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crabcakes'n'redwings

Wings V. Hawks. Early predictions

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I think it is safe to say that the Hawks are a better team than the Ducks and it took the Wings 7 games to knock them out. The Hawks are no longer intimidated by the mystique of the Detroit hockey club. Those days are over. It's time for Chicago to finally slay those big, bad dragons from Motown.

Unless they played a 7 game series, which they didn't, I don't think it's safe to say either team is better than the other one.

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Opps, I forgot their cup win.

They've made it past the first round twice in their history.

Not to continue the D-hole train, but they made it past the first round of the playoffs four times before winning the Cup in '89, and then of course their run in '04 makes six seasons in Calgary where they at least won a playoff series. :P

It's fair and true to say that the Hawks have considerably more depth than the Ducks. There's really no comparison there at all. The one main difference, in my eyes, is that the Hawks don't have a player even close to being as totally dominant as Ryan Getzlaf; he was virtually guaranteed to score or directly set up two goals a game, minimum. The two games where he didn't, the Ducks weren't even in the same league as the Wings.

Maybe it's just my Getzlaf-phobia speaking, but I think it's going to be a load off to defend against the Hawks very good but more containable depth, than the Ducks' totally unstoppable first line. We'll see.

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Long time listener, first time poster.

I've been a fan since Yzerman, Probert, Joe Murphy, Adam Graves, Jeff Sharples and Petr Klima got knocked out of the playoffs by the powerful Edmonton Oilers.

I watched Borchevsky score the series winner against the Wings.

I watched NJ beat out the favored Wings.

I watched the Avs beat the Wings the following year.

(I was as happy as all you guys (and gals) when Stevie hoisted the Cup for the first time in 97, then again in 98, again in 2002 and Lidstrom doing the same last year)

I watched as Giguere, Kipper and Roloson stood on their heads to beat out the mighty Wings (I haven't forgiven Williams for taking that stupid penalty against the Oilers in Stevie's last game).

I was pissed when Franzen didn't clear the zone last year and the Pens won in OT.

Anything can happen. The Hawks look good. I just hope our boys aren't too tired or take the young Hawks too lightly.

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Not to continue the D-hole train, but they made it past the first round of the playoffs four times before winning the Cup in '89, and then of course their run in '04 makes six seasons in Calgary where they at least won a playoff series. :P

Oh piss off! I meant they've only made it past the first round once since their cup win in '89. There- no more D-hole for me.

:ph34r:

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I think it is safe to say that the Hawks are a better team than the Ducks and it took the Wings 7 games to knock them out. The Hawks are no longer intimidated by the mystique of the Detroit hockey club. Those days are over. It's time for Chicago to finally slay those big, bad dragons from Motown.

It's early to say because once this next series is over I believe everyone can better answer that question but for now I think Detroit and Anaheim are/were the two best teams left in the playoffs. Their 8th seed was misleading and the fact they beat San Jose in 6 games and took us to 7 games speaks about how tough and good of a team they are. Their defense is miles above Chicago's and they have experience which is also something the Hawks lack. Not too mention that we had to deal with hottest line in hockey for 7 games. I'm not dismissing Chicago, they are a very good young team. I just think after watching a lot of the Ducks-Sharks series and this last one compared to some of the Hawks series', they are a better team then the Hawks.

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Duncan Keith is a beast of a D man. Doesn't get near the praise he should. I'd kill to have him on my team. Seabrook has been good as well. Hawks are deep offensively, way more so than the ducks were. I still don't see them overcoming the wings.

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I think it is safe to say that the Hawks are a better team than the Ducks and it took the Wings 7 games to knock them out. The Hawks are no longer intimidated by the mystique of the Detroit hockey club. Those days are over. It's time for Chicago to finally slay those big, bad dragons from Motown.

Oh my god- that is so adorable that you believe that!

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I kept hearing this mantra of 'style of play'. I'm assuming the reference is in regard to lacking the physical presence that the Ducks almost took your boys out with.

Well folks, the Flames play a physical game. They were supose to out muscle & hit the Hawks back to Chicago. Obviously didn't happen, as the Hawks adapted to that style.

Vancouver (who was more physical than Calgary) was REALLY supose to run over the Hawks. They wound up taking more of the beating, which in turned opened up neutral zone ice.

I think your gonna be surprised how physical the Hawks have become. This isn't the same team you saw in the Winter Classic.

