Off topic, but I saw. Lazerus tweeted how Saad reiterated how he wants to stay in Chicago, and Bowman has made it clear he will go to any length to re-sign him
- ehawk

Saad isn't going anywhere. There hasn't even been any hints of discord between the 2 sides. All that was ever said is that he didn't want to talk contract during the season and preferred to wait until after the season. Teams can put an offer sheet in front on him. It doesn't mean he will sign it.

I fully expect to the Hawks to sign him to a deal that is fair to both sides. The Hawks have become a team that does not play money games with its players.

Hawks better win.

Ducks had easy teams in first 2 rounds arguably.

Let's see how they handle a challenge.

Hawks in 6

My brain tells me Hawks in 6. But I also think injuries will play a huge part in this series. Which important Hawk is really fragile? That man will have a target on him.

The Hawks won't be facing 3 AHL defenders (Clark, Blacker, and Manson) like they did in Anaheim in November during the circus trip. This should be a great series. Let's go Ducks!

ABR is not to be.....

The weakness of both teams is defense, but for two different reasons.

ANA's D corps is big, tough.....and slow. If The Hawk forwards can get deep and behind their D BEFORE getting engaged on the boards, good things can happen. The risk here is the punishment the Hawk forwards could have to endure if they are not fast enough.

The CHI D corps is faster (top 4 anyway), and when firing on all cylinders get quick outs and fast transition. The risk here is the punishment the rather non-physical Hawk blueliners will endure from the much more physical ANA forwards, which over time, can really expose the absolute lack of a servicable bottom D pairing.

I think starting Rundblad is a huge mistake. Valuing a player's side of shot over their actual empirical performance in their role on the ice smacks to me of stupidity. Rundblad is a weak player with a good shot. Maybe in a role on the #2 PP unit is his only value.

We had better hope that the top four D have the legs and the constitution to carry 95% of the load and come out of this series healthy.

I am thinking it is a seven game series where an always fast and healthy Hawk team prevails, and a beaten down Hawk team gets eliminated sooner.

If ANA gets an early lead and clogs the neutral zone to eliminate stretch passes from the Hawk D, the top four D will fatigue much faster and ANA could make this series very difficult.
- Return of the Roar

'm not into predicting series winners but if I was forced to bet it would be on the Blackhawks, for a couple of reasons:

1) Speed in transition. Anaheim regularly activated their defence and had them in very deep vs Calgary because they didn't worry much about how quickly the Flames could go the other way and score. Give the Hawks a bunch of 2 on 1's or 3 on 1's and the Ducks will get burned big time.

2) Puck possession - Getzlaf and Perry are great players but they aren't so good chasing and playing without the puck. They will be doing more of that in this series than they did in the regular season and so far in the playoffs. Q will be all over his team to play fast, very fast. Kruger will have a major role up against Getzlaf and/or Kesler.

3) Boudreau - at the NHL level has never beaten a top end coach. I don't see him matching wits with Q in a matchup game or doing well if he is playing from behind.

You guys all know better than I ...but why was TVR or Johns not a choice?
- hockey nut 28

The former had wrist surgery. The latter cannot be called up until the RFD playoffs ends.

Saad isn't going anywhere. There hasn't even been any hints of discord between the 2 sides. All that was ever said is that he didn't want to talk contract during the season and preferred to wait until after the season. Teams can put an offer sheet in front on him. It doesn't mean he will sign it.

I fully expect to the Hawks to sign him to a deal that is fair to both sides. The Hawks have become a team that does not play money games with its players.
- Elbows15

Very smart, too. Detroit was like that in the late 90s/early 2000s. I think it made players want to play for them more, and take more reasonable contracts than they would elsewhere. They felt like part of the family.

If Chicago can keep guys happy but avoid overpaying for any of the core guys, they're going to continue to be great even with Kane and Toews' fat contracts.

Fixed that for ya!
- savvyone-1

He was +18 in limited time. Does he do everything I would like a Dman to do? No. What that number tells me though is his team scored more when he is on the ice than they allow.

I trust Q to put him in situations to allow him to play to his strengths. Something Q does very well for the most part.

Very smart, too. Detroit was like that in the late 90s/early 2000s. I think it made players want to play for them more, and take more reasonable contracts than they would elsewhere. They felt like part of the family.

If Chicago can keep guys happy but avoid overpaying for any of the core guys, they're going to continue to be great even with Kane and Toews' fat contracts.
- SolidGoldBricks

Trust me when I tell you this. Us long time fans still have a hard time grasping the difference these days.

Regarding Toews and Kane's contracts. My old man always use to say you can never overpay players who do 2 things:

Play their best when the lights are the brightest.

Put asses in the seats.

Both of those guys sure do that.

...
- flyershockey

Hawks in 6. Nothing else.

I called it a toss up but I really can't see how you would call FA over CC when you look at Crow's playoff history. He has a cup. He has carried the Hawks through several rounds since 11. Until FA does the same it is a simple decision. Darling vs FA would have been another animal entirely.

Trust me when I tell you this. Us long time fans still have a hard time grasping the difference these days.

Regarding Toews and Kane's contracts. My old man always use to say you can never overpay players who do 2 things:

Play their best when the lights are the brightest.

Put asses in the seats.

Both of those guys sure do that.
- Elbows15

Your old man was a hell of a lot smarter than Rocky's. Thank god Rocky evolved.

The former had wrist surgery. The latter cannot be called up until the RFD playoffs ends.
- Sandus

...or until the Hawks playoff roster falls to 6 healthy D-men.

Trust me when I tell you this. Us long time fans still have a hard time grasping the difference these days.

Regarding Toews and Kane's contracts. My old man always use to say you can never overpay players who do 2 things:

Play their best when the lights are the brightest.

