TSN replayed the Hossa goal, just before it Toews had the puck in the corner and had 4 Kings on him. Maybe Toews is doing exactly what is needed of him for now.
- hawkitect

toews is expendable!!!

nice call.

Hey Phil...!

At this point in the playoffs...quite frankly everyone wearing the indian head scares the sh!t out of me.

Little margin for error.
- ArlingtonRob

That's true Rob

Hawks definitely the faster and more interested team. There was really nothing impressive about the Kings today. It's as though they were playing to win 1-0, totally depending/expecting Quick to stop everything.

You gotta believe the Kings can bring more than they showed tonight. If not, this will be a real short series.
- SAVOIRFAIRE

Wouldn't sell the Kings short just yet. Also can't dismiss the fact that they are coming off two brutal, physical series against the Blues and Sharks. No doubt they have some guys banged up from those series and it could be talking it's toll. As it is, they didn't play their best and yet again, it was still a one goal game. Tripping penalty by Carter on Bolland with just under two minutes to go was big because LA was pressuring the Hawks quite a bit in the third and I didn't want to see them get the man advantage after pulling Quick. As it was, they never got the chance.

best thing was watching hawks not hold on to the puck, quick passes, always move your feet

Kings looked lost as they couldnt line anyone up for a hit
- FourFeathers773

Excellent POINTS Bro

Good game.

These are the kind of games you should expect all series. Low scoring, one goal games. Crawford better be on. Not going to get very many past Quick.
- carcus

They pepper quick with 40 shots a game he's not stopping all of them. Hawks pushed back in a big way plus LA had no answer for their speed.

So the clueless Crawford gets the win in game 1 of the Conference Finals.

I'll take it...
- ArlingtonRob

I'll take it too, but doesn't change anything. Crawford still sucks

Stick by what I said earlier today. This series feels a lot like the 2010 WCF. Will probably be closer, but the Hawks' speed right now looks like a big problem for LA.
- John Jaeckel

might be a great call. my cousin, huge life long hawk fan called a 4 game hawks sweep.

Wouldn't sell the Kings short just yet. Also can't dismiss the fact that they are coming off two brutal, physical series against the Blues and Sharks. No doubt they have some guys banged up from those series and it could be talking it's toll. As it is, they didn't play their best and yet again, it was still a one goal game. Tripping penalty by Carter on Bolland with just under two minutes to go was big because LA was pressuring the Hawks quite a bit in the third and I didn't want to see them get the man advantage after pulling Quick. As it was, they never got the chance.
- RetiredGoalie

remember how it was after the hawks beat the red wings the first game, and then we lost 3 straight. dont think that will happen again, but i am proceeding with cautious optimism.

might be a great call. my cousin, huge life long hawk fan called a 4 game hawks sweep.
- jsabey

Love their physical play today as well as their focus after the flukey goal. But I have to imagine they come out on fire tomorrow.
Edit: "they" = LA

I'm in a Hawks blog saying a Kings player is diving...
Look up definition of a troll bro....
- Scooby_Doo

Kind of a reputation call .

Love their physical play today as well as their focus after the flukey goal. But I have to imagine they come out on fire tomorrow.
- Kentxo

I seem recall that they where very successful on the 2nd game of a back to back this regular season?Not that that means anything,like our chances. edit HAWKS.

I'll take it too, but doesn't change anything. Crawford still sucks
- fvineze

No, he doesn't - he has the occasional (but too frequent) "senior moment", but through 9 wins in 13 games, he's made the saves he needed to make.

In three play-off years, he's 6 - 2 in elimination games - a terrific record.

After a first period where the Hawks out shoot the Kings 17 to 2 and come out of the period down one goal I'm thinking it's going to be one of those games but kudos to the Hawks not sticking with it and not getting rattled. Quick was awesome and capable of winning any game for the Kings. Hawks really need to come out and not have any lapses in game two to hold home ice. I like their chances a lot better if they go into LA up 2-0 instead of being 1-1.

No, he doesn't - he has the occasional (but too frequent) "senior moment", but through 9 wins in 13 games, he's made the saves he needed to make.

In three play-off years, he's 6 - 2 in elimination games - a terrific record.
- StLBravesFan

First, he's under 30. He isn't allowed 'senior moments'

Second, his defense protects him from most shots. At one point his save % was 50%.

Be honest, you and everyone else on this blog "pucker" every time he faces a shot.

