Herr Hockey 0 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=213834&hubname=nhl "...Lang can still distribute the puck..." Damn right he can.....to the other team Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cicada 4 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Lang and Perrault will be competing for most turnovers each game... Perrault is just as bad. He'll win the face off and then give the puck right to the other team Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JayUp88 1 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Oh black hawks will you ever be good? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 For what it's worth, Datsyuk was tied with Lidstrom for the most giveaways in the playoffs with 25. Lilja was next with 23, then Lang with 21. Regular season, Lang was by far the leader. Though it's a mostly unreliable stat anyway. There's no clear standard for determining what constitutes a giveaway, or a takeaway for that matter. The number seems to be determined more by what building you play in than what happens on the ice. So when bashing Lang, I think it's better to stick with him being lazy and sucking. All that being said, I still can't believe the Hawks gave him a 2 year deal at $4 mill. They give Millen a run for his money in totally mismanaging a team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cicada 4 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 For what it's worth, Datsyuk was tied with Lidstrom for the most giveaways in the playoffs with 25. Lilja was next with 23, then Lang with 21. Regular season, Lang was by far the leader. yes, but Lang saw much less ice time than Dats, Lids and probably Lilja during the playoffs Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevieY9802 6 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 All that being said, I still can't believe the Hawks gave him a 2 year deal at $4 mill. They give Millen a run for his money in totally mismanaging a team. I think he'll help them a little bit, because compared to what they had he is. Handzus was good but they didn't have much after that. That being said I agree about the salary. 4mil over 2 years maybe. Not 4mil a year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heaton 1 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 The one thing I've learned on this board is that these players who leave aren't nearly as bas as their reputation. Odds are Lang will probably get close to 70 points next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob the Badger 0 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 70 might be a bit high, but I wouldn't be surprised if he hit 60. The stat that will really tell the tale is his +/-. Look at the entire Chicago team and their +/- from last season. Lang will fit right in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herr Hockey 0 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 In all honesty, he probably will shine more on a lesser team. I just couldn't help but laugh when I saw that quote. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puckbags 863 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 For what it's worth, Datsyuk was tied with Lidstrom for the most giveaways in the playoffs with 25. Lilja was next with 23, then Lang with 21. Regular season, Lang was by far the leader. Though it's a mostly unreliable stat anyway. There's no clear standard for determining what constitutes a giveaway, or a takeaway for that matter. The number seems to be determined more by what building you play in than what happens on the ice. So when bashing Lang, I think it's better to stick with him being lazy and sucking. All that being said, I still can't believe the Hawks gave him a 2 year deal at $4 mill. They give Millen a run for his money in totally mismanaging a team. Lots of stats are misleading like that..It would be like saying that Kobe Bryant missed the most shots in the NBA last year...he may have missed alot but he also made alot and led the league in scoring. Same with Dats, he handles the puck so much that he is going to give the puck away but he is also going to make a boat load of good plays and even some incredible ones, I'm also quite sure that the majority of Dats and Lang's giveaways were in the offensive zone and not the defensive zone!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
interminded 1 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Bashing Lang is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 2006... lame.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Lots of stats are misleading like that..It would be like saying that Kobe Bryant missed the most shots in the NBA last year...he may have missed alot but he also made alot and led the league in scoring. Same with Dats, he handles the puck so much that he is going to give the puck away but he is also going to make a boat load of good plays and even some incredible ones, I'm also quite sure that the majority of Dats and Lang's giveaways were in the offensive zone and not the defensive zone!! But if you read the link, it even goes beyond that. I agree that stats can be misleading that way, but the article points out a massive difference between when a team plays on the the road and at home. Basically it comes down to the statkeeper in the building more than the players on the ice. Like the edmonton oilers averaging 8.7 giveaways on the road, which is pretty close to the league average of 8.3, yet at home they somehow average 24.6 per game, while visitors average 17.1? The stat keeper in edmonton must love recording giveaways. Look for Lang's giveaways to drop substantially next season, but not because of any change in his play. At home the Chicago Blackhawks averaged a mere 3.6 giveaways per game, with visitors averaging 2.8 in their building. So the stats guy in Chicago either has a seriously strict definition of what constitutes a giveaway, or he just doesn't feel like keeping track most of the time. By that stat, the Blackhawks must be the best puck possession team in the NHL! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kp-Wings 3 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Lang will produce if he plays with Havlat. Most players will. