getting under 3 GA to the 2.75 target was my expectation coming into the year...

how they achieved this minimal improvement in other defensive stats is spelled lehnford...PERIOD. Can that keep going...who knows...

this team was certainly capable of going positive runs...the question is can they avoid more 4 out of 15 type losing streaks...i lean toward the no side on that...

Pierre LeBrun
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87 overtime games through the quarter mark, the NHL says that's the most ever through this stage fo the season: PARITY.


Pierre LeBrun
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4h4 hours ago
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Second-highest goals per game rate (6.2) since 2005-06 (6.3). I would expect things to tighten up the rest of the way. But hopefully not !

Pierre LeBrun
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4h4 hours ago
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87 overtime games through the quarter mark, the NHL says that's the most ever through this stage fo the season: PARITY.


Pierre LeBrun
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4h4 hours ago
MorePierre LeBrun Retweeted NHL Public Relations
Second-highest goals per game rate (6.2) since 2005-06 (6.3). I would expect things to tighten up the rest of the way. But hopefully not !
- LAHawk

looking at the standings screams parity...caps, bruins and blues cruising along but they will have their losing phases...other teams that got off to good starts have cooled: aves and sabres

teams off to poor starts like the hawks and sens have been better..

Best pure fighter I ever saw, his one punch knockout of Marc Tardiff after the one eyed Canadian coach Claude Ruel was egging Tardiff to challenge Russell was the best punch by a hockey player I ever saw.
- LAHawk

The best fighter I saw was Kurt Fraser. I remember watching a game and my Dad, who was a semi pro boxer, said he was the only hockey player he ever saw who threw his punches from inside his shoulders, no wild roundhouse swings, everything was short and direct. I remember Fraser TKO'd Brian Glennie after tapping his chin to tell Glennie to hit him. Glennie obliged, swung a wild roundhouse punch, Fraser stepped back, then forward dropping Glennie like a bad habit. Fraser didn't do as well when he was forced to grapple.

Pierre LeBrun
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4h4 hours ago
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87 overtime games through the quarter mark, the NHL says that's the most ever through this stage fo the season: PARITY.


Pierre LeBrun
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@PierreVLeBrun
4h4 hours ago
MorePierre LeBrun Retweeted NHL Public Relations
Second-highest goals per game rate (6.2) since 2005-06 (6.3). I would expect things to tighten up the rest of the way. But hopefully not !
- LAHawk

27.4% of all games played this season have gone to extra time - MORE than one in four. A bit surprising, considering that goals scored has also increased - one would expect that as goals go up, the number of close games decreases as least slightly.

Compared to 2016-17 season, when the increase in scoring began:

Goals per game: 6.2 up from 5.5 - up 12.7%
PP Opportunities: 6.5 up from 6.0 - up 8.3%
SOG: 31.4 up from 30.1 - up 4.3% (a function of the increase in PPs?)
Save %: .908 down from .913 - down 0.5%

looking at the standings screams parity...caps, bruins and blues cruising along but they will have their losing phases...other teams that got off to good starts have cooled: aves and sabres

teams off to poor starts like the hawks and sens have been better..
- bogiedoc

Oilers, Yotes and Nucks 1,2,3 in the Pacific!? Bruins,Habs and Panthers 1,2,3 in the Atlantic!? Leafs and Hawks with the same amount of points!?

27.4% of all games played this season have gone to extra time - MORE than one in four. A bit surprising, considering that goals scored has also increased - one would expect that as goals go up, the number of close games decreases as least slightly.

Compared to 2016-17 season, when the increase in scoring began:

Goals per game: 6.2 up from 5.5 - up 12.7%
PP Opportunities: 6.5 up from 6.0 - up 8.3%
SOG: 31.4 up from 30.1 - up 4.3% (a function of the increase in PPs?)
Save %: .908 down from .913 - down 0.5%
- StLBravesFan

New age, kitty bar the door hockey. Play for a tie, just like the old days. Want to put a stop to it? Two points to the winner, zero points to the loser, regardless of regular, overtime or shootout.

Nikita Krivokrasov is about as tall as his tabby too, 5' 10".
- wiz1901

Thats a big (frank)ing cat....

Pierre LeBrun
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87 overtime games through the quarter mark, the NHL says that's the most ever through this stage fo the season: PARITY.


Pierre LeBrun
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4h4 hours ago
MorePierre LeBrun Retweeted NHL Public Relations
Second-highest goals per game rate (6.2) since 2005-06 (6.3). I would expect things to tighten up the rest of the way. But hopefully not !
- LAHawk

NHL is obviously juicing the pucks...

NHL is obviously juicing the pucks...
- Blackwater13

It's the lower seams on the pucks....

Or higher seams, I can't remember which.

It's the lower seams on the pucks....

Or higher seams, I can't remember which.
- StLBravesFan

C'mon, everyone knows it's the hollow sticks and the pine tar.

C'mon, everyone knows it's the hollow sticks and the pine tar.
- paulr

i do wonder if the smaller goalie equipment is a partial cause of the increased scoring?

i do wonder if the smaller goalie equipment is a partial cause of the increased scoring?
- LAHawk

I'd guess that's one of the bigger reasons. Also some teams seem to be opening their game up to be competative, like Chicago. Of course when the last 8 teams are left standing, all of them will know how to play defensive hockey and the scores will most likely be low.

