Friday, June 13th
DATELINE TORONTO
I love writing that. Adds drama. I’m actually starting this entry at a delicious French-Canadian breakfast chain called Cora’s, with Cubs’ starter Ryan Dempster and his parents sitting at the table next to me. He’s a good Canadian, and a great hockey fan. He was actually very interested in last night’s NHL awards and thrilled that Pat Kane won the Calder Trophy.
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Kane was not only the first Hawk to win an
on-ice award since 1996, he was also the first
to even be nominated for an on-ice award
since 1996 (Bryan Berard won the Masterton
Trophy for perserverance in 2001). Kane was
joined in the audience by his family,
the Blackhawks’ executives, and by teammate
and fellow nominee-Jonathan Toews, who
sat across the aisle.
Funny story, Kane showed up for the
hour-long, tuxedo mandatory pre-event
media session nearly 50 minutes late,
wearing shorts, a golf shirt and a jacket.
This wasn’t Kane being lazy, sloppy or
immature. Turns out, Kane’s rented tux pants
were mis-measured and he and his
family frantically tried to make adjustments.
If I heard Kane right (not swearing to this), the
hotel had to call in a tailor on an emergency to
make the alterations. I guess it worked out,
because Kaner looked sweet accepting his award. Patrick also thanked his grandfather, with whom he has a very special relationship. His grandfather’s health has slipped a little since I interviewed him in December in Buffalo, and unfortunately he could not make the event. I hear, however, he is on the road to recovery.
The NHL does the Award Presentation Ceremony with all due glitz and circumstance. It’s like Canada’s version of the Oscars, sans Melissa and Joan Rivers, thankfully. All the people who have tickets to the event -- the players, their significant others, team executives, presenters, etc. – are escorted to a spot on busy Yonge Street by golf cart. From there, they walk a block down a red carpet, separated by fans by a barricade. We in the media are inside the barricade and can interview players as they come through. The fans of course, being good Canadians, ooh and aah over their favorite stars as if they were precious gems. Most players stop along the way and sign autographs wherever they are able. The procession moved along relatively smoothly, until Kane walked through. Patrick signed for every single fan, as did Jonathan Toews, who was walking with him. At one point I walked towards the back of the line and caught Dale Tallon’s eye. He asked me what the holdup was and I told him, “What do you think? Kaner’s signing for everyone!” As popular as Kane was, the biggest cheers were for Jason Blake (a Maple Leaf), Darryl Sittler (a former Maple Leaf), and the Stanley Cup itself. The players weren’t the only eye candy. Let’s just say that in my next life, I want to come back as an NHL-quality hockey player. Whew!
As for the voting, I talked to several Eastern Conference writers, all but one of whom voted for Patrick (and that one abstained because he hadn’t felt he’d seen enough of all the players to vote). They all said that the interesting thing is that 5 years from now we might look at this vote and see that Kane is no better than the 5th or 6th best player of this group (including Montreal’s Carey Price, Edmonton’s Tom Gilbert, Phoenix’s Peter Mueller and Atlanta’s Tobias Enstrom, who improbably picked up 2 first place votes). That’s not to say that they felt Kane was an undeserving winner or a limited player, but more that they feel he is more of a pure offensive player and some of the others may develop into more 2-way players, including Jonathan Toews. I can assure you that the Hawks don’t feel this way. Dale Tallon thinks that Kane will add more to his game as he gets bigger and stronger, because he has the tenacity and drive to move into the interior of the game.
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A quick note about the Stanley Cup Finals:
Follow me here: In Game One of the Lakers-Celtics series, Paul Pierce went down in a heap before coming back to lead the Celtics to win. Turns out, he wasn’t really hurt, but the National Media went bonkers over this, comparing Pierce to Willis Reed and Larry Bird and other great NBA back-from-the-dead momentum-swinging returns. Okay, I get the sense of drama and how it affected the crowd at the Shawmut-Fleet-TD Waterhouse-Bank North-Cape Cod Community College Boston Garden, but are we NHL fans supposed to be impressed by this?? In our game this happens ALL THE FREAKIN’TIME! In Game 5 of the Cup Finals, Ryan Malone took a slapper off his coconut, which broke his nose and left a trail of blood from the crime scene to the bench longer than the splattering when Tommy and Frankie Carbone whacked Stacks in Goodfellas. Half an hour later, there’s Malone back on the ice with a cotton ball hanging out of his nostrils, returning to get more than 30 minutes of ice time in a game that ended nearly 5 hours after it started. Memo to NBA writers and fans, you want to be impressed by toughness? Come to a hockey game. NHL players eat guys like Pierce in the postgame spread.
And credit to the Wings. They were the best team in the regular season and the best team in the postseason. At some point, we’re going to have to look at Chris Osgood as one of the best goalies of all time. He’s won 2 Cups in goal, and been the backup for 2 others. He’s not always steady, but the resume speaks for itself. Some may make the argument that he’s ridden along on the backs of some great teams. True. But plenty of great teams have been undone by mediocre goaltending.
Next up for the Hawks will be the draft and free agency. With the Hawks picking 11th, the draft could yield anything in terms of players or positions. The good news for the Hawks is that their farm system is deep (deeper at some positions than others) with few real weaknesses. They don’t have to draft by position.
As far as free agency goes, the Street says that for the first time in a long-time, players and agents are calling them. Everyone wants to play in Chicago. My inside skinny says the Hawks are Brian Campbell’s first choice if he doesn’t re-sign in San Jose, and that the Sharks can’t sign him if they don’t trade Patrick Marleau. Look for Campbell to get somewhere between 6 and 6.5 million dollars a year. Their second choice at D might be Michal Roszival. There’s also word that Marian Hossa is interested in playing in Chicago, and that Martin Havlat is pushing Hossa and the Hawks hard to make the deal happen. And don’t look for Jason Williams to return. The Street says Williams got caught bad-mouthing the Hawks to plenty of people, and while Williams is trying to backpedal from those comments, the Hawks have probably had enough.
One of the reasons people want to come to Chicago now is that John McDonough is committed to having the Hawks be the model NHL organization. Refreshing, huh? The Hawks have already done a gut-rehab on the locker room with input from the players. And the Hawks have a full staff of employees and interns, and for the first time in a long time seem to have an interactive, synergistic relationship with Bulls’ and United Center employees. At risk of sounding like a shill, they are going to be very productive in terms of the events and opportunities (read: sales possibilities) in which fans can participate or purchase. For all you trend watchers, this franchise is in the very early stages of becoming cult-hot.
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Josh from Chicago writes:
Even though the Red Wings won the Cup, I take some solace in the fact that the Hawks played the Wings so well this season. Do you feel the same way?
Dude, love the name and address. (And yeah, he’s got my name and my address so I can call him DUDE if I want). Not to put sand in your PB and J, but one of the things that makes the Wings a success is their ability to play for the long-haul. That leaves them most vulnerable to a team that sees them all the time and can exploit them when they take a shift or two off, which they invariably do. That said, it says a lot that the Hawks ARE a team that can exploit them. One of the Hawks best assets last season was their interminable hunger and desire. They won’t be able to surprise the Wings or any other team with that next year, and there are always “sophomore slumps” that make it hard to repeat a characteristic of a given season. But this is why the Hawks drafted so many players from winning college and junior programs, because this determination is a crucial component in winning players and winning teams. In other words, Josh, I think the solace is not that they won 5 games from Detroit, but that they have the kind of makeup that makes them competitive.
In Lemont, we hear from Sam:
Were you surprised at how the Finals unfolded this year? I thought it would have been a little more evenly matched at the beginning, but the Red Wings seemed to run away with it in the first few games.
There comes a point in a season, Sam, where young teams’ growth charts catch up with them. As wonderful as the Pens’ were in the playoffs, I thought they seemed overwhelmed by being in the Finals for the first two games. Part of that was their unfamiliarity with Detroit. Part of that was their unfamiliarity with the setting and the stage. They recovered to play well and competitively in the last 4 games. If they can stay healthy and keep their core together, they have a chance to be a force in the East for 10-12 years.
Last but not least, we get to Chris in Naperville:
Josh, have you seen Kontiola play? He was the best Hog in the Wolves series. You might want to re-evaluate him.
This letter is in response to my thoughts about Kontiola in a previous blog. I have seen Kontiola play, both in Chicago and in Rockford. In his two games in the AHL I thought he was very good in one game, and just pretty good in the other. I was unimpressed with his game at the NHL level, and in fact I thought he made one of the crucial mistakes in the Hawks’ season when his turnover in a game at home against LA led directly to a Kings’ goal that let them off the floor in a game the Kings rallied to win. That game also kicked off the Hawks’ 8-game winless streak.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming Kontiola for the Hawks’ missing the playoffs, and while I was unimpressed with his play last season I don’t think that his game exists in a static state. He’s young and could improve. My point then and now is that the history of hockey is full of guys who were huge AHL stars, but who don’t have the skill set to bring that stardom to the NHL level. The IceHogs’ Martin St. Pierre and the Wolves’ Jason Krog are two additional current examples. My belief is that right now the Hawks have other prospects who DO have NHL skill sets (even if they aren’t as successful as Kontiola at the AHL level) who will ultimately surpass Kontiola on the NHL roster. But that will play out over time, and if Kontiola can make it that only makes the team stronger.
Wednesday, May 21
Rumor has it the Stanley Cup Finals are about to begin. Someone want to tell me when?
