a wizard
- watsonnostaw

He was accepted to Hogwarts before turning 11. The man is a certifiable genius.

He was accepted to Hogwarts before turning 11. The man is a certifiable genius.
- Michael_Stuart

I may have to rethink my location

I may have to rethink my location
- lumlums

- Michael_Stuart

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Should work now...

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- lumlums

Well done, Doctor. I approve.

Well done, Doctor. I approve.
- Michael_Stuart

I edited slightly to give credit as appropriate...

I edited slightly to give credit as appropriate...
- lumlums

- Michael_Stuart

Seems fair... get across the message, while giving appropriate credit

Hawks in 4.

Hawks in 4.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

Hawks in 3, amirite?

Hawks in 3, amirite?
- lumlums

I'd honestly give the Cup to them right now.

Heck make the Western Conference the NHL and the Eastern Conference the AHL for a season or two. All teams in the Eastern Conference have a lot of catching up to do.

I'd honestly give the Cup to them right now.

Heck make the Western Conference the NHL and the Eastern Conference the AHL for a season or two. All teams in the Eastern Conference have a lot of catching up to do.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

Depends... the Chicago D is more beat up than they'll admit and Tampa has more offensive firepower than anybody they've met so far...


For me it comes down to (a) can Crawford withstand the offensive output of TBL, and (b) Will Bishop be good Bishop or Bad Bishop...?

Depends... the Chicago D is more beat up than they;ll admit and Tampa has more offensive firepower than anybody they've met so far...


For me it comes down to (a) can Crawford withstand the offensive output of TBL, and (b) Will Bishop be good Bishop or Bad Bishop...?
- lumlums

Ya. Bishop this playoffs has been either bad or great. I just feel the depth of Chicago forwards will put them over the top in a hurry. Tampa has faced teams with basically 2 lines at max. Chicago has 3 lines that can score and 1 that just grinds it out and contributes. If 4 d-men got them through the West, they should be able to cope with Tampa.

Tampa's offence wouldn't scare me in the slightest if I was Chicago. Crawford will let in a bad goal here and there. But they have proven they can win despite that on several occasions.

Hawks in 3, amirite?
- lumlums

Umm no

Depends... the Chicago D is more beat up than they'll admit and Tampa has more offensive firepower than anybody they've met so far...


For me it comes down to (a) can Crawford withstand the offensive output of TBL, and (b) Will Bishop be good Bishop or Bad Bishop...?
- lumlums

They really looked beat up tonight. Especially #2 on that 1-0 break when he jumped into the play and beat 2 Duck defenders. And #4 as he skated up the boards from the defensive zone all the way to the Duck blue line numerous times.

Keep thinking like Kesler and his "eventually all the hitting will take it's toll". It didn't effect anyone on the Hawks D but it did look like it effected Getzlaf. He appeared to be skating in cement the last two games.

Depends... the Chicago D is more beat up than they'll admit and Tampa has more offensive firepower than anybody they've met so far...


For me it comes down to (a) can Crawford withstand the offensive output of TBL, and Will Bishop be good Bishop or Bad Bishop...?
- lumlums

Yeah, it really looked that way in Game 6 and Game 7. Pretty sure that "chestnut" died with the handshakes.

Umm no
- LUCKY67

Dude.


Read it sarcastically....

Ya. Bishop this playoffs has been either bad or great. I just feel the depth of Chicago forwards will put them over the top in a hurry. Tampa has faced teams with basically 2 lines at max. Chicago has 3 lines that can score and 1 that just grinds it out and contributes. If 4 d-men got them through the West, they should be able to cope with Tampa.

Tampa's offence wouldn't scare me in the slightest if I was Chicago. Crawford will let in a bad goal here and there. But they have proven they can win despite that on several occasions.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I completely disagree. The Hawks can get away from contact. They've been doing it since 2009. The teams that give them fits are teams that can skate like Colorado, Edmonton, and Tampa. This series is going to be close.

The edges I will give the Hawks are coaching (Q showed tonight why he is a top 3 coach), experience, and their forwards in the respect that they will figure out how to score on Bishop. Anderson looked like Patrick Roy in the first 4 games of this past series but the Hawks figured out how to get to him. They will do the same to Bishop.

Yeah, it really looked that way in Game 6 and Game 7. Pretty sure that "chestnut" died with the handshakes.
- John Jaeckel

Just as McDonagh didn't look like he was playing with a broken foot... It's the playoffs, you deal with it.... Doesn't mean that you're in top shape.

Hell, I've played rec soccer through a fractured tibia before, I'm pretty sure these guys go until they drop.

I completely disagree. The Hawks can get away from contact. They've been doing it since 2009. The teams that give them fits are teams that can skate like Colorado, Edmonton, and Tampa. This series is going to be close.

The edges I will give the Hawks are coaching (Q showed tonight why he is a top 3 coach), experience, and their forwards in the respect that they will figure out how to score on Bishop. Anderson looked like Patrick Roy in the first 4 games of this past series but the Hawks figured out how to get to him. They will do the same to Bishop.
- DMCsPulledHammy

Two teams that didn't make the playoffs give them troubles? Come on.

The experience will get them over the top. I predict Hawks in 4, but Tampa might pull out one at home. Hard to sweep. The Hawks have a way better core than the Bolts. That will pull them through. Bishop isn't hard to crack. Rebounds and getting him to move side to side in a hurry are key. He's 6'7. He's just a shot blocker for the most part.

Should be a great series. Absolutely love the way the Bolts play and they are a fun team to watch. Best part about Tampa is they really dont have unlikeable players on the roster.

Cheers

Two teams that didn't make the playoffs give them troubles? Come on.

The experience will get them over the top. I predict Hawks in 4, but Tampa might pull out one at home. Hard to sweep. The Hawks have a way better core than the Bolts. That will pull them through. Bishop isn't hard to crack. Rebounds and getting him to move side to side in a hurry are key. He's 6'7. He's just a shot blocker for the most part.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

Go back and look at some of the performances against teams that can skate with them. They tend to struggle with quick, fast skating teams.

There will be no sweep.

Go Yzerbolts.

"I can't wait for this series! The Hawks and Ducks was such an amazing series, I hope the Lightening can be as good an opponent as the Ducks and make it go the extra miles! I think it will for sure go to 7 games. Also, it scares me how we are the 4th original six team the lightening are playing this playoffs, they've already dispatched three...Anyways, good luck! I hope to see you on your articles, and John Jaeckel on his!"


The Lightning will be a BETTER opponent, because they don't rely on head hunting, clutching, grabbing, cheap hits, diarrhea of the mouth, and general on and off ice idiocy.

Tampa Bay, from what I can tell, can play fast and free but also can clamp it down with excellent team defense.

I do worry about 'similarities' to their 2004 team when their team was young and too stupid to realize they shouldn't be winning a Cup that soon. They may be just young enough to not care, which will make them formidable.

Unlike the Ducks, who have incredibly DIS-likable players, Tampa Bay has incredibly LIKABLE players...Stamkos, Callahan, Johnson, Hedman...even their gritty guys like Killorn are not tools.

It will be a pleasure to see two teams utilize their skill and not try to 'win a banner for most number of hits'....

TB v Chicago will be 21st century hockey boys....strap it on, gonna be a ride.

KEEP YOUR KIDS HOME THEN!

Seriously, it will be nice to get away from the cheap-shot team from Cali. Please no offensive picks though, let's have a clean fun series. Good luck.
- powerenforcer

Nah....I like the rough style in the West.