Yikes.

Double yikes!

Maybe even.....yeah, why not?...Triple Yikes.


Posting after a game like that is very dangerous. I'm leary. Remember when the Hawks won a game and King Boob Tab Bamford ( Who continues to pillage off my brother's idea.....IThead!) compared this team to the championship team of 2 years ago? Remember how retarded that was?

Yeah, well it's the same dynamic happening here.

That was an awful game. Worst of the year. And it was the first really bad GOALIE game. So reactions are hyper fuel injected right now.

People need to chill out.

Look around the league.....Teams go through this. This team that supposedly is going to get buried by the Wings was on the verge of burying the Wings three weeks ago, and the pendulum will swing again.

This team isn't any more flawed than when it was atop of the league. This team is still as uber talented as it was when it was atop of the league. Does it mean they're heading back to the top? probably not. Most likely not. But it is possible.

The answer isn't coming in the form of a trade. Did you see the Craptacular list of awful D men JJ posted? You think that's the answer? If you think Brett Clark or Bryan Allen is the key to a 13 point swing then you need to start watching Basketball. Because you're bad at watching hockey! The answer is going to come from Nick Leddy catching a second wind, and cobbling of a 6th d from OD, yes Jon Scott, and ....whoever Stanbow acquires. ( How about Sheldon Souray... He's physical, carries the puck better than all of them and is a better answer on the PP point than anybody else. Notice how the PP goes clown car when they put Sharp at the point? I noticed.)

Here's one that will piss everyone off. I'd like to see Bickell play more. Here's the thing. You sit Brian Bickell for 5 games, you tell him he needs to be more aggressive. You more or less imply your goddamn job is on the line if you don't start being more aggressive, it's only logical that he's going to take a stupid penalty or two. He was doing what the coaches ask. Now let him build off of it. Q does the same thing with Lepisto. He sits forever then gives him a "fight for your life opportunity" and you see mistakes due to over eagerness. Everyone hates Bickell! I get it. But he does lead Blackhawk forwards in hits. He does have a great penalties drawn to penalties taken ratio. Q said the team needs to forcheck. Well, give Bickell a chance to temper his over eagerness. It's as good a longshot as some, nay, most, of the trade suggestions on this board.

I'm fine with riding Emery. I turned to Sam and asked if Crawford was playing with a damn Jai-lai cesta last night. Grab the puck. And practice your post to post moves.....Yikes.

Pass the Koolaid
- flyerdude17

You can only drink it out of the cup.

Boston 49 32 15 2 66 175 108

Chicago 52 29 16 7 65 168 155

pretty F ing close to the top. Minus GA but not everyone can a have top 10 Goalie
- Dojodan

yeah that whole 47 goals against difference.. kind of a massive/huge/colossal/monumental/gaping piece of important information come playoff time.

Dude come on. you guys are so negative.
- Dojodan

When did they make smoking crack legal in Canada?

Realistic shopping list:

2nd line center
Top 4 d man
1-2 PROVEN Nhl grinders, think Jamal Mayers
Goalie

Yeah....1-2 moves away....

In the immortal words of Judge Smales:

"Well . . . We're WAITING!"
- John Jaeckel

You can never go wrong quoting Caddy shack!!!! Good Job JJ!

It's because they have salary commitment and their own credibility wrapped up in Crawford.

Their worst nightmare is coming true: the guy they chose over Antti Niemi, paid $10 million to, has been outplayed this season by a guy perceived as a journeyman with a wonky hip (no bust on Ray, he is a battler and may end up having the last laugh).

If this season ends like 2010, with the backup beating out the starter, they have a similar problem they had with Huet and Niemi, paying one not to play and keeping/replacing the other.
- John Jaeckel

That's an interesting point. Niemi only was instrumental in helping them win a cup (and they really needed him in the SJ series) while Crawford didn't even win a playoff series and they weren't willing to give Niemi anything near what they gave Crawford in a new contract. Didn't they only want to give Niemi like $1.5 to $1.8 mil?

