The Coyotes were outplayed badly in the opening 15 minutes Thursday night but when all was said and done, they put forth the more complete effort. The Blackhawks were beaten 3-2 in overtime, in a game that was theirs for the taking.

It would be understandable after watching Thursday night’s contest to come away with the impression the Coyotes are a team the Hawks should handle. They aren’t very flashy, although they have some young players who are highly skilled. What matters most to their head coach Dave Tippett is that his club takes care of the details and finds a way to win close games, which is exactly what happened.

The really disappointing fact about the Blackhawks losing Game 1 was they were in the contest although they didn’t play nearly as well as they could. Phoenix was the better club for the majority of the night, but mostly because not enough Blackhawks showed up with an effective full-time effort. Joel Quenneville commented the same in his postgame interview.

Quenneville didn’t mention any names but he probably was thinking Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Johnny Oduya, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Sean O’Donnell and the entire fourth line were of little help. In the case of Hossa, Sharp, and Oduya, their performances could be categorized as simply bad. There were other players like Patrick Kane, Viktor Stalberg and Bryan Bickell who weren’t as good as they can be. A spotty team performance won’t normally be good enough when playing the hard-working Coyotes.

Tippett, in his postgame remarks, complimented his team for finding a way to win without leading goal scorer Radim Vrbata. The winger was injured early in the opening period. It has been speculated Vrbata may have suffered a concussion coming on an Andrew Shaw check. Losing Vrbata after playing only 30 seconds could have been a deciding factor. On a club that doesn’t score much, Vrbata had 35 markers, 11 more than the next highest Coyote. There hasn’t been any official word on Vrbata’s injury status other than to list him as day to day.

The Blackhawks didn’t take care of the details. It appeared poor shift changes caused the Hawks problems on the first two Coyote tallies. Unfortunately, some old Blackhawks bad habits of turning the puck over in their own zone happened too often. Then the follow up was to get mesmerized by the puck and chase the Coyotes, which also happened often.

Although the Hawks had 45 shots on goal, there wasn’t enough traffic in front of Smith. The game-tying goal by Brent Seabrook was off a goal mouth battle but the same effort wasn’t there most of the night. Throughout the middle frame and in much of the third period the Coyotes outworked the Blackhawks.

To Continue reading click here.

To follow me on Twitter @AlCimaglia

Comments can be posted on My Fox Chicago.com

Next article will be out Sunday morning.

Morrison, 36, has often been injured in recent years and his play has fallen off. Maybe Morrison could be considered no more than a spare part or depth player. That said, he may provide some veteran knowhow and improve the Hawks’ lineup.

Striking a deal for Morrison was worthwhile because the cost was low.

The Hawks dealt Rockford Ice Hog defenseman Bryan Connelly, who was recently selected to play in the AHL All-Star game. For whatever reason, Connelly was not in the Hawks plans and he wasn’t going to play on the big club.

Connelly, 25, is a smaller defenseman with offensive ability. Blackhawks management prefers others in their system with the same skillset. Connelly will have a better chance of becoming a NHL player with the trade to the Flames organization.

My guess is Morrison will get an opportunity as the second line pivot. If he does well playing alongside Marian Hossa, Morrison could be a great pick-up. If not, Morrison could find his way onto the third or fourth line and could pitch in on special teams. If Morrison can stay healthy, he will give Joel Quenneville more options.

Morrison returned this season after ACL surgery on his left knee, which he injured in a game against the Blackhawks last March. Morrison was hurt on a clean check by Niklas Hjalmarsson, but according to Morrison, some Hawks players were chiding him while he was helped off the ice.

Morrison mentioned on Friday night the incident is a “dead issue.” Morrison also commented he was ecstatic about coming to Chicago and will fill any role that is asked. Maybe Bowman has added a valuable component to a long playoff run, if he can stay healthy.

The Blackhawks are about to kick off their longest road trip since 1997. The nine-game journey will start in Vancouver on Tuesday night. The trip will not end until February 18 in Columbus. The Hawks will face some difficult opponents but their task might not be as bad as it appears.

The Hawks will return to Chicago after each three-game stretch to break up the trip. The first leg of their journey will be against three Western Canadian teams.

The Hawks will fly back to Chicago after Friday night’s contest in Calgary. They will recharge over the weekend and head to Colorado on Monday. No doubt it will be a challenging stretch, but at least the schedule allows for time to get back home.

On the injury front, word going around is Jonathan Toews will be ready to face the Canucks. That isn’t etched in stone, but official word on Toews could come down later Monday.

To continue reading click here.

Follow me on Twitter @AlCimaglia

Comments can be posted on My Fox Chicago.com.

Next article will beout on Wednesday.

Even though the Blackhawks improved their home record to 13-2-3 Joel Quenneville probably had reason to criticize. The Hawks appeared to be a little off, their passing wasn’t great and their defense was loose. Fortunately they were facing the worse team in the league and Jackets goalie Steve Mason wasn’t particularly sharp. Columbus also missed 10 shots on the night which helped the Hawks notch another United Center victory.

Corey Crawford made 37 saves but was only strongly tested a handful of times. Crawford did make some nice stops in third period as his teammates lost focus and were outshot 14-5. Even though the Blue Jackets managed a 38-22 shot advantage the outcome was never really in doubt.

The Blackhawks have a great 9-1-1 record in December. They will close out the month facing Los Angeles and Detroit at the UC this week. Things have gone really well but the Blackhawks are in the strongest division in the NHL.

The top three teams in the Central Division are Chicago with 50 points, St. Louis has 46 points and Detroit has recorded 45 points. No other division in the league has its top three teams accumulating as many points as those in the Central.

The bad news is despite a very strong December the Blues and Red Wings are still in striking distance. St. Louis trails the Hawks by only four points with a game in hand. The hated Red Wings have played one less contest than the Hawks as well, and are only five points behind. Detroit will roll into the UC on Friday night and face the Hawks for the first time this season.

The next opponent on tap is the Los Angeles Kings with their new head coach Darryl Sutter. The former Blackhawk player and head coach was hired as the Kings bench boss on December 12.

The Blackhawks probably won’t fare as well on Wednesday if they are outshot in the opening frame 13-5 as they were last night. The Hawks will have to play better versus the Kings and Wings to come away with victories. They will practice on Tuesday morning and should be more prepared and focused to face LA.

To continue reading click here.

Follow me on Twitter @AlCimaglia

Next article will be out Thursday morning.

Stop by The Third Man In.com to hear a podcast which was done with Chris Block on Monday afternoon.

With wins over the staggering Ducks and the road-weary Flames this weekend, the Hawks have taken care of business. Very good clubs win the games they should and the Hawks stayed focus to record victories over lesser opponents. Now, there could be another test at hand.

Near the 15:25 mark of the opening period, Brent Seabrook was checked from behind by former Blackhawk Rene Bourque. Seabrook appeared to hit his jaw on the boards and immediately fell to the ice. After going head first into the boards, Seabrook was dazed and stayed down for awhile.

When Seabrook was helped to the bench, he was met by the team doctor and was taken to the dressing room for evaluation. Seabrook did not return to the game. Bourque received a five minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for his dangerous hit from behind.

After the game, Joel Quenneville commented Seabrook seemed to be fine but more would be known Monday. Quenneville was hopeful Seabrook was not seriously hurt. If the injury is deemed to be a concussion, it could be Seabrook’s fourth since the 2009-2010 season.

As written here last week , the Blackhawks have been very fortunate not to suffer many significant injuries. The Hawks have only lost 23 man games due to injury so far this season. After 33 games, that is a very small total. There have been times in recent years the Hawks have had well over 200 man games lost in a season. Last year, the Hawks suffered a reasonable amount of injuries, with 144 man games lost.

The Blackhawks deserve their status as the top club in the NHL, as they have accomplished what the best teams do. The Hawks have an outstanding home ice record of 11-2-3 and also have a solid 10-6-1 road record. They have beaten teams they should and have come up with strong efforts on most nights. Hopefully, Seabrook hasn’t suffered a concussion, but if he has, the Hawks will need to overcome an injury to a significant player.

The very best franchises can win despite injuries. They do so by playing a strong system that enables them to adapt more readily when a key team member is hurt and out of action. No club exemplifies overcoming injuries over the past two seasons more than Tuesday’s opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

To continue reading click here.

To follow me on Twitter..@AlCimaglia

Next article will be on Wednesday.

1. The team is not as good as their record: When injuries hit and the schedule gets more difficult the Hawks will slide in the standings.

2. The Hawks are focused on trying to get through the season to gain a top four seeding in the playoffs: The core of the team will find a way to do enough so there is no danger of missing the playoffs. Once in the post season, they will intensify their efforts for a Stanley Cup run.

3. The Blackhawks are one of the five best teams in the NHL: With a tweak or two to the roster they will be a true Cup contender when the playoffs begin.

There is some truth in each of the scenarios.

As things take shape this season, option three makes more sense, although the Blackhawks don’t wow me with consistently strong efforts. In the big picture, they have as much high-end talent as any club. The Hawks also have younger players who benefit from the experience and confidence of already winning the grand prize. That is a big advantage over most others.

The second option is believed by some who have played in the NHL. The thinking is the Hawks are able to pace themselves to have enough gas in the tank to make a deep playoff run. The strategy seems dangerous, but the season is long and grueling. Players don’t get up equally for every opponent, and the Hawks, as a group, appear to measure their efforts.

The first scenario rings true in some ways too. The next six weeks will be telling as the opponents get more difficult. The advantage for the Hawks is there are many home games through the end of January. For now, the Blackhawks deserve the benefit of the doubt, as they are a top club until proven otherwise.

The Blackhawks will be in Minnesota Wednesday to face the Wild. The Wild, largely not expected to make the playoffs at the beginning of the season, have been a surprise and currently sit atop the NHL with 43 points, three more than the Hawks.

One game doesn’t decide superiority, and this will be a battle of opposites. The Hawks like to run and gun while the Wild play things close to the vest. The Wild would like to score more, but they have been successful anyway. The Hawks would like to give up fewer goals, but so far they keep winning.

Minnesota has been successful under rookie head coach Mike Yeo by working hard in all three zones. The Wild employ a solid defensive structure with strong goal keeping. They don’t count on skating up and down the ice outscoring an opponent. The Wild rely on outworking the competition and normally winning low-scoring games.

The Wild are led by the talented and underrated Mikko Koivu, who has 27 points. His total is five fewer then the Hawks’ leading scorer, Jonathan Toews, who has played one less game. The next top scorer for Minnesota is newcomer Dany Heatley who has nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points. Heatley is the leading goal scorer on the Wild and his nine tallies is eight less than Blackhawks goal leader Toews, who has 17 markers. The Wilds notorious pest, Cal Clutterbuck, leads the NHL with four shorthanded goals.

As is evident, the Wild won’t wow anyone with offense, but they have two top goal keepers. Niklas Backstrom and the injured Josh Harding have strong .932 save percentages. Backstrom saw action Tuesday night as the Wild traveled to Winnipeg and lost 2-1. Backstrom might play again Wednesday, but if not, Matt Hackett will be between the pipes due to the injury to Harding.

Hackett is the nephew of former Blackhawk goalie tender Jeff Hackett. The youngster has done well in two games this season — boasting a perfect record. Hackett has recorded a .974 save percentage with a 1.01 GAA.

To continue reading click here.

Follow me on Twitter @AlCimaglia

Next article will be posted tomorrow morning.

Led by a five point performance from Toews as well as a Patrick Sharp hat trick the Hawks avoided their fourth consecutive defeat. The Anaheim Ducks had every opportunity to win only their second game in the month of November. But in the end, the resolve of Toews and Sharp led the Hawks to a come from behind 6-5 victory.