Seriously, in my mind, this is one of the biggest problems with the NHL. In addition to reporting on the sport, I'm as big a fan of the game as there is. But as the playoffs drag on deep into my late spring and summer, it becomes very hard to follow. Let's start with this illustration: The Penguins eliminated the Flyers on Sunday. The Red Wings followed by eliminating the Stars the next night. Why on EARTH is the league waiting to start the Cup Finals until the following SATURDAY! That's 5 days! The NBA turned their conference finals series around immediately. 2 days after the Celtics kayoed the Pistons, they were on their home floor mopping up the Pistons. Likewise, the Spurs even spent a night sleeping on a GROUNDED PLANE on a tarmac in New Orleans. 36 hours later they were teeing up the Lakers for Game 1. But the NHL goes dark for 5 days, leaving its fans to fumble around in it until the championship begins.
The NHL has to realize that they suffer through a war of attrition as the playoffs drag on. When they start, in early April, most of their fan base can still tune in. It's still cold and dark in Canada and the Northeast and Midwest of the U.S., where most of their fan base resides. But now the weather is nice, the sun is out late and our season is short. We want to be out on the golf course or playing after dinner with our kids, or outside for a jog or just hanging out at a beer garden with friends. Similarly, the national games on NBC are on Saturday and Sunday in the early afternoon. I'm sorry, but if the sun is shining I want to be outside at 2 on a Saturday. If primetime doesn't work, let's find an outlet that can start the game at 5 or 6.
In fact, just this Saturday at about that hour I was perusing the old Comcast guide looking for some sports before me and Mrs. Hockey Reporter went out to a party that didn't start until 9. There was virtually no sports to watch of any interest -- some college softball, I think the Braves on TBS -- in a 3-hour window after the Preakness (though granted, the White Sox were on the West Coast). How great would it have been if there was a Stanley Cup game to watch at that time -- a time when bars and restaurants would be filling up as well. Bottom line, the closer the Cup Finals gets towards summer, the more their audience dwindles.
I have a few solutions. One, start the season two weeks earlier, at the end of September. Yes, it's still warm out, but by then we've had a full summer of outdoor activities, school has started up again, the days are getting shorter. And sure, you're competing for attention with the baseball playoffs, but if the Cup Finals are in May (rather than June) they don't compete with the NBA Finals as they do now. Wouldn't you rather have primary attention for your championship, rather than the start of the regular season? Two, condense the schedule. Let's not have any more of these weeks off between games in the middle of long trips, as the Hawks did this November. That further shrinks the length of the season. And third, start the next series already, especially when it's the Stanley Cup Finals.
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Let's give a quick shout out to the Rockford IceHogs and the Chicago Wolves who played a marvelous 7-game AHL series, with the Wolves emerging as the winners. It will be very interesting to see which IceHogs build good summers on the foundations of solid seasons, to emerge as candidates to make the big club next year. From what I hear, Jack Skille, Corey Crawford, Kris Versteeg and Troy Brouwer have the best chance to make it. Colin Fraser, Jake Dowell and Petri Kontiola seem more likely to be career swing guys. Michael Blunden could go either way. I consider some of the other guys -- like Jordan Hendry and Dave Bolland -- to already be a part of the big club. And others like Jim Fahey and Martin St. Pierre to be career minor leaguers.
By the way, a fan inquired why the Hawks and Wolves don't partner up as the Flyers and Phantoms do in Philadelphia. I did a story on this in the fall on TV and Wolves' GM Kevin Cheveldayoff explained to me that the two clubs' philosophies are dissimilar. The Hawks see their AHL team as being extremely important for development, of which winning is a big part. The Wolves, with separate ownership, have a win-first mentality, which is why so much of their roster is filled with older, career veteran professionals as opposed to kids on their way up. The situation in Philadelphia works because the Flyers and Phantoms have the same ownership. The situation in Chicago is much more like what has happened in Western New York, where the Sabres' affiliate has been in Rochester (actually closer to Buffalo than Rockford is to Chicago). Over the past 4-5 years their philosophies have diverged, which is why the Sabres will move their AHL club to Portland, Maine this year, ending the longest affiliation agreement between NHL and AHL partners (over 40 years).
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As I write this, the Blackhawks have signed three of their restricted free agents -- Dustin Byfuglien, Adam Burish and James Wisniewski. All 3 emerged as key contributors in 07-08. Burish and Wisniewski are the kind of character guys every championship team needs. They play hard every night and they fill their roles. Byfuglien is a little more of an enigma because in the past his conditioning and dedication have been questioned, but he significantly improved both of those last season and the results (and now a nice contract) have followed. Buff also has a unique collection of skills. If he continues to work hard, and I think he will, he could be a bona fide star in this league.
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Ron chimes in from Bartlett:
What can you tell me about the Finnish goalie the Hawks signed a few weeks ago? Will he be competing for time with Crawford in the AHL or Khabibulin in the NHL?
You know, Ron, not all that much beyond his stat line, honestly. I've never seen him play. But I think he gives them some veteran assurance heading into the summer and training camp. What we know is that barring a trade, Khabibulin is the #1 for next year. (And BTW, any trade would have Khabbi going out and another #1 goalie coming in). Antti Niemi gives the Hawks another kid to compete with Crawford for #2 at the NHL level or #1 in the AHL and gives them another legitimate goalie prospect who is at the breakout level, as opposed to the others (Joe Fallon, Joe Palmer, Mike Brodeur, Josh Unice) who are still very much in the developmental stages.
Jen Sauzer from River Forest asks:
What do the players do in the off-season? Do they go back to their hometowns or stay here in Chicago to train?
It really depends on the player. In their current situation, Jen, as in missing the playoffs, most of the players take about a month off to relax. Increasingly, with the Hawks' talent level on the rise, they have players who go on to play in the World Championships (6 Hawks played for the US and Canada this year) before getting that rest. Then the players mix training with relaxation and family time. For example, players may be in Chicago to work hard for 3 weeks, then go to a fishing camp with their extended families for 4-5 days. Others may do that training work at home. Generally, the European players spend their summers in Europe. Players with children often go back to their hometowns to be near friends and families. Single guys may be back and forth between Chicago and their homes. This year, several players will be training together in Chicago to push each other. And, of course, there is golf. And summer hockey tournaments. Yanic Perrault holds a 3-on-3 tournament in Quebec that has a funny name like "the Out-of-Breath Tournament" or something like that. But a lot of the best French-Canadian players will be there. Jonathan Toews and Martin LaPointe received invites this year, among others. It's all for charity.
George is in Chicago and asks a tough one:
If you were lucky enough to be able to spend the day with the Stanley Cup, how would you spend it?
I have been fortunate enough to attend the Stanley Cup parties of a few others, and it's a remarkable experience. But I'll assume that you are asking, if I was a player and won the Cup, how would I spend my day with what I earned with my teammates. Let's assume, that since I am a native Chicagoan, I won it playing for some other team and brought it back to Chicago for my day. I think early in the day I would try to take it to a few media outlets to try to share with non-hockey fans what it means to win the Cup, why the Cup is so special, and how unique it is in sports that the players all get a day with the Cup. I think mid-day I would like to take it to a few of my favorite Chicago haunts -- my hot dog place, Muskie's, my neighborhood bars, my old home rinks where I grew up playing the game. And then I'd like to have a party on the Oak Street beach for family and friends and any other stragglers who wanted to join in. Finally, at the end of the party, I'd like to take it aside for a few moments, with just me and the Cup and the quiet water of the lake slapping at the shore for some quiet reflection about what it means to set one's goals, achieve them and be able to rejoice accordingly.
Finally, Trevor is in Chicago Ridge:
If Toews would have stayed healthy all year, do you think he would have the advantage over Kane in the Calder vote?
Trevor, hello. Tough call, because you have to ask if Jonathan had been healthy, how would that have influenced Kane? Kaner may have started maturing faster and popping in goals more quickly because he'd have Jonathan to take attention away. Similarly, what if Jonathan had played and gone into a slump? We look at his numbers and project in a linear way, but in his two healthy stretches he never hit a real bad spell (and he might never!). But it certainly would give you a more complete and comparable picture of both players vis-a-vis the award. I think Pat will win, but I think both will be outstanding Blackhawks for a long time.
Wednesday, May 7
I watched the second round of the NHL playoffs very closely, maybe less for the games, than to scout the defensemen the Hawks would seem to have the most interest in pursuing in the off-season. On talent alone, the Sharks' Brian Campbell is clearly the most complete player, but he didn't have a very good playoff with San Jose, after two excellent playoffs in a row with Buffalo. Campbell didn't show the physical edge he often displayed for the Sabres. The first question, of course, is why? Did he simply not fit the Sharks' systems very well, or did the Sabres' systems enhance his assets, or both? How does he project into the Hawks lineup? Campbell will cost the most of any of the free agents, but maybe less than he would have before the playoffs. The Hawks want him, but I'm not sure he'll come at any price.
The Avs' John-Michael Liles showed me more than I'd seen from him previously. Liles was dynamite on the power play, and has a shot that is both heavy and accurate. He'd certainly help the Hawks on the back end. But defensively Liles made several mistakes, including one that almost cost the Avs an early game with Minnesota back in round one. I'm also told by Hawks' insiders that Liles "doesn't do much for them". He'll only be a Hawk if Dale Tallon strikes out elsewhere, and Liles comes real cheap.