You don't push your propaganda of "one goal" and consider yourself a franchise that is only concerned with "winning cups" then.

I don't disagree with what YOU are saying, but that's on the hawks. The core is there to win....TODAY. All you had to do was fine this roster and as a GM, you had done your job. Olesz STILL has no business being on this roster. You had cap room to fill holes. Your core was rested. Your next "big time" goalie showcased himself last spring.....What are we missing here? Oh yeah, an egotistical GM who goes to the press and builds up PROSPECTS. Why? All this guy, Stan, does is burry himself with asinine comments in the media. It never ends. So now every idiot thinks Brandon Saad is god. The Hayes brothers are going to drop 40 each a year. Olsen will win a Norris.

You watch, they trade one of these guys for a rental, and ALL HELL will break loose in some circles on this blog. Why? It seems to me that 4 of your top 6 Forward spots are blocked, 3 or 4 of your top 6 D are blocked....

Fact is, instead of going ALL in, Bowman did a half ass job and now you are seeing his glaring holes sink Good Ship Blackhawk. They have 3 NHL ready D men TODAY...Yes, Leddy will be great in 2 years, but as this season has gone on, he's gotten worse. Can't dispute that. So instead, his 3 d men are over taxed. Leddy is over taxed. Montador is at best serviceable. John Scott? Holy christ. He's not good enough to play in a men's league. Lepisto? Is he still alive? O'Donnell? Dude played in the mid 90s.....How much does he have left?

His top 4 scorers have to produce every night because his depth sucks.

it gets old saying it, and watching it...

Goalie blames the D.
D blames the forwards.
Forwards counter with we have to score 4 a night to win....
Q plays subtle power tricks
Bowman campaigns he's doing EVERYTHING he can...

All of them have a leg to stand on., as they pass the blame...
- SteveRain

Meh, again you're missing the point. In the 20+ years the Cubs set attendance records the only time they really had an opportunity was the early 2000's and 84 or 85? Regardless of success they sold tickets and were beloved, hated, followed and created a lot of attention.

The message from marketing and the actual product are not always congruent.

You either see value in the product in the opportunity for future success and entertainment today or you stop buying. It is just the nature of the business.

They need a reliable puck moving defender to take pressure off Keith. They don't have one right now. Leddy shows flashes but clearly isn't ready and there are no solutions available on the market with out gutting the current line up. They have 8 rent-a-players on their roster right now.

Until the bottom line sees an impact I highly doubt Management cares what the fans think. IMO they are rolling the dice under the assumption that by the time interest starts to dwindle they will be reloaded and bring the bandwagon fans back. It does not matter if that is the right solution or not. Every single thing they have done thus far points in that direction though and should not be ignored.

Yikes.

Double yikes!

Maybe even.....yeah, why not?...Triple Yikes.


Posting after a game like that is very dangerous. I'm leary. Remember when the Hawks won a game and King Boob Tab Bamford ( Who continues to pillage off my brother's idea.....IThead!) compared this team to the championship team of 2 years ago? Remember how retarded that was?

Yeah, well it's the same dynamic happening here.

That was an awful game. Worst of the year. And it was the first really bad GOALIE game. So reactions are hyper fuel injected right now.

People need to chill out.

Look around the league.....Teams go through this. This team that supposedly is going to get buried by the Wings was on the verge of burying the Wings three weeks ago, and the pendulum will swing again.

This team isn't any more flawed than when it was atop of the league. This team is still as uber talented as it was when it was atop of the league. Does it mean they're heading back to the top? probably not. Most likely not. But it is possible.

The answer isn't coming in the form of a trade. Did you see the Craptacular list of awful D men JJ posted? You think that's the answer? If you think Brett Clark or Bryan Allen is the key to a 13 point swing then you need to start watching Basketball. Because you're bad at watching hockey! The answer is going to come from Nick Leddy catching a second wind, and cobbling of a 6th d from OD, yes Jon Scott, and ....whoever Stanbow acquires. ( How about Sheldon Souray... He's physical, carries the puck better than all of them and is a better answer on the PP point than anybody else. Notice how the PP goes clown car when they put Sharp at the point? I noticed.)