The Hawks didn’t quit after falling behind 2-0 in the opening minutes. They could have went away quietly but rather showed the necessary determination to outlast the bewildered Ducks.

It is an understatement to say Toews leads by example.

The Hawks’ captain won his individual battles, and scored two goals. While trailing 4-2 to open the third period the Hawks needed a big lift. No problem for Toews, as he scored twice.

Sharp opened the scoring in the first frame when things were looking bleak and stayed involved throughout. He added two more tallies in the final frame to pace the Hawks to a much needed win.

The Blackhawks were coming off an improved performance in San Jose even though they lost their third straight and were shutout. Although the Hawks couldn’t solve Antti Niemi they did control the majority of play. It wasn’t a picture perfect effort but it should have given the Hawks some confidence going into Anaheim.

Unfortunately, once again the Blackhawks were not as ready to compete as their opponent.

The Hawks appear to take a win versus a struggling team for granted. The lesson which already should have been learned is to respect everyone. No club should be taken lightly, especially those like Anaheim, who are in desperation mode.

The Ducks swarmed the Hawks and hit them all over the ice during the opening five minutes. Anaheim gave a perfect illustration of team which would be tough to play against. They can play a physical game while employing a strong forecheck.

The issue for the Anaheim is they have only one true scoring line. Besides not being a balanced club, their defense is young and the Ducks goal tending has been spotty. If Anaheim doesn’t quickly turn things around they will be out of the playoff race.

The Hawks should have been more prepared for a stiff challenge. Being over confident shouldn’t have been an issue. The Hawks were riding a three game losing streak and have struggled for the past few weeks.

Flaws have surfaced, and it appeared Joel Quenneville’s message fell on deaf ears once again. The Hawks’ bench boss is still searching for correct line combinations and his team makes things more difficult when they start poorly.

Friday, the line combos were as scattered as ever. The only thing which was certain is whoever was on the ice with Toews was going to be most effective. The captain doesn’t hesitate to do the dirty work. He was in the Ducks’ goal crease area seemingly all game.

To continue to read click here.

Next article out on Monday.

Follow me on Twitter@AlCimaglia

The Blackhawks fought fatigue as well and stayed determined. They kept it simple and played a north-south game. The Hawks swarmed Oiler goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and made it difficult for him to operate. Khabibulin had been on quite a run, so putting five goals by him was an accomplishment.

Coming into Sunday night’s contest, Khabibulin allowed a meager 12 goals in 10 games. As a team, the Oilers had been very stingy in the opening period, allowing only six goals in 16 contests. On Sunday the Hawks struck three times in the first stanza, so the Blackhawks bucked a couple of trends with a strong start to set the tone for a winning effort.

Corey Crawford was reliable. He was strongly tested only a few times and was able to keep the lead for his teammates. For the most part, the Oilers attack was kept under wraps.

Jonathan Toews paced the Hawks’ with a game-high seven shots on goal. As usual, Toews’ determination was noticeable. He now leads the team with nine goals. Toews is skating strongly and driving to the net. The Hawks captain scored the first goal and also potted the game winner.

Normally Toews is a slow starter, but he has compiled 15 points in 18 games to begin this campaign. This could be the start of a really big year, as Toews normally gets better as the season progresses.

Toews isn’t the only Blackhawk off to a flying start. Marian Hossa had another strong outing, notching two assists. He leads the Hawks with a plus 13 rating and is second in goals with eight.

Patrick Kane also contributed to the winning cause with two helpers. Kane could be on his way to a career year as he is averaging slightly over one point per game. Kane has played in all 18 matches and is credited with 19 points.

Patrick Sharp has not been as consistent as he would like, but his stats are still impressive. Sharp was credited with two assists and now has 17 points. Sharp missed training camp, but he now appears to be rounding into form.

All four of the Hawks top skill players could have sparkling years, if they can stay healthy.

Newcomer Steve Montador has become quite a power play specialist. Montador became part of the Hawks’ second power play unit three games ago, as a forward stationed in the slot area. Against the Oilers, Montador scored his second power play marker.

Before his power play score, Montador lit the lamp with a beautiful goal on a slick individual effort. That tally gave the Hawks an early two-goal cushion.

Duncan Keith has started to hit the net with regularity. Keith scored his second goal in two games. Ever since Keith has been reunited with Brent Seabrook, his play has improved offensively as well as defensively.

The reuniting of Keith and Seabrook has also helped Nick Leddy. Since teaming with Niklas Hjalmarsson, Leddy is skating confidently and moving the puck up the ice on a regular basis. Sunday night, Leddy led all players with 27:20 of ice time and recorded two assists. Leddy had his most complete game of the season against the Oilers.

Unfortunately, not all of the news from Sunday night’s game was good.

To continue reading click here.

Follow me on Twitter@AlCimaglia

There is no embarrassment in losing to Cam Ward and the Hurricanes, especially in an away game. But the Hawks didn’t simply go down in defeat; their effort was so poor it was highly unlikely they could possibly win.

The Blackhawks played their worst period of the season versus the Hurricanes in the opening frame. What followed wasn’t very good either, as the Hawks only showed flashes of determination. The result was a well deserved 3-0 loss.

The next day the Hawks had a chance to get back on track at the United Center against the club with the poorest record in the NHL. Blackhawks ledge jumpers held hands but didn’t need to take a plunge as their favorite club survived to post a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The league is so competitive that almost every game and each shift matters. The Blackhawks had been winning while not playing their best, as was the case versus Anaheim last Tuesday. Usually it is only a matter of time until a substandard effort leads to defeat.

The best teams don’t string losses together. It remains to be seen if the Hawks will end up in the upper echelon of the NHL. There are reasons to be confident, but after this weekend, it is apparent better efforts will be required on a consistent basis.

There is a common thread that runs through teams suffering losses or struggling to win. Many times those clubs have difficulty scoring goals and usually their power play goes dormant. Another commonality in bad times is many of the best players seem to disappear.

To continue reading click here.

The Hawks were dominant in the opening minutes of the first frame. The Ducks couldn’t prevent the Hawks from pressing the pace as they appeared a step quicker. As the period wore on, the Anaheim defensive scheme began to take hold. The Hawks weren’t able to move through the neutral zone with ease. Rather, the Ducks stifled the Hawks and kept them out on the perimeter.

Early in the second period while on a power play, Ducks’ captain Ryan Getzlaf received a nifty pass from linemate Corey Perry. The talented Getzlaf made no mistake and hoisted a shot past Corey Crawford.

Geztlaf got inside position on defenseman Sean O’Donnell and Crawford didn’t have a chance. O’Donnell had a rough night, and with back-to-back games this weekend, Sami Lepisto may get a long awaited start.

The Ducks proceeded to put the United Center crowd of 21,247 to sleep for almost the next 10 minutes. Then it was show-time for Patrick Kane.

As Kane carried the puck into the Ducks’ zone, he wheeled around and did a Denis Savard like spin-o-rama. Anaheim players were fixated on Kane, which left Marian Hossa open near the net. Kane’s amazing pass went perfectly to Hossa for an easy tap-in past Jonas Hiller.

Although Kane did finish on a high note, like many teammates, he didn’t have a perfect game. About six minutes after Kane dazzled the crowd, he was victimized for a Teemu Selanne score.

Kane was the last man back and made an ill advised pass attempt to Duncan Keith. The Ducks were changing lines and caught Kane off guard to intercept his pass. The ageless Selanne had Crawford all to himself and made it look easy as the Ducks took a 2-1 lead. Kane will probably be more careful in the future when he is the last man back.

The Hawks couldn’t string passes together as the Ducks controlled play throughout the middle frame. As the contest seemed slanted toward the Anaheim side, the third period began and the Blackhawks persevered.

The Hawks killed off a delay of game penalty and afterward Joel Quenneville put the old band back together. Quenneville reunited Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Kane for a shift and his timing was perfect. To continue reading click here.

In the opening frame, it looked as if Colorado would handle the class hike and build upon their five-game winning streak, but the Blackhawks’ experience and know-how won out in the end.

Shortly after Joe Sacco was appointed the Colorado Avalanche head coach in 2009, he professed his admiration for the Blackhawks. The observant Sacco was ahead of the curve and saw the Hawks were a team gearing up for a Stanley Cup run. Joel Quenneville had a young, talented, fast club, and Sacco wanted his team to play like the Hawks.

In the opening 30 minutes, it looked like the Avalanche were the 2009-2010 Blackhawks. They played at high tempo, the defensemen were involved in the offense and they were getting top goal tending. The Avalanche pushed the pace and had the Blackhawks chasing them, even though Jonathan Toews swarmed the Avs net and provided his team a one-goal lead heading into the second frame.

Sacco had his charges pick up where they left off as the second period progressed. If not for the strong performance by Corey Crawford, the Hawks could have been down by a couple of goals. Crawford isn’t the highlight reel goal tender some prefer, but he has been rock solid and once again gave the Hawks the opportunity to win.

No substitute for experience and confidence

Around the 10 minute mark of the middle period, the Hawks shook off the remaining dust of the Arizona desert and went to work. The Hawks showed the will of a past Cup winner and controlled play. The Avs were tough, but the Hawks were the best team and prevailed. They pressed on and found a way to beat a very good Semyon Varlamov.

The Blackhawks kept their one goal advantage until 15:27 of the second period, when a fluke goal evaded Crawford. Somehow the puck fluttered and found its way to the shaft of Colorado defenseman Ryan O’Byrne stick and deflected past Crawford. It was a lucky goal, and in the later stages of the final period the Hawks benefitted from some good fortune too.

With less than nine minutes remaining, defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson was the last man back and lost an edge and fell. He had the puck and was in a vulnerable position, so he gloved it and threw it out of the Hawks’ zone. Hammer should have been whistled for closing his hand on the puck, but the hockey gods evened things up and the Hawks avoided a third period penalty.

Hawks take charge

To continue reading click here

Losing 3-2 to the Boston Bruins in a shootout isn’t anything to be embarrassed about, but the Blackhawks fell into a familiar, ominous pattern.

As was often the case last season, when the going was the toughest, the Hawks came up short. For whatever reason, the Hawks didn’t appear as comfortable as the Bruins, who controlled play in the final frame. The Hawks didn’t respond well in the late going and left a point on the table.
During the third period of games in the 2010-2011 campaign, the Blackhawks had 89 goals scored against them. That was the fourth highest total in the entire NHL. Only three franchises, who were all non-playoff teams, had more goals allowed in the final frame. Those clubs were Colorado (103), Atlanta (98) and Ottawa (93).

Teams that give it up in the third period are normally on the golf course in early April, so the Blackhawks were in dangerous territory. To make matters worse, Chicago was also in the bottom half of the league in goals scored in the final 20 minutes.

Although it is much too early to conclude third period difficulties will continue, there is reason for caution. Like last season, there has been a big turnover in personnel. Hopefully since the new acquisitions have more experience they will not fold when the pressure is the greatest.

In hockey the best results happen when everyone meshes. The Bruins exhibited a more complete effort when the game was on the line. The Hawks couldn’t sustain their opening period energy.

The Bruins scored both goals on mistakes. That isn’t a shock as both squads were evenly matched. What is somewhat surprising is how some of the Hawks’ top players were victimized.

Boston’s Chris Kelly scored because of a weird bounce off the glass that led to shorthanded goal. I could write that off as bad luck, although there could have been a better effort by Hawk forwards to skate back after the turnover.

The second Bruin tally was the bigger issue. The Toews line was on the ice and inexperience can’t be used as an excuse. They can all share the blame, but Patrick Sharp got caught watching the puck instead of his man. In total the Bruins deserved the win as they were sharper than the Hawks.