I found Montreal's Marc Streit disappointing. This was a guy who showed terrific speed and range and helped lead the Habs to the best power-play in the league. But in the playoffs, Streit and the Habs stopped getting the puck on net. They relied too much on finesse and not enough on bang. My insider tells me the Hawks think he's too soft to be a regular defenseman. Now, that said, Streit could fill a Jason Williams role as a forward who drops back to play D on the power play. So watch the interplay in money between both of these sets of partners. The Hawks could play one against the other as long as they stay interested in Streit.
And here's another name to watch -- the Rangers' Michal Roszival. My insider tells me the Hawks' really like Roszival because he's a different body type, as opposed to Campbell who has a simliar build as Duncan Keith. He doesn't alwasy play that big, but he can take up space in front defensively. Roszival also put up big numbers this year with 13 goals and 25 assists. He'll also come a lot cheaper than Campbell. It's way too early to try to handicap this field, because the parameters change once the sides start talking money, but it would not surprise me at all if Roszival becomes the Hawks' primary target.
As for the series' themselves, how great was that 4 overtime game between the Sharks and Stars? I staved off exhaustion to stay up until 1:30 in the morning (with a 6:45 wake-up call to make a tee time the next day!) to watch the end. But I could tell people I made it, unlike several of my hockey fan golf partners, all of whom claim to have fallen asleep, only to wake up to see the Stars celebrating. But I'd already invested nearly 6 hours in the game. I'd made the commitment! Knowing that every Stars' opportunity could end the Sharks' season, and knowing that every Sharks' chance would severely damage the Stars, I was on the edge of my bed for every chance. I accidentally woke up my 4-year-old when Nabokov robbed Richards in the first overtime. And I gritted my teeth when Turco rolled on his back to smother Clowe on the 2-on-1 in the 3rd OT (mostly because I REALLY needed to go to bed at that point). But when Morrow tipped Robidas' sweet pass past Nabokov to finally end it, I had to smile. A well-played game ended on a well-played goal.
In analyzing the series' as a whole, astute readers will notice that I went oh-for-4. In the business, we call this burying the lead. Briefly, Detroit was extremely impressive, though Colorado's early injuries strained their ability to keep up. The Penguins looked terrific, beating the Rangers both in the Penguins' style and in the Rangers' style. Reminder to self, when trying to pick a matchup of contrasting styles, pick the team with the best individual player. Evgeni Malkin was that player in this series. And the Flyers smothered the Canadiens' offense and power play, though I think the Canadiens stifled themselves just as much.
Looking ahead to the Conference Finals, it's almost impossible to pick against the Red Wings, but the Stars can make them pay with their power play if the Wings get undisciplined. I also like Marty Turco's ability to shut down a Detroit team which has sometimes had trouble finishing. I'll continue to pick against the grain and take the Stars in 6. In the East, I'll be very interested to see how the Penguins react to the Flyers, who will give them a more physical ride than either of the teams the Pens' faced early. They bumped off the finesse-oriented Canadiens, and I think they can do it again to the Pens. I'll go against the grain here, too, and take the Fly Guys in 6. Then again, I'm 5-7 through 12 playoff series so far.
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Tony writes from Chicago:
Do you think Kane and Toews might split the Calder vote?
That's an interesting perception to try to gauge. Certainly, there is a concern that the writers who didn't see the Blackhawks this year, or those who only saw them once, won't know which of the Hawks' rookies was the more dominant player. They may also hear the buzz that although Kane played every game, Toews may project to have more up-side. Maybe Nick Backstrom gets overwhelming support from the Eastern Conference writers. As the voting got closer, I think you also heard writers trying to come up with the smart line that bucks conventional wisdom -- that is, they try to sound astute by coming up with the argument that presents the dark horse. But I think when those writers sit in their dark, dank apartments with peanut shells strewn about the floor and dishes piling up in the sink, that they tend to vote for justice. And I find it hard to believe that anyone who saw the Hawks play at all this year wouldn't pick Pat Kane.
Tyler is also in Chicago and asks:
Did you see that Stars/Sharks game that went 4 OTs? Who has the advantage in that type of game?
Well, I can tell you it's not the media. I covered the Stars-Sabres Stanley Cup Final, when Game 6 went to 3 overtimes. All I can tell you is, when that night was over I was exhausted, and of course I hadn't spent nearly the energy that the players had. Generally, the team that has the most offensive options tends to win those games. I say this because teams usually win these games when the opposing defense or goalie cracks, rather than with some slick-looking transition play in open ice. The team with more offensive options forces this fracture by keeping up pressure over several periods.
My man Drew lives in Evanston and asks:
Please tell me you think the rival Red Wings are going to lose to the Stars in the third round. I was shocked to see them demolish the Avs so quickly.
I keep trying to pick against them, Drew. So far it isn't working.
And, at the last, we go over the border to Appleton, Wisconsin, and Cheesehead Samuel:
I'm excited to watch the Flyers/Penguins series. I didn't see the Penguins or Flyers getting this far, what has pushed them over the edge?
Sam, in the Flyers' case, I think you see the hope for Hawks' fans. It didn't take much for Philadelphia to turn things around. A couple of nice free agent signings, a real NHL goaltender, and the arrival of some prospects all at the same time. Unlike the Blackhawks, in their present constitution, a lot of those Flyers had prior playoff experience. Even Marty Biron, who had not started in a post-season game, had certainly been around the presence of the playoffs. Don't forget, there was a stretch early in the season where the Flyers were the best team in the East. If a team can establish that at some point in a season, it can almost always come back to that touchstone. The Penguins also foretell a rosy future for the Blackhawks. What you are seeing with this team is a bunch of young stars kind of all clicking in to reach their potential at once. Theirs is simply a case of talent conquering inexperience. That can happen for the Hawks, too.
Wednesday, April 23rd
What a fantastic first round. 3 series go the distance! I had 5 of the 8 winners (missing on the Flyers, Stars and Avalanche), and pegged one series on the number. Let's review, in reverse order of exit (your questions follow at the end):
SAN JOSE OVER CALGARY IN 7
For my money, the best series. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. This series had everything -- fantastic goaltending, physical play in every game, and an anti-hero becoming the hero. Here's the real headline for Chicago fans: Facing what could have been the last game of his career, Jeremy Roenick won this series for the Sharks. After sitting out Game 6 in the press box, JR came back with a four-point night in Game 7, including the tying and go-ahead goals after the Sharks went down 2-1 in Game 7. Those goals ignited a 4-goal barrage that chased Mikka Kipprusoff from the game, and the Flames from the series. For a guy who has done some brash, outspoken and downright stupid stuff in much of his career, JR's effort reminded me of who he was when he came into the league: a guy who loves the game, loves to compete, and has a knack for scoring the tough goal in the big moment. At last, JR's ability and determination have surpassed the ego that once grew so much it threatened to overshadow his legacy. It won't if he leads the Sharks to the Cup.
What I wrote before the series:
I had (and still have) concerns over the Sharks inability to drop the hammer on teams. They didn't in Game 3 and it almost cost them the series. They did it (mostly) in game 7.
PHILADELPHIA OVER WASHINGTON IN 7
The Flyers won this series, but man did the Capitals prove to be a tough out. In many ways, this Caps team looks to me to be about a half-step ahead of where the Blackhawks are right now. They have a couple of stars and a never-quit attitude. Next year, I see both teams being really dangerous -- potential 2-series winners in the post-season. As for the Flyers, it's really hard to know what to make of this team. As Joffrey Lupul's winner shows, they have a ton of guys who can put home the big goal. But Marty Biron proved to me to be exactly where I think he is as a goaltender -- good enough to have some stellar games, but shaky enough to let in some bad goals at some bad times, as he did in Game 6.
What I wrote before the series:
I kind of pegged the Flyers, but I thought the Capitals would be more explosive than they turned out to be. Credit to the Flyers' team defense for keeping Alex Ovechkin in check. The Caps need a little more scoring depth to become a truly dynamic post-season team.
MONTREAL OVER BOSTON IN 7
The Bruins showed more life and ability than I thought they possessed, and Carey Price showed plenty of holes to be the goalie for a team I picked to win the Cup (and by the way, as I write this before the Calder Trophy nominations for Rookie of the Year, having now seen Price consistently over a stretch of games, if this guy is a Calder finalist over either Blackhawk player, we have to make the entire Quebecois media speak English from now on. The guy only played half the season, and he's decent, but not great). Montreal's power play, which carried them through the season, didn't show up in force until Game 7. Is this a disturbing trend, or the late arrival of something that can carry them through the next rounds? I'm banking on the latter, and that the Bees' familiarity with Les Glorilleuxes made a difference. Credit the Bruins for a good series, but they overachieved all season, and I'm still not overly impressed with their talent.
What I wrote before the series:
I thought the Habs scoring balance and power-play would prove more dominant, but that their lack of a true stopper on D might hurt them. They are far from a complete team.
DALLAS OVER ANAHEIM IN 6
As the final seconds ticked off in this series, with the shots on Versus of the bewildered, defeated Ducks, I couldn't help but notice how many of them had beards that were mostly gray. The Ducks' whole approach to the season reeked of hubris -- that they could rest some of their aging stars, bring them back in mid-season, and somehow build enough momentum over the final half of the season to defend their Championship. There are no shortcuts to winning the Cup. When the puck dropped in Game 1 with the Stars, the Stars were ready to elevate their game to a playoff level, while the Ducks were not. They confused toughness, with roughness. Both of those traits killed Anaheim in the first two games at home, and they never recovered.
