Great piece, MS.. Will be interested in your next one.

Faceoffs probably are the key. Both of these teams will be looking to own possession and it starts there. Hawks have not been this deep with quality and quantity face off takers since 10 IMO. Toews, Vermette, Krueger, Shaw, Richards, Desi... Bolts may miss Thompson in this series.

This is going to be some great hockey if the clutch and grab is controlled.
- tredbrta

Thanks! Should be posted some time tomorrow evening/night depending on how my day turns out.

Faceoffs are definitely key. Getting Filppula up with Stamkos has helped immensely in terms of getting offense out of 91. It starts with faceoffs and controlled zone entries. Lightning need Johnson and the bottom two centers to start winning draws too.

The three holes in your three point argument:

1. The Four Horsemen in Chicago play almost all the minutes and Anaheim's pressure didn't stop them doing everything they wanted to do witrh clean breakouts and adjustments.
Why would the days off change that?
And the two between games one and two adds to their rest.

2. Yes they are supposed to be there, by virture of the fact they are.
and I remember a certain 2010 hockey team that didn't feel the pressure either and played loose. But along with loose must come face-off wins, layered attack and defense, and better feet from the defenders. And the scorers must continue to score.

3. I actually took TB vs the Hawks in the NHL challenge speciifcally because I wanted the hawks to play Bishop. We can talk about the seventh game shut-outs and how his size fills the space, but for being the biggest goaler in the league, he sure has made himself small in net at times. He sure has should poor footwork and had lapses where he crapped the bed. The teams that the bolts came through didn't have as many skilled guys at the 'hawks, so it isn't gonna be one line, one play, it is going to globetrotter like. This isn't a injury-riddled Ranger forward group, and it the major pieces in the Blackhawk attack aren't beat up from Anaheim either. Big might help some, but "on" will what he needs to be.

The real beauty of it is by Wednesday night we will have very good indication on what is right and what is weak on either team, right?

Step aside. I'm an expert on the Pitch Perfect subject. I should really quit blogging about hockey and switch to blogging about that glorious franchise.
- Michael_Stuart

I watched the first one last night. I'm too lazy to go to the theatre. Next blog should be 30 reasons to see Pitch Perfect 2. Screw the hawks.

My point is that it's the cup... Keith could be playing on a fractured tibia right now and wed know poop all about it... (he's not, but there's an example)
- lumlums

He wouldn't be moving like a man posssessed if he had a fratured tibia, would he?c

The three holes in your three point argument:

1. The Four Horsemen in Chicago play almost all the minutes and Anaheim's pressure didn't stop them doing everything they wanted to do witrh clean breakouts and adjustments.
Why would the days off change that?
And the two between games one and two adds to their rest.

2. Yes they are supposed to be there, by virture of the fact they are.
and I remember a certain 2010 hockey team that didn't feel the pressure either and played loose. But along with loose must come face-off wins, layered attack and defense, and better feet from the defenders. And the scorers must continue to score.

3. I actually took TB vs the Hawks in the NHL challenge speciifcally because I wanted the hawks to play Bishop. We can talk about the seventh game shut-outs and how his size fills the space, but for being the biggest goaler in the league, he sure has made himself small in net at times. He sure has should poor footwork and had lapses where he crapped the bed. The teams that the bolts came through didn't have as many skkilled guys at the 'hawks, so it isn't gonna be one line, one play, it is going to globetrotter like. This isn't a injury-riddled Ranger forward group, and it the major pieces in the Blackhawk attack aren't beat up from Anaheim either. Big might help some, but "on" will what he needs to be.
- wiz1901

Yeah but did you see Pitch Perfect?

He wouldn't be moving like a man posssessed if he had a farctured tibia, would he?
- wiz1901

Steroids.

3) A completely reasonable and non-arrogant fanbase who give it everything and was totally there for the team 10 years ago...
:
- lumlums

10 years?

I was there for the Cup win in 61...1961

Before the Ducks/Hawks series, the consensus (Hawks board) was Hawks in 5 or 6 at most. Some predicted a sweep. "Ducks first 2 opponents not nearly as good as the Hawks first two". "No way could the Ducks win". Series went 7.

Tampa Bay defeated Detroit ( 100pts) and Montreal (110pts) the first 2 rounds. Just defeated the Presidents Trophy winner (113pts).

The Hawk fans (not all, but many), again, are dismissing Tampa Bay as an opponent that doesn't stand a chance against Chicago.
- quackup

Fantastic exaggeration. I believe most fans of the Hawks felt that it would be a 6 game series. Frankly, if not for Q's boner in Game 3 or the Bickell dunce move in Game 5, the Hawks very well might have escaped after Game 6 with a series clinching victory.

No one is dismissing Tampa. It's hilarious that some fans want to paint this picture. I believe most Hawk fans DO think that they will beat Tampa for a variety of reasons. Again... that's not dismissing them.

10 years?

I was there for the Cup win in 61...1961
- wiz1901

Okay Brian Williams.

