Sharp, Steeger, Bollig out......

Mills, Broadhurst Bros. in.....
- UnnamedSource

fixed

Sharp, Steeger, Bollig out......

Mills, Mashintor, LeBlanc in.....
- UnnamedSource

Leblanc is off to an early start skating like Zus...he'd be quite the show in this series

Yep, liked the D pairings quite a bit, especially Keith and Hjalmarsson, 38 and 32 minutes TOI respectively, leading the team by far.
- John Jaeckel

Rozsival looked like a new man out there last night. Not sure why exactly. Maybe Savvy knows.

I love what Freddy does...does so many of the little things right & competes hard
- grinder10

Krugs is awesome. Wish he'd SHOOT the biscuit more.
Dude has a nice shot, but won't use it.

Rozsival looked like a new man out there last night. Not sure why exactly. Maybe Savvy knows.
- RickJ

Rozy has looked much better the past two games. Hyperbaric chamber in the Hawks locker room?

These playoff games I'm CONVINCED take years off of your life:

- Blood pressure
- More booze
- Lack of sleep
- Nerves

The whole shebang! Things Doctors tell you DO NOT DO happen during these games! []
- CaptainBlackhawk

For some of us, we're smoking a lot more too.
- EKolb13

So true Eli.

Rozsival looked like a new man out there last night. Not sure why exactly. Maybe Savvy knows.
- RickJ

I think Q, did the Seabrook/Hammer flip flop last year against the Kings, did he not? Or was it against Detroit. Seabrook seems to stabilize Oduya, Hammer and Keith can be really effective against times with outside speed.

And one thing they have shown the rest of the league - exactly where Jonathan Quick is vulnerable. He's very,very average when you shoot it upstairs on him.
- RickJ

the hawks didn't "show" anyone anything new last night. teams have known that's where he's vulnerable. the hard part is getting in tight enough to make that shot or make that shot on a rebound.

its like saying "we have to have traffic in front of him"...yeah him and every other goalie in the league.

and judging by pearson's shot, crawford must be very very very average when you shoot it upstairs on him.

I would also point out that Cro needs to get his emotions under control. On many of the goal allowed, we see him reacting negatively and with too many gestures. A clear sign of frustration and something we are not used to seeing from him. Somebody also pointed out that he has played almost 80 games this season - higher than in past seasons. So fatigue may be setting in for him. Tighten up the D in front - i.e. fewer fire drills in the crease where he is down on his knees trying to locate the puck - and we will be in a great position.
- ksilvy58

76 games to be precise for this year...
129 since January of last year with 40 playoff games...

that is alot work of the high stress variety

but he did miss a month with a groin injury and the 3 week olympic break...

the hawks didn't "show" anyone anything new last night. teams have known that's where he's vulnerable. the hard part is getting in tight enough to make that shot or make that shot on a rebound.

its like saying "we have to have traffic in front of him"...yeah him and every other goalie in the league.

and judging by pearson's shot, crawford must be very very very average when you shoot it upstairs on him.
- hiway39

as is just about every goalie including the avg Johnie B Quick...he slithers so low to the ice he is almost part of it

Speaking of, I would kill to fire Kompon and hire Oates as an assistant and power play coach
- FourFeathers773

Q's drinking buddy....Sadly, I think Kompon stays. Best home ice PP %. Trust me, I'd drive him to the airport when it does. happen.

On the surface I may agree, but we know what Q can get out of this team. We have no idea if Babcock can do the same.
- paulr

Babcock is a magician. Great coach. Love him. Only one I would take over Q.

One good game and all of the sudden we're putting this "new" line in competition with Detroit's "Production Line" of the 50's.

One bad deflection in the last 40 minutes and I don't think we're this positive about Shaw/Saad/Kane.

Remember: this is the same Shaw who was called the stupidest player in the league here just 24 hours ago. The same Shaw who had not really succeeded in previous 2C tries.

This is the same Saad that we've been calling out for not engaging and over-controlling the puck and not using his big body and not making good decisions.

Great game for these guys last nite - but can we please see some consistently good play over several games before we believe we've suddenly found the new miracle?
- StLBravesFan

Agreed....it's only one game. We need THIS Saad every night if he wants to play top 6 minutes. However, if there was ever a game to build off of, last night was it for Saad. He should be on cloud 9 as game 6 approaches.

