Confirmed with Link: MAF to Hawks

[JaegerDice]

Huet made some ridiculous saves but my god he left in some god awful softies too.

Good goaltending often plays an enormous part in a team's success. Oftentimes momentum can swing from one team to the other based off of whether the goalie makes a massive save or lets in a soft goal.

That's the way I've always seen it, anyway. Like a few years back when Darling played lights out against Nashville to get the Hawks past them. I really don't think they would have beaten Nashville that series unless Q made the goaltending switch that series. The Preds had Crow's number that series and Darling had theirs. Unreal performance that I'll never forget.

You do remember the Preds lighting up Darling in games 5 and 6, leading to him getting pulled and Crawford ultimately winning the series, right?

It wasnt so much Nashville having anybody’s number as the Blackhawks playing extremely loose in the first round.

Darling was a good backup. Nothing more, nothing less. He was exposed for what he was not long after. That 3-game performance arguably got him 16mil. Not bad.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

@BK @DisgruntledHawkFan You guys believe Fleury is the most athletic goalie the Hawks have had since Hasek? I may not be giving Belfour or Khabibulin enough respect in that regard though.

When I get back to my hotel room and I've got my laptop I can more properly elaborate. Fleury is a very athletic goalie. We've had many. Athleticism is great. Technique is everything for long term success.

 

[Northernhawk]

History lesson
Huet signed to share the net with Khabibulin
2008-09 1a Huet 1b Khabibulin 3 Crawford
Khabby starter in playoffs
2009-10 1 Huet 2a Niemi 2b Crawford
Niemi starter for Cup win!
2010-11 1 Turco 2 Crawford 3 Toivonen
Crawford starter in playoffs
2011-12 1 Crawford 2 Emery 3 Hutton
Crawford starter in playoffs
2012-13 1 Crawford 2 Emery 3 Hutton
Crawford starter for Cup win!!
2013-14 1 Crawford 2a Khabibulin 2b Raanta
Crawford starter in playoffs
2014-15 1 Crawford 2a Raanta 2b Darling
Crawford with help from Darling win Cup!!!
2015-16 1 Crawford 2 Darling 3 Leighton
Crawford starter in playoffs
2016-17 1 Crawford 2 Darling 3 Johansson
Crawford starter in playoffs
2017-18 1 Crawford 2 Forsberg 3a Glass 3b Berube 4 Delia 5 Foster!!! Yah that was a bad year, Forsberg actually dressed for most games that year...no playoffs
2018-19 1 Crawford 2 Ward 3 Delia, Crawford again battled injuries...no playoffs
2019-20 1a Crawford 1b Lehner 3a Delia 3b Lankinen with Subban coming the Hawks way as a 2 for Lehner
Crawford starter in a surprising playoff invite
2020-21 1a Subban 1b Delia 1c Lankinen, three headed ‘youth movement’ in net lasted the whole shortened COVID season...no playoffs
Which brings us to 2021-22...
1 Fleury 2 Lankinen 3a Subban 3b Delia 3c Soderblom?

 

[UncleElroy]

When I get back to my hotel room and I've got my laptop I can more properly elaborate. Fleury is a very athletic goalie. We've had many. Athleticism is great. Technique is everything for long term success.

Are you implying he doesn’t have good technique?

 

[UncleElroy]

@BK @DisgruntledHawkFan You guys believe Fleury is the most athletic goalie the Hawks have had since Hasek? I may not be giving Belfour or Khabibulin enough respect in that regard though.

Khabibulin reminded me of my friends drunk dad playing goalie in the nhl lol. Dude was always looking for a scrap too. Loved him

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Are you implying he doesn’t have good technique?

Not at all. Fleury is probably going to the HHOF. It isn't because he's athletic.

 

[UncleElroy]

Not at all. Fleury is probably going to the HHOF. It isn't because he's athletic.

Okay I was just wondering. I’ve heard on two different podcasts from former players that fleury takes every shot in practice like it is a game situation and has fun doing. I think with that mentality he still has multiple good years left too

 

[clydesdale line]

When I get back to my hotel room and I've got my laptop I can more properly elaborate. Fleury is a very athletic goalie. We've had many. Athleticism is great. Technique is everything for long term success.

No shit. That wasn't my question.

And yea no doubt Fleury's technique is damn good.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

No shit. That wasn't my question.

And yea no doubt Fleury's technique is damn good.

