>>>Here’s how. Ben Bishop stands on his head for likely 7 games, and Corey Crawford melts down.<<<

that's the the way i see it to....a mike smith 2012 performance and they get it to 7...

but this could be over in 5....

bolts have a match up nightmare facing them and they will have to be focused defensively or the hawks will scream up the ice with odd mans and if those don't work the o-zone cycles will kill this tampa squad......

its not about lack of respect for stamkos and company but they have not any where come close to facing a team like the hawks and it matters not one bit the regular season history between these clubs...

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 ...
- John Jaeckel

Well how did the defense matchup help the Rangers? Especially in game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals?

Again, I favour Chicago. But I am not ruling out the possibility of a younger, healthier, hungrier Tampa Bay Lightning team going out and proving everyone wrong that thinks the only way it's going to happen is if Bishop stands on his head.

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.
- TheTrob

I'd say more the physical play is his weakness. Either way like you said, see him playing low protected mins.

Tampa in 4
- Polecat

there has to be one.....

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 already won a Stanley Cup and has been deep in the playoffs 3 straight years. There is no basis for your assertion that Crow has "just as good of a chance" as Bishop to "meltdown". The guy who had never won a Playoff Series before this season is MUCH more likely to melt down than the 30 year old with a Stanley Cup ring....

Heard from good source who has been close with Black Aces that TVR is nowhere near as close as Hawks are implying. Still can't really shoot the puck at all.
- jam10sugar

don't even no why Q was blowing all that coy smoke about TVR....nothing gained by it....the ducks didn't give a poop....

I agree with this 100%. Tampa will have to play like machines, and just play hockey. Don't get caught up in the mind games or playing with your heart on your sleeve. I think it's going to be a great series mainly because by now I think Tampa and Chicago feel they both have nothing to lose because they both weren't supposed to get this far.
- Timolis

Maybe you can explain this statement further. Do you think these teams went into the playoffs thinking they were inferior to other teams? Like the big bad Habs, Blues, Rangers, Ducks, Caps etc.

What it points out is basically how meaningless the regular season and points standings are. A. Vigneault is the King of Presidents Trophies, doesn't mean jack squat when the real playing starts.

Not playing in the top six surely gives Sharp the benefit of the doubt in terms of scoring production, I thought he has been excellent in the role of a third line player, playing a more defensive role.

The Conn Smyth trophy is Keith's to lose at this point. No one has had a greater impact in these playoffs. Not bad for a museum relic.
- paulr

Paul, Paul, Paul . . . the "museum relic" title only refers to a few "key" guys: Rozsival and Kimmo. I don't recall Keith ever being called a museum relic, most were referring to him as a member of some alien race but it was unclear to this poster whether Duncan had genetic heritage to the Greys, the Nordics or the Lizards.

Oh, and hi to Biegs. I know you were worried about me at the end of John's last blog. I've been around but have been exceptionally busy with work, family and my sideline (music) gigs. Just for your (and anyone else's) info, I was asked by my teammate who would win G7 and then afterwards, asked about the Tampa series, which like John I'm saying Hawks in 6.

Hat's off to Q for maybe his finest job of coaching in G7 (G6 not bad either), still take him to task for the indigestion he caused with G3 lineup change.

Hopefully that brings y'all up-to-speed.

Crawford has already won a Stanley Cup and has been deep in the playoffs 3 straight years. There is no basis for your assertion that Crow has "just as good of a chance" as Bishop to "meltdown". The guy who had never won a Playoff Series before this season is MUCH more likely to melt down than the 30 year old with a Stanley Cup ring....
- EnzoD

The basis of my assertion, sir, is that Crawford has already had a meltdown. Darling won 3 of the 4 games in the first series against Nashville, and looked pretty pedestrian against Anaheim in the Western Conference Finals. Bishop wasn't amazing in the Rangers series but he outdueled Carey Price pretty well and did shut out the Rangers when it mattered.

Paul, Paul, Paul . . . the "museum relic" title only refers to a few "key" guys: Rozsival and Kimmo. I don't recall Keith ever being called a museum relic, most were referring to him as a member of some alien race but it was unclear to this poster whether Duncan had genetic heritage to the Greys, the Nordics or the Lizards.

Oh, and hi to Biegs. I know you were worried about me at the end of John's last blog. I've been around but have been exceptionally busy with work, family and my sideline (music) gigs. Just for your (and anyone else's) info, I was asked by my teammate who would win G7 and then afterwards, asked about the Tampa series, which like John I'm saying Hawks in 6.

Hat's off to Q for maybe his finest job of coaching in G7 (G6 not bad either), still take him to task for the indigestion he caused with G3 lineup change.

Hopefully that brings y'all up-to-speed.
- savvyone-1

Oh you're busy, what a shame.

Maybe you can explain this statement further. Do you think these teams went into the playoffs thinking they were inferior to other teams? Like the big bad Habs, Blues, Rangers, Ducks, Caps etc.

