To make a playoff run the Hawks will have to be fully dialed in, even though they may not be facing a team with the depth of the Philadelphia Flyers in an early round. In the post season many times the play of the third and fourth lines can be the difference. 

My intent is not to dismiss Jack Skille or Viktor Stalberg as NHL players. Both could end up with long successful careers. They appear to put forth effort although often the wrong kind of effort. Both are young and maybe someday can become solid top six forwards, but not for this season in Chicago. 

Skille and Stalberg are in a difficult position. They were groomed to be goal scorers. It often appears they still strive to be goal scorers’ first and as result aren’t effective players. They are in a tricky position because no matter how much they tell themselves their job is to play a fourth line role, it’s hard to take the spots off a leopard. 

Old habits die hard and when a player is only getting six or seven minutes of ice time their youth and inexperience takes hold. 

A fourth line player doesn’t normally take a total of 115 shots in 45 games like Skille. A fourth  liner is concerned about making sure the puck gets out of his zone as quickly as possible and that it stays in the offensive end of the ice for as long as possible. 

The aim of Skille and Stalberg should not be to resemble a top six forward. They have a different role with a different purpose.  

The Hawks appear to have a solid third line with Pisani-Bolland-Bickell. 

With his salary cap situation it isn’t very likely Stan Bowman will be able to acquire a big name to help in a playoff run. 

It is doubtful the top six forwards will change. Even though it’s nice to daydream about a very good second line center being acquired, the likelihood of such a deal is slim.

But… 

The Hawks’ fourth line can be improved before the trade deadline. 

Jake Dowell isn’t an issue. He knows his role and has been a steady contributor. 

In 47 games Dowell has taken 50 shots and has notched 16 points. 

Skille has played in 45 games and has taken 115 shots. He has scored 7 goals and has been credited with nine assists.  

Skille has taken more shots than Tomas Kopecky(112), despite playing in three fewer games. Also Skille gets about 50% less ice time when he does dress. 

Skille has also recorded 20 more shots than Bryan Bickell and 10 more than Troy Brouwer. 

Skille, like Stalberg hasn’t been able to consistently perform like an effective fourth line player. 

Stalberg has more NHL experience but hasn’t played as long in the Blackhawks’ organization. For now Stalberg may get the benefit of doubt. But at this point the intent of some fourth line players appears to be off the mark. 

Last season the Blackhawks had the best fourth line in hockey and the best third line as well. 

In a fourth line role Ben Eager accumulated seven goals and nine assist in 60 games in the 2009-2010 campaign. The fourth line was able to change the momentum of a game and was defensively responsible. 

Eager took a total of 68 shots in 60 games and had a 10.3% shooting percentage.

Eager was also a punishing forechecker and would regularly rattle the glass with crunching checks. 

Skille’s shooting percentage is only 6.3%, sometimes more shots doesn’t translate into additional goals. Last season Eager scored as many goals as Skille has today on 47 fewer shots. Obviously Eager was a better forechecker and a more complete fourth line player as well. 

A solution… 

Stan Bowman has three second round draft picks and two in the third round for this summer’s NHL Entry Draft. When it comes to valuable trade bait, Bowman has draft picks to spare. Now he has to find a team in the rebuilding stage which has what the Hawks need. Bowman can improve his club without sacrificing valauble early round draft picks, middle round selections could be all that is needed.

My preference would be to acquire an older player that understands his role and has battled hard to get to the NHL. He wouldn’t look to be more than a solid fourth line player. 

Another necessary requirement would be to have a physical presence and not be afraid to drop the gloves if needed.  But the player acquired would have to be able provide quality minutes, he wouldn’t need to fight to keep his lineup spot. Lastly if the player could win faceoff’s and put in some shifts on the penalty killing unit all the better. 

A team like the Islanders could be looking to stock pile more draft picks and they have a player which could make a big difference for the Hawks. Possibly Garth Snow would look at Skille as a possible top six winger.  

A player similar to Islanders’ center Zenon Konopka is someone Bowman should be looking to acquire. 

Konopka understands his roles as he has bounced around the minors for almost a decade before playing regularly last season with Tampa Bay. 

Konopka tangled with Eager last year and came out on the short end. But usually he at least holds his own and isn’t reluctant to fight.  According to drop your gloves.com Konopka fought 36 times last season and has had 14 bouts this season. Under Joel Quenneville, Konopka would learn to not always end up in the penalty box. His role in Chicago would be to play good hockey first and not look to initiate fights very often. 

Konopka isn’t the biggest player but he can provide physicality and effectively play around 12 minutes per game in a fourth line role. He can also help the PK unit and is currently ranked sixth in the league in faceoff percentage(58.6%). The only Hawks’ center better on draws is Jonathan Toews (58.7%), but no other center is close to Konopka’s winning percentage.

Acquiring Konopka, or someone similar, would change the complexion of the Blackhawks. The Hawks would have a more physical presence while having an effective fourth line. A player with a $600,000 salary cap hit is well within reach for Bowman. 

Konopka and Skille have the same cap hit. The only difference is Konopka will be  a UFA while Skill will become a RFA on July 1. Maybe Konopka’s contract status will be motivation for Snow to deal him before the deadline. 

The Hawks need to win more faceoffs and Konopka will help. My thinking is Dowell can slide over and play wing. 

Konopka is what he is, not a goal scorer, but a good physical grinder. He has battled many years to get to the NHL, coming to a playoff team would be like winning the lotto. 

Acquiring a fourth line player who would understands his purpose should be Bowman’s goal. A modestly priced played like Konopka could make a significant difference. 

A look back and ahead… 

The Blackhawks played a defense first puck possession style during the opening period on Sunday. The Hawks had the better of the play and if not for some good goal tending by Sergei Bobrowski could have been ahead on the scoreboard. Unfortunately the Flyers opened the scoring in the first few seconds of the middle frame and the Hawks were never the same. 

The goal came about because the Hawks were outbattled for a lose puck in the goal mouth area. From that point on they appeared a step behind the Flyers and a bit tentative at times. 

Corey Crawford needed to have a top effort for his team to come away with two points but wasn’t at his best versus the Flyers. More than anything else the Flyers ramped up their level of play and the Hawks couldn’t keep pace. At this point Philly is the deeper, better team. 

There is no shame in losing to the Flyers. They could be the best club in the NHL, if not they are certainly among the elite teams in the league. The Hawks have been better in the last month but they still have more work to do. 

On Sunday, the Flyers were able to accomplish what last year’s Blackhawks could do consistently. After the opening twenty minutes, Philly was able to get the Hawks to play their style of game. The Flyers controlled the puck and the tempo. The flow of the game and the Hawk’s attack did an about face and the Flyers were able to skate out of town with a well deserved two points. 

One of the reasons the Hawks couldn’t maintain a crisp puck possession game was because they couldn’t win faceoffs. At about the midpoint of the second period the Flyers had won 11 of 12 faceoffs in that stanza. To be successful the Blackhawks must control the puck because they couldn’t outfight the big Flyers. As faceoffs were lost the Hawks became the chasing team and goals against soon followed. 

Either the Blackhawks shooting accuracy was off or the scouting report on Bobrowski wasn’t on target. The Hawks, especially Patrick Kane, were trying to go high glove side on the Flyers’ netminder. Bobrowski’s glove hand was good as was the rest of his game. 

I mentioned on Saturday Quenneville would probably insert John Scott into the lineup for the Flyers. 

Scott had a great opportunity to score the first goal of the game, or at the very least to direct the puck towards the Flyers’ net. But Scott did neither. 

The word was Quenneville penciled Scott into the lineup at the last minute after Dan Carcillo was listed to play. Skille drew the short straw and was scratched. 

Scoring a goal is unlikely for Scott but what he usually does provide is a fight partner for Bryan Bickell, Jake Dowell or Troy Brouwer. When the Flyers felt like a dust up they called on Bickell and Dowell. 

Who wants to fight Scott? There is an exception…….

Scott should buy Cam Janssen dinner and drinks this summer….A few times. 

Tonight the Hawks will continue their quest for a playoff spot by skating against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild trail the Hawks by only three points and have a game in hand. 

Quennevile should have his troops ready. The Hawks won’t want to head off on a long six game road trip after dropping two games on home ice. 

Al’s Shots

Obvioulsy Toews is playing hurt.

Hopefully, continuing to play now and in the All Star game doesn’t turn a manageable injury into a serious problem.

My own view on young prospects is I hesitate to get too high or low on them. My crystal ball is broken and predicting the NHL future for youngsters is an art as well as a science. Plus a little luck never hurts. 

Often to form an opinion, because I haven’t seen the prospects perform often enough, I take into consideration what others have said. To value an opinion, my criteria are that unless a person is paid to scout or is someone whom I know for sure understands the game…. I don’t pay much attention. 

Many times I can’t mention the name of someone giving me a valued opinion because they are paid by an NHL team. Chris Block at the Third Man In.com actually watches every Ice Hog game. He won’t write an opinion of a game until after he watches. So his blog is a good source for some Ice Hog info. 

Concerning Blackhawk prospects…. 

It would be wise to understand an organization will never talk down one of their own. If you hear any criticism coming from a GM take note, because you aren’t the only one listening. Actually if Stan Bowman says player X needs to work on a certain aspect of his game, the rest of the NHL already knows the same. 

Scouts are paid to figure out the puzzle first. They must determine if a high draft pick really has the potential to be a special player. When a scout has a solid opinion on a prospects’ NHL potential, then his organization can feel secure with making a trade. 

The Hawks pipeline of young talent appears to be clogged. It isn’t empty but there are only a few young players that may contribute at the NHL level this season or next. For now there are many who have disappointed and some which will be no more than a professional minor leaguer. 

Jeremy Morin and Nick Leddy lead the list of Hawk top prospects, unfortunately both are very young. Regardless, if Bowman is looking to bolster his big club he doesn’t have much choice but to turn to Leddy and maybe at some point Morin as well. 

It may cost the Hawks some money by burning a year off their Entry Level Contracts, but Bowman knows they are his best option without a trade. The Hawks need to make the playoffs. The amount of lost buzz and revenue if the Hawks don’t qualify for this post season will pale in a comparison to losing a year off of a couple of ELC’s.  

Trades are very difficult to make, especially so for Bowman who doesn’t have much cap space. Now there aren’t a lot of other choices for Bowman in Rockford besides Leddy and Morin. 

The Ice Hogs had one player chosen as an All Star, Brian Connelly who is a small offensive minded defenseman. Connelly is probably thought of as not NHL ready, otherwise he would have been called-up to Chicago. Maybe Connelly will get an opportunity at some point, or his destiny could be as an AHL player. Currently the organization views him as being better suited for the AHL. 

The Hawks have a big issue as many of their defensemen are very similar in size as well as the way they play. Except for Dylan Olsen, the others are smaller, more finesse players.  

One of the reasons why Garnet Exelby hasn’t been brought up is because he plays too slow. Exelby would bring a snarl but the Hawks brass must feel the trade off isn’t worth it. The Hawk offense needs to have defensemen which can pass well, play quickly and skate the puck out of trouble. Exelby falls short and he isn’t alone. 

All that needs to be said about other highly touted young prospects like Kyle Beach and Igor Makarov is they are not ready. As it stands today I’m not so sure either will be on the Blackhawk roster when camp breaks next summer. Some of the other Ice Hog forwards are most likely to be AHL fixtures or may wind up in Europe. 

There are other Hogs which have shown some progress like Shawn Lalonde and Ben Smith but they still need more work. 

Unless Bowman is going to give up his top prospects in a trade the Hawks don’t have many Ice Hogs which are considered close to NHL ready by other franchises. 

Another club may a take a chance on Kyle Beach for instance, but he is a project. There aren’t any Ice Hogs which Bowman would be willing to trade which can help another team reach the playoffs this season. Bowman would have to find someone to take a project off his hands. 

So when it comes to offering Ice Hogs as trade bait there probably won’t be many takers. This summer Bowman has decisions to make because some of his better young players are too much alike.  

Scouts lurking at the UC…..?? 

From the beginning of December until the trade deadline I take notice of which scouts are present at Hawk home games. Some teams like the Sharks and Islanders usually always have a scout stationed at the United Center. Most times when a scout is at a game it does not indicate a trade is coming.