Here's one that will piss everyone off. I'd like to see Bickell play more. Here's the thing. You sit Brian Bickell for 5 games, you tell him he needs to be more aggressive. You more or less imply your goddamn job is on the line if you don't start being more aggressive, it's only logical that he's going to take a stupid penalty or two. He was doing what the coaches ask. Now let him build off of it. Q does the same thing with Lepisto. He sits forever then gives him a "fight for your life opportunity" and you see mistakes due to over eagerness. Everyone hates Bickell! I get it. But he does lead Blackhawk forwards in hits. He does have a great penalties drawn to penalties taken ratio. Q said the team needs to forcheck. Well, give Bickell a chance to temper his over eagerness. It's as good a longshot as some, nay, most, of the trade suggestions on this board.

I'm fine with riding Emery. I turned to Sam and asked if Crawford was playing with a damn Jai-lai cesta last night. Grab the puck. And practice your post to post moves.....Yikes.
- yahoodi

Your brother is a good man. Had numerous convos with him sharing cancer sticks in between periods. Glad to see he's sporting the Hossa jersey more then the Bolland one at games.

Tab is an ass clown.

Disagree on Bickell. He got benched, and managed to take 2 Eager-esq penalties last night. He's done. Only reason he's still here and on his 8th life, because of his cheap cap hit.

This team needs more then 1-2 moves. Crawford has gotten worse...Flaws are getting more and more evident, and some (Crawford/d men) are getting worse.

Not good.

Yikes.

Double yikes!

Maybe even.....yeah, why not?...Triple Yikes.


Posting after a game like that is very dangerous. I'm leary. Remember when the Hawks won a game and King Boob Tab Bamford ( Who continues to pillage off my brother's idea.....IThead!) compared this team to the championship team of 2 years ago? Remember how retarded that was?

Yeah, well it's the same dynamic happening here.

That was an awful game. Worst of the year. And it was the first really bad GOALIE game. So reactions are hyper fuel injected right now.

People need to chill out.

Look around the league.....Teams go through this. This team that supposedly is going to get buried by the Wings was on the verge of burying the Wings three weeks ago, and the pendulum will swing again.

This team isn't any more flawed than when it was atop of the league. This team is still as uber talented as it was when it was atop of the league. Does it mean they're heading back to the top? probably not. Most likely not. But it is possible.

The answer isn't coming in the form of a trade. Did you see the Craptacular list of awful D men JJ posted? You think that's the answer? If you think Brett Clark or Bryan Allen is the key to a 13 point swing then you need to start watching Basketball. Because you're bad at watching hockey! The answer is going to come from Nick Leddy catching a second wind, and cobbling of a 6th d from OD, yes Jon Scott, and ....whoever Stanbow acquires. ( How about Sheldon Souray... He's physical, carries the puck better than all of them and is a better answer on the PP point than anybody else. Notice how the PP goes clown car when they put Sharp at the point? I noticed.)

Here's one that will piss everyone off. I'd like to see Bickell play more. Here's the thing. You sit Brian Bickell for 5 games, you tell him he needs to be more aggressive. You more or less imply your goddamn job is on the line if you don't start being more aggressive, it's only logical that he's going to take a stupid penalty or two. He was doing what the coaches ask. Now let him build off of it. Q does the same thing with Lepisto. He sits forever then gives him a "fight for your life opportunity" and you see mistakes due to over eagerness. Everyone hates Bickell! I get it. But he does lead Blackhawk forwards in hits. He does have a great penalties drawn to penalties taken ratio. Q said the team needs to forcheck. Well, give Bickell a chance to temper his over eagerness. It's as good a longshot as some, nay, most, of the trade suggestions on this board.

