Western Conference Playoffs - Round 2: Blackhawks vs Wild (Hawks win 4-0)

[Vulcan]

I don't know who would be the easier opponent to beat but if we get that far, I don't want to play the Wild. They just seem to suck every bit of excitement and enjoyment out of a game.

[nmhen]

Originally Posted by thefoss1957

I have a hard time believing that, in Dubnyk, the Wild have a "better" goaltender...he has been hot, sure, but, "better"? I am not convinced. Yeo looked one game away from firing at mid season, and the Wild's turnaround has been nothing short of amazing.

I just told my friend the Hawks fan that I don't think any possible series outcome would surprise me.

I agree, can't say the Wild has the better goaltender since none of the Wild goalies has had any real playoff success, much less won a Cup. But I think it's arguable the Wild got better goalTENDING through the first round than the Hawks did.

Until the Wild proves it over a 7-game series, the Hawks own the Wild. So, I'm certainly not taking anything for granted.

Should be a great series.

[Weitz]

I think wild in 6. Chicago is going to break down a bit I think.

[thefoss1957]

Originally Posted by nmhen

Should be a great series.

nmhen...Good luck to your guys!

[Imported_Aussie]

I think this series goes the distance. Dubnyk will steal 1-2 games. Chicago have enough firepower to win even on a good night for Dubnyk though. I say Hawks in 7 in a back and forth series

[nmhen]

Originally Posted by thefoss1957

nmhen...Good luck to your guys!

Likewise.

[Savvy27]

I'm going to go with the Wild in 7. Should be a fantastic series with two very solid rosters.

[thefoss1957]

Reports from Chicago have Q putting the forward lines through the blender again...Versteeg out, Teravainen in, Sharp stays on 3rd, Bickell moves to 2nd

Saad-Toews-Hossa
Bickell-Richards-Kane
Sharp-Vermette-Teravainen
Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw

[OffsideSpecialist]

I will go with Wild in 7. Should be a fun one.

[the_only_turek_fan]

Minnesota this time around. I think they come out of the West.

[hwy19man]

Mountain time

Friday, May 1 at Chicago---1930h NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Sunday, May 3 at Chicago---1830h NBCSN, CBC, SN360, TVA Sports

Tuesday, May 5 at Minnesota---1800h CBC, NBCSN, and TVA Sports
Thursday, May 7 at Minnesota---1930h Sportsnet, NBCSN, and TVA Sports

*Saturday, May 9 at Chicago TBA
*Monday, May 11 at Minnesota TBA
*Wednesday, May 13 at Chicago TBA

[Resolute 14]

Hard to imagine a playoff series where the team with Dubnyk would have the goaltending advantage, but here we are.

[killer_carlson]

I want the world to see our top 4 out perform the Hawks' golden boy defence.

Plus the Wild match up too well against us.

Go Hawks. In 7, with lots of overtime games.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Don't bet against Chicago in the playoffs unless they're playing LA. Hawks have players that actually go to the net instead of the perimeter plays that the Blues like so much, I don't think Dubnyk will be enough for the Wild to overcome them. Hawks in 6

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I don't know who would be the easier opponent to beat but if we get that far, I don't want to play the Wild. They just seem to suck every bit of excitement and enjoyment out of a game.

When was the last time you watched a Minnesota Wild game?

[Philly06Cup]

Originally Posted by thefoss1957

Reports from Chicago have Q putting the forward lines through the blender again...Versteeg out, Teravainen in, Sharp stays on 3rd, Bickell moves to 2nd

Saad-Toews-Hossa
Bickell-Richards-Kane
Sharp-Vermette-Teravainen
Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw

Versteeg was incredible on that 2nd line before his injury. But, he's a one dimensional player, and if he's not scoring, might as well replace him with a hungrier rookie.

Sharp.. man. He's like J Staal in Pittsburgh. Always the odd man out.

[thefoss1957]

Philly...Chi fans' problem with Versteeg is his low hockey IQ, too many ill-advised blueline turnovers, and the like...He HAS shown some chemistry with Kane, but, has not been a factor recently.

As far as Sharp goes, he has had a tough year, and Q seems too stubborn to give HIM Kane as a line mate, like Kane with Toews, Kane with Sharp has been a proven combo before. It seems apparent that Sharp is getting a diminished role as he looks to be the one moved to provide cap relief. Q's logic, apparently, is to spread the offensive threats over the top 3 lines, but, until Vermette's improvement over the 1st round, Line 3 has been a disaster.

[nmhen]

Wild fans seem to be cautiously trying on some confidence in advance of this series.

Minnesotans are such pitiful sports fans. We've been stomped on so many times, by every one of our teams, it's just a miserable existence. Having confidence is a high risk game for us to play, and most of us are reticent to show much of it at all.

I stand by what I said before: until the Wild beats Chicago in a series, the Hawks own us. I have a hard time working up any bile for the Hawks overall. They just play the game, hard, fast and well. That being said, I do think this Wild team is capable of beating the Hawks in a series, and I wouldn't have said that the past two playoffs.

[ScorchyScorch]

if anyone is going to break Dubnyk, it's the Chicago Blackhawks

[thefoss1957]

Scorch, the 'Hawks strength has been their ability to find a way to clamp down, defensively, and counterpunch...in the 2 games that the Preds ran out to leads, the 'Hawks comebacks were triggered by denying offensive chances (limiting SOG to 13 over 2 periods, for instance)...any bobble at their own blueline, and the 'Hawks WILL do the stretch pass, and as good as Dubnyk has been, stopping breakaways isn't a gimme.

The Wild must consistently control tempo, get their defensive rotations, and limit turnovers. Their successes against my guys have come by turning the ice in the neutral zone to molasses, and limiting the 'Hawk transitional speed.

The 'Hawks are an unphysical team, that doesn't take a lot of penalties. The Wild must capitalize on their rare PP chances, and absolutely limit the amount of "bad" penalties (and thanks again for the crosscheck at the bench, James Neal!) that THEY take. The 'Hawk PP has NOT been good, but I remember a mid-season game where Kane skated through and around your PK twice in one possession to set up a GWG.

And nmhen, please recall that a large majority of us 'Hawk fans have not seen, nor have our fathers, a CUB world championship! So sympathy for perpetual failure is understood by some of us, too! Only 5 cups over a 90 year history doesn't exactly erase a Century of fail...