Scouts attend Blackhawk games for a number of reasons. Chicago is a good place to hang out because it is centrally located. There are many AHL teams, besides the Ice Hogs and Wolves which are only a short trip away. Scouts can take in a number of games and just need to rent a car. 

At this point, there are not many teams which are in the seller category but the Hawk faced two this past weekend. Scouts were around for those games and were probably not very interested in the Hawks. Rather they were scouting the Senators and Islanders. I wasn’t at the game on Wednesday as there were a few more scouts in attendance. 

Maybe the weather might have had something to do with some scouts being present for the Colorado game. Maybe a few couldn’t get flights back out East because of the weather. Also, for whatever reason the Wolves played a matinee game on Wednesday and the Atlanta scouts could have hung around to watch. 

There was a rumor going around about Ben Eager coming back to the Hawks.

On January 7, Eager hit Colby Armstrong with a sucker punch to the head and received a match penalty. The Leafs were already leading the game 5-1 and scored four additional goals on the subsequent power play. 

Eager was wrong, but Armstrong should have gotten an Emmy, as he made the punch look much worse. Shortly after the game rumors began to swirl that Eager might be dealt. Maybe, but I don’t think so. 

I am not going to completely discount his trade possibility to Chicago because it may have been discussed. But Eager received a four game suspension. If Eager was brought in to add some muscle, there could be an issue. 

Another Eager mistake and his next suspension could be for six or eight games. Eager is a repeat offender and is on the NHL radar. His last suspension detracts from his trade value. If a team were to acquire Eager it is because they need him to play with an edge. Now Eager has to walk a fine line. 

The Colorado game and beyond… 

Finally the message hit home, at least for one game. 

The Hawks came out and pounced on the Av’s and captured two important points. It was also the second game they stormed an opponent to gain a nice lead in the opening twenty minutes. Although the Hawks still lead the NHL in goals allowed in the third period, they seem to have tightened thing up. In the last three games the Hawks have allowed only one goal in the third frame. 

It was mentioned here a few weeks ago that Dave Bolland is finally skating the way he once did. Bolland and his linemates have contained the opposition’s top scorers. The added bonus is the checking line has also scored a few goals. 

This is not the time to let up and Joel Quenneville is keeping his team focused. The Hawks have been practicing between games as the schedule has turned in their favor.  

The Predators will be on tap this weekend and the Hawks have the scheduling edge.  

Sunday night’s game will mark the fourth game in six days for the Preds. After Sunday night the Hawks will not return to action until the following weekend. That will give Quenneville an opportunity to have a few long practices next week.

The Hawks are still near the bottom of the league in penalty killing. They have been better of late and seem to have changed things up a bit. The PK would benefit if someone besides Jonathan Toews could win a faceoff. 

The Hawks still lead the Western Conference in games played. But after next week games in hand for opponents will shrink.  

Between this weekend and next the Hawks will have an opportunity to capture eight points, six versus division opponents. If they can snag wins against the Preds and Wings the Hawks would move a step closer to securing a playoff berth. 

Al’s Shots 

The Hawks need to stand up for themselves. Not necessarily to fight but to have a pack mentality as they did last season. 

With little time remaining in the Av’s game Adam Foote delivered a forearm shiver to the upper back of Jack Skille. Foote received a penalty, but not one Hawk, including Skille retaliated. 

What makes matters worse was Skille was already down on the ice when Foote unloaded. 

Foote plays with an edge but c’mon he’s about 50 years old…At least it seems. 

The Hawks need some snarl and it won’t come from dressing John Scott.

Last year the Wild might have led the NHL in concussions and they had Derek Boogaard on their roster. 

The other night was a perfect time to make a statement yet not one Hawk answered the bell. 

The rest of the league will continue to take liberties until as a GROUP the Hawks show some backbone.

The trade is now official as it has been reported the Hawks also received AHL right winger Joey Crabb from the Thrashers. Atlanta had to complete a side deal with the Sharks to get under the salary cap contract limit so the trade with Chicago could go through. 

Blackhawk fans should keep in mind Assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is very familiar with Atlanta’s AHL pipeline. 

Rick Dudley snagged a player he always loved in Dustin Byfuglien, a warrior in Brent Sopel and big fast winger in Ben Eager. Akim Aliu is an enigma and it remains to be seen if he will have a NHL career. 

Bowman did well, as he traded a potential force in Byfuglien but also shed three others which weren’t in the Hawks plans.  

Eager was another potential Hawk RFA who was arbitration eligible.  As we discussed yesterday it appeared the Hawks would package a player which wasn’t a restricted free agent (Byfuglien) with someone who was (Eager). Bowman was able to include another larger salary in Sopel.

Eager has a lot of skill for a big man and he could flourish with more ice time. Possibly in Atlanta he could have more goals than fights which would probably make him very happy. As long as Eager can avoid concussion problems he could have a successful NHL career.  Realistically the Hawks can’t pay much over $1 million to fourth line players so Eager was probably a cap casualty.

Sopel went out with flying colors as he played his best hockey in this year’s post season. Once again his salary was too high, especially for a number five defender. Sopel will help the Thrashers.

Aliu didn’t finish the year in the AHL and was demoted to ECHL. I don’t know why he was shipped out of Rockford but it wasn’t because he was doing fine work.

Aliu has the size and skill to be an NHL player but for now he is only a prospect. He was always one of the best Hawks in prospect camp. But when Aliu played against men instead of boys he didn’t make an impact.

Byfuglien is the player that could make Bowman regret June 23, 2010, but he also hasn’t fulfilled his potential.

There are not many players which can go from offense to defense back to offense on a very talented team and do a good job. If Byfuglien can bring his ‘A’ game on most nights, he could turn into an All-Star. The rub is his best efforts don’t happen often enough.

Maybe if the rumors are correct and Hawks assistant John Torchetti takes over behind the bench for the Thrashers, he will help Byfuglien stay focused. Atlanta is the perfect setting for big Buff to shine or fade away, time will tell.

I never spoke very often to Dudley but we did chat about Byfuglien a few years ago. My thinking at the time was Buff should play offense as he was a too loose back on the blueline for my liking.

The astute Dudley disagreed and commented if Byfuglien could improve on defense he would be a force. With his size, speed and shot Byfuglien could play 25 minutes a night as a defender. Former Hawks head coach Trent Yawney, who helped develop Buff shared the same thinking as Dudley.

So don’t be surprised if Byfuglien moves back where he is most comfortable and plays defense. He is going into the last year of his contract and should be motivated to have a great season.

What’s Next ? 

Let’s keep this as simple as possible and take a look at what Bowman accomplished from a cap standpoint.

For next year Eager will be replaced by Bryan Bickell, net cap savings $250,000 est.

Next season Sopel is replaced by Jordan Hendry, net cap savings of $1.6 million est.

For now Byfuglien is replaced by Reasoner, so there is a $1.85 million salary cap difference between the two players. 

Approximate salary cap space created is $3.7 million. 

This gets more complicated as actually Byfuglien could be replaced by Kyle Beach and Reasoner is a likely replacement for John Madden. But for now simple is best as there will be additional moves to follow. 

Stan Bowman is not done but at least now he has some options. He has acquired additional draft picks which could be used in a trade. He also has some cap space to make qualifying offers, although it might not be enough. 

Unless another decent size salary disappears, not including Cristobal Huet’s cap hit, it doesn’t appear likely both Niklas Hjalmarsson and Antti Niemi can be re-signed.  

Whispers have indicated there haven’t been any contract negotiations between the Niemi camp and the Blackhawks as of yesterday.

It may come down to Hawk management deciding on keeping either Kris Versteeg or Antti Niemi. My belief is everything possible will be done to retain Hjalmarsson.

We should find out shortly which restricted free agents the Hawks will qualify as Monday’s deadline is rapidly approaching.  Andrew Ladd, who is popular player in the dressing room, is also awaiting a qualifying offer.

If Niemi’s contract haggling ends with an arbitration hearing he would be awarded a one year contract and then would become a unrestricted free agent. That is not the best outcome for the Blackhawks. 

When all is said and done the Hawks could have a goal tending tandem of Corey Crawford and someone like Marty Biron for next season.  Niemi may cost the Hawks close to $1.5 more than Biron, maybe more.

The big question would be if the reasonably priced Crawford ($750,000) is ready to be a NHL starter. It Niemi is not in the Hawks future plans both top teams in the Western Conference would have new starting goalies for next season.

If the arbitrator leans favorably toward the Cup winning Niemi he could be awarded a contract for over $3 million.

Bowman knows the same…

Al’s Shots 

Duncan Keith isn’t a very good public speaker but he is the best defenseman in the NHL.

Congrats go out to Keith for being awarded the Norris Trophy.

It was nice to hear Keith acknowledge the positive influence of former Hawk head coach Yawney.

Admittedly I was rooting for Keith, having seen him develop over the years. There were many nights he was the only Hawk on the ice worth watching.

It looks like Drew Doughty could win the Norris a few times in his career. He might be a larger version of Keith.

Someday Mike Green could win an award but it probably won’t be for being the top defensemen in the NHL.

Green has impressive stats but he can’t match up with Keith or Doughty when it comes to defensive prowess. One day the NHL may have an award for the best offensive defensemen and then Green would be the favorite to take home that honor.

There isn’t a head coach in the NHL which wouldn’t pick Keith or Doughty over Green to be on the ice in the last minute of a close game.

No defenseman has played more hard minutes the past two years than Keith. He is a unique physical specimen as his motor never stops running. The only thing Keith lacked was an offensive presence. Since Joel Quenneville has arrived Keith’s offense has really improved.

Colin Frasor has been traded to Edmonton. 

To my surprise, Frasor was dealt for a sixth round pick in this weekend’s draft. I thought the reasonably priced Frasor would be on the Hawks roster in the fall.

Dale Tallon has five draft picks in the first 50 selection.

I wonder what his next move will be.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

There is two extreme sides of the Chris Pronger coin that we saw flipped yesterday. With it, in that metallic shimmer, we got to peer beneath to see the true Flyer psyche in these Stanley Cup playoffs.

First it was the post-game 1 loss that had him dropping jokes, remaining light, if not full to the brim with bravado and confidence. By the end of game 2, we saw what it really was…a facade. A sham to mask the fear that the Flyers are outclassed, time is running out, and they do not have what it takes to hold on in this most desperate hour.

Pronger acting as if he's in an Old Spice commercial (image - PhillyFanForums)

You’d think, losing the two games in Chicago, would be livable, heading back to the city of brotherly love. Several factors argue that this is not the case, including Chris Pronger’s unraveling and his Cybil-like turn on the press after game 2. That mask of fase bravado was sheared away by reality…

They faced a beatable and flawed Hawks team who has not settled in, and failed to grab even one game. There was anger in Pronger, the kind of anger that bespoke of missed opportunity, that he…for all his leadership skills, is not in control, and the Flyers head home with a heap of pressure on their shoulders.

If the Flyers drop either of their home games later this week, it is over for them. They will not recover.

The problem here, despite Neimi’s stalwart turn in game 2, the Flyers have faced a Chicago team who is not firing on all cylinders. Kane, Toews and Byfuglien have been MIA.

Both third periods saw the Hawks settle in enough to take over and seal deals. In Philly, they come two games up and a thrown towel to indicate Pronger is melting into a pile of elbows and attitude. Flyer fans can spin this all they want, but Pronger has a history of playing off his emotional reactions. Last night was raw as it gets, and no amount of fan-propelled spin is going to make it all part of Pronger’s nefarious plan. He simply can’t play all positions on the ice.

Instead, much like Jack Nicholson at the end of A Few Good Men, he snarled at the CSN reporters … some of which hold Pultizer Prizes for investigative journalism. Pronger has a well-established history of blowing his cool, a far cry from his oily uber cool persona from earlier that day. He has a good recovery and sly wink after-the-fact, but in the heat of the moment, he is volatile, raw and can blow his top. Last night, he cracked more than the Liberty Bell.

Byplay with Tim Pannacio (hat tip to the always excellent new daddy, Puck Daddy)

What happened?

