NHL Analyst Rips Chicago Blackhawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks are set to play the Edmonton Oilers during the play in round of the 24 team playoffs. While the team has looked pretty good so far, they took a huge blow at the start of training camp as they'll be without one of their key pieces against the Oilers. Starting goalie Corey Crawford was deemed "unfit to play" and will more than likely miss the entire playoffs. This puts the Blackhawks in a really bad place and having to lean on Malcolm Subban or Colin Delia as their starting goalie. Because of this NHL analyst Mike Kelly believes they have zero chance of taking down the Oilers. Check out his recent comments:«If Corey Crawford does go and he plays at his best — and I think he was really good this year, I think he was a Top 10 goalie this year — then I think the Hawks have a chance to be competitive in the series.
«So now we remove him from the equation, and you are left with Malcolm Subban, who I think of goalies in the NHL is probably a Bottom 5 goalie, and then you start going to guys who aren't in the NHL…. (The Blackhawks) have virtually no chance without Corey Crawford.«Crawford was the one — and Lehner when he was there obviously — that was the redeeming quality to allow this team to be competitive. They're a good offensive team. They can score. You guys know that. I don't evaluate any facet of the game by one thing. I don't look at, �Oh, your differential here or your shot total here means this.' There's more than goes into it than that for me. But I can say unequivocally that the Blackhawks are the worst defensive in the National Hockey League this year, in terms of what they allow, where they allow it, how they allow it.»«There's nothing to me intimidating about playing against that blue line in Chicago's end. They're not going to push you off the puck. They're not going to be physical on you, as a whole. I think they're a light team to play against in that sense. I don't think other teams comes in worried about having space in the offensive zone, or winning battles. Teams are able to funnel pucks into the quality scores areas of the ice easier against Chicago than anybody else, create these chances, go across the dots, create these lateral plays, and what you end up with in expected goals, which is basically Grade A chances for traditional hockey fans, they give up a ton.
Ouch, what do you think of these comments?Do you really think it's that bad without Crawford?
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