What I wrote before the series:
Anaheim in 6. I did mention the Ducks' lack of scoring and how difficult it is to repeat the grind to the title. My biggest weakness for Dallas was the spotty record of their goalie and coach in the playoffs. No more. Marty Turco has purged his demons. Now that he's won his first series in 5 years, the Stars look like a dangerous team.
DETROIT OVER NASHVILLE IN 6
It took a goalie switch to wake up the Wings, who lost the middle games in Nashville, and could EASILY have lost game 2 in Detroit. The Wings dominated games 5 and 6, and still barely won. Credit to Dan Ellis, who clearly should be Nashville's number 1 goalie entering next season (he's a free agent). I need to see more from Detroit before I'm sold. The Wings control play but don't finish well.
What I wrote before the series:
I harped on the Wings' European heavy lineup, insinuating that they might just not care enough. I believe this. Until proven otherwise, to win the Stanley Cup, a team's best players have to be North Americans. That's not to say that a European can't win. Khabibulin, Kipprusoff, Lidstrom are great Europeans who have won. But to a North American, the Cup is the holy grail. TO Europeans, the Cup is still just a championship.
COLORADO OVER MINNESOTA IN 6
This was a great series that could have gone either way. Jacques Lemaire's defensive style works in the regular season, and worked once in Detroit, but he doesn't have the firepower nor the experience nor the rock-solid goaltender he had in New Jersey. And Colorado completely shut down Marian Gaborik.
What I wrote before the series:
I did pick a 7-game series, and with all the overtime games, this may as well have been a 7-game series. I wrote that Jose Theodore gets streaky hot, and that I had concerns about the Wild's relative inexperience. I think that burned them in game 4, when they had the chance to put the Avs in a 3-1 hole and came out satisfied with a road split. They let the Avs take the momentum of the series away, and you can't do that to win in the playoffs.
RANGERS OVER NEW JERSEY IN 5
I have to confess, this is the one series I didn't get to see a whole lot of (there's always one in the first round). It was a great matchup for the Rangers, who are a very good defensive team, against a team that struggled to score all season. From what I read, Drury was leading the charge (again), Jagr seemed interested and reborn (we'll see how long that lasts), and Sean Avery made an ass of himself (which doesn't take much). But I need to see the Rangers more before I can be impressed -- the Devils never looked to me like a team that was built for playoff success this year.
What I wrote before the series:
I mentioned the Devils' scoring issues and the Rangers' success against them this year. The Rangers have plenty of flaws -- this series aside, they are not a great goal-scoring team. This was just an ideal matchup for them, more ideal than I realized at the start. I thought Brodeur would steal the Devils a game or two. I thought wrong.
PITTSBURGH OVER OTTAWA IN 4
This wasn't a playoff win, it was a mercy killing. Ottawa hit the playoffs a complete mess. More than one NHL staffer has told me that the Sens locker room was just a complete mess, totally undone first by Ray Emery, then by an absence of leadership from the established players who have been on that team for a long time. By the time Bryan Murray took over as coach, the room was already gone. I think the Sens will look very different next year, and not just in goal. Credit, though, to Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar, Fleury and all the other Penguins for seizing the opportunity.
What I wrote before the series:
Here's one I actually got right. I just thought the Sens' collapse from their NHL-record start would be too difficult for them to over come.
ROUND 2 QUICK PICKS
East
Montreal over Philadelphia in 6
Love Montreal's offense and power-play against a poor penalty-killing team with a 1A type of goalie. I think it's tough for the Flyers to start the series playing the 3rd game in 4 nights.
Rangers over Pittsburgh in 6
Really interesting match of opposites here. Generally I like the goaltender over scoring stars, but the Penguins have rare, Gretzky-led-Oilers-like dynamism. I'm sticking with my principles in what is effectively a 7-game series, but I'm picking the Rangers to finish off the Pens at the Garden.
Colorado over Detroit in 7
When Colorado was healthy in the season's second-half, they were the best team in the league. They are healthy again, with a goaltender playing as good as any I saw. I can't back the Wings until I see more fire from their best players, and though most people see the goalie situation as a positive, I think it's a negative. If the Avs blitz Osgood for 5 goals in one of the first two games, does Babcock go back to Hasek? If so, and Hasek loses a game, does he come back with Osgood? At this time of year, one guy is better than two.
San Jose over Dallas in 5
Either the Sharks, or Stars' goalie Marty Turco, will shake their demons to get to the conference finals. I still like San Jose's depth and physicality, and the Sharks won't do stupid stuff to hand games to the Stars, as Anaheim did.
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Playoff E-mails. Bring em on.
Jane from Chicago asks:
Do you think Jonathan Toews will be named captain as soon as next season?
Yes. Oh, you want me to elaborate? The young guys are going to be given the reins of the captaincy next year, which worries me a little, because it adds to the complexities of developing as a young player. Long-term, it's absolutely the right move. Toews won't be out there alone. Brent Seabrook is going to have a leadership role, too.
DeVin weighs in from Bolingbrook:
How long do you think Martin Havlat will be absent from his shoulder injury?
Which one? This one or the one that's coming? No, I kid the Havlat. I talked to Marty late in the season. He had a deficiency in the shoulder that his doctors hadn't addressed before his last two injuries -- essentially, a chip in his shoulder socket that made it easy for the ball-joint to slip out. (If you don't know the physio-biology of the shoulder, look it up on the internet). He says he'll be ready for the regular season. The Hawks still need one more top 6 forward to be a Cup contender.
And Chicago Joe writes:
Do you think the Hawks will re-sign James Wisniewski and Adam Burish? I would like to see them both back next year because they play a very dominating physical game. They are not afraid to fight which make me really like them both.
Chicago Joe, I love your restaurant on Irving Park. Great steak sandwich. Yes, the RFA's are up next. Wiz and Burish are automatics. Both love the organization, and while they won't play for free, clearly they both want to play here. They also aren't the kind of players that will get RFA offers from other teams. You've made good choices, Joe. To win the Cup, guys like Wisniewski and Burish are essential. They aren't the best players. They make mistakes on the ice that sometimes cost their team goals. But they make the other players accountable with their hustle and energy. I'm eager to see how they motivate other players to work hard in the off-season.
Thursday, April 10th
Before we do our Playoff predictions, I read an article by my friend John Buccigross this past week on ESPN.com. In reviewing the seasons of all 30 NHL teams, Booch called the Blackhawks the “NHL Story of the Year”. And it really gave me pause to think, because in my last blog, of two days ago, I didn’t give the Hawks’ season that kind of due. For one reason – and I don’t mean this as an excuse – it’s sometimes hard to tell, when you are embedded in a story for as many months as I embed with the Blackhawks, how that story is resonating outside the arena of that story. For another, in some of the other national stories I’d read – particularly those regarding the chances of Hawks’ players garnering post-season awards – the rebirth of the Blackhawks seemed to get short shrift as a storyline. So let’s address the question: Are the Blackhawks the NHL story of the year?
I’ll start by saying that much to my dismay, I’m not sure they were even the story of the year in Chicago. The tumult of the Bears’ post-Super Bowl season dominated the fall. The disastrous and precipitous decline of the Bulls certainly received more column inches this winter. The alleged (incorrectly) missteps of the White Sox in free agency and the exuberant hopes (maybe overly so) of the Cubs, occupied the spring. Many popular sports-radio shows still won’t touch the Blackhawks as a topic nor will they interview players. Most nights, our TV cameras were the only one in the Hawks’ post game locker room. Frequently, we had the only camera at practice for stories.
That said, clearly the Hawks had an impact on their fan base and allowed the hardcore regulars to come back. It’s hard to ignore the fact that the Hawks had 12 sellouts in 2007-08, and all but one of their thirteen crowds of 20-thousand plus after Christmas (and there were some games where there wasn’t a single Red Wings’ fan in the house!). It’s similarly hard to dismiss the impact of what it means to fans to have all 82 games on television next season and for at least the next three seasons (under the current deal). And it’s hard to look past how visible and available the Blackhawks’ players were for appearances and opportunities this season, both charitable and commercial. At each one, the Hawks’ players reached out to fans and interacted with them in a way that has been lacking. The end result is that for the first time in a long time, Blackhawk fans no longer feel as if they are taken for granted. At the end of the season, John McDonough and I had a conversation in which he told me that Hawk fans have gone from turned off to involved, and the next task for the staff is to make them rabid. I asked him about their approach to the casual sports fan – the non-hockey sports fan – and he said the idea is to turn them from curious to interested and that the Hawks have several ideas to reach out to them in crossover areas, such as the “Shoot the Puck” feature they now have at White Sox games.
So are the Hawks the story of the year in the NHL? The competition would seem to include the Outdoor Game, which was as phenomenal a success as the league itself has had on a non-hockey platform in at least a decade, and a phenomenon in which the Hawks are going to be a participant in the future. It also includes the arrival of Alex Ovechkin with his 65 goals and his first foray into the playoffs. And if he and Sidney Crosby meet in a second-round playoff series that could also initiate an outstanding rivalry in the Eastern Conference for years to come. Ultimately, I think those probably have greater impact on the league as a whole than the rebirth of the Blackhawks. But there’s little doubt that if the league is a body, then the Blackhawks’ reemergence is the equivalent of that body receiving a new liver (or maybe a spleen, I think I prefer spleen). A healthy Hawks’ franchise, one of the two original franchises in a top 5 media market, makes for a healthy league. If Rocky Wirtz keeps following his blueprint, then the Hawks will be a healthy team on the ice for the foreseeable future, and a healthy franchise for years and years to come.
