GAME OF THE NIGHT: Calgary Flames at Chicago Blackhawks, Thursday April 16, 2009, 830 pm ET

Anahiem is going to win that series! If there is a team SJ did not want to play first round, its the Ducks.

Once again, glad we have Spezza, haha.

HAWKS WIN!!!!

:%%: :%%: :%%:

Havlat always was clutch, even in Ottawa.

Marty gets his revenge for Cammi's whack...not once...but twice.

Here Come The Hawks.

Good for the Hawks, those are my boys along with the Bruins this playoff.

Watching the games tonight just really shows truly meaningless then regular season is.

Neely4Life wrote:Good for the Hawks, those are my boys along with the Bruins this playoff.

Watching the games tonight just really shows truly meaningless then regular season is.

This is what they play for...

:D: :D: :D:

Blackhawks grab first playoff win in seven years behind Havlat's heroics

Associated Press/ESPN Chicago

CHICAGO -- Martin Havlat scored 12 seconds into overtime and the Chicago Blackhawks won their first playoff game in seven years, beating the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Thursday night in the West Conference quarterfinals.

After tying it late in regulation, Havlat drove a wrist shot past Miikka Kiprusoff from between the circles for the third-fastest overtime goal in playoff history, sending a towel-waving crowd at the United Center into a frenzy.

Mike Cammalleri gave Calgary a 2-1 lead about 4 minutes into the final period when
he scored on a 2-on-1 break, taking a nice pass from Daymond Langkow.

But Chicago got even with 5:33 left when Havlat scored on his own rebound after Kiprusoff stopped his initial shot from the right circle.

David Moss opened the scoring for the Flames in the first period, and Chicago's Cam Barker tied it in the second.

Game 2 is Saturday night in Chicago.

Barker was a beast tonight. Loved his game, especially considering it was his first shot at the playoffs, truly impressive. Compossed with the puck, smart, hard on the man, great game.

Neely4Life wrote:Barker was a beast tonight. Loved his game, especially considering it was his first shot at the playoffs, truly impressive. Compossed with the puck, smart, hard on the man, great game.

Agreed 100%...Barker has really come along this year...he is much more confident now.

This was an absolutely essential win for these guys...Calgary came in ready to rumble. The Hawks were nervous but they toughed it out.

A real T-E-A-M win.

Toews is something else...already everything a captain should be.

:D:

Yup, the more I'm looking these young, HARD WORKING centers who already have the C on their jersey's, I get extremely jealous and frustrated with what we have in Ottawa.

Its might take a few more playoff wins for it to really be the opinion of most, but Toews has now become on of the best centers in the game. Toews, Richards, Crosby are the future of hockey Canada.

Didnt even mention Getzlaf in there when I should have.

Neely4Life wrote:Yup, the more I'm looking these young, HARD WORKING centers who already have the C on their jersey's, I get extremely jealous and frustrated with what we have in Ottawa.

Its might take a few more playoff wins for it to really be the opinion of most, but Toews has now become on of the best centers in the game. Toews, Richards, Crosby are the future of hockey Canada.

Didnt even mention Getzlaf in there when I should have.

All excellent points N4L.

Every time I watch Toews play, I am more impressed. And the young man is humble...never afraid to call himself out...and make himself a better player.

The Hawks' current success is rooted in the commitment of management...and the ownership...and a clear vision of what kind of team they want.

Dale Tallon--a former Blackhawk D-man himself--had a plan from the beginning, and it took him several years, and support of the owners, to make it real.

You see the result.
:D:

Watching these games tonight makes me realize how far behind in development the Sens are. A guy like Spezza has no shot of ever living up to his contract or playing in the olympics to be honest with you because all the guys I mentioned above aside from Crosby will be signed for less and are already better players and younger.

Hawks look great going forward and into the future, same with the Pens, Caps, Bruins, Wings, and in a year or two the Kings. This would be the ideal time to rebuild in Ottawa. Start plugging the holes and make things interesting.

Neely4Life wrote:Watching these games tonight makes me realize how far behind in development the Sens are. A guy like Spezza has no shot of ever living up to his contract or playing in the olympics to be honest with you because all the guys I mentioned above aside from Crosby will be signed for less and are already better players and younger.

Hawks look great going forward and into the future, same with the Pens, Caps, Bruins, Wings, and in a year or two the Kings. This would be the ideal time to rebuild in Ottawa. Start plugging the holes and make things interesting.

While I'm not sure Spezza will ever live up to his contract, I don't think we should be critical of him simply because players like Crosby, Richards etc. are better.

We should be critical of him because of his lack of intensity. But if he comes into next season and gives 100% every shift and improves greatly in the physicality/defence department, and still ends up worse than a guy like Crosby, I wouldn't be disappointed.

Now, whether that really has any chance of happening is another question.

Neely4Life wrote:Watching these games tonight makes me realize how far behind in development the Sens are. A guy like Spezza has no shot of ever living up to his contract or playing in the olympics to be honest with you because all the guys I mentioned above aside from Crosby will be signed for less and are already better players and younger.

Hawks look great going forward and into the future, same with the Pens, Caps, Bruins, Wings, and in a year or two the Kings. This would be the ideal time to rebuild in Ottawa. Start plugging the holes and make things interesting.

N4L, to do that, requires that first management admits there is a problem to be solved...and the extent of that problem.

The Hawks, Pens, Caps, Flyers, Bruins, Kings, Blues, all admitted they were in deep $hit and hired people who made the tough decisions.

The Red Wings went through years of really crappy teams before they decided to rebuild from the ground up.

But that's another discussion...for another thread.
cool)

Ya man, you are bang on with that. Watching the games yesterday and tonight, the number 1 centers were the best players on the ice for every team.

If people are watching all these games, people cannot feel good about our "top 2" guys going into next year.

We have a 7.5 million dollar winger who might be one of the biggest jerks in the league, and a 7 million dollar center who is destined to be the next Pierre Turgeon. Sens are in a lot of trouble.

Tough for me to enjoy these games and not get mad about the Sens and some players, even looking back at last years playoffs where the intensity isnt 1/2 of what it should have been considered exceptable.

Neely4Life wrote:Ya man, you are bang on with that. Watching the games yesterday and tonight, the number 1 centers were the best players on the ice for every team.

If people are watching all these games, people cannot feel good about our "top 2" guys going into next year.

We have a 7.5 million dollar winger who might be one of the biggest jerks in the league, and a 7 million dollar center who is destined to be the next Pierre Turgeon. Sens are in a lot of trouble.

Tough for me to enjoy these games and not get mad about the Sens and some players, even looking back at last years playoffs where the intensity isnt 1/2 of what it should have been considered exceptable.

The Pierre Turgeon comparison is dead on.

Like I said, the beginning of excellence is when you admit how far away you are from achieving it.

cool)

Im not the kind of guy to get into phylisophical stuff (obviously) but there comes a time when you have to look in a mirror and not worry about what your hair looks like.