I'm fine with riding Emery. I turned to Sam and asked if Crawford was playing with a damn Jai-lai cesta last night. Grab the puck. And practice your post to post moves.....Yikes.
- yahoodi

I think one point you made that strikes me as true.
...This team isn't any more flawed than it was when it was sitting on top of the league....

That's could be true but it doesn't mean it wasn't flawed then or was as good as its record.

From what was written the other day the two teams in the West that have the toughest schedule from here on in are the Preds and Hawks.

A favorable home slanted schedule can cover up a lot of pimples.

I was at that game. Crawford was worse last night.
- John Jaeckel

I agree...the Hawk as awful that nite and Bluejackets lit it up on Huet. Maybe 1 or 2 bad goals that nite.

When did they make smoking crack legal in Canada?

Realistic shopping list:

2nd line center
Top 4 d man
1-2 PROVEN Nhl grinders, think Jamal Mayers
Goalie

Yeah....1-2 moves away....
- SteveRain

2nd line center has been filled or at least attempted to be with Morrison. They'll mix and match there. I'd even argue 2 d-men.

Meh, again you're missing the point. In the 20+ years the Cubs set attendance records the only time they really had an opportunity was the early 2000's and 84 or 85? Regardless of success they sold tickets and were beloved, hated, followed and created a lot of attention.

The message from marketing and the actual product are not always congruent.

You either see value in the product in the opportunity for future success and entertainment today or you stop buying. It is just the nature of the business.

They need a reliable puck moving defender to take pressure off Keith. They don't have one right now. Leddy shows flashes but clearly isn't ready and there are no solutions available on the market with out gutting the current line up. They have 8 rent-a-players on their roster right now.

Until the bottom line sees an impact I highly doubt Management cares what the fans think. IMO they are rolling the dice under the assumption that by the time interest starts to dwindle they will be reloaded and bring the bandwagon fans back. It does not matter if that is the right solution or not. Every single thing they have done thus far points in that direction though and should not be ignored.
- fattybeef

The lovable loser stuff doesn't work here anymore and never worked for the Hawks. Didn't work for the Cubs last year either.

To think you can load up and win a Cup at any time because they caught lightning in a bottle once is silly. Too many variables and it probably will never happen the same way in our lifetime.

I have been watching closely for awhile...This season was so injury free for the first four months it was unreal....Next year the team could be 10 wins better on paper and could have 350 man games lost....And clusters of injuries to the best players at once.

You play the hand that is in front of you cuz no one can control the future.

Meh, again you're missing the point. In the 20+ years the Cubs set attendance records the only time they really had an opportunity was the early 2000's and 84 or 85? Regardless of success they sold tickets and were beloved, hated, followed and created a lot of attention.

The message from marketing and the actual product are not always congruent.

You either see value in the product in the opportunity for future success and entertainment today or you stop buying. It is just the nature of the business.

They need a reliable puck moving defender to take pressure off Keith. They don't have one right now. Leddy shows flashes but clearly isn't ready and there are no solutions available on the market with out gutting the current line up. They have 8 rent-a-players on their roster right now.

Until the bottom line sees an impact I highly doubt Management cares what the fans think. IMO they are rolling the dice under the assumption that by the time interest starts to dwindle they will be reloaded and bring the bandwagon fans back. It does not matter if that is the right solution or not. Every single thing they have done thus far points in that direction though and should not be ignored.
- fattybeef

There is a HUGE difference that I think you are missing.

The Hawks fans WILL stay away in droves, where the Cubs fans will not. That's the big difference. That hell hole at Clark and Addison still has people going to it because Cubs games have gone from watching baseball to being an "event".

I own season tickets. Sit in the 300 level. I get the value, but will I pony up 3-4K if this team becomes a marginal team? HELL NO. Ask somebody back in 1999-2007 about trying to dump their seats....it was impossible. Watching Jeff Hamilton type players doesn't excite me. If i want to go to a game, I'll have NO problem getting seats.

