Chicago Blackhawks believe in themselves

I hope we can do it but those Canucks are a scary good team with the best goalie on the planet. Oh well we can dream.

The canucks should have this series in five games. The Canucks are loaded everywhere and that 4 nothing big game in Chicago was not even with their team healthy. Unfortunately they are health and only the swine flu can stop them now.

Regular season doesn't mean much--just ask the Sharks-- and the series was split in any case.

Luongo can be beaten, just like any goalie. He hardly has a stellar post-season record.

This series will turn largely on PP and PK, and I like where the Hawks are with both.

go hawks and toyko 2016 go go godzilla

Some years there is a Cinderella team and why not this year? If the Bulin Wall can keep it going, we have the kids to do it.

The President's Trophy curse raised it's deadly head again so if the Sharks can go down, ANYONE can go down. Let's Go Hawks!!!

Seattle - I don't think Vancouver has the skaters to win it in 5 but I do like the Canucks in 6. Luongo is too good, and Vancouver has more offense than they have had in the past. While Chicago seems to be getting their scoring legs back, the goalie matchup goes way too far towards Vancouver.

JEM wrote:

Seattle - I don't think Vancouver has the skaters to win it in 5 but I do like the Canucks in 6. Luongo is too good, and Vancouver has more offense than they have had in the past. While Chicago seems to be getting their scoring legs back, the goalie matchup goes way too far towards Vancouver.

As one of the regulars pointed out in another thread, Luongos' playoff record before the St Louis series was 5-7, hardly the mark of a stellar playoff performer.

Khabby has won a Cup, and that counts for more than a good series against the Blues.

I don't know if the Blackhawks will beat Vancouver in a 7 game series, but I hope and think they can, and it's gonna be fun watching them try.

But riddle me this, Batman. Why after that win Monday night, unlike other big wins over the years by the Bears or Cubs or Bulls, did I feel like my own kids won a big game? I feel like I'm not pulling for this team so much as I'm pulling for these individual players -- all of them.

Perhaps it derives from the nature of the game and the grit, toughness and determination needed to play it. Whatever it is, somehow real fans form a close bond with these players. More than other sports, after following a hockey team, watching every game over a six month period, you get a real feel for each players personality and character, their grit and determination. You grow to admire each one. You know what each player has been through, his personal travails and accomplishments, the gutsy play and hit, the blood spilled, the bruises, the cheap shot they endured, the screw ups, the turnovers, the blown coverage, the nifty pass, the big hit, the big goal. As a result, I feel a much closer bond with the Blackhawks players than with other teams in other sports..

Yes, it's about the franchise doing it (finally), but for me it now seems it's more about these kids doing it. I'm more happy for Toews and Kane, for Buff and Bolland, for Seabs and Keith, for Havlat and Ladd, for Barker and Campbell, etc.-- all the way down the line.

Damn It! They Are Our Kids! And I am really hoping, like an eager parent, that they will do well and accomplish their dream. Can't wait to see how the next round unfolds.

I love playoff hockey!

Let's Go Hawks!

I love when people are so confident about their God Luango. St. Louis was a gimmy series. The Hawks are here to compete and they proved that not only they have the skill to score, but they can be physical with anyone. It is going to be a tough series for sure, but I bleive the Hawks will pull it out!

The Hawks should have home ice this series. They outpointed Vancouver for the season, and the stupid rule that the division champion gets the third seed even though other conference teams get more points shouldn't apply in the semi final round. Go Hawks!!

Special teams and how well Seabrook/Keith and the Pahlsson line are able to shut down the Sedin line will be key in this series. A couple years ago Pahlsson's line with ANA effectively ended our run in the second round by holding our top line to two points and scoring six. I think the wild card will be Khabi. He's winless against our guys in his last 11. This series will have no shortage of skill and speed unlike your last one. And the bad blood from the last game will be the sweet candy coating. Go Nucks!

I think this is going to be a crazy good series, perhaps the best in the second round.