Speaking of having to be sharper… It’s time to reunite Keith and Seabrook. Not to single out one player, but so far this season Duncan Keith has yet to play to his skill level.

To contiue reading click here

Al’s Shots

Doing a podcast tonight with Chris Block from The Third Man In.com . The show will  begin at 8:00 PM CST.

We will discuss the start for the Blackhawks and what we believe will happen in the coming weeks.

Plus Chris will have the real scoop on the nice start for some of the Rockford Ice Hogs.

Follow me on Twitter……@AlCimaglia

Also please spread the word on my Blackhawk page on My Fox Chicago.com

Thanks…

blackhawkswin@comast.net

This summer general manager Stan Bowman’s mission was different than the offseason of 2010. This time around he was aided by salary cap flexibility. Bowman was able to target veteran players who could fill particular needs. That’s the good news but there are still some questions which need to be answered. Hopefully it won’t take long for head coach Joel Quenneville to make it all work.

Following the Stanley Cup run Bowman was left no choice but to fire sale proven NHL talent. He did so and netted young prospects and a group of players which were either bargain basement veterans or inexperienced. Sprinkle in a few injuries to core players and the 2010-2011 Blackhawks barely squeaked into the playoffs.

Now Bowman has assembled a group earmarked to be a solid Western Conference competitor. Maybe the Blackhawks aren’t going to be a top seed in the West come April, but with a little good fortune the Hawks could secure home ice for the opening round of the post season.

To continue reading please click on MyFox Chicago

Al’s Shots

Thanks for continuing to read on my Fox Chicago.com.

Enjoy the interview below and the games this weekend.
I will be back on Monday with some thoughts.

Here is the audio of a Sirius/XM interview done Thursday afternoon with Jamie Shalley.

11-10-06 Al Cimaglia – XM Chicago

We discussed trainng camp suprises and looked ahead to the coming season.

Even before the Pierre LeBrun likely contract extension Tweet today…Sharp was unlikley to be traded.

If the playing time for Hawk defensemen is to be more evenly distributed then trading Hjalmarsson doesn’t make as much sense.

That leaves Brouwer, who Stan Bowman didn’t give as much love to when speaking about his team after the playoffs ended. Today the Brouwer trade rumblings are around.

Brouwer is a big forward who hits and has hands. I wouldn’t trade him unless it was to acquire a top six center. That type of transaction would require more than Brouwer as trade bait.

As I said yesterday, there is a chance the Hawks make a significant trade before the weekend is over. My guess was about 50-50 but now there could be a higher probability.

Bowman has a bunch of picks and this appears to be a draft where other teams are going to be aggressive. He may feel a little more pressure considering the tone set by the Flyers. As a result the Kings appear to have improved and so do the Blue Jackets.

Bowman is in a better position than most even though his team is coming off a disappointing, long summer. The attitude and focus should be better for the Hawks when they hit the ice for training camp after their first round exit. Bowman won’t be complacent but he won’t feel overwhelmed to shake things up.

Someone who was aggressive last summer but didn’t accomplish enough is Sharks GM, Doug Wilson.

His club has gone deep into the playoffs two years in a row and hasn’t gotten to the Finals. The Kings have improved and San Jose may need a trade, or big free agent signing to keep pace. Even with new additions, going deep into the playoffs three consecutive years is a very difficult challenge.

The biggest name I’m hearing being shopped is Sharks’ forward Dany Heatley.

Heatley, like Jeff Carter and Mike Richards has a window in his contract whereby Wilson could trade him without asking permission. So if there is a market out there for a very high priced sniper who doesn’t always show up, Wilson could be in luck.

The key to trading high priced players is to find another team desperate to improve.

The LA Kings have been built to win the last couple of seasons but have fallen short. They put themselves in a position to go deep into the playoffs but needed more. LA had the assets to trade and the financial stability to afford Richards.

The Blue Jackets had to do something or their small loyal fan base would likely diminish. Soon than later Columbus has to approach breakeven rather than lose around $25 million per season. Otherwise the Jackets could become another relocation candidate.

One of my favorite players to watch is Rick Nash. But he has been playing with one arm tied behind his back. I’m not sure if the addition of Carter will turn the Jackets into a true playoff contender. But they did take a big step toward becoming a relevant sports story in Columbus once again.

This should be a very interesting weekend all around the NHL.

The Hawks have five selections in the first 80 picks in what many believe to be a deep draft. Bowman could be active drafting prospects or he may package some and make a trade or two.

It all may depend on finding the correct trade partner and it’s nice to not feel desperate.

Al’s Shots

To finish up the Mike Haviland Winnipeg story….

I did not hear Haviland was promised the job but my feeling was the longer it dragged on the better for him. That obviously was wrong.

It could also be wrong to assume, but it seems unlikely Claude Noel was the first choice of Kevin Cheveldayoff. I doubt Cheveldayoff would have let things go on for so long unless there was a lot of debate in the Winnipeg front office.

Although the Devils’ coaching job is still available, I have heard the primary focus for Haviland, until the end, was Winnipeg. At this point it is only a guess as to whether he will get an interview in New Jersey.

Hopefully if Haviland is under consideration for the Devils’ position he won’t have to go through another long ordeal.

More next week after the draft concerning the new schedule.

For a number a reasons the biggest question to be addressed is whether the Hawks want to become more of a north-south club that has a physical presence. In that case Bowman could look to add some grit to the bottom six forwards. He may also want to subtract a puck moving defenseman and look to add a stay at home crease clearer.

No matter if it is Patrick Sharp, Brian Campbell or Niklas Hjalmarsson mentioned in possible trade scenarios the discussion usually ends up in the same place. Fans want change but reality soon hits home. Most ultimately realize the Hawks are already a talented bunch and dealing any of the three players mentioned could create a hole which couldn’t be filled.

Currently in the NHL it is almost impossible to trade a player with a no movement clause. In my view the next CBA will more resemble that of baseball. A franchise will be able to absorb some of a high priced players’ salary when traded and not have the money count against their salary cap. It is really in everyone’s interest to make that change.

If the CBA is modified as I suggested, star players will find it easier to command big dollars. Also smaller market teams will be able to acquire big name players at a discount. The need for no trade and no movement clauses will also have to be tweaked as they have become a huge deterrent for a general manager.

Campbell is the player many Hawk fans feel should be traded so his mega contract can come off the books. Campbell is overpaid but he is a player which would be difficult to replace.

Although I ‘m not advocating Bowman should pursue a deal involving Campbell let’s take a look at the details involved. Campbell has a no movement clause built into his contract which runs through the 2015-2016 season.

Although I have not read the paperwork the clause probably looks something like this…

Once a year, upon request Campbell has to provide a list of eight teams he would agree to be traded to. From what I understand the number of teams could be only six but for this discussion let’s say it is eight clubs. Bowman would then have about six weeks to a complete a trade.

If Brian desires to stay in Chicago, which most likely is the case, he can make it almost impossible for Bowman to execute a trade. For example, Campbell would quash the notion of Panthers’ center, Stephen Weiss coming to the Hawks by not putting Florida on his list.

Realistically Campbell would fill his list of approved teams with some top clubs from the Western Conference. The Red Wings might have the cap space and need for Campbell but Bowman won’t trade a front line player to a Conference rival. The same could be said for the Canucks and Sharks.

Then Campbell and his agent would go over to the Eastern Conference and choose teams with little cap space and or no need for his services. So let’s pencil in the Bruins, Capitals, Flyers, and Penguins.

Ok, that’s seven clubs which have no need for Campbell, couldn’t afford him or are Conference rivals. That leaves one more team for Campbell and his agent to decide on…

Maybe it is a team like the Coyotes who won’t pay anyone $7 million per season. Possibly it is the struggling Blue Jackets that continually bleed red ink. Or maybe Campbell looks at a team from the East which has salary cap issues and chooses the NY Rangers as his eighth and final choice.

Campbell’s logic could be that in case the unlikely happens….He has chosen very good teams or those from big cities with a hockey history. So he passes on the Coyotes and Blue Jackets and sticks with the Rangers.

If my list is correct Bowman has only one slim chance to deal Campbell and that would be to NY. Unfortunately the Rangers probably wouldn’t give up one of their top two centers, Brandon Dubinsky or Derek Stepan. Most likely the Rangers want to build around those two and find a way to clear cap space to make a pitch for upcoming free agent Brad Richards. The Rangers could use Campbell to ignite their offense but Brad Richards is probably at the top of GM Glen Sather’s wish list.

So in all likelihood there isn’t going to be a feasible opportunity to trade Campbell, which is just fine by me. But there might be an opportunity to acquire a veteran center and the Rangers could be involved….In a way.

This player is a very good faceoff man and could kill penalties. He has been a winner at every level and has a Stanley Cup ring as well. He is a well respected, hard nose player who would provide some veteran leadership to the Blackhawks.

There is a NY Ranger center that might be looking for a new home soon.

Chris Drury has been injury plagued and missed many games last season. He is coming off knee surgery, will soon be 35 years old and might be considering retiring. But if at all possible Drury wants to keep playing because he has one year remaining on his $7 million contract.

The Rangers are in a tough spot and may have no choice but to buyout Drury’s contract. Then they could free up cap space to have a chance to acquire the talented Richards.

Richards has a strong relationship with Rangers bench boss John Tortorella. He seems like a natural fit for NY who desperately needs more offense. The Hawks aren’t going to trade Campbell for a Drury, but Bowman might be able to sign him soon to a modest contract.

At this point Drury would be more of a replacement for a John Madden than a second line scoring center. That is if his knee holds up. Madden is an upcoming UFA but he is 38 years old. Rumor has it he may retire.

If somehow Drury could stay healthy, he has the compete level and know how to be a valuable addition to the Blackhawks. The Hawks may look to add a couple of two way veteran players, that don’t play small and would accept their role.

Here are some of Tortorella’s quotes concerning Drury from an April 26, CBS Sports article…

“This is something, honestly, that we have to look at as far as where does he fit now. We are going young. With older guys, those are conversations that we have to have as we continue for the next few months.”

The Rangers’ bench boss adds…“Dru is getting older. That’s why he has this chronic knee. It’s certainly not my total decision but I have my thoughts.”

Tortorella has just signed a contract extension and his choice appears obvious. It seems likely the Rangers will buyout Drury to save approximately $3.3 million in cap space next season. Drury would still get paid $3.7 million from the Rangers and $1.6 million the following year.

So Drury won’t have to worrying about income. He also knows there isn’t going to be another large contract waiting for him.

There are risks in signing Drury. He is coming off knee surgery and has only a total of 15 goals the past two seasons.

Bowman could still try to swing a deal for a second line center by using Hjalmarsson or Sharp as trade bait. Or he may look to Dave Bolland or Michael Frolik to fill that hole and then add third and fourth line players with grit and know how. That is where Drury would fit in.

Sometimes the best trades are those which never take place. Bowman may not be in a rush to trade away a big name player and there are other ways to improve.

A healthy Drury, even at 35 years old could provide benefits to the Hawks. To sign Drury for around $1 million looks like a viable risk and he may relish the opportunity to win another Stanley Cup.

It could be a whole lot easier than trying to trade Campbell.

On this holiday weekend let’s remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice and their families who have to live on without them.

If the Hawks are able to deal Campbell they would have to alter their style of play. That may happen anyway but Campbell’s importance in generating offense should not be discounted. Nick Leddy might be as good of a puck mover as Campbell someday. But that day won’t come next season.

Campbell is too expensive for most teams to consider acquiring. If the Hawks would deal Campbell they would want to open cap space, not carry the same salary burden with a newly acquired player. In essence the Hawks would be looking to distribute some of the money spent on their defenders to other areas of need.

