Detroit Red Wings 2008
Pittsburgh Penguins 2009
- LeftCoaster

Yup, bottom line is that you have to outscore the other team. They might out hit you and act tougher, but that doesn't matter. The Hawks last year weren't exactly a big, gritty team either like the Kings or Bruins. They played a skilled, speed and puck possession game and dominated.

Detroit Red Wings 2008
Pittsburgh Penguins 2009
- LeftCoaster

And i will be a total homer sour grape and say that if the series was called even marginally fair we would have raised the cup.

Am I the only one thoroughly disappointed in the fact that our draft tomorrow is on during the breaking bad series finally
- vancity787

I have no idea when it starts...

No, but you're the only one who doesn't have pvr/dvr.
- dshiddy

Thank God for PVR's.

Yup, bottom line is that you have to outscore the other team. They might out hit you and act tougher, but that doesn't matter. The Hawks last year weren't exactly a big, gritty team either like the Kings or Bruins. They played a skilled, speed and puck possession game and dominated.
- Nucker101

They (Hawks) stayed healthy and beat the Big Bad Bruins with a skill game, which no one thought they could do.

Yup, bottom line is that you have to outscore the other team. They might out hit you and act tougher, but that doesn't matter. The Hawks last year weren't exactly a big, gritty team either like the Kings or Bruins. They played a skilled, speed and puck possession game and dominated.
- Nucker101

No but if someone punched Toews 5 times in the face Toews would hit back and the team would not stand for it.

Thank God for PVR's.
- Nucker101

Wicked Tuna marathon today

No but if someone punched Toews 5 times in the face Toews would hit back and the team would not stand for it.
- VANTEL

We didn't lose the Cup because Marchand punched Daniel (who's a big pussie) in the face. We lost because we couldn't score to save our lives. Hello Mike Gillis!!!

They (Hawks) stayed healthy and beat the Big Bad Bruins with a skill game, which no one thought they could do.
- LeftCoaster

I definitely thought they could do it, the numbers simply favoured them and showed that they were the team to beat. There's isn't any one way to win the cup IMO, it's just about having a good team and good system in place. I don't understand why someone people continue to insist that you need a certain amount of "X"(in this case toughness) to win a cup.

They (Hawks) stayed healthy and beat the Big Bad Bruins with a skill game, which no one thought they could do.
- LeftCoaster

Hawks were not a bruising team but they were not soft . Their players could defend themselves except for Kane

Tessier coming back to blog for the Nucks??? Check out the Jets blog.

Hawks were not a bruising team but they were not soft . Their players could defend themselves except for Kane
- VANTEL

I still maintain we lost because we couldn't score.

No but if someone punched Toews 5 times in the face Toews would hit back and the team would not stand for it.
- VANTEL

Would punching him back help us score on the PP in that series? Yes they beat us up, but they also outplayed the Canucks at their own game which is why they won. The Bruins wanted to push the Hawks around to(during the play), but the Hawks were simply faster and better and stuck to their system and game.

Tessier coming back to blog for the Nucks??? Check out the Jets blog.
- LeftCoaster

I wouldn't mind that at all.

Hawks were not a bruising team but they were not soft . Their players could defend themselves except for Kane
- VANTEL

After the whistle BS has nothing to do with scoring IMO. I still stand by my stance since that series ended that we simply lost due to a lack of secondary scoring, composure and adjustments. They outplayed us, not just because they were tougher but their actual hockey play was better.

I still maintain we lost because we couldn't score.
- LeftCoaster

I agree scoring screwed us. We were not tough enough to go to the dirty areas and battle for dirty goals. Kind of hard to score when you are always along the boards.

I am sure if we had Parros we would have still lost ,but if we had a guy like Clowe at that time it could have been different.

After the whistle BS has nothing to do with scoring IMO. I still stand by my stance since that series ended that we simply lost due to a lack of secondary scoring, composure and adjustments. They outplayed us, not just because they were tougher but their actual hockey play was better.
- Nucker101

Secondary Scoring was our second problem . Primary scoring was our first issue.

I agree scoring screwed us. We were not tough enough to go to the dirty areas and battle for dirty goals. Kind of hard to score when you are always along the boards.

I am sure if we had Parros we would have still lost ,but if we had a guy like Clowe at that time it could have been different.
- VANTEL

That I can agree with. A tough guy on the 3rd or 4th line wouldn't have made a big difference, but another legit top 6 forward would have.

I definitely thought they could do it, the numbers simply favoured them and showed that they were the team to beat. There's isn't any one way to win the cup IMO, it's just about having a good team and good system in place. I don't understand why someone people continue to insist that you need a certain amount of "X"(in this case toughness) to win a cup.
- Nucker101

Don't forget that here is also an element of luck (i.e. staying healthy, getting some bounces, fair officiating *cough cough* etc etc)

After the whistle BS has nothing to do with scoring IMO. I still stand by my stance since that series ended that we simply lost due to a lack of secondary scoring, composure and adjustments. They outplayed us, not just because they were tougher but their actual hockey play was better.
- Nucker101

AV was badly out-coached

Secondary Scoring was our second problem . Primary scoring was our first issue.
- VANTEL

Primary scoring was the Hawks problems at times last season during an entire playoff series. They still won without primary scoring because they had 3 lines that could actually score and a decent 4th line. Very few 1st line players ever go through an entire cup run without having a cold streak.

Secondary Scoring was our second problem . Primary scoring was our first issue.
- VANTEL

The two are inextricably linked - you rarely get quality scoring from your first line without quality scoring from your second (and even third lines).

Teams will simply concentrate on shutting down the first unit.

For anyone interested, there is one spot still open in the HB Canucks pool tomorrow. Draft is tomorrow night. 20 teams, you keep most of your roster year to year. If interested please PM me or Fosco with your email.

Would punching him back help us score on the PP in that series? Yes they beat us up, but they also outplayed the Canucks at their own game which is why they won. The Bruins wanted to push the Hawks around to(during the play), but the Hawks were simply faster and better and stuck to their system and game.
- Nucker101

Hockey like most sports has a lot to do with Mindset.Once you get dominated in one part of your game it does not take long before it spreads to every part of your game.

Bruins started to feel they could beat the Canucks in evrything. The first two games the Canucks did everything it took to win and somewhere aftetr that they lost their mojo.

Hockey like most sports has a lot to do with Mindset.Once you get dominated in one part of your game it does not take long before it spreads to every part of your game.

Bruins started to feel they could beat the Canucks in evrything. The first two games the Canucks did everything it took to win and somewhere aftetr that they lost their mojo.
- VANTEL

A lot of that has to do with coaching as well IMO. I agree that mental toughness was a bigger issue than physical toughness.