Victory Within Defeat: ‘Nucks Top ‘Hawks, Show One-Dimensional Game

That's not very Canadian. We should be humble and apologetic to our team talent lacking, goal seeking neighbors to the South.

Bizarre game to say the least. It seems like the Hawks have zero interest in actually winning the game! 1. No desire to keep or extend a lead 2. Dressing John Scott, who always seemed to be on the wrong side of the ice, as he clearly couldn't keep up with speed. Seriously, that was a gimme to Vancouver's fast forwards, and he did nothing tonight 3. Kane is playing Casper. Actually, I think you might see Casper the ghost *more* than Kane, he's the Hawk's biggest let-down this series.

I agree 100% with what you've written above (as a Canucks fan), but would have to state that if you're looking for a place to read sporting news that isn't offensive, crass, and populated by trolls, you'd be better off not wasting your time. This author clearly has no social skills, enviable personality, nor desire to better society. His target audience are the bottom feeders of the sporting leagues,and he feeds that audience quite admirably.

I totally agree. Plus, you'd think that after 10 years in the league, an Art Ross trophy each, and the respect of all of their peers, the stupid "Sisters" thing would be done by now. It just shows a weak mind and lack of creativity that bottom-feeders keep going back to it when they can't think of anything else. Even though they were held off of the score sheet, the Sedins and Burrows played a pretty damn good game. But, I suppose that it does take a huge amount of creative thought (or delusional thought) to claim the Blackhawks have the Canucks "right where they want them." The Hawks were out shot, out hit, out scored, and mostly out played in game 1. Vancouver's defence was too much for the Hawks forwards, and they had to basically go down to one line to try and get something (anything) going. Six players (Toews, Kane, Sharp, Seabrook,Campbell, and Hossa) won't be able to win the series by themselves. If the Hawks want to make this a contest they'll have to do a lot better in game 2, but I think this year the lack of depth compared to Vancouver will be the end Chicago's playoff dreams.

A little sensitive are we? How long have you wanted to vent about Augusta? Guess what - I'm not allowed on that course either. There's other courses to play - get over it. They don't want women slowing down the play - (Just kidding Katrina!) It seems like most of the caustic replies are do to calling the Sedin's an off color name. I'm pretty sure you had some names for Buff, Kaner, Bolland et al. last year. We all know the sedin's are great players - the past few years though they've fallen asleep against us in the playoffs when it counted. Not saying that's going to happen this year, but if history repeats itself. In my mind, calling Tim an unaccountable blogger who lives in his parents basement was far more bush league than calling the Sedin's a name. Pen dripping with a little vitriol there.

Perhaps it might benefit you to read my comments again because I clearly stated that "if" the writer of this blog didn't want to be perceived as someone who lives in his basement he has to be more accountable. I didn't say that he did, I just merely pointed out that he should perhaps be more thoughtful with his comments. I don't think my comments were bush league at all...I respectfully pointed out that he wasn't very accountable with his name-calling. You think an accountable blogger would employ the term "Tampon Twins" to refer to someone. By the way...as I mentioned certainly there are Canuck fans who hurled bush-league insults at Hawks players and as I noted they are the insidious underbelly of fandom... as present in all sports franchises. Please read my post again because you'll see that I mentioned that I respect most of the Hawks players ( ie. Toews, Seabrook) and didn't call them anything. Though I did swear several times under my breath when the Hawk players scored a goal or stymied a Canuck player, I never once resorted to petty namecalling. If you read any credible Canucks blog, the authors don't namecall Hawks players like your blog did.

Katrina, I'm not defending the name calling - I read this site because they are well informed hockey fans, that increase my knowledge of the game. I overlook parts that might be objectionalble, rather than stew over them. I didn't say your comments were bush league - and you do make many valid points. It just seemed your reply was a little caustic to me. How often we decry in others what we ourselves are guilty of. (Talking about myself there also.) Good Lord, I hope you guys never have to play Philadelphia. I feel like Martha Stewart has just scolded me.

Actually, even if Katrina did call Tim an anonymous blogger who lives in his parent's basement (she didn't actually) it's not even in the same ballpark as calling the Sedins the Tampon Twins. For starters, prove to me that Tim doesn't live in his parent's basement. The above post was clearly written by someone with a lot of time on their hands, and most definitely not a professional writer (the writing itself isn't very good). The only people I can think of with that kind of free time to dream up this justification for the Hawks poor showing would be someone with no job who lived in his parent's basement. Prove to me otherwise.

@Rich I got the impression you were defending him in your previous comment, hence the snark. Fair enough, admittedly my tone towards the author of this blog post was caustic, but I think deservedly so. Anyways, I don't frequent this blog considering I'm a Canucks fan and all, but I guess I'm sick and tired of insults used in sports with underly sexist messages in addition to how little respect the Sedins seemingly receive around the league. And the author's crassness and utter disrespect in flinging that term really incensed me. Still I stand by what I said towards the author, though perhaps in a less condemning tone. Anyways, I'm tired of of commenting on a sports blog when I should be working. So truce or an agreement to disagree between you and I, eh Rich?

