Maybe Quenneville doesn't like what he sees out of Weise as far as his effort? You don't know. There could be a number of reasons that you or I will never know. Quenneville is a smart man, and a legendary coach. He knows better than you or I.
- Hawks_49

All valid points and Joel is paid to do whatever is necessary to win 4 games before he loses 4. If Weise is getting franked with like Vermette, fine, lets hope it plays out just like last Spring. And nobody can really know for sure, but I believe that Weise was acquired to ensure Mashinter+Bickell wouldn't get into the playoff lineup.

Not the same team.

Fabbri and Brouwer in our top 9 give us a deeper offense. Edmundson & Parayko have solidified an already good, deep defense. They also added since muscle, which was lacking from the defense.

We have played all year without icing our optimal lineup, and just missed out on 1st in the West. This is a really dangerous team, and anyone that dismisses them for past team's failures is foolish.
- carcus

i will try one more time and move then move along...the hawks with the same core but slightly different teams have won 3 cups and gone to 3 strt WC finals...

the blues with the same core and coachbut slightly different teams have had great seasons and then choke in 1 round blow outs 3x strt with home ice adv and are 2-10 in crunch games 4-5-6 and 0-4 in their last elimination games over 4 years...is that really that hard of an argument for you blues faithful to agree with...

when your great blues finally finally close someone out or finally come back from 2-1 or 3-1 to win a series, we can talk...but until then we 2 have cores essentially the same teams with polar opposite pedigrees....

All valid points and Joel is paid to do whatever is necessary to win 4 games before he loses 4. If Weise is getting franked with like Vermette, fine, lets hope it plays out just like last Spring. And nobody can really know for sure, but I believe that Weise was acquired to ensure Mashinter+Bickell wouldn't get into the playoff lineup.
- EnzoD

I absolutely agree that's why Weise was acquired. Weise's game suits a lower line role on basically any team in the league, and he has added an ability to score. I don't know why he isn't playing more, but I'm sure he will get an opportunity soon, and he is going to have to have a big impact so he can't be kept out of the lineup. The best part about this team is that the forward depth is just so good right now. There will always be quality players sitting in the press box.

Oh, and I'm with you about Mashinter. He shouldn't see the ice during the playoffs. Great human being. Below average hockey player. I don't know why he is taking line rushes, but I'd take a guess that Quenneville is either playing mindgames, or he is sending a message to the other guys to get their asses in gear.

What are the Bio's on the 2kids from UND that some are talking about?
- wonthecup10

Troy stetcher eight goals and 20 assists in 41 games this season.

At 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds LD, A smooth-skating defender who can jump into the rush,


and Drake Cagguilla 5' foot 10 185 LW 25 G 26 A in 39 games. these are 2 of the top 5 UDFA in College this year.

Whelp - Q has Weise, Rasmussen, and Bickell on the outs at practice today.

ETA: and, YES!!, Shaw is back on the ice today
- pdx2ord

oh thank god.

And this gives me hope:

"Duncan Keith working with Brent Seabrook at the moment. Keith, of course, is suspended for Game 1. #Blackhawks" - Lazerus tweet

I'm assuming that Mashinter's presence on the 3rd line today is just part of another Q Jedi mind trick... But, if Mashinter or Bickell should see playoff ice time ahead of Weise, is it safe to say that we have a big issue in the bowels of 1901 W Madison Street?

i will try one more time and move then move along...the hawks with the same core but slightly different teams have won 3 cups and gone to 3 strt WC finals...

the blues with the same core and coachbut slightly different teams have had great seasons and then choke in 1 round blow outs 3x strt with home ice adv and are 2-10 in crunch games 4-5-6 and 0-4 in their last elimination games over 4 years...is that really that hard of an argument for you blues faithful to agree with...

when your great blues finally finally close someone out or finally come back from 2-1 or 3-1 to win a series, we can talk...but until then we 2 have cores essentially the same teams with polar opposite pedigrees....
- bogiedoc

Well said. They will argue with the obvious though. It is why they are here.

Also obvious - the salary cap was adopted to limit salary expense but also to help the weaker organizations compete with those that have large fan bases/deep pockets... The cap may have served its purpose last year and finally weakened the Hawks depth to the point the Blues may beat them.

Troy stetcher eight goals and 20 assists in 41 games this season.

