good on the leafs...they win it in 2ot on that nifty behind the net back pass...
- bogiedoc

Boyle was a nice pickup for the Leafs...

How about the guy who's earned a few mil in bonuses the last two years who has played like Casper the last 9 playoff games? In all fairness, if the Hawks are going to lose a player or two because 72 scores tons of points in the regular season but ZIP in the playoffs, I'd rather have someone who scores less in the regular season but can win a key face-off in the playoffs.
- DMCsPulledHammy

72's playoff stats past two years: 9 GP 2G 7A 9P
19's playoff stats past two years: 9 GP 0G 6A 6P
88's playoff stats past two years: 9 GP 1G 6A 7P

5 minutes of research could keep you from writing posts like this

Here's what you've gotta be thinking if you're a Hawks fan and you want to believe:

JUST WIN GAME 3

If you can win game 3, and god damn are they due for a better performance and have been a better road team than home team lately, then....THEN you can really put pressure on the Preds, because if they lose game 4 the Hawks will own all the momentum and home ice for games 5-7.

Put every ounce of effort into winning game 3, make the Preds start to sweat the thought of blowing the 2-0 lead, make them worry about the Hawks and their history of performing better as the series goes along, put them in position to feel the pressure for a big game 4 at home.

Its possible to get in their heads, its possible to turn this thing around and win the momentum back while playing on the road when it would seem as if all hope should be lost(for most teams).

But it comes down to execution in game 3. That must be taken care of first before the mental aspect kicks in for games 4 and beyond. We MUST take care of business on the ice for game 3.

How?

Speed, speed, and more speed IMO. Specifically speed going hard to the net, creating rebound situations, bodies swarming the crease, getting in the dirty areas and looking for bounces.

No more lollygagging around the perimeter, take it hard to the net with a purpose instead. Get shots to the net, from all angles, stop looking for the extra pass and just get pucks and bodies to the net rapidly.

I believe in our defense and our goaltending, its really just a matter of getting pucks in the net and getting our offense to click.

We have the talent level offensively that if things were to click, chances are they will snowball into an offensive onslaught following this drought. Goals could start flying in left and right with the talent we have, with the proper aid of natural momentum shifting, and the law of averages/bounces going our way.....its all very possible. We just need the proper gameplan offensively, keep STP and PAK together. Get some form of Hartman-Kero/Kruger-Hossa going as our 3rd line(IMO i would use Hino-Kero-Hartman and Hayden-Kruger-Hossa, but i doubt Q agrees...), get the defenseman more involved, and keep the simple gameplan of getting pucks and bodies to the net with speed. Cause chaos. Swarm Rinne. Bounces. Deflections. SPEED!

well boys and girls...its been one helluva disasterous night...

can the hawks pull a jeckle and hyde routine...

we shall see...

well boys and girls...its been one helluva disasterous night...

can the hawks pull a jeckle and hyde routine...

we shall see...
- bogiedoc

At least the Leafs beat the Caps in OT, which was kinda cool...

well boys and girls...its been one helluva disasterous night...

can the hawks pull a jeckle and hyde routine...

we shall see...
- bogiedoc

It's been a Jekyll and Hyde season for the boys... And they've been a very good road team this year. Not counting them out yet.

72's playoff stats past two years: 9 GP 2G 7A 9P
19's playoff stats past two years: 9 GP 0G 6A 6P
88's playoff stats past two years: 9 GP 1G 6A 7P

5 minutes of research could keep you from writing posts like this
- Hossa1881

correction 72 with 2 goals and 5 assists = 7 pts

Support players in some of these series looms large , ours are Sh-t! Toronto tied the series tonite, Nashville hit every thing in sight, our little Sally's skated around the ice trying not to get dirty. Q very pissed, next game Desjardins, If he is healthy, Tootoo and maybe Hayden could be in. IsLatta up?You guys still wanna kiss Bowmans Ring.if this team gets blasted in 4, does the armour shield of daddy still protect him?
As much as you'd like to tee off on the 2 ten million dollar men, what gives, dress less flash and more dirt maybe. Hell this guy scouted Jurco for 6 weeks to scratch him? He's a moron! Bowman should get fired, not Q!

seriously...sharp had one decent playoff 2010...

he was done as a player after he got the olympic bid 3 years ago...
- bogiedoc

Pretty sure he led the team in goals in 2013 playoffs. Say what you want but something has been off with this team the last two playoffs and it starts with the veteran leaders. Maybe Sharps presence as a leader in the locker room is missed. Subpar efforts in two playoff series now and big name guys not showing much heart.

Where is the best captain in hockey at? Is there a disconnect between the players and coaches? Just spit balling on what is wrong.

