Chicago!

[bov]

Did not think they'd be in a playoff position at any point after seeing their start. Good for them.

 

[SimpleJack]

another win in dallas

loaded with young talent

as they get closer to unloading the bad contracts, they will rise. people don't want to hear it, but there's a future here.

Yup.

Hagel and Suter the 2 rookie forwards combining for the OT winner tonight in Dallas. Both can absolutely fly. The overall team speed is as noticeable as its been since 2014/15. Kurashev is another rookie forward that's been great thus far and among the league leaders in rookie scoring. And you've got Kubalik, last years Calder finalist who's playing well again. DeBrincat and Strome are both playing as well as they have at any point in their young careers, which is a VERY good sign(Strome needed to bounce back, and so far he has). Dach is on his way back soon. So is Nylander(to a lesser extent, but still another 22 and under former 1st rounder with top 6 potential).

Then on the blueline you're seeing the transition to the youth paying off as well. Beaudin and Mitchell both look great. Boqvist also has top pairing potential and will hopefully be back ASAP after he unfortunately caught COVID a few games into the season.

Oh and btw Lankinen has been one of the best goalies in the league. Thinking the Hawks won't have to be worrying about the goalie position for a lonnnnnng time. Not anymore. This guy is a BEAST.

 

[CallMeShaft]

We're burning down villages now!!!

 

[Teemu]

Did not think they'd be in a playoff position at any point after seeing their start. Good for them.

Stop the count

 

[ColbyChaos]

They've literally won 5 out of 13 games.


They're one of the worst teams in the league.

I guess that means the 25 or so teams below the hawks are generationally awful then

 

[ColbyChaos]

Lol what does squeak into OT even mean? Did they squeak into OT yesterday when they outplayed Dallas and gave up a goal off a fortunate bounce in the last 10 to go to OT? I mean even all their OT/shootout losses they’ve either given up a 3rd period lead or been tied going into the third.

Hawks were expected to be horrible this year and they’ve actually been competitive in every game besides the opener. This team looks way better than expected especially when you consider who they’re missing. I think that was the point. Premature thread though for sure.

Hawks OT Squeak/60 is among the worst in the league

 

[Pez68]

If the main boards can tolerate dozens of "The Toronto Maple Leafs are the next Chicago Blackhawks" threads over the last 5 years, when they haven't won a playoff series in 17 years, surely they can tolerate a "The Chicago Blackhawks aren't nearly as bad as expected" thread after the last few seasons the Hawks have had, and their start to this season?

 

[Crow]

Almost everyone thought this team would be a bottom 5 team in the league.

If someone is too stupid to see that they are looking more like a competitive/bubble team and that is the reason for the thread, you just can’t help them. Their surprising play is worth discussing.

 

[missionAvs]

Haven't really been paying much attention to the Hawks this season but I'm impressed! Looks like they've been playing very well. They have some promising pieces too so they're bound to get better.

 

[crazyhawk]

Kind of thought this thread would have sunk down to page 3 by now!
I am pleasantly surprised .. almost as much as I am by the team's continued solid play.
Don't worry other fans .. we are humble and very much aware of the very real possibility that
... this too shall pass.

 

[Geoist]

Not lately apparently.

Hawks made the playoffs 8 out of the last 10 seasons. Do you think Hawks fans suddenly popped into existence over the last couple of years?

 

[Chelios]

People brushing off the way this team is playing by saying they have had hot streaks in the past few years and still sucked have obviously not really been watching this team.

The most impressive thing about this streak is not the record, though it certainly is impressive, its the way they are winning. The past couple years, even when the Hawks have gone on streaks, it usually was about wide open trading chances and outscoring the other team. This is the first time in a long time that the whole team seems to have bought in to a hardworking, grinding, defensively responsible system. Thats what has me excited. If they are able to continue with this mentality as the kids continue to develop and Toews/Dach come back then we really might have something here.

 

[SimpleJack]

Imagine Toronto without Matthews and Tavares. Or Pittsburgh without Crosby and Malkin. Edmonton without McDavid and Draisaitl. Boston without Bergeron or Krejci...

 

[Muikea Bulju]

New goalies always have an edge

Wait till the league has the tape on Lankinen

If he doesn't fade away like Carey, Binnington etc, then we can celebrate

 

[Space umpire]

New goalies always have an edge

Wait till the league has the tape on Lankinen

If he doesn't fade away like Carey, Binnington etc, then we can celebrate

The last time Chicago trotted out an unknown goalie hoping he would do well was some slug named Corey Crawford.

 

[Muikea Bulju]

The last time Chicago trotted out an unknown goalie hoping he would do well was some slug named Corey Crawford.

And before that, some random dude Niemi lifted the Cup out of nowhere

But if we are truthful, there were guys like Foster, Darling, Delia and Subban there too

Although Lankinen might be better, he has shown he can handle the pressure, his problem so far has been long, boring regular seasons

 

[Pez68]

And before that, some random dude Niemi lifted the Cup out of nowhere

But if we are truthful, there were guys like Foster, Darling, Delia and Subban there too

Although Lankinen might be better, he has shown he can handle the pressure, his problem so far has been long, boring regular seasons

Foster? The accountant? lol

 

[Geoist]

They beat the Wings twice. And managed to score some points in other games, too. Obviously the Hawks are now front-runners to win the Cup.

Nobody said that.

 

[Muikea Bulju]

Foster? The accountant? lol

Yeah, they just keep putting literally anyone in net!

They've gotten pretty desperate, with their cap problems and all

 

[wahsnairb]

They beat the Wings twice. And managed to score some points in other games, too. Obviously the Hawks are now front-runners to win the Cup.

They just took 7 of 8 points from Carolina and Dallas (with 1 shootout L), but you’re going to make an obnoxious post about Detroit and being front-runners to win the Cup.

Impressive

 

[D Wakaluk]

That Lankinen guy is a keeper. Dude looks super calm and collected in the net. He's no real rookie either

 

[Jamie Winston]

Yeah, they just keep putting literally anyone in net!

They've gotten pretty desperate, with their cap problems and all

Foster was a one time emergency situation. The hawks didn’t do anything like give him a contract lol. This is the first time in awhile we’ve gone into a season with major goalie questions. I mean the year before the hawks had lehner and Crawford. While we have seen hot steaks for darling and even Delia in the past lankinen has looked very special and I’m optimistic that there might be something there but this is something that definitely should be revisited later.

 

[Muikea Bulju]

While we have seen hot steaks for darling and even Delia in the past lankinen has looked very special and I’m optimistic that there might be something there but this is something that definitely should be revisited later.

Lankinen is somewhat of a talent, he was great in the Finnish league, being #1 goalie at a young age, and then he went 94,2% at 24 year old when winning the WC with Finland

He has been usually great under pressure, let's hope he can keep it up during a long regular season too

 

[ColbyChaos]

New goalies always have an edge

Wait till the league has the tape on Lankinen

If he doesn't fade away like Carey, Binnington etc, then we can celebrate

This is the same Lankinen that singlehandedly took down a super teams Canada and Russia in the worlds for a Finland team that had a bunch of LIIGA players.

You can not out run him, you cant hide from him, Lankinen will come for you.

 

[ColbyChaos]

Yeah, they just keep putting literally anyone in net!

They've gotten pretty desperate, with their cap problems and all

I wish we had to sign Scott "All time leader in SV%" 'Foster to a contract