All reports point to Campbell not wanting to leave the Windy City. He also has a no movement clause, so most likely he will be on the ice for the Blackhawks this October.

Sharp is the type of player most teams would love to have. The word going around the league last summer was the Hawks were going to be forced to trade Sharp.

Those which closely follow the Hawks will remember Bowman called a mid summer press conference to dispel any trade rumors involving Sharp. Bowman sent a message to other GM’s and also let Sharp concentrate on getting married and not worry about being dealt.

My feelings are the same as those mentioned by Bowman as to the importance of Sharp to the Blackhawks. He is a leader and has a big presence in the dressing room. Sharp brings some maturity to a young Hawks’ squad. He is also a big fan favorite. Sharp’s production has been consistent.

There are a couple of factors which would limit Sharp’s trade value and also could help put a more realistic dollar amount on his next contract..

Although Sharp had a very good season and scored 34 goals, 12 of his tallies came on the power play. Back door tap-ins are pretty but Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane wouldn’t be following Sharp to his new destination. A potential suitor will look at that stat, and so will Bowman when negotiating a contract extension for Sharp.

Sharp is 29 years old, so he will be looking for a big contract with some security. Management values Sharp a lot, so they won’t lose him over a $1 million. Sharp and the Hawks will probably agree on a four year contract extension for a tolerable amount. The price for 30 goal scorers is not going to down as the salary cap will most likely continue to rise.

If the Hawks were going to deal Sharp, doing so last summer would have made the most sense. The acquiring club would have had the surety of Sharp being locked up for $3.9 million for two more seasons. Now his trade value is not as great due to a contract which would expire after the upcoming season.

Bowman has commented the Hawks will look to resign Sharp, which could happen by the beginning of next season. Look for Sharp to get about a $1 million raise per season. My take is he will sign a four year extension valued in the $20 million range.

There isn’t any cost certainty for a potential suitor of Sharp, but that is not the case for Hjalmarsson. Hammer signed an offer sheet last summer and would be eligible to be traded by mid-July.

Hjalmarsson is signed through 2013-2014, at $3.5 million per season. That amount is high for a third pairing, penalty killing specialist which might be his role next season with the Blackhawks.

If Chris Campoli and Leddy are playing in Chicago next year they will eat into Hammer’s ice time.

Realistically Hjalmarsson may not fit here as a top four defenseman any longer.The key to dealing Hjalmarsson is he could be worth more to another club than to the Hawks.

Although Hjalmarsson doesn’t score many goals, he could be an effective top pairing dman for some teams. On most clubs Hammer would be at least a top four defender and that makes him valuable trade bait, plus he is still young. Hjalmarsson’s salary is not moderate but not really out of line for a number two or three defender.

A potential suitor could plug Hjalmarsson in for the next three seasons and not have to worry about contract negotiations. Hammer has been highly praised in the past by Scottie Bowman. If there wasn’t a salary cap the Hawks would probably not consider trading him.

For a number of reasons Hjalmarsson will most likely be the biggest name to have a new address in the fall.

Next week I will discuss what the Blackhawks need to do this summer beyond the trading of one big name player. Valuable additions can be found for under $2 million.

The Vancouver Canucks added Chris Higgins ($1.6 million) and Maxim Lapierre ($900,000) before the trade deadline. Those two players have proven to be great assets. The Rangers Brandon Prust ($800,000) is the type of players the Hawks desperately need.

Those values are not easy to find, but they are out there. Blackhawk management will need to define their style of play and correctly target additions.

Al’s Shots

I did an interview Thursday night with Jamie Shalley and Rob Higgins from XM Home Ice. We talked bout the Canuck series and changes for next season.

Here are the two links….

11-04-28 Ice Cap Cimaglia part1

11-04-28 Ice Cap Cimaglia part2

The interview is only about 12 minutes long but it was delivered in two parts.

My take was the Hawks were going to lose Game 4. But once they gained a single victory Vancouver regressed and the Hawks became the more complete team. But the good Canucks did resurface in the third period of Game 6. If not for some great saves by Corey Crawford during the third frame and in overtime the Canucks would be already heading to the second round.

Game 7’s are great theater but it often seems the final score isn’t close. There is no telling who has the edge this evening, although home ice is an advantage. But who knows…Maybe the Hawks can perform better on actual ice rather than the slow, uneven playing surface of the United Center. The ice at the UC for Game 6 appeared to be really bad. In any event the beleaguered Alain Vigneault will have the last line change which could matter.

This is not a potential loser’s lament, but in many ways the Blackhawks have already won.

After backing into the playoffs the season would have ended with a thud if the Hawks were swept. Probably the same could have been said if the Canucks won in five games. Now the Blackhawk Cup winning image has been somewhat restored and there are great benefits to this extended playoff stint.

This is a young team with many players with little or no playoff experience. Playing in three elimination games is a priceless. This series has also served as a valuable audition for players which might be in the Hawks’ future plans.

The Blackhawks needed a pleasant surprise and they got one named Ben Smith. I’m not sure why Smith wasn’t called up sooner…It’s probably best to just feel fortunate he was here for the playoffs

Smith is a smart player who plays both sides of the puck well. He has the guts and brains to get into position to score goals. Smith plays bigger than his size and has some nice hands.

Michael Frolik looks like a keeper, especially if he is playing wing. Frolik has made a commitment to play good defense. He blocked four shots on Sunday which led all forwards.

It’s been a nice trend lately as the Hawks have had many more blocks than the Canucks. In Game 6 the Hawks recorded 31 blocks compared to 12 for Vancouver.

Viktor Stalberg has tried to adapt his game and is still a work in progress. If Stalberg knew how to find goal scoring areas as well as Smith he could become a productive player.

Nick Leddy keeps my blood pressure elevated. But there is no denying Leddy has kept mistakes at a minimum although playing more minutes.

Leddy could muscle up in the next five months and be much stronger next season. He could begin the season in Rockford playing 25 minutes a game, but my guess is that path won’t be followed. Leddy can skate and has what can’t be taught….Very good vision and instinct.

For one of the few times Leddy looked a bit frantic in Sunday’s overtime but he didn’t make a costly mistake. Leddy was a steal in the Barker deal and should have a long, successful NHL career.

I’m not sure about Marcus Kruger, although I have nothing negative to say. If anyone is still wondering….A great way to look foolish is to become too opinionated on a young player too quickly.

Kruger shows good hockey sense and for now that’s enough. He has been put in a tough spot and for the most part doesn’t appear overwhelmed.

Chris Campoli has been a great addition and seems to be improving with every game. Look for the Hawks to make re-signing Campoli a priority.

This series has shown Crawford can play on the big stage. Crawford has been consistent all season and has saved the day when needed. He has outplayed a few other big name goalies during the post season.

Game 7

If Crawford plays as well as he did in Game 6 the Hawks have a great opportunity to make history.

For Luongo to shed his demons he has to beat the Hawks and help his team advance through the playoffs. There wasn’t much doubt in my mind Luongo would start tonight.

Bobby Lu is signed through the 2021-2022 campaign and was paid $10 million this past season. Because of the size and term of his contract Luongo can’t be traded. He has to be the main tender for the Canucks.

The Hawks must commit to getting to the Vancouver net. The Canuck defensemen played shorthanded in the last game and they must be pressured tonight. The Hawks need to continue to exploit the area between the face off circles and capitalize on scoring chances.

My key for a Blackhawk win is Jonathan Toews.

I’m thinking Joel Quenneville will play Toews with Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp for a good portion of the game. That line will probably have to produce at even strength for the Hawks to advance.

As important as scoring is how well Toews and company perform defensively.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Toews is often matched against the Sedins. Vigneault had Ryan Kesler’s line playing against Dave Bolland on Sunday in the late going. AV has the last line change and he may look to keep Kesler on Bolland and free up the Sedins.

The Hawk Captain has been hasn’t been able to light the lamp and is a minus four in the series. His crew will need to provide some offense and be defensively responsible as well.

With this surge the Blackhawks have made up for a less than sparkling regular season. We will find out soon whether it’s a historic comeback or just a nice story.

Al’s Shots

As reported by XM Home Ice yesterday and later confirmed by the Blackhawk Media Department…

Bryan Bickell underwent surgery to repair a tendon which was severed in Game 2.

Bickell will be out of action for six to eight weeks and is expected to make a complete recovery. The surgery was done by the Hawks’ hand surgeon and was anticipated since the injury occurred.

Bickell wanted to play as long as possible and yesterday was when the surgery needed to be performed. Bickell’s loss will be felt as he was playing well with Bolland and Frolik. Those three formed the most consistent line for the Blackhawks.

Who will Coach Q. play in Bickell’s place?

Troy Brouwer?

Tomas Kopecky made the trip to BC and might be ready to return to action.

One thing for sure….

Quenneville needs to ice the best team which shouldn’t include 59 seconds of John Scott. In Game 6, Scott played only three shifts. His lone appearance in the third period was for eight seconds.

A couple of years ago assistant coach Mike Haviland made a comment about Bolland which caught my attention.

Haviland called Bolland the life-blood of the team.

Bolland is a hockey players hockey player…. Not a lot of flash. But Bolland has a high degree of skill. He plays with an edge and is an intelligent player.

Bolland will be part of the Hawks in the future. The only negative on Bolland is he has had back problems and has trouble winning faceoffs. Those issues could be related.

No matter if Bolland is the second or third line center he could add to the offense.

It’s hard to quantify what the Marian Hossa keep in, prior to the Smith game winner, meant in terms of dollars to Rocky Wirtz.

Hossa showed his elite status and his supreme effort could lead to another playoff series. If so Hossa will have paid for a good chunk of his $8 million salary.

The Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis was upset by the Bickell check to the jaw of Kevin Bieksa.

Maybe Gillis should direct his frustration at himself and every other GM, who decided a killing zone behind the net would make sense.

It seems the last place a hit to the head should be permitted is in the area behind each net. Defensemen especially are most vulnerable there.

Let’s hope for another good game… One decided by the players not the officials.

Ben Smith will be a good Blackhawk poster boy for future hopes. Smith appears to be intelligent and gives a good interview. Smith picked up two goals versus the Canucks in a losing effort. Unfortunately he was also on the ice for the three Vancouver scores. 

Smith isn’t the only one to be blamed for some defensive miscues. There were about four Hawks mesmerized by the puck on the Canucks first score. 

The good news is Smith looks like a NHL player. He knows enough to go to the net and keep his stick on the ice. Its nice Smith also buries his chances. Smith keeps it simple and isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty. 

Joel Quenneville doesn’t stop surprising as Jake Dowell was a healthy scratch. 

Back in mid December I thought Dowell should get an audition as a second line center. That was a bit wishful but at the time there weren’t many better choices.  In the last couple of months Dowell’s play has dropped off. 

Ryan Johnson was my choice to be the third line center during the playoffs but maybe he plays too small. Johnson played less than nine minutes and only took two faceoffs but the Hawk still won 60% of the draws…Hmm. Maybe Johnson will be around next season only because he wins faceoffs. But Johnson isn’t getting much ice time even though he is a veteran. 

Coach Q. pulled Marcus Krugers’ name out of the hat on Friday and he played 11:47. To my disbelief Kruger and Smith saw a lot of playing time together. Kruger was a perfect 4-0 at the dot. Evidently Quenneville isn’t afraid to load up the same line with players with hardly any NHL experience. 

Michael Frolik doesn’t win many faceoffs and seems out of place at times but he tries. I don’t know if Frolik fits into the Hawks plans as a winger. 

