Speculation: Columbus, Detroit, St. Louis, or Minnesota in 1st round?

[ndgt10]

What is your preference?

Cbus has an Elite goaltender that can steal a series.

Detroit has the definitive edge in coaching and seem to be able to shut down Toews and Kane.

St. Louis plays a physical game and an early series with them could wear us down if we advance.

Minnesota is a solid team but doesn't really have the edge over our team in any particular area.

I guess if I had to choose it would go Cbus first, then Minnesota, then Detroit, then St. Louis.

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[deytookerjaabs]

Detroit, one last hoorah before they head East. I don't care about the matchups beyond that, no excuses if we lose to anyone in the first round.

 

[LarmerSavardSecord]

CLB: All-effort team that can't score, worse than PHX last year. NO chance
DET: They suck, Hawks are way better playing the same style. Small chance
MINN: Could be dangerous but still figuring it out and little playoff experience. Small chance
STL: Tons of B-talent, dirty, might have another gear, goaltending hard to measure. Decent chance.

I like the chances in any event, but I'd want to avoid STL. Ideally it's DET and we kick their butt on their way out of the division and conference.

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

Detroit. They match up the best in terms of entertainment and on top of that IMO the Hawks would cruise through.

The biggest threat to the Hawks in the entire West is the Kings.

 

[Sir Psycho T]

Please not this again. Last year everyone wanted Phoenix, everyone celebrated like the Hawks just won the Cup when we got Phoenix, and..............................we know how it ends.

The Hawks will play who they get and we will see what happens. No more weeks of wishing and hoping for one team or another. Whoever the Hawks play will be a good team and the Hawks need to be ready to play them.

 

[Bubba88]

Cbus has an Elite goaltender that can steal a series.

that's just bad.


come back when Bobrovsky gets his 1st (sorry, 2nd) PO Win and wins a series before we call him elite and that he can do this... Columbus looks like the 09/10 version of this team. No skill, nothing to show for other than effort and a Vezina nominee goalie that hasn't done anything in the POs.


I don't care who we play, we are the better team

 

[unbridledid]

What is your preference?

Cbus has an Elite goaltender that can steal a series.

Detroit has the definitive edge in coaching and seem to be able to shut down Toews and Kane.

St. Louis plays a physical game and an early series with them could wear us down if we advance.

Minnesota is a solid team but doesn't really have the edge over our team in any particular area.

I guess if I had to choose it would go Cbus first, then Minnesota, then Detroit, then St. Louis.

Really, why is that ?

 

[TorMenT]

I'd like to play in this order:

1. Dallas - we have destroyed them this year. They're not that good.
2. Detroit - highly entertaining series, and a team we have outplayed this year. They have really dropped off and are not the threatening team they have been in the past.
3. Minnesota - I feel like they're better than Detroit, but not by much. Not too worried about any of the top 3.
4. Columbus - they are an extremely high effort team which could cause problems. We've played close games with them all year. BOB has been phenomenal all year and it worries me that he could pull a Mike Smith from last year against us.
5. St. Louis - very physical team that I could see taking out one of our stars. If we get by them, we will be worn down and the playoffs will get that much harder.

I still like our chances against anyone though.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Detroit, I agree that Babcock is better but he can't turn water into wine. Their D sucks and they have no bottom 6 scoring depth. I'd say we win that series in 5 games max.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Please not this again. Last year everyone wanted Phoenix, everyone celebrated like the Hawks just won the Cup when we got Phoenix, and..............................we know how it ends.

The Hawks will play who they get and we will see what happens. No more weeks of wishing and hoping for one team or another. Whoever the Hawks play will be a good team and the Hawks need to be ready to play them.

Didn't realize that discussions here had effect on what happens on the ice.

I'd rank them:
1) Minnesota - not very good
2) Detroit - also not good, but you never know with Howard
3) Columbus - I want no part of BOB right now
4) St. Louis - Hawks would win the series, but do they come out alive???

 

[Oh_so_saad]

i think columbus will be a much harder series than we all expect

 

[committedindian86]

Doesn't matter who we play.

