***OFFICIAL*** NHL RESTART BLACKHAWKS vs. OILERS thread

[Bigfoot]

Dach working with Kaner trainer in the time hockey was down is showing. This kid is gonna be an absolute freight train as he gets older and develops.

 

[Granada]

Dach working with Kaner trainer in the time hockey was down is showing. This kid is gonna be an absolute freight train as he gets older and develops.

Yeah he is. Speaking of Dach, dirty-ass play on him by Archibald going for his knee late in the game. That was no accident, considering Dach's hit on Ennis. I can't believe the refs missed that knee-on-knee from Archibald. Glad Dach was okay after that, could've been very bad

 

[anotheridiot]

Dach hit the boards harder than he hit Ennis. But getting, what 5 PP in a row after ending the last period on a 5 0n 3 needed to get more than 3 shots to the net. I really hope they change some pieces around and get Kubalik in a shooting area. Toews took that spot and whiffed on 2 one timers.

So I know the game is 545 friday, Edmonton will get the last change as home team, they have to get that for game 5 as well being the higher seed, right?

 

[Granada]

Dach hit the boards harder than he hit Ennis. But getting, what 5 PP in a row after ending the last period on a 5 0n 3 needed to get more than 3 shots to the net. I really hope they change some pieces around and get Kubalik in a shooting area. Toews took that spot and whiffed on 2 one timers.

So I know the game is 545 friday, Edmonton will get the last change as home team, they have to get that for game 5 as well being the higher seed, right?

The Hawks are the home team next game (Friday). It goes 2-2-1

 

[MassHavoc]

I'm just happy that the game friday is at 545 and I'll be able to let my girls watch it with me. Although I may be too drunk for that to be a good idea.

 

[LordKOTL]

For the positives...

Keith finally looked like an NHL defenseman after screwing the team in game 2.
Toews has been monster in this series--a pure captain who leads by example.
Monster game by Dach--even if he needs to learn that he's not Hossa and cant's bulldoze his way through more than his own weight in defenders. I like what the kid is bringing.
Craword at times came up huge.
PK looked really good.
It really just looks like the Draisaitl/McDavid show for the oil. They have as liuttle depth as we do.

For the negatives...

Kane looks disinterested...he needs a kick in the pants.
Kubalik dissappeared.
The PP sucks donkey balls. Way too static and everyone is welded in place.
Crawford still looks squirrely and shaky at some key times--COVID, the lack of practice, or both seems to be affecting him. He needs to try to focus and keep it simple--especially with how much the D sucks.
The D still distills goatloads. With Crawford shaky at times they need to tighten things down.
Strome and Nylander are pointless waste.

 

[Tater]

Kubalik dissappeared.

Great post, but in Koobs defense, the Oilers were all over him last night.

 

[ruprecht]

They hit alot of posts last night, should have been a blowout

 

[dweebs19]

I had this discussion with my brother. Thought his thinking was interesting and I figured I'd ask here. Would you rather lose to the oilers and have a chance at getting The Great Quebec Hope, Alexis Lafreniere, or would you rather beat the Oilers and possibly lose next round and watch Lafreniere go to the Pens or the Oilers?

 

[ruprecht]

I had this discussion with my brother. Thought his thinking was interesting and I figured I'd ask here. Would you rather lose to the oilers and have a chance at getting The Great Quebec Hope, Alexis Lafreniere, or would you rather beat the Oilers and possibly lose next round and watch Lafreniere go to the Pens or the Oilers?

Always rather win personally. More playoff experience for the young guys if nothing else.

 

[dweebs19]

Always rather win personally. More playoff experience for the young guys if nothing else.

That's what I said. I said I would rather win and get the young guys some experience but I would hate for Lafreniere to end up on the Pens or Oilers. So I could see my brother's point of view in preferring to have a chance at Lafreniere. However, I would rather keep playing and get the young guys some playoff experience.

 

[LordKOTL]

Great post, but in Koobs defense, the Oilers were all over him last night.

True...but much like Keith between Games 2 and 3, the onus is on him to improve. He can be Keith, or he can be Strome/Nylander. Call me a bloody ray of fuckin' sunshine here, but I think Koob can do it.

