Completely Agree.

Nordstrom just doesn't do it for me at any level. He seems like a nice kid, hustles, etc. but he does not add a thing to this lineup.

He frequently gets beat by running around and pulling himself out of position, he adds nothing on the offensive end. Even when he does get chances, he doesn't/can't finish and if and when he is used on the PK he either is just off on getting into lanes, or fails to get pucks that he has clear possession of out.

On an extended note, all those who have penciled him into the lineup next year, don't be so sure. I think a few of the other Rockford options may be better, with more upside.
- TheTrob

Agreed 100%. Another kid that has been given a chance to earn his spot, but can't due to the glaring holes in his game you pointed out very well.

IF you actually read this thread on a regular basis you would understand that 90% of the posters here respect the opponent. Tampa is a very good team.

However, you would be hard to find a team that has top end talent who delivers in high pressured games, time after time like the Hawks.

I hope you do, to answer your post.
- SteveRain

If you actually read my post, you'd see I agree'd with most of his views. Just not all of them. Alls I'm saying is there is just as good of a chance of Crawford having a meltdown ad there is Bishop. And to say that for Tampa to win Bishop needs to stand on his head for 7 games?

Must have been watching a different Crawford than everyone else.

Well, too small was certainly tested versus Anaheim.

I think anyone who ever said they were too old or too slow needs their head examined.

The only guy who I would say is "long in the tooth" in terms of actual production is Sharp. Hossa is better than 98% of the league's 26 year-olds. Keith? Ha.
- John Jaeckel

Timmonen too

yeah....wasn't that Tampa loss a game or 2 right after Kane went down?

Hawks looked very flat in that game.......believe Darling started.
- SteveRain

Correct. Second game after Kane went down. Don't recall if it was the second of back to back after beating Florida. May have been an off day in between.

If you actually read my post, you'd see I agree'd with most of his views. Just not all of them. Alls I'm saying is there is just as good of a chance of Crawford having a meltdown ad there is Bishop. And to say that for Tampa to win Bishop needs to stand on his head for 7 games?

Must have been watching a different Crawford than everyone else.
- Timolis

Crawford has a Stanley cup. Your argument is invalid.

Correct. Second game after Kane went down. Don't recall if it was the second of back to back after beating Florida. May have been an off day in between.
- golfbard

Pretty sure it was the 2nd in two nights for the Hawks.

Pretty simple Chicago plays their game this is a short series

If Tampa plays out of their mind or Biship steals a couple games this could be a long series

My prediction is Hawks in 5

I expect them to be good games but the Hawks just have too much

Hopefully my predictiion is wrong because Bishop needs to bring the cup back to the Lou this summer

Crawford has a Stanley cup. Your argument is invalid.
- biegs

So does Niemi. Your point?

Pretty sure it was the 2nd in two nights for the Hawks.
- Timolis

Yup...Wiz confirmed it...I looked it up...no Oduya either...Erixson,Rundblad And Kaminsky all played the 4-6 d men spots...wow!

First time I could ever agree with a Blues troll!!!!

So does Niemi. Your point?
- Timolis

Crawford is better than Niemi and Bishop.

yeah....wasn't that Tampa loss a game or 2 right after Kane went down?

Hawks looked very flat in that game.......believe Darling started.
- SteveRain

That is correct and it was the next night after they destroyed the Panthers in Sunrise and there were more Hawk fans, me included, by 100% than Panther fans

Hawks in 5. The Stache can just about wax the tips of his Babs-raise, and isnt about to let some baby-face hair-plugs AHL coach come close to cropping his virility validation, anymore than Porky Pig did. Plus Bishop will come unglued. Detroit and NY let his schizo play off the hook. Hawks won't. Crawford has really amazed me the way he steadied his game under the playoffs' bright lights. Too bad we are witnessing his final bid for a championship.

All this Aunt Bee posting about Saad at $4 mill, and being able to move Bickell w/out retaining salary! Sharp and Crawford are the only moveable pieces here that will help, and both will be moved. People need to shower some serious love on these non-core warriors at the end here (even if disingenuous) to ease their waiving all anti-trade clauses. Keeping the core depends on it.

Unless BS has the dumbest agent ever, and/or there are no other rival gm's out there that want to bring down the Hawks, then it will take in the high 5's to keep him. Just look at who is making $4M: Jussi Jokinen is making $4M. Erik Cole and David Jones are making $4M. Hell, Vermette makes 3.75. Drift through the following cap hits and see if there's a single player you would rather have than Saad:

Meszaros 4.125, Kulemin 4.187, Hodgson 4.25, Hornqvist 4.25, Laich 4.5, LeCavalier 4.5, Purcell 4.5, Fleischmann 4.5, Burrows 4.5 Umberger 4.6, McArthur 4.65, Hartnell 4.75, Clowe 4.85, Weiss 4.9, Grabovski 5, Moulson 5, St. Louis 5, Clarkson 5.25, Lupul 5.25, Foligno 5.5, Bolland 5.5, Landeskog 5.57, Pominville 5.6, Skinner 5.725, Zajac 5.75, Mike Richards 5.75, Steen 5.8, Dustin Brown 5.875.