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Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA
I think it is safe to say that the Hawks are a better team than the Ducks and it took the Wings 7 games to knock them out. The Hawks are no longer intimidated by the mystique of the Detroit hockey club. Those days are over. It's time for Chicago to finally slay those big, bad dragons from Motown.

:blink:

You have obviously never watched the Ducks play in the playoffs the couple years

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I'm really surprised that none of the "experts" have pointed out the second biggest problem the Hawks have. Obviously inexperience is their biggest.

Their second biggest fault is their goaltending.

Khabibulin has amassed a 2.76 GAA and an .896 save percentage. And this is against Vancouver and Calgary - 2 teams that are not known for scoring.

In fact Chicago has given up 2.92 GAA. This compares to the Wings 2.18. Goals per game is almost the same between the 2 at 3.64 and 3.67.

Simply put, the Hawks cannot beat us if they are going to surrender so many goals and I would expect the Wings to score MORE than Calgary or Vancouver.

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I kept hearing this mantra of 'style of play'. I'm assuming the reference is in regard to lacking the physical presence that the Ducks almost took your boys out with.

Well folks, the Flames play a physical game. They were supose to out muscle & hit the Hawks back to Chicago. Obviously didn't happen, as the Hawks adapted to that style.

Vancouver (who was more physical than Calgary) was REALLY supose to run over the Hawks. They wound up taking more of the beating, which in turned opened up neutral zone ice.

I think your gonna be surprised how physical the Hawks have become. This isn't the same team you saw in the Winter Classic.

The Ducks made the series close because of Hiller who finished with an increadible .943 save percentage. If he lets in just 1 or 2 more of those shots, Aneheim does not win one of those 3 1-goal games that they won and the series is over in 6.

Fortunately for the Wings, Khabibulin is not nearly as good and the Hawks defense isn't even in the same league. Nobody is going to beat the Wings playing a run-and-gun game with an average goaltender.

The Hawks don't have a Hiller, Getzlaf, Neidemeyer or Pronger or anybody comprable. And even with those guys, the Ducks lost.

As far as being physical, you are really suggesting that the Hawks are as physical as the Ducks are you?

Wings in 5

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As far as being physical, you are really suggesting that the Hawks are as physical as the Ducks are you?

Wings in 5

Nope, just saying that the Hawks can play the physical game, & have done it better than their competition in the playoffs.

As for the goaltending, Khabibulin has been up to the task when it counted. If you were to rank Osgood, Hiller, Khabibulin, & Louongo in order of being able to stand out in a playoff game, I'd put Khabibulin right with Hiller (behind Osgood), with perhaps a slight edge going to Bulin concidering he has won a Cup. Louongo is dog s*** in the playoffs.

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I kept hearing this mantra of 'style of play'. I'm assuming the reference is in regard to lacking the physical presence that the Ducks almost took your boys out with.

Well folks, the Flames play a physical game. They were supose to out muscle & hit the Hawks back to Chicago. Obviously didn't happen, as the Hawks adapted to that style.

Vancouver (who was more physical than Calgary) was REALLY supose to run over the Hawks. They wound up taking more of the beating, which in turned opened up neutral zone ice.

I think your gonna be surprised how physical the Hawks have become. This isn't the same team you saw in the Winter Classic.

First of all, it should be a very tough series and if I were you I wouldn't listen to any Wings fan who says it should be a cakewalk in 5. It should go at least 6 games, which may be for all intents and purposes 7 if you want to count OTs.

I think we're arguing that the comparison of the Hawks to the Ducks in regards to style of play is all about an intimidation factor that the Hawks simply haven't established yet, but they very well could in one or two games.

In regards to style of play, the Ducks know that their offensive talent is limited. Thus, their offensive game is fairly simple. Get pucks behind the D, use their size and grind, grind, grind it out with intense physical play. They know that's all they can do to beat anybody. The Ducks have that style perfected.

The Hawks have a wealth of offensive talent and yet they know that if they give the puck away, chances aren't all that good they'll get it back quickly. Thus, do they carry it through the zone or chip and chase after it? The Wings back end knows that they don't have to deal with Getzlaf anymore. They'll have to understand the scouting reports on the Hawks' forechecking system but at least they won't have to worry about big bad Getzlaf grinding them down to no end, which should give them the confidence to play a little more loose and move the puck so that the Hawks can't get established in the O zone.

Now, the Hawks may be able to have instances or shades of the Ducks style, but as effectively and annoyingly as the Ducks? Probably not.

