So did I
- John Jaeckel

Glad I wasn't the only one. I was on the road watching the NBC Sports Feed, and they never showed replays of any of them...did Comcast replay any of them?

I thought the best forward on the ice for either team was Jason Zucker. I don't think I've ever noticed this kid before but man he was explosive last night.

Ok, ok...I'll stop...
- EKolb13

Wasn't directed at you specifically, but that one troll got like 15 responses.

Be better than that Hawk fans.

Q hesitant and non-committal about seeing emery or bolland in G2; looks to me like they are both out again!

Wasn't directed at you specifically, but that one troll got like 15 responses.

Be better than that Hawk fans.
- Ogilthorpe2

Speaking of Trolls. Remember all those Nuck trolls after last Monday's game.

Turns out the injury Schneider suffered that game put him out for game 1 tonight.

Luongo gave up 7 his last game while they rested half the team. For some reason AV refused to pull him.

Whether Luongo plays well or not the Schneider injury alone shows karma is a beeeaatch.

Prove it differently. I don't trust Bettman at all, and his office is as crooked as they come.
- powerenforcer

Knicks got Ewing.

It was very bad officiating - regardless of what team you support. The offsides calls alone were aggravating - but there so many poorly handled situations during the game - bad calls and even worse non-calls.

Agreed - Tim Peel is easily the worst referee in the NHL. He seems committed to inserting himself as a focal point for attention in the game - which is an indication of an overly large ego.
- Chief4Feathers

People say the same thing about Ed Hochuli in the NFL

The rule is if the ref can't locate the puck; he blows the whistle, but does that apply to players other than goalie sprawling out to smother the puck outside the crease? If so then the call is correct.

However I think that should be penalty as much as gloving the puck in the crease. A player should not be able to cover the puck with his body.
- bogiedoc

I think you are correct about the rule.

Problem is intent: my guess (only my guess) is the if someone "deliberately" falls on the puck to try to get a whistle, the ref could call delay of game.

But unlike gloving the puck in the crease, which is usually an obviously deliberate play, it would be hard to definitively determine that a play deliberately is trying to hide the puck beneath him.

Wasn't directed at you specifically, but that one troll got like 15 responses.

Be better than that Hawk fans.
- Ogilthorpe2

Hi Ogi!

I don't know about Hjalmarsson making Seabrook expendable. Depending on whee the cap ends up after next season, it could make somebody else expendable, like some certain team pizza delivery guy who will have a year left on his deal and at that time could be dumped to a team looking to hit the cap floor.

Another guy that could be part of that development group to watch is Dahlbeck. He's a steady guy who looks responsible in his own end and will block shots. I don't think he'll have any offensive upside, but I could see him being a bottom paring defensive defensman.
- EKolb13

More than likely he will stay but just wanted to put that out there.....two years is a long time.

I listened to the game via WGN, and perhaps Troy Murray is a homer (I don't believe he is), but he was not thrilled with the entire officiating crew last night. Troy thought the linesmen were off many times...

...and he was really displeased with the wiped out goal. Did not understand how the play could be whistled dead with the puck under Spurgeon, NOT Harding. Should not have been a whistle...it was a good goal.
- ArlingtonRob

Wiped out goal was a bad call, he wasn't checked onto the puck, he fell on it on purpose, should have been delay of game. The puck was under him for quite a time, so I didn't really mind the whistle. I thought the worst call of the night was on a Toews and Hossa give and go at the blue line in OT. That was a slick play and I rewound it, and they were onsides, with Hossa going to get a wide open look with Toews crashing the net, that was a bad one to miss. There was also another bad call on Kane.

Kane was strong but Handzus didn't help much....Sharp looks rusty and he is shooting dead center too much.

Blackhawks dodge big bullet, take Game 1 in OT win over the Wild - My Fox Chicago:http://bit.ly/12VC8OR
- Al

He looked scared to get caught anywhere, and was way too hesitant going to corners and helping out. Thought he was bad last night, really wasted a night where Kane was on top of his game. They pretty much can't play Stoner because our RW's are the fastest/best in the league

Like I said earlier - orders came from NHL offices to make a series out of it. I just hope we don't see another Clint Malarchuk episode by allowing Wild players to cruise the crease as easily as they did.
- powerenforcer

I just can't go that far...I don't believe there are orders from on high. Too conspiratorial for my blood. I just think there's poor officiating at times and when it effects one club negatively, those fans smell a conspiracy.

Besides, I don't think the NHL front office is that devious, omnipotent or smart enough to make the conspiracy work.

And if you do believe the league manipulates officiating is this manner, why watch the games?

I have wondered about this and what the effects are of sound adjustments in each building. Just watching on TV, it seemed dead for a playoff game and there were opportunities for the crowd to get behind the Hawks when they were carrying the play in 2nd and 3rd periods. Then i would flip to STL game on intermission/breaks and that atmosphere was night and day. It's sad if that's the effect of success and higher ticket prices that the average blue collar fan can't afford but I hope its not the case.

