WCF: (1) Anaheim Ducks vs (3) Chicago Blackhawks

[EmeticDonut]

This series is the Stanley Cup Finals.

The WCF tends to be that lately. Sorry to the EC teams.

 

[Bakpuck]

Ducks are gonna be embarassed. They have overachieved all year. The hawks bottom 2 lines smoke the ducks. The ducks are pretty much a very top heavy 2 line team.

82 regular games and 9 playoff game overachievers? Right

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

You forgot unsustainable & paper tigers. Oh and lucky.

There's A LOT of people in this thread who never bothered to stay up late enough to watch west coast hockey.

At this point in the playoffs I've almost lost track of all the overrated fourth line players who are primed to shut our top line down.

 

[Kronwalled8*]

82 regular games and 9 playoff game overachievers? Right

The ducks 3rd and 4th lines dont put fear in their oppositions eyes. Sorry, they just dont. The hawks very much do. They have their leading point getter from last season on their 3rd line.

The hawks 4th line could easily make it as most teams 3rd line. Kruger is one of the best shutdown centers in the league, Shaw is a former 20 goal scorer (15 this year while on the 4th line), who used to play on the hawks #1PP and is one of the best grinders in the league. Shaw knows his role and plays it perfect. Q just loves this guy because he can play him in any situation and has full confidence in him. I still think hes very underrated, hes creates so much room for his linemates, is one of their most versatile forwards, can play wing or centre, on any line and in all situations.

That shows how valuable this guy is to the Hawks forecheck. Whether they have Bickell or Versteeg on the left side, Im not sure but Bickell is a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs, and the scary thing is that he hasnt even gotten the ball rolling yet. Just wait until Bickell gets going and its just going to be yet another offensive threat that the ducks have to handle. And Versteeg was on pace for 53 pts had he not get injured and missed 21 games. Sure hes incredibly streaky but Kris has become one of the best bottom 6 forwards in the league.

 

[Sojourn]

The ducks 3rd and 4th lines dont put fear in their oppositions eyes. Sorry, they just dont. The hawks very much do. They have their leading point getter from last season on their 3rd line.

The hawks 4th line could easily make it as most teams 3rd line. Kruger is one of the best shutdown centers in the league, Shaw is a former 20 goal scorer (15 this year while on the 4th line), who used to play on the hawks #1PP and is one of the best grinders in the league. Shaw knows his role and plays it perfect. Q just loves this guy because he can play him in any situation and has full confidence in him. I still think hes very underrated, hes creates so much room for his linemates, is one of their most versatile forwards, can play wing or centre, on any line and in all situations.

That shows how valuable this guy is to the Hawks forecheck. Whether they have Bickell or Versteeg on the left side, Im not sure but Bickell is a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs, and the scary thing is that he hasnt even gotten the ball rolling yet. Just wait until Bickell gets going and its just going to be yet another offensive threat that the ducks have to handle. And Versteeg was on pace for 53 pts had he not get injured and missed 21 games. Sure hes incredibly streaky but Kris has become one of the best bottom 6 forwards in the league.

That's all a great argument for why Chicago is a good team, and I don't really think anyone is going to deny that is the case.

However, it doesn't address, at all, how or why Anaheim is overachieving.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Man its going to suck after we sweep chicago, and everyone starts telling us how we got a red carpet to the finals.


Oh well, i heard we got a red carpet to the finals in 2007 too.

 

[SugarSherm]

Heres what I would do if it was Q.

Move Versteeg-Richards-Kane line as the 3rd line and move Sharp-Vermette-Teravainen up to the 2nd line as a shutdown line vs Kesler.

My guess is that BB wants to match Getz vs Toews.

Could you imagine having Kane on the 3rd line. He would badly expose the ducks bottom pairing. Cogs line vs Kane, horrible mismatch for the ducks.

Have Bickell on the 4th line because he has such good chemistry with Shaw. Bickell-Kruger-Shaw is realistically a 3rd line, but the fact its the hawks 4th just goes to show how deep they are.

Except BB and the Ducks have the last change in 4 out of 7 games if it goes that long. It's gonna be difficult to keep Kane away from Kesler.

 

[Pez68]

That's better for the Ducks. Please do put your 5th/6th on the ice with Keith so that he has to babysit rather than be effective.

Keith in these playoffs playing with the Hawks 5th:

10GP 2G 8A +10

Yeah.

 

[Get North]

Heres what I would do if it was Q.

Move Versteeg-Richards-Kane line as the 3rd line and move Sharp-Vermette-Teravainen up to the 2nd line as a shutdown line vs Kesler.

My guess is that BB wants to match Getz vs Toews.

Could you imagine having Kane on the 3rd line. He would badly expose the ducks bottom pairing. Cogs line vs Kane, horrible mismatch for the ducks.

Have Bickell on the 4th line because he has such good chemistry with Shaw. Bickell-Kruger-Shaw is realistically a 3rd line, but the fact its the hawks 4th just goes to show how deep they are.

