I'd be shocked if the Hawks won in 5...have you watched the Hawks of late?

Toss up...
- ArlingtonRob

I honestly thought they played pretty good when we beat them the last couple games of the season. They had the determination to beat Nashville. Minny will be a walk in the park.

Tremendous effort by Leddy.

https://vine.co/v/eWPwFP7vmvL
- CBHawks88

Maybe he thought he was in the offensive zone?

No way he was letting Justin Williams get away with that trick again tonight.
- RickJ

Then whined to the ref. Ignored everything going on around him. Went and picked up his stick while the world twirled around him and ended up in the wrong position.
The look Rozy gave him after the goal was enough to kill him.

I watched slack jawed. You just knew something bad was going to happen.

But actually ...

HOW did Dubnyk all of a sudden become one of the league's hottest goal-tenders?

HOW does a goalie go from being arguably the WORST goalie in the NHL in Edmonton, to still playing like utter-crap in Arizona, to becoming a brick wall in Minnesota? Change in scheme? Much improved D in front of him? Did a genie answer his one wish? Did he realize he was all of a sudden supposed to prevent goals rather than allow them?

Baffling. Either way, I'm stoked for this series. For some reason I sense a lot of 2-1, 3-2 games, but every mistake counts in this series. Hopefully the 'Hawks make less of them.
- TommyHawk

many of you are completely mischarachterizing DD's play over the years. The guys numbers are quite good: .914 - .918 save%....

he was on some very poor def teams in Edm and Az...yet he was 9-5 in relief of Smith in AZ...

if the hawks think they can spot the wild 2-3 goals and get back in it...i don't think so...

they better turn what they did the last 2/3 of the G6 into a steady diet of team defense or they will lose this series...

many of you are completely mischarachterizing DD's play over the years. The guys numbers are quite good: .914 - .918 save%....

he was on some very poor def teams in Edm and Az...yet he was 9-5 in relief of Smith in AZ...

if the hawks think they can spot the wild 2-3 goals and get back in it...i don't think so...

they better turn what they did the last 2/3 of the G6 into a steady diet of team defense or they will lose this series...
- bogiedoc

I definitely agree with you that the Blackhawks shouldn't make it a habit to go down 2-3 goals every game, but they did overcome a few multiple goal deficits, including a three goal deficit G1 against maybe the best goalie/defense unit in the league with their captain still healthy. I'm not sure how many teams have gone 2/2 in playoff games in the same series after mid game goalie switches not due to injury, but I can't imagine it's many. This Bhawks team is going to be a tough out through force of sheer willpower, I doubt the Wild have what it takes even with some deficiencies on the defensive end, I hope that turns out to be true. Having said that, stronger team defense will certainly help, a few momentary lapses completely removed them from a couple games last series, and put them in a hole in a few more. One thing I often notice the Blackhawks wingers doing is going deep in the D zone to help their dman/center, I don't know if this is a calculated risk by the coaching staff but I do know that when I used to play my coaches would kick my butt if I ever left my point man unguarded.

I grew up playing defence and that's the way we played. If you put your head down you had to expect to get rocked. But I hear ya. The equipment today is lethal and the head needs to be avoided. Not happy about the pads and they ought to do something about it. But if a guy hits another guy face to face who has his head down I'll never have a problem with that as long as he doesn't leave his feet or charge him. Guess I'm just a dinosaur.
- 6628

What you suggest is fine.

Kronwall, though, always positions his back to the guy he's checking and seems to do a little move to try to increase his velocity for the hit.

Last night was pretty typical of most of his hits too. I'm not sure he's necessarily targeting the head but because of the way he hits the other player his actions seem a bit out of control and the head has been the primary point of contact on more than one occasion.

Tremendous effort by Leddy.

https://vine.co/v/eWPwFP7vmvL
- CBHawks88

WTF was that? Oh, right..... the Isles new $5.5M defencemen. Later bud, don't let the door hit you in the ass again on the way out.

What you suggest is fine.

Kronwall, though, always positions his back to the guy he's checking and seems to do a little move to try to increase his velocity for the hit.

Last night was pretty typical of most of his hits too. I'm not sure he's necessarily targeting the head but because of the way he hits the other player his actions seem a bit out of control and the head has been the primary point of contact on more than one occasion.
- HawkintheD

No question you're right about this. And we know these days that's gotta stop.

WTF was that? Oh, right..... the Isles new $5.5M defencemen. Later bud, don't let the door hit you in the ass again on the way out.
- blackhawk24

Well, ya get what you pay for.

If the Isles had ponied up say $6mil, Leddy would have checked Ward or maybe put his stick on the ice behind Halak to help prevent the goal. $5.5mil only goes so far...

Hey everyone. I've been reading these blogs for about three years now and finally decided to get on the roller coaster.

The Wild are going to be a tough out this year again, but if the Hawks can find a 60-minute defensive effort the way they played to finish out game 6 against Nashville, I think they can win the series in 6.

However, if they decide to poop themselves for entire periods at a time again, the Hawks could be eliminated real quick.

What you suggest is fine.

Kronwall, though, always positions his back to the guy he's checking and seems to do a little move to try to increase his velocity for the hit.

Last night was pretty typical of most of his hits too. I'm not sure he's necessarily targeting the head but because of the way he hits the other player his actions seem a bit out of control and the head has been the primary point of contact on more than one occasion.
- HawkintheD

The guys I couldn't stand were guys like Derrian Hatcher and Marchment, guys who stuck their knee out when they went to run a guy. Never a place in the game for that.