Viktor Stalberg might have been the most noticeable player on the ice the other night. 

I’m thinking Stalberg will be in Chicago come October as well as Smith. 

I’m not surprised at anything at this point unless the Hawks come back and win the series. 

But I would be shocked if this summer Stan Bowman doesn’t sign a couple of veteran role players which could provide some leadership. The Hawks won the Cup and then got younger and less experienced. Management shouldn’t want to repeat the same show next season.  

There could be about nine new faces in the 2011-2012 team picture compared to this season. So Hawk fans should be prepared for another period of adjustment. 

We can boil the current Blackhawk situation down to an “either-or”… 

Either the skill level of the top players left from the Cup run has suddenly dropped off dramatically. 

Or their gas tank is just about empty. 

My hope and vote goes for the latter. 

I won’t believe Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson could have gone from stellar performers to less than average this quickly. 

The top end players have played heavy minutes the past three seasons and in this campaign they were more overworked than in the past. 

If the Blackhawks want to play a fast paced puck possession game they have to do one thing more than anything else. They need to pass the puck accurately. 

A team trying to play skilful hockey which can’t connect on passes is like trying to play basketball without being able to catch. 

There are three factors which lead to poor passing….A lack of skill, not playing as a cohesive unit and fatigue. 

Unfortunately the Blackhawks hit the trifecta. 

Lacking skill is probably the least contributing factor to their current problem, although some players are still over their skis. The bottom of half of the roster isn’t overly talented. 

Not playing as cohesive unit should be of no surprise as that has been a bad trait all season. 

The fatigue factor is now the biggest concern. 

The defensemen are getting pressured and pounded. The result is bad passes and weak clearing attempts. Campbell and Keith are playing poorly. Hammer is not much better.

The Blackhawk offense is supposed to start with the defense but when passes don’t click everything slows down and scoring opportunities are limited.  

Having defenders join the rush should happen at the appropriate time to generate more scoring chances. But the only time the Hawks generate scoring chances shouldn’t be when their dmen skate into the offensive zone below the faceoff circles.

The Hawks top forwards have been silenced. 

Jonathan Toews had his poorest performance of the season in Game 2.. No one misses Dave Bolland more than Toews. 

Ryan Kesler has controlled Toews and Quenneville has no answers. Maybe Q. will finally put Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane together but not with Toews. That way on home ice Quenneville might be able to free up Toews from Kesler. 

On Friday night Sharp reminded me a bit of Alex Burrows or Shane O’Brien from previous post seasons. 

Sharp took a bad penalty after a whistle the same way some of the Cauncks were guilty in the past. Unfortunately the Canucks responded with a power play goal as they made the most of Sharp’s brain cramp.

The Hawks could never draw even with the Canucks. Playing from behind saps more energy.

Kane hasn’t been able to ignite the offense but he hasn’t had much help. Many of the passes directed at Kane have been at his feet or beyond his reach.

Fatigue has probably set in for Kane too. While Kane was reaching for a puck along the boards Alexander Edler stepped up and crunched him. Usually Kane wouldn’t let a player get a free shot at him but his reactions could be a bit slower at this point. 

Marian Hossa is invisible much of the time even though he was playing on the top line. Hossa has no points in the playoffs and also is an ugly -3. That is the poorest plus minus of any Hawk forward.

Hossa could be tired but he played in only 65 games during the regular season. Unfortunately Hossa is on the wrong side of thirty. His tank will empty quicker than many of the younger players.

In Friday’s blog I pointed out the Hawks needed secondary scoring to have a chance to win Game 2. What wasn’t on my play sheet was that secondary scoring would account for every goal and the Hawk power play would remain ice cold. 

If the Hawks are going to make another flight to Vancouver they need to stop playing from behind and start connecting on the power play.  

On Sunday night the United Center crowd could become impatient, especially if the Blackhawk power play doesn’t convert. If the Canucks get a lead the home ice advantage will be neutralized and boos and cat calls will likely fill the air. 

The UC could become an unfriendly place for the home team.  A good start in Game 3 is more important than ever. 

Al’s Shots 

Being called up for the playoffs as a Black Ace is more of an honor than anything else for a minor league player. Usually the Aces never get to play. But it is a learning experience for the young guys, besides being a reward for a job well done.

They get to travel, skate with the big club and hang out. It probably is a cool experience and a nice perk. 

Two of the most heavily touted Hawk prospects of the past few years did not get an invite to be a Black Ace. 

Kyle Beach and Igor Makarov were conspicuously left off the Aces. 

Beach was called up two years ago as an Ace and was sent home along with Akim Aliu. Sources close to the situation told me they were disciplined for getting into a fight. Kind of a friendly dust up, if there is such a thing. But that was another of many questionable on and off ice incidents for Beach. 

I don’t know the exact reasoning for leaving Beach and Makarov off the Aces. But unless they were excused for personal reasons it is not a ringing endorsement from Hawk management to not be called up. 

Beach, a former first round draft choice should be embarrassed by not being included. Last year he was called up as a Black Ace.

One would think Makarov could have benefitted from the experience too. 

Makarov played his first full season in the AHL and had mixed reviews. Although he did come on in the last month. I always had my doubts on Makarov being a future NHL player and I don’t think differently now. 

Beach has the hands to be a NHL player but it could be awhile before he gets a chance.

The Hawks could look to move Beach this summer before other teams come to the opinion he is more hype than anything else. Probably some already feel that way.

If Beach could stay on course he could fill a need. The Hawks could use a big power forward in the worst way. 

But it is looking more likely Beach may never get a chance to play with the big club. 

Bryan Bickell appeared to suffer a nasty skate cut during Game 2.

The injuries keep mounting…

The Hawks might only be one more injury away from Rob Klinkhammer making his playoff debut.

It has taken a couple of years but now Canuck GM Mike Gillis has put together a group which can play physical hockey and stay out of the box. Maybe the Canucks can’t play for 60 minutes the away they did in the opening twenty last night, but it probably isn’t necessary to defeat the Hawks.

If the Canucks could perform for sixty minutes with the same physicality and skill they displayed in the opening frame on Wednesday night, the Blackhawks would have zero chance of winning this series. As it is now the Hawks probably put forth enough effective effort during the second and third periods to give fans a ray of hope.

Those which want to believe the Roberto Luongo was fortunate to get a shutout, I agree. But don’t forget the most important point, Luongo was really sharp and although Corey Crawford was very good, Bobby Lu was better. Actually Luongo doesn’t have to outplay Crawford to win the series. He only has to not allow bad goals. A good Luongo will be enough to send the Canucks into the second round and last night he was much better than good.

Maybe an important factor to realize is the best goal scoring chances came from the newly formed, old number one line. If Joel Quenneville can play Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane for 27 or 28 minutes a night, Luongo and his mates could have their hands full.

The Ducks employ a similar method by playing Corey Perry and company many minutes in each game. But they are big, tough players who are used to shouldering the load. After the way this season has gone Toews, Kane and Sharp probably wouldn’t last very long playing many more minutes.

Quenneville will still try to lean heavily on his number one line because he really doesn’t have any other choice. Changes will come this summer but for now Coach Q. is overmatched and has no answers.

The Hawks have been exposed as a one line team relying heavily on a few players. That is the opposite of the Canucks and exactly 180 degrees away from the type of team the Blackhawks were last season.

Al’s Shots

If Hawk management can’t find a center which can play effectively with Marian Hossa he will be no more than an overpaid luxury item.

Hossa isn’t a spring chicken and as it is now he can’t string together top scoring performances. Oh, I realize he has elite talent and is one of the better two- way players in the game. But no one pays  $7.9 million, Hossa’s salary for this season, for a strong back checker.

Forget about getting six shots on goal, last night Hossa needed to be the best Blackhawk. Hossa had to be the whole show in a game the Hawks desperately needed. I’m not talking about good, I mean a difference maker. See Pavel Datsyuk’s performance from last night as an example.

On most nights I love watching Hossa play and appreciate his natural talent but…For the Hawks to move forward from a playoff bubble team to a true Stanley Cup contender Hossa has to be better or at least make others better.

The last time Hossa scored 100 points was in 2006-2007 with the Thrashers. That was also the last time he has played a full season. Since then Hossa’s highest point total is only 71 from 2008-209. Actually that was the only time Hossa has achieved at least 70 points since his 100 point campaign in Atlanta.

Much of the issue is Hossa can’t stay healthy. He isn’t getting any younger and his body parts are the same, so maybe that won’t change.

The way Hossa’s contract is weighted the Hawks are on the hook for $7.9 million through the 2015-2016 season. That is unless Stan Bowman could find a way to trade him.

Having Hossa cycle the puck endlessly and not convert the effort into scoring chances, goals or assists is only pretty watch. Certainly it’s entertaining but not worth almost $8 million per season.

There are many things to fix here before next season. On the top of Bowman’s list should be to find a center to play with Hossa or to find a way to deal him elsewhere.

Trading Hossa is less likely than being able to find a center who can compliment him.  But that won’t be an easy task either. Hossa isn’t a breeze to play with as he has only really clicked with Toews while in Chicago.

One issue is Hossa and Kane play the same position. But the Hawks’ front office knew that and still signed Hossa through 2021. He helped the Hawks capture the Cup last year but…  Either Hossa can’t do more or is being underutilized.

I’m hoping age and injuries haven’t caught up with Hossa. Hopefully it is more a case of being underutilized. Right now having Hossa on this club is like driving a Testarossa only in rush hour traffic.

Sure the car looks great in your driveway and the neighbors are probably envious. But in many ways the expense can’t be justified.

This has been a frustrating season for Blackhawk faithful. At this point it shouldn’t shock anyone if the Hawks lost their remaining four games. Then again winning out is also a possibility. Basically fans need to hang on tight, hope for the best and not be surprised by any outcome. 

As odd as it sounds the Blackhawks best chance at winning a playoff round may come from facing the Red Wings. The Hawks play well against the Wings as both teams play a similar styles. If the Hawks are healthy, it could boil down to goal keeping. If that were the case I’ll take Corey Crawford. 

For the playoffs, playing without Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland would be huge because they can’t be replaced. If Bolland is unable to return the Hawks will likely not last very long. 

Without Sharp and Bolland the Hawks have become a one line team which will have to rely on the power play. There is a distinct probability referees will let the boys play come the playoffs, actually it is already happening. Allowing more interference hurts a finesse team’s offense and also means less power play opportunities. The Hawks will need to find a way to score at even strength. 

Jonathan Toews can’t play every shift although Joel Quenneville might see if it is possible, the same with Duncan Keith. In reality the Hawks lose any matchup advantage they might have had if Bolland is still on the shelf. 

Inconsistency is the motto here and is illustrated by the Hawks record in the last five games. 

Mike Smith will never be confused with a standout goal keeper but he was good enough on Sunday. The Hawks shouldn’t have been taken back by the defensive shell the Lightning stayed in for almost the entire game. But the Blackhawks still couldn’t penetrate or get traffic to the net. Getting a lot of shots on goal is fine, but the Hawks didn’t make it very hard for Smith. Also taking so many obvious penalties is not the best way to achieve success. 

Give the Bolts credit they came into the United Center with little rest and still stifled the Hawks’ attack. Head coach Guy Boucher will be a hero as long as the Bolts stay playoff bound. Winning sells more than anything but the Lightning has become a very boring team to watch.

Speaking of styles of play, the Blackhawk brain trust probably has figured out by now changes are needed, playoffs or not. The Hawks have to adjust their style of play, or the bottom of the roster has to be thoroughly remodeled. My thinking is both will happen.  

This team has too many round pegs in square holes and a head coach that piles on the minutes to the core group. Now Quenneville has little choice, but he has been overworking the same players for the entire season. 