It's been a Jekyll and Hyde season for the boys... And they've been a very good road team this year. Not counting them out yet.
- Hossa1881

well boys and girls...its been one helluva disasterous night...

can the hawks pull a jeckle and hyde routine...

we shall see...
- bogiedoc

Maybe if some of us can go stand in front of Pikke. They are down 4 why didn't anyone buzz his tower? Has a hawk player even touched him this series yet?

Who would have thought that Crawford would be the team's leading scorer during the post season?

Currently tied for 1st on the team with 0g and 0a. Impressive.

Here's what you've gotta be thinking if you're a Hawks fan and you want to believe:

JUST WIN GAME 3

If you can win game 3, and god damn are they due for a better performance and have been a better road team than home team lately, then....THEN you can really put pressure on the Preds, because if they lose game 4 the Hawks will own all the momentum and home ice for games 5-7.

Put every ounce of effort into winning game 3, make the Preds start to sweat the thought of blowing the 2-0 lead, make them worry about the Hawks and their history of performing better as the series goes along, put them in position to feel the pressure for a big game 4 at home.

Its possible to get in their heads, its possible to turn this thing around and win the momentum back while playing on the road when it would seem as if all hope should be lost(for most teams).

But it comes down to execution in game 3. That must be taken care of first before the mental aspect kicks in for games 4 and beyond. We MUST take care of business on the ice for game 3.

How?

Speed, speed, and more speed IMO. Specifically speed going hard to the net, creating rebound situations, bodies swarming the crease, getting in the dirty areas and looking for bounces.

No more lollygagging around the perimeter, take it hard to the net with a purpose instead. Get shots to the net, from all angles, stop looking for the extra pass and just get pucks and bodies to the net rapidly.

I believe in our defense and our goaltending, its really just a matter of getting pucks in the net and getting our offense to click.

We have the talent level offensively that if things were to click, chances are they will snowball into an offensive onslaught following this drought. Goals could start flying in left and right with the talent we have, with the proper aid of natural momentum shifting, and the law of averages/bounces going our way.....its all very possible. We just need the proper gameplan offensively, keep STP and PAK together. Get some form of Hartman-Kero/Kruger-Hossa going as our 3rd line(IMO i would use Hino-Kero-Hartman and Hayden-Kruger-Hossa, but i doubt Q agrees...), get the defenseman more involved, and keep the simple gameplan of getting pucks and bodies to the net with speed. Cause chaos. Swarm Rinne. Bounces. Deflections. SPEED!
- SimpleJack

And more Kool Aid! How about putting some guys out there that could plain kick some ass right back! TooToo, Desi if he is ready, Latta if he is up, Hayden? Jurco?
Have a seat, Schmaultz, Rassmusson , and a couple of others on the back end! TOTAL CRAP TONITE!

Who would have thought that Crawford would be the team's leading scorer during the post season?

Currently tied for 1st on the team with 0g and 0a. Impressive.
- SimpleJack

Rinne has 2 assists.

Rinne has 2 assists.
- ggunky

And more Kool Aid! How about putting some guys out there that could plain kick some ass right back! TooToo, Desi if he is ready, Latta if he is up, Hayden? Jurco?
Have a seat, Schmaultz, Rassmusson , and a couple of others on the back end! TOTAL CRAP TONITE!
- wonthecup10

Forget about fighting and hitting. Be physical but smart about it, get dirty and go hard to the net with speed. Schmaltz should definitely stay in the lineup. Guys like Tootoo, Moose. And Desi are useless if you ask me. We need goals. We need to create offense. Those guys aren't the answer IMO. Hayden, Hartman, and Panik provide plenty of snarl.

Forget about fighting and hitting. Be physical but smart about it, get dirty and go hard to the net with speed. Schmaltz should definitely stay in the lineup. Guys like Tootoo, Moose. And Desi are useless if you ask me. We need goals. We need to create offense. Those guys aren't the answer IMO. Hayden, Hartman, and Panik provide plenty of snarl.
- SimpleJack

They need someone to change the momentum, tootoo and hayden both played a good physical game and shouldn't of sat. I don't mind vinny but Rasmussen is awful. Your getting blown out at home someone should have tried mixing it up some where. I didn't see the game because of work but it looks like seabrook and Hartman got penalties hopefully they tried doing something to show it's not going to be a cake walk. This new nhl sucks but you still got to have a little old school to your game.

And more Kool Aid! How about putting some guys out there that could plain kick some ass right back! TooToo, Desi if he is ready, Latta if he is up, Hayden? Jurco?
Have a seat, Schmaultz, Rassmusson , and a couple of others on the back end! TOTAL CRAP TONITE!
- wonthecup10

Rasmussen was solid tonight. Jurco? Latta? What? LOL....

They need someone to change the momentum, tootoo and hayden both played a good physical game and shouldn't of sat. I don't mind vinny but Rasmussen is awful. Your getting blown out at home someone should have tried mixing it up some where. I didn't see the game because of work but it looks like seabrook and Hartman got penalties hopefully they tried doing something to show it's not going to be a cake walk. This new nhl sucks but you still got to have a little old school to your game.
- vandymeer23

Hartman's penalty was absurd, there is not defending it.