Now on to the playoffs. And I want you all to realize how desperate I am for the playoffs. It’s been longer for me than for most of you. You guys at least had the 5-game run in 2002. I missed covering the playoffs my last 3 years in Buffalo with the Sabres (a small price to pay for the Cup run in 99, and a better team in 01), then the lockout year (a small price to pay for coming back home) and the first 3 years with the Hawks (a small price to pay for what’s coming next!). For a reporter/host/anchor, the playoffs are what make the grind worthwhile. There is nothing in my business that I do that is more fun than covering a playoff series or two – all the intricate storylines, getting to know (and love and hate) the personalities of players and coaches as they evolve over a series or several series. And, of course, there’s the drama of the games themselves, when every goal is so precious and every day is so precious. Just think about that. In our miserable Great Lakes climate, nice days and nights are to be treasured, and yet true hockey fans willingly, GLADLY, give up an evening of alfresco dining in the backyard or at a sidewalk restaurant, so we can instead watch our team battle again in the playoffs. And it’s worth it every single time.
I write this one day into the post-season, but I’ll ignore the results of the first game. What follows is a brief synopsis of each team’s strengths and weaknesses, and where I think they’ll exit the playoffs.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
8. Nashville Predators
Pros: Excellent top-line scoring.
Cons: Weak power play. Extremely inconsistent goaltending.
Exit: 1 st round in 5 games to Detroit
7. Calgary Flames
Pros: Tough team won’t give a quarter. Veteran defense. Kiprusoff. Iginla.
Cons: Special teams are nothing special. Lack of explosiveness.
Exit: 1st round in 6 games to San Jose.
6. Colorado Avalanche
Pros: Great second half. Finally healthy. Goaltender gets streaky hot. Well coached.
Cons: Horrific power play. Counting on scoring from 1st time playoff performers
Exit: 1st round in 7 games to Minnesota
5. Dallas Stars
Pros: One of only 3 playoff teams that is both top 10 in goals for and goals against.
Cons: Spotty playoff record of goaltender and head coach. Slumped down the stretch.
Exit: 1st round in 6 games to Anaheim
4. Anaheim Ducks
Pros: Big, physical team built for playoffs. Defending champions.
Cons: Last among playoff teams in goals scored. Only one team has successfully defended Cup in last 16 years.
Exit: Conference Finals
3. Minnesota Wild
Pros: Speed. Excellent special teams. Very well coached.
Cons: Inexperience throughout lineup, especially in goal.
Exit: 2nd round.
2: San Jose Sharks
Pros: Deep, physical team plays smothering defense. Best in West in 1-goal games. Unbeatable down the stretch.
Cons: Track record of playoff failure. They don’t drop the hammer on teams because they fail to add to their leads.
Exit: Stanley Cup Finals
1. Detroit Red Wings
Pros: Most talented team in the league. Excellent at forcing the play where they want it to go. Explosive power play.
Cons: Aging goaltending and defense not built for physical playoff run. European heavy lineup.
Exit: 2nd round
EASTERN CONFERENCE
8. Boston Bruins
Pros: Hard-working team with no quit
Cons: Inexperience, even among veteran players. Horrific special teams. Lost all 8 games this season to 1 st round opponent (on the other hand, it’s hard to lose 12 times in one season to one team!)
Exit: 1st round in 5 games to Montreal.
7. Ottawa Senators
Pros: Highest scoring team in hockey
Cons: On verge of biggest collapse in NHL history. Team dysfunction
Exit: 1st round in 4 games to Pittsburgh
6. Philadelphia Flyers
Pros: High scoring team with excellent power play.
Cons: Untested playoff goaltender. Inconsistent team
Exit: 1st round in 6 games to Washington
5. New York Rangers
Pros: Excellent defensive team. Great playoff proven leadership. 7-1 vs. 1st rd. opponent.
Cons: Struggle to score goals.
Exit: 2nd round
4. New Jersey Devils
Pros: Best goaltender in NHL history. Proven playoff system.
Cons: Lack of goal scoring and goal scoring depth.
Exit: 1st round in 7 games to NY Rangers
3. Washington Capitals
Pros: Alex Ovechkin is a threat every time he touches the puck.
Cons: Not fast. Questionable penalty killing.
Exit: 2nd round
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
Pros: Frightening 1-2 punch of Crosby and Malkin. Excellent power play.
Cons: Spotty goaltending. Sub par penalty killing
Exit: Conference Finals.
1. Montreal Canadiens
Pros: League’s best power play and 2nd best offense. Scoring balance. Home ice aura
Cons: No true stop-everything defenseman or d-pair.
Prediction: Stanley Cup Champions
Tuesday, April 8th
And with that, my friends, the end has come. When I was just starting in this business, as an intern for the Cubs, I had a conversation with then Cubs’ General Manager Jim Frey. I asked him how he turned the page between seasons. He said, “Josh, there comes a point in the off-season when you wake up one morning and say to yourself, ‘Well, that was a good season’ or ‘Whew, I’m glad that’s over’ and then you move on to the next year.” It’s going to be a while before fans can move on here. It’s been so long since they’ve been able to enjoy a season like this. Sure, the Hawks’ made the playoffs in ’02, but they didn’t have the long-term hopes that they have right now, either in terms of on-ice talent, or off-ice progress. And it hurts them not to see their patience rewarded in the initial rise with a playoff berth.
I’m not sure it serves us here to rehash the season just past. It was a successful year, but an unsatisfying year. The Hawks did a wonderful job of creating a unique bond that perhaps made them play better as a collective than if you added up their individual talent. They have invested well in a nice mix of players, winners and leaders. I’m more interested in discussing what’s next, and what the Hawks have to do to succeed in the years that follow.
Let’s start with the on-ice tangibles. Some people have suggested to me that the Blackhawks need to score more goals. I’m not sure I agree. They did finish 9th in scoring in the league this year, 3rd in the Western Conference. They do need to improve the types of goals they score. They need to score on the power play – they failed to score a power play goal in exactly HALF of their games this season. And they need to score more garbage goals. For that, two things need to happen. The Hawks need to shoot more on the power play (and in that vein, I LOVED Patrick Kane’s goal in the finale against the Wings. If he starts scoring goals like that, driving to the net for rebounds in traffic, he’ll score 40 goals next season without breaking a sweat). And the Hawks have to acquire another big body with skill – someone who splits the difference between a puck protector like Andrew Ladd and a physical force like Dustin Byfuglien. OR they could add someone who has unique offensive skills for a big man in the vein of an Olli Jokinen.
The bigger improvement has to come on the back end. The Hawks finished 19th in the league in goals against, 12th in the Western Conference, and they were fortunate that neither of their two minute-chompers missed a single game with an injury. The Hawks simply must get another Top 4 defenseman, especially one who can run the power play and absorb some of the ice time that Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook ate up this season. A healthy 8 that includes this year’s top 6 defenseman, a top-tier free agent and Niklas Hjarmalsson would give the Hawks depth and versatility.
As far as on-ice intangibles, this was a special year for the Hawks in terms of team chemistry. As they become more successful, and guys start getting paid for that success, the players will have to keep their work ethic intact and their jealousies in check. They seem off to a very good start. Roughly half of the Hawks will stay in Chicago over most of the summer to train together. That’s important. These are young guys who are getting their first taste of success and acceptance. There will be all kinds of temptations out on the scene this summer. They should enjoy those temptations, but not to the point where their preparation for the season starts to suffer.
The Hawks have the right mix of jesters and clowns to keep the brooders in check, and this year they held on to the right veteran leaders to keep the silliness in check. But that’s an important factor in the equation: do they keep a guy like Kevyn Adams who might be replaceable from a talent standpoint, but who is irreplaceable as a veteran leader? Would they move a package of promise like Cam Barker, for an established veteran player, even if that established player might upset the balance in the locker room. Dale Tallon was very careful to add the right kinds of temperament over the haul of the season. Craig Adams fit in. Andrew Ladd fit in. As Tallon tries to add more experienced skill, will that guy fit in – especially if he is an expensive free agent who will come in making far more money than the players who have already bled and sweated for each other?
Off the ice the Hawks are going to continue to push forward with new ideas. There will be growing pains, especially for the old guard fans who have stayed with the team through this dismal era and who will resent some of the neophyte fans that are about to jump on. Just as an illustration, a huge Hawks’ fan called me recently to ask about one of the recent changes, one she didn’t particularly agree with. It regarded the cleansing of an old way of doing things – one that one could argue was a successful way of doing things – in exchange for something new and unproven, which might or might not work. It was hard for her to give up the old way which she maybe disliked but ultimately trusted, in exchange for something unknown. There is a comfort in knowing what has been – this exclusive little club which they have wanted so desperately to improve. But if it’s going to get better then they must be willing to share it with others as it becomes more popular. And it is going to become more popular. Bringing back ambassadors, putting games on TV, making players visible in the community in-season and out of season. It’s just the beginning of restoring the Hawks to their glory of 30 and 40 years ago. There will be a price to pay, but what fans get in exchange should be well worth it.
And so, then, perhaps this is not an end, but rather a beginning. I urge the hardliners to ignore the newbies, and instead embrace the knowledge that they were there back before it all started. There will soon come a time when they will turn to themselves in mid-June rather than early April, and only then will they say, “Well that was a good season.” There are many more good seasons to come.
