CDSF- (2)Blues vs (3)Blackhawks (Blues win 4-3)

[Cycling76er]

Happy the Blues advance but realize they play the Stars. I'd love to see St. Louis make a good push but not at the expense of a 1st round pick.

Just hope the Preds close it out as well

[Itse]

Originally Posted by atb

Why timeout blues

Yeah that was just baffling. Hawks got one extra chance with their top line for free. Not that it matters now.

Surprising playoffs, that's for sure.

[Erick Estrada]

Congrats to Blues fans. It's been a long time coming. They were the better team for most of the series but until tonight they just couldn't close the deal. I still don't know if they have the resolve to go a lot deeper but this was a step in the right direction.

As for the Hawks a first round exit may not be the worst thing for them as they have played a lot of hockey over the last few years. They need another quality defenseman as too much is being asked of Keith and Seabrook as they were outmatched for most of this series but stuck around because they have the best collection of clutch players in the NHL. In the end it wasn't enough against a deeper Blues team.

[Dion]

That's the final nail in the coffin of my hockey pool!

[hwy19man]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

lol pang

Holy jumpin, is he ever happy!

[Lanny_McDonald]

Ding dong the Hawks are dead! Nice to see the Blues finally not choke and be the ones to drop the house on on them.

[timbit]

Did Andrew Ladd play in this series?

Invisible.

[Philly06Cup]

Teams were so evenly matched. One announcer said this series could be fitting of the Stanley Cup final, and I'd agree.

[Roof-Daddy]

Now if Nash can win game 7 vs the Ducks, every result in the West first round will be about as good as I could have hoped.

Starts win, Hawks are out and the cheating cheaters crashed and burned.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by timbit

Did Andrew Ladd play in this series?

Invisible.

Other than a goal and an assist in game 6 he was a non factor. Should have traded for a quality d man as the Blues exposed the lack of depth on defence for the Hawks.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Philly06Cup

Teams were so evenly matched. One announcer said this series could be fitting of the Stanley Cup final, and I'd agree.

This was clearly the best series of all the first round matchups. Had everything you wanted in a playoff series. Sadly a very good team is out.

[Dion]

Ohhhhh and David Runblad is a horrible defenceman. It's no wonder that coach Quenville used him sparingly.

[AC]

Originally Posted by timbit

Did Andrew Ladd play in this series?

Invisible.

Marko Dano, 2016 1st rounder, and a conditional 3rd rounder for 1 goal and 1 assist in Game 6, Matt Fraser, and Jay Harrison.

The condition on the 3rd was if the Hawks win the cup, though I can't find if it becomes anything else (like a 4th) if the condition isn't met or simply gets removed.

[hockey.modern]

Originally Posted by Dion

Other than a goal and an assist in game 6 he was a non factor. Should have traded for a quality d man as the Blues exposed the lack of depth on defence for the Hawks.

I'm wondering if Hamhuis or Russell changes this series. Definitely wouldn't be seeing Runblad on the ice at all if one of those two players was acquired.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by timbit

Did Andrew Ladd play in this series?

Invisible.

He even got to ride shotgun with Marian Hossa, who's still ****ing elite.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Moreover a first vs a second is nice but isn't really a huge deal. Drafting twenty something vs fifty something likely doesn't affect the flames long term very much. This Saturday is probably about 20 times more important.

Yeah the lottery is perhaps more important. But which DAL pick we end up with could very much change what Treliving has to work with in addressing other parts of the roster. A 1st rounder can be more easily traded for a #1 goalie or a scoring winger. Or Treliving could package up a 2nd or two plus the 1st and get another pick in the teens and the Flames could walk with two of their top 15 rated guys. In a draft with poor depth like this one the 30 spot difference is massive. The depth in this draft falls off a cliff somewhere in the 20's.

I'd rather win one of the top 3 picks this saturday than get the DAL 1st but that doesn't mean getting the DAL 1st is insignificant.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Dion

This was clearly the best series of all the first round matchups. Had everything you wanted in a playoff series. Sadly a very good team is out.

You're sad the Hawks are out?!

I'm rejoicing.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by hockey.modern

I'm wondering if Hamhuis or Russell changes this series. Definitely wouldn't be seeing Runblad on the ice at all if one of those two players was acquired.

Russell would have made a huge difference for the Hawks, especially with his shot blocking ability. Stan Bowman made a huge mistake in trading for another top 6 forward.

[home_sweet_dome]

A broken clock is right twice a day…well it's officially the broken clock year in the NHL with so many things that rarely, if ever, happen:

-no Canadian teams in the playoffs
-American Art Ross winner
-perennial playoff chokers like the Caps, Sharks, Blues and Isles winning, all with pretty neat story lines and in some cases against perennial playoff winners like the Hawks and Kings

Based on this I'm gonna predict:
-these perennial losers to win in the 2nd round
-a non Canadian captain to lift the Cup (hello Ovi or Pavelski)
-the Oilers to NOT win the draft lottery

#brokenclockNHLyear

[JJ1532]

Wonder what off season changes come for the Hawks? Losing Ladd, Weise, Fleischmann, Shaw is an RFA. Will Shaw be able to be kept? Or will he want too much money and price himself out? I have to think they might trade him for whatever they can get at the deadline. Wonder if they can find someone to take Bickell off their hands? Can they keep Ladd?

Wonder if Hossa goes on the block? Still got some value I'd imagine, might want to trade him now whilst they still can.

Be very interesting to see what off season moves they make.