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

[Funkhouser]

Originally Posted by thefoss1957

It was all part of the 'Hawks master plan to sabotage St. Loo, by tricking them into retaining Hitch!

In all seriousness...

IMO the weakness of my team ALL YEAR was #1LW and 3rd pair D...Toews/Hossa had nothing to work with for much of the year, and father time is stalking #81...and the lack of defensive depth finally bit us in the behind...

Hossa looked better as a #3RW, but that left a huge hole on the top line that Pluggers like Shaw or Panik were just wishful thinking that they'd be adequate.

The whole team ran out of steam...and Elliot aside, the damn goal posts came up big...our failures to finish WHEN the puck got by Elliot sunk us.

Looking at some of the changes in store...

Have a great retirement Rozi and Erhoff...DON'T COME BACK.

Shaw is an RFA with arbitration, so he may be done.

Adios Ladd, Flash, Mash, Weise all UFAs that either are unaffordable (Ladd) or surplus

Rasmussen and Panik are RFAs that I could see giving a shot...

For God/Allah/Elvis/Buddah's sake, BUY OUT RUNDBLAD'S LAST YEAR!

And Leighton is gone too, so we need to look at a #3G to stash in the system.

There were signs all year that this team had some flaws...there was some hope that they could overcome those flaws, but, sputtering down the stretch, and failure to finish spelled the end.

One last thought...UPGRADE THE D@MN COACHING STAFF BY SUBTRACTING KITCHEN, who deserves some blame for special teams deficiencies, and defensive messes.

The Blues move on...can't say I like their style, overreliance on picks, for even simple zone entries...But kudos to them for moving on...Elliot is their MVP at this point.

I do hope, though, that you guys get the draft boost from a Dallas advance now.

What would it take to get Shaw and how much do you think he is worth a year?? You've watched him more than anyone here...could he be a potential fit as our top line RW (complimentary without breaking the bank)?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Dion

Having won 3 cups in the last 6 years, I doubt they'd be all that sad about losing in the first round.

Yeah, you could even see it in the faces of a lot of Chicago players in the handshake line. They didn't seem all that choked. They've played a lot of hockey over the past few years.

[thefoss1957]

Funk...what's the going rate for a fearlessly stupid (in every way...in corners...in the crease...after the whistle) 3rd line winger/4th line center, agitating utility player? I think that he will NOT file for arbitration, and will be patient as the 'Hawks shuffle and make room for his salary, the way Kruger did. For Shaw, it is NOT going to be just NHL salary...he is in all kinds of local advertising, a pretty penny, in a big market, that not all bottom 6 quality guys can command.

If Kruger got a $1.5mill "bridge" contract, and a $3.5mill (about) extension, I could see Shaw with a $1.75mill to $2.25mill "bridge" contract to about a $2.5 to $3.5 million eventual contract.

Things he will NOT be...the answer to your top 6 RW problem, IMO, his fit on the 'Hawk top line was simply as a stop-gap measure, and reflected our own deficiencies at LW. He can't make is own shots, he lives and dies with "dirty" goals from 3 feet or less...with the 'Hawks, on whatever line he was on, be it with Toews/Hossa, or more organically, Dejardins/Kruger, Shaw has played with way above average possession lines, that your system, to this point, has lacked. Not a defensive liability, but, at times a discipline liability, Shaw doesn't seem to be the kind of talent that can just drop in and produce...really benefits from the "system" he is in.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

This is amazing. An African-American fellow who tried to watch the Cardinals game accidentally watched his first ever hockey game. He's been converted.

http://brobible.com/sports/article/b...re-phenomenal/

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

This is amazing. An African-American fellow who tried to watch the Cardinals game accidentally watched his first ever hockey game. He's been converted.

http://brobible.com/sports/article/b...re-phenomenal/

That's great to see! The official Blues Twitter also mentioned him in a tweet

[MrMastodonFarm]

Okay, I know Cali was just trying to be polite and politically correct, but referring to him as an "African American fellow" cracked me up.

[sureLoss]

The Blues offered him free tickets to game 3.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Hackey

in 7 games.

you mean in game 7

Jaybo assisted on two of the 3 goals in game 7...I know its cool to hate him around here but he played a good game

[Itse]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Okay, I know Cali was just trying to be polite and politically correct, but referring to him as an "African American fellow" cracked me up.

Yeah it's obviously no harm meant (heck, actively trying to find the right words even), but honestly just better off leaving the guys race completely out of it.

Story is really cool though.

[dino7c]

The guys race certainly plays into the story...and that doesn't have to be a bad thing

[Machiavelli]

"I don't know who this dude kane is but we gotta stop him."

Ha!

[jammies]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Okay, I know Cali was just trying to be polite and politically correct, but referring to him as an "African American fellow" cracked me up.

"Chap" would have been even better. "By George, this African-American chap I just met likes the ice hockey, and agrees with me that this Kane person playing on the Chicago squad is an utter bounder! Gadzooks!"

[calgaryblood]

Hopefully he thanked all the white folk who retweeted him yesterday.

[PeteMoss]

Lehtera on his goal: "Ville Nieminen once told me, 'If you want pizza, you go to Pizza Hut. If you want to score goals, you go to the net.'"

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Lehtera on his goal: "Ville Nieminen once told me, 'If you want pizza, you go to Pizza Hut. If you want to score goals, you go to the net.'"

Hahahahahahaha! That's classic Nemo.