I remember someone talking about how they can adjust the sound and the UC is such a large building that the sound you hear at home doesn't give it justice. I don't know, could've just been BS. Sure sounded laid back though last night on NBCSN feed
- Sconnie

Broadcasting teams set up microphones to capture crowd noise, hits against the board, and other "sounds of the rink", and they can control the audio mix to determine how much or how little of that the audience hears at home. There's really no way to tell for sure without being there or seeing how people in the stands are acting. That being said, it did sound quiet on television last night.

Without question the 3rd and 4th lines brought energy, not denying that at all. However, the 4th line energy came from Kruger and Frolik while Bollig came along for the ride.

Just saying that adding Bolland to the 4th would make it even harder for teams to play against.
- teh_HAWKZ

I completely agree. I do not see the point of suiting up Bollig for this series. He does not hit enough and is no threat to score. I would rather suit up Morin or Smith and roll for speedy lines to wear out the Wild D-men. Maybe in a later series against LA or STL you may need a bruiser but the Hawks already proved that speed is the best weapon against the Wild.

Broadcasting teams set up microphones to capture crowd noise, hits against the board, and other "sounds of the rink", and they can control the audio mix to determine how much or how little of that the audience hears at home. There's really no way to tell for sure without being there or seeing how people in the stands are acting. That being said, it did sound quiet on television last night.
- Lash8

So any of us on here that went to the game last night can answer that for us. It did feel dead, although I had just got back from my daughters softball game and we were trying to get 2 kids to sleep. Anyone go to the game?

I just can't go that far...I don't believe there are orders from on high. Too conspiratorial for my blood. I just think there's poor officiating at times and when it effects one club negatively, those fans smell a conspiracy.

Besides, I don't think the NHL front office is that devious, omnipotent or smart enough to make the conspiracy work.

And if you do believe the league manipulates officiating is this manner, why watch the games?
- ArlingtonRob

When I look at a league office that can't seem to figure out how to streamline labor negotiations OR hand out consistent discipline for player safety violations, I have a hard time believing that they'd have the skill and resources to be able to control the outcome of games.

EDIT: ...unless that's what they WANT us to think!

Prove it differently. I don't trust Bettman at all, and his office is as crooked as they come.
- powerenforcer

hahaha. so that's how it works? you make a wild accusation and it is automatically true until somebody else can prove it wrong?

your posts continue to blow my mind.

I completely agree. I do not see the point of suiting up Bollig for this series. He does not hit enough and is no threat to score. I would rather suit up Morin or Smith and roll for speedy lines to wear out the Wild D-men. Maybe in a later series against LA or STL you may need a bruiser but the Hawks already proved that speed is the best weapon against the Wild.
- waitforawhistle

Smith and Morin have not been here all year. Don't think the Hawks need to get desperate, they will go with what they have.

Hi Ogi!
- UnnamedSource

Good afternoon

I completely agree. I do not see the point of suiting up Bollig for this series. He does not hit enough and is no threat to score. I would rather suit up Morin or Smith and roll for speedy lines to wear out the Wild D-men. Maybe in a later series against LA or STL you may need a bruiser but the Hawks already proved that speed is the best weapon against the Wild.
- waitforawhistle

He hit Suter like 3 times pretty hard last night, I thought he played really well

Like I said earlier - orders came from NHL offices to make a series out of it. I just hope we don't see another Clint Malarchuk episode by allowing Wild players to cruise the crease as easily as they did.
- powerenforcer

Martyr much?. The preposterous notion that if somehow the Blackhawks lose a few games or god forbid somehow lose the series, you're going to chalk it up to the "NHL offices" ordering officials to make a "series out of it" is utterly pathetic.

Dude, you're ridiculous, you should be ashamed to be this ridiculous. Get a grip, there are bad calls, non calls and missed calls in virtually EVERY NHL game. Chicago not strangers to this phenomenon.

Like it or not the Hawks are a good team, but they are not the greatest team of all time. Some Chicago fans talking like this is the 80's Russian olympic team against some college players. Chicago can be beaten and they can be beaten by the Wild without some martyristic conspiratards theory that the only way they can win is by way of the officials slanting the ice. Get real.

I think you are correct about the rule.

Problem is intent: my guess (only my guess) is the if someone "deliberately" falls on the puck to try to get a whistle, the ref could call delay of game.

But unlike gloving the puck in the crease, which is usually an obviously deliberate play, it would be hard to definitively determine that a play deliberately is trying to hide the puck beneath him.
- StLBravesFan

If a player other than the goalie is sprawled out on the ice above the crease, and making no effort to get back on his skates while the puck is under him, that is without a doubt Delay of Game.

Not sure if it's in the rules, but it should be. Players should be attempting to get back on their skates if they have fallen to the ice. If they remain on the ice, AND conceal the puck in a dangerous area, it's either delay of game or subjects them to hell on earth while players dig for the puck.

I'm stickin' with Troy that it was 1) a bad call, and 2) a good goal.

Prove it differently. I don't trust Bettman at all, and his office is as crooked as they come.
- powerenforcer

Prove it differently I don't have x-ray vision. Stating a claim and saying disprove it does not make it true

He hit Suter like 3 times pretty hard last night, I thought he played really well
- rollpards19

I agree. He really showed improvement from those last reg season games.

I wouldn't make a change unless he makes some glaring error. He brought it to Suter and played his role well last night.