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Speculation: How Will the Hawks End Up Next Year? (Pre-Season Edition)

Retail1LO*

Guest
Went with Western Conference Final loss. Too tough to repeat. Full season with a questionable backup. Short offseason, Handful of rooks on the roster. New playoff format that I think in itself will have an impact... Besides, if I'm wrong and the team goes further, I'll be pleasantly surprised rather than predicting further success and being let down. :-p
 

Illinihockey

Registered User
Jun 15, 2010
24,526
2,854
I can't wait until we don't win the President's Trophy and don't win the Cup and everyone is yelling about how Bowman didn't make any big moves at the deadline and didn't sign any big free agents and should be fired. And how Q doesn't know what he's doing and is wasting this core.
 
helicon1

helicon1

Registered User
Jan 4, 2010
544
29
Repeating is tough enough most years. But this was an intense, shortened season that went longer than usual. That combined with the olympics next year makes it even tougher. With 2 in 4 noone should be expecting a repeat. No disappointment from me whatever they do this year.

**** it, I voted cup though.
 
x Tame Impala

x Tame Impala

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Aug 24, 2011
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I forgot about the new playoff structure. Correct me if I'm wrong but don't the first 2 rounds of the playoffs HAVE to be against our division now?

So if the Central finishes...

1) STL
2) CHI
3)NSH
4) MIN
5) COL
6) DAL
7)WPG

It'll be STL vs MIN and CHI vs NSH in the first round and then the 2nd round will be STL vs CHI right? (Hypothetically)

Then the 4 winners of each conference re-seed for the semi finals?

If that's the case I see the hawks doing semi's or better for a while.
 
IU Hawks fan

IU Hawks fan

They call me IU
Dec 30, 2008
28,636
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NW Burbs
xX Hot Fuss said:
I forgot about the new playoff structure. Correct me if I'm wrong but don't the first 2 rounds of the playoffs HAVE to be against our division now?
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't HAVE to be. Only spots 1-3 in each division are guaranteed. Then the 4th slot is a wild card. So if the Hawks have the best record in the west, they play the worse of the 2 #4s regardless / if they win the Central but have less pts than the Pacific champ, they play the better #4.
 
Sarava

Sarava

Registered User
May 9, 2010
17,181
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West Dundee, IL
IU Hawks fan said:
No, it doesn't HAVE to be. Only spots 1-3 in each division are guaranteed. Then the 4th slot is a wild card. So if the Hawks have the best record in the west, they play the worse of the 2 #4s regardless / if they win the Central but have less pts than the Pacific champ, they play the better #4.
Click to expand...

Hmm. Say the 2 #4 seeds are one from each division...wouldn't the Hawks play the #4 from their own division regardless of seedings? I thought you'd only play a team from outside your division if one of the divisions had 5 make the playoffs. I could be wrong though.
 

BEL4SEPICMULLET

Registered User
Oct 5, 2010
87
0
Chicago, IL
Even if next year is a reloading year and they don't make a deep playoff run, the pipeline of talent looks mighty impressive with solid, complimentary players (and in TT's case, gamebreaking talent). When Ben Smith is rated as the #15 prospect here, and looks to be a sure fire NHL player it certainly says something about the organizational depth. Assuming Toews and Kane are resigned, I don't see this team missing the playoffs for quite a while.

I was critical of Bowman after the last deadline, but it seems like he has a very good long term perspective for the organization. I think he's earned a longer leash, so to speak.
 

BEL4SEPICMULLET

Registered User
Oct 5, 2010
87
0
Chicago, IL
Oh, and I predict WCF loss for next year...not due to talent, but maybe injury/luck, much like The recent champions of '09, '11 and '12 fell just short this year.
 

Rahsan*

Guest
"Remember Chicago, 'tis better to live one day as a lion than a thousand years as a lamb...So I ask you Chicago, live today with me and my teamates...AS LIONS!!!"
-- Duncan "A" Kieth #2 Chicago Blackhawks.

Make it 3 in 5 baby. Anything less will be a slight disappointment...and I hate being disappointed.
 