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest GordieSid&Ted Report post Posted July 17, 2007 http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=213834&hubname=nhl "...Lang can still distribute the puck..." Damn right he can.....to the other team Hawks finish 2nd in the Central, make playoffs. That was my pick and i'm sticking with it. I will never count out a team that has Khabibulin, especially a team that has benefited from a few years of high draft picks, has Martin Havlat and 2 pretty good scoring lines. They're weak on D but I'd take Khabi over any of the goalies the Blues, Preds or Jackets have. 24 games against those 3 teams. They win the season series against those 3 teams mark my words, they're going to the dance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Khabibulan isnt even that good anymore. He's sucked in both seasons with the Hawks and I see no reason to think he'll be better when they traded away there best defenceman for Zyuzin who is a 6th/7th d-man who will probably play with Barker or Seabrook in a role he cant handle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Winged Scooter 0 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Hawks finish 2nd in the Central, make playoffs. That was my pick and i'm sticking with it. I will never count out a team that has Khabibulin, especially a team that has benefited from a few years of high draft picks, has Martin Havlat and 2 pretty good scoring lines. They're weak on D but I'd take Khabi over any of the goalies the Blues, Preds or Jackets have. 24 games against those 3 teams. They win the season series against those 3 teams mark my words, they're going to the dance. I would LOVE to see the Hawks be a decent team again, and have a LEGITE O6 rivalry again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Hawks finish 2nd in the Central, make playoffs. That was my pick and i'm sticking with it. I will never count out a team that has Khabibulin, especially a team that has benefited from a few years of high draft picks, has Martin Havlat and 2 pretty good scoring lines. They're weak on D but I'd take Khabi over any of the goalies the Blues, Preds or Jackets have. 24 games against those 3 teams. They win the season series against those 3 teams mark my words, they're going to the dance. I'd be surprised if they finished second, but I hope you're right. It'd be nice for them to actually have a respectable team again and for the Central Divisison to get tougher, even if it makes life more difficult for the Wings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
interminded 1 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Khabibulan isnt even that good anymore. He's sucked in both seasons with the Hawks and I see no reason to think he'll be better when they traded away there best defenceman for Zyuzin who is a 6th/7th d-man who will probably play with Barker or Seabrook in a role he cant handle. Khabi went from an abysmal 3.35 GAA / 0.886 SV% to a very respectable 2.86 GAA / 0.902 SV%. So let's be honest, he had a pretty good season with a team that left him out to dry on more than one occasion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Opie 308 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 How did adding Lang make that team in front of Khabi any better. They have gotten worse defensively, including adding Lang. I am not a Lang basher but, he is not exactly a Selke candidate. Khabi will be hang with the linen more often than he is saved by a teammate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest GordieSid&Ted Report post Posted July 17, 2007 How did adding Lang make that team in front of Khabi any better. They have gotten worse defensively, including adding Lang. I am not a Lang basher but, he is not exactly a Selke candidate. Khabi will be hang with the linen more often than he is saved by a teammate. Added Lang Samsonov Perrault I think Toews will make the team Havlat and Ruutu need to stay healthy Basically, the Central is weak and I think they can beat the Jackets, Blues and Preds in their season series. They may not win games 2-1 but they sure as heck might win them 5-4. And you're not looking at the big picture. The other Central teams are as s***ty as Chicago. Given the equal s***tiness of all the teams, i'll take the team with the best goalie. Plus, the Hawks have the best farm system of the lot thanks to sucking so bad the past decade. And, they have more scoring depth than you would think. They have 5 guys that can score in the teens to 20 goal range. I like that depth. I've explained my reasoning a bunch of times already. It's my pick and i'm sticking with it. Nobody has to agree with it and you can all tell me to eat crow if it doesn't pan out. But for now, deal with it Khabibulan isnt even that good anymore. He's sucked in both seasons with the Hawks and I see no reason to think he'll be better when they traded away there best defenceman for Zyuzin who is a 6th/7th d-man who will probably play with Barker or Seabrook in a role he cant handle. Maybe you're right. But i'm sticking with my pick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungGuns1340 1 Report post Posted July 17, 2007 Lang will produce if he plays with Havlat. Most players will. Im guessing that Lang playing with Havlat will produce a lot of offsides calls, too. Havlat is about 86 times faster than Lang. At least itll be entertaining either way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CenterIce 83 Report post Posted July 18, 2007 The most interesting thing that I saw on that article was Hudler possibly being the second line center. I believe he will mostly be on the wing, especially with the center usually being the defensive responsible forward on the line. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kp-Wings 3 Report post Posted July 18, 2007 Khabibulan isnt even that good anymore. He's sucked in both seasons with the Hawks and I see no reason to think he'll be better when they traded away there best defenceman for Zyuzin who is a 6th/7th d-man who will probably play with Barker or Seabrook in a role he cant handle. Seabrook and Duncan Keith will be the 'Hawks #1-2 defenseman respectivily. Zyuzin was brought in as a solid depth defenseman, which he can certainly fill the role of. Im guessing that Lang playing with Havlat will produce a lot of offsides calls, too. Havlat is about 86 times faster than Lang. At least itll be entertaining either way. That may be, but even despite Lang's blaringly obvious deficiencies, he should still produce some decent points with Havlat. I mean, he still did score 52 points on a line with Williams for most of the season, and the 2nd half was spent with Calder and Bertuzzi, who did nothing either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