I had this discussion with my brother. Thought his thinking was interesting and I figured I'd ask here. Would you rather lose to the oilers and have a chance at getting The Great Quebec Hope, Alexis Lafreniere, or would you rather beat the Oilers and possibly lose next round and watch Lafreniere go to the Pens or the Oilers?

There is literally a 1/8 shot of any team losing the play-in getting LaFreniere. Imagine, if you will, the 'hawks lose and lose the lottery pick. They're picking 9th or worse.

Now, while I could possibly see a screwjob where either Edmonton gets yet another 1OA pick to ruin, or it goes to Pittsburgh so that Bettman and Regis can keep giving the pens a rusty trombone, The odds of the 'hjawks getting it are smil, and the drop-off from there is considerable. I'd rather they keep going to see how far they can go to give the kids big game experience.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

That's what I said. I said I would rather win and get the young guys some experience but I would hate for Lafreniere to end up on the Pens or Oilers. So I could see my brother's point of view in preferring to have a chance at Lafreniere. However, I would rather keep playing and get the young guys some playoff experience.

If he ends up in Edmonton or Pittsburgh the league will be forever scrutinize. It won’t even matter if that’s how the Lotto balls fell in place, the same could be said about Chicago.
The truth is we know the league gave the Pens Crosby, behind closed doors to a team in financial despair at the time it was no fluke, as it was no fluke the Oilers received 5 number #1 picks including the best damn hockey player currently in the world at this time.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

For the positives...

Keith finally looked like an NHL defenseman after screwing the team in game 2.
Toews has been monster in this series--a pure captain who leads by example.
Monster game by Dach--even if he needs to learn that he's not Hossa and cant's bulldoze his way through more than his own weight in defenders. I like what the kid is bringing.
Craword at times came up huge.
PK looked really good.
It really just looks like the Draisaitl/McDavid show for the oil. They have as liuttle depth as we do.

For the negatives...

Kane looks disinterested...he needs a kick in the pants.
Kubalik dissappeared.
The PP sucks donkey balls. Way too static and everyone is welded in place.
Crawford still looks squirrely and shaky at some key times--COVID, the lack of practice, or both seems to be affecting him. He needs to try to focus and keep it simple--especially with how much the D sucks.
The D still distills goatloads. With Crawford shaky at times they need to tighten things down.
Strome and Nylander are pointless waste.

Kane is probably pissed off he has to play with that waste of talent Nylander.

 

[MassHavoc]

I just noticed that 12 out of 15 of ESPN's hockey"experts" picked Edmonton. Of the 3 Hawks picks 2 were in 5 1 in 4. Tim Kavanagh may look like a genius Friday

 

[hawkinmontreal]

I just noticed that 12 out of 15 of ESPN's hockey"experts" picked Edmonton. Of the 3 Hawks picks 2 were in 5 1 in 4. Tim Kavanagh may look like a genius Friday

Don’t jinx it

 

[Bigfoot]

Let's go boys. I'm hitting the shine early

 

[Granada]

I had this discussion with my brother. Thought his thinking was interesting and I figured I'd ask here. Would you rather lose to the oilers and have a chance at getting The Great Quebec Hope, Alexis Lafreniere, or would you rather beat the Oilers and possibly lose next round and watch Lafreniere go to the Pens or the Oilers?

Win. This is probably the last time you will ever be able to watch this core in the playoffs, gunning for a Cup. Best enjoy it while you can.

 

[Granada]

For the positives...

Keith finally looked like an NHL defenseman after screwing the team in game 2.
Toews has been monster in this series--a pure captain who leads by example.
Monster game by Dach--even if he needs to learn that he's not Hossa and cant's bulldoze his way through more than his own weight in defenders. I like what the kid is bringing.
Craword at times came up huge.
PK looked really good.
It really just looks like the Draisaitl/McDavid show for the oil. They have as liuttle depth as we do.

For the negatives...

