GAME #80 | Habs @ Blackhawks | APR. 9/14 | 7:30 PM ET
Apr 9, 2014 23:21:29 GMT -5
Post by seventeen on Apr 9, 2014 23:21:29 GMT -5
Then watch Budaj turn nothing into the winning goal.
We've moved up a notch over recent years....but we're still not the calibre of the Hawks.
Put both A-teams out there in a 7-game series....we're not winning it unless Price is unreal.
I don't think the Hawks are repeating this year. They're not the same team as last year's version, though I can't pin down why. They haven't won as much and as today's game showed, there are a lot of teams pretty close to them. Remember that they had their full line-up on defense and in goal. Yes, they were missing two outstanding players up front, but I don't think they're as airtight defensively as they were last year. We were missing, let's see, Markov, Emelin, Prust, Price and Galchenyuk. That's some pretty good puck movement, grit up front and, oh yeah, I don't think Price puts in a goal for them like poor Peter did. It's a good thing it wasn't a really meaningful game or it would haunt him.
Would I trade those five players for Toews and Kane? It would be close. I really like both Toews and Kane, but a goalie like Price is tough to come by, and this year's Markov and this month's Emelin are pretty far up the defensive quality scale. Throw in a gritty guy like Prust and a potential star like Galchenyuk and I don't think I make that deal, but it would be close. Which is a long winded way of saying that since the trade deadline, we have taken a huge step up the evolutionary ladder. We may even be a legitimate Cup contender. Depends on Price and Therrien, but we're close.