Really?

So tell me, Oh Great Enlightened One, how did the Hawks break the consecutive points record and win the Stanley Cup pretty much going away last year?

Teamwork and coaching? But not talent? Really?

How?!

And what is the difference between that team and this one? Tell me, and please use facts. Not a bunch of theory about the salary cap era.

You, my friend, don't deal in facts, or logic, but rather a bunch of smack talk, and "conventional wisdom."

I'm not saying the Hawks will repeat.I am saying it is in the realm of possibility based on something that happened in 2013. And not much has changed since then. So is Vegas. I guess they're delusional, too.

Please, give me some facts, not your likely totally Eastern Conference under-estimation of the talent level on the Stanley Cup Champs.
- John Jaeckel

why not take the high road and not get so unbelievably defensive if someone disagrees? holy crap.

Pulling a Jsabey here and responding to my own message
- StLBravesFan

Nice!

why not take the high road and not get so unbelievably defensive if someone disagrees? holy crap.
- Fountain-San

Where's the fun in doing that?

Good hockey morning

I thought we were just going with the rights to Lalonde in all future proposals?
- Ogilthorpe2

I'm good with that.

Where's the fun in doing that?
- EKolb13

he's supposed to be this respected blogger. and he acts like a little boy who's ball has been stolen if someone goes against the grain.

why not take the high road and not get so unbelievably defensive if someone disagrees? holy crap.
- Fountain-San

Remember when Bickell and Bolland scored 17 seconds apart and your game 7 viewing party plans evaporated? Ya remember that? That was awesome.

he's supposed to be this respected blogger. and he acts like a little boy who's ball has been stolen if someone goes against the grain.
- Fountain-San

So why not take the high road and just ignore him?

Remember when Bickell and Bolland scored 17 seconds apart and your game 7 viewing party plans evaporated? Ya remember that? That was awesome.
- Ogilthorpe2

Oh Ogi take the high road .....

... and remind him again about that 17 seconds!!

he's supposed to be this respected blogger. and he acts like a little boy who's ball has been stolen if someone goes against the grain.
- Fountain-San

Whine much?

Remember when Bickell and Bolland scored 17 seconds apart and your game 7 viewing party plans evaporated? Ya remember that? That was awesome.
- Ogilthorpe2

Indeed.

Remember when Bickell and Bolland scored 17 seconds apart and your game 7 viewing party plans evaporated? Ya remember that? That was awesome.
- Ogilthorpe2

i do. it was a great game and we got beaten by a better team. congrats to you, your city and all the hawk fans. i don't get why you go there.

the way you defend a guy that writes articles for you on hockeybuzz is a little sheepish however.

Whine much?
- EKolb13

not really. i think it's a valid point.

Oh Ogi take the high road .....

... and remind him again about that 17 seconds!!
- paulr

no need to remind me. the hawks were destined to win last year. sometimes you just get beat by the better team ya know?

you know the funny thing is, life, real life, goes on.

i do. it was a great game and we got beaten by a better team. congrats to you, your city and all the hawk fans. i don't get why you go there.

the way you defend a guy that writes articles for you on hockeybuzz is a little sheepish however.
- Fountain-San

I'm not so much defending him as I am attacking you. It's subtle, but there's a difference.

I'm not so much defending him as I am attacking you. It's subtle, but here's a difference.
- Ogilthorpe2

where?

no need to remind me. the hawks were destined to win last year. sometimes you just get beat by the better team ya know?

you know the funny thing is, life, real life, goes on.
- Fountain-San

But - which is more real - real life - or hockey fan life?

Descartes, Camus, Bobby Zimmerman - all have struggled with this existential conundrum for years.

Certainly not impossible, but all the talking heads will smoke their crack and pick Pittsburgh like they do every (frank)ing year.
- One_Eyed_Sweede

We all love Sidney.

JJ put the loss of Frolik, Stalberg and Bolland into perspective. Yes, they were the most expendable, but to think we need Smith, Morin and Pirri to directly replace Frolik, Stalberg and Bolland is not accurate.