Truce - but... Something tells me the sedins would be less offended by this than the fans. personally, even though the blogs can be a lot more ribald than the sport columns in the paper, I tend to gather alot more information from them. Sometimes i think I'm learning too much about this game and wish I could enjoy it like a newcomer. Back to those time where I was just mesmerized by the speed, skill, hitting and morons on the other team. thanks for responding, Rich

Somehow, I think the best justice to this insulting, and female-hating clown that owns this website, was the schooling that the "Sedin Twins" did of his team yesterday. Obviously, this guy is not a "visionary sport leader", the true value must be in other sensible people such as @Rich.

in the same world where the Canucks show them all their cards in game one, the same world where you're allowed to count Chicago's post shots but disregard Vancouver's, and the same world where a deer in headlights can pitch a shutout; and the same world where you can somehow be so blinded by homerism that you can't notice anything wrong with any of that. don't worry, there are a few good Hawks fans out there.

Let me fix my math on that... 7 MINUTES MORE than the Sedins

I'm sure there are, but articles like this give fan bases, in general, a rotten taste in people's mouths

yeah.. I'm not sure I've ever seen an article this biased. I suppose I should've expected as much when it started by calling the Sedins the Tampon Twins. Sometimes I don't understand how people are approved to write articles.

you may have not agreed with the content, but it was a well written article. "Not being ready to play," and 'a poor effort" was what we typically read when the hawks lose. In the ebb and flow of a hockey game, one team generally dominates for stretches. As Tim accurately pointed out, your domination lasted 12 minutes. The Canucks were awesome during that time - but is 20 hits per period really sustainable - it wasn't last night. I realize you'll counter that you took your foot off the gas - sorry I'm not buying that excuse. He also noted from that point on that most of your good scoring chances were generated by odd man rushes that resulted from us not getting the puck deep. Not entirely accurate, but there is a modicum of truth to the statement. He may have gone over the top when he said Luongo's head looked like a weathervane in a tornado. But the image was quite funny. Again, from my perspective much more entertaining than the "We have to play for 60 minute crap," that so many writers cling to. By the way, for either team, it's nver a good sign when your goalie has to look behind him to look for the puck in a full blown panic. It's no secret that to have success against any NHL goalie you have to crash the net. so when Tim astutely points that out, you get your panties in a thither? Truth of the matter is, if two of our best d-men don't make that blunder on Hansen's goal, (I said before the series that guy scares me), It would have been a one goal game and you would have been trying to get another goal with your hands around your throats. Be real careful with that, "We can turn it on when we want to' attitude. Could come back and bite you. And one other thing, it looks like Tim made no spelling errors.

i'm thinking by one dimensional, most Blackhawk fans feel your scoring is going to come from your top line. I realize Kesler and Samuelson require some attention, :), but it's your first line that carries your team. as you point ou, our top guns got diddly squat as far as the score board went last night, but nothing in that game brought me to the point to think that we can't eventually crack the Great Italian goal tender. Not saying we're going to scor 7 goals on him, but the levee will break - hopefully Friday. By the way, if the Sedin's were in better shape maybe Vigneault would let them skatea little longer. When you go down 2-0 Friday, I'm thinking they'll be at 20 minutes

no one's saying if those post shots went in, we would have won. you had enough of your own. Just that they came awfully close. I'll take a shot off the post over a shot to the goalies mid section any day. Let's face it, your shot has to be pretty damn close to the post if you want to score in the NHL, 5-hole excluded. I liked your level headed response "Commish."

Have faith, my brother, and watch the replay if you recorded it. The results may not be to your liking, but the game itself was a decent start. Remember: last year in the *second* round, we lost to Vancouver in the first game 5-1. Took the series in 6. Friday will tell the tale.

You want to know what the Hawks game plan should be? Injure Canuck players and run Roberto Luongo. I am not sure if they can get away with running Roberto Luongo anymore since they changed his whole damn playing style just for the Blackhawks! Luongo use to come out and challenge shooters, which works well in the regular season when the referees enforce the rules on goalie contact, but then in the last 2 playoffs Luongo found out that if you are playing out of the crease against Chicago, the referees no longer seem to give you the interference calls (see Buf's beautiful pitchforking of Luongo into that goal). So Luongo plays back in the crease at all times so he doesn't get knocked off stride while trying to make saves. Not much you can do about that... On the other hand the Canucks (and in particular their defenseman) have been decimated injury wise heading into their last 2 encounters with the Hawks. Going into last years series Canucks had only 3 of their Dman (and 3 of their top 6 forwards) healthy. And by the end of the series the Canucks only had 2 top six D-men healthy! Knock out some Canucks defenseman with some cheap shots and that will get you back in the series. Troy Brouwer's a pretty mean slewfooter. I mean if the 3rd and 4th line can't score for Chicago then give them a new mission -- injure the Canucks! History has shown that a injured and hobbling Canucks team is no match for a an aggressive crease crashing Hawks team. So take the game at the Canucks an injure them!

Who's hatin'? I'm just telling it like it is. Nobody on our team lit the lamp, that's evident to anybody. Will our top guys break out? Will Vancouver's? I think there's a better chance Chicago's top guys start producing. They did the last two years. Plus, Chicago was able to shut down the 'Nucks stars all series long. Doesn't bode well for your chances.

You left out Henrik. 101 goals. 38.5%. Going to split hairs over that? Point being, last night they had 0%. The Blackhawks can, did, and will shut them down.

preach!