Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
BRHL Home -> BRHL2 Message Board -> Main Board -> BRHL Playoff Preview: Chicago vs Minnesota
Post Info TOPIC: BRHL Playoff Preview: Chicago vs Minnesota
BluesGM


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 991
Date:
BRHL Playoff Preview: Chicago vs Minnesota
Permalink  

Chicago (50-24-6-2) finished second for team goals, just 2 behind Atlanta, but Vincent Lecavalier ran away with the Art Ross trophy with 115 points. Much of the credit can be due to Lecavalier finding a natural scoring partner in Alexander Frolov. Frolov finished second on the Hawks scoring list with 102 points. In total Chicago had five players (Lecavalier, Frolov, Alfredsson, Gaborik, Thornton) went over the point-per-game mark. If there is a concern, it's with the goaltending of Nicklas Backstrom who finished with a 3.14 GAA and .879 SV% in 67 games.

Minnesota (48-24-8-2) finished two points back of the Hawks and won't have home ice advantage in the playoffs. However, for a team that finished with two more wins on the road than at home, this could benefit Minnesota more. Rod Brind'Amour, acquired by Minnesota from Atlanta, led the Wild in scoring with 106 points. Steve Sullivan and Teemu Selanne, both with 87 points, finished 2nd and 3rd. If there's an edge going to Minnesota it is in net, DiPietro finished the season with a 2.75 GAA and .879 SV%. However, Backstrom does have the higher experience and leadership which could make up the difference.

Special Teams:

With all the firepower on the Hawks, you would expect at least a top 5 finish no? Well, the 13th ranked powerplay of the Hawks must improve, or else face an eventual upset. However, Alfredsson, Blake and Frolov all have 15 powerplay goals and should expect to be a threat in the playoffs. With the 9th best penalty kill, Chicago are decent allround, but need to be excellent in the playoffs.

Minnesota boast their 15 powerplay goal scorer in Ryan Smyth, a body Backstrom will have to get used to if the Hawks want to win. With the 5th best powerplay, they must hope that it is maintained, as Minnesota has the 24th ranked penalty kill. If the Hawks make this a physical series, the Hawks could goad the Wild into taking some dumb penalties.

In two regular season games this year, the series was tied 1-1-0 with both teams scoring 6 goals a piece. Chris Clark was the top scorer for the Wild with 3 points in the two games, while Vincent Lecavalier also had 3 points for the Hawks.

Where the series will be won or lost for:

Chicago
    - Won - If their stars play as a team, not as individuals
    - Lost - Poor performance from Backstrom, lack of an effective powerplay

Minnesota
    - Won - DiPietro manages to stop the potent offence of the Hawks
    - Lost - Veterans don't show up

Prediction

This will be a very entertaining series without question, I am always of the opinion that star power wins you games in the regular season but deserts you in the playoffs. I'm predicting Brind'Amour will be a key player in the series as Minnesota pull off an upset in 6.

__________________
HOTLANTA


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 2233
Date:
Permalink  

i totally agree with the brindy comment.. his defense and overall game paired with his insane experience and leadership.. his line will out play whoever they play against in my opinion.. (obviously unless they play a line with ales hemsky on it.. (ps hemsky lead brhl2 in assists this year and is 74 lmao ive never seen that in fhl) )



__________________
Hawks_G


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 861
Date:
Permalink  

I wouldn't consider Minny beating us an upset.....

__________________

xtremehockey.wordpress.com
WildJamie


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 143
Date:
Permalink  

I agree with George.  There is no potential for upset with this matchup.  Prior to the start of the season many people picked Chicago and Minnesota as two of the top 3 or 4 teams...  who would have thought one team would be guaranteed to be golfing after the first round!!!

__________________
BluesGM


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 991
Date:
Permalink  

well, not if it's a long series, but if chicago sweeps or wins in 5 i think it could be considered an upset...

__________________
WildJamie


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 143
Date:
Permalink  

Congrats to the Hawks on a good series win, and on winning the 2nd BRHL2 Cup...

Also, the horrible rates in this league strike again.  8-7 game?  When was the last NHL game that had 15 goals?  Goalie stats in this league are hilarious and are a direct result of horrible goalie rates and bad rates all-round....