“I couldn’t hear him, I don’t speak gibberish,” said Pronger, who picked up a misconduct penalty at the very end and got into it with Eager.

Where’s the puck, Pronger was asked.

“It’s in the garbage,” Pronger replied. “Where it belongs.”

You shot a towel at Eager when he complained?

“So what,” Pronger replied.

You’re collecting pucks now?

“Why not? What’s wrong? It’s sitting there. What else is gonna happen to it? It’s sitting there. Sure, why not. You got a problem with that?”

Are you gonna sell it on eBay?

“I don’t know. Apparently, it got him upset. So I guess it worked, didn’t it? It’s too bad. I guess little things amuse little minds.”

Pronger is a small basket of emotional eggs, and last night they cracked for all to see…in game and outside the game.

Now, can he and the Flyers can be glued together again?

Emotion is always part of the playoffs, naked and palpable, it is plastered beneath playoff beards with the blood and sweat. It rides beneath the careful words and canned answers that come wrapped in team ribbons back to the press.

Last night, there was nothing but naked truth snarling and dismissing questions in Chicago. Naked truth that rides heavy upon the shoulders of a team headed home to open up their last stand as the Hawks, of course ever-the-predator, smell the blood besides the cheese steak.

The Hawks don’t have to play at a snail’s pace or become a trapping team, but they need to adapt because of injuries. 

Niklas Backstrom let in a couple of softies but the Blackhawks did what they must do from now on. 

Their game has to go north and south, everyone has to play north and south. 

All of the goals scored were an example of simple, aggressive, effective hockey.  

The line which usually plays a simple, hard checking game was the best last night. The fourth line of Colin Frasor, Ben Eager and Tomas Kopecky led the Hawks charge. Joel Quenneville recognized their effectiveness and rewarded them with extra ice time. 

It’s nice to see a player like Eager and the rest of the grinders rewarded. 

They do a lot of extra work polishing their skills and play the least amount of time. Quenneville does a good job of keeping them involved and compliments them when they fill their role. Hawk fans shouldn’t forget last year’s playoffs and the importance of the fourth line. 

Coach Q. made all the right decisions.  

He sat Adam Burish and the fourth line played their best game of the year. 

Dustin Byfuglien was back on defense and played well. To be effective Buff has to be involved and he seems to be more engaged when he plays the point. 

Now if he can only stop chipping pucks from behind the net to his own slot area…. Byfuglien has a good stick but has to be more conscious of the danger zones around his net. 

Playing Antti Niemi again was the correct choice as well. 

Niemi was not tested at all for a very long time and then made his best saves of the year in a crucial five on three penalty kill in the middle frame. Niemi stopped Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen and Koivu again while the Hawks were short two men. 

Maybe it won’t happen this post season but Niemi has the potential to be a top goal keeper. His ability to cover the bottom of the net is outstanding.

When Niemi doesn’t over play the puck and stays on top of the crease he is very difficult to beat. He still appears awkward at times but that’s his style. Tony Esposito had a different method too and he ended up in the Hall of Fame. Last night Niemi was confident, big and square to the shooter. 

The Wild best players were invisible for most of the game. The Hawks did a great job of playing team defense. 

Hawk fans have been shaken by the recent injuries and the post Olympic slump.  

But what should be remembered is there aren’t any unbeatable teams in the NHL. The Red Wings went into Edmonton a short time ago and lost. The Sharks played a non playoff team last night and were smoked by Dallas. 

If the Hawks stay determined the stars could still line up for them to get the top seed in the Western Conference. 

San Jose has five games to play, all but one against teams fighting for playoff position. The Canucks are on their schedule too. 

Only four of six Chicago opponents will be fighting for playoff spots. That list includes the last game against Detroit. The Wings may have nothing to gain by that time as their position could be etched in stone. 

Despite the slump the Hawks have the same amount of wins as the Sharks. If they finished tied in points and wins, the Hawks finish ahead of the Sharks because Chicago won the season series. 

Al’s Shots 

While blocking 19 shots against the Wild the Hawk showed their determination. 

The Hawks scored four goals without Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, Troy Brouwer and Kris Versteeg hitting the scoresheet.

The Hawks had 35 shots on goal. Only John Madden and Niklas Hjalmarsson didn’t have at least one shot on Backstrom.

I’m not a big believer in calling a diving penalty along with another infraction. It should usually be one or the other. 

Brent Seabrook deserved a hooking penalty to put the Hawks down by two players. But when Andrew Brunette felt Seabrook’s stick touch his gloves he hit the ice like he was struck by a sledge hammer. 

It happened a few feet from the official, and if that wasn’t embellishment they should eliminate the call entirely. 

I would stick with Niemi in goal at least until Tuesday’s game in Dallas. 

He is playing well and the Hawks don’t play back to back games until April 6-7. 

The Devils won’t be easy to beat on Friday night. 

But with a similar effort the Hawks have a good chance of getting points in New Jersey. 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

The other positive was Ben Eager answered the bell against Blues tough guy Cam Janssen. Eager probably wishes he never had to drop the gloves. I’m sure he would rather fight only a couple times a year and play a 3^rd line role and score some goals. Janssen fights because that is what he does best and he can take a punch like only a few can. 

Eager hit Janssen squarely with a bomb once, but it hardly fazed him. Although Eager doesn’t answer every challenge he has  fought all of the top sluggers in the Western Conference and has held his own. Eager’s tough guy performance shouldn’t be faulted but he is not a Matt Walker type. That isn’t his fault. 

Those fans which want to focus on only the positives can stop reading. 

Now for the real story… 

The Blackhawks were only partially engaged last night and as the game went on their interest and confidence appeared to wane. The response when they fell behind wasn’t that of a winning team. The best team won last night.

It’s difficult to blame a goalie for a loss when his team scores only two goals. But Antti Niemi wasn’t very good and was outplayed by the Blues Chris Mason. The third Blues goal should have been saved and probably at least one other St. Louis score as well.   

Niemi also doesn’t appear very confident and is over playing the puck. 

On the final Blues goal the Hawks had five skaters on the ice. Three of those players were guilty of mistakes. Brent Sopel was on the wrong side of the puck battle, Duncan Keith left the slot open and Patrick Sharp blew the coverage on Erik Johnson. Lastly Niemi didn’t come up with a big save, although it probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway. 

Mason did stop Marian Hossa on a breakaway while the score was tied at two….that was a huge save. 

The Blues still managed 30 shots on goals as the Hawks were only able to block seven of their attempts. On the flip side the Blues blocked 20 Chicago shots as Mason made 32 saves. 

Is that an indication of a more determined team? 

The answer would have to be…. yes. 

The Hawks scored by taking advantage of the Blues mistakes and being in the correct position to score. Hossa has been getting goals because he realizes where the best chances come from. You can’t score goals while facing the boards. 

The Hawks offense, if you want to call it an offense these days, has become cycle paralyzed. 

There are reasons to cycle the puck. 

The main reason is to create scoring chances from possessing the puck which then would lead to a good goal scoring opportunity. If a team can control the puck in the offensive zone they will give the opposition less opportunities to score against them, in theory. It is also very tiring to chase the puck.

When the Hawks were firing on all cylinders they got stronger as the game went on and their opponents weakened. That is no longer the case. 

Pat Kane and Kris Versteeg cycled themselves into submission for the most part but they did create a few good scoring opportunities. But the player that was on the receiving end of the set-up passes couldn’t finish and the line went scoreless. 

Dustin Byfuglien should be along the boards fighting for pucks or standing in front of the goalie. Byfuglien catching a pass in the slot area and scoring seldom happens. His strength is not scoring goals. Unfortunately Buffs screen setting ability is not the best either. Byfuglien is still trying to master the art of scoring from close in and he doesn’t deflect enough shots. He played with passion for the whole game and his effort shouldn’t be questioned. 

Byfuglien like other Hawks these days is being cast in the wrong role.  

Byfuglien shouldn’t be the finisher on a line with Kane and Versteeg. Interestingly Kane and Versteeg weren’t much of a threat to score last night. But the newly created line was a cumulative minus four. 

The Blues defense kept Kane and Versteeg along the boards and they weren’t able to set each other up. Their efforts led to some good scoring opportunities for Byfuglien who isn’t a goal scorer. 

Shortly after Troy Brouwer scored his 20^th goal of the season he seems to have disappeared.  

No longer is he in front of the net on the power play, somehow Brouwer has fallen out of favor. Maybe his demotion to the third line is deserved but Joel Quenneville doesn’t have a team loaded with finishers, despite what many think. Brouwer was a legit goal scorer in the AHL and at least was finishing a portion of his chances in the NHL. 

Byfuglien’s future in the NHL may turn out to be on the blueline.

Although he can’t turn and skate as well as top defenders he has shown more maturity on defense than in the past. Big Buff has a good stick and can use his strength to punish the other team. He also loves to shoot in space. Byfuglien shooting the puck at the point is probably his best chance of hitting the score sheet. By playing defense he could also get more ice time than playing on a third or fourth line. 

The Hawks are fortunate the Predators lost last night. 

The Central division title is now in jeopardy. The lead over Nashville is down to five points but they have played 78 games, three more than the Hawks. The bigger threat is the Red Wings who are six points behind and have played only one more game than the Hawks. Games in hand are only great as long as they are won. 

Not to pile on with more concerning news but Vancouver only trails Chicago by three points and have played one more game. It wouldn’t be good for the Hawks to finish with fewer points than the Canucks if Vancouver wins their division. 

Tonight the Blackhawks will use up a game in hand. 

Let’s see who shows up in Minnesota. 

Al’s Shots 

Questions for tonight… 

1. Should Cristobal Huet start tonight? 

2. Should Byfuglien stay on offense? 

3. Will Keith and Brent Seabrook still be split up? 

My thoughts… 

1. Yes….If Huet doesn’t start tonight he shouldn’t be on the team. Niemi wasn’t at his best and the Hawks have three games coming up in five days. 

2. No….Kim Johnsson hasn’t skated in a long time, as stated here awhile ago he probably is concussed. Byfuglien played fine with Nik Hjalmarsson all things considered, they should be hooked up. 

3. No….They should be reunited. Keith has looked worse than Seabrook since being separated. 

Play the third pair defenders about 10 minutes. Keith and Seabrook should play about 28 minutes. Buff and Hammer would get about 22 minutes of ice time….that would be my plan. 

Then get Brouwer up to the line with Kane and Versteeg…if those two are staying together. 

The Blackhawks marketing department may want to see more drama, but the Hawks need to step up tonight. 

Speaking of the Hawks marketing department…. 

Who would have approved the image used of Jonathan Toews on an Expressway mural? 

Not a good likeness. When things go bad they go bad…..

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

If the script to Lord Stanley’s Cup could be written there would be certain conditions a team would have to respond to in the regular season. The first would be adversity and the second would be desperation. In that way a club can be best prepared for the post season tournament. 

Up until recently the Hawks haven’t had much adversity to deal with the past two seasons.  Now with the loss of Brain Campbell for six or seven weeks as well as injuries to Kim Johnsson and Brent Seabrook the Hawks have found misfortune. So the adversity element is taken care of although probably to an extreme. 

A desperation mode needs to be created. 

If not so when it actually occurs in the playoffs the proper response might not be there. 

Last night the Hawks lost to the Coyotes because they were not desperate enough to win in the third period. 

No matter how much Hawk players may want to stay engaged they know they are going to easily win the Central Division. They also realize they will be no worse than a third seed for the playoffs. 

This is Joel Quenneville’s time to earn his paycheck. Whatever it takes in the last 11 games to force his young club to understand nothing can be taken for granted has to be done. 

With their current injuries the Hawks are a different team. Their transition game has suffered, offense is more difficult to generate and players are being asked to perform above their pay grade. Some of that won’t change during the opening round of the playoffs. 

Hawk fans shouldn’t want to hear anymore Harlem Globetrotter references, or talk of a high powered offense. Chicago will not scare most opponents now. 

With the current Blackhawks roster goals scored should be treated as a precious commodity. The value now more than ever has to be placed on team defense. 

A strong playoff bound team shouldn’t squander a two goal lead to a close competitor. The Blackhawks managed to blow two goal leads in Phoenix not once but twice. 

