago Blackhawks
Western Conference Champions

...with 6 games left on the schedule.

Simply amazing season...even with it being shortened.

soft goals??? take a look at the 2 goals allowed by the new 5 million/yr wings goalie tonight in a must win situation...

And who would have thunk it...

Chicago Blackhawks
Western Conference Champions

...with 6 games left on the schedule.

Simply amazing season...even with it being shortened.
- ArlingtonRob

interesting to see how the team and Q handles these last 6 gmes; only 3 have playoff implications...blues, yotes and nucks

Hawks might have something to say about that...they play the blues in the season finale; how about a scenario where a blues loss in regulation means they are out...what fun!!
- bogiedoc

Blues remaining games are at home except for one. They will move up to at least 6th, maybe higher. Playing all non playoff teams except the Hawks.

Once the Hawks clinch first overall in West on Friday I don't want to see much of Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith etc. Bring up a bunch of the Icehogs and let them play out the rest of the schedule, play Sharp back into shape.

It's the NHL...any team can beat any other club in any round. I expect to be nervous for every game.

The playoffs will, like always, provide us with thrills, chills and surprises.

One game at a time, one round at a time...hope for the best.

Go Hawks.
- ArlingtonRob

Exactly. Playoffs are not the regular season. Every game is huge. Every game will scare me. We SHOULD have beat Phoenix. I wanted that match-up, but their team D shut down our attack and crawford was mentally weak. There is nothing you can do with a weak goalie.

soft goals??? take a look at the 2 goals allowed by the new 5 million/yr wings goalie tonight in a must win situation...
- bogiedoc

Those were something else...

Perhaps one every now and then, but 2 in one game...one HUGE game...? Simply wow.

Blues remaining games are at home except for one. They will move up to at least 6th, maybe higher. Playing all non playoff teams except the Hawks.

Once the Hawks clinch first overall in West on Friday I don't want to see much of Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith etc. Bring up a bunch of the Icehogs and let them play out the rest of the schedule, play Sharp back into shape.
- RickJ

they have clinched with ducks only getting a pt tonight....

do you really want to go into hibernation and rest players and lose that gme edge...plus a couple of those gmes do have playoff implications

Blues remaining games are at home except for one. They will move up to at least 6th, maybe higher. Playing all non playoff teams except the Hawks.

Once the Hawks clinch first overall in West on Friday I don't want to see much of Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith etc. Bring up a bunch of the Icehogs and let them play out the rest of the schedule, play Sharp back into shape.
- RickJ

It's a done deal Rick...Ducks lose did it.

they have clinched with ducks only getting a pt tonight....

do you really want to go into hibernation and rest players and lose that gme edge...plus a couple of those gmes do have playoff implications
- bogiedoc

I bet they all play every game, the only question being the last game against the Blues, but I would still have them play. Hell, they could get hurt working out. When it comes down to it, players play

The hawk offense really worries me lately. We vastly outplay the other team and control play, yet most games have come down to a goal. We just can't put teams away. The longer a game goes In the Playoffs, the more I don't trust our goalies. I still expect them to eventually let in a softie

Exactly. Playoffs are not the regular season. Every game is huge. Every game will scare me. We SHOULD have beat Phoenix. I wanted that match-up, but their team D shut down our attack and crawford was mentally weak. There is nothing you can do with a weak goalie.
- tomcat24

Last year was nothing like this year though...I definitely have more confidence in this years Hawks club.

Last season...not so much, especially after that awful losing streak. What was it? something like 9 games with only a point?

The hawk offense really worries me lately. We vastly outplay the other team and control play, yet most games have come down to a goal. We just can't put teams away. The longer a game goes In the Playoffs, the more I don't trust our goalies. I still expect them to eventually let in a softie
- tomcat24

Lately the Hawks have been relentless despite seemingly not scoring off of enough chances. They continue to beat desperate teams when they have little to play for at this point.

Relentless is a good thing, and a word I haven't considered applying to the Hawks in several years.

I think the drought is finally over...at least in this part of the midwest.

Wet enough for ya?

Last year was nothing like this year though...I definitely have more confidence in this years Hawks club.

Last season...not so much, especially after that awful losing streak. What was it? something like 9 games with only a point?
- ArlingtonRob

Yeah guess ur right. Being long-suffering fans I guess we still expect the bottom to come out. This year they only played like crap 2 games in a row. But it all comes down to who we draw in each round

The hawk offense really worries me lately. We vastly outplay the other team and control play, yet most games have come down to a goal. We just can't put teams away. The longer a game goes In the Playoffs, the more I don't trust our goalies. I still expect them to eventually let in a softie
- tomcat24

They have a significant lead over every other team in the West in goals despite having a horrid PP. They have not been shut out. Amazingly, their save percentage against is way above league average, so statistically one would expect the west's best offense to score even more as that number regresses to the mean

CCM tacks were the dominant skate of the era when Orr played. They were made of kangaroo leather which is softer and stretches more than cowhide. Buy them as tight as you can stand them and they would break in to the form of your foot. A lot of hockey players at all levels would wear those skates barefoot. And when you would get them just right you could have a shoemaker put stitching in the sides and make them more stiff and give more support. Common practice back in the day. Some guys would even put them on and step into a bucket of water and then go skate to break them in.
- 6628

Shows you how old i am. I did this, with Tacks.

Shows you how old i am. I did this, with Tacks.
- John Jaeckel

I too wore 'Super' Tacks, which were lighter than Baur Supremes but didn't have the protection Baur offered. I wore size 11 shoes but the Tacks I bought were size 9, they fit like a second skin but man did I know it if I took a shot off the foot! Also the Tacks I wore had tube blades with a little white plastic cap that screwed into the back. I remember getting my new Tacks tying them on and putting my feet in a tub full of hot water, putting the blade protectors on and walking around until the boots were completely dry.

I must sound like my Old Man who used to tell me those stories of walking to school 10 miles, up hill ... BOTH WAYS!

Wings lost in Calgary last night while the Ducks dropped one to the Jackets in OT on the coast. Would rather face the Wings or the Wild in the first. Jackets look good - young team great goalie nothing to lose.

The Blues will pound away at the Hawks and while not enough top end scoring talent they would certainly put a licking on some of our top guys over a long series.

Still only 6 points separating 5 teams with only a few games left.

This is NONSENSE....NOBODY SHUT DOWN GRETZ and a guy with bad knees 'would have'

- philco28

Orr with bad knees could outskate EVERY single player he played against. One on one coverage, Gretzky would be Pwned by Orr.

I remember seeing a Hockey Night In Canada game with the Bruins and Canadiens, the Bruins got a penalty and off the face off Orr got the puck. He skated into Montreal's zone, around everyone when he got to the net the Hab players he had deked around were all converging on him. Orr skated the puck back to his end then made another rush into Montreal's zone. As he skated around a Hab player hacked his hand and Orr's glove fell off. Orr, still with the puck, skated back to his end with Hab players still hacking at him. Orr circled his own net back into Montreal's zone skated by his glove, picked it up, put it on and contiued to rag the puck and killed the penalty single handed. We're talking about his peers, not him playing against a group of Beer leaguers. Yes Gretzky was great but Orr was hands down the best player this game has seen.