McDonough hit a homerun getting the winter classic. His season ticket base escalated, and why? He had a young team with some talent, but more importantly, every person who had season tickets was guaranteed a spot at that game. Look it up. 2007-08 season tickets vs 2008-09. The old man died, they kissed the asses of scorned players (Hull, Mikita, Tony O)....

Fact is, this team talks out of one side of it's mouth, and does another. That's the point. You don't broadcast a commitment to excellence and then do it half ass. There is NO excuse for that, and that's what they are doing.

Delusional.
- Fat_Tony_Amonte

Someone's feeling "stabby."

Stan may not have given Q the ideal roster, but Q and his staff must share blame for not making the most of what they do have to work with.

With a roster that includes the likes of Toews, Hossa, Kane, Sharp, Bolland, Keith, Seabrook, etc, it is inexcusable that the special teams play should be as bad as it's been. Coaching failure.

I am still waiting to see if Lepisto can be a legit NHL defenseman. We have plenty of evidence that Scott isn't, but has Lepisto ever been given a legit chance? Has he even played in consecutive games yet? Been given a string of 5-6 consecutive games to find his game, find his confidence? Why has O'D sat the last 2 after playing his best hockey of the year leading up to the all star break? Has Q actually fully explored all of the D options that Stan provided him with? Nope. Coaching failure.

How many bad games does Crawford have to have before Q tries the other goalie option that Stan provided him? Once he does start C2, how many soft goals does he allow before making a change? At least 2 too many last night by my count. Coaching failure.

Why does Keith play regular minutes on the PP? He's not good at it, never as been. He's overplayed as it is and yet Q keeps trotting him out there in situations where he's bound to fail. He could be resting up to do what he does best...defend. Is there no other option to play the point on the PP? Coaching failure.

Play Bickell and sit Frolik. I know Frolik isn't setting the world ablaze but at least he competes. Bickell's a non-contributing zero who's neither scored, or done any of the little things that make teams better. Best use of the options available? Nope. Coaching failure.

When I hear players say things like, and I'm paraphrasing some comments I heard earlier ths season, "we were just feeling them out, waiting for the other team to show us how they want to play so we can adjust.... ", WTF is that? Q should be coaching up this team to go out there and dictate the pace of play, to impose their will, their style on the opposition. Make the other team adapt to the Hawks style of play. Sadly the Hawks under Q either have no distinct style, or Q is forcing a style that doesn't fit the personnel he's got. Either way...Coaching failure.

Until Q proves that he's doing everything he can, exhausted every option, tried everything...I can't put the majority of the blame on anyone else. Stan has been far from perfect, but Q has been brutal. No more tick - tock, the clock has wound down, the alarm is sounding. Will Stan wake up? Or will he just keep hitting snooze?

Like Pri$ey said on the last thread, sometimes the coach is the answer...just ask STL.
- Ogilthorpe2

+1 (although I have seen enough of Lepisto, we need a D bad)

Some more on Q....

I'm wondering how much influence Q has on the makeup of the roster. Yes Stan is GM and has final say on personnel, but I think it would be ignorant to think Q doesn't have at least some input.

Brunette? History with Q going back to Colorado. Was this an example of Stan picking up Q's guy? Did Q lobby for him?

Mayers? STL ties...Same thing.

If so, that's one hit, but just as importantly, one big miss on this roster that's at least partially on Q. Couple that with the feeling of many here, that Q ran Brouwer out of town, and maybe Q is more responsible for the roster makeup than any of us previously have considered. Brouwer would look pretty good right about now...with his 15 G, 11A and 166 hits.

+1 (although I have seen enough of Lepisto, we need a D bad)
- Boisy12

He's +4 in extremely limited action so I have no clue how anyone can say that, but OK.

i want my money back you guys are just too negative

There is a HUGE difference that I think you are missing.