 

[krazyhawk]

Dont really care who they face.Would like it to be Detroit for one final playoff matchup before they change conferences.Other than that it doesnt matter who

 

[Nothingman*]

Minnow-y or Detroit.

 

[chicagoskycam]

Minnow-y or Detroit.

This

 

[Illinihockey]

Please not this again. Last year everyone wanted Phoenix, everyone celebrated like the Hawks just won the Cup when we got Phoenix, and..............................we know how it ends.

The Hawks will play who they get and we will see what happens. No more weeks of wishing and hoping for one team or another. Whoever the Hawks play will be a good team and the Hawks need to be ready to play them.

No they didn't. People were much happier we were facing Phoenix rather than Nashville however because Nashville had killed us all year. We lost 3 OT games against Phoenix, its not like they blew the Hawks doors off last year.

 

[Gootie]

Detroit because they play the same style of hockey and there won't be too much physicality.

 

[Illinihockey]

What is your preference?

Cbus has an Elite goaltender that can steal a series.

Detroit has the definitive edge in coaching and seem to be able to shut down Toews and Kane.

St. Louis plays a physical game and an early series with them could wear us down if we advance.

Minnesota is a solid team but doesn't really have the edge over our team in any particular area.

I guess if I had to choose it would go Cbus first, then Minnesota, then Detroit, then St. Louis.

I almost started this exact thread, however I think you need to include Dallas in this discussion, especially if you are including Columbus. If I had to rank them I'd want

1. Dallas - they just aren't good enough to beat the Hawks 4 times out of 7
2. Columbus - Bobrovsky is good but they just don't have the horses
3. Detroit - dangerous team but not physical, have stars but Howard is succeptible
4. Minn - good but not great team. Have some bangers I'd rather not face early
5. St. Louis - even if you win, you lose. Any team they play in the first round will enter the 2nd round sore and beat up.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

I don't really care matchup wise, but I'd love to knock out the Wings before they head east

 

[Illinihockey]

It made me sick to have to root for the Blues last night, even if it was against Vancouver

 

[BronYrAur]

Please not this again. Last year everyone wanted Phoenix, everyone celebrated like the Hawks just won the Cup when we got Phoenix, and..............................we know how it ends.

The Hawks will play who they get and we will see what happens. No more weeks of wishing and hoping for one team or another. Whoever the Hawks play will be a good team and the Hawks need to be ready to play them.

Yeah, but.......

Phoenix really was not that good and if not for Mike Smith the Hawks would have won that series easily. Folks shouldn't forget that the Hawks averaged nearly 15 more shots on target PER GAME in that series. And how many more blocked/missed shots?

 

[Illinihockey]

Yeah, but.......

Phoenix really was not that good and if not for Mike Smith the Hawks would have won that series easily. Folks shouldn't forget that the Hawks averaged nearly 15 more shots on target PER GAME in that series. And how many more blocked/missed shots?

Right, Smith put up an all time great performance in the playoffs (.942 Save% which is 2nd best behind Quick's .944 in the last 10 years). No one could forsee that, it'd be like the 09-10 Pens being upset they got the 8th seed Habs in the 2nd round instead of the President's trophy winning Caps.

 

[Sarava]

Please not this again. Last year everyone wanted Phoenix, everyone celebrated like the Hawks just won the Cup when we got Phoenix, and..............................we know how it ends.

The Hawks will play who they get and we will see what happens. No more weeks of wishing and hoping for one team or another. Whoever the Hawks play will be a good team and the Hawks need to be ready to play them.

I didn't want Phoenix last year. Mike Smith was white hot going in to that series. It's not like he suddenly turned it on for the Hawks series.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Yeah, I know a good number of us expected Smith to have a big series. It's just like CBJ this year. Not a scary team on paper but why would anyone want to play against Bob right now? The guy is on fire. If he could steal a couple games, it could come down to bounces. Forget that. You never want to play hot goalies in the first round. I don't care how bad the team is around them.

 

[Bubba88]

much like Mason is going to have a great POs with his Vezina type season and winning the Calder far and away? How did that turn out without any help in the POs?