What it points out is basically how meaningless the regular season and points standings are. A. Vigneault is the King of Presidents Trophies, doesn't mean jack squat when the real playing starts.
- RickJ

I mean as in both teams were counted out. Tampa would never beat Price and Montreal, oh now the won't beat The King and New York, Chicago's best days are over, they don't have as good a supporting cast. And here they both are.

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?
- HawkintheD

I really like Saad but how good will he be without playing alongside of two future HOF in toews and hossa. Its a gamble to think his game translates as well playing alongside lesser talent

I mean as in both teams were counted out. Tampa would never beat Price and Montreal, oh now the won't beat The King and New York, Chicago's best days are over, they don't have as good a supporting cast. And here they both are.
- Timolis

Yea right earlier someone posted the states of both teams bottom two lines and the hawks had about four times the production of tampa bottom lines so try trolling something else

I really like Saad but how good will he be without playing alongside of two future HOF in toews and hossa. Its a gamble to think his game translates as well playing alongside lesser talent
- molly2522

Or playing with Kane for that matter. Looking at my origianl comment, I meant is he better suited playing somewhere where he has to be THE GUY, instead of a really good component on a winning team.

Agree with your post.

Chicago in 7.

Toews is simply the best the player in the world, anyone who says Crosby is.....is simply wrong.

Toews is just awesome.

Good luck guys!

>>>Here’s how. Ben Bishop stands on his head for likely 7 games, and Corey Crawford melts down.<<<

that's the the way i see it to....a mike smith 2012 performance and they get it to 7...

but this could be over in 5....

bolts have a match up nightmare facing them and they will have to be focused defensively or the hawks will scream up the ice with odd mans and if those don't work the o-zone cycles will kill this tampa squad......

its not about lack of respect for stamkos and company but they have not any where come close to facing a team like the hawks and it matters not one bit the regular season history between these clubs...
- bogiedoc

TB played about a perfect game 7 in the Garden. They dominated a lot of that game and limited the Rangers chances. That being said, the Rangers really have no-one that can take over a game and create chances like Kane can, or like Toews wills himself to do.

While TB played that one perfect game, they still didn't score until period 3, and at no point did you really get the feeling that NY was out of the game. At 2-0 with 8 minutes left many still felt NY was going to come back.

I can't see TB putting together 4 games like that. They did make a few mistakes, NY did not convert on them. It's like people said about the Ducks/Flames. Calgary did not take advantage of the opportunities the Ducks gave them, the Hawks did.

I mean as in both teams were counted out. Tampa would never beat Price and Montreal, oh now the won't beat The King and New York, Chicago's best days are over, they don't have as good a supporting cast. And here they both are.
- Timolis

Ha! The 4 best teams were in the Conf finals and the 2 best are facing off. If it were to end in 6 at home, that will be a first for the Hawks. As a homer, red cool-aid drinker, and management apologist, let it be done.

Yea right earlier someone posted the states of both teams bottom two lines and the hawks had about four times the production of tampa bottom lines so try trolling something else
- molly2522

These kinds of guys don't rely on facts when they argue -their statements are based solely on emotion.
They are about as smart as some of the fans of expansion teams calling us band wagon fans.

The basis of my assertion, sir, is that Crawford has already had a meltdown. Darling won 3 of the 4 games in the first series against Nashville, and looked pretty pedestrian against Anaheim in the Western Conference Finals. Bishop wasn't amazing in the Rangers series but he outdueled Carey Price pretty well and did shut out the Rangers when it mattered.
- Timolis

Bishop's save% in the playoffs. .920, Crawford's .919. Quit while you're behind.

I mean as in both teams were counted out. Tampa would never beat Price and Montreal, oh now the won't beat The King and New York, Chicago's best days are over, they don't have as good a supporting cast. And here they both are.
- Timolis

Tampa bottom 6: 9 points in 20 playoff games, Chicago bottom 6, 38 points in 17 playoff games. Again, quit while you're behind.

My bet is Chicago in 5!

Ha! The 4 best teams were in the Conf finals and the 2 best are facing off. If it were to end in 6 at home, that will be a first for the Hawks. As a homer, red cool-aid drinker, and management apologist, let it be done.
- Cup-Bearer

Screw it.......Hawks in 4 on Home Ice

Bishop's save% in the playoffs. .920, Crawford's .919. QUIT while you're behind.
- John Jaeckel

Fixed.

Tampa bottom 6: 9 points in 20 playoff games, Chicago bottom 6, 38 points in 17 playoff games. Again, quit while you're behind.
- John Jaeckel

Let me add, you may have a point, But so far you have backed nothing up except with vague generalities about how you think Crawford played, and Tampa having better depth.

Prove it. I've given you proof to the contrary.

and then there is of course this:

http://chicago.cbslocal.c...icket-policy-is-pathetic/

Seriously Tampa WTF