On many nights the bottom six forwards don’t play very much and when they do their purpose is scattered. Utilizing only a handful of forwards and relying heavily on four defenders isn’t a recipe for lasting success. 

My suspicion is the Hawks may sneak into the playoffs with 96 points because they should have the tie breaker over the Dallas Stars. If they need 97 points they could be in deep trouble. 

Beating Detroit in both games over the weekend doesn’t seem likely and the Blues will be ready on Wednesday night. So getting at least one point versus the Canadiens will be very important. 

Tonight the excuse of playing a trap team or one with a big group of defenders doesn’t apply. If the Hawks are not able to snag at least one point in Montreal they may not have the confidence to achieve a winning record in the final three games. 

Half of this team is battle tested and many players are not, inconisitency should not come as a surprise. 

Here is the audio link for last night’s Sirius/ XM Ice Cap interview with Jamie Shalley. 

Hawk fans, it is what it is…

11-04-04 Uncle AL – ICE CAP

twitter.com/PenguinsMarchHockey Independent on Facebook

At the 58th NHL All Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina yesterday afternoon, Team Lidstrom/Penguins’ starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was, as expected, abandoned by his defencemen and humiliated, giving up the first 4 goals of the game on the first 9 shots he faced.  Meanwhile Team Staal/Penguins’ defenceman Kris Letang flourished, scoring twice on 3 shots.  His first goal made the game 6-4 when he snapped the puck from the high slot over the blocker of Anaheim netminder Jonas Hiller to complete a great triangular passing play with Alex Ovechkin and Daniel Sedin.  His second goal gave Team Staal its last lead, 8-7, when he found the puck just above the crease and whipped it by Boston’s Tim Thomas.

Opportunities to cheer, indeed.

It struck me this afternoon that the All Star Game is really a vehicle for fans in every pocket of the continent to cheer for their favourite “home team” players, exhorting them to create one fleeting memorable moment on a nationally televised stage.  Quite likely, Shea Weber, Rick Nash, David Backes and Erik Karlsson will not be seen on national television again this season but for one afternoon, their fans in Nashville, Columbus, St. Louis and Ottawa cheered when these All Stars touched the puck.

In the same way that this writer applauded in Toronto concurrently with fans in Pittsburgh and wherever else Penguins’ fans are found when Letang scored his two goals, no one will forget the enthusiasm written on the faces of the Carolina crowd and their prolonged cheers when Hurricanes’ captain Eric Staal tied the score 7-7 on an early third period breakaway goal.  They roared again with 34 seconds left in the game when his second goal pulled Team Staal to within one of Team Lidstrom.

My version of Team Lidstrom went head-to-head against Team Staal, captained by fellow blogger Jana Kimmel. We drafted players on Saturday morning. Adrian won 25-14. Jana immediately called for a rematch in the 2012 All Star Game.

It is incidental that Staal’s second marker was the final goal of the game and his squad fell 11-10 to Team Lidstrom.  Rather, each hockey fan will remember one or more frozen moments likely related to a favourite player.  Nashville will remember Weber’s 4 assists, +6 and his mano-a-mano with Zdeno Chara in the Hardest Shot contest on Saturday.  Los Angeles will remember the slick stick-handling and moves of Anze Kopitar who scored twice.  Colorado will remember Matt Duchene’s game-tying breakaway goal in the first period and will hiss at the memory of Alex Ovechkin throwing his stick at Duchene’s stick in the third to avert another breakaway, producing the first-ever All Star Game penalty shot.

Dallas will remember Loui Eriksson scoring the winning goal into an empty net to complete a 2-goal, 2-assist performance though perhaps no one outside Texas noticed.  After all, Eriksson was named the “most underrated player” in an NHLPA poll disclosed on Sunday.  Still other fans will remember other moments.  Boston will remember the oddity and long odds of Tim Thomas becoming the first goaltender to win three straight All Star Games.  When Team Lidstrom scored its second goal, the puck went from Duncan Keith to Patrick Kane to Dustin Byfuglien – two Blackhawks to a Thrasher.  But while Atlanta was cheering for that goal, scored by its lone All Star, fans in Chicago were simultaneously smiling and saying to each other, “Remember last spring …”

Long after the All Star logos are removed from the RBC Center in Raleigh, these memories will remain.  Two decades from now, there will be a Carolina resident who will point to yesterday’s game as the day when a lifelong passion for hockey was ignited and will describe in great detail the play that created Staal’s breakaway goal.  The enthusiasm will be identical to the Pittsburgher who can recall Mario Lemieux’s four-goal game on home ice at the All Star Game in 1990 or an Edmontonian who can bittersweetly remember Wayne Gretzky returning to Northlands Coliseum in 1989 as an All Star, wearing a Los Angeles Kings’ sweater.

Further: Ray Bourque scoring in the final minute before his home Boston crowd to lift the Eastern All Stars over the West in 1996 and the following year, Shark Owen Nolan bringing the house down in San Jose when he pointed at the net before firing the puck past Dominik Hasek to complete a hat trick.  Dany Heatley scoring 5* goals in a losing cause in 2003 at Florida – a record-tying 4 goals in regulation then one more in the first-ever All-Star shootout.

Ultimately, the score of these Games are meaningless.  The All Star Game exists for one reason: to create moments that are memorable and indelible.

Some may question the selection of Kane, but he has a lot of street cred. When a player scores the winning goal in the Stanley Cup finals and averages almost a point per game the following season, he will be an All Star selection. Duncan Keith got in because of the fan vote and winning a few awards helped him. But Sharp did it on merit alone. 

I agree with the Flyers’ Danny Briere, Jonathan Toews will be selected as one of the All Star captains. 

When Toews makes his first pick he will take a Blackhawk, but it won’t be Kane. Toews will choose the Hawk who has been the best this season and will select Sharp. Kane shouldn’t squawk about not being Toews’ number one pick, he knows the Shooter has had a better year. 

Some may wonder if Marian Hossa was going to be chosen as an All-Star because he did have a wonderful start to the season. But after the first ten games there have been nights when Hossa hasn’t produced and sometimes isn’t very noticeable. 

Hossa is a rare talent, one of the most skillful players in the NHL. But for the most part he hasn’t been a dominant offensive leader for the Hawks. At the very least Hossa should be a point per game player. Between injuries and not seeming to click with linemates Hossa has fallen short. 

I’m not implying the Hawks would be better off without Hossa, they wouldn’t. More important is the fact he can’t be traded because of his mega long term contract. 

Often point production drops off after a player reaches his early thirties and Hossa could be in that category. For every Teemu Selanne there are 50 top goal scores who never put up the same numbers after they reached their early thirties. 

Hossa has a bit of reputation around the NHL of always being hurt. That is different than missing games due to injury, or being soft. But Hossa appears to be often bothered by nagging injuries. Maybe it’s my imagination, but Hossa might still be dealing with some  injuries. 

Hossa looks as if he isn’t 100% healthy, although he doesn’t avoid contact. Maybe he prefers to shoot quick wrist shots only three inches off the ice. But it looks as if Hossa can’t elevate the puck, this was also apparent during last year’s playoffs. It could be Hossa has a wrist, shoulder, knee problem or a combination…..Or I could be off base?? 

Hossa is as strong as an ox and maybe he will get on a roll and lead the Hawks in scoring in the second half of the season. It would go along way towards the Hawks’playoff hopes if more than Sharp averaged a point per game. 

Over the weekend the Hawks played a fair game against a sub-par Senators’ team and won. They followed up by beating the Islanders who took early bad penalties and were never in the contest. The game would have been a lot closer than 5-0, if Corey Crawford wasn’t so sharp. The Hawks still made too many miscues in their own zone. 

On a positive note versus the Islanders, Tomas Kopecky played one of his better games. His partner Hossa had a goal and two assists and was difference maker.

The Islanders have a rookie head coach, Jack Capuano. On Sunday night he must have thought he was back the ECHL. Capuano sent out a line full of brawlers for the last shift of the game. It would have been better to start a rumble while trailing 2-0, maybe momentum could have been changed. But trying to get tough in the closing minute versus a team you won’t play again for a long time isn’t smart. 

The next biggest game of the season will be tonight versus the Colorado Avalanche.  The Blackhawks are one small losing streak away from having to play every night as if it was a Game 7. Maybe the Hawks are already at that point. 

We are into the second half of the season and Joel Quenneville is still talking about playing with more determination.

He has a point but…How do you coach determination? 

Maybe some of the young guys believe the only way to not get scratched for the following game is to score a goal. This season, I have noticed players thinking to shoot only, and on Sunday night it was very obvious. 

Jack Skille had three shots in less than 12 minutes of ice time. Jake Dowell fired five times in slightly less than 14 minutes of playing time. That’s usually not his M.O. 

Out of the eight shots From Dowell and Skille, there weren’t more than one or maybe two which had any chance of denting the twine. Also, Viktor Stalberg can be thrown into the group that thinks to shoot first. 

All three are fighting to stay in the lineup. But the team would benefit if they were more aware of their teammates. 

Bryan Bickell has a very good wrist shot but he has become very predictable. Since Bickell has started to score more goals, he has not been as physical. Bickell is dialed in to shoot, passing is an afterthought. To be most effective, Bickell should have more hits per game than shots. The same can be said for Troy Brouwer. 

The motivation should be there as the Av’s had the Hawks number, winning all three meetings. But it is curious as to why Q. has to continually fire up his squad to impress on them the fundamentals of winning. 

Quenneville’s constant message of good starts, skating hard, puck possession, taking advantage of home ice, playing with desperation should mean something by now. But Q. has to sing the same song before almost every game.  

The team is rested and healthy, although Niklas Hjalmarsson was out yesterday with the flu. The Hawks are on home ice and there aren’t any excuses left. 

Either this group is deaf or they aren’t capable of being better. 

Al’s Shots 

Nick Leddy has been ok since being called up. Leddy has a nice shot and good vision. 

Leddy has the skill and confidence to become a very good player. Sometimes he is physically overmatched. 

Leddy will get stronger, but for now he is probably the Hawks best option. 

Jeremy Morin looked more physically ready to play in the NHL. He isn’t as good of a skater but appears stronger than Leddy. 

It would be a mistake for the Hawks to limit Leddy’s or Morin’s participation based on ELC issues. If they can help the team win they need to play in Chicago. 

Leddy and Morin playing in Chicago this season may someday cost Rocky Wirtz money. But if the Hawks miss the playoffs Wirtz will miss out on a great deal of revenue this spring. 

On the trade front….I am not hearing anything worth repeating. 

If the Hawks start to play consistently well….Stan Bowman may not do much at all. 

As it stands, there are other teams needing to add what the Hawks will want. 

Teams which have not won the Cup will be more motivated. They will pay up and could outbid Bowman. 

There are fewer sellers than buyers, so those making trades will have to pay the price and have the necessary cap space.

Until proven otherwise the Hawks are no more than a .500 team which pretends to be somewhat interested. Or maybe they are a much better club which doesn’t bring enough effort on many occasions. Either way they need to change.  

On Friday night the bad Blackhawks showed up and were embarrassed in Calgary. The good Hawks showed up the next day and put a beat down on the Canucks. Many Hawk loyalists are confused by the scattered performances. Include me in the group.

The Bad…. 

Against the Flames the Blackhawks appeared uninterested for most of the contest. The Hawks did manage to do something amazing as they were credited with only three hits versus Calgary.  

Each club has a set of off ice officials who are responsible for keeping the stats for each game. There is some subjectivity involved and the home team seems to get the benefit of the doubt at times. Even if the Calgary crew missed a few Hawk hits they didn’t miss many. 