__________________
BluesGM


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 991
Date:
Permalink  

Recap will be up shortly

__________________
Sabres_Luke


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1009
Date:
Permalink  

It has less to do with the rates, and more to do with the sim program. Most of the games are for more reasonable, and also, it's not like that's the highest in NHL history.

In the 82 playoffs there was a game where the kings won 10-8. Thats 3 more goals than this game.

Lol 1 series and the cup is already his? I think you're forgetting we are dealing with a sim program that spit out a 8-7 score.

I hope you have you back Minne, I hope it wasn't a hit it and quite it type of year.

__________________
"With Sid on your team, anything is possible" - Mario lemieux
Hawks GM 2


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 180
Date:
Permalink  

Congrats to Minny for a hard fought series!

Getting shut-out 7-0 and then having to outlast an 8-7 shootout certainly means that we have a couple of holes that we need to look at, and that you guys certainly exploited them!

Cheers,
Dave and George

__________________
Hawks_G


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 861
Date:
Permalink  

Sabres_Luke wrote:

It has less to do with the rates, and more to do with the sim program. Most of the games are for more reasonable, and also, it's not like that's the highest in NHL history.

In the 82 playoffs there was a game where the kings won 10-8. Thats 3 more goals than this game.

Lol 1 series and the cup is already his? I think you're forgetting we are dealing with a sim program that spit out a 8-7 score.

I hope you have you back Minne, I hope it wasn't a hit it and quite it type of year.


I don't consider us the favourite either.  Good series Minny, and hopefully a little rest will help us upcoming.


 



__________________

xtremehockey.wordpress.com
Sabres_Luke


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1009
Date:
Permalink  

Well I'd still consider you the favorite- along with 3 others very close behind, I just think it's a little early to crown someone champ, especially in a league such as this.

__________________
"With Sid on your team, anything is possible" - Mario lemieux
WildJamie


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 143
Date:
Permalink  

Yeah, there was a 10-8 game in the 80s.  Last I checked we were trying to simulate close to today's NHL.  If you don't think it is the rates, I will give you a link to a league that has rates that consitently produce NHL-like #s from all skaters and goalies.
And obviously I am not guaranteeing the Hawks to win the cup.  But I do think (as I did when the season started) that they will win it.  I don't think there is much else for competition in the West, and then one series against an Eastern team (who knows who that will be).
Although I guess I am contradicting myself in this thread.  Anything can happen with these rates and this sim!

__________________
BluesGM


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 991
Date:
Permalink  

but does a nhl team have joe thornton, vincent lecavalier, daniel alfredsson, marian gaborik, alexander frolov and marco sturm all on the same team though?

__________________
WildJamie


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 143
Date:
Permalink  

BluesGM wrote:

but does a nhl team have joe thornton, vincent lecavalier, daniel alfredsson, marian gaborik, alexander frolov and marco sturm all on the same team though?



No, but if they did and the other team had the mess of players we had, there would still not be an 8-7 game.  Why?  Because both teams also have good defence and starting goalies that have career save %s well over .900.
NHL teams that have stacked top 2 lines (sharks, rangers, avs, pens) still do not score 4 goals per game on a regular basis...  nevermind what happens in this league....



__________________
HOTLANTA


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 2233
Date:
Permalink  

the sharks have thornton-marleau-cheechoo-michalek-pavelski-setoguchi-clowe. roenick. grier.. . a little different than vinny-alffy-joe-gaborik-frolov-sturm-j.blake (with rates from his mid 30's goal year)-vermette-dumont.

joe = joe.. vinny - marleau hmmm???.. cheechoo- alffy hmmmm... michalek gaborik hmmm.. frolov - pavelski hmm.. setoguchi- sturm hmmm.. clowe- blake hmmm.. dumont- roenick hmmm.. grier - vermette hmmmm...


do we want to get into the defense with, vishnovsky-markov-bieska- moving the puck up the ice??

george has a loaded loaded roster as do 4-6 guys in this league.. obviously its hard to get identical stats to nhl with rosters that are so uneven, with som insane powerhouse's..


minny check the colorado columbus thread on how to handle defeat ;) :) lol



__________________
1 2  >  Last»  | Page of 2  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
BRHL Home -> BRHL2 Message Board -> Main Board -> BRHL Playoff Preview: Chicago vs Minnesota
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard