That is a fair analogy

Hawks chased the Wings for a couple of years

Blues have been chasing the hawks for much longer but this blues team is built differently than 2014

Going to be a close series IMO
- sycsam

Always love the intensity of the Blues-Hawks matchup. Close is an understatement. Health for the Hawks makes this series a lot more nerve wracking than it should be.

They are still the little brother until such a time as they prove otherwise. Not saying they can't do it, but I'll believe it when I see it.

They still have the same core group that has wilted under playoff pressure time after time.
- MartiniMan

Its quite different actually

Yes we still have backs and Steen

But the blues team is healthy as they have been all season and they have guys that know their roles.

In 2014 especially guys were playing out of their roles.

No Backes in practice today.

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

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

No Backes in practice today.
- Jason Millen

Did he not wakey wakey up in time?

Hot take! Ring the bell.


Almost everyone that posts here also posts in the Blues threads. That just happens to be everyone that posts in the Blues threads. There are only like 10 of us.

I wouldn't make too much of that. The Blues have had terrible bloggers for years. When Andy Strickland left, we had a bunch of zeros until Jammer recently took over. There was next to no reason for any of us to keep coming to this site. Only the really crazy ones stayed.

You guys have not only been spoiled with a great team, but a great blogger as well. I would post here even if the Blues weren't rivals. There isn't any reason to pretend like we aren't really rivals. We have been your little brother that you easily beat over and over again.

But eventually little brother grows up and beats big brother. And I think anyone who thinks the Hawks will roll over the Blues is in for a wake up call.

This is not going up against little brother any longer.
- carcus

The blues certainly aren't a little brother. Most of that core is older than Kane and Toews. The defensive group is younger but vastly inferior. And coaching wise lol.

The only player on that team is Tarasenko and maybe Statsny when he can stay healthy.

No where near the quality, especially in terms of game breakers. The Blues don't have any advantages player for player down the roster.

Clear advantage Hawks, even though they aren't as good as they have been the last few years.

No Backes in practice today.
- Jason Millen

But Jake Allen is practicing without restriction.

It appears Steve Ott is practicing too.

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

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

all the injured Hawks are back..

ediit..spoke too soon..no Svedberg and no Ladd..

He has an NHL body and speed and as long as he uses those two things, he has enough skill and refinement to his game to be a decent lower line player. One of those guys who will have to embrace that role and never stop working because he doesn't possess the skill of a top 6 guy. Wiz pointed it out. The puck is a little bit of a hand grenade on his blade.
- John Jaeckel

I'm just happy that all he cost was Jeremy Morin. I think the evaluation of a new acquisition often gets framed by what was given up, fair or unfair. Daley could never be Oduya, and Garbutt would always be playing in the shadow of what was given up for him, also. Anisimov is not Saad, but he is certainly more than Richards.

Hot take! Ring the bell.


Almost everyone that posts here also posts in the Blues threads. That just happens to be everyone that posts in the Blues threads. There are only like 10 of us.

I wouldn't make too much of that. The Blues have had terrible bloggers for years. When Andy Strickland left, we had a bunch of zeros until Jammer recently took over. There was next to no reason for any of us to keep coming to this site. Only the really crazy ones stayed.

You guys have not only been spoiled with a great team, but a great blogger as well. I would post here even if the Blues weren't rivals. There isn't any reason to pretend like we aren't really rivals. We have been your little brother that you easily beat over and over again.

But eventually little brother grows up and beats big brother. And I think anyone who thinks the Hawks will roll over the Blues is in for a wake up call.

This is not going up against little brother any longer.
- carcus

That's a great post. Well said. Little Brother/Big Brother analogy is spot on.

My real take here is the depth (and intensity) of the fan base. I read the disparity in blog posting interest as simply not enough real Blues fans willing to invest any time in their team.

Chicago has more stars than St. Louis while the Blues have considerably more depth than the Hawks. Based upon talent, the Blues should win in six. Based upon history, the Hawks should win in six. The difference will be coaching. Quenneville gets the most out of his team come playoff time while Hitchcock hasn't while in St. Louis. Hawks in seven.

That's a great post. Well said. Little Brother/Big Brother analogy is spot on.

My real take here is the depth (and intensity) of the fan base. I read the disparity in blog posting interest as simply not enough real Blues fans willing to invest any time in their team.
- Cmonalready

Not even remotely true

We had no blogger until two months ago and Jammer is doing a great job

Every blogger Ek hires to cover the blues until Jammer makes excuses as to why there is no new blog for weeks.

Cat is in a tree, car wont start, my wifi went down

Blues have a great fan base especially when the team is winning.

That is a fair analogy

Hawks chased the Wings for a couple of years

Blues have been chasing the hawks for much longer but this blues team is built differently than 2014

Going to be a close series IMO
- sycsam

More than a couple of years. If there was a downside to 2010 it's that the hawks didn't go through Detroit. But watching the wings breakout and move through the neutral zone was just beautiful for most of the time Lidstrom, datysuk, and zetterberg were there all together in their prime, which was more like a decade than just a couple of years.

