It really is a shame the Blackhawks have five consecutive nights off. With the way these guys are playing, I wish I could watch them every night.
The Hawks completed a three-game swing through Western Canada with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. On the trip, the Hawks also won games in Edmonton (9-2) and Calgary (3-2 in overtime). Those are three difficult places to win, but the Hawks pulled through.
Overall, they have won seven consecutive games. The last time the Hawks had a streak like this, I was four years old. That was in January of 1981, when they won eight in a row. The franchise record for consecutive wins is eight, which has been done twice (December of 1971 and January of 1981). The current Blackhawks will seek to equal that record Friday night when they host Philadelphia.
The Hawks now stand at 18-6-7. They have the third highest point total in the Western Conference (43), and they are five points behind the Red Wings with a game in hand in the Central Division standings.
Right now, the Hawks rank in the top 10 of the league in goals for, goals against, power-play percentage and penalty killing. That's what you have to do to be a contender. And this is the youngest team in the NHL, so there is reason to believe they can still get better.
Basically, I see three things on the to-do list for the Blackhawks if they hope to establish themselves among the NHL elite:
1) They need to play better against divisional opponents. The Hawks currently stand at 2-0-5 in that department, with the only two wins coming over Columbus.
2) Point No. 2 is related to Point No. 1: The Hawks need to get better in shootouts. The Hawks have lost those divisional games in shootouts, not in regulation. It's really surprising that a team with so much goal-scoring ability has struggled in shootouts.
3) Play better with the lead. The Hawks have done a better job of this lately, as they protected a 2-1 lead in Vancouver the other night nicely, before cementing the victory with an empty-net goal. Still, the Hawks have lost two games to Detroit in shootouts AFTER taking a 4-2 lead into the third period. They have also lost two games to Western Conference-leading San Jose in which they led in the third. The return of defenseman James Wisniewski, shown above plastering Niklas Kronwell into the boards, should bolster the blue line in the weeks to come.
A key stretch of schedule awaits the Blackhawks about a month from now. From Jan. 28 through Feb. 21, they play 11 out of 12 games on the road. That would be a difficult stretch for even a veteran team, let alone this young club. The performance during that period should give us an indication as to whether this team has what it takes to make some noise this spring.
Either way, the team is definitely worth watching, regardless of what that idiot Mike Downey thinks. The Blackhawks are playing before full houses on West Madison Street -- and rightfully so. It's an exciting young team with a bright future.
The Blackhawks are a nice story for the NHL, and you can say they are one of the greatest stories in sports this year. It's always good when a big-time city like Chicago does well so that way small-market towns can get up for a Chicago team in a sport. I always thought rivalries are great in sports and it's great that Detroit, Nashville, Columbus, Minnesota, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Colorado can all have a common team to hate on, and that's the Blackhawks so yes it's great the Hawks are doing well in that regard. I don't think there is a hockey team that fans hate. You can say the Red Wings, but why would anyone want to hate on poor Detroit? Now, the Hawks are easy to hate. Their fans itself is a great reason for anyone to hate them so no question they are a great story.
They will be a lock to make the playoffs for sure, but I have to wonder if this team is equipped to be a playoff team. Playoff hockey is a different animal. Teams trap and play physical hockey. Are the Hawks tough enough to handle physical hockey? Also have the Hawks ever beaten teams that trap? I just have my doubts on the Hawks.
Enjoy this ride, but I hope Chicago sports fans have higher standards than just making the playoffs. To me, getting past the first round is a must for the Hawks to have a successful season.