The guys I couldn't stand were guys like Derrian Hatcher and Marchment, guys who stuck their knee out when they went to run a guy. Never a place in the game for that.
- 6628

No doubt. The hit Hatcher put on Roenick , and Marchment made that kind of hit throughout his career.

No doubt. The hit Hatcher put on Roenick , and Marchment made that kind of hit throughout his career.
- HawkintheD

Wendell wanted to KILL Marchment.

JJ, I really have serious doubts about the Wild being faster than the Rangers. They probably looked fast just because the Blues weren't. Vanek, Pomminville, Stewart, Coyle and Brodziak are OK but they aren't burners.

The Wild are going to give the Hawks all they can handle this year and falling behind by 3 goals against this team is certain disaster. What they are going to try to do is suffocate the Hawks offence and look for turnovers, which I think you would agree they do with great frequency.

Every time I watch the Wild I want to throw up, all I can think of is Jacques Lemaire.
- RickJ

Frenchman.

I find it all ironic with Yzerman now in TB. Sounds like sour grapes to me.......

I have been saying that about Detroit for years.
- powerenforcer

There was a Wings fan who took HUGE umbrage at my saying this last year or the year before (I forget). How dare I say such a thing?

Ha. OK.

as for the subject at hand...
I always enjoy JJ's blogs.......What is the opposite of a homer?

I say Chicago in 6
I would like to see Minny win so Next year Kings right the ship and we see another battle for the cup game and bragging rights for the 2010's..........doesnt look good for the Kings though with the terrible contracts on the books....Richards, Brown, namely. I see the same Chicago team that almost took out the Kings last year, playing this series. You would have to be a Wild fan or a bum to bet against Chi.
- dprice818

An Away-er?

Cheers, thx

Bingo...

...but that isn't the only one.
- ArlingtonRob

No it isn't. And the reason he got away with it for so many years was first Colin Campbell and later Brendan Shanahan being "Mr. Ilitch's Boys."

Hey everyone. I've been reading these blogs for about three years now and finally decided to get on the roller coaster.

The Wild are going to be a tough out this year again, but if the Hawks can find a 60-minute defensive effort the way they played to finish out game 6 against Nashville, I think they can win the series in 6.

However, if they decide to poop themselves for entire periods at a time again, the Hawks could be eliminated real quick.
- Hawks_49

Welcome!

Any news on when the first game's gonna be?

Or are they going to use a "telephone tree" to tell the players to be at the UC in an hour?

I assume game 2 will be Sunday, but afternoon or night?

I would score on you. LOL
- Elbows15

If you play HNA in Chicago, we might find out in Toronto sometime.

No it isn't. And the reason he got away with it for so many years was first Colin Campbell and later Brendan Shanahan being "Mr. Ilitch's Boys."
- John Jaeckel

It goes back to the owners (who apparently don't mind the Kronwall-type hits) who hire Bettman (who apparently doesn't mind the Kronwall type hits) who hire the Campbells and Shanahans (who apparently don't mind the Kronwall-type hits)....

And maybe it goes back to the fans and the TV announcers who keep calling them "hockey plays".

If the powers in the league wanted it stopped, they would stop it.

It goes back to the owners (who apparently don't mind the Kronwall-type hits) who hire Bettman (who apparently doesn't mind the Kronwall type hits) who hire the Campbells and Shanahans (who apparently don't mind the Kronwall-type hits)....

And maybe it goes back to the fans and the TV announcers who keep calling them "hockey plays".

If the powers in the league wanted it stopped, they would stop it.
- StLBravesFan

Disagree. They "care" when it's Torres. Hell, even Hjalmarsson got suspended once. Kronwall has gotten away with it because people in the league office are either loyal to or scared of Ilitch (my opinion—but it's really the only explanation—he is a very dirty hitter)

Disagree. They "care" when it's Torres. Hell, even Hjalmarsson got suspended once. Kronwall has gotten away with it because people in the league office are either loyal to or scared of Ilitch (my opinion—but it's really the only explanation—he is a very dirty hitter)
- John Jaeckel

Hence this is the way I am.....There is something more than just "the game played on the ice".

Disagree. They "care" when it's Torres. Hell, even Hjalmarsson got suspended once. Kronwall has gotten away with it because people in the league office are either loyal to or scared of Ilitch (my opinion—but it's really the only explanation—he is a very dirty hitter)
- John Jaeckel

He has done this for years. Havlat, Voracek, now the tampa kid. No one would have anywhere near the animosity for him if he would scrap when called to after these hits. But he takes advantage of defenseless players and knocks them into next week. Then gets to stroll away from the play and get protected by the refs.

Kronwall is gutless and is at best a 3 or 4 dman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYv_thyvxGY

If kronwall did this to stewart, do you think the league would have argued that this was a stewart reverse hit gone wrong. Note how kronwall looks over his left shoulder and stops short of the boards. Of course they didn't and gave Stewart a suspension.

I'm not saying it wasn't suspension worthy just that they can rationalize it however they want to fit whether they want to give a suspension or not.

When is the NHLPA going to stick up for the guys on the end of receiving questionable hits? Oh wait, they won't because they get paid while injured while the suspended player loses pay. I'm over simplifying but the tenet is true.