I'm a couple days early here but I've got a few busy days and will probably not get another chance to write. So after a wait which is almost as long as next season's Olympic break the Canucks get back at it against a strong BlackHawks team.
The Hawks took 6 games to eliminate the Flames and going forward it's this series where the debate about the Hawks begins, at least as it pertains to a series with Vancouver. I'm not going to dissect the Flames and their season ending troubles but to understand the Hawks I cannot dismiss the series with the Flames.
The long knives are out in Calgary particularly because of the last two games against Chicago, but what really happened in those two games? I'm of the belief that Chicago is good team, a young team learning to play with confidence. My belief is that had a healthy Calgary Flames team been on the ice we are watching a great game tomorrow night and are probably looking forward to the MOAS (mother of all series) against Vancouver. As you read reports coming out of Calgary it appears no less than 10 players were playing for long periods before the post season injured and it only got worse.
By the time Calgary had tied the series up at 2 games apiece the Flames were done. Roasted, cooked, baked with the fork sticking out and juice oozing all over the cutting board. Games 5 and 6 were as one-sided and underwhelming a close out pair as I've ever seen. There was nothing left in the legs and will of the team, aside from Bertuzzi- oh the irony!
Don't take anything away from Chicago here they made those games one-sided by playing like Monsters that neither Pierre McGuire or Disney could imagine. The reason 'missing person' reports were filed for Iginla is due to the stifling coverage of the Hawks. Seabrook, Burish, Barker and Keith all beat on Iginla and the rest of the walking infirmary of the Flames line up. For anyone to dismiss the potential in this Hawks lineup is silly, the proof is there, accept it and start preparing.
So what happened in round , was it a team riddled with injuries being beat by a healthy team or was it a good team exploiting weaknesses and playing better and smarter? It's both really and that's what makes this series so intriguing. The Hawks had a wounded opponent and developed a game plan to win based on current conditions, then they executed it to a tee. The players believe in the coaches and vice versa and in a playoff atmosphere the newcomers made it all happen. This is a smart team and the most dangerous kind IMO.
The Canucks and Hawks split the season series 2-2, Hawks took 2 in October/December and Vancouver in Feb/March. With such a small sample size can we determine which team has an advantage? Probably not but it appears the Canucks are playing like they were in their two wins right now rather than the two losses. Head to head the Sedins had 11 points 6 goals and 5 assists and KST (Kane, Toews & Sharp) had 6 goals and 5 assists. Vancouver outscored the Hawks 14-10 and posted one shutout in the last fight filled game.
Hands up if you thought that last game was going to be a rallying point for Chicago this post season? The Hawks players are already talking about Burrows and hair, I never really noticed Alex's coiff? :) They also know that Vancouver is not going to tolerate Luongo being run and in a game where they tried to get under his skin they couldn't. Before the puck has dropped the Hawks are already thinking about things they should have left in the past.
If Quennville and co. have looked at video of the Blues/Canucks series they will see a few things which worked on Calgary that may not have the same impact on Vancouver. The body and hits-St. Louis threw every young player's body at the Canucks and didn't generate much from it. Chicago has some bigger players but Vancouver is not a team with D men playing with broken feet and hip injuries. Vancouver does not give you much room between the face off circles and when the puck is not there they will block shots fearlessly. In fact they could do much more than Calgary because they are not the walking wounded the Flames were. The Hawks elevated their game, no question but did they have to lift it to the level required to win any series? I'm not sure as I don't think this edition of the Flames could provide that level of competition.
Chicago is not an average team beating a weak opponent but now they have to face a well rested opponent who has had a lot of time to understand the kind of game the Hawks play. The way I'm writing you must all think I'm saying sweep or a 5 game series? Nope it goes 6 or 7 because with 9 days off the Canucks have to get their fire in the belly back. Chicago may have learned enough to know they have to go harder and faster in the 2nd round, but can they still execute against a team that plays one of the most disciplined styles in the league? Right now and even at the end of the season the Canucks were unflappable in games and never changed from their course of action. Ask St. Louis how hard it is to play against Vancouver's system with their young creative players.
I think we see a start in this series where both team try to run with each other but the first mistakes come from Chicago-recent history still too fresh in their heads to forget. The key factor for Vancouver is how healthy is the team? If Salo and Sundin can't last it will pose a big problem for Vancouver. Right now there is no known injuries for the Hawks, not that we could find any this time of year. That's the wild card with these two evenly matched teams. If injuries take hold for either it will have a big effect. It's a 6 or 7 game series but I give the advantage to Vancouver, Luongo is playing even better than the Buhlin Wall and the edge of experience goes to Vancouver as a whole. I'm looking forward to a great series.
Enjoy the game and GO CANUCKS GO!
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