Ilya Bryzgalov was great when he had to be, but he left the door open for the Hawks. 

Andrew Ladd’s goal was very soft and a nice Patrick Sharp shot would normally be saved by Bryzgalov. 

It looked like the Hawks had the better goalie as Antti Niemi was solid. All they needed was to shut the Coyotes down in the last frame. 

Actually this is what I wrote on Friday in reference to the needed Hawk response in Phoenix… 

The Blackhawks will need another simple, effective effort featuring strong defensive coverage to be successful.  

Most likely the coaching staff was saying the same but unfortunately the message didn’t home. 

The Hawks can’t play the same way with a two goal lead as they can when behind.  This is especially so in the last period of a road game. They are too banged up to take chances and squander leads. 

The Hawks have to quickly learn to play the hand that has been dealt them before the playoffs begin. 

Their concentration wasn’t strong as the Hawks committed costly penalties. After they gave up the first lead and recaptured a two goal advantage the second time they still allowed a more determined Coyote team to tie the score. 

Another lesson learned?  We will see… 

Take nothing away from the well coached Coyotes but they are on a nice streak and luck is part of winning. 

If the Hawks had a full crew they may have won the game by three goals. Then again by not realizing they are not the same team they deserved the loss. At least the Hawks left town with a big point. 

The most disappointing part for them is not gaining a win after scoring four goals. Until the Hawks are more focused and illustrate the same determination as against the Kings, they will have a difficult time coping with their injuries. 

The Coyotes are a dangerous team for the Blackhawks to face in the post season. 

Their goalie can steal games. They have a very good coach plus the size and speed to be a big challenge. 

Phoenix fans will shudder at my next remark. 

The Coyotes have been very fortunate. Actually the ownership problem has been a big part of the turn around.

To pick up a young top flight goal keeper like Bryzgalov off waivers has to be considered lucky. It is unusual to be able to claim arguably the best goalie in the Conference off waivers. Bryzgalov is the main reason the Coyotes are winning as he is in the running for the Vezina Trophy. 

Dave Tippett has been one of the most underrated coaches in the NHL for years. If not for the forced change in ownership Wayne Gretzky would still be behind the bench and the Coyotes would not have achieved 95 points in 72 games. 

The Hawks have had their share of good fortune too. Not many believed they could end up in a position to draft Patrick Kane. 

Luck is always a part of winning but there is a lot more to it. The Coyotes deserve their record and everyone in the Western Conference should be on notice. 

With all of the hard times for Coyote fans in preceding years they have reason to celebrate now. In many ways they can become a playoff  Cinderella story like last year’s Blackhawks.  

The Coyotes have turned desperate times into a challenge for the Stanley Cup. 

The Hawks need to find some desperation before they become desperate. 

Al’s Shots 

Tippett worked the match-ups to perfection on Saturday night. 

The Hawks fourth line was getting destroyed on almost every shift. 

Kane and Jonathan Toews didn’t have the best nights in their own zone either. 

It will be interesting to see if the Coyotes can muster as strong of an effort when Quenneville has the last line change come Tuesday night. 

Ben Eager in the last two games has searched out confrontation. 

That usually means the Hawks will be shorthanded. Eager has taken some bad penalties. 

It’s a fine line between being tough and acting dumb. Eager knows better. 

The Hawks can’t afford to take 10 penalties a game these days. 

I will have a blog coming soon concerning setting a standard for NHL suspensions.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net 

There are only a handful of teams which are clearly out of the playoff chase. That would be the reason for a general manager to acquire someone today, before a two week hiatus and pay his salary. There is a more limited amount of players available and so a GM may have no other choice but to pay the added expense. 

I am not sure if Stan Bowman will feel a compulsion to pull the trigger today. If he does it will be because of a fear of missing the chance to acquire a valued piece to the Blackhawks playoff puzzle. 

Teams which are sellers today will probably be overpaid. 

Matt Cullen is a solid veteran player but Ottawa paid a stiff price to acquire him. They gave up a NHL player but more importantly also sent a second round draft pick to Carolina. Being able to get second rounder included signals the sellers are in control today and probably will be on March 3 as well. 

The Blackhawks fourth line has not had the consistency of last year’s group. 

A couple of forwards which may be available today and could add some grit to the Hawks lineup are from the Blue Jackets. Left wing Raffi Torres and right wing Jared Boll have expiring contracts and the Blue Jackets need to shuffle the deck. Columbus has changed their head coach and next they will reshape the roster. 

Because of frequent injuries to Ben Eager and the inconsistency of Tomas Kopecky, Bowman may look to add to the grinders. Normally the Hawks and Columbus wouldn’t help each other with a trade but these are different times. It will be interesting to see if the Jackets jump up as a seller today. 

The Oilers are obvious sellers and Mike Comrie and a couple of others could be on Bowman’s radar.  

Almost  everyone will be available for the right price from Edmonton….maybe even tough guy Zach Stortini.

More later on if need be. 

I will have a blog out tomorrow regardless of whether the Hawks are involved in a trade today.

**********************************************************************************************************************

Per Bob McKenzie….. it appears the Hawks and Wild have traded defensemen, maybe more. They could be finalizing with the league.

Stay tuned….

Osgood was closer to awful than great and the Hawks were dominant in almost every phase of the game. The result was another shutout victory for Chicago.

It took Detroit until the 13:03 mark in the opening period to a record a shot on goal. They finished the first frame with five shots of which three or four required a top effort by Cristobal Huet. For most of the night the Red Wings chased the Hawks and were not much of a threat. Huet was solid, the team effort was consistent and this one was never in much doubt.

It’s the holiday season and it is more difficult for me to be critical. The Blackhawks have been playing well and the NHL, well….

I have tried to lay off the officiating.

There are about three veteran referees which are out with injuries. Most probably think that isn’t a big deal but it is noticeable in some games. Younger refs have been forced to officiate in more games than would be customary early on in their careers. Plus if every official was healthy the pool of talent isn’t outstanding anyway. So now there are more dicey calls.

It is not official if Ben Eager has suffered another concussion although considering his history it would not be a shock.

Unfortunately Eager was sucker punched by the Blues wannabe bad ass Barret Jackman the other night. Eager was involved with another player late in the game and Jackman hit him while still having his gloves on.

Jackman did not receive any suspension for being the third man in on an altercation in the closing minutes of game his team was badly losing. Eager was involved with Brandon Crombeen at the time and Jackman came in later to take a couple of swings.

Eager may have gotten another concussion which makes matters worse. But the NHL once again looks the other way on an obvious call. Intent was involved, but ignored.

Who would have been more motivated to stir the pot in the last minute of a lopsided game?

The Hawks with a three goal lead or the Blues who were getting shutout?

I thought fighting in the last few minutes of the third period was highly scrutinized.

Let’s recap:

In the St. Louis game….Third man in, punching with gloves on, in the last minute of a decided contest and no NHL sanctions brought against Jackman. Also the officials were experienced so the report to the league should have been clear.

Last night Patrick Sharp put a hard but clean hit on Justin Abdelkader behind the Hawks net in the second period.

Evidently, Justin didn’t appreciate the rough ride and skated toward the half boards and ran Sharp. The problem was the puck had left Sharp’s stick at least three seconds, maybe longer before Abdelkader came in with a high hit.

The play was over; the puck was out of the zone and Sharp saw the Detroit forward coming to get him. Sharp came up high with his arms to protect himself and was called for roughing. Amazingly the only penalty called was to Sharp.

There was one inexperienced official working the game last night but it was the other referee who blew the whistle on Sharp and completely ignored Abdelkader’s misconduct.

Maybe Sharp should have gotten a roughing penalty, but the point which was completely missed is that the play was already over. There was no need to check Sharp except to retaliate for a previous hit. Abdelkader came in high and very late, he should have been thrown out of the game.

That would be the case if the NHL was intent on stopping dangerous, unnecessary, high, late hits.

Many times the head shots occur in retaliation for something which previously happened. Other times a player will take his anger out and flagrantly hit someone who is no longer part of a play.  Often those dangerous infractions take place late in a game after it has been decided.

Jackman’s third man in, glove punching happened in the last minute of an already decided game.  Abdelkader’s late, high hit came seconds after he was cleanly checked during an actual hockey play.

This stuff can’t be written off as part of the sport. It clearly isn’t, but officials often get a pass and the NHL is anything but consistent.

Actually NHL hockey is way too dangerous, because those who can make a difference aren’t paying any attention.

Al’s Shots

In the first period against the Wings the Hawks won 14 of 16 faceoffs… my how times have changed.

Brian Campbell must have had an epiphany.

In the last ten days he finally resembles the player he was in Buffalo….actually even better.

Cam Barker was out and although Jordan Hendry had his moments when paired with Brent Sopel, he came through.

I have a feeling Antti Niemi starts against the Sharks.

Huet played well last night so I would keep him fresh for the more important game in Detroit.

How often does a team get a shutout in three of four games?

Blackhawk Media Notes

The Hawks are tied with Atlanta for the NHL lead with six shorthanded goals.

Not including the Detroit game…

The Hawks were ranked second in penalty killing….85.4%.

At home the Hawks are first overall with a 90.2% success rate.

Jonathan Toews is tied for second with a +16 plus/minus rating.

Zach Parise leads the league with a +17.

Huet and Niemi have a combined 2.02 GAA the lowest in the NHL.

Huet is second in the Western Conference and tied for fourth in the league with a 2.09 GAA.

The Hawks will play only four home games in January and four in February.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

The understated Bolland does everything well without a lot of flash. 

Long time Hawk fans can compare him to Troy Murray but Bolland may become more of a goal scorer. My thinking was if Bolland could improve upon his 19 goals and 27 assists of last year the Hawks would be in business this season. 

Those offensive totals don’t jump off the page and some may say they were padded by playing with the creative Marty Havlat. There is some truth to that thinking. But in the same regard Havlat hasn’t fared very well without the strong board work and smooth play of Bolland.  

When Bolland was referred to last winter by assistant coach Mike Havliland as the lifeblood of the team it surprised me a little. If one were to watch closely Haviland’s comments wouldn’t come as a total shock. Having a second line center which can play effectively in all three zones is a great advantage. 

Bolland was greatly appreciated by his teammates, coaches and management. 

This summer he was the first of the restricted free agents to be locked up with a long term contract. Bolland’s hefty five year deal was not influenced by the qualifying offer screw up, he signed prior to that embarrassment. The young center is considered one of the better players on the roster even though he doesn’t get top billing. 

Before the Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane era the Hawks team could have been thought of like an old car. Sometimes the clunker would start and barely run and other times it wouldn’t be able to move out of the garage. Now the Blackhawks are a finely built machine. Every part matters and if one is missing things can get out of balance. 

Six goals in four games aren’t going to cut it. 

The Hawks haven’t been finishing chances and have been missing the net too often. They have missed fired 32 times the last two games. The Hawks also have had a difficult time scoring when playing five on five.  

Fortunately they are a talented squad which finds a way to win on most nights. Credit the coaching and their determination, but this is not a team full of elite goal scorers. The Hawks will not have the same potent offense as long as they are minus an effective second line center. 

On Friday night they threw everything at the seldom played Patrick Lalime in the first period but he stood tall.  It was the Sabres who struck first and never relinquished the lead.  Actually Buffalo was badly outplayed for much of the opening period but came back strongly in the middle frame. The Hawks were mostly outworked after their opening flourishes and could never solve Lalime except for a Patrick Sharp tally. 

The result was another low scoring contest but this time the Hawks were the losers. That will be the case sometimes. All is not lost although realistic expectations about the offense are needed. 

Scoring for the entire league is down. 

No matter how the ever changing rule interpretations play out there isn’t suddenly going to be a surge in high scoring contests. The NHL is different now as there is much more emphases placed on defense. The advent of video coaching, plus talented goal keepers wearing super sized equipment makes scoring goals a more difficult task.

If it is not Andrew Ladd it’s Troy Brouwer, Dustin Byfuglien, John Madden, and Brian Campbell which haven’t been able to finish their chances, but the list could go on. 

Give the Blackhawk goalies and defense high marks as Chicago ranks second in all the NHL in goals against. How many would have guessed that to be the case after 30 games?