To be credited with no hits for a NHL contest would be similar to a baseball team never hitting a foul ball during an entire nine inning game. 

Last season the Hawks were outhit in many games. The club without the puck is the one doing most of the hitting, so a puck possession team will often get outhit. But on Friday night the Hawks were the club doing most of the chasing. To only be credited with three hits is an indication of how little effort the Hawks exhibited against the Flames. 

Instead of battling hard and pressing the slower than average Calgary defense the Hawks withered away. There was no fight and no determination. The frequent turnovers and careless penalties led to a lopsided loss and indicated a lousy effort. 

The only thing which could have saved the Hawks would have been a stellar effort by Marty Turco. The bad Turco showed up in Calgary as well, so the Flames skated away with two points and the Hawks crawled out of town.

The Good…. 

Fast forward some 24 hours and the good Blackhawks made an appearance in Vancouver. 

Against the Canucks, barely a minute had gone by and the Hawks already equaled their hit total from the night before. The Hawks won board battles and protected the puck all game. The Canucks chased and took some dumb penalties, a couple of which didn’t appear to be deserved. 

Although the Hawks only scored one power play goal the Canucks couldn’t gain any traction. By taking eight penalties the Canucks kept their potent offense handcuffed. They had no answers for the revitalized Hawks. The Hawks pressure made the remodeled Vancouver defense appear slow. 

Turco’s style might be more exciting to watch than Corey Crawford. But sometimes a controlled, efficient goal tender produces more consistent results. The Hawks only slipped a few times but Crawford was strong and didn’t allow the Canucks even a glimmer of hope. 

Turco and Crawford would both benefit from more of a shared workload. Crawford has had six starts and it would be nice if he could end up with close to 30 for the regular season. Crawford is a RFA come July 1 and with more work his potential could be better understood. 

So far Crawford has been very good…..Can Crawford be as consistent if his workload increased? It would be great to find out. 

For now Turco is the man but Crawford has shown his time to shine could come this season. As far as the rest of the road trip goes, Crawford should get another start….Maybe in Anaheim. 

Vancouver head coach, Alain Vigneault was upset about the Hawks playing their first power play unit after the game was decided.  

Maybe Vigneault should be worried more about his own job than what Joel Quenneville does. Actually Quenneville did use his third and forth line players during the power play in the latter stages of the game. On the 5-3 power play which was the focus of Vigneault’s comments, Viktor Stalberg and Nick Boynton were on the ice. Neither are normally used on the power play. 

From ESPN Chicago.com.- 

“We basically embarrassed ourselves tonight in front of our fans, and they did everything they could tonight to rub it in our face. [Leading] 6-0 and they throw their No. 1 power-play unit when it’s 5-on-3,” Vigneault said after the game. “They have every right to do that. They did it. They were pushing it, and they did.”   

Actually the Hawks did not score on the power play at all during that time which makes the comments from Vigneault even sillier. The Canucks often fall into a similar trap against the Hawks. They get behind and get frustrated as their head coach has not been able to solve that problem. 

If I’m the head coach and my team is getting boarded, high sticked and slashed I’m going to try to score on the resulting power play. 

After the Hawks took a 4-0 lead the Canucks took five penalties. One infraction was for tripping and another was for hooking. The other three penalties were for boarding, slashing and high sticking. Vigneault should tend to his own knitting. 

Reality has set in as the season rolls along. 

I am often asked who Stan Bowman can trade to make his club better. 

Bowman has done a good job since being promoted. But I doubt if he or his father has been given absolute authority. 

When possible trades for the Blackhawks are brought up the same three players are usually mentioned. 

There is Dave Bolland, who has a contract which runs through the 2013-2014 season. No franchise is going to bet about $10 million that Bolland can stay healthy. He isn’t going anywhere. 

Brian Campbell has a no trade clause and earns over $7 million a year, with a contract running through the 2015-2016 season. His hefty contract plus the uncertainty surrounding the next CBA makes him untradeable. My belief is the Hawks wouldn’t make the playoffs if Campbell was dealt. Although overpaid, Campbell is a necessary component for the team’s success. 

Then there is Patrick Sharp. He was taken off the trade table this summer and there is no reason to believe anything has changed. Sharp is very popular, not only with teammates but fans as well. The organization won’t upset the apple cart by trading a very popular player during the season. 

Although every date will be sold out this year, fans must actually attend each game to provide the most revenue for the franchise. The Hawks still lost money last season even though they won the Cup. Every penny for parking, beer, $7 hot dogs and $15 hamburgers matters. Things can change as the Penguins just had their three year sellout streak broken. 

It makes little sense to trade Sharp for players which can fill in on the third and fourth line. The Rockford roster is full of grinders and they are often available around the league. 

If a Jordan Staal for Sharp deal was on the table, I would think about it. 

But….Even though they earn close to the same money and Staal is a lefty center that could fit nicely with Marian Hossa…I wouldn’t pull the trigger. 

Staal is signed for a year longer than Sharp, whose contract expires after next season. Staal is a fine young player but he is often injured. Being injury prone is a big problem with Staal. 

Sharp won’t be traded during this season and he has a good chance of staying in Chicago for a long time. 

For now Bowman is somewhat handcuffed. 

The Hawks do need a crease clearing defenseman that can also play effectively on the penalty kill. The need for a crease clearer was also there last season but Brent Sopel did fill the void on the PK unit. The Hawks do need to find another defender. 

If Jordan Hendry can’t play ahead of Jassen Cullimore, maybe he shouldn’t be here. Hendry might have some trade value. As it is now his only purpose is as an insurance policy but that may be enough of a reason to hang onto him. I think Hendry would get claimed if placed on waivers. 

Cullimore is a big guy who plays with the same physicality as a small man. Cullimore can block shots at times, but he isn’t quick and loses positional battles in front of the net. The PK unit needs improvement and he isn’t the answer. 

Some of the reason for the recent shake up on defense is probably because Boynton looks bad when paired with Cullimore. Boynton can still skate and does get the job done, with limited expectations. But playing him with Cullimore isn’t the best option. 

Next the Hawks need to find a wing which can somewhat replace Andrew Ladd’s contributions on the third line. Troy Brouwer could be that player. But in half of the games this season he has been missing in action. 

Jake Dowell and Fernando Pisani have been steady and have contributed. 

Jack Skille is still a work in progress as is Stalberg. But it is too early to give up on either as their real potential is still a mystery. 

A bigger problem is with the play of Tomas Kopecky and the signing of John Scott. 

The tether between Hossa and Kopecky should be cut. Kopecky is not a goal scorer. 

There are probably a lot of Hawks that would have at least 10 points in 22 games while playing the majority of time with Hossa. I can’t justify all the ice time Kopecky has been given. 

A bigger issue than not being an offensive threat is that Kopecky is a defensive liability. So are Skille, Stalberg and others but they can use a lack of NHL experience as a reason.  At this point Kopecky has no excuse for being a -11, the poorest plus minus on the team. 

It’s time for Kopecky to prove he is a top six forward rather than a role player. For my money he has little value as a third or fourth line grinder because his defense is poor. 

I give Kopecky credit for not shying away from contact as he takes more physical abuse than anyone on the team. Kopecky is a UFA on July 1 and is a $1.2 million cap hit. Maybe he has some trade value and Hossa will have to accept change. 

If Scott could play at all he would have been in the lineup against the Ducks. 

The Ducks fight more than any team in the Western Conference. They also dress a true heavy weight, George Parros, who can actually play and is used during the third period of close games. The Canucks have a couple of chippy players who deserve to be put in their place, but once again Scott wasn’t dressed. 

The realization has set in the team is better off without big John. Now the front office needs to own up to their mistake in judgment and waive Scott so his cap space could be better utilized. At the every least the Ice Hogs may sell a few more tickets. 

Normally Scott’s salary of $512,500 wouldn’t be a big issue. But the Hawks could sure use the cap space to acquire a player which would make the team better. 

I have no idea how Scott was able to negotiate a two year contract. His agent should win an award. What’s done is done but now is not the time to ignore a mistake. 

This team can use some help and Scott is not going to provide any. With Scott gone and another move the Hawks could be in position to acquire players which can fill a void. 

Depending on how the standings look closer to the trade deadline there could be opportunities for Bowman. 

Sopel would improve the third pairing. Everything I have heard indicates Sopel won’t be with Atlanta next season. He could be available at the trade deadline as his contract is up after this year. Bringing back a player or two from last year wouldn’t be a bad idea. 

Another former Hawk, John Madden, could also help. He is on a one year contract and might be moved before the trade deadline. The Hawks could use another center that can win faceoffs and help out the penalty killing unit. 

The likelihood of Sopel or Madden returning this season is far greater than the Hawks trading Bolland, Campbell or Sharp. 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

This year Marty Turco and Corey Crawford for the most part have come to the rescue, but last night their efforts were poor. Even if the goal tending would have been top notch the Hawks probably would have come up short. 

Sometimes the best way for a team to realize they are putting forth the wrong kind of effort is to get the results they deserve. 

Getting outplayed but still winning can make a head coach’s s job all the more difficult. Bad performances are more difficult to correct when the pain of a loss isn’t realized.

If the Hawks are going to rely on great goal tending to bail them out while getting badly outshot in almost all close games it will be a very long season

On the opening Oiler score Turco’s allowed a very soft goal and the second Edmonton tally wasn’t too good either.

Let’s call a spade a spade, about half the Hawk scoring has come from two players and now one is out hurt. Patrick Sharp struck again last night and Marian Hossa will be out of action for about two weeks.

If the Hawks offense is going to rely on only a couple of players to score they will struggle.

Last night was another example of just one line being able to consistently generate scoring chances. When Jonathan Toews, Viktor Stalberg and Sharp were on the ice the Hawks were threatening to score. But the Hawks haven’t had a balanced attack all season.

The problems for the Hawks start with their defense.

Nick Boynton had a few good games early on but now he is more of a liability than a defensive force.

The third Oiler score happened because Boynton wasn’t able to control a puck at the Edmonton blueline. Boynton had more miscues throughout the game.

The fourth goal was unlucky for the Blackhawks. The referee was in the wrong spot and deflected a Keith clearing pass directly to the Oilers.

Many believe luck evens out over time and that might have been the case last night for the Hawks.

Give the young Oilers their credit, they weren’t overwhelmed by the big city. The National anthem can help set the tone for the game but only if the Hawks win the opening period and that was hardly the case.

Tonight the Hawks will travel up to Minnesota to play the Wild. A couple of weeks ago the Wild were not firing on all cylinders and their head coach skated them for about 90 minutes on a Sunday. Since then they have only lost once.

The congested Hawks schedule doesn’t allow for much practice.

Quenneville will have to take away playing time as a deterrent for bad performances. Ultimately the motivation has to come from within so the correct effort can take place on a consistent basis.   

Al’s Shots 

This is my speculation and is not rumored based.

Early this week, after receiving two days off from practice Dave Bolland was given another day off.

Unless it was a personal matter, Bolland would not have gotten another day off unless he had an injury issue. There was a chance of a personal issue so I didn’t bring it up…wasn’t sure about an injury.

Yesterday morning Bolland didn’t take part in the morning skate on a game day.

Bolland played only 9:45 versus the Oilers and didn’t have a shift in the last frame.

My bet is he is hurt and might be nursing a nagging or more chronic injury….Which isn’t good, especially if it is Bolland’s back. He doesn’t seem to be moving well on the ice and has struggled this season.

Hossa has an upper body injury. He doesn’t have a head injury because Quenneville has said Hossa will still be able to skate.

By pegging Hossa’s return time at about two weeks or so…

My guess is Hossa might have some inflammation in his surgically repaired shoulder.