On the ride back. Fleury is a great goalie. Technique is 1 and probably two unless you're a methhead on adderall like Belfour and Hasek were. Athleticism and size would be 3A and 3B. Mental sharpness is 2.

We've had plenty of guys on par with Fleury athletically. Plenty of replacement level guys included. We haven't had freak athletes as robotic technique wise that shrug off bad games/moments with ice water in their veins.

My point is that goalies are weird. We've had plenty of goalies physically superior to Crawford. Crow is Crow because in spite of that at the top of his game he was robotic.

 

[clydesdale line]

We've had plenty of guys on par with Fleury athletically. Plenty of replacement level guys included.

Eh.. I disagree with the "plenty" part. Yes we've had athletic guys in the past but Fleury is just a level above most of them. I can name guys like Raanta for example. Very athletic. Hell I can even throw Subban up there this past season as well Neither guy not quite at that level. Like I said Belfour immediately comes to mind when I see that type of athleticism. Technique/positioning, etc. is a whole other conversation. Hasek as Pez alluded to is in a league of his own... at both accounts.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Eh.. I disagree with the "plenty" part. Yes we've had athletic guys in the past but Fleury is just a level above most of them. I can name guys like Raanta for example. Very athletic. Hell I can even throw Subban up there this past season as well Neither guy not quite at that level. Like I said Belfour immediately comes to mind when I see that type of athleticism. Technique/positioning, etc. is a whole other conversation. Hasek as Pez alluded to is in a league of his own... at both accounts.

Raanta, Subban, hell Darling was a freak for a bit. Thibault and Khabi were right there. Lehner is another monster.

Belfour is one of the best ever. Hasek IS the best ever.

 

[Chuck Testa]

You do remember the Preds lighting up Darling in games 5 and 6, leading to him getting pulled and Crawford ultimately winning the series, right?

It wasnt so much Nashville having anybody’s number as the Blackhawks playing extremely loose in the first round.

Darling was a good backup. Nothing more, nothing less. He was exposed for what he was not long after. That 3-game performance arguably got him 16mil. Not bad.

Without that 3 game stretch, the Hawks would not have beaten Nashville that round and therefore would not have won the cup that year.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Without that 3 game stretch, the Hawks would not have beaten Nashville that round and therefore would not have won the cup that year.

Don't think anyone is arguing against that.

Also wouldn't have won if they didn't pull Darling, and put Crow back in.

 

[Chuck Testa]

Don't think anyone is arguing against that.

Also wouldn't have won if they didn't pull Darling, and put Crow back in.

I concur.

 

[CovidCupChamps]

He is owed $6M this year, but I agree, would be wild to see. I hope he doesn't retire. The Hawks are an organization that typically go the distance for the player experience, so I can see them trying to ensure MAF that it'd be a good time here.

"Goes the distance" is that some type of innuendo?

 

[TJHKY]

Good move, hate Vegas!

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Hawks got MAF for literally nothing

 

[BK]

I wonder if we resign him.

 

[ClydeLee]

I wonder if we resign him.

The athletic article, or whoever it was, that had an interview with him and his agent soon after the trade talked about potentially wanting out to go back to Europe. It sounded like the initial plan was that he was just going to be loaned back to Rockford anyway.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I wonder if we resign him.

Why on earth would Hawks do that?

 

[CallMeShaft]

Why on earth would Hawks do that?

Depends on his price and his performance this year. If he looked, at worst, like a 1B option for the next year or two, it'd make sense to try to keep him.

If he shows well this year, it'd be stupid to not at least look into re-signing him.

 

[Rick C137]

Why on earth would Hawks do that?

Terrific goalie, great teammate, and will probably come cheap on a 1 year? If he plays well and wants to stay here there wouldn’t be much of a reason not to sign him…

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Depends on his price and his performance this year. If he looked, at worst, like a 1B option for the next year or two, it'd make sense to try to keep him.

If he shows well this year, it'd be stupid to not at least look into re-signing him.

I was under impression BK was commenting on Hakkarainen post

 

[Rick C137]

I was under impression BK was commenting on Hakkarainen post

Ah then your take probably correct. I would imagine the hawks diddnt value him at all if he was the piece going the other way only to get bought out immediately.

Can’t he technically not sign here for a year after he was traded or am I remembering that rule wrong?

 

[BK]

Why on earth would Hawks do that?

Maybe they see some potential in him.