First, he's under 30. He isn't allowed 'senior moments'

Second, his defense protects him from most shots. At one point his save % was 50%.

Be honest, you and everyone else on this blog "pucker" every time he faces a shot.
- fvineze

Ladies and gentlemen, it is Bill Murray from Groundhog day. Everyday, all day, the in depth crowd keeps pointing fingers at the goalie that gives up 1 or 2 a game....all the time.

It does not matter who is in front of him, every shot on goal, is a goal if not stopped.

Can we get an original thought on the goaltending?

Do you need another 60 or 80 games of consistent 2 goal hockey to prove anything...nah...lets not let facts get in the way of the legend. Follow the herd.....

Answer my question from wayyy before the game started ?

How are the Kings going to score ?

The Hawks have the stingiest defense they have faced and greatest PK LA has seen . I think most of these games will go just like tonight's game , the Hawks will out chance the Kings and as long as Crawfordmdoesnt give up and "Corey" goals the Hawks will win this series.

Kind of a reputation call .
- eagle50

It was not thAt. He said Brown dived. He didn't . It was a legit trip. Moving on now.

I got 3 great take always from this game:
1. We need to keep moving all series to keep away from physical pounding
2. First to 3 goals wins
3. NO PIERRE

Those are in no particular order, I think this series will require me to buy more antacids, and to utter in the immortal words of Clark W Griswold "Hallelujah, holy poop, where's the Tylenol".

Ladies and gentlemen, it is Bill Murray from Groundhog day. Everyday, all day, the in depth crowd keeps pointing fingers at the goalie that gives up 1 or 2 a game....all the time.

It does not matter who is in front of him, every shot on goal, is a goal if not stopped.

Can we get an original thought on the goaltending?

Do you need another 60 or 80 games of consistent 2 goal hockey to prove anything...nah...lets not let facts get in the way of the legend. Follow the herd.....
- TrueGrit

The economy would be doing much better if Crawford hadn't crashed the housing market in '08, or given out all those bad loans!

I don't care if he wasn't born yet, Hawks' defensive statistics bear out that he was the 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is Bill Murray from Groundhog day. Everyday, all day, the in depth crowd keeps pointing fingers at the goalie that gives up 1 or 2 a game....all the time.

It does not matter who is in front of him, every shot on goal, is a goal if not stopped.

Can we get an original thought on the goaltending?

Do you need another 60 or 80 games of consistent 2 goal hockey to prove anything...nah...lets not let facts get in the way of the legend. Follow the herd.....
- TrueGrit

TG, dear, used to be (last year) he would give up a bad goal late in the game to either lose the lead or lose the game - now, although he stil gives up too many he should get, they aren't in late-game or O/T situations - like tonite (IMO) and the knuckler against Detroit.

If the Hawks were winning 2-0 with 5 minutes left tonite,and he gives up a softy, LA has all of the momentum, the Hawks are really back on their heels, and a tying goal is more likely.

The difference with Crawford this year is he is strong at the end of games.

Answer my question from wayyy before the game started ?

How are the Kings going to score ?

The Hawks have the stingiest defense they have faced and greatest PK LA has seen . I think most of these games will go just like tonight's game , the Hawks will out chance the Kings and as long as Crawfordmdoesnt give up and "Corey" goals the Hawks will win this series.
- mrpaulish

no, the blues have the stingiest defense!! just kidding there was an argument about that earlier in the day with an LA poster.

Answer my question from wayyy before the game started ?

How are the Kings going to score ?

The Hawks have the stingiest defense they have faced and greatest PK LA has seen . I think most of these games will go just like tonight's game , the Hawks will out chance the Kings and as long as Crawfordmdoesnt give up and "Corey" goals the Hawks will win this series.
- mrpaulish

wasnt that LA fan the one arguing with you earlier...

Truthfully I'm more scared of the rest of the team than Crawford after he gives one up. The team usually starts playing scared and playing the puck like a grenade, bad clearing attempts/outhit/out worked. He gives up another I feel from exhaustive pressure after a bad one because team D gets sloppy. Maybe because they're afraid of him giving up a softie, but he's been much better down the stretch and saved them. Look at game 7 after Zetterberg scored, team D terrible CC outstanding. What's our alternative, broken Ray Ray? Gotta ride Crow so I close my eyes occasionally and hope the score is the same when I re-open 'em.

Matt Cooke is a thug.