At 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds LD, A smooth-skating defender who can jump into the rush,


and Drake Cagguilla 5' foot 10 185 LW 25 G 26 A in 39 games. these are 2 of the top 5 UDFA in College this year.
- kmw4631

Report last week that Cagguilla is probably a Nuck. Would love to see Stecher here and it probably makes sense to get Schmaltz in Rockford but it could also make sense for him to play his junior year in ND and use that slot on another addition.

not that bold....with the parity, the damn cap and how the game is played and called now...any playoff series can be a sweep either way to a 7 game 3OT winner. NHL playoff hockey is so much fun because of the unpredicatability inter and intra game...

i am not going to predict individual series but I like the ducks and caps in the finals...
great goaltending and special teams and decent 5 on 5 play...only team that beat the caps is the caps....

the ducks have gone 35-10-5 over 50 games after that horrible 0-8-2 start....thats resiliency and no quit, kudos to them and boudreau and with what happened last year with the hawks i think they are big time motivated and brimming with confidence. I am a big fan of getzlaf...perry you can anchor and throw in the ocean for all i care....
- bogiedoc

that's who I ended up going with in the finals for my bracket

I have been on here for a few years but never posted. I wanted to see if anyone was interested in participating in a playoff pool. The basic rules are below, and if you message me your email address I can send you more details. Please don't send me any lineups until I know that you are interested.

RULES:
Entry fee is $20, with 100% going to payouts. Prior to the start of rds. 1, 2, and 3 your team must be submitted to us via email. The players that you select for the 3rd round will also be your team for the Stanley Cup Finals.

Lineups:
6 Forwards
4 Defensemen
1 Team’s Goalies
**If you select Detroit’s goalies you will get points for all goalies that play for DET during that round.
- hawksfan20

Welcome 20. Canton MI, the hometown of former Hawk . . .

Report last week that Cagguilla is probably a Nuck. Would love to see Stecher here and it probably makes sense to get Schmaltz in Rockford but it could also make sense for him to play his junior year in ND and use that slot on another addition.
- tredbrta

Or as Fork called him this weekend: "dat Caligula kid"

I'm assuming that Mashinter's presence on the 3rd line today is just part of another Q Jedi mind trick... But, if Mashinter or Bickell should see playoff ice time ahead of Weise, is it safe to say that we have a big issue in the bowels of 1901 W Madison Street?
- jmarducci

Based on JJ and other reports, I think it's already safe to say there is an issue... Q and Stan clearly not on the same page with respect to a lot of moves this season

Troy stetcher eight goals and 20 assists in 41 games this season.

At 5-foot-11 and 191 pounds LD, A smooth-skating defender who can jump into the rush,


and Drake Cagguilla 5' foot 10 185 LW 25 G 26 A in 39 games. these are 2 of the top 5 UDFA in College this year.
- kmw4631

It would be great to land both of these guys.hopefully they are the next DannyDekeyser and not Drew LeBlanc.are these guys NHL ready for next year? If it stays the same for the most part probably minus Ladd and Shaw we probably will be lucky to be in the wild card hunt so well take any plums that come our way.

Edit:just read JJ's post .......God dam it!

All valid points and Joel is paid to do whatever is necessary to win 4 games before he loses 4. If Weise is getting franked with like Vermette, fine, lets hope it plays out just like last Spring. And nobody can really know for sure, but I believe that Weise was acquired to ensure Mashinter+Bickell wouldn't get into the playoff lineup.
- EnzoD

Best news today - Ott is practicing. So much for the colitis report. The man has been a swollen ass channel his entire career so why not play with one? He is exactly the sort of non disciplined cheap shot of a player that infects the rest with the same mindset. He and Backes were running around like idiots every game the Wild had a decent lead last year. Actually may have pulled out one of those games if they weren't in the penalty box at the end.

Or as Fork called him this weekend: "dat Caligula kid"
- John Jaeckel

We don't need another Caligula. Though ours does appear reformed and is Hart worthy.

Best news today - Ott is practicing. So much for the colitis report. The man has been a swollen ass channel his entire career so why not play with one? He is exactly the sort of non disciplined cheap shot of a player that infects the rest with the same mindset. He and Backes were running around like idiots Wild every game the Wild had a decent lead last year. Actually may have pulled out one of those games if they weren't in the penalty box at the end.
- tredbrta

anyone know what's up with Brouwer? Neither he nor Backes on the ice today

Welcome 20. Canton MI, the hometown of former Hawk . . .
- John Jaeckel

James Wiz......
I can't spell the rest of his name, (and I didn't look it up)

Best news today - Ott is practicing. So much for the colitis report. The man has been a swollen ass channel his entire career so why not play with one? He is exactly the sort of non disciplined cheap shot of a player that infects the rest with the same mindset. He and Backes were running around like idiots every game the Wild had a decent lead last year. Actually may have pulled out one of those games if they weren't in the penalty box at the end.
- tredbrta

Reaves, Ott & Backes prioritize "inflicting pain on the body" over putting goals in the back of the net. I truly believe that the Hawks' PP will be the difference bc a David Backes led team will always revert to the gongshow, headhunter hockey that "El Capitan" exemplifies. If this series is played mostly 5v5 the Blues have a good shot. Knowing Backes & Co, they wont be able to help themselves.

anyone know what's up with Brouwer? Neither he nor Backes on the ice today
- maria_wyeth

Probably a rest day for both. No doubt they both dress IMO.

