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Pre-Game Talk: 2013 Western Conference Final: Kings vs. Blackhawks

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A look at the Chicago Blackhawks lineup:

Sharp-Toews-Kane
Bickell-Handzus-Hossa
Kruger-Bolland-Frolik
Saad-Shaw-Stalberg

Keith-Seabrook
Hjalmarsson-Oduya
Leddy-Rozsival

Crawford-Emery
 
A lot of my hate died for the Hawks last year after Richards and Carter were able to raise the Cup. But I can certainly drum it up again.

I expect a real tough series, but we will prevail.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
A look at the Chicago Blackhawks lineup:

Sharp-Toews-Kane
Bickell-Handzus-Hossa
Kruger-Bolland-Frolik
Saad-Shaw-Stalberg

Keith-Seabrook
Hjalmarsson-Oduya
Leddy-Rozsival

Crawford-Emery
Click to expand...

They'd be legit scary if they had a proper #2 center, Bolland makes a great #3. They have the wingers to make up for it though. Their D is also probably on par, if not better than ours. It really comes down to who decides to bring it for us. Quick already has, and now I'd like to see Kopi, Brown, Carter, Doughty and Co. play to their potential. Kopi can't just show up and get shut down by Handzus/Bolland...
 
The Kings lack of scoring worries me more against the Hawks. I just do not see them holding that offense to 2 goals a game. Our Forwards need to step up big time. And I can already see Muzzin fumbling around his own zone like a chicken on crack against the Hawks.
 
don't like seeing Kings fans dissing Zeus - the guy is a class act and gave us some good years. I'd say he gets partial credit for the development of our young forwards.
 
DAkings20 said:
The Kings lack of scoring worries me more against the Hawks. I just do not see them holding that offense to 2 goals a game. Our Forwards need to step up big time. And I can already see Muzzin fumbling around his own zone like a chicken on crack against the Hawks.
Click to expand...

I really think StL and SJ defense is better than the Hawks. I think the Kings can score on them.

(hope I'm not wrong of course... :laugh: )
 
Quattro said:
don't like seeing Kings fans dissing Zeus - the guy is a class act and gave us some good years. I'd say he gets partial credit for the development of our young forwards.
Click to expand...

Who is dissing Handz? All I saw was a post about the fact that he's a number 2 c. Which obviously he is not. I love him and if there was a player Id love to see lift that cup is him.

He's going to be our Marian Hossa :sarcasm: (or something to that affect)
 
my quick $0.02, since i live in CHI and see a lot of Hawks games.

LA is better down the middle. if Stoll returns then we have a huge advantage down the middle. this is going to be a very big problem for CHI. Toews will match against either Kopi or MR, but after that they don't have legit #2 to play against the other. we know what Zus brings for them, but we also know how to exploit him. Bolland is a good #3 on par with Stoll, but with a bit more speed and touch. LA's top centers are the first key to the series

CHI has a huge advantage on the wings when it comes to skill and speed. if they are allowed to operate in space and with speed they will tear LA apart like they did the first two meetings of this season.

LA has the advantage in net without question. Crawford has been good, but at times will lay a total egg for a game. his consistency is steadily improving and the bad games now are fewer and less than in years past.

the D for simplicity let's call it an even split. both team's top two units are smooth and consistent. the bottom pairings at times will perform well, other times they are a mess. the squads for both teams have +/_ and some guys not quite up to past performances.

CHI's energy players have been playing terrific of late. Kruger, Saad, Frolik and Bolland have been all over the place and causing havoc while producing. LA's #3 and #4 will have to match this energy.

for LA this series comes down to controlling ice as a tight 5-man unit, especially in the first 2 or 3 games. i feel this is the 2nd and most important key for LA. if the Kings let the gap between the F and D spread out, they will let CHI stretch out the game. the Hawks love to play a stretch game and without having tight coverage on the CHI forwards Quick will be facing to many 2 on 1's against the likes of Hossa, Kane, Sharp.

CHI doesn't play an overly physical game. LA can and will wear them down, which will eventually reduce the up ice speed. LA has to hammer and wear down CHI the first three games to tilt the ice back around.
 
Quattro said:
don't like seeing Kings fans dissing Zeus - the guy is a class act and gave us some good years. I'd say he gets partial credit for the development of our young forwards.
Click to expand...

To be fair, Handzus should not be a #2 center on a Stanley cup championship team. Playoff kings are much different than regular season kings.

Should be a great series.

Kings have the edge in goal and center, hawks on wing and defense. If Toews goes against Kopitar, Richards and carter need to come up huge against weaker centers. Carter could be the key to the series.
 