Own what, why do I have have to make a prediction. I said I don't know how the series is going to end up, personally I think the Bolts are the underdogs but they have been that pretty much the whole playoffs, they are plenty capable of winning this series. I was just stating the Hawks fans are dismissive of the Bolts, that in their minds they are right and we are wrong in regards to hockey, I wouldn't* call them daunting. *EDIT
- stammerman

Just saying, your initial comments had A LOT of bark then not even a nibble. You call out THE ENTIRE Blackhawks universe, but won't even stick your neck out to say you think your team will win.

You accept that your team is the underdog, but call out Hawks fans being very confident... You can't burn the candle at both ends... If you think the Bolts will win, say so, otherwise, your statements are really just a whining agreement...

Yeah but did you see Pitch Perfect?
- Mr_Underwood

yeah, but don't like lip sync and Cinderella in Into the Woods is a better actress than singer imo
...but unless Marvel comics does a musical, I doubt we see another for years...

There's a difference between being confident of your team based upon facts/stats and being dismissive.

Do I dismiss the Bolts? Not at all. They got here a result of a very good regular season coupled with a very strong post season.

Do I think the Hawks are better? I do. For quite a few reasons.

That doesn't make me dismissive.
- CaptainBlackhawk

Should be an exciting, wide open offensive series. Black Hawks are the favorites but we will see if Lightning are intimidated by Chicago's press clippings. I believe you are under estimating the Lightning.

Wow ... Bishop gave up 15 goals in three of the games in the NYR series ...
Did I hear that right ???
The offensively challenged NY Rangers ...???
And you give the edge to Bishop in this series ?

Just saying, your initial comments had A LOT of bark then not even a nibble. You call out THE ENTIRE Blackhawks universe, but won't even stick your neck out to say you think your team will win.

You accept that your team is the underdog, but call out Hawks fans being very confident... You can't burn the candle at both ends... If you think the Bolts will win, say so, otherwise, your statements are really just a whining agreement...
- PuckAndSticks

So he has to make a prediction to have an opinion? Seems legit.

Wow ... Bishop gave up 15 goals in three of the games in the NYR series ...
Did I hear that right ???
The offensively challenged NY Rangers ...???
And you give the edge to Bishop in this series ?
- HurriKane

So which goalie was pulled during this playoffs for a minor league journeyman?

10 years?

I was there for the Cup win in 61...1961
- wiz1901

At the games? Very different team with Hall, Pilote, Mikita and Hull

You had quite a gap from 1961 to 2010. Leaf like in duration.

So which goalie was pulled during this playoffs for a minor league journeyman?
- Mr_Underwood

Oh how cute. Take one game, and make a broad/general statement.

10 years?

I was there for the Cup win in 61...1961
- wiz1901

Not here to talk trash on the Bolts, they didn't get to the finals on luck or accident, and looking forward to reading the next blog... I like the 3 reasons for and against format... just want to stick up for Wiz here. Aside from JJ and Al (who wrote the HB blog for the Hawks before JJ), this is the only poster on the Hawks blog I care to read. Have a look at the work he does for yourself before you write the man off as a team stooge... http://www.draftsite.com/nhl/mock-draft/2015/

Nobody writes a more even-handed opinion of the team on the Hawks board, and he's just here to offer some knowledgeable discourse on what we have to look forward to, not talk some b.s.

And yeah, back in the first half of the '10's, there weren't a lot of us on the 'Hawk bandwagon... Dollar Bill Wirtz did a damn good job of alienating most of the fan base, but for the few of us die hards, there were always cheap 300 level seats we could move down from after the 1st period ended.

Oh how cute. Take one game, and make a broad/general statement.
- CaptainBlackhawk

One game? What playoffs are you watching?

One game? What playoffs are you watching?
- Mr_Underwood

The one where you remove said game you're referring to a goalie who has had a 2.3 GAA and a .926 SV%. Unreal/elite? Nope. Very good? Yep. Also - a guy who has won a Cup before.

Bishop and Crawford have had similar post seasons.

So which goalie was pulled during this playoffs for a minor league journeyman?
- Mr_Underwood

You mean the Stanley Cup winning Goalie ???? ... Yeh he had a slow start ...how bout the last series ...??? And the series before that ???

The one where you remove said game you're referring to a goalie who has had a 2.3 GAA and a .926 SV%. Unreal/elite? Nope. Very good? Yep. Also - a guy who has won a Cup before.

Bishop and Crawford have had similar post seasons.
- CaptainBlackhawk

Yeah similar except bishop never played so poorly that his backup started 4 games.

You mean the Stanley Cup winning Goalie ???? ... Yeh he had a slow start ...how bout the last series ...??? And the series before that ???
- HurriKane

Yeah the legendary I have no glove hand Corey Crawford.

Yeah similar except bishop never played so poorly that his backup started 4 games.
- Mr_Underwood

He had multiple games this postseason he 100% should have. And, frankly, it doesn't matter one iota at this point.

Yeah the legendary I have no glove hand Corey Crawford.
- Mr_Underwood

How many cups does nashville have ? Renne ? I can play that game too ...