Brouwer has been clutch in the RS for years since leaving the Hawks but I can't recall much from him in the playoffs. He is obviously motivated when he plays Q but hopefully he fades again as he did with the Caps.

Reaves, Ott & Backes prioritize "inflicting pain on the body" over putting goals in the back of the net. I truly believe that the Hawks' PP will be the difference bc a David Backes led team will always revert to the gongshow, headhunter hockey that "El Capitan" exemplifies. If this series is played mostly 5v5 the Blues have a good shot. Knowing Backes & Co, they wont be able to help themselves.
- EnzoD

Ott is Hitch's flunkey-- Reaves is just trying to stay in the game so he brings his football mentality to the ice-- and Backes-- well he does whatever he can to win-- but as long as Hitch is the coach the Blues likely won't win-- even if they get past round 1

The Blues biggest offseason move should have been to remove Hitch-- and that will probably happen this offseason

Well said. They will argue with the obvious though. It is why they are here.

Also obvious - the salary cap was adopted to limit salary expense but also to help the weaker organizations compete with those that have large fan bases/deep pockets... The cap may have served its purpose last year and finally weakened the Hawks depth to the point the Blues may beat them.
- tredbrta

EXACTLY--- Just imagine if the Hawks had no cap issues and didn't have to trade so many all stars-- that are all over the NHL now--

Goal-tending will always huge in a series. I think a lot of this series will be special teams and just how physical the Blues try to play. I really felt when these teams went head to head this year, when the Blues didn't play physical, the Hawks really showed them up on the skill side of things.

Like many people, I think Kane and Panarin will get their points. For the Hawks, the key will be having another line show up. If the 1st line can get it done or if the 3rd line gets some chemistry, the Blues will have a difficult time. The other factor, I find the Keith and Seabrook really bring it in the playoffs. They are good in the regular season, but those are two guys who seem to just make huge plays often in the playoffs.

On the other side, Tarasenko can be a real factor and I expect he will get a steady dose of #4. The Hawks chance may really hinge on how much they slow him down. (because lets be honest, he will get some points) The Blues has some good secondary scoring, but I think Tarasenko is the key for them.

The Blues are a tough team and they could go far, but I think it is also fair to say that the Hawks can take the series if they want it enough. I do think a number of the Hawks have more to give over what we've been seeing this season. I don't see it so much as a flip of a switch, but the Hawks don't have much to prove in the regular season. I don't think they pushed themselves as hard as many other teams, because they know what they can do in the postseason. They might lose the series, because honestly the Blues are a pretty darn good team, but this Hawks core, I think it has a lot of playoff fight in it. They have never gone down easy since they arrived on the scene.

Reaves, Ott & Backes prioritize "inflicting pain on the body" over putting goals in the back of the net. I truly believe that the Hawks' PP will be the difference bc a David Backes led team will always revert to the gongshow, headhunter hockey that "El Capitan" exemplifies. If this series is played mostly 5v5 the Blues have a good shot. Knowing Backes & Co, they wont be able to help themselves.
- EnzoD

Let's hope Hitch is back with the usual game plan against the Hawks. Noticed that Edmundson, Upshall and a few others can be infected with that mindset as well.

However, getting physical with the PAK line may be the one way to stop them. Other lines will need to step up and they definitely need the hands/speed of Weise or Panik in the bottom 6 over Mashinter. If Q plays him this is 2014 again but will end earlier.

That said....

RoarBacon + playoffs = SquealPig.

If they get past the Hawks then eventually they go down. I don't see that team as constituted beating ANA or LA. Probably not Dallas either. All of those teams have more late round playoff experience than the chokers in SL (even Dallas has more finals experience - SL has Brouwer only). They will need a series of upsets and lucky match ups to get thru. Anything is possible but they need a perfect storm of events to win it all. Goaltending, coaching, core lack of character are issues they aren't going to overcome.

EXACTLY--- Just imagine if the Hawks had no cap issues and didn't have to trade so many all stars-- that are all over the NHL now--
- jb3333

Even a soft cap would have made this team rival the Oilers IMO. Enough of a soft cap to keep just Buff, Ladd and Saad. Much less Leddy, Brouwer, Ladd et al....

Imagine this core plus Buff alone....

Even a soft cap would have made this team rival the Oilers IMO. Enough of a soft cap to keep just Buff, Ladd and Saad. Much less Leddy, Brouwer, Ladd et al....

Imagine this core plus Buff alone....
- tredbrta

Ya but look how much of a benefit to the league the Arizona Coyotes have been....