Sarava

Sarava

Registered User
May 9, 2010
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West Dundee, IL
I think the Hawks will repeat. We've seen how resilient these guys are. In 2011 Vancouver was a spectacular Luongo save from blowing a 3-0 series lead to the gimped and depleted Hawks. The next year in the elimination game - the Hawks ridiculously outplayed Phoenix, but ultimately lost the series because of the goaltending difference. This team is brutal to put away. And those 2 years were surrounded by Cup wins. As long as Crawford plays solid again, I think they'll do it again.
 

LBS8844

Registered User
Apr 10, 2013
230
0
Sarava said:
I think the Hawks will repeat. We've seen how resilient these guys are. In 2011 Vancouver was a spectacular Luongo save from blowing a 3-0 series lead to the gimped and depleted Hawks. The next year in the elimination game - the Hawks ridiculously outplayed Phoenix, but ultimately lost the series because of the goaltending difference. This team is brutal to put away. And those 2 years were surrounded by Cup wins. As long as Crawford plays solid again, I think they'll do it again.
Click to expand...

Very succinctly and accurately stated. Over a 7-game playoff series, the best team generally prevails. Injuries notwithstanding, hot goaltending is generally the only wildcard. Crawford has by no means reached his ceiling, as anyone who watched him this past season/playoffs understands; at times, he was borderline phenomenal. The (team) defense in front of him is hands down the best in the NHL, almost entirely game-in and game-out. The pipeline is *** loaded; the key guys for this season are not kids by any stretch. If any team in recent memory was ripe for a repeat, it is this one. Paraphrasing Sarava, they just don't like to lose. There's a growing sense of entitlement amongst the players, and it's been hard-earned. I'll be interested to see the Vegas odds at the dawn of the upcoming season. Nice to see that the bulk of the posters here understand how good this organization has become.
 
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EbonyRaptor

EbonyRaptor

Registered User
Jul 10, 2009
7,264
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Geezerville
IU Hawks fan said:
I could be wrong as well but I don't think it matters. I think only 1-3 are tied to the divisions.
Click to expand...

I'm not 100% sure either - so someone please correct me if this is wrong.

My understanding is that the top 3 teams in each division make the playoffs, so that's 6 of the 8 playoff teams in the conference. The 7th and 8th playoffs teams are the teams with the best records from the remaining teams in the conference, regardless of which division they're in - so the 7th and 8th teams can both be from the same division or one from each division.

Then once the 8 teams are determined, the division winner with the best record plays the #8 team and the other division winner plays the #7 team. The #2 and #3 teams in each division play each other. After the first round, the teams are seeded #1 through #4 with #1 playing #4 and #2 playing #3.


I voted they repeat. I know the odds are against it but I like the fact that the core players have won 2 Cups. I can't remember where I heard this from but I think it was someone on the Islanders telling Gretzky that it was harder to win the second Cup than the third and fourth times they won the Cup. Obviously the Islanders won in consecutive years so it's not exactly the same but I'm hanging my hat there anyway.
 
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SimpleJack

Registered User
Jul 25, 2013
6,520
4,198
Alright guys listen up. Enough of this skittish, timid, worried approach to next seasons outlook. Enough of this reluctance to commit to greatness, and this sense of settling for less just because of the doubt in achieving the ultimate prize. We WILL repeat. We ARE the exception to the rule. There hasn't been a team as overall well together as ours in quite some time. It all starts with the core. Our core 6 (kaner toews sharp hoss seabs n keith) is still going forward the best core 6 in hockey bar none. This being perfectly balanced with well placed depth on all 4 lines in form of a mix of youthful talent that cycles its way through our ranks while being financially managed to an absolute tee. Structured philosophy of defensive commitment (even by all the forwards) throughout the roster, thus the best 6 man defensive unit/starting goalie combo in the NHL. None of this could be said going into 2010-2011, or for pretty much 99% of teams that i can think of that have won the cup and then failed to repeat. The only thing that stops us from winning it all next year are injuries.
 
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