 So why doesn’t the offense consistently click? 

The Blackhawks have adjusted to their injury woes but there is a balance which must be achieved to fire on all cylinders. 

For the most part the Hawks win these days because the other team doesn’t have the puck often enough to generate many scoring opportunities. They are a top puck possession team but winning low scoring games every night is a difficult challenge.

Dave Bolland being out hinders the Blackhawk offense but to take it a step further Adam Burish being on the shelf makes a difference also. 

The skill set for either of those injured regulars has not been replaced. Now it comes down to everyone else doing a bit more and Joel Quenneville’s influence. 

Coach Q. mentioned after the loss to the Sabres the lack of productivity will be examined. When pressed on the topic he commented about switching line combinations. Even though Quenneville is almost always changing lines, he remarked there are many more combinations he could try. 

What coach Q. can’t do is change John Madden, Patrick Sharp or Kris Versteeg into another Dave Bolland. He also hasn’t been able to utilize his fourth line the way he did last season.  Recent comments from Tomas Kopecky lead me to believe he is unsure of his role…..still after 28 games??? 

Regardless of Kopecky’s confusion, Ben Eager and Colin Fraser haven’t looked the same without Burish.

Eager played his best game of the year Friday night, but that trio has not been consistent on either side of the puck. Burish likely won’t be back until March, and there is nothing Quenneville can do about that.

Teams which go through long losing streaks almost always have trouble scoring.

So far the Hawks have not had a long string of loses despite a lack of offense. That is a testament to the deep talent level on this squad along with some very stingy goal keeping and strong defensive play. 

No matter how many new line combinations Quenneville comes up with the losses of Bolland and Burish do make a difference. Good coaching and a deep roster have helped the Hawks attain some very good results thus far.

If a prolonged slump happens Stan Bowman can look to acquire some needed help. 

It is never a good time to hit a skid and the Hawks might be able to keep winning at a good pace. But with nine of the next 13 games at home, poor outcomes can’t be tolerated.

Detroit has had a boat load of injuries but they are getting healthier. After so many exciting victories the Hawks are still in a dog fight. Chicago does have a game in hand but they lead Nashville by a slim three points and are only six ahead of Detroit in the Central Division. 

At least Comcast Chicago has stopped running promos about the Hawks high powered offense. With the injuries which were sustained this season a consistent high powered goal scoring attack might not be a reality. 

Al’s Shots 

Tim Sassone of the Daily Herald reported there were 15 scouts watching the Hawks play the Sabres.At this time of the season that is big gathering, especially considering neither team is mired in a long slump.  

Tim also wrote the Blackhawk player rumored to be on the trading block is Cam Barker. 

I can’t count how many trade rumors Barker has been involved in the last three seasons. 

In the beginning of last week I heard the same rumor about Barker being shopped from someone affiliated with a Western Conference team. They happen so frequently I hesitate to write about all of them. 

Talk is Philadelphia is another loss or two away from shuffling the deck in a big way. The Flyers are looking for offense and maybe the same can be said for the Hawks. 

Philly is a top five power play team, so Barker’s skill set might not be needed. If the Hawks trade a defenseman they would have to get one back in return. 

Philly has a player with an expiring contract which could fill a need for the Hawks. 

Wouldn’t the Flyers big defenseman, Braydon Coburn, look good in a Blackhawks uniform?

The Flyers could be looking for a goal scorer like Patrick Sharp, who they regrettably traded away. There is a notion that Philly needs to break up their very young core of offensive talent.  The story going around is they mesh better off the ice then on… 

Sharp will be 28 years old in a couple of weeks which would make him older than many of the Flyers top scorers. 

How could Bowman even think about trading Sharp without getting a skilled center in return? 

It’s complicated and will stay that way for awhile. 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

That same type of pressure hasn’t been seen very often this season but last night the LA Kings felt some of it. 

The Kings managed to get 11 shots on goal versus the Hawks in the opening frame. Which is a strong effort considering the Hawks average less than 23 shots against for an entire game.  What has been the case in many contests this season, the opponents can’t sustain an attack against the Hawks for a full 60 minutes. 

The Kings managed only seven shots over the final 40 minutes and just two in the last period. It is much more difficult to play without the puck and that is why the Hawks are one of the better teams in the league. They control the puck and sooner or later opponents get worn out. Often what follows are power play opportunities and when the Hawks can convert with the man advantage they have a great chance of winning. 

The Kings could have deserved a better fate, they hit the post at least three times and Jonathan quick let in soft first goal. But at the end of the night the new kids on the block succumbed to the deeper more talented team. The Kings young defense will continue to improve and if they get strong goal tending they have  great chance of playing in the playoffs this season. 

Troy Brouwer was the first star last night and he deserved the recognition. Brouwer had a great tip in for the Hawks second goal and was a physical presence throughout the night. Give Patrick Sharp a lot of credit as he put the puck in position for Brouwer to deflect it by Quick. 

It was great to see the energy come alive last night as Ben Eager and Jonathan Toews being back in action was an obvious boost. Toews’ power play strike showed his extreme determination which does rub off on teammates. 

The only Hawk who didn’t have a very good game was Niklas Hjalmarsson who was beaten a few times and looked a bit sluggish. Kris Versteeg was lucky more than once with a couple of ill advised passes. Those will turn into opponent’s goals. Brain Campbell had some turnovers too, and is really snake bitten when it comes to scoring a goal. Campbell hit the post in the third period while the cage was wide open….he just can’t seem to score. 

The Hawks deserve criticism on over paying for some players and not picking the right free agents to sign. But the John Madden signing was a great move by Dale Tallon this summer, as well as inking of Brouwer to an affordable  two year contract. 

Madden ranked ninth in the NHL with a 56.7 faceoff win percentage, but that is only part of the story. Every Blackhawk pivot has benefitted from Madden being around this season. Colin Fraser who was less than 48% to the good last year, currently he has a 50.6 winning percentage.  Toews is having another fine campaign at the dot and certainly Madden’s influence hasn’t hurt him either. As a team, the Hawks ranked second in the NHL before Monday’s game, winning at a 53.8% clip. 

As far as the Brouwer signing, hopefully the Hawks have learned from a mistake.

Sometimes when a player scores 30 or 40 goals in the AHL it only indicates they are a good minor league scorer. On the surface that is often true but those lofty totals can’t be discounted. When a team has one main sharp shooter opponents can key on him especially in the minors. 

With a one referee system the oppositions will hang all over an AHL scorer and do whatever they can to prevent him from beating them. Brouwer was an effective scorer in the AHL and although he may never score 30 or 40 goals in the NHL he shouldn’t be dismissed. 

The Hawks were short sight sighted with another AHL top scorer, Rene Bourque and they gave up on him too quickly. Bourque was a leading scorer in the AHL, 33 goals and 27 assists in the lockout year, when the competition was at its highest. Brouwer could be more than a NHL grinder as Bourque is proving in Calgary. 

Unfortunately, last night’s officiating crew was awful.

They let a lot of infractions go in the first two periods and then tightened things up too much in the last frame. The Anze Kopitar hooking call was brutal and helped the Hawks take a two goal lead. The Brent Sopel interference penalty was called in the third period although far worse happened in the previous two frames. The inconsistency was obvious. 

Al’s Shots 

Dave Bolland most likely will have to rest for quite awhile. There is a limit as to how many cortisone shots or steroid doses one can get. His back problem doesn’t appear like something which can be corrected soon. 

Cristobal Huet deserves credit for controlling his rebounds and not allowing an early LA score. The Kings played very good in the opening frame and Huet was sharp. It would be perfect if he can play as well for the entire home stand. 

Some facts provided by the Blackhawks in their media notes. 

Before last night, Huet was 0-2 versus the Kings which drafted him. 

Dustin Byfuglien is tied for the team lead with six goals. He didn’t get his sixth goal last season until December 28^th. 

Before last night, the Hawks power play ranked 22^nd. 

The Hawks have outshot their opponents in 14 out of 16 games. 

Toews is ranked  4th in the NHL before last night,  winning 61.1% of his faceoffs.

The Hawks currently lead the NHL in shot differential. 

From 2005-2009 the leader in that category only finished below 100 points for the season once. The Rangers had 97 in points 2007-08, while the highest point total belonged to the 2005-06 Red Wings who finished with 124 points. 

Duncan Keith ranks fourth in the league with an average of 26:52 of ice time per game. He has led the Hawks in ice time in each of the last four seasons, averaging 25:34 last year which was seventh best in the NHL.  

Brent Seabrook ranks 16^th in the league with 24:41 of ice time per game. 

Campbell is 22^nd in the NHL with 24:16 per contest. 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

Patrick Kane is the most talented offensive player. Duncan Keith could be the best Blackhawk player period. But the life blood of the team is Jonathan Toews, and it is no wonder the power play has gone south since he has been out. 

Toews gives the team another option down low because he can draw the defense and distribute the puck. He is also not afraid to get dirty in front of the net and can pot a rebound or two now and then. Lastly, the captain can win faceoffs against the opposition’s best. All in all Toews can’t be replaced. 

On Friday night in Colorado the Hawks played well enough for most of the time to win the game, as was the case in Phoenix. The Hawks did not put away the Av’s although they were badly outplaying them.  When the losing team stays within two goals they can come back and mount a challenge and that is what Colorado did. 

The Chicago power play is looking desperate. 

The second Colorado goal was a trifecta of mistakes. First a player can’t be allowed to skate 170 feet and then go wide and still be able to get a shot on goal. Dustin Byfuglien may have been tired but he can’t allow a shot to be taken even if he has to take a penalty. Antti Niemi was frozen back in his net and really needed to make that stop, he was tentative. Cam Barker was covering the slot area which is correct, except there wasn’t another Avalanche player pictured in the Hawk zone even after the puck went into the net.  Barker could have helped a tired Byfuglien seal off David Jones. 

Brian Campbell chasing a puck below the faceoff circle in the Av’s zone in a deadlocked contest while on a man advantage is a tell tale sign of some urgency. What isn’t very smart is when every other Hawk player is below the faceoff circles at the same time and the remaining defenseman pinches in and doesn’t control the puck. Duncan Keith makes mistakes too, and that is why the Av’s took the lead. 

The Hawks scorers are not looking like snipers of late as they continue to miss prime chances. In reality the Hawk sharp shooters are not in the elite category of NHL goal scorers to begin with. Their number one goal scorer, Marian Hossa was watching the Colorado contest in street clothes.  I keep dwelling on it but the Hawks have not replaced their leading scorer of lat year, Marty Havlat, until Hossa returns. 

It appeared the officiating on Friday night was circa 1990’s. 

As written about a few weeks ago, interference penalties appear to have gone the way of dial up internet. That’s fine with me as long as every referee is on the same page. 

On Friday night it went beyond anything seen this season and it was very similar to before the lockout. The refs swallowed their whistles for the entire third period. Once nothing was whistled in regulation time it was not surprising no infractions were called in OT. 

The problem with putting the whistles away is it takes a lot of guts to take them back out if something flagrant happens late in the game or in OT. Patrick Sharp was tackled on an obvious goal scoring opportunity with about 2:00 left in OT and there was no call. That makes a mockery of the game. 

Maybe the league is going to revamp their on ice decision making once again. The NHL rule book seldom changes but the interpretation of infraction is constantly switching gears ….like no other major sport. 

One last word about the OT loss, Niemi made some very good saves and was also solid in the shootout. The problem is still with his lack of rebound control and he won’t be a positive difference until he fixes that flaw. The Colorado first score was an example. By the way, after the first four shooters have gone the shootout is even more of a crap shoot…or a mockery of the game. Last time mockery will be used. It still makes little sense a game decided by the contrived shootout method is worth as many points as a regulation win. 

This week and beyond…. 

The Hawks come home to play four games in seven days.  That’s better than playing every other day for a week straight on the road, but it’s still a tough schedule. The main problem is there is no time to get good practices in as the off days have to be used primarily for rest and recovery. So if they get on a roll great and if not…. Well if the Hawks don’t capture at least six of the next eight points they will add more pressure for  the upcoming circus road trip. 