Ok, Ask Johnathen Toews what he thinks after not having a 6"2 220 lb. 22year old left wing who probably will put up John LeClair numbers by the time his career will be over.
You don't think Toews wasn't biting his tongue many nights this year with the revolving door on left wing and a declining hurt some time Hossa on the right side.
9 out of 10 guys would take Saad over AA. The problem I have with the deal isn't AA , but it's the rest of the garbage Bowman got in the deal. Columbus has a lot of good up and coming players he could have asked for. Brett Gallant is 1, Jenner is another, he had a great year this year so I doubt he goes anywhere.
Stephan Johns is another huge burr under some fans skin especially after having to watch the other 2goofs he brought in. This last month was the true Hawks we saw, the rest of the league caught up. Hmmm gotta sign Shaw and Ladd also this summer.
If this summer turns out to be a flop Stan Bowman will be fired at some point next season. This last month pissed me off big time.
- wonthecup10

To see the ray of sunshine here. Sharp made $5.9. People wanted cap space. Hawks get 3.3 in Daley, and 900k in Garbutt back. Hawks save 1.7. Hawks deal for Scuderi at 2.2. Hawks save 1.1 more for cumulative savings of 2.8. Hawks deal Garbutt for a player that was waived and claimed by Arizona, add another 800k. Hawks deal Scuds for Ehrhoff, retaining 1.1 for next year. Ultimate cap savings is 4.8 mil in cap space saved from Sharpie's original 5.9. That bought keeping AA, and Seabs, and probably Kruger. Hawks paid too much to get Ladd, but without that who would they have gotten? Shaw still playing #1LW? I like Fleish, but so far the MTL deal was the big loss to me.

all the injured Hawks are back..

ediit..spoke too soon..no Svedberg and no Ladd..
- Glenman12

Good news. Must have missed something on Ladd. Is he injured now, too?

More than a couple of years. If there was a downside to 2010 it's that the hawks didn't go through Detroit. But watching the wings breakout and move through the neutral zone was just beautiful for most of the time Lidstrom, datysuk, and zetterberg were there all together in their prime, which was more like a decade than just a couple of years.
- 6628

I was thinking of when the hawks were relevant again

Blues chased the wings through the 1990's

They have been a model franchise for almost 3 decades

Chris Hine ‏@ChristopherHine 45s45 seconds ago View translation
#Blackhawks lines:
Panik-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Mashinter-Teravainen-Fleischmann
Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw

So, those of you saying that Mash would play over Weise were correct. How often have we actually seen Weise and Fleischmann on the same line? I understood them to have great chemistry in Montreal.

Good news. Must have missed something on Ladd. Is he injured now, too?
- pdx2ord

Im hoping its just a day off..

Defensive pairs in drills: 2-7, 57-4, 55-32. Gustafsson rotating in. Keep in mind Keith doesn't return until Game 2. #Blackhawks

Chris Hine ‏@ChristopherHine 45s45 seconds ago View translation
#Blackhawks lines:
Panik-Toews-Hossa
Panarin-Anisimov-Kane
Mashinter-Teravainen-Fleischmann
Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw

So, those of you saying that Mash would play over Weise were correct. How often have we actually seen Weise and Fleischmann on the same line? I understood them to have great chemistry in Montreal.
- pdx2ord

Mashinter in the lineup over Weise is sickening.

WTC...this griping about stan and his deals is getting old...there is a context to these deals...they are not done in a vacuum...there are multiple complex issues trying to make deals with the dam cap, NTC clauses, physical and performance criteria...

got anything positive to say about scouting and signing panerin....
- bogiedoc

I always agree with ya brother! Said, give em Panerin ,but if us couch GM's shake our heads at the Stephan Johns move ,what do ya think the guys that actually work on these trades were thinking? Probably somewhere along the lines of WHAT? Call it spoiled if you will, I still believe those 3cups were mostly Dales by product.Looks like he has picked right up where he left off here. And besides,JMO, didn't like the back door crap pulled BY Sr. To have Dale shown the door. Just being objective, that is all.

Mashinter in the lineup over Weise is sickening.
- EnzoD

But Q's knob is nice and shiny.
It's crap like this that make my stomach turn.
Let's make sure we don't ice the best possible lineup with the best chance of winning.

If Q scratches Panik and Weiss for Mash. that is really going to help His and Bowmans relationship. if he was going to sit someone it should have been flesch. Mash has 25 SOG in 41 games this year and is a -7, Panik in 30 games is + 4 with 39 shots. Weiss in 15 games has 19 SOG and + 4. What is Q thinking!!!

Stan Bowman gets a fair share of criticism here. He has been slow and stubborn to act on potential deals. It has been reported by John and a few others that Stan is perceived around the league as arrogant and always having to get the better of the team he is dealing with.

He dropped the ball on buying out Bickell this past summer - and that cost them re-signing Oduya. Many also believed he held out for too much on Sharp, and in the end had to take what was being offered.

There were deals for Sharp at the draft that would have brought back draft picks for him, opening up valuable cap space, but he held out for a 1st round pick - that was never going to happen.

Yes, his scouts have hit on college and overseas free agents, but Stan has made his share of mistakes that this current team is now paying for - and he deserves what the fans say about him.
- dahawks8819

Thank you! And along with the crap engineered by some to set him up with those failed to get the contracts out in time.

Defensive pairs in drills: 2-7, 57-4, 55-32. Gustafsson rotating in. Keep in mind Keith doesn't return until Game 2. #Blackhawks
- Glenman12

Well, at least it looks like a saner mind has prevailed here. Good to see Seabrook and Keith back together.