Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
NHL 2013 post season thread!
- Thread starter MJ5150
- Start date
While I would have liked to see the Kings extend it a couple of days, there is no doubt that Chicago was a better team. Having said that it's not by a lot. There are no great teams in this league right now, and Chicago was only one goal better than Detroit ( a team that finished 7th in the conference).
I will say this much, I think you can argue that we have the two best teams in the league in the finals this year (although I haven't watched the East a ton). But Chicago was certainly the class of the West this year. And unlike last year (sorry Kings) at least we can be confidant (barring some huge officiating snafu) that this years Cup will confirm who the best team in the league is.
I still think Chicago's goaltending is mediocre, and in the last two series, the superior goalie has been playing for the other team. Having said that Chicago has incredible depth (don't worry the cap will take care of that after the season
), and may have enough to win without great goaltending.
I will say this much, I think you can argue that we have the two best teams in the league in the finals this year (although I haven't watched the East a ton). But Chicago was certainly the class of the West this year. And unlike last year (sorry Kings) at least we can be confidant (barring some huge officiating snafu) that this years Cup will confirm who the best team in the league is.
I still think Chicago's goaltending is mediocre, and in the last two series, the superior goalie has been playing for the other team. Having said that Chicago has incredible depth (don't worry the cap will take care of that after the season
), and may have enough to win without great goaltending.
I'm really curious how Boston will stack up against Chicago. Anyone care to educate me on their lines, d, strengths/weaknesses, etc?
B's roll 4 lines. Effectively. At their best, defense is nearly impenetrable, Chara is a BEAST. With the exception of Jagr and Seguin, every forward plays physical defense and back-checks very well. Defensive scoring has been an unexpected strength in the playoffs. And offensively, their first line might be one of the best lines in all of hockey. Lucic/Bickell will be fun to watch and Krecji will be considered elite after this series.
Weaknesses: Stupid penalties and occasional trouble getting out of their own zone.
The Kings' goal that tied the game with 9 secs to go exemplified some of the beauty of hockey. It was a set play, sort of like a flea flicker, that must be perfectly executed to have any chance of success and it's very, very difficult to pull off.
The play is to win the draw back to the blue line and set up one man on the boards and send another to charge the net. The man with the puck fakes a shot and then makes a quick pass to the board man who makes a hard pass to the man charging the net, who should be in the low slot right in front of the goalie. Instead of taking the pass, he attempts to deflect it into the goal.
The way the Kings did this last night should be made into instructional videos.
I'm glad the Hawks won, but LA played with a lot of heart and made Chicago work for the series.
The play is to win the draw back to the blue line and set up one man on the boards and send another to charge the net. The man with the puck fakes a shot and then makes a quick pass to the board man who makes a hard pass to the man charging the net, who should be in the low slot right in front of the goalie. Instead of taking the pass, he attempts to deflect it into the goal.
The way the Kings did this last night should be made into instructional videos.
I'm glad the Hawks won, but LA played with a lot of heart and made Chicago work for the series.
I actually meant regarding Chicago, but thanks for the B's breakdown. GO BRUINS!
I have three distinct observations regarding the Duncan Keith suspension.
1) Keith desreved the suspension since he was clearly making a serious and illegal retaliatory hit. I would say he was lucky that he didn't get a more serious game penalty and a more serious league punishment.
2) What Jeff Carter did to provoke Keith was shameful and disgusting. He deliberately slashed at an opponent's ungloved hand in an attempt to cause injury. He would likely have gotten a penalty for it except Keith's retaliatory slash to his face effectively nullified that.
3) Part of hockey is intimidation and taking cheap shots at your opponents can be a successful strategy to help your team win games. Some players make their careers this way. The other side of this coin is using serious retaliation as an effective way of nullifying this strategy. You can be sure that every cheap shot artist in the league is taking note of what happened the last time someone tried to work over Duncan Keith.
1) Keith desreved the suspension since he was clearly making a serious and illegal retaliatory hit. I would say he was lucky that he didn't get a more serious game penalty and a more serious league punishment.
2) What Jeff Carter did to provoke Keith was shameful and disgusting. He deliberately slashed at an opponent's ungloved hand in an attempt to cause injury. He would likely have gotten a penalty for it except Keith's retaliatory slash to his face effectively nullified that.
3) Part of hockey is intimidation and taking cheap shots at your opponents can be a successful strategy to help your team win games. Some players make their careers this way. The other side of this coin is using serious retaliation as an effective way of nullifying this strategy. You can be sure that every cheap shot artist in the league is taking note of what happened the last time someone tried to work over Duncan Keith.
Please let the final finals go six or seven games. The conference finals were both rather uneventful.
I'd like Boston to win because I like Ference and Bartkowski. I'd like Chicago to win because I like Hossa and Emery.
-Mike
I'd like Boston to win because I like Ference and Bartkowski. I'd like Chicago to win because I like Hossa and Emery.
-Mike
bigfatbass
Inactive
- Jun 30, 2003
- 2,420
- 404
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Karl Hoyt Basses
Glad to hear someone else say that hbar, the hack at the bare hand was WAY more egregious an offense, and he got exactly what he deserved. What a chump/bush league move. He'll be lucky if he doesn't crossed checked in the kidney's like it's his job every time he sees the Bruins for the rest of his career. Players, as we all know, are REALLY good at self policing, and that kind of intent-to-injure crap does not make friends around the league. If that hack connects right, it can end a career. I would have given Keith 3 games, and Carter 5, and a fine he'd remember.
I may not agree with every word of this, but it's a decent breakdown: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
My take is that these are two fairly similar teams. The Hawks may have a few more high-end name talents (Hossa, Kane, Toews, just as a start), but they are also constituted as a strong defensive unit. They get out of their own zone very efficiently. One key for the B's will be to forecheck like animals (for example, bears) to counter that.
Goaltending is pretty much a wash. Overall, if the Hawks get Toews and Kane going better than they have, it could be tough for Boston. On the other hand, if Boston's first two lines keep going and Seguin and Jagr can find the back of the net, it could be tough on Chicago.
Either way, it looks like a really great match-up that should go to six or seven.
Is it fair to say that the Hawks are the Pens with slightly less offensive firepower, but better overall defense? And the B's are pretty similar to the LA Kings (which would have been an interesting matchup as well).
I'm looking forward to it. The Hawks played well all year and continued it through the playoffs, the B's were more up-and-down in the regular season but have found an additional gear in the playoffs.
I'm looking forward to it. The Hawks played well all year and continued it through the playoffs, the B's were more up-and-down in the regular season but have found an additional gear in the playoffs.
Overall, not an unfair statement. Perhaps the primary difference between the two being that Chicago's offense is more lunch pail than "exclusive elite."
Well, the Bruins actually don't mind scoring more than two goals on occasion.
But at least it starts tomorrow. Boston fans were going stir-crazy during the 7 days between the Rangers and the Pens series dragged.