Maybe it is his other shoulder or a wrist injury or something else….

But if it is the same surgically repaired shoulder flaring up this early in the season…??

I thought rookie Ben Smith played pretty well last night, although he was a -2.

It isn’t easy to turn up with a -5 on the evening but Tomas Kopecky managed to have that distinction last night.

To say Kopecky wasn’t very good would be kind.

Niklas Hjalmarsson hasn’t played well all season, and last night was no exception.

Nick Boynton has crashed back down to earth.

The Hawks are counting on Jassen Cullimore to be something beyond his pay grade.

Troy Brouwer and Bryan Bickell have been invisible.

On a positive note Jack Skille is using his speed and had 6 shots on goal.

As important, Skille was not in the minus column last night.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

Marty Turco was very good and also was fortunate a few times. Regardless his play shouldn’t be questioned but that’s not the case for other Blackhawks. 

The worse news of the evening might have been Marian Hossa leaving the game in the second period due to injury. It seems like when a player leaves a game and no one can figure out why, there should be cause for concern.  Those are often the times when a bad injury occurs. 

Can anyone tell me how former Hawk defenseman Kim Johnsson suffered a concussion last year? 

Johnsson is still not playing hockey in the NHL. 

Not to panic Hawk faithful, Hossa might just have a muscle strain or another minor injury. But Joel Quenneville’s comments about him being reevaluated today sounded a bit ominous.  

The party line is Hossa suffered an upper body injury. With the Hawks about to begin a grueling three games in a four day stretch, Hossa’s loss could be very significant, even if he only missies a week or ten days. 

In any event, the tone of Quenneville’s post game comments is cause for some concern and the Hossa injury update should be out soon. 

***Out at mid-day….Per Quenneville’s comments…Hossa will miss about two weeks with an upper body injury. 

It appeared Patrick Kane was the target of some unflattering coach speak from Quenneville early in the third period. 

Kane is playing too careless in the Hawks zone. Maybe nonchalant is a better way to describe his play at times. Often Kane doesn’t appear aware of the game situation or his defensive responsibility. 

The red flag went up when in the first part of the last frame Kane was on the ice with Jake Dowell and Fernando Pisani, both fourth liners. On a side note, Bryan Bickell was usually in that group as the entire line played well last night. 

Kane was fumbling the puck in the Hawks zone near the side boards. He wasn’t able to clear the puck and the Hawks got hemmed in their zone. All that was needed was a determined effort and a simple play and there would have been no pressure by the Kings. 

As Kane came off the ice Quenneville directed a vocal burst in his direction. 

When Q. gets upset he talks with hands. When emotionally charged, Quenneville will put his thumb and forefinger together and point at a player, a reporter or whoever else has gotten his dander up. As Quenneville lit him up, Kane put his head down and sat on the bench. 

Q. put Kane right back on the ice with his usual mates and didn’t bench the young Hawks’ star. Quenneville seldom chews out one player in particular from behind the bench. But he gets his point across and isn’t afraid to make his feeling known to star players. 

My view is Kane needs to play differently soon, or he will not play as much. Quenneville nudged Kane by placing him on the checking line…Now Q. will push harder.  Plus/minus can be a somewhat misleading stat, but there are reasons why Kane is a -6 on the season.

Shortly after Quenneville got the Hawks’ job he benched Kane and Patrick Sharp for taking careless penalties. He made a statement and only had to do it one time. 

Quenneville is not very happy, and one way or the other he will get his message across. 

Just look at how the Hawks scored their three goals last night…..Simple and effective plays. 

Dowell and Sharp drove to the net and scored. Viktor Stalberg knew his responsibility and showed a nose for the puck. Stalberg drove hard to the net and found a rebound. There was no flash involved on any of those plays. All the goals scorers did was to realize their mission and dig down deep with hard work. 

I’m about done with hearing how great it is to have a puck handling goalie. Not to place blame on Turco but there is still too much confusion in the defensive zone.  

When Duncan Keith or Brent Seabrook is on defense it is better to let them skate to the puck and then turn up ice to distribute it.  The same case can be made for Brian Campbell. The Hawks offense starts with their defense and it is no wonder why the shot against are so high. 

Last night the Hawks play in the defensive zone was poor. 

When Turco long passes the puck, or there is hesitation on the hand-offs, the defensemen are standing still. They aren’t in motion and many times area caught flat footed. That isn’t the only problem but it doesn’t help the cause. The Hawks were caught running around in their own zone too often. 

The passing and puck support by the forwards also has been spotty. Blend it all together and the results show. The Hawks will play fine for parts of the game but can’t manage a complete effort. Last night the Kings deserved a better fate. 

After an even first period, the Hawks dominated the opening half of the middle frame and then were completely outplayed in the final thirty minutes of the contest. Once the Hawks failed to score on two consecutive power plays the Kings took control in a big way. Sharp and Turco were the best Hawks and the fourth line was solid along with Stalberg and Jack Skille.   

The Kings were in the midst of a long road trip and played on Monday night. Yet they maintained a more effective effort throughout the final 30 minutes. More than anything else the Hawks are guilty of not putting forth the correct effort.  

Most likely Quenneville made that same point to Kane last night. The Hawk head coach has been around the block a few times and he is in a secure position. 

Quenneville will continue to pound his message home. The Hawks had a few days off but some key players still look tired. Duncan Keith appears to be playing in first gear. 

The schedule doesn’t give the Hawks a break and neither will Quenneville. 

Al’s Shots 

Skille was a physical presence. He led the game with 6 hits. 

Troy Brouwer and Brent Seabrook chipped in with 4 hits each. 

Dave Bolland was terrible in the faceoff circle…..4-11 for an awful 27%. 

Tomas Kopecky made a few careless plays last night while at center but he was good at the dot…63%. 

Sharp had a game high 7 shots. 

Jordan Hendry (+1) was able to play 14:09 which helps lessen the load on others.

Keith was on the ice for ONLY 26:18.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

The top three teams at the end of last season from the West were the Hawks, Sharks and Canucks. All are averaging about a point per game played. The Sharks haven’t been very good, Roberto Luongo is off to a slow start and the Hawks are still a work in progress. 

Joel Quenneville will ice four new lines tonight, at least to start. 

Sharp-Toews-Skille

Brouwer-Kopecky-Hossa

Stalberg-Bolland-Kane

Bickell-Dowell-Pisani 

Here are my thoughts. 

Quenneville is looking for balance so he separated the top six forwards and put them on three different lines. Probably he believes the puck possession game for the Hawks will improve. The scoring hopefully will be spread out throughout three lines. A few players in particular are going to have to work harder on the defensive side of the puck. 

Jack Skille gets his shot at being a top six forward, that’s the good news. The bad news for him is he is playing with two players who are usually defensively responsible. If Skille can’t play on both sides of the puck there will be no hiding his defensive shortcomings. 

Patrick Sharp has done very well while playing with Patrick Kane. Quenneville is taking some risk in switching him, but Sharp should adapt. 

Troy Brouwer hasn’t been able to string together many good performances. Brouwer should be motivated as he realizes Skille, Viktor Stalberg and Bryan Bickell would love to grab his second line slot. 

Playing Tomas Kopecky at center will be interesting because he does work well with Marian Hossa. Kopecky has had trouble in the faceoff circle, and maybe it is case of not getting enough opportunities to get into the groove. In any regard, the Hawks puck possession game won’t improve if they don’t win faceoffs. 

Stalberg and Kane will have their hands full if they are pitted against the opposition’s top line. Both players will have to work hard, and maybe Quenneville is sending a message to Kane. 

Kane and the entire Hawks squad haven’t been very good during five on five situations.

Kane will have to play more north and south and not try to do too much. Being the first man out of the defensive zone and the last back won’t cut it. Kane must also be mindful of overstaying his shifts. Tired players can have trouble playing defensive. 

Maybe playing alongside Kane will jump start Dave Bolland and have him contribute more to the offense. On the other hand, playing with the inexperienced Stalberg and the offensive minded Kane may put more pressure on Bolland. 

Tonight the Blackhawks will face the LA Kings who are playing their fourth contest of a five game road trip. The Kings defeated the Wild in a shootout on Monday evening. LA forward Dustin Brown will be back in the lineup as he has avoided suspension after receiving a game misconduct. Defenseman Drew Doughty is out with an injury and that will be a big loss for LA. 

Quenneville always comments that scoring won’t be a problem, especially if the team works better without the puck. So far almost everything has been somewhat of a problem. After the first 10 contests the Hawk goal tending has been the most consistent aspect of their game. 

Marty Turco has allowed a few softies but he has been solid for the most part. Especially considering Corey Crawford has been accustomed to having a heavy workload the last few years, he has adjusted well to the backup role. Crawford has been good in every start. 

Hawk fans may want to blame the NHL schedule maker for the brutal early workload. No doubt the schedule in the early going has been a bit out of whack for a few teams. Boston and Edmonton have played only six times, while the Hawks have played a league leading 10 games. The back to back weekend games have been a killer. 

The United Center is a busy place and the Blackhawks have to share time not only with the Bulls but also other attractions. So save some of the hate directed at the NHL schedule maker. Sooner rather than later Rocky Wirtz might be able to decrease the amount of dates that  Ringling Brothers occupies the United Center. 

From what I understand the long lasting arrangements with the circus as well as the ice shows were put in place by Bill Wirtz. Maybe Rocky will change things when he can, and try to provide his team the best chance for a high finish. No doubt playoff revenue is more lucrative than gate receipts from the circus or ice shows. 

Quennevile will keep switching things around until he finds the correct balance. There aren’t any excuses allowed in the NHL and tonight is no exception. 

The Kings are without their best player and in the midst of a long road trip. The Hawks shouldn’t squander another opportunity to capture two points on home ice. 

Al’s Shots 

It might be too early for the Hawks to look to make a trade. But that won’t stop the speculation, especially if the team struggles.

My view is when a trade occurs it could involve a young Chicago forward who is in the final year of his contract. Brouwer, Skille and Stalberg fall into that category.

There are  a few wingers in Rockford like Morin, Makarov and Beach who might deserve a shot in Chicago at some point this season.

When the Hawks do make a trade it won’t involve Brian Campbell and if any  defenseman were to be dealt another defender would have to be acquired.

If the Hawks were going to deal they would probably be looking to improve upon their third pairing defensive unit.  

LA has a speedy team and if Jordan Hendry is going to play, tonight could be the time.

Brian Campbell might be able to return in the next week or so, and the Hawks will have a decision to make.  I doubt they will carry eight defensemen, if John Scott is going to be classified as a defenseman.

Jassen Cullimore has performed well and maybe he will stay in Chicago.

My thinking is Scott has a better chance of clearing waivers than Hendry. Not only is Hendry a more complete player but he is signed only through this season, Scott has a two year contract.

I don’t think the Hawks would want to lose Hendry on a waiver claim. They can’t afford to trade Hendry unless a defenseman were to be coming back…So??

Quenneville seems to have more confidence in Cullimore than Scott and I could understand why. Currently he might favor Cully over Hendry.

Hendry has a very affordable contract and is still young. He keeps his mouth shut and overall has done the job when asked to fill in. It’s not easy to jump in and out of the  lineup.

A big question is…Why hasn’t Hendry had the opportunity to play regularly?

We will find out in a week or two if the John Scott era in Chicago will be shorter than expected. Or maybe Hendry will be the odd man out.

By now you know who I would pick to stay on the big club.

The audio file below is of a Second City podcast from Monday evening.

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/471851/Second_City_Hockey_-_Live_From_The_Five_Hole_-_Episode_10.mp3

Thanks to Sam, Killion and McClure.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net