x

Already member? Login first!

Comments / New

Observations From Section 321 : Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

If you frequent Twitter, you would think that a majority of Chicago hockey fans thought the Blackhawks would go 16-0 in the playoffs and win every game by at least 4 goals. Well, that just isn’t going to happen. If you didn’t think the Detroit Red Wings were going to respond with their best effort today, you have not been paying attention. There is too much veteran leadership on this team to just roll over and die just because the Blackhawks kicked the crap out of them on Wednesday night. The Hawks played their best game of the post season in Game 1, which forced the Wings to play their worst game of the playoffs. Saturday was the exact opposite happened and a complete role reversal occurred on the ice. The Wings looked like the superior team,and took advantage of numerous Hawks defensive lapses to even up the series heading back to Detroit. Monday will be the biggest game for the Hawks since Game 7 of the 2011 Vancouver playoff series. The winner of Game 3 will not guarantee themselves a series win, but they will make their path a whole lot easier. You’ve got two of the best coaches in the game today going head to head. Game 3 will be Coach Q’s chance to make the adjustment. I predicted this series to go six games, and I didn’t waiver after the Hawks Game 1 performance. The Wings are going to give us a series and not just let the Blackhawks steamroll them right out of the Western Conference.

* I wrote the other day that the way Andrew Shaw embracing the role of the “playoff troll’ would make it easier to trade Dave Bolland in the summer. It should be easy to trade Dave Bolland because he is terrible. And Andrew Shaw is flat out hard to watch on the ice at times.

* We didn’t lose Game 2 because Viktor Stalberg was a scratch, but he better be dressed come Game 3. You can’t tell me his size and speed can’t create something positive. If I were Q, and I’m not, Stalberg and Ben Smith play and Game 3 over Shaw and Daniel Carcillo.

* Johnny Dduya and Michal Rozsival have been the best defensive pairing in this series. If you need more proof, just look at the Corsi numbers.

*Speaking of Corsi numbers, the 2nd line was absolutely terrible today.

* Woohoo! Brendan Smith had redemption and scored the game winning goal in Game 2. Patrick Sharp being lazy on defense was the main reason for that goal. By the end of series, Smith will be responsible for more goals for the Blackhawks than goals against them.

* Daniel Cleary is awful.

* Loved how NBC fell in love with Henrik Zetterberg and the defensive job he did on Jonanthan Toews. It’s very easy to be a “shutdown defensive player” when you are allowed to cross check players in the back of the neck.

Blackhawks Corsi Numbers

Player Pos ES TOI Total Shots For Total Shots Against Corsi Net Zone Starts Adjusted Corsi
Duncan Keith D 17:59 8 20 -12 +1 -12
Niklas Hjalmarsson D 15:59 7 18 -11 +1 -11
Brent Seabrook D 14:13 9 13 -4 +1 -4
Nick Leddy D 13:40 8 13 -5 +1 -5
Patrick Sharp R 13:45 7 14 -7 0 -7
Daniel Carcillo L 7:40 3 6 -3 0 -3
Marcus Kruger C 9:29 6 6 0 0 0
Jonathan Toews C 15:57 19 7 +12 +3 +11
Brandon Saad L 13:58 19 7 +12 +2 +11
Michal Handzus C 13:01 6 17 -11 0 -11
Johnny Oduya D 16:59 21 9 +12 +1 +12
Bryan Bickell L 12:07 7 14 -7 0 -7
Michal Rozsival D 18:25 21 11 +10 +1 +10
Dave Bolland C 10:18 8 12 -4 0 -4
Andrew Shaw C 11:29 7 15 -8 +1 -8
Michael Frolik R 9:09 6 3 +3 -1 +3
Marian Hossa R 13:50 17 9 +8 +3 +7
Patrick Kane R 15:12 6 16 -10 +1 -10

Red Wings Corsi Numbers

Player Pos ES TOI Total Shots For Total Shots Against Corsi Net Zone Starts Adjusted Corsi
Brendan Smith D 14:42 15 13 +2 +1 +2
Jakub Kindl D 14:54 13 9 +4 -1 +4
Justin Abdelkader L 13:40 21 6 +15 -2 +16
Daniel Cleary R 13:29 10 17 -7 -2 -6
Pavel Datsyuk C 14:23 20 9 +11 -2 +12
Gustav Nyquist C 11:34 9 9 0 0 0
Patrick Eaves R 7:16 3 3 0 0 0
Drew Miller L 9:25 4 5 -1 0 -1
Damien Brunner C 13:15 8 8 0 0 0
Cory Emmerton C 7:23 3 4 -1 0 -1
Kyle Quincey D 14:33 15 10 +5 +1 +5
Carlo Colaiacovo D 14:34 11 13 -2 -1 -2
Henrik Zetterberg L 15:29 10 19 -9 -1 -9
Valtteri Filppula C 15:03 10 17 -7 -1 -7
Jonathan Ericsson D 19:36 14 15 -1 -3 +0
Niklas Kronwall D 18:54 16 14 +2 -3 +3
Joakim Andersson C 11:51 9 7 +2 0 +2
Johan Franzen C 13:09 19 7 +12 -1 +12