By the way, I’m rooting for the Sharks in the playoffs.
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Evan chips in from Arlington Heights:
Do you think that Andrew Ladd will re-sign with the Hawks? I loved his production and he seems like a really good player.
First of all Evan, Ladd is a restricted free agent. It’s still rare for teams to give offer sheets to RFA’s. We saw two big ones last year, when Edmonton first tried to pry Thomas Vanek from Buffalo. The Sabres matched. Then the Oilers plucked Dustin Penner from Anaheim. The Ducks did not match. In those cases, the Oilers had money to spend and tried to take advantage of two teams that had financial issues to deal with. The Hawks are not that vulnerable. They have plenty of cap room to absorb what another team would offer, and so therefore it isn’t likely that another team will offer. I certainly agree with you regarding your points about Ladd. He’s valuable because he has a rare combination of skills in a bigger body, and that was a type of player the Hawks didn’t have. Ladd isn’t really a hitter, but he does use his size well to get position in front of the net. And while he isn’t fast, he has enough speed to keep up with the swiftest Hawks’ skaters. I think it will be interesting to see how the Hawks use Ladd on the power play once he has a full pre-season to be incorporated into it.
Great question from Tracy in Chicago:
Why are Glenn Hall and Tony Esposito's banners at the United Center separated from Denis Savard, Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita's?
Here’s how good Tracy’s question is: I waited to respond to this until the evening when John McDonough, Dale Tallon and Denis Savard were in studio for Chicago Tribune Live. None of them had an answer. My guess, it’s primarily for aesthetics, but Dale Tallon said it’s because the goalies equipment smells more and the Hawks didn’t want to taint those of the forwards.
And Tony in Winfield asks:
Josh, who would be your Hawks MVP of this season? Mine would have to be Duncan Keith, he seemed to step his game up a couple of notches this year.
Way to go out on a limb, Tony, by selecting the Blackhawks’ All-Star representative. Scored 12 goals. Played about 100 minutes a game. Was top-5 in the league in plus-minus while playing on a non-playoff team. He also ended the War in Iraq and made a career-saving move by turning down a role in “The Hottie and the Nottie.” Can’t argue with Keith as a choice. But I will throw a couple more names out on my nominee list:
- Jonathan Toews. Including the game in which he got hurt, Toews missed 19 games in the middle of the season. The Hawks won exactly 5 of those games.
- Brent Sopel. This is a guy who has been an offensive player his entire career. He sacrificed that in Chicago to be a stabilizing presence for a young defense corps.
- Nikolai Khabibulin. He went 7-1-3 down the stretch until the finale in Detroit. When he’s that good, the Hawks are in the upper third in the league in terms of ability.
But Keith gets my vote, too.
Thanks to all of you who have read the blog and contributed to the e-mails. Keep ‘em coming over the summer and I’ll keep posting blogs. We’ll also have off-season updates as well as we get ready for what we hope is a playoff season next year.
Thursday, March 27
We will not discuss the end of the Blackhawks’ 2008 season until it is officially the end of the Blackhawks’ 2008 season. The first rule of Fight Club is that you don't talk about Fight Club.
That said, Wednesday’s loss to Columbus has the Hawks hanging on to their season like Wile E. Coyote clings to a cliff in a Roadrunner cartoon. And I know fans at home are asking themselves how a team in the midst of a playoff performance can play that kind of game, against a team that was virtually eliminated the night before, and be outworked, outmuscled and outperformed in every facet of the game. The key to understanding lies in looking at the whole of a season, not just the individual game.
Teams don’t run off 6 or 8 or 10 game win streaks very often in the NHL, because it is very difficult to do. Over the whole of a season, the better team will win most nights. But in an individual game, the team that wins is going to be one that has a little extra energy, or wins one key individual battle, or gets one crucial bounce or call that goes their way. One bounce can be the difference between a 4-0 loss and a 4-0 win, because one bounce can change the direction of energy in a game.. For example, if Khabibulin somehow gets a piece of Lindstrom’s shot in the second, maybe Columbus doesn’t take the early lead. And then maybe Columbus, being a team that is as good as any in the league from ahead (as well as being as bad as any team in the league from behind), loses a little of their will to win.
And if it is very difficult to consistently have the extra edge in energy throughout the course of an individual game, you can imagine how difficult it is to have the extra edge in energy over a series of games. The Blackhawks will look back at two crucial stretches of this season where the playoffs slipped away from them. The first came in late November and early December, when they came back from a successful circus trip to lose a series of very close home games in regulation to teams that will all make the playoffs this season. The second was the stretch in January when, minus Jonathan Toews and Jason Williams, they went winless in 8 games.
A separate and forthcoming blog will address how the Hawks avoid these stretches (or more to the point, balance it with a winning streak of equal or greater length), how the Hawks will improve next year, and which teams in the western conference are poised to improve or decline in the 08-09 season. I’ll also take a look back at the best moments of the Hawks’ season, my favorite games and goals, and how the Hawks can best spend the off-season. We’ll keep these things running through the playoffs and leading up to the draft.
But now, more of your e-mails (which, by the way, I love, so keep them coming!!!)
Let's start with Damian from Chicago:
Question: Will the Blackhawks make the playoffs this year and win it all?
Doesn’t look that good. I will say that after the win over the Blues, I thought the Hawks would make the playoffs if they ran the table. That means I think 92 points will be the number it takes to get in. We’ll see if I’m right. But the trend is moving in the right direction for them to make it and advance in the playoffs in 08-09. Again, that’s a future column, and the off-season will determine which teams will improve and how much, and which will decline and how far.
Quin from Downers Grove asks:
Question: During the Washington Capitals game that we won 5-0, Kane got one assist. How come his plus/minus rating wasn't a +1?
Players do not get a plus for scoring on a power play, nor are they assigned a minus for goals scored against short-handed. Plus/minus is given for scoring at even strength or shorthanded, and for being scored against at even strength or on the power play.
Tyler from Chicago wants to know:
Question: Jason Williams and Kevyn Adams are unrestricted free agents after this year, do you see either or both coming back?
Really interesting question, because neither one can be answered solely on the merits of how those individuals played. The Blackhawks have several forwards who are close to breaking through: Troy Brouwer, Jack Skille, maybe Petri Kontiola, Colin Fraser and Jake Dowell. And another wave exists behind them, including Tony Lagerstrom, whom Dale Tallon raves about whenever we talk about future prospects. So first the Hawks have to decide which guys are ready to add to the mix next season and how many rookies do they want to carry. Given that, which guys are they willing to move to create space. Right now, I would suggest that the Hawks are heavy in forward talent, and a little light on the back end. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Hawks move some forward talent for another solid veteran defenseman, in addition to whomever they might sign in free agency. Given that, I think the Hawks would like to have Williams. Certainly, their record with him in the lineup is signigificantly better (20-16-2 with Williams, 16-17-6 without him). But given their surplus of forwards, they don’t have to overpay. I think they’ll let him hit free agency to let the market set his price. Adams is a little more simple case. He wants to be here. He won’t cost a lot of money. The Hawks love his leadership. And at his price, with limited expectations, he’s a great extra piece to have.
Matthew from New Mexico chips in:
Question: When is the next Blackhawks Legends game?
I think you mean, when WAS the last Blackhawks Legends game? Good question. There’s nothing currently on the docket, but we’ve been blown away by the positive response to the game, as have the Hawks. I know it is something both parties are interested in doing in the future. How interesting was that game to watch, by the way? First of all, as both a fan and a Sports TV person, it is flabbergasting to see how primitive the broadcast was as a broadcast. Second, you realize how fantastic and more athletic the players are today. The one guy who really stood out was Bobby Hull. His game would translate to today’s game.
And finally, Jarvis from Oak Park wonders:
Question: Who is the greatest blackhawk player of all-time?
This is really subjective. You won’t go wrong with any of the 5 men who have had their jerseys retired. But Hull and Savard were great theater for the casual sports fan as well as the die-hard hockey fan. I saw Denis play in person, and when he got the puck in open ice, everyone rose to their feet because you didn’t know what he would do next. He could move in about 11 directions at once. For fans who never saw him, Pat Kane will be very much like him once he gets a little more aggressive with his shot. I only barely remember seeing Hull, but I can relate a story. My uncle, who is only a marginal sports fan, was a rabid Blackhawks’ fan in their heyday in the ‘60’s. And my stepfather tells the story that when my uncle would watch a (road) game on TV, usually by himself, and Hull would score, my uncle would yell, “Bobby Hull SCORED A GOAL!” so loud that their little house would shake. If Bobby Hull could move my uncle, he must have been fantastic. Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Max and Doug Bentley, Bill Mosienko and Pierre Pilote probably fall and I’ll also throw in some other names, of guys who weren’t at that level, but had a certain excellence in their quality that I think has been forgotten or underappreciated as the years have gone on. Bill White, Steve Larmer, Doug Wilson. Great, great players.
Wednesday, March 19
I’ve been meaning to write a new entry for a while, but I’ve been holding out hope the Hawks would close the gap in the playoff picture. I’ll comment about that at a future time, but the e-mails are piling up, so I decided to answer a few:
Let’s start with Roger from Chicago:
Question: I’ve been very impressed with Adam Burish this year, he seems to be able to give the team a lift during games. But, since he isn’t a point-type player, do you see him around for awhile and what are your overall thoughts on him?