NHL is obviously juicing the pucks...
- Blackwater13

FOR ELBOWS, SPECIFICALLY

Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Teuvo Teravainen
Ryan Dzingel - Jordan Staal - Warren Foegele
Nino Niederreiter - Lucas Wallmark - Martin Necas
Brock McGinn - Eetu Luostarinen - Jordan Martinook

Jaccob Slavin - Dougie Hamilton
Joel Edmundson - Brett Pesce
Jake Gardiner - Trevor van Riemsdyk

Petr Mrazek starts

FOR ELBOWS, SPECIFICALLY

Andrei Svechnikov - Sebastian Aho - Teuvo Teravainen
Ryan Dzingel - Jordan Staal - Warren Foegele
Nino Niederreiter - Lucas Wallmark - Martin Necas
Brock McGinn - Eetu Luostarinen - Jordan Martinook

Jaccob Slavin - Dougie Hamilton
Joel Edmundson - Brett Pesce
Jake Gardiner - Trevor van Riemsdyk

Petr Mrazek starts
- BINGO!

Have you figured out how to pronounce Eetu Luostarinen yet?

Let's say that the .926 save % is not sustainable, given the number of shots they face.

But let's say they get great goaltending in 7 of 10 games. The other 3 games they get average or lousy goaltending. One of the 10 games with great goaltending they lose 2-1, a low scoring affair. One of the 10 games with lousy goaltending they win 5-4, a high scoring affair. They win 5 of the other 8 games. They lose one in OT or a shoot out. That is 6-3-1. That is 13 points out of a possible 20 points. 65% of the possible points. There are 62 games left, 124 possible points. IF the Hawks get 65% of those points it is 80 points. The Hawks have 22 points in their first 20 games. The total would be 102 points. Similar to the pace they had during a good part of the 2nd half of last year.

As most on this board have agreed, this team right now is a borderline playoff team. Could get better (as is the recent trend) and could get worse (as we saw in the first 10 games of the year, or if there is a serious injury to a key player).

Yes it was, MY dad's name was Judah!!!!

I used to wear a white button down Blackhawks sweater.
- LAHawk

omigosh---it is amazing my weak ass brain finds compartments to remember this stuff - your dad would come up to the cal near the mezzanine entrance to L M MEZZ SECTIONS and the older guys (WHO MY FATHER sent me to the games with) and your dad would talk the game, and that't where I learned so much...these guys were attending in the late40's...
we would engage Harold Ballard, king Clancy, Emile the cat Francis, etc. these guys weren't shy and were never bashful to engage them...

that isa some crazy stuff that it was you dad

Darcy was my guy. #18 before Savard came along. I was heartbroken when they traded my 2 favorite players in Rota and Ivan Boldirev to the Flames for Tom Lysiak, Greg Fox, Hal Phillipoff and 2 others.

Both Rota and Boldirev went on to have pretty decent careers with the Canucks and old Ivan ended up I believe in Detroit.
- Rota's Rooter

I saw Rota's debut in the preseason game vs Dallas Blackhawks in Notre Dame.

Dale Tallon was given #9 which he wore in that exhibition once before changing to #19

Have you figured out how to pronounce Eetu Luostarinen yet?
- Barbecued Hockey

Let's hope Foley knows.

e 2 lou sta re nen ????

omigosh---it is amazing my weak ass brain finds compartments to remember this stuff - your dad would come up to the cal near the mezzanine entrance to L M MEZZ SECTIONS and the older guys (WHO MY FATHER sent me to the games with) and your dad would talk the game, and that't where I learned so much...these guys were attending in the late40's...
we would engage Harold Ballard, king Clancy, Emile the cat Francis, etc. these guys weren't shy and were never bashful to engage them...

that isa some crazy stuff that it was you dad
- wiz1901

No kidding, this is amazing, yup my Dad and Mom dates were Blackhawk games in the mid to late 30's (take the streetcar, sit in the second balcony, split a popcorn). Those between period chats were priceless, almost like an episode of the sportswriters (with better knowledge of the game). I remember when I first met Mush Marsh (he was at every game back then). My dad had to explain that he was a Blackhawk legend (obviously no internet back then).

Have you figured out how to pronounce Eetu Luostarinen yet?
- Barbecued Hockey

Eh-too Loo-aws-tah-rih-nehn

I saw Rota's debut in the preseason game vs Dallas Blackhawks in Notre Dame.

Dale Tallon was given #9 which he wore in that exhibition once before changing to #19
- wiz1901

I remember the press conference when they gave him that sweater. Tallon said "I can feel the pressure already."

The Hawks traded Jerry Korab and Gary Smith to the Canucks to get him.

I wonder what Koekkoek and Gilberts numbers are? I bet they aren't pretty

Him and deHaan been playing their off sides, Maata definitely not as good as deHaan but way better when he plays LDman.

Does Maata play the PK as well? I think so, I'm in the camp can never have enough NHL dmen in your line up. Koekkoek and Gilbert are still AHL players.

Also i don't see 7 playing his off side and this year he either played with Keith, Maata or deHaan, all quality dmen. So many scoffed that 7 was done and Bowman made it a point to bring in NHL dmen and so far so good. Now if all the dmen can stay healthy let's see what we got.
- BetweenTheDots

Gilbert & Koekkoek both have a better 5v5 high danger %, but a worse 5v5 goal share:

Gilbert 1 for, 4 against; 47.83% HDCF (really small sample size)
Koekkoek 6 for, 9 against; 45.10% HDCF

Of the 3, I'd play Gilbert, plus as young as he is, he has way more upside than either.

It's the lower seams on the pucks....

Or higher seams, I can't remember which.
- StLBravesFan

more air, higher PSI