Two comparable players I would use as a marker are Ryan Nuget-Hopkins or Logan Couture. They both make 6. If you're a GM in the West you have to knock the King off the Hill and that means ruthlessly pushing out the Hawks' salary bulge. Even if you dont reasonably expect to sign Saad, you HAVE to push his cap hit. This is the summer of the offer sheet with Tarasenko, Saad, and many other exciting players (and teams near the top) exposed to the pirate's code. The only credible plan going forward is dumping Crawford. It really will suck to deliver a cup and then be pressured to waive his trade protections. But hockey is a tough business, and Hawk nation needs to appreciate and savor Crawfords' final games, because multi-cup goalies dont come along that often (looking at you Price, Lundy, Tuks). Darling is the next.

Just to clarify: THE ONLY chance Tampa Bay has of winning this series is for at least one of the following to happen:

- Ben Bishop plays like the lovechild of Patrick Roy and Berine Parent for 7 games, while Corey Crawford plays like Michael Leighton.

- The Lightning and Hawks both play like the mid-80's Oilers and the Lightning "get some bounces."

- A series-ending injury to one of the Chicago top 4.

That's what you're saying? There is no other possible way that Tampa Bay could win? No timely goal scoring, no injury to Crawford/Toews/Kane, no Stamkos/Johnson catching fire? None of that would work?

Completely Agree.

Nordstrom just doesn't do it for me at any level. He seems like a nice kid, hustles, etc. but he does not add a thing to this lineup.

He frequently gets beat by running around and pulling himself out of position, he adds nothing on the offensive end. Even when he does get chances, he doesn't/can't finish and if and when he is used on the PK he either is just off on getting into lanes, or fails to get pucks that he has clear possession of out.

On an extended note, all those who have penciled him into the lineup next year, don't be so sure. I think a few of the other Rockford options may be better, with more upside.
- TheTrob

I haven't seen a lot of the RFD guys play but that wouldn't surprise me at all. I think Nordy gives you a lot of effort with mixed results.

Sometimes he and the 4th line are flying spending a lot of time in the other teams' zone; other times with him they get hemmed in for long periods.

Just haven't seen that as much since Desjardins became a regular on the 4th line.

I'm thinking (hoping is more like it) maybe Nordy is a throw in with Bickell so the Hawks can get a draft pick and not have to retain salary or take any back.

Crawford is better than Niemi and Bishop.
- biegs

I'd give the edge to Bishop this year. So would the stats.

I like Crawford, I really do. Hell he's my keeper goalie in my fantasy league for next year. I just don't think the goaltending battle is such a flatout win for Chicago.

I'd give the edge to Bishop this year. So would the stats.

I like Crawford, I really do. Hell he's my keeper goalie in my fantasy league for neat year. I just don't think the goaltending battle is such a flatout win for Chicago.
- Timolis

Just stick to watching what you guys call hockey in Toronto

So does Niemi. Your point?
- Timolis

The point is, it's not about the goalies although you're arguing the whole blog rested on that one secondary point.

Tell me specifically how the forward defense match ups favor Tampa. You can't.

Oh and whose defense did Niemi and Crawford winCups behind? Oh right ...

Just stick to watching what you guys call hockey in Toronto
- biegs

Nice rebuttal. I will. It's been a great play-offs this year. The best in recent memory anyways!

No idea who will win, but hoping its Tampa.

7 out of the 21 goals Tampa scored in the NYR series also came via power play, with 1 shorthanded goal

Tampa only averaging 1.85 goals per game 5 on 5 in the ECF. Chicago averaging 2.57 goals per game 5 on 5 vs Anaheim

STAY OUT OF THE BOX AND WE WIN THE CUP
- FourFeathers773

Nice analysis

JJ, excellent post....even for a homer

A few other observations.

What everyone fails to get when they talk about match-ups, is that on a regular basis it is the Hawks 4th line that is taking on the opponents top line. This translates into one of the Hawks top 2 lines getting favorable match ups vs. a lesser TB line.

Q and the Hawks are also great at getting the matchups they want, even on the road (with the occasional TMM penalty). This pays huge dividends and leads to the extended offensive zone times.

My guess is that if Bickell is a no-go, then option #1 will be Versteeg. If he plays smart enough, Versteeg on a line with Vermette and Sharp could work well. In any case he is a much better option than Nordstrom, and splitting the #16/#65/#11 line should not be an option, they are playing way to well to mess with it at this point.