The Hawks fans WILL stay away in droves, where the Cubs fans will not. That's the big difference. That hell hole at Clark and Addison still has people going to it because Cubs games have gone from watching baseball to being an "event".

I own season tickets. Sit in the 300 level. I get the value, but will I pony up 3-4K if this team becomes a marginal team? HELL NO. Ask somebody back in 1999-2007 about trying to dump their seats....it was impossible. Watching Jeff Hamilton type players doesn't excite me. If i want to go to a game, I'll have NO problem getting seats.

McDonough hit a homerun getting the winter classic. His season ticket base escalated, and why? He had a young team with some talent, but more importantly, every person who had season tickets was guaranteed a spot at that game. Look it up. 2007-08 season tickets vs 2008-09. The old man died, they kissed the asses of scorned players (Hull, Mikita, Tony O)....

Fact is, this team talks out of one side of it's mouth, and does another. That's the point. You don't broadcast a commitment to excellence and then do it half ass. There is NO excuse for that, and that's what they are doing.
- SteveRain

When the UC opened they set attendance records for the NHL and was packed...three years later and tickets couldn't be given away...I had 4-200 level seasons....Forget selling them I couldn' give them away.


If the team isn't winning the attendance won't drop to 10K per game right away but even a 3-4,000 difference a night is huge money. As far as I know no one with season tickets now signed up for a lifetime.

When the UC opened they set attendance records for the NHL and was packed...three years later and tickets couldn't be given away...I had 4-200 level seasons....Forget selling them I couldn' give them away.


If the team isn't winning the attendance won't drop to 10K per game right away but even a 3-4,000 difference a night is huge money. As far as I know no one with season tickets now signed up for a lieftime.
- Al

Talk about Hockey Buzz Kill

Talk about Hockey Buzz Kill
- Dojodan

Sorry...Go outside and look for a rainbow.

Some more on Q....

I'm wondering how much influence Q has on the makeup of the roster. Yes Stan is GM and has final say on personnel, but I think it would be ignorant to think Q doesn't have sat least some input.


- Ogilthorpe2

I obviously wouldn't know but would guess that there may be a significant difference between how much Q offers and how much the GM et al listen to what he offers. I don't think that in the Hawks deep front office there is much more room for Q's voice. Q's a hockey lifer---and he can't see what's wrong with this team?

Also, I think that those who assume Q has man-wood for J. Scott may be mistaken...I actually see it more as the organization forcing the proverbial square peg into the round hole. While all are likely beyond exhauted hearing about it, Scott as an NHLer is simply befuddling. His pass into the middle of his own zone last night (try to guess which one) was beyond bush league. When I saw him smiling on the bench afterward, I wanted the ghost of Magnuson to pop him right in his mush. I had no idea they stacked crap that high.

Yikes.

Double yikes!

Maybe even.....yeah, why not?...Triple Yikes.


Posting after a game like that is very dangerous. I'm leary. Remember when the Hawks won a game and King Boob Tab Bamford ( Who continues to pillage off my brother's idea.....IThead!) compared this team to the championship team of 2 years ago? Remember how retarded that was?

Yeah, well it's the same dynamic happening here.

That was an awful game. Worst of the year. And it was the first really bad GOALIE game. So reactions are hyper fuel injected right now.

People need to chill out.

Look around the league.....Teams go through this. This team that supposedly is going to get buried by the Wings was on the verge of burying the Wings three weeks ago, and the pendulum will swing again.

This team isn't any more flawed than when it was atop of the league. This team is still as uber talented as it was when it was atop of the league. Does it mean they're heading back to the top? probably not. Most likely not. But it is possible.

The answer isn't coming in the form of a trade. Did you see the Craptacular list of awful D men JJ posted? You think that's the answer? If you think Brett Clark or Bryan Allen is the key to a 13 point swing then you need to start watching Basketball. Because you're bad at watching hockey! The answer is going to come from Nick Leddy catching a second wind, and cobbling of a 6th d from OD, yes Jon Scott, and ....whoever Stanbow acquires. ( How about Sheldon Souray... He's physical, carries the puck better than all of them and is a better answer on the PP point than anybody else. Notice how the PP goes clown car when they put Sharp at the point? I noticed.)