For the first time all series, the talking heads on NBC were asking now how the Kings are going to matchup with the Kane line given they are putting all their eggs in stopping Toews/Hossa/Bickell. And considering how well the Kane line played last night, it's highly doubtful that any adjustments Suter makes will have a major impact. I doubt those guys will go from scoring 9 points in a game to not being effective.

- kwolf68

i think it was more than just Hawks second line catching fire, it was sending them out against defense pairings that weren't doughty/muzzin, and they were feasting on the slow footed mitchell and greene. also, they were matched up on a few goals against the king/richards/clifford fourth line, with the game winner on a bad change where richards got on the ice about four strides after the play.

with LA getting the last change in game 6, you can bet Sutter won't expose the fourth line to the saad/shaw/kane line any more than he has to.

the hawks didn't "show" anyone anything new last night. teams have known that's where he's vulnerable. the hard part is getting in tight enough to make that shot or make that shot on a rebound.

its like saying "we have to have traffic in front of him"...yeah him and every other goalie in the league.

and judging by pearson's shot, crawford must be very very very average when you shoot it upstairs on him.
- hiway39

A Junior B goalie stops Pearson's shot, end of story.

And Quick wasn't good last night, regardless of what you think.

Yeah, what people miss is that Q really has only 10 forwards to go up against the Kings with - Vertseeg and Bollig are just warm bodies right now that don't count; Shaw and Zus count as a 1/2 each because of injury and age and Sharp just can't get untracked and that's alot of goals to that have to come from elsewhere.

Just incredible how bad #23 is.
- RickJ

I have been a loyal Versteeg supporter, but he has to sit. Maybe that quick step that allowed him to do his dangling crap yet occiasionally score is gone for good? Either way, he was BAD last night. Cant' be trusted and if he can't at least be responsible you can't dress him in an elimination game.

Regin dresses. That's the only move that I can rationally see happening.

Babcock is a magician. Great coach. Love him. Only one I would take over Q.
- SteveRain

Yep...Babs made the Wings disappear pretty quick this spring

Versteeg was personally responsible for two of those goals.

One was a horrible turnover
The other one he could have cleared the zone not once, but twice

I HATE hopping on the bandwagon and calling for Versteeg's head. However, at this point he is literally offering... nothing. I realize it is Game 6 of the WCF but at some point you have to realize that he's a detriment to the team.

I think you Bollig and Regin in the lineup tomorrow evening with no Versteeg. I'd love to see Morin but Q will never play a youngster in such a crucial game.

Sharp, Steeger, Bollig out......

Mills, Mashintor, LeBlanc in.....
- UnnamedSource

and judging by pearson's shot, crawford must be very very very average when you shoot it upstairs on him.
- hiway39

Perason's shot gets in because he times it perfectly when Oduya sets a split second screen. Puck just came out from behind them as Crawford began going low to find the puck. It should be saved, but I see why it got in, once Pearson got Crow moving down, he threw the puck up.

Yep...Babs made the Wings disappear pretty quick this spring
- philco28

As much as Babcock gets praised, he has had as much talent to work with over the years as anyone and even when guys get injured, he gets an infusion of over ripe talent from the minors or the front office pulls guys out of FA or via trade

I think Babcock is a very, very good coach, but too many people put him on a pedestal

Babcock is a magician. Great coach. Love him. Only one I would take over Q.
- SteveRain

How do you know he could do better than Q with this team?

Anyone have a video clip of the hit on Kreugs in OT last night?
- powerenforcer

Is this it?

http://prohockeytalk.nbcs...lands-huge-hit-on-kruger/

Yep...Babs made the Wings disappear pretty quick this spring
- philco28

I think a lot of his players pulled the disappearing act in the playoffs. Where was the great Gustav Nyquist and the rest of "The Kids" vs BOS?

the hawks didn't "show" anyone anything new last night. teams have known that's where he's vulnerable. the hard part is getting in tight enough to make that shot or make that shot on a rebound.

its like saying "we have to have traffic in front of him"...yeah him and every other goalie in the league.

and judging by pearson's shot, crawford must be very very very average when you shoot it upstairs on him.
- hiway39

i think it was more than just Hawks second line catching fire, it was sending them out against defense pairings that weren't doughty/muzzin, and they were feasting on the slow footed mitchell and greene. also, they were matched up on a few goals against the king/richards/clifford fourth line, with the game winner on a bad change where richards got on the ice about four strides after the play.

with LA getting the last change in game 6, you can bet Sutter won't expose the fourth line to the saad/shaw/kane line any more than he has to.
- hiway39

Haha nervous much?