Good observations, Roger. Some players are worth more than the sum of their stats. And teams are worth more than the sum value of the stats of their players. That is to say, you can’t have a team filled with Kanes and Toews. Talented as those players are, teams need different types of players to fill different roles. Guys who fill the pest role, like Burish, always seem replaceable, but they are very important on the ice. The right ones, those who have real leadership skills, are very important off the ice. They make every player on a team more responsible and more accountable. Burish was the captain of the 2006 Wisconsin team which won the NCAA championship. To make it in the NHL, he’s had to reinvent his game. As a Badger, he was a bit of a grinder, but also a pretty good offensive player. At this level, he’s had to become a pest and be willing to fight and agitate. Some guys in this role last a long time – true NHL rats like Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty. Others…kinda fade away. Eventually, Burish will have to score a little more to stay in the league, but you have to love a guy who gives every ounce of talent he has every time he plays.
Pete from Lisle is next up:
Question: With the play of Corey Crawford as of late, and the play of Nikolai Khabibulin prior to his injury, do you think that this means that come the off-season Patrick Lalime will end up being the odd man out?
This, I think, is the big question which shapes the Hawks’ off-season. They have to decide what to do in goal. Corey Crawford clearly has a future with this organization. The Hawks just LOVE him. The first question is how to continue his development – is he better off playing 60 games in the AHL, 30 games in the NHL as a backup, or do they trust him to play 50-60 games as a #1 guy in the NHL. I think Crawford has proven what he has to prove in Rockford, but would probably benefit from not having the pressure of being a #1 guy just yet. So then the Hawks have to determine who can play the #1 role. Khabibulin is the easy answer because he’s under contract. To get someone else would require finding a taker for Nik, and then filling the #1 spot. I think Lalime, at this point in his career, is a very good veteran NHL backup. If the Hawks decided that Crawford takes the #1 mantle next year, I think they’d try to move Nik (maybe even buy him out) and let Lalime be the #2. They love the way he battled back from injuries, and they love that he’s done everything they asked of him. There’s still a spot for him in the league.
Another Pete writes:
Question: This isn't a Blackhawks question, but I've been having a discussion with a fellow hockey fan about this, and we'd like to have your input on it. Who would you rather have on your team, Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin?
Hey, this is a hockey forum. All pertinent questions shall be answered. But come on, you’re asking me to choose to have a date with Heidi Klum or Monica Bellucci. Full disclosure: Summer of ‘06, Vladislav Tretiak brought several of the great Russian players to Chicago to get a sneak peek at them for last spring’s World Championships, which were played in Moscow. Tretiak was the GM of that team. I had a chance to meet Ovechkin, who was both charming and gracious. As an example, several of the Russians chose to answer my questions through a translator. Ovechkin, who at the time didn’t speak great English, shooed the translator away and worked really hard to sound clear and intelligible. And he succeeded. More importantly, I just love his game. He plays like a North American – with a physical presence and with great joy. Crosby is fantastic, too, and if you told me I had to start my team with him, well, let’s just say I wouldn’t kick Crosby out of my team’s bed for eating metaphorical crackers. BTW, Jonathan Toews would make my Top-10 players under 22 list, in case you were wondering….
Friday, March 6
It’s been a long time since Chicago loved a hockey team like this. The final minute of the win over the Ducks, with the fans rising to greet them as one, roaring their approval maybe more for the effort than the win itself, and with the way the Hawks applauded them in return was simply outstanding. These are innocent days. Every win feels like a crush reciprocating a kiss. Every fresh-scrubbed kid in the locker room believes in this team’s chances with the fervor of a 7-year-old’s conviction in Santa Claus.
Standing between the benches for the CSN telecast, I had an unbelievable vantage point for the win over the Ducks. Ben Eager was in the Ducks’ heads from about the 4-minute mark. The Ducks were upset with him for going after Chris Pronger (after Pronger leveled a Hawk with a marginal hit). Then they were on him to keep his elbows down. Randy Carlyle sent goon George Parros and his ridiculous handle-bar mustache to give Eager a message. Caught in a bad fighting position, Eager turtled and drew a 7-minute penalty on Parros. Well as you can imagine, after that the Ducks felt Eager had violated the code of enforcers by not dropping his gloves. And from then on after that, every time Carlyle tried to match Parros with Eager, Denis Savard switched up lines. The Ducks were so frustrated that with 6 minutes to go, Parros stopped right in front of me and yelled at Eager, “You’re bleepin’ embarrassing”. Great stuff. And Eager did his job very well. Give the guys credit for standing up to the Ducks’ intimidation tactics and shoving them right back in their face.
One other note from that game was Patrick Sharp’s goal which never found the net. The rule on that is that if a penalty shot is called while the goaltender is off the ice for an extra attacker, it is an automatic goal. I’ve known the rule for a long time, but never seen it called before this year, and it’s happened twice! Patrick Sharp was the beneficiary both times. My friend Mike North said on his radio show Thursday morning that it’s a stupid rule, because a goal should have to go in the net to count. But he’s wrong here. The whole point is that the defensive team is taking a risk by pulling its goaltender for the extra attacker. They shouldn’t be rewarded for that risk by being allowed to replace the goalie after they make a desperation tackle to save the game. If, for example, Devin Hester was running down the sidelines with no one within 30 yards of him, and a Green Bay Packer jumped off the bench to tackle him, shouldn’t the Bears be allowed the touchdown? Of course they should. Its in the NFL official’s discretion to award Hester the touchdown there. Same situation in the NHL. Referee Dean Warren got that call right, upholding a good rule.
Finally, I want to come back to the notion of loving this team, because Friday night is going to be a special night. I saw Bobby Hull play when I was little, but I really don’t remember it. I certainly do remember seeing Stan play, including his 500th goal in person (in a 4-3 loss to Vancouver at the Stadium). And Tony O. was one of my heroes growing up, as the Hawks’ only true all-star in a down time between good eras of hockey. To me, it has been the shame of the franchise that these stars have been alienated for so long. When I covered the Eastern Conference for another franchise, I loved going in to Toronto, because they honor their past every night. They always have ex-Leafs in the building. Sometimes, it’s a Hall-of-Famer. Sometimes it’s a guy who played on the 3rd line for a year-and-a-half and then moved on to the Rangers or something. But the fans there always stand and applaud for the guys who gave something to the franchise, and for whom they were once proud to cheer. It’s a tradition I would love to see in Chicago – not only for the great stars like Bobby and Stan and Tony, but for all the players who I got to see play. Dave Feamster, Dave Logan, Dave Mackey, Bob McGill, Bob Kelly, Bill White and so on. Starting with Bobby and Stan is a great start. The parallels to their careers and the careers of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are eerie. This is great symbolism for what might be the beginning of the Blackhawks’ next golden era.
With Patrick Lalime having some huge games for the Blackhawks recently, do you see him as the starting goalie down the stretch? Or is Khabibulin still 'the guy' for the Hawks(when he's healthy)?
James, for this year, the Blackhawks have been very fortunate to have 3 goalies playing well down the stretch. I have to think that’s a wait-and-see situation, because at this point we don’t know when Nik will be back. The Hawks are concerned about his health, both short-term and long-term, and when I was last with the team on Wednesday night they still weren’t entirely sure what was wrong. With the information we have at hand, you have to say Patty is the #1 guy, and that they’ll have confidence going back to the kid, Corey Crawford. And this kid has plenty of goods to help carry the Hawks deep.
I know you have written about Martin Havlat being with the team next season, but after another shoulder injury recently, don't you think it might be time to part ways with him? He's a great player when 100%, but he just doesn't seem to be able to stay healthy.
Tommy, I loved you when you played for the Bears, and I thought your son was at his best in The Presidio. (PS If you don’t get that, you need to brush up on your Chicago Sports history). The problem with your theory, Tommy, is that if the Hawks don’t value Havlat, what makes you think other teams will? Martin Havlat is a brilliant bundle of talent, but a flawed player because he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. The question for Dale Tallon becomes do they try to squeeze the final year out of his contract and gamble that he can contribute to a rising team, or do they move him in the off-season for less than 100 cents on the dollar. It may depend on the offer Dale gets.
How would you rate the addition of Andrew Ladd to this team and were you surprised that the Hawks didn't make a bigger splash at the deadline?
Dwight, I’m just old enough to remember when the only thing between Aurora and Iowa was a lonely stretch of interstate, now it’s suburbs for a good ways west. Sigh. But to your question, I really like the Ladd trade. It was a bit of our-guy-for-your-guy, but Ruutu was a little redundant on the Hawks since he turned into a banger. Ladd is a body type the Hawks didn’t have – a big guy with good hands who can stand in front of the net and clean up the garbage. He’s not as physical a player as Ruutu, but he can use his body to get position. He’s also younger and cheaper than Rootie. I know the Hawks had several bigger deals in the works. Brad Richards wouldn’t waive his no-trade to come to the Hawks now. And Dale didn’t want to pay the price San Jose paid to Buffalo for Brian Campbell, not when Campbell was determined to be a free agent in the off-season, and not when Campbell has indicated that Chicago is high on his list of teams he would consider joining in the off-season (he has friends in the organization). Both Pittsburgh and Montreal reportedly had bids in on Martin Havlat in case they lost out trying to get Marian Hossa. I understand the Penguins deal was a stunner, but ultimately irrelevant because they got Hossa. The Canadiens wouldn’t part with Chris Higgins. With a plethora of young talent and prospects, plus room under the cap, Dale Tallon could afford to be patient and to wait until the off-season to make his big moves.
