Define very good and how it applies to Andrew Shaw?

Do you mean a 'very good' 4th line player for the Hawks? Then yes, I agree. Anything more than that and he'll get exposed badly.

_________________
Team Cutler.

Its a shame that some of the other guys on this team ( Bickell, Frolik) don't have Shaw's want to ( does that count in hockey? I forget what sports it means nothing in , Ill have to listen between 1 and 6 and find out) That said, if Shaw is playing on anything above the 3rd line your team is probably in trouble. I mean theres a chance he can be a Marty St. Louis or Theo Fleury but its tough to be a force as undersized as he is.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

It means something in hockey, at least that's what Bernstein says.

So mote it be then.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Wait, do you mean the Martin St. Louis as in the dude who was just named the 15th best player in the NHL by his peers? If so, damn... I need to start paying attention to him...

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/4 ... -no-1.html

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

As a bottom-six agitator with a scoring touch and no fear of contact, Shaw is basically what we asked Dan Carcillo to be. You'd think this would've made Carcillo redundant, but oops, never mind. I'm fine with Shaw on a checking-with-some-scoring line, which is the kind of third line the Hawks should have. No, he shouldn't be in a top six on a playoff team, but neither should Andrew Brunette, yet here we are.

I still don't like the whole "oh noes Shaw scored now stupid people will think he's the best ever when he's not" conceit that's developing in opposition to the admittedly dipshit #ShawFacts hype. I mean, would you prefer that we not get production from the bottom six? I know his ceiling may be low, but I'd like him to play as close to that ceiling as he can, because he does things that other players don't deign to do, it's damn fun to watch, and it's ultimately good for the Hawks. I know he's just an overage 5th rounder and that doesn't project for a successful career, but Jesus Christ, that suppurating shitdick Alex Burrows came out of a fuckin' ball hockey league and now he's cleaning up for the Sedins and undressing bad defensemen for sudden death series-winning goals. Is it the worst thing in the world if he overcomes his humble origins and gets us 10 or 12 goals a year off the third/fourth line? Tallon is gone; everyone can't be a lottery pick. I know it's tiresome when players are ballasted on being A Great Story, but when you pull up some low-ranked prospect out of Rockford and he consistently finds himself in the right place at the right time on a team that's been afraid to be in the right place at any time, well, that is A Great Story. What Shaw has brought to the team has been vastly preferable to Carcillo repeatedly suspending himself, or Bickell avoiding contact for half the year, or Frolik not being able to do much of anything, beat writer/meatball (beatball?) fawning be damned.

_________________

There's no way he's going to be Martin St. Louis, though; what the hell is that, dude.

_________________

I doubt he will be, just covering my bases

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Since I don't know anything about hockey, I thought I'd ask much smarter hockey people. If Andrew Shaw maxes out every little bit of potential he has, would he be comparable to Versteeg?

No. Different roles. Versteeg has more finesse than Shaw and takes more risks (though what the fuck was up with some of those toe drags last night). I always thought of him as a poor man's Kane. They can both fill the same spot on the depth chart in Chicago, but Versteeg is capable of being the best winger on an awful team, as we're seeing in the Everglades. I don't think Shaw could score 70 points for the Isles or the Beej or whatever. He probably just is what he is.

_________________

Curious is near flawless in his responses here. What I like about Shaw is that there is effort (same reason I like Ben Smith and Hayes). That's what you're looking for from the bottom six. They are out there to chew up minutes and hopefully get a goal here or there. The fact that they keep the puck on the other side of the ice is a big bonus. It was a nice wrap around goal last night. Most guys either try to bring that to the near post or lose it off their sticks when coming around. He went far post, and it was a nice goal.

As for Keith, I am getting really sick of him being a merry go round. Obviously, O is awesome, but my goodness, this is happening way too often. I saw Leddy in the same situation later on in the game, and he put a body on O.

_________________
Hawaii (fuck) You

I think that's where I wanted to go with my question. Versteeg is way more talented than Shaw, don't get me wrong. But is Shaw's ceiling the 3rd line winger spot that Versteeg used to occupy?

I would consider it an honor to get facewashed by Mr Hair.










What?