Then again it could be better to get out of town for an extended period as expectations for this team are out of whack. I can’t wait to hear the reaction if the first powerplay fails tonight. Fans have the right to voice their disapproval but remember this is a young team and there is no need to constantly add more pressure. 

This week the Hawks will play the Kings and Av’s who always give them problems, followed by the desperate Maple Leafs and the best team in the Western Conference the Sharks. It won’t be easy especially considering the injuries. Although Jonathan Toews and Ben Eager will be back sometime this week, if not by Monday, Dave Bolland could be out for awhile. 

From what I heard a few weeks ago Bolland’s back problem is sort of a mystery. There didn’t appear to be anything wrong as to require immediate surgery but in the same regard he was in a lot of pain. There was no mention of a possible back problem last year as the Hawks inked Bolland to a generous contract this summer. 

Bolland has only played a few games thus far when he hasn’t looked bothered. It is very hard to tell on TV but in person it is really noticeable. He doesn’t stop, start and turn as quickly and overall is slower. 

A back injury for a hockey player can be very serious and they tend to linger.  

Unless there is an automatic fix indicated, surgery is the last resort. Your local orthopedic surgeon may not make a huge point of the fact most back operations leave the patient no better off than before the surgery. Also a good percentage of those having back surgery require another operation within five to seven years. 

If Bolland’s back condition could have been treated with rest and therapy it would seem the Hawks would have already implemented that process. Maybe Bolland will be able to come back without surgery and return to normal. If not…there are no promises made on back operations. Former Blackhawk winger Eric Daze comes to mind and hopefully Bolland doesn’t face the same fate. Not many hockey players return to their prior form after back surgery. 

Rumors, overstatements and poppycock… 

The three most desperate teams in the NHL are the Leafs, Thrashers and Hurricanes. The Blackhawks are a natural target when trying to create a trade story these days and the internet helps fuel the rumor process. 

Brian Burke has been very defensive since the summer in shielding his best player, Tomas Kaberle from trade rumors. There are a couple of reasons why in my opinion. 

First, Kaberle has a no trade clause and Burke needs to keep him happy and in the loop. Secondly and most important, Kaberle gives Burke his only real chance of replacing some of the draft picks he coughed up for Phil Kessel. He may trade his star before next season but it would have to be a perfect deal for Burke. 

I have not checked this for accuracy but it I was told the majority of Kessel’s goals have come against non- playoff teams. According to the story I heard that was a big reason why the Bruins didn’t re-sign him as well as his reluctance to go into high traffic areas. Now we will see how Kessel fares on a team which does not look playoff bound. 

The Thrashers are in a corner, they have one elite player and often a half empty arena.  If Ilya Kovalchuk chooses to not re-sign there they will have to start a rebuilding project. They have had injuries and need to choose a course.  If Kovalchuk loses interest in their chances for success he could opt to leave.  They are caught.  Atlanta has to either shuffle the deck to try to make the playoffs this season and draw some fans back, or start looking toward the draft and next year possibly without their star player. 

The Hurricanes are in a pickle as they have just re-signed their head coach to a multi year extension. They have had major injury concerns and are also bleeding red ink. Their attendance is not too good and they can’t afford to trade Eric  Staal as fans will lose more interest. 

The best long term plan for the Thrashers and Canes could be to re-build and not think about the playoffs for awhile. The problem which faces them and others is a longer range plan doesn’t equate into more ticket sales in the near future.

The Leafs have all the money in the world to spend and are only limited by the salary cap. Burke seems to have led with his chin in some ways, like Dale Tallon did after the lock out. The huge difference is although Tallon overpaid and picked the wrong free agents he never gave up draft picks.  Burke has pushed the time table up for the Leafs to make the playoffs to this year and so far that looks like a big mistake 

As far as trade gossip goes I’m not hearing anything worth writing about, but if Bolland is going to be out there could be a move made sooner than later. 

If the Kris Versteeg at center experiment works that could solve a lot of problems. I have my doubts. Versteeg has the offensive tools, but faceoffs and defensive coverage could stop him from being an NHL center. Patrick Sharp is much better at wing than center.  Although he plays there if asked, I have heard Sharp would rather stay a winger. Maybe the Hawks would have to make a trade to get a more offensive pivot if Bolland is out for a long time. 

Bryan Little of the Thrashers could fill a need and add some offense. He is signed only through this season and is a $900,000 salary cap hit. 

As far as Kaberle to the Hawks for Campbell or others I doubt it.  That possibility doesn’t work on many levels. An interesting video clip posted the other day on Kukla’s Korner talks how Kaberle is not on the market and the Hawks haven’t expressed an interest. 

The clip also references the topic written about here the other day concerning players backing off on hits.  htttp://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/hotstove_hockey_talk/   

Al’s Shots  

Fortunately Andrew Ladd only suffered a broken nose when kicked the other night. Too close…..Another inch or two and Ladd ‘s face could have been split wide open. 

The Hawks have not been able to sustain the swarming attack they had last year but they have been missing Adam Burish and Ben Eager. 

Eager could be back tonight and combined with Colin Fraser, who has been playing really well, could provide the Hawks with a lot of sustained energy. 

Even with injuries the Hawks have controlled most of the play in their games. This is illustrated by the fact they have allowed the least amount shots against in the NHL. 

The Hawks have allowed 22.7 shots against, 4.5 shots less than the next closest team. 

That is an amazing stat and also indicates an issue with the suspect goal tending.

The Hawks have given up the least amount of goals in the Western Conference but….. 

Neither Cristobal Huet nor Antti Niemi has a save percentage over .900, which isn’t great. 

It is time for one to take the net in three of the next four games and make a statement. 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

Although we have yet to see a single team hit the 10 game mark yet, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at which teams are already facing serious problems due to injuries.

With the likes of Markov and Franzen already sustaining near-season ending injuries, it seems that depth is going to a major factor in how a team will fare throughout the long haul.

Keeping that in mind, here is the current list of players Injured Players per team:

Anaheim Ducks

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

James Wisniewski | 10-11-09 | on IR | Sprained Right Shoulder

- no major injuries thus far to the Ducks and given how deep they are, I would not expect a major injury or two to phase this team. They will be contenders so long as they do not suffer more than one major injury to their core.

Atlanta Thrashers

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Kari Lehtonen | 10-01-09 | on IR | Back Surgery
Boris Valabik | 10-07-09 | on IR 4-6 weeks | Left Ankle Surgery
Nik Antropov | 10-16-09 | Probable | Knee

- The Thrashers are a much improved team, or at least Ilya Kovalchuk hopes so. Until Antropov and Lehtonen return though, Kovalchuk won’t truly know how much this team has improved.

Boston Bruins

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Dennis Wideman | 10-16-09 | Doubtful for Friday’s game | Left Shoulder

- The Bruins are relatively healthy, although missing Wideman for a game or two isn’t great. Boston is in need of staying healthy all year long if they expect to recapture their division.

Buffalo Sabres

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Andrej Sekera | 10-11-09 | on IR at least 2 weeks | Ribs
Thomas Vanek | 10-16-09 | Doubtful for Friday | Upper Body
Adam Mair | 10-16-09 | Questionable for Friday | Hip Surgery

- Injuries to Vanek, Connolly and Miller cost the Sabres a playoff spot last year. With Miller playing incredible hockey and Connolly trucking along, all Sabre fans can hope for is that Vanek can avoid missing any significant stretch of time this season.

Calgary Flames

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

John Armstrong | 09-17-09 | on IR | Undisclosed
David Moss | 10-16-09 | Questionable for Friday | Upper Body

- Calgary is deep on D, but not on offense. If the Flames expect to do better than their opening round ousting at the hands of the Blackhawks this season, they can ill afford any injuries to Jarome Iginla or Olli Jokinen.

Carolina Hurricanes

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Casey Borer | 09-14-09 | on IR | Broken Neck
Michael Ryan | 09-22-09 | on IR | Concussion
Erik Cole | 10-04-09 | expected miss 4-6 weeks | Broken Left Leg
Joni Pitkanen | 10-15-09 | Questionable for Saturday | Knee

- Losing Cole hurts, but with the expected return of Pitkanen within the next 10 days, the Hurricanes should be ok. Cole is injury prone so this does not come as a great shock to Cane fans, and considering how durable Eric Staal and Cam Ward have been, Carolina should have a consistent season.

Chicago Blackhawks

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Marian Hossa | 09-14-09 | on IR indefinitely | Right Shoulder Surgery
Adam Burish | 09-22-09 | on IR indefinitely | Knee Surgery
Ben Eager | 10-08-09 | on IR | Concussion

- Chicago may be one of the deepest teams in the league. Despite starting the year without Marian Hossa and losing Burish for nearly the entire season, the Hawks are rolling along. Missing Burish will hurt, but when Hossa and Eager return to the lineup, this team will only continue to get stronger.

Colorado Avalanche

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Tom Preissing | 09-14-09 | on IR expected to miss 4-6 weeks | Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Brandon Yip | 10-01-09 | on IR | Undisclosed
Ruslan Salei | 10-09-09 | on IR | Back
John-Michael Liles | 10-14-09 | expected to miss 1-2 weeks | Bruised Right Shoulder

- The Avs do not have much in the way of expectations this season, but having kicked the year off with such a hot start, they may just turn out better than expected. Missing regulars like Preissing, Salei and Liles certainly hurts Colorado’s blue line, but having handled both the Leafs and Canadiens so easily while on the road, these Avs may surprise us yet.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Mike Commodore | 09-19-09 | on IR | Groin
Frederik Modin | 09-29-09 | on IR | Knee
Jan Hejda | 10-14-09 | expected to miss 4-6 weeks | Sprained Left Knee

- The Jackets are now considered a playoff team and have a surplus of youthful depth on their roster, but in order for them to find success during the regular season they are going to need to keep their superstars(Nash and Mason) healthy and insulated. Losing Modin is somewhat normal in Columbus, but missing Commodore and Hejda pose problems, albeit temporary. If Columbus does not suffer any serious injuries to either Nash or Mason, this team will turn a lot of heads.

Dallas Stars

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Warren Peters | 09-25-09 | on IR out indefinitely | Broken Orbital Bone
Luke Gazdic | 10-02-09 | on IR | Shoulder
Steve Ott | 10-14-09 | out 1 week | Oblique
Mike Modano | 10-16-09 | expected to miss Friday’s game | Ribs

- The Stars no longer rely on Modano as their backbone, but missing out on the veteran leader’s services and that of pest/grinder Steve Ott certainly leaves a void in Dallas’ lineup. The playoffs are already considered a challenge for the Stars this year, if they suffer any serious injuries to key players like Morrow, Ribiero or Turco, those hopes will get even slimmer.

Detroit Red Wings

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Andreas Lilja | 09-14-09 | on IR | Post-Concussion symptoms
Cory Emmerton | 09-28-09 | on IR | Upper Body
Johan Franzen | 10-09-09 | on IR expected to miss 4-6 months | Torn Left ACL
Pavel Datsyuk | 10-16-09 | Questionable for Saturday’s game | Upper Body

- Having already lost nearly 100 goals with the departures of Hossa, Hudler and Samuelsson, Detroit must now suffer through the loss of the “Mule” for almost the entire year. It was already going to be tougher in Motown than in season’s past, but with such heavy losses to the offense, it’s plain to see that this Red Wings team just is not as deep as they used to be. Losing Datsyuk, Zetterberg or Lidstrom could be the final piece that could cause these Wings to fall from grace.

Edmonton Oilers

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Fernando Pisani | 09-30-09 | on IR out indefinitely | Back
Marc Pouliot |09-30-09 | on IR | Pubic Bone
Sheldon Souray | 10-09-09 | on IR | Concussion
Steve Staios | 10-16-09 | Doubtful for Friday’s game | Concussion

- The Oilers are missing two hulking blue-liners in Souray and Staios, without them patrol Edmonton’s zone, the Oilers must be considered a vulnerable team. They are not all that big up front and will rely on their size on defense to get them through a tough Western Conference. The playoffs may be a bit out of reach this season, especially if their depth on defense is tested.

