Comments on: Bolland’s Bad Back Is A Real Concern http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/al-cimaglia/4985/ NHL hockey blogosphere of your favorite team rumors, trades, opinion, recaps, previews and news Thu, 17 May 2012 10:41:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Al Cimaglia http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/al-cimaglia/4985/comment-page-1/#comment-996 Al Cimaglia Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:52:51 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=4985#comment-996 Steve, Thanks for keeping things in perspective...I will have to work on a by the word deal. Steve,

Thanks for keeping things in perspective…I will have to work on a by the word deal.

]]> By: steve from chicago http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/al-cimaglia/4985/comment-page-1/#comment-995 steve from chicago Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:16:16 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=4985#comment-995 I hope you are getting paid by the word. The biggest story here in my opinion is the lofty expectations for a franchise that is in the middle of a 40 year rebuilding program. Until you came around a couple of season's ago there was nobody blogging about this team anywhere unaffiliated with the Hawks. Hockey Buzz, Hockey's Future etc. Now everyone sees that Huet is weak up high, Kane floats a bit, Campbell hit the lotto, Keith is underpaid and there is a big bad salary cap that tears apart teams that through years of tanking end up with lots of NHL quality guys on a roster all at the same time. Expectations are sky high which is great but this is the Chicago Blackhawks not the Detroit Redwings. They were above .500 for October for what? The second time in 10 years? With as you have accurately pointed out, both of last year's top performers gone and not replaced. I heard Darren Millard rave about how dominant the Hawks D was last week in Phoenix in the lost but I read on the Daily Herald blog about how Sopel, Hendry, Barker and Campbell don't have any hockey IQ and should be dealt for Kaberle, Volchenkov and add the rumor of the day. Huet is the most hated Hawk now. His sin? Signing a deal on the table. Is he playing great? No, he's never been great.  Watch any Pittsburgh lately? Without Malkin and Gonchar that team lokos like they  may not win a game. The Hawks without Toews and Hossa, still above .500. It's possible with continued injuries and shaky goaltending that this team misses the playoffs in the brutal West where last year's bad teams are tough and last year's good teams are tougher. I'm 45 and I have been watching this team closely from the time I could see and with the exception of that brief time in the early 80's and a bit in the early 90's this current edition is far and away the best. Legit Cup contenders if they get a couple of bounces. Keep up the fine analysis and I will see you on the other end of this when the team settles back to earth and the Johnny Come Latelys are back with the Bulls and Wolves.    I hope you are getting paid by the word.

The biggest story here in my opinion is the lofty expectations for a franchise that is in the middle of a 40 year rebuilding program.

Until you came around a couple of season’s ago there was nobody blogging about this team anywhere unaffiliated with the Hawks. Hockey Buzz, Hockey’s Future etc.

Now everyone sees that Huet is weak up high, Kane floats a bit, Campbell hit the lotto, Keith is underpaid and there is a big bad salary cap that tears apart teams that through years of tanking end up with lots of NHL quality guys on a roster all at the same time.

Expectations are sky high which is great but this is the Chicago Blackhawks not the Detroit Redwings. They were above .500 for October for what? The second time in 10 years? With as you have accurately pointed out, both of last year’s top performers gone and not replaced.

I heard Darren Millard rave about how dominant the Hawks D was last week in Phoenix in the lost but I read on the Daily Herald blog about how Sopel, Hendry, Barker and Campbell don’t have any hockey IQ and should be dealt for Kaberle, Volchenkov and add the rumor of the day.

Huet is the most hated Hawk now. His sin? Signing a deal on the table. Is he playing great? No, he’s never been great. 

Watch any Pittsburgh lately? Without Malkin and Gonchar that team lokos like they  may not win a game. The Hawks without Toews and Hossa, still above .500.

It’s possible with continued injuries and shaky goaltending that this team misses the playoffs in the brutal West where last year’s bad teams are tough and last year’s good teams are tougher.

I’m 45 and I have been watching this team closely from the time I could see and with the exception of that brief time in the early 80′s and a bit in the early 90′s this current edition is far and away the best. Legit Cup contenders if they get a couple of bounces.

Keep up the fine analysis and I will see you on the other end of this when the team settles back to earth and the Johnny Come Latelys are back with the Bulls and Wolves.
  

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