Kane looks disinterested...he needs a kick in the pants.
Kubalik dissappeared.
The PP sucks donkey balls. Way too static and everyone is welded in place.
Crawford still looks squirrely and shaky at some key times--COVID, the lack of practice, or both seems to be affecting him. He needs to try to focus and keep it simple--especially with how much the D sucks.
The D still distills goatloads. With Crawford shaky at times they need to tighten things down.
Strome and Nylander are pointless waste.

I'm not sure if Kane looks disinterested or if it appears that way because Edmonton is doing a good job of smothering him/his shots and taking away his space -- but either way, he's had a bad series so far. Not as bad as Debrincat though. I know you bit Keith's head off for the penalty he took in Game 2 -- Debrincat's was just as bad and it resulted in a goal. Anyways, I'm starting to worry that we'll regret the Debrincat contract in the future -- maybe I'm wrong and the kid can figure out how to play through the physicality the opposition always throws his way, but for now, the book is out on how to defend the kid and he really has no answer for it. He doesn't possess the elusiveness that Kane has (at least, not yet) and his size will always make him a target.

The PK still let up a goal last game (McDavid's), so I still see it as a problem as well. The biggest problem with the PK is that we have no one -- with the exception maybe being Murphy -- who is both capable and willing to block shots. It's the same deal with face-offs, which is also critical on the PK.

And don't get me started on the PP. We only have one unit -- and even they aren't very good. Then again, Edmonton's PK is very good, so that doesn't help.

The biggest surprise for me has been the offensive production of Maatta and Koekkoek -- in all honesty, if these guys weren't producing, we'd be down in the series. The top line had a huge Game 1 but like you said, they've been pretty quiet after that, with the exception being Toews of course.

Kaner needs to redeem himself in this series and have a big Game 4.

 

[LordKOTL]

I'm not sure if Kane looks disinterested or if it appears that way because Edmonton is doing a good job of smothering him/his shots and taking away his space -- but either way, he's had a bad series so far. Not as bad as Debrincat though. I know you bit Keith's head off for the penalty he took in Game 2 -- Debrincat's was just as bad and it resulted in a goal. Anyways, I'm starting to worry that we'll regret the Debrincat contract in the future -- maybe I'm wrong and the kid can figure out how to play through the physicality the opposition always throws his way, but for now, the book is out on how to defend the kid and he really has no answer for it. He doesn't possess the elusiveness that Kane has (at least, not yet) and his size will always make him a target.

The PK still let up a goal last game (McDavid's), so I still see it as a problem as well. The biggest problem with the PK is that we have no one -- with the exception maybe being Murphy -- who is both capable and willing to block shots. It's the same deal with face-offs, which is also critical on the PK.

And don't get me started on the PP. We only have one unit -- and even they aren't very good. Then again, Edmonton's PK is very good, so that doesn't help.

The biggest surprise for me has been the offensive production of Maatta and Koekkoek -- in all honesty, if these guys weren't producing, we'd be down in the series. The top line had a huge Game 1 but like you said, they've been pretty quiet after that, with the exception being Toews of course.

Kaner needs to redeem himself in this series and have a big Game 4.

I'll give you Debrincat. I'm not so much worried about his contract vs. his play as much as I'm worried about his contract preventing us from tucking Kubalik in. But yeah, aside from game 2 he's been down in the Strome/Nylander level of uselessness. At this point I think they have to stick with Caligula/Dach/Kane--and Debrincat, much like Strome and Nylander, have to play their way back into the top 6.

As for the PK, well, McDavid is McDavid. I'm just not as worried that going shorthanded will de facto end up in a GA. It may not be the smothering PK we want, but it has gotten better.

Don't get me started on the PP, either...

I agree with KK/Maata, but I think our ace-in-the-hole is the fact that it's more than 2 guys doing all the scoring--unlike Edmonton. I think both of the teams are getting exposed in this series like getting a cavity search, but Edmonton has pretty much been the McDraisaitl show. We've been getting some depth contribution.

We'll see tonight, though. I'm hoping for a tighter Crawford, a Kane playing like he means it, Keith to continue like he did in game 3, Kubalik to reappear, and Toews to continue to do what he's been doing.