Florida Panthers

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Steven Reinprecht | 10-16-09 | Probable for Friday | Lower Body
Radek Dvorak | 10-16-09 | Probable for Friday | Flu
Nathan Horton | 10-16-09 | Probable for Friday | Lower Body

- The Panthers have no major injuries at the moment and would like to keep it that way. Not exactly one of the strongest teams in the East, Florida is going to need to stay healthy and use all of their depth players in an effort to break into the post-season.

Minnesota Wild

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

P-M Bouchard | 10-04-09 | out Indefinitely | Concussion/Headaches
Cal Clutterbuck | 10-13-09 | on IR | Sprained Left Ankle
Pety Sykora | 10-16-09 | Doubtful for Friday | Groin
Martin Havlat | 10-16-09 | Doubtful for Friday | Groin

- Having replaced their former duo of Demitra and Gaborik with the new tandem of Havlat and Sykora, the Wild better hope that their bad luck as a team with groin injuries disappears. Unfortunately, as the list suggests, that is not the case as both Sykora and Havlat are already suffering with groin issues. One has to wonder what’s in the ice at the Xcel Center that leads to all these groin issues.

Montreal Canadiens

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Andrei Markov | 10-02-09 | on IR expected to miss 4 months | Left Ankle Tendon
Ryan O’Byrne | 10-04-09 | on IR expected to miss 6-8 weeks | Knee
Glen Metropolit | 10-06-09 | on IR | Ribs

- With the greatest science experiment ever attempted in the NHL underway, this year’s edition of the Habs has already run into big issues. Losing their best player and the rock on their blue line in Andrei Markov for almost the entire season has immediately thrown the Canadiens hopes for making the playoffs into jeopardy. Of course there is no replacement for a player of Markov’s talents, so it should be very, very interesting to see what the Canadiens do beyond the recent signing of Marc-Andre Bergeron. The Habs are a one-line team at the moment and are but one more major injury away from an already disastrous season.

Nashville Predators

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Jordin Tootoo | 10-03-09 | on IR | Hip Flexor/Quads

- Nashville, like many of the bubble teams, can ill-afford injuries to their major players. Having dealt with the loss of Steve Sullivan over the last couple of seasons, the Predators are finally hoping for full strong seasons from Dumont, Arnott and Sullivan to help edge Nashville back into the playoffs.

New Jersey Devils

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Mark Fraser | 09-29-09 | on IR | Upper Body
Patrik Elias | 09-29-09 | on IR expected to miss 3-6 weeks | Groin Surgery

- The Devils had to deal with the season-long loss of Martin Brodeur last year and are in no mood to repeat that fate. Although Elias is currently injured, he is recovering from off-season repairs, New Jersey is pretty much healthy and looking to get back into the good ‘ol days of team winning systems. With Jacques Lemaire back behind the bench in the Swamp, the Devils will rely more on their systems and less on individuals, but if they lose Marty again or if Parise or Elias miss serious time, things could get tricky in Jersey.

NY Islanders

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Frans Nielsen | 09-22-09 | on IR | Arthroscopic Surgery
Jeremy Reich | 09-30-09 | on IR out indefinitely | Broken Left Wrist
Mark Flood | 09-30-09 | on IR | Lower Body
Rick Dipietro | 10-01-09 | on IR out indefinitely | Knee Surgery
Trent Hunter | 10-10-09 | on IR expected to miss 4-6 weeks | Torn Pec
Pascal Morency | 10-16-09 | Undisclosed | Undisclosed

- The Isles are in the midst of a full rebuild and do not have wild and crazy expectations, but if they can manage to get some of these players back off of the IR they could find themselves as a fairly competitive squad. If, and when, Rick Dipietro returns, the Isles may very well be able to pursue some more depth by trading away either Dwayne Roloson or Marty Biron.

New York Rangers

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Donald Brashear | 10-15-09 | Questionable for Saturday | Body Soreness

- Healthy, but dreading any mention of a groin injury, the Rangers are relying on the incomparable Marian Gaborik to lead them to success. Unfortunately for New York, they do not possess all that much depth beyond Gaborik and if they lose him, the Rangers could be in big trouble. If he can avoid his annual sojourns to the Injured List though and these Rangers will be dangerous.

Ottawa Senators

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Filip Kuba | 10-16-09 | Doubtful for Saturday | Lower Body
Peter Regin | 10-16-09 | Probable for Saturday | Upper Body
Jesse Winchester | on IR, probable for Saturday | Knee

- The Sens are a much deeper team thanks to the trade of Dany Heatley and are likely going to enjoyed renewed success thanks to it. Combine the acquisition of Michalek and Cheechoo with the signing of Alex Kovalev and the Sens are once again deep offensively. Injuries won’t necessarily slow this team down, unless it is to their new starter Pascal Leclaire.

Philadelphia Flyers

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Mike Rathje | 10-01-09 | On IR for the season | Hip/Back
Blair Betts | 10-07-09 | on IR | Dislocated Right Shoulder
James van Riemsdyk | 10-16-09 | Probable for Friday | Concussion symptoms

- The Flyers are extremely deep, even though they ponied up a King’s Ransom to the Ducks for Chris Pronger. It will take a lot of injuries to a lot of major players to slow this team down. The major questions will remain in nets and if Emery gets injured, Philly better hope that Boucher is up to the task. That said, Philly looks to be one of the deeper, more dangerous teams in the NHL this season.

Phoenix Coyotes

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Kurt Sauer | 10-16-09 | Questionable for Friday | Headaches

- There are a lot of questions surrounding this edition of the Coyotes, but with an impressive collection of talent up front, the only thing to worry about in Phoenix will be if Ilya Bryzgalov can stay healthy. He has been conisistent and strong over the last few seasons, but if the ‘Yotes were to lose him for an extended stretch they will be in big trouble.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Maxime Talbot | 09-14-09 | on IR out indefinitely | Left Shoulder Surgery
Mark Letestu | 09-17-09 | on IR | Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Ben Lovejoy | 09-29-09 | on IR out indefinitely | Shoulder

- They are the defending champs and should not be questioned. They suffered through injuries and brutal stretches at times last season, but given that they have started the season with Sergei Gonchar this time around, Pittsburgh likely won’t find themselves out of a playoff spot at any time this year. With perhaps the most elite depth in the NHL, the Pens will have no problem hanging around to defend their Cup title.

San Jose Sharks

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Torrey Mitchell | 09-30-09 | on IR | Left Knee Tendonitis
Joe Pavelski | 10-05-09 | on IR | Foot
Douglas Murray | 10-16-09 | Questionable for Saturday | Flu

- The Sharks, much like the Penguins, boast perhaps the most elite depth in the Western Conference(although you could argue Chicago). If they can stay healthy in nets, they should have no problems.

Saint Louis Blues

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

DJ King | 09-27-09 | On IR | Thumb
Barret Jackman | 10-09-09 | On IR | Sprained Left Ankle

- Although I thought that Eric Brewer was still on the IR, the Blues must be very happy to have started the season with both him and Eric Johnson in their lineup. St.Louis is an up and coming team in the West and are loaded with youthful depth. This team will be able to handle a lot of adversity, yet like most other teams, they will be relying heavily on Chris Mason.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

David Hale | 10-16-09 | Probable for Saturday | Flu

- Tampa’s hopes rely on netminder Mike Smith. Having missed most of the last season with Concussion like symptoms, Marty Turco’s former backup will be the determining factor in the Lightning’s pursuit of a playoff spot. They have insulated themselves by signing Antero Nittymaki and blueliners Mathias Ohlund and Kurtis Foster(as well as 2nd overall pick Victor Hedman), but if Smith, who was the team’s best player last season, is injured for any extended period of time, TBay could falter.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Phil Kessel | 09-19-09 | on IR out indefinitely | Shoulder Surgery
Mike Van Ryn | 09-30-09 | on IR out for the year | Knee Surgery
Wayne Primeau | 10-04-09 | on IR | Shoulder
Jonas Gustavsson | 10-08-09 | on IR | Strained Groin
Vesa Toskala | out 1-2 weeks | Knee

- Having endured serious struggles already, the Leafs will now be without the services of Mike Van Ryn for the remainder of the year. Van Ryn will have the same kind of knee surgery as Steve Yzerman and will not be expected back until next season, if at all. The Leafs are currently without both of their starting goaltenders and their best forward so it’s not that hard to see that this season may very well be another struggle in Toronto. Management will have to stay on top of things, especially if injuries continue to decimate this newly rebuilt lineup.

Vancouver Canucks

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Pavol Demitra | 09-14-09 | on IR out indefinitely | Shoulder Surgery
Mathieu Schneider | 09-29-09 | on IR | Shoulder Surgery
Jannik Hansen | 09-30-09 on IR expected to miss 6-8 weeks | Broken Right Hand
Daniel Sedin | 10-11-09 | expected to miss 4-6 weeks | Broken Foot
Sami Salo | 10-12-09 | expected to miss 3-5 weeks | Sprained Right MCL

- The Canucks are considered Cup contenders by many, yet are currently plagued by injuries to serious contributors. That said, Vancouver should have no problem rolling along once these players return to their lineup. In terms of depth, the Canucks would sorely miss Roberto Luongo, but with Andrew Raycroft as backup and an elite goaltender of the future in Corey Schneider sitting in Manitoba just aching for a shot, this team is set to have a spectacular year.

Washington Capitals

Player | Date | Status | Injury Description

Tomas Fleischmann | 09-14-09 | on IR | Blood Clot in Left Leg
John Erskine | 10-15-09 | on IR | Hand
Jose Theodore | 10-16-09 | Questionable for Saturday | Back Spasms
Boyd Gordon | 10-16-09 | Questionable for Saturday | Back

- The Caps are fairly deep as they have Michael Nylander as a healthy scratch, yet it’s the depth of the team’s defense which has fans questioning how far this club will really go. There are elite prospects waiting to take spots on the blueline, but until the team can clear out some of their current defenders, and some cap space, there will continue to be questions about how far this team will be able to go in the playoffs.

- information obtained from TSN.ca

Although this NHL season has only just begun, it’s plain to see that certain teams are already stuck in the middle of some serious injury troubles.

Injuries will severely affect trade values as the season continues on, so it should be interesting to see how the deeper teams handle all of the trade enquiries from GM’s seeking to salvage seasons being crushed by injuries to major players.

Steven.hindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!!

The deciding factor in the game came in the second period when the Hawks had a 5 on 3 man advantage for 1:53. Amazingly the Hawks had only one shot on goal during the two man advantage which ultimately led to their demise. 

Afterwards the Detroit defense tightened up and Cristobal Huet allowed two goals which should have been saved. Against the top teams one bad goal could cause a loss, last night Detroit benefitted from two shaky scores and a fluke. The first Detroit tally was off a lucky deflection and their next two tallies  should have been stopped by Huet. Give the Wings their due, they find a way to beat the Hawks on a consistent basis. 

The Blackhawks were decidedly the better team for much of the contest. But the picture on the scoreboard matters most and Detroit kept their magic touch over the Hawks. 

Unfortunately I feel compelled to write about a goalie controversy, I would rather not give this so much focus. At this point there is no avoiding it as  there will be those which continue to question Huet. So far Huet has given reason for Hawk followers to wonder if he can be a dominate netminder. 

I won’t place blame on Huet for the Hawks first loss but he did get outplayed by Tomas Voukon. He won’t be the best goalie on the ice every game and the Hawks will succeed in some of those battles regardless. The Detroit second and third goals should have been stopped. If he saved either one the Hawks could have captured two points instead of none. 

It’s not great to be put under the microscope every game, but Huet knew what he was signing up for. This isn’t Montreal but expectations are high in Chicago as well, plus there are always those which will bring up Huet’s hefty salary. Maybe Huet didn’t realize he would be put under such scrutiny here but he wasn’t a rookie when he signed his long term contract to be the Hawks number one goal tender. 

Huet wasn’t number one last season and there is cause for concern he may never achieve that status in Chicago.  

Will history repeat itself for Huet? 

In Montreal Huet was the number one goalie before being shoved aside. He was pushed all the way out of Montreal by a combination of rookies Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak. 

It should be realized Price was the number 15 overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.  He was the only goalie to be named the CHL goaltender of the year, the WJC tournament MVP and the AHL playoff MVP all in the same season which occurred in 2007. Price was a highly touted goalie and for good reason. 