Boudreau doesn't care who Kane is playing with and if you call the name the 1st or the 4th because he's going Kesler/Getzlaf vs Kane/Toews line. Cogliano/Rakell can match up against Vermette-Sharp-Teravainen line. They just need some more size on that line IMO, maybe throw Jackman on that line. He's not a skill guy but he can go out there and bang wearing down the weaker defencemen and crash the net because Rakell/Cogliano are too small to do that.

 

[Sojourn]

It's brilliant. Call it the 3rd line. There's no way anyone sees through that. Boudreau will counter this by "moving" Getzlaf and Perry to the 4th line. Don't worry about them, Quenneville. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

 

[Terry Yake]

no need to educate us on your roster hawks fans

we've already been force fed everything about your roster from the national media for quite some time now

 

[Bhay99]

no need to educate us on your roster hawks fans

we've already been force fed everything about your roster from the national media for quite some time now

That tends to happen when you win a lot.

 

[abt424]

That's all a great argument for why Chicago is a good team, and I don't really think anyone is going to deny that is the case.

However, it doesn't address, at all, how or why Anaheim is overachieving.

Anaheim is not overachieving.

You don't do what they've done over the past few regular seasons without having talent.

People seem to forget Anaheim took LA to seven games last season, too.

 

[Ducks Nation*]

I am going to stay out of here until the series is over.

Good luck to both teams.

 

[icekoob]

That dude is just trying to rile up Ducks fans, the Ducks are no more frauds than the Hawks are the "pinnacle of hockey excellence". They lost to the Kings last season and are probably pretty jazzed that LA took a nose dive this season because they might have been in for another headache.


But they lost to a more rugged team last season, and it can happen again.

Hawks also beat Kings year before in route to cup win. Your point? Ruggedness? Quite a joke and quite a different, deeper team.

Kane and Toews are far better than Getz/Toews. Hawks depth is ridiculous. Ducks have an unproven goaltender. I don't think ruggedness will be a factor.

Blues tried the physical thing too last year. Among others.

 

[jax00]

Ducks in 5. Hawks have played (and beaten) physical teams in the playoffs, but they haven't played physical teams that have as much skill throughout the lineup as well.

Ducks are hungry too. I think being the underdogs in this series is an advantage. They're gonna come out flying.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Hawks also beat Kings year before in route to cup win. Your point? Ruggedness? Quite a joke and quite a different, deeper team.

Kane and Toews are far better than Getz/Toews. Hawks depth is ridiculous. Ducks have an unproven goaltender. I don't think ruggedness will be a factor.

Blues tried the physical thing too last year. Among others.

They get really defensive at this suggestion, Getzmonster. Maybe there's something to it.

 

[Pez68]

Ducks in 5. Hawks have played (and beaten) physical teams in the playoffs, but they haven't played physical teams that have as much skill throughout the lineup as well.

Ducks are hungry too. I think being the underdogs in this series is an advantage. They're gonna come out flying.

Except they're really not the underdogs. They are the top ranked team in the West, and have home ice?

 

[kaner23]

They get really defensive at this suggestion, Getzmonster. Maybe there's something to it.

We get defensive cause people always bring it up and it's never proved to be effective. It's like you guys being told your a 1 line team.

 

[jax00]

Except they're really not the underdogs. They are the top ranked team in the West, and have home ice?

Most of the media seems to be picking Chicago, and judging by this thread, so are many fans.

Maybe I'm wrong though, it just seems like most seem to think the Hawks will win this series, regardless of seeding.

 

[Sojourn]

Hawks also beat Kings year before in route to cup win. Your point? Ruggedness? Quite a joke and quite a different, deeper team.

Kane and Toews are far better than Getz/Toews. Hawks depth is ridiculous. Ducks have an unproven goaltender. I don't think ruggedness will be a factor.

Blues tried the physical thing too last year. Among others.

Then I guess it's a good thing the Ducks have Getzlaf and Perry. They're pretty good.

Edit: And before you go further down that route, Kane and Toews are absolutely not "far better" than Getzlaf and Perry. I'm not sure there is a single duo in the league who is "far better" than them. Not unless we go back in time a little bit, and we're using Malkin and Crosby at the top of their game.

 

[Sojourn]

Chicago has been one of the most successful teams of the past decade, and they are a big media draw. It shouldn't surprise anyone that they get a lot of attention.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Then I guess it's a good thing the Ducks have Getzlaf and Perry. They're pretty good.

Edit: And before you go further down that route, Kane and Toews are absolutely not "far better" than Getzlaf and Perry. I'm not sure there is a single duo in the league who is "far better" than them. Not unless we go back in time a little bit, and we're using Malkin and Crosby at the top of their game.

Perhaps being sainted required that Perry change his name?

 

[Sojourn]

Perhaps being sainted required that Perry change his name?

Do you think he pronounces it Toes?

 

[Nothingman*]

Sunday is a looooooooong way away.