2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs (predictions and discussions)

They overpaid him a little, but he should be solid for next 3 seasons. After that they can dump him like Vancouver did with Luongo. That guy is signed through 22.

 

Best management group in the league, even the best make mistakes. I don't think Crawford is bad but he can be easily replaced at 3 to 4 mill IMO, and the data you usually like backs that up.

I mean Bowman's no Milbury but really, who is.

 

You don't pay 6 million for solid.

 

Well alright, Kings.

 

This. The deal was $6 million for six years, no? Regardless, my eyebrows raised at the time it was announced. I've come around on Crawford a bit this season but he's still overpaid.

 

They'd also still be playing if he had provided solid goaltending in that series.

 

I'd still take Sid but the gap between the two has narrowed significantly enough I had to think about it.

 

Disagree. No way I'm blaming all of it on Crawford.

 

LA would have rolled over Minnesota in the WCF if he hadn't been exemplary in the series before.

 

OK, where would you put most of the blame?

Crawford had a sub .900 save pct in this series. Even average goaltending and Chicago advances.

Rick is right, he played very well against Minnesota but he was not good at all against the Kings.

I think very few goalies are worth that type of money these days and I don't think Crawford is one of them. In The Hawks two cup wins they have gotten great value at the position for what they paid, that changes now.

 

For starters, overall performance in its own zone. There's your "most" of the blame. Specifically, I'll call out Seabrook for poor play at times. Elsewhere, Hossa was a total no-show as was Kane until someone lit a fire under his arse late in the series.

I didn't say Crawford was great, he wasn't. But to lay it all on him is unfair.

EDIT: In addition, to say he wasn't good at all against the Kings is unfair.

 

Goals go in does not mean a knee-jerk reaction must go on the goalie.

If I must "blame" anyone, I blame Seabrook, Leddy and Oduya, none of whom had particularly good series. I thought Hossa was fine outside of a lack of finishing. Kane is Kane: He's going to float and float and float and then once in awhile he'll end up with the puck in open space and do something amazing.

The whole rush to blame and point out mistakes is silly, though. The two best hockey teams in the league played a dead-even series and in overtime of the seventh game, one of them got one extra bounce.