I think the series is going to be determined by goaltending. I know...easy to say for any playoff series. But I think offensively the two teams are pretty equally matched. I think the Hawks get a slight edge on D. Luongo and Khabby are the keys. I don't think there is a hotter goalie in the West right now. But if Khabby can continue playing as he did in game 6, then it should counter Luongo's effectiveness. I just hope Khabby doesn't have to make 43 saves every game.

Indian Head Crest wrote:

I think this is going to be a crazy good series, perhaps the best in the second round.
I think the series is going to be determined by goaltending. I know...easy to say for any playoff series. But I think offensively the two teams are pretty equally matched. I think the Hawks get a slight edge on D. Luongo and Khabby are the keys. I don't think there is a hotter goalie in the West right now. But if Khabby can continue playing as he did in game 6, then it should counter Luongo's effectiveness. I just hope Khabby doesn't have to make 43 saves every game.

Vancouver had a tough time with a badly depleted Blues team that was not expected to do all that much before their injury parade. The Hawks had a considerably tougher opponent in Calgary, even with their injuries.

You have to just laugh at the Can-Can fans talking about a physical series....What's their battle cry?

Don't pull until you grab the roots of their hair.?????????

I think Alice will find a different Wonderland when Buff and Eager level her. No hair to pull there.

I believe the hawks can win this series...the key to it, getting traffic in front of Luongo(best goalie in the nhl). If he sees it, he'll stop it.

Kessler and Bieksa are gonna be head hunting, that's what they do. Everyone needs to just stay focused, don't get off your game, and let eager and burish handle those two.

Hawks in 6.

Commit to the Indian

I think this series is going to be the best in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Last night on Versus the panel said the same as did Don Cherry on the score this morning. The Hawks have a ton of offensive talent, and they have grinders. That can be the difference in this series. I do believe that the Hawks can and will win this series. Khabby has to be on his game, and they Hawks have to have more shots on goal than they did in game 6. LETS GO HAWKS

JEM wrote:

Seattle - I don't think Vancouver has the skaters to win it in 5 but I do like the Canucks in 6. Luongo is too good, and Vancouver has more offense than they have had in the past. While Chicago seems to be getting their scoring legs back, the goalie matchup goes way too far towards Vancouver.

Khabibulin went up against 44 shots in the last game, and saved 43 of them! I really don't know why you think Luongo is a more superior goalie? Perhaps you are buying into the Vancouver hype concerning their "chosen one". Puhlease! Hopefully, the Canucks will have your same attitude, so we can steamroll them.

Section 319 wrote:

Damn It! They Are Our Kids! And I am really hoping, like an eager parent, that they will do well and accomplish their dream. Can't wait to see how the next round unfolds.
I love playoff hockey!
Let's Go Hawks!

I love it! This is exactly how I feel about the Sox (Chicago's forgotten ball team to the rest of the country). You watch these players and you grow attached and can't help but cheer each and everyone of them on. These kids have proven they are here to play and to play to win!

GO HAWKS! GO HAWKS!

I was reading an interesting article in the Vancover Sun this morning. A story of how Pauhlson lives not far from the Sedin's in sweden. Sammy shut those 2 down when he was with annahiem and The ducks won the cup.....Pahlson had a Stanley Cup party at his house and was able to display the cup in his kitchen.

That will be as close as those two brothers will ever get to that cup again. They should have went to the party.

Oh by the way..... I left a nice post on the Vancover Sun. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Bryan wrote:

I believe the hawks can win this series...the key to it, getting traffic in front of Luongo(best goalie in the nhl). If he sees it, he'll stop it.

Exactly what I was just going to post. Hawks definitely need to get a ton of bodies in front of Luongo and get to rebounds (which WILL be there). Pretty plays will work occasionally, but I think the bulk of the goals scored in this series, for both teams, will be grinder goals.

Section 319 wrote:

I don't know if the Blackhawks will beat Vancouver in a 7 game series, but I hope and think they can, and it's gonna be fun watching them try.

That's exactly how I feel about this team. Hockey is the greatest sport on earth! GO HAWKS!