IF we don't get PowerEnforcer with his the refs cheated us crap, we get this guy with fighting will solve it all non-sense. I think this poster is locked in the early 90s...a period of time where the Hawks were great, but idiocy was partly to blame for them for not winning a Cup...but at least they had like 5 guys who would fight.

Rasmussen was solid tonight. Jurco? Latta? What? LOL....
- kwolf68

Arguing about sitting 4th line guys makes no sense, they aren't the ones to blame. Kruger and Rasmussen were fine. I can take or leave Hinostroza if Q feels the need to make a change. Kero was fine too. The team needs Toews, Kane and Panarin to step up and produce. Schmaltz and Hartman have been good in a supporting role, we shouldn't be expecting them to lead the way.

Every year the Hawks dig themselves a hole. The only question becomes is the hole too big to climb out of. If there's any hope of making a series of this it will be up to 19, 15, 88, 72, and 14 on offense. The defensive needs to sharpen up too. Crawford can be better, but he's not to blame for this mess.

Has this team not shown us multiple times in the past never ever ever count them out? Yet they still get written off continually, and in the past it was always the same thing, "well no, they were never this bad..there's a difference"..granted, they found a way to score a goal or two in the past in the first couple games, but yes they've most definitely been bad in the past and found a way. I'm not saying I know how this series ends, but I definitely will never write these guys off, they've proven me wrong way too many times in the past, so let's see what happens, they also have a very strong road record, so you never know.

Has this team not shown us multiple times in the past never ever ever count them out? Yet they still get written off continually, and in the past it was always the same thing, "well no, they were never this bad..there's a difference"..granted, they found a way to score a goal or two in the past in the first couple games, but yes they've most definitely been bad in the past and found a way. I'm not saying I know how this series ends, but I definitely will never write these guys off, they've proven me wrong way too many times in the past, so let's see what happens, they also have a very strong road record, so you never know.
- Butcherboy66

Kinda, but this just does not feel the same. The amount of talent the Hawks had to ship off simply can't be replaced. Eventually it will catch up to you. Toews and Kane are great players, but neither are the two best players in the game, yet they are the two highest paid players. Toss in bonuses and other inflated salaries and you simply have a model that is just not sustainable.

We have to respect the process. There is some talent there and great champions, but it is also starting to look like the clock is ticking.

ALL that said, you're right....I think we write the epitaph when they are out of the playoffs.

John Dietz‏
@johndietzdh
Corey Crawford: "It's obviously not good enough. They're coached pretty well. They're playing their game to a T. That's why they're up 2-0."

Crawford: "I haven't been able to give our guys the first two games when we needed it. They just sit back, play solid D and just wait."

1) interesting coaching comment
2) he apparently thinks it's HIS responsibility to win the games for the team??

Ok because I'm buzzed, I figured I'd post here what I just posted on Facebook:

So the Blackhawks got routed 5-0 by Nashville tonight. The last thing I'm going to do is bash my team, call them names, boo them, trash them, call them washed up, the era is over bla bla bla. And I won't blame the refs or rag Nashville at all, they have played brilliantly and my hat goes off to them. I am not upset oh no....I've been a Hawks fan my entire life and I LOVE my late 80s-90s Hawks..a rough n' tumble bunch who went to one Cup, 2 Western Finals and a Presidents Trophy. But...they never won it all. Good as that team was (and they were DAMN GOOD) they just couldn't lift the Cup. That's a hard ass trophy to win....and In the HISTORY of the Blackhawks no period has been as good as THIS ONE and there is NOT ONE SINGLE team or group of fans who would NOT trade their team's success for the Hawks. The ONLY team in the post-lockout era to have more than 2 Stanley Cups. I am NOT gonna bash "overpaid" players on the Hawks and I sure as hell won't get on my boys like Brent Seabrook for maybe not being the best anymore. Because at one time you were the best and thank you to all the Hawks players who made being a Hawks fan fun again. From "did he score" Kane....to 17 seconds....to Duncan Keith is bionic...its been a hell of a ride. Yes, other, younger teams are on the rise, a rebuild of some type is soon coming, but I'll be damned if I become a horses ass about my team because the clock has now struck midnight. WON'T DO IT. Love my boy Seabs, Duncs, Kaner, Tazer, Hammer, HOSS and all the rest....

That all said, LETS WIN game 3 boys!!! Monday Night. Canucks had em down 3-0 in 2011, it went 7, Wings had the Hawks down 3-1 in 2013, Hawks won, Kings had em down 3-1 in 2014, it went 7...Predators TWICE had em down 2-1 and the Hawks won. If the Hawks win Monday Night...the series is 2-1. I believe baby! Go Hawks!!!