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Well, since I just logged in and was going to respond to NS Dan's post, thanks for doing it for me

_________________
Not a mult.

Time for our sixth and final engagement with the worst team in the league! I hope it's not a trap game. By "trap game," I mean a game you get caught thinking you'll win easily, not a game where the other team runs the neutral zone trap, because something tells me we don't exactly have to worry about the Beej shutting us down with their stifling defense:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVe486gUXqw

baaaaahahahahahaha. Please make sure you watch that.

Though actually, ever since they sent Jeff Carter back into the loving arms of Mike Richards, they've been picking up a fair deal of points, I mean, for them, at least: 10 points of a possible 24, with a four-game winning streak against the Avs, Coyotes, Coyotes again, and Bro Party. They still have Vinny Prospal and Rick Nash, so I guess they can't be taken completely lightly. Still, the Hawks are in a position to sweep the entire six-game season series tonight, and enter this last game with an aggregate score of 26-9 over those five wins, so this really shouldn't have to be that hard. I think like 17 of those 26 goals were Stalberg's, too.

Hawks 7th in scoring at 2.973, Jackets 29th at 2.250
Hawks 23rd in goals allowed at 2.849, Jackets 29th at 3.139

Hawks: 40-25-8 actual record (88), 35-29-9 adjusted (79), 76.37 expected points
Beej: 23-42-7 actual record (53), 19-44-9 adjusted (47), 46.92 expected points

Columbus has 53 points on the year. Worst record since the lockout belongs to the 2007 Flyers, with 56. They need to be held to two points in ten games, though even if they tie, they'll still likely finish with fewer outright wins than the Flyers did. Can they do it? Let's help!

SCOREBOARD WATCHING

Coyotes play the Stars tonight, winner moves into third place, which will be our likely opponent at the end. We should be rooting for the Stars here, for while the knuckle-dragging Stars are annoying and trappy, there's no one more obnoxiously smothering and talent-deficient than the Coyotes, who have been parking their asses in the neutral zone collecting $25 million a year in taxpayer bailouts for three years running. The Coyotes should've been dealt a glancing blow for their playoff chances, but that fuckhead Raffi Torres scored with three minutes left against the Oil and they won in the shootout, cheap bastards, and then the Sharks took one of their games in hand and pissed down their legs against the Ducks.

Sharks and/or Kings can help themselves get to third place with a win tonight, problem is I'll bet you anything Coyotes/Stars goes to a shootout and a loser point is dispensed.

Flames play the Avs for a shot at one of the playoff spots.

Jets have to go to Pittsburgh. Eek.

_________________

Columbus was my sleeper team this year to do well and make the playoffs. Ooops.

_________________
Team Cutler.

So was St. Louis, I remember because me and you went out on a limb with that one and Curious scoffed at us

You were on your own Columbus though

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Like I was supposed to know the Blues would fire their meathead coach and squeeze a career year out of Brian Elliott by virtually prohibiting all shots on goal. Come on. The Blues as initially constructed were a 12th place team.

_________________

Some people just know... like me and Dan...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

I can't hide from the Columbus thing though sadly. I don't know. Thought Mason would rebound and somehow Carter and Nash would have made it work. Real hockey dumb on my part.

_________________
Team Cutler.

I heard that like 75% of his goals this year came against the Blue Jackets... what a bitch...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

8 of 18, I think.

Three goals in the first ten minutes. #10 for Shaw, and the rare Brent Seabrook goal. This team blows. They should move.

_________________

You mean I've been watching the last 50 minutes of NHL live for no reason whatsoever? great...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Figures after all the periods of all the mind numbingly dull hockey Ive watched them play this year, these ungrateful cocksuckers put up a 3 spot in the 1st period which I of course didn't get to see

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

The hell is wrong with the feed? Every camera angle looks good sans that one that actually matters...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Oops, forgot to tell you guys Columbus is on Eastern Time and it was a 6 p.m. start!

_________________

Let's not play the third period. Yeesh, this game has sucked since the Seabrook goal. Switched over to Winnipeg-Pittsburgh at intermission, probably not coming back.

_________________

Sharp blows on breakaways and he disappears at times but man can he shoot the puck.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

My lord the Jackets are so fucking horrible they make even the Hawks pp look good.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Well the Hawks are at 90 points, Dallas is beating the Yotes, and the Earlers are laying the smack down on the Preds . The Preds and the PT Deadwings both have a game in hand, but with the Hawks only two points behind (if Edmo doesn't blow it) and playing 'em both down the stretch, things could get interesting

_________________
Not a mult.