In terms of the 5th and 6th D-men. Cumiskey should be fine. He does not struggle with the speed of the game as much as with the physicality. TB has a few guys who are physical (Boyle is a HUGE man), but for the most part rely on speed over physicality. Timonen can't handle a team with the speed of TB, him on the ice will be like playing 5 on 4. Rundblad is not much better, while he moves marginally better than Timonen, he struggles with both the speed of the game AND any type of physical play. His decision making is just too slow. I see Rundblad getting the nod, but on the road I see very, very protected minutes, and at home when he can get a 3rd or 4th line matchup he may get a few extra minutes.

7 out of the 21 goals Tampa scored in the NYR series also came via power play, with 1 shorthanded goal

Tampa only averaging 1.85 goals per game 5 on 5 in the ECF. Chicago averaging 2.57 goals per game 5 on 5 vs Anaheim

STAY OUT OF THE BOX AND WE WIN THE CUP
- FourFeathers773

Completely agree with this.

While their numbers weren't as good this year, Tampa has a pretty dangerous PP, good movement of the puck and person. Stamkos' one-timer is pretty damn good. Combined with a PK that fell off at the end of the regular season and hasn't been too good (to put it mildly) in the playoffs, it could be a recipe for disaster. Tampa averages a couple more penalties per game than the Hawks so hopefully it's not much of an issue.

Just to clarify: THE ONLY chance Tampa Bay has of winning this series is for at least one of the following to happen:

- Ben Bishop plays like the lovechild of Patrick Roy and Berine Parent for 7 games, while Corey Crawford plays like Michael Leighton.

- The Lightning and Hawks both play like the mid-80's Oilers and the Lightning "get some bounces."

- A series-ending injury to one of the Chicago top 4.

That's what you're saying? There is no other possible way that Tampa Bay could win? No timely goal scoring, no injury to Crawford/Toews/Kane, no Stamkos/Johnson catching fire? None of that would work?
- jmatchett383

Point taken, but I don't think the Hawks would really sweat being forced to with Darling fwiw

Hawks in 5. The Stache can just about wax the tips of his Babs-raise, and isnt about to let some baby-face hair-plugs AHL coach come close to cropping his virility validation, anymore than Porky Pig did. Plus Bishop will come unglued. Detroit and NY let his schizo play off the hook. Hawks won't. Crawford has really amazed me the way he steadied his game under the playoffs' bright lights. Too bad we are witnessing his final bid for a championship.

All this Aunt Bee posting about Saad at $4 mill, and being able to move Bickell w/out retaining salary! Sharp and Crawford are the only moveable pieces here that will help, and both will be moved. People need to shower some serious love on these non-core warriors at the end here (even if disingenuous) to ease their waiving all anti-trade clauses. Keeping the core depends on it.

Unless BS has the dumbest agent ever, and/or there are no other rival gm's out there that want to bring down the Hawks, then it will take in the high 5's to keep him. Just look at who is making $4M: Jussi Jokinen is making $4M. Erik Cole and David Jones are making $4M. Hell, Vermette makes 3.75. Drift through the following cap hits and see if there's a single player you would rather have than Saad:

Meszaros 4.125, Kulemin 4.187, Hodgson 4.25, Hornqvist 4.25, Laich 4.5, LeCavalier 4.5, Purcell 4.5, Fleischmann 4.5, Burrows 4.5 Umberger 4.6, McArthur 4.65, Hartnell 4.75, Clowe 4.85, Weiss 4.9, Grabovski 5, Moulson 5, St. Louis 5, Clarkson 5.25, Lupul 5.25, Foligno 5.5, Bolland 5.5, Landeskog 5.57, Pominville 5.6, Skinner 5.725, Zajac 5.75, Mike Richards 5.75, Steen 5.8, Dustin Brown 5.875.

Two comparable players I would use as a marker are Ryan Nuget-Hopkins or Logan Couture. They both make 6. If you're a GM in the West you have to knock the King off the Hill and that means ruthlessly pushing out the Hawks' salary bulge. Even if you dont reasonably expect to sign Saad, you HAVE to push his cap hit. This is the summer of the offer sheet with Tarasenko, Saad, and many other exciting players (and teams near the top) exposed to the pirate's code. The only credible plan going forward is dumping Crawford. It really will suck to deliver a cup and then be pressured to waive his trade protections. But hockey is a tough business, and Hawk nation needs to appreciate and savor Crawfords' final games, because multi-cup goalies dont come along that often (looking at you Price, Lundy, Tuks). Darling is the next.
- meta_puck_luck

Definitely a possibility though how many teams have the cap room and draft picks to submit an offer sheet?

Not that Saad couldn't produce soemwhere else either, but is he better on a team where he isn't THE GUY?