Halak was thought to be the best goalie in the AHL before being called up in 2006-2007 and his accomplishments supported that status. Montreal GM, Bob Gainey, did not want to lose Halak and had a decision to make. The choice was Price and Halak, or a combination of Huet with either one. 

Gainey chose  his two prized younger goalies and Huet became expendable and was traded to Washington. Gainey’s decision was a difficult one and even today Price still has his doubters. Some believe if given the chance Halak could be a top NHL starter. So there continues to be some controversy in Montreal. 

Could Huet wind up in a similar situation here? 

If so the Blackhawks playoff future may depend upon two goal keepers not considered to be in the same class as Price or Halak. Actually at this point I’m not sure Antti Niemi is any better than Corey Crawford. It is thought by some that Niemi won the job out of camp due to contract considerations rather than standing above Crawford on performance. 

What is certain, Niemi and Crawford have not distinguished themselves in the AHL to be considered as likely to succeed in the NHL as Price or Halak. 

I am not sure Huet has found himself in the same type of situation as in Montreal. There are differences but then again Huet could be caught in the same predicament. The story for the Canadiens didn’t end well last year as they missed the playoffs. Huet would also be more difficult for the Hawks to trade than he was in Montreal.

One way or the other the Hawks goal keeping situation will evolve and hopefully a true number one will emerge. 

The injuries for the Hawks continue to mount and there is a difference between the injured starters and their replacements. I had a feeling the injury bug was going to bite more often than last season. Unfortunately the injuries have come in bunches as Dave Bolland and Ben Eager missed last night’s game. The word on Bolland is his back is still giving him trouble. The story on Eager is he has a concussion and didn’t make the trip to Detroit. 

The Blackhawks have no time to pout as they face Colorado on Saturday night and then will play four more games in the next seven days. Four of the five battles will be played at the United Center. Out of the upcoming 10 possible points, the Hawks will want to capture at least seven. 

Joel Quenneville’s first real goal keeping decision will be for Saturday’s home opener. 

He may want to go with Huet and get him on a roll. If he plays better Huet could keep the net for all games this week except one. The Hawks play back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday and most likely those two contests will be split. If Q. goes with Niemi on Saturday and he wins again, Huet could find himself on the bench for most of next week. 

It might be Quenneville’s decision on Saturday’s starter which jump starts the debate. In the next 21 days the Hawks will play 10 games. If Huet doesn’t get hot and stay that way, Niemi may get his shot to be a starter sooner than many imagined. 

blackhawkwin@comcast.net.

Bigger picture is to realize for improvement over last year the Hawks will have to be better against teams in their own division. The Red Wings are very much a part of that group as are the Predators. As the schedule makers have it, Nashville will face Chicago three times this month. 

There are 11 games left for the Hawks in October, with two more back-to-back encounters. Every game except one is against a Western Conference foe and eight of the eleven battles will be played at the United Center.  

It was common for teams to wait until  US  Thanksgiving, or about 20 games into the season before trying  to fix their shortcomings by making changes. That was in the old days. Now the evaluation process is sped up to about the 10 or 12 game mark. This  will be especially true  considering the Olympic break is coming and the schedule is compressed in the first few months. 

Chris Osgood has a lofty 8-0-1 record against the Hawks in his last nine games. The Wings haven’t started the season with three straight losses in 20 years. Maybe this isn’t the best set-up for the Blackhawks especially considering they are going into tonight’s encounter banged up.  Dave Bolland, Ben Eager and Troy Brouwer have injuries which may keep all of them out of action. 

Hopefully the Brouwer injury is not long lasting. Eager had a problem with his wrist and with concussions before he came to the Hawks. After arriving here he had shoulder surgery and also had is wrist fixed. If there are no lingering consequences from any of those past injuries he could be back sooner than later. 

*The Hawks have  just recalled left wing  Bryan Bickell from Rockford.

I am starting to worry about Bolland’s injury situation. 

If it is his back…..that can be a lingering problem. Bolland doesn’t strike me as a player who is overly cautious when hurt as some say would be the case with Nikolai Khabibulin. It has been reported Bolland will be back for Saturday’s home opener….we will see. 

On Wednesday the Hawks traded Aaron Johnson to Calgary for Kyle Greentree. The newly acquired left wing was assigned to the Rockford Ice Hogs. 

Greentree will earn $110,000 more than Johnson for this season. No real issue is there but he is on a two-way contract and Johnson was not. 

Greentree will be a restricted free agent this summer while Jonhson will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. For the extra money the Hawks will control Greentree’s rights if they choose to qualify him. 

Greentree has had scoring success in the AHL but could not crack the Flames roster for this season. 

So why would the Hawks make this trade? 

I was looking for a trade, but this doesn’t fill the void the departure of Matt Walker created. Calgary would not go out of their way to help the Hawks, and every GM in the NHL knew Johnson was available. It is somewhat curious the Hawks would give up on Johnson, he was affordable insurance. There seems to be more of a reason to protect the defense with an extra body than to add an AHL winger. But most likely there is another plan. 

Greentree is a big guy, 6ft. 3 inches tall and weighs about 215 pounds. He followed the same path to professional hockey as the Hawks Jordan Hendry. Greentree signed with the Flyers as a free agent after playing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Maybe someone in the Hawks organization has been keeping tabs on him and thinks he can be a NHL player someday. He appears to have more of a scoring touch than many of the boys in Rockford.

It is possible the Hawks will want to give Jack Skille another chance in Chicago and moving Johnson helps in that way. It is also possible the Hawks could be looking to package Skille in a trade and now they have a forward to replace him in Rockford. Skille’s future as a Hawk is open for debate, eventually we will find out. 

Recent acquisitions of forwards Radek Smolenak and Greentree may have more to do with next year than this season. Now management can evaluate and compare both  with many others in Rockford.

Hockey logic would indicate because Greentree couldn’t fit into the Flames offense he won’t be able to play in Chicago. It might be wise to not etch that opinion in stone.   

If the aim of Blackhawk management is to re-sign Pat Kane, Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews, which it is ……Then, get ready for a very interesting training camp next summer.  Hawk fans will have to get familiar with many young and inexpensive forwards. 

Add Greentree and Smolenak to the list with Akim Aliu, Dan Bertram, Bryan Bickell, Evan Brophy, Nathan Davis, Jake Dowell, and Rob Klinkhammer. The Blackhawks have some good young talent which will report for duty for under $1,000,000 per season, plus Kyle Beach who will be a bit more expensive. 

I would not rule out a more significant trade coming, but for now there are a few injuries to assess. Stan Bowman is known as a calculating person and he could be actively planning for next season right now. 

Al’s Shots

Johnson never really did anything wrong while here and played well in most appearances. Depending on the injury situation in Calgary he could get more of  a chance to play with the Flames.  Johnson was the last Hawk client of  agent Allan Walsh who also represents Marty Havlat.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

Last weekend must have been a special experience for a few NHL players who were able to play in their homeland. Considering there are some NHL fans abroad,  spreading the popularity of hockey to other countries is not necessarily a bad thing. But the money which was spent to travel over 8,000 miles round trip by a professional hockey franchise and the league, could have been utilized in a more productive way to promote the sport.

If the intention of the NHL was to expose the Chicago Blackhawks to a foreign audience the arena in Helsinki should have been filled to capacity. It was ironic the team which led the NHL in attendance would travel thousands of miles only to play in front of a less than capacity crowd. More curious was the 11,526 in attendance for the second game which was even fewer than 12,056 for the season opener. It was not as if the opening night performance was shabby.

This is not to be critical of hockey fans in Finland, but the NHL and other responsible parties abroad had an obligation to make sure every seat was filled. If the idea was to expose a new audience to NHL hockey than vastly inflated ticket prices should not have been part of the plan. I know some team jerseys were sold…. but forget the merchandising sales they should have been just cream on the cake.

How can the NHL promote their game around the world if there aren’t fannies in the seats to watch the show?

The aim should have been to play an NHL contest in front of a packed house and not to charge a ridiculous amounts for tickets. As was mentioned on the Blackhawks telecast, the tickets in the highest level were priced at about $200 US. There were empty row after row of those seats.

More disturbing were the many empty seats at rink side. No doubt those tickets had to be way above the appropriate price point of hockey enthusiasts in Finland. Certainly the economics of today should have been taken into consideration.

So not only were games not sold out, but many television highlights sent to parts unknown, showed row after row of empty seats. Now that is an unwanted scene which could happen in many arenas in North America, there was no need to travel to Finland.

Wouldn’t it have been better to give the unsold tickets to charities or whoever else would have been grateful for the opportunity to see a NHL hockey game? Besides being the right gesture, the sport would at least have had a chance of gaining another fan.

To let those seats stay empty didn’t help promote the game of hockey. Rather it was a profound waste and a picture the NHL would never have wanted shown. It would have been much better to showcase the great game of hockey in places where fans would eagerly attend. Maybe then something would have been accomplished to justify the cost and inconvenience.

Overseas expansion is far down on the wish list for the NHL, or it should be.

How many empty seats would there have been if a game was played in Hamilton? I bet there would have been a sell out in Kansas City as well. In each of those cities hockey fans have had their chains pulled for too long concerning the possibility of getting a NHL franchise.

How about playing a game in Quebec City, Winnipeg, Las Vegas or maybe even Madison Wisconsin? Once again from a business standpoint it seems much more could have been accomplished by staying in North America.

If the NHL doesn’t already realize….. This is not the time to push the envelop.

The economy is taking its toll on avid sports fans everywhere. That is especially true if the tickets are overpriced.

Even the New York Yankees can’t ask outrageous prices for regular season games, new stadium or not.  For the first time since 1973, the most famous college football team in North America almost didn’t sell out a home game. Notre Dame went until late afternoon on Friday before selling out last Saturday’s home game against Washington. For those not around in 1973, it was also a time of a sluggish economy but the unemployment rate was not nearly as high as today.

Tuesday, in a report on CNBC  a sobering stat was reported. Over 40% of sports tickets bought by corporations go unused or are resold through ticket brokers. Many lower bowl seats at NHL stadiums are sold to corporations; hopefully they keep buying because season tickets sales are the life blood of franchises.

From a selfish standpoint I don’t want to see ticket sales decline which would then lead to a salary cap decrease for next year.  Hawk fans realize a lower salary cap for 2010-2011 will make things even more difficult when trying to re-sign star players. I will have more to say soon on next year’s Hawks team. For now, I want to finish up on this year’s roster decisions.

Money almost always matters. But the decision to send Jack Skille back to the Rockford Ice Hogs was not due to a lack of salary cap space.

I though there was good chance Skille would have stuck around after camp broke. In reality Skille is not as good of a fourth liner player as Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Tomas Kopecky or whoever else is on the current roster.

The reason I thought Skille would get a longer stay is because for once his contract amount wasn’t hindering his chances of playing in Chicago. The Hawks have salary cap space for awhile because of the Hossa shoulder surgery. Once he returns from injury then a decision on Skille would have had to be made.

The Hawks didn’t wait; they already knew Skille would not be able to fill an appropriate role. It had nothing to do with newcomer Radek Smolenak being given a longer look; it was all about Skille being a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.

The Hawks roll four lines, players have specific roles. Unfortunately for Skille he can’t play as a top six forward and can’t fit into a third  or fourth line slot either.  The skill level in Chicago is much higher than it has been in many years.  Young Skille is not  a complete enough player to fit in…. yet. One does have to wonder if he ever will find an appropriate role with the Hawks.

Once again it may all come down to money.

If the salary cap goes  down next season and somehow the Hawks do re-sign Pat Kane, Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews then Skille may actually have a better chance of landing a roster spot. If the big three stay other high priced players  will be elsewhere.

Times are changing, and even a $1 million contract like Troy Brouwer just signed isn’t easy to come by these days.  This season Skille is a $1.275 million salary cap hit, next year if he is re-signed in Chicago he may be earning less. If so, Skille may finally get a chance. He will be priced right and will not have as much competition to deal with for top line spots. Maybe then he will fit in. Skille is a restricted free agent after this season.

The economy seems to be taking its toll everywhere.  For sure every penny spent next year in Chicago will matter a great deal.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net