But no home games between January 27 and March 13? That HAS to be psychologically demanding, even if the homebase is the center of the universe for a couple of weeks.

I think there were more Hawks fans at this game than at all of the game from 2005/06 to 2007/08, combined. The difference a death will make.

Re: the fanbase, I think the cross-section you saw misrepresents us a bit. I find that the cocky fans (who drive me nuts too) are the ones that weren’t around for the dark ages, and forget this team was in the cellar so recently. The guys like me who remember those days still feel a bit of apprehension, we’ve been conditioned to always fear the other shoe dropping. Anyway, I’d call that game more or less a 50/50 split in terms of ‘dominating’ the play. If anything, it might have tilted a bit more towards you fellas. Exciting nonetheless, and once Nabby settled in, the goaltenders kept this game from being a 9-8 run-and-gun. No one’s gonna say the fans didn’t get their money’s worth tonight. Oh, and please wear out Nabokov on the off chance the Hawks meet the Sharks in the second season.

Booooo…

crap on a cracker.

Vlasic being out will mean we need 2 defensemen at the deadline.

And I feel ya on Cheechoo, I really do – my reference to Malhotra is not on account of mockery.

I was watching Ottawa play the other day (I don’t remember against who) and they scored! And it was Cheechoo! But then it went upstairs, and it was determined he kicked it in, and they took it away. I was really heartbroken…he couldda used that goal.

Ah well.

I don’t know the whole situation, but his playing time has steadily decreased. I just don’t understand it. Guy works his tail off. If Jonathan Cheechoo has become a lazy coaster, I will swear off Wing Stop for a year. I don’t understand how he can’t merrit more playing time, save that literally every forward on the Senators is better than him. And I can’t believe there isn’t a team that couldn’t use him for 15-20 minutes a night in this league.

why?

We have enough cap problems.

do you think Hawks could come back? no.

Lurker, Zero, and I would like to agree with you, but we saw something in November that refutes this sentiment. Ugh.

I think last night’s game is one that either fanbase can get excited about; the Hawks with a win over the (still) top team, the Sharks for fighting back against heavy odds to push OT, even without their top defensemen.

What it shows me is that if these two teams do meet up in the postseason, it’s gonna be one hell of a bender.

lady…stick to women things because your IQ of hockey blows.

Umm, they have against several good teams, more times than they have let others back into the game. So yes, they could, also consider the least amount of goals they scored against the Sharks has been 3 and have Avgeraged 4.67 GG in the first 3, with 7 comming at the Tank, well I really do not think you have anything concrete to backup your argument, since they have scored 3+ in all games against the Sharks and have come back from 5 goals down (CGY) this season!

The fact they did not score after the original 3 (except that fourth goal the game winner), hockey is not about how often, but how much you score, using that logic how do the Sharks justify any 1-0 or 2-1 OT win? The fact is the Sharks were flat for the first 10 minutes and got burned, and may be lucky it was only 3 goals. But they did clamp down and come back to earn a point, and that does show character of a good team, to not give up.

As a sidenote. Redtribe14 is just an idiot, I’m trying to find his town and let him know we found him.

I’ll agree to an extent. Obviously Chicago deserves to be called the best team, since they have beat us 3 of 4. And our blueline definately needs an upgrade…especially if Pickles is out for a while. But, this team always plays shitty with an extended period of time off. It always seems to take them a while to get back in the groove. So, as far as what this means for the playoffs, I’d say very little. I mean, yes, we could always sweep a series, have time off, and lay an egg in the first game of the next series. But I’m actually really encouraged as to how this team responded after going down big early. Thats the kind of mental fortitude you need to win in the playoffs.

I’m with you.

The team as a whole has a the personality of jumbo joe….they seem to need to get whacked to wake up…and hit cruise again once they catch up or get a lead.

Nice thing is Seto, Pavs and Clowe looked pretty good against a top contender and Nabbie gutted it out.

A team who has been playing continuously EASILY has an advantage over a team that has taken more than two days off.

Good thing there’s trolls like you to point these things out! ’Tis a shame that fans like this guy exist.

At least we can spell – I’ll take a high school education over a Stanley Cup any day of the week.

Oh wait, what’s that? You haven’t earned it yet? The Stanley Cup, that is.

cyoung,
You’re exactly right (your friend too), we lack confidence and Chicago doesn’t. It’s almost as if we’re afraid to go out there and leave it all on the ice, because if we do and lose, then what? The talent is there, no question, but to me it’s always been about the will to win. That is where a Marleau or Thornton gets questioned. Neither has ever really shown me that they have that will and say, “Come on guys, follow me to victory”. Cheezy I know, but you get the point. If we don’t beat Chicago or Detroit or Vancouver and lose again, then what?
Do we re-sign Patty or trade Jumbo? Is Nabby going to be worth the money or do we rebuild and go young?
Sorry, not trying to be a killjoy, just looking into the future, because I have no evidence to point me in the other direction; That this team is willing and able to do whatever it takes to win the cup. And we, the best fans in hockey, deserve just that.

Late in the game we were down to 4.5 usable dmen, and 2 of those were Huskins and Leach. Not that they played badly, but after a while the fatigue catches up to you.

Had we not lost Vlassic I wonder if Murray would have even played during the rest of the game. He certainly wasn’t the freight train that got us back into the game.

yes. I read the post and thought it was a fair assessment.

no excuses, Sharks looked bad for parts of that game. period.

the question is…now what?

“we have to change the culture in the locker room” blah blah maybe?

But insulting female hockey fans? Dumb fuck.

Sorry folks

Our old tagline was “Where the Second Round is Overrated.”

For anyone feeling the doldrums after last night’s game:

• Two d-men out last night (Pickles, and of course Boyle) – not the full reason we lost, but it’s an important disclaimer.
• Lots of games left this season, for both Chicago and San Jose.
• Trade deadline a month away, in which something important may happen.
• A lot of people (ok, including me) are envisioning the possibility of a WCF between the Hawks and Sharks… who’s to say the Hawks will make it that far, let alone the Sharks? Many variables at play.
• Losing in the WCF wouldn’t be an early playoff exit in my opinion, although it would obviously suck.

Our fanbase is a bit once-bitten-twice-shy and whatnot, so we’ve taken a look at “trap teams” and “darkhorses” that might trip up our post-season quest for a WCF match up with you. The Kings and the Wings are the draws that worry us.

Do you guys have any teams you worry about?

honestly, i’m almost inclined to say that was a smart penalty.

that was a dangerous situation and I think they would have scored had the puck not been frozen somehow.

of course, had they scored on that PP i’d be singing a different tune…

FOR LIFE!!!!!

Totally kidding.

Do you really want the Hawks choosing which player they had on the ice at the time to take that (I think it was Toews-Kane-Hossa as FWDS). I tell you what, I’ll let you choose of those three. They are better than 50% in the SO, but the team is only 26% PP on the road. Given that, if Thorton thought goal was immenent unless he covered, it was a good play even though he drew a penalty, just be GLAD he was not closer to the crease to give the Ref the ability to make a judgement call of covering the puck leading to a penalty shot.

I swear half the stuff I’m reading about the Sharks right now has me convinced that the season is over.

nah … next game I have tickets for are against the Panthers of all teams … only cause it’s a 1pm game on Saturday and going with my boys and a friend and her kids (7 of us total). I’m going thru withdrawals!

/salute