Here's one that will piss everyone off. I'd like to see Bickell play more. Here's the thing. You sit Brian Bickell for 5 games, you tell him he needs to be more aggressive. You more or less imply your goddamn job is on the line if you don't start being more aggressive, it's only logical that he's going to take a stupid penalty or two. He was doing what the coaches ask. Now let him build off of it. Q does the same thing with Lepisto. He sits forever then gives him a "fight for your life opportunity" and you see mistakes due to over eagerness. Everyone hates Bickell! I get it. But he does lead Blackhawk forwards in hits. He does have a great penalties drawn to penalties taken ratio. Q said the team needs to forcheck. Well, give Bickell a chance to temper his over eagerness. It's as good a longshot as some, nay, most, of the trade suggestions on this board.

I'm fine with riding Emery. I turned to Sam and asked if Crawford was playing with a damn Jai-lai cesta last night. Grab the puck. And practice your post to post moves.....Yikes.
- yahoodi

Allen isn't an answer, but Souray is? Really? Maybe that was true 5-10 years ago when Souray could get up and down the ice.

Allen, very good example, as are 4-5 of those guys on the list who can chew up minutes and give you reliable mistake free hockey, taking pressure OFF the rest of the defense. It's not that they're great, it's that they put less pressure on Keith or Leddy (especially), block shots, keep the front of the net clear, which this "uber-talented" team fails to do night after night. Well, Hjalmarsson, who all the experts are ready to throw under the bus, blocks a shiz pile of shots. Campbell was not always "great" when he was here. But one thing he did do was take minutes pressure off of Keith.

I also agree with Al, as he and I have said all season, when they had the best record in the league, they were the least injured team in the league—freakishly healthy. And they had a lot of home games.

And you say people are overreacting, and by clear implication, the negative opposites of Tab's pom-pom waving.

I can certainly give you or your bro a very detailed, fact based breakdown of what's wrong with this team. For starters, legitimate Stanley Cup winning teams don't get repeatedly waxed by 10th seeds. This team is nearly last in the conference in goals against. And defense matters more in the playoffs than it does in the regular season.

That's the Facts, Jack (Stripes).

Allen isn't an answer, but Souray is? Really? Maybe that was true 5-10 years ago when Souray could get up and down the ice.

Allen, very good example, as are 4-5 of those guys on the list who can chew up minutes and give you reliable mistake free hockey, taking pressure OFF the rest of the defense. It's not that they're great, it's that they put less pressure on Keith or Leddy (especially), block shots, keep the front of the net clear, which this "uber-talented" team fails to do night after night. Well, Hjalmarsson, who all the experts are ready to throw under the bus, blocks a shiz pile of shots. Campbell was not always "great" when he was here. But one thing he did do was take minutes pressure off of Keith.

I also agree with Al, as he and I have said all season, when they had the best record in the league, they were the least injured team in the league—freakishly




healthy. And they had a lot of home games.

And you say people are overreacting, and by clear implication, the negative opposites of Tab's pom-pom waving.

I can certainly give you or your bro a very detailed, fact based breakdown of what's wrong with this team. For starters, legitimate Stanley Cup winning teams don't get repeatedly waxed by 10th seeds. This team is nearly last in the conference in goals against. And defense matters more in the playoffs than it does in the regular season.

That's the Facts, Jack (Stripes).
- John Jaeckel

JJ: What's the lineup tonight?

Your premise is all wrong. I am a truth seeing hippie.

Sorry to have urinated on your Lucky Charms this morning.

Red Light District likely has a blog up that will blame everything on Michal Frolik and John Scott, if that's more your cup of kool aid.
- John Jaeckel[/quote]




Wow, way to throw Zawaski under the bus after pimping him in your blog.