Losing to the Sharks a couple years ago lit a fire to win the last series to some of our players, hopefully Richards and Carter will push the team against the Hawks.
 
I love Zeus but I can't believe he's still playing, especially a role as important as #2C. Nothing against the guy, but the Sharks got rid of him (along with Clowe/Murray) for a reason(s).

I can see Toews matching up against Kopitar, which is kind of a wash because neither have been that great. Then Bolland vs. Richards, and probably Stoll vs. Zeus, which is the line that needs exploitation. Wish our 4th line would wake up, they were so good last year and now this. Also would like to see King moved down or Bud Holloway drugged and seized, only to awake during the national anthem...
 
to add after reading some other's comments.

i completely agree that AMart and TT should be in the lineup rather than Muzz-erby and Nolan. the CHI forwards have to much speed which will cause issues for Muzz-erby. i can already picture Muzz getting contorted by a Kane dangle and dart up the line for a goal.

CHI's forwards also play a quick up ice forecheck and LA's defense MUST make quick, clean passes out of the zone. if they can't they also need to be able to skate/escape. the D pairings of DD - VV -AMart spread out on each pairing i feel gives the Kings the best chance of success.

i prefer to see a steady diet of TT and Richardson on the bottom lines instead of Nolan. the Kings wont need Nolan's punishing size and will be better suited with TT's skill and BR's speed.
 
  • The Hawks and Kings are both rather poor when it comes to faceoffs. They rank 13th and 14th respectively among the 16 playoff teams, which is the worst team faceoff percentage among the remaining playoff teams.

  • The Kings and Hawks happen to be the two stingiest teams in goals allowed. The Kings are 1st with a 1.54 GAA. Hawks are 2nd with a 1.83 GAA.

  • The Hawks have the best PK in the playoffs with a 97.6 PK%. That is an unbelievable number. They also average 10 PIMs per game.

  • The Kings lead all playoff teams with 536 hits. The Hawks are 9th with 299 hits.


So how do you beat the Hawks? Look at how the Coyotes frustrated them last year with a structured system. The Kings are going to have to dictate the physical game and punish Chicago's wingers and defensemen. While the Hawks PP has not been clicking, with all the talent they have, I still would not risk sending a player to the box.

The Kings can't get caught in their own end because the Hawks will take advantage of them if they turnover the puck at their own blueline or in the neutral zone. The Hawks move the puck quickly, and the Kings have to make sure that they keep the Hawks' puck play on the outside of the hashmarks and along the boards, where they could punish them with some heavy play.

Do this, and the Kings will repeat as Western Conference champions.
 
I'm getting more nervous now since I think the Kings can take Chicago. I know they won three straight against Detroit, but they didn't look that good against the Wings physical play. The Kings are much bigger and stronger than Detroit. Kings need to come out hitting hard and often in game one, steal it and put huge pressure on the Hawks in the back-to-back second game.

Kings must solve Crawford early and often in each game of this series, I don't think 2 goals per game will be enough to beat the Hawks.

Go Kings!
 
the wings imo didn't really play that physical. not LA physical. i saw more bs and cheap antics than i did good, clean and hard hockey hits. DET played more mind games than anything else.

i don't think CHI has really seen a team in a series that plays this physical since PHI in the 2010 SC
 
Whiskeypete said:
the wings imo didn't really play that physical. not LA physical. i saw more bs and cheap antics than i did good, clean and hard hockey hits. DET played more mind games than anything else.

i don't think CHI has really seen a team in a series that plays this physical since PHI in the 2010 SC
Click to expand...

The guy you really had to worry about was Kronwall, at least our D seems a bit more punishing with Greene back (and hopefully healthy)...
 
Whiskeypete said:
the wings imo didn't really play that physical. not LA physical. i saw more bs and cheap antics than i did good, clean and hard hockey hits. DET played more mind games than anything else.

i don't think CHI has really seen a team in a series that plays this physical since PHI in the 2010 SC
Click to expand...

Kings are the biggest team in the league, and our style is grind and pound. Blackhawks had trouble with the Red Wings physicality...just wait until Toews gets trucked by Clifford.

Speaking of Toews, we should get into his head pretty easily with clean and hard hits, wear him down.
 
BerniernextRoy said:
Kings are the biggest team in the league, and our style is grind and pound. Blackhawks had trouble with the Red Wings physicality...just wait until Toews gets trucked by Clifford.

Speaking of Toews, we should get into his head pretty easily with clean and hard hits, wear him down.
Click to expand...

I agree that your team's physicality will be an issue, but to say the Hawks had problems with the Red Wings physicality is an absolute joke.
 
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