Put asses in the seats.

Both of those guys sure do that.
- Elbows15

I think the Hawks payed them what they needed to. I don't mean to say fat contracts as if they're too big. They're just fat. Like a sumo wrestler. They're supposed to be that fat.

The hardest thing with hockey contracts, and pro sports contracts in general are that you can't really compare them to what you want to compare them to. Yes, those two get paid way more than anybody else, but if Crosby or Ovie signed that same summer, it would have been for a similar number.

He was +18 in limited time. Does he do everything I would like a Dman to do? No. What that number tells me though is his team scored more when he is on the ice than they allow.
- Elbows15

How much of that +18 did Rundblad have any influence of the puck finding the back of the net?

...or until the Hawks playoff roster falls to 6 healthy D-men.
- EKolb13

I think we can all debate Runblad's health.......oh wait, that may be the viewing public's health after watching him play.

I think we can assume that sending Paliotta home is maybe a move so they can call up another defenseman when legal to do so.

Quick question on the sheltering of the bottom D pair. Putting Runblah with Keith and KT with Seabs seems counter-intuitive to me. KT's weakness is speed (Keith's strength) and Runblah's weakness is physicality (Seab's strength) so wouldn't it make more sense to pair up the weak links with the partner who has the strength to offset that weakness?

I will caveat that with the fact I have coached 0 games at any level so there may be an obvious reason for the pairings I just don't see. Then again I'd put 26 in my lineup before 5 any day of the week so what do I know.
- blackhawks30

Would not work because both Keith and KT are left handed and Seabs and Rund are right handed.

kinda funny, considering paul actually works for the team for a living whereas JJ does this as a fanboy/side gig.
- flyershockey

Like 2/3 of the bloggers here and about 99% of the rest of the internet...

I'd rather have someone who is a real fan than a radio guy who fell into an expansion hockey job and treats his blog like a work task. McCann's blog consistently looks like he has a secretary or production assistant give him notes or actually write it. He constantly makes errors about actual details of games like the actual time of goals or even names that sort of prove he is reading the box score or getting the info second hand.

I know it hurts being a Flyer fan - no answers for your defense any time soon and you probably won't get Babcock even though EK is pulling his usual fan boy attempt to insert their name into any discussion. Oh yeah, the founder of Hockey Buzz is also a fan boy and not a paid shill.... Outrageous!

How much of that +18 did Rundblad have any influence of the puck finding the back of the net?
- EKolb13

18 more times than it found the back of his.

I think we can all debate Runblad's health.......oh wait, that may be the viewing public's health after watching him play.

I think we can assume that sending Paliotta home is maybe a move so they can call up another defenseman when legal to do so.
- TheTrob

They way that the Griffins have been owning the Hogs through the first two games of the series, Johns might be available for re-call late Thursday night.

Q had "nervous breakdown," in '04 says article.

http://www.edmontonsun.co...olson-where-theyre-at-now

My buddy who's childhood friends with Desi just texted him... he's got the flu but anxious to get back on the ice vs. Ducks!

18 more times than it found the back of his.
- Elbows15

There's that. However, what I was getting at was the reliability of the +/- stat, in relation to that stat being skewed - with Rundblad's +/- inflated due to being used predominately in offensive situations, as opposed to being counted on defending against a team's top parings, critical defensive situations, ect.

Just my opinion, but the +/- of Rundblad is something that doesn't quite serve as some legitimate way to define that he isn't as bad as advertised by others here.

The Preds box score blogger (he does not watch games - only reads box scores) is calling the Ducks the "prohibitive favorite".... So the Hawks have that to overcome.

I really think the guy needs hits so bad he simply posts this stuff to get Chicago fans to post on his thread. Sort of a get "the red in" campaign.
- tredbrta

It could be Hawks vs. Mighty Ducks (as in the movie) and that dude would still pick against Chicago.

If he ever picks the Hawks to win anything I am basically assuming the Earth must be about to crash into the sun.

Oh and one more thing:



KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, SWEETIE PIE!!!!
- John Jaeckel

Unfortunately, the Ducks scored on that play.

He was +18 in limited time. Does he do everything I would like a Dman to do? No. What that number tells me though is his team scored more when he is on the ice than they allow.

I trust Q to put him in situations to allow him to play to his strengths. Something Q does very well for the most part.
- Elbows15

You would probably remember this - the great Montreal teams of the late 1970's coached by Scotty had 3 great defenceman (Savard, Robinson and Lapointe) and the rest of the D was made up of a group that Habs fans blamed every goal against on - Nyrop, Chartraw, Bouchard, Engblom and Jimmy Roberts. Team lost 8 games in 1976. They actually tied 12 games when they didn't feel like winning that badly.

Very different era but this Hawks team has a similar structure - Toews is Lemaire, Kane is Lafleur, Hossa is Bob Gainey with offence to his game, a big 3 on D in Keith, Hammer and Seabs and Q is like Scotty.

And the Ducks are the Bruins who desperately wanted to beat the Habs but couldn't.

You would probably remember this - the great Montreal teams of the late 1970's coached by Scotty had 3 great defenceman (Savard, Robinson and Lapointe) and the rest of the D was made up of a group that Habs fans blamed every goal against on - Nyrop, Chartraw, Bouchard, Engblom and Jimmy Roberts. Team lost 8 games in 1976. They actually tied 12 games when they didn't feel like winning that badly.

Very different era but this Hawks team has a similar structure - Toews is Lemaire, Kane is Lafleur, Hossa is Bob Gainey with offence to his game, a big 3 on D in Keith, Hammer and Seabs and Q is like Scotty.

And the Ducks are the Bruins who desperately wanted to beat the Habs but couldn't.
- RickJ