Blackhawks Playoffs

Boris13c · Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:37 am

Blackhawks eliminated Edmonton yesterday in a pretty wild day of elimination games ... based on how this tournament is set up, they have as good a chance as anyone else ... they look like an improved version of the team that stumbled and bumbled their way to barely qualifying for this modified post season

happy by what I've seen and looking forward to seeing how far they can go

Blackhawks Advance to Stanley Cup Playoffs, Defeating Oilers in Game 4

Otis Day · Sat Aug 08, 2020 8:19 pm

There has been some pretty damn good hockey being played. I have enjoyed watching it in the afternoon, weird.

Hawks looked pretty good. D is still soft and Crow cannot win on his own. Toews played like a dude possessed.

Connor Mc David is a friggin beast. He is up there with the best I have ever seen play. His speed is unmatchable.

Mon Aug 10, 2020 7:57 am

I hope they keep it up. Toews looks 5 years younger, playing with a grit I didn't know he still had in him. The 4th line has been outstanding, and so long as Crawford can stay healthy, who knows what's possible.

It also doesn't hurt that Keith is playing fantastic hockey and they don't have the dead weight of Brent Seabrook holding them hostage.

Otis Day · Tue Aug 11, 2020 10:15 pm

1st period against LV and the Hawks D surprisingly top notch. No O.

Otis Day · Wed Aug 12, 2020 8:29 am

Well that didn't last long. D had some break downs and Crow let a bad one in. They didn't have the O to win that game anyway. Toews, Kane and The Cat kept real quiet.

Boris13c · Sun Aug 16, 2020 5:28 pm

well this sucks ... playoff beard didn't even get a good start before it will be time to shave it ... I was hoping for a ZZ Top look

down 3-0 is not a good situation ... may not be the end, but the end can be clearly seen

Otis Day · Sun Aug 16, 2020 8:22 pm

Crawford won game 4 all on his own. He was a fucking beast. Hawks get one more game. LV clearly the better, much better, team. Kind of glad they at least took 1.

Boris13c · Mon Aug 17, 2020 9:46 pm

Otis Day wrote: ↑Sun Aug 16, 2020 8:22 pm Crawford won game 4 all on his own. He was a fucking beast. Hawks get one more game. LV clearly the better, much better, team. Kind of glad they at least took 1.

very true ... his A game is phenomenal when he gets into it

the Blackhawks are playing well enough to show they did belong in the playoffs, but you're right, Vegas is just a better team unfortunately

Tue Aug 18, 2020 8:26 am

Gotta wonder if this is the last ride for a few of these guys. Duncan Keith may be immortal, but I feel like Toews and Kane merely have pockets of production anymore that are absolutely a result of the players around them. Saad's been steady but not always in a good way (ping!) and the young defenders have potential but are so, so green.

The future isn't bleak, but the Blackhawks could desperately use a healthy Andrew Shaw (who may never be healthy again) and another non-Seabrook veteran on defense.

Otis Day · Tue Aug 18, 2020 11:10 am

I think a purge of some sorts is needed. Seabrook and Crawford can go. Crow's will be a FA after the season and they need not pursue. He needs to retire.

Keith has 3 more yrs on his deal and the $$ seems pretty manageable.

I think they get more out of Kane than Toews but can't see them trading either.

They are young and the young guys need to improve quickly. Dach has shown he can be solid. Some of the others need some seasoning.

Boris13c · Wed Aug 19, 2020 4:16 pm

i suppose a rebuild may be in order ... go for youth and spreed with a few of the vets still in place to build around

Keith seems to have found a fountain of youth, so am comfortable with him as one of the veteran anchors retained ... Toews and Kane are still a couple of my favorite players and would hate to see them go somewhere else and come back to Chicago and smoke the Blackhawks ... the business side of a rebuild may mean one or both would be doing just that

I'd be a crappy GM probably for hanging on to favorites

Otis Day · Thu Aug 20, 2020 8:52 am

I have that sentiment as well, to an extent, but trading some core pieces away at the right time is the only way to stay competitive unfortunately. Both have no trades I imagine. Myself, I would keep Kane. I think is O game is more valuable scoring wise than Toews. It would be hard to get rid of either, but I don't want them to become the Celtics of hockey. Celtics held on to Parrish, McHale, Bird and Johnson for too long. I would rather see the Hawks winning than losing with Toews, Kane, Keith and Seabs.

I believe Crow is gone since contract is up.