We write to you on Saturday morning from sunny California – the shores of the Pacific, looking out over the horizon – an interesting metaphor considering approaching trade deadline. Actually, the metaphor kind of depeens:
On Friday, after practice, I went for a run from the hotel in Marina Del Rey. I ran along the marina then down Washington street, roughly a mile, to the Pacific Ocean and then out on the boardwalk which jutts out over the Pacific. From there I watched the sun sink below the ocean around a few pink tufts of clouds, then ran back at the pace of the breaking waves, looking at the rambling chaos of the city. And I couldn’t help but think that perhaps that represents where we are now: in a sea of tranquility, waiting for the frenzy to ensue.
Perhaps that’s a little bit of a stretch, and certainly it’s overwritten, but on a lighter note, it was only about 55 degrees as I ran. I was wearing just a dri-fit shirt and workout pants and I swear to God all the Los Angelenos were staring at me and silently screaming, “Good God, Man, where’s your parka?”. They aren’t exactly thick-skinned out here. And nobody should give me any grief about using my unshielded eyes to stare at the sunset. I promise you that with the carelessness and excess that they drive out here in SoCal, the world will be burned out from global warning long before my retinas burn out from watching the odd sunset.
Anyway, as for trades, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Hawks are likely to do something very big – as in a multi-layered move, or something very small – as in moving one or all of Marty Lapointe, Yanic Perrault and Andre Zyuzin for low draft picks.
Here’s my logic. Because it is a wide open year for the Stanley Cup, and because so many teams feel they are still in the playoff chase, there are very few pure sellers. That list seems to be limited to LA, Tampa Bay, Toronto and possibly Edmonton, at least heading into the final weekend before the trade deadline. So in order for deals to work, a team has to deal from where it has asset strength, in order to address an asset weakness.
In the Hawks’ case, they have an excess of skilled forwards and forward prospects. They lack players with size, especially a physical defenseman. And though they have defensemen with good skill sets, they don’t really have one that is gifted at running the power play. From a financial standpoint, they have plenty of space to add depth talent at mid-level prices. They own several expiring contracts. They have 3 members of a possible Top 4 D locked up at good prices for 2 years, in Duncan Keith’s case, and 3 years, in the cases of Brent Seabrook and Brent Sopel.
So here is a set of deals that involve players rumored to be available and which would make sense for both sides. Please keep in mind, these are not deals that I’ve necessarily heard are on the table, nor do they involve Hawks’ players I wish to see leave. Just a series of deals that I think makes the Hawks better for 08-09 without sacrificing a run at this year’s playoffs:
Deal 1: The Hawks trade forwards Martin Havlat and Tuomo Ruutu to Pittsburgh for center Jordan Staal and defenseman Brooks Orpik.
Why the Penguins do it: The Penguins are desperate for a proven scoring winger to play with Sidney Crosby. They would also like some physical presence up front. They don’t want to give up Staal but have two top-2 centers already in Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Orpik is going to walk as a UFA at season’s end.
Why the Hawks do it: Staal gives them an amazing cache of young stars on the cusp, including 2 of the top 3 picks from the very top heavy 2007 draft. He gives the Hawks a physical presence they don’t have from their top scorers. The Hawks would have to sign Orpik, but assuming they do they get a true physical stay-at-home defenseman who can play in all defensive situations.
Deal 2: The Hawks trade D James Wisniewski and F Jack Skille or trade D Cam Barker and either F Maxime Tanguay or F Nathan is to Buffalo for D Brian Campbell.
Why the Sabres do it: As witnessed by their rumored tepid 3-year offer to Campbell, they have no intent on resigning him at seasons end.That means they have to get something for the asset at the trade deadline. If it’s the first deal, Wisniewski gives them a defenseman with attitude and Skille gives them a power forward prospect to play on their second line. If it’s the second deal, Barker gives them a player whom you might able to build a defense around. Tanguay is a down-the-line prospect. Davis is an older, low-ceiling prospect.
Why the Hawks do it: Again, you have to sign Campbell, but they get the power play quarterback they lack, and solidify their defense. Because of the first deal, the players they give up have become somewhat extraneous parts.
In the end, the Hawks give up Havlat, Ruutu, Wisniewski and Skille and get Staal, Orpik and Campbell. The money probably works out to be close to the same, once you factor in next year’s raises for Ruutu and Wisniewski (who are RFA’s), and the projected prices for Orpik and Campbell.
All 6 would be signed for at least 2 seasons.
Essentially, the deal adds Staal to a young mix up front and clears the way for other prospects and/or free agents to come. It would certainly make sense for the Hawks to also move Robert Lang for a younger, yet still established winger, so that Staal could play his natural position. That’s a move that might have to come in the off-season. The teams that seem to be interested in Lang right now wouldn’t want to give up what the Hawks would need back to make that deal work. A 3-team deal could be possible, perhaps with Ottawa getting Lang, LA getting a defenseman and the Hawks getting Mike Cammalleri, who is rumored to be on the move. Though in that scenario, I don’t know why the Senators wouldn’t prefer Cammalleri over Lang, without the Hawks needing to be involved.
That’s how to finish up strong! The Hawks wins over Nashville and Columbus allowed them to finish their marathon road trip with quite the closing kick. Earlier in the trip, the Hawks’ playoff hopes hit security level orange, but they not only took 7 of the final 8 possible points, their 3 wins came over teams that sit between them and the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The last two, the routs of Columbus and Nashville, improved them to 13-7-1 within the Central Division.
Just to put this in perspective, the Blackhawks hadn’t won by 5 goals on the road, in more than 4 years. 4 years. Then they do it on back-to-back nights. We can thank Frederick Norrena (he should be a backup in a Swedish league). We can thank Greg DeVries (minus 5 against the Hawks). We can be thankful that the Blackhawks are better. All told, they went 5-4-4 on the two long road trips that usually derail their season.
Two years ago, even last year, teams could afford to come out flat against the Blackhawks. Sometimes they’d lose, but more often than not those teams could count on the Hawks making just enough mistakes that the other teams could pull out a late win. Now, the Hawks have the talent to bury those teams. So even though the Hawks are in roughly the same deflating position in the standings as they’ve been since the lockout, they are clearly a lot closer to the top.
Perhaps we’ll even see the Hawks rise to the top before this season is out. The Hawks have survived the most brutal part of the schedule, and for once they don’t appear to be running on fumes when the slate starts running downhill. Hopefully, there’s enough time left in the season for the Hawks and their young legs to make a final run at the playoffs.
With the Blackhawks almost 2/3 of the way through the season, how would you rate the play of both Jonathan Toews and Pat Kane and where do you see their careers in five years?
Mike, both players are part of the Hawks core for years and years to come, and each brings with him a different set of skills and traits. Toews possesses an innate spirit and drive that you just can’t teach. He has an amazing sense for the game – an ability to make the right play at the right time, whether it be an offensive or defensive play. And he has incredible magnetism that makes his teammates want to follow whatever he does. When the Hawks lose, Toews seethes in the locker room as if someone has just dumped the punch bowl on his birthday cake. In short, he’s Steve Yzerman but with more moves. Kane is a less complete player, but he’s also a less experienced player, meaning he is further away from his ceiling than is Toews. The top end of his offensive ability – and we’re talking about his vision as a passer, puck-handler and skater -- is already at an elite level, even by NHL standards. Kane needs to improve his strength, particularly his leg strength, which will allow him to penetrate the offensive perimeter and which will give him more chances to shoot and collect rebounds. Hopefully, in 5 years, they are two of the key pieces in a Hawks’ dynasty.
I think Martin would look great in an off-white cable-knit. Or perhaps something in a cashmere. I do see Havlat with the Hawks next year, possibly with an extended contract, depending on how the Hawks deploy their resources at the trade deadline and in free agency. It is certainly possible that he could move at the trade deadline, but I would think the Hawks want established players in return, and any team that wants Havlat for the post-season won’t want to give up players. But I think much of the discussion about Havlat and Savard not getting along – and we at CSN have discussed that at times – is overblown. Havlat may never be the kind of star that can lead a team, but he can be the kind of secondary star who can be very important to a contending team. And next year he’ll be in a contract year, which means he should be extremely motivated to play well.
What will it take for the Blackhawks to make it to the playoffs this season and are there any moves for the Hawks to make at the trade deadline?
First question first, Patrick. The Hawks need to go on a run – a 7-8 game streak where they get almost all the points. They haven’t had a streak like that since the middle of the 01-02 season when, not coincidentally, they last made the playoffs. Unlike the teams of the last couple years, this team has the talent to be able to do that, especially if Patrick Lalime gets hot, or if Nikolai Khabibulin comes back quickly from his knee injury. I’ve said from the beginning that, when healthy, they have a run like that in them. They haven’t had it yet. And, Nik aside, they are getting healthy.
Hard to fathom because this team is so clearly more talented than those teams of the last two years. Hard to fathom, because this team has so much more promise than those of the last two years. Unless, in both cases, they don’t. But I think they do.
So why have they faltered? Why are they in 14th? Well, injuries of course have played a role, and though the Hawks’ kids have contributed nicely – more than they have in the past – they haven’t been able to do enough to keep the team moving forward. Doesn’t mean they won’t in the coming years. They haven’t been able to get enough big goals from their biggest stars. Pat Kane, for all his promise, is still a kid, one the Haw
