News Article: Toews says Ducks, not Lightning, were Blackhawks toughest opponent

[DaBolts]

Toews says Ducks, not Lightning, were Blackhawks’ toughest opponent

From PHT, excerpt:

“No disrespect to Tampa because I think they far exceeded our expectations for what they were able to do and how difficult they made things on us,” Toews said, according to the Associated Press.

Still, he said the Ducks series “stands out to me in the last number of years as far as the challenges.”

Thank you for the bulletin board material and further motivation for next season Mr. Toews.

Click to read more...

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

I wonder if anyone was playing defense that series, or if both teams were just that good at scoring.

 

[Brie]

I saw that. I also saw that both Coach Q said during the convetion that we were the hardest team to face and Kane and Seabrook said the same right after the finals.

For us though the hardset matchup was Detroit for I think the same reason the ducks were hard on the blackhawks, because they played more physical as well as their kind of game didn't give anyone the open space you would want, you also know that it was harder for us because it was the only series where we had everyone healthy.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

No **** given. It's firstly a question of matchups, Toews knows it, he's just playing the West is Best card, secondly if Kucherov and particularly Bishop/Johnson were half healthy Victor Conn Smythe Hedman would've been the guy saying to PHT Detroit was our toughest opponent. See you next year.

Hawks in 3.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

Guys, it's okay because he said "no disrespect to Tampa".

 

[Todd1a]

That's fine I can't wait to beat the Hawks for the cup next year

 

[berlin]

Well i just lost some respect for Toews. I still believe we had the better team or easily just as good of one. Call it inexperience if you want, i think they just choked, (injuries didn't help either *TJ) hopefully lesson learned.

 

[Hockeyfan02]

Not a big deal, Anaheim had a really good team last year too.

 

[These Are The Days]

We forgot how to ****ing score after 3 games. What do you expect? Turning point of the series was when Bishop skated out to the blue line for no damn reason and ran into Hedman and Sharp had an empty netter to shoot in.

 

[Sky04]

We forgot how to ****ing score after 3 games. What do you expect? Turning point of the series was when Bishop skated out to the blue line for no damn reason and ran into Hedman and Sharp had an empty netter to shoot in.

Yeah this, we scored 2 goals in the last 3 games against them, obviously that doesn't make it very hard on them.

 

[Hictor Vedman*]

One series went to Game 6. The other went to 7, in which Chicago needed to win back to back games just to survive.

It's beyond obvious which series would be tougher to them.

I just hope Anaheim doesn't smear their smug faces in next year. I want that glorious feeling.

 

[FinnLightning26]

Well, no disrespect to Toews but he can go **** himself.

 

[The Gongshow]

Ugh, now I'm sad because I'm reminded we were 2 wins away from the cup.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Well, no disrespect to Toews but he can go **** himself.

Something doesn't add up here

 

[FinnLightning26]

Something doesn't add up here

I did say I wasn't disrespecting him, just like he did.

 

[xteesy]

Toews is known to start controversy, it keeps the hawks in the news. They don't want to go off the air again!

Plus their best player, Patrick Kane, said we were by far their toughest opponent. Pretty sure even Keith mentioned our offense was the toughest he's ever faced, period. We play an unconventional hockey game, and while we don't shoot a ton, when we do, we score.

If you can find me a line that had more beautiful passes than TKO did last season, I'm all ears... Because you're going to have to go back a couple decades to even come close.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Toews is known to start controversy, it keeps the hawks in the news. They don't want to go off the air again!

Plus their best player, Patrick Kane, said we were by far their toughest opponent. Pretty sure even Keith mentioned our offense was the toughest he's ever faced, period. We play an unconventional hockey game, and while we don't shoot a ton, when we do, we score.

If you can find me a line that had more beautiful passes than TKO did last season, I'm all ears... Because you're going to have to go back a couple decades to even come close.

And all that with Johnson playing with a broken wrist, Kucherov missing a game and Stamkos allegedly playing through a back injury.

 

[Hoek]

One series went to Game 6. The other went to 7, in which Chicago needed to win back to back games just to survive.

It's beyond obvious which series would be tougher to them.

I just hope Anaheim doesn't smear their smug faces in next year. I want that glorious feeling.

This.

I mean part of it was the Hawks played so awful to start it, not so much what the Ducks were doing. I think the way we played Chicago made the actual individual games we played more difficult for them (and they were lucky they didn't have to face a healthy TKO), but obviously having to come back from down 3-2 will make a series tough.