Though the Wings may not admit it, the Anaheim Ducks' defense has had an intimidation factor over the Wings forwards since 2007. Now I'm not saying the Hawks' back end isn't intimidating, but from the Wings point of view? After getting through the Ducks' D, the Wings are going to feel as if they have all the freedom in the world to pounce on loose rebounds and create scoring chances. If the Hawks' D wants to have that same intimidation factor as the Ducks, then it will take one or two games to establish that; one or two games in which the Wings may have already won.

So I guess for you, as a Hawks fan, you've witnessed your team learn a lot pretty quickly. But do they have as intense of an intimidation factor as the Ducks in the Wings minds? Probably not but that doesn't mean the Hawks can't find another way to do some damage.

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Guest MrSandMan

Hawks don't have the players to intimidate the Wings, at all. No Pronger, No Neider, no Getz, no Wiz and etc... I didn't want to admit this before, but Ducks have a very underrated shut-down group of players. The Ducks never gave up and were downright relentless and and filled full of determination. I don't see this from the Hawks at all, you can see they are too wet behind the ears and depend on offense. I personally do see the Hawks a cake walk compared to teh Ducks. Does this mean we'll sweep them? No. I think it will go to 6 due to bad calls / poor reffing.

The only way Hawks stand a chance of capitalizing on Wings, is through Wings brain fart mistakes, and the way Wings have been playing, Hawks won't get much.

Oh, and Ozzy > Bulin. Hands down. 'Bulin is a good goalie, but he's not a complete goalie and Detroit will tear him apart like they did the "Big Bad Mason", and the "Almighty Hiller", except Hawks don't have the Defense Ducks had in front.

I pick Wings in 6 just because the reffing will probably be horrible like they were against the Ducks.

Edited by MrSandMan

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Hawks don't have the players to intimidate the Wings, at all. No Pronger, No Neider, no Getz, no Wiz and etc... I didn't want to admit this before, but Ducks have a very underrated shut-down group of players. The Ducks never gave up and were downright relentless and and filled full of determination. I don't see this from the Hawks at all, you can see they are too wet behind the ears and depend on offense. I personally do see the Hawks a cake walk compared to teh Ducks. Does this mean we'll sweep them? No. I think it will go to 6 due to bad calls / poor reffing.

The only way Hawks stand a chance of capitalizing on Wings, is through Wings brain fart mistakes, and the way Wings have been playing, Hawks won't get much.

Oh, and Ozzy > Bulin. Hands down. 'Bulin is a good goalie, but he's not a complete goalie and Detroit will tear him apart like they did the "Big Bad Mason", and the "Almighty Hiller", except Hawks don't have the Defense Ducks had in front.

I pick Wings in 6 just because the reffing will probably be horrible like they were against the Ducks.

Voicing an honest opinion is one thing but after watching some highlights over on the Hawks website I wouldn't say they'll be a cakewalk. I'm confident in the Wings but some of their guys, especially Kane, made Luongo...look...silly...

I don't remember the last time I've seen Luongo let in so many. He literally stole games from St. Louis and you can talk all you want about having a "bad series" but I don't know. I've never personally seen a game where Luongo got thrashed that badly.

I think we are the better team and match up very well against them and have guys that can shut down anybody they've got on the ice but it seems like that's the mentality Calgary and Vancouver had too. I don't know, I just don't have a good feeling about this series. Tomorrow will tell a lot.

Edited by Tommy_Like_Wingy

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Nope, just saying that the Hawks can play the physical game, & have done it better than their competition in the playoffs.

As for the goaltending, Khabibulin has been up to the task when it counted. If you were to rank Osgood, Hiller, Khabibulin, & Louongo in order of being able to stand out in a playoff game, I'd put Khabibulin right with Hiller (behind Osgood), with perhaps a slight edge going to Bulin concidering he has won a Cup. Louongo is dog s*** in the playoffs.

The bolded statement i have a problem with Anaheim was outshot in all 13 games they played in the postseason and hiller single handedly kept them in a few games. Hiller also had the most shots fired at him and had the highest save % so i think that comparison is a little exaggerated

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Guest MrSandMan
The bolded statement i have a problem with Anaheim was outshot in all 13 games they played in the postseason and hiller single handedly kept them in a few games. Hiller also had the most shots fired at him and had the highest save % so i think that comparison is a little exaggerated

Indeed. Khabibulin is overrated! Wings will make him tumble down like a brick wall in a armageddon like earthquake.

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