Saad will take Stalberg's role on the third line and Kruger will take Bolland's role. I do think Smith will be able to take Frolik's role on the 4th line and PK (and I expect Saad to help on the PK). This leaves the Hawks with a need to fill Saad's role and Kruger's role. I think Morin could take a spot on the 3rd line playing mostly 5 on 5. I'm not sure how they would replace Kruger's role on the 4th line, maybe Q shuffles the line and Handzus takes the spot. There are a lot of variables at this point, but I'm confident that Stan will provide Q with the players he'll need to compete for the Cup again. I'm looking forward to seeing Saad and Kruger play bigger roles, and maybe Shaw too.

But - which is more real - real life - or hockey fan life?

Descartes, Camus, Bobby Zimmerman - all have struggled with this existential conundrum for years.
- StLBravesFan

he must have played a little hockey at some point.

We all love Sidney.
- Beaver-Warrior

So I get the red font = sarcasm.

But, what is the green font for?

So I get the red font = sarcasm.

But, what is the green font for?
- PuckMaster

People who are colour blind.

Pulling a Jsabey here and responding to my own message:

They don't need to have absolute replacements for the dear departed souls, or a fourth line that approaches last year's (really, in the play-offs, a 3B line). It would be nice to have a fourth line that can score a Cup-clinching goal in 17 seconds on the ice, but:

They need a fourth line that can give them 10 minutes of quality hockey a game, contributing in whatever way they can without being a detriment, so that you don't have to double-shift your top-6 guys. Keep the top-6 at 20 minutes or less.

Same with the PK: Kruger and Saad/Smith/whoever have to be able to take effective minutes away from Toews/Hossa on the PK.
- StLBravesFan

I think the over-ripened fruit from Rockford will surprise us. Namely Smith and Morin. They're eager, experienced and finally healthy. If Pirri can jell and play some D he would be a serious candidate for 2C. Hopefully Q will keep the "Pampers" line intact for chemistry!

where?
- Fountain-San

Other than to troll this site, why are you here?

JJ put the loss of Frolik, Stalberg and Bolland into perspective. Yes, they were the most expendable, but to think we need Smith, Morin and Pirri to directly replace Frolik, Stalberg and Bolland is not accurate.

Saad will take Stalberg's role on the third line and Kruger will take Bolland's role. I do think Smith will be able to take Frolik's role on the 4th line and PK (and I expect Saad to help on the PK). This leaves the Hawks with a need to fill Saad's role and Kruger's role. I think Morin could take a spot on the 3rd line playing mostly 5 on 5. I'm not sure how they would replace Kruger's role on the 4th line, maybe Q shuffles the line and Handzus takes the spot. There are a lot of variables at this point, but I'm confident that Stan will provide Q with the players he'll need to compete for the Cup again. I'm looking forward to seeing Saad and Kruger play bigger roles, and maybe Shaw too.
- DarthKane

Agreed...and the loss that will hurt the most: Frolik.

Stalberg, sorry TrueGrit, is a 1 dimensional pile. He'll be a free agent bust in Nashville and nobody will remember him in 10 years. He was fast, but his ability to finish was bad. He's the Asian kid from Mighty Ducks.....

Bolland....Shaw or Kruger can do what he does...and Shaw may end up being better being a Bolland clone, then Kruger.

Frolik: This is the one that hurts to me...Guy busted tail every shift. Great PK guy, great skill, and he scored some very large goals...hell, he was a millimeter away from being a Hawk folk hero on that redirection, that Bolland cleaned up off the post.

Smith will fill a role, but I'm not buying high on either Morin or Hayes. I've seen Hayes play live at the UC, and he looks out of place. Slow, inability to hit, and honestly...I'd trade him for any veteran with a proven NHL record who won't hurt you and fit Qs system.

Lets hope the drunken Russian is working on his legs/conditioning in between slamming shots of Vodka and driving mach 4 in his sports cars this offseason, because his signing still makes zero sense to me, and I'm just waiting to read the tweet: And Khabibulin just left practice/morning skate earlier....followed by Q: Nik is day to day with a lower body injury....and then I'm going to do shots of Vodka and pray Crawford doesn't melt down or get hurt.

I'm not so much defending him as I am attacking you. It's subtle, but here's a difference.
- Ogilthorpe2

Still makes him look like the more mature person and makes you look kind of douchey. Especially when he has a point about the negative and defensive tone of JJ's message (despite the accuracy of its content).