First and foremost - "Chelsea Dagger" by the Fratellis. That's the name of the awesome song the Hawks play after most of their goals (unless the guy has his own goal song, like "Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Sharped Dressed Man," and "Johnny B. Goode"). It's also from an Amstel or Heineken commercial that is pretty sweet itself. The chorus is clearly the best part, but it's a good song all around. Plus I can't listen to it and not think of the 22k strong rocking the UC after a big Hawks goal. Holy balls I can't wait for the playoffs!!!
For all of the attention the Hawks' scorers have gotten, the struggles the team has run into in the second half come down to one thing - defense. It's been a combination of inconsistent goalkeeping and an exposed defensive unit that has made the race for the #4 seed so close down the stretch. And it's a bounceback of that goalkeeping and defensive play that has allowed the Hawks to regain control of the situation.
After returning with a run of terrible games, Khabi has looked great in four of his last five starts (the lone exception being the egg the entire team laid against Vancouver). In fact, excepting the garbage score St. Louis got with under 10 seconds left in a 3-0 game, Khabi has allowed just one goal in his last 11 periods and 2 overtimes.
Some of that is that Khabi has shaken off the post-injury rust and is hitting his top form when he generally does - when the games matter most (remember, he turned it on down the stretch last season, as well - the first time he's been called upon to win meaningful games with the Hawks). Given his heavy workload of late (10 of the last 12 starts), it seems clear that JQ has tapped Khabi as his #1 for the playoffs.
The other aspect of the Hawks' recent success is the improved defensive play. Apparently teams were pressuring the Hawks' defenders as they tried to get the pucks out of their own end and that both frustrated the Hawks' offense and lead to scoring chances against. In the last few games, the defensemen and wingers have all stepped up their defensive play in a major way. I've been especially pleased with how hard (and how effectively) the Hawks skaters have worked to keep the puck in the offensive zone and get it out of their own end. As I mentioned in my last post - the experience of these tough games is teaching the young Hawks what is necessary to success.
So as the playoffs role around, mark my words - the Hawks won't lose because they can't score. They'll lose because their defense makes mistakes, their forwards aren't working hard enough, and their goaltending has letdowns. If the defense is clicking (and that means all six guys on the ice), then the goals will eventually come. The Hawks have too many weapons to be kept down for long if they're playing a good all-around defensive game, which always leads to offensive pressure on the other end.
Simply - the Hawks will go as far in the post-season as their defense (from both the blueliners and forwards) and goaltending takes them.
Speaking of the post-season, I was thinking about how I'd arrange the lines, and here's what I've come up with:
Toews, Kane, & Buff/Brouwer. Ideally you'd have a more talented player on this line, one capable of handling their nifty passes and working around their good moves. In fact, if I truly were in charge, I'd have had Eager playing on this line all year, allowed him to develop his obvious but raw offensive skills to a point where he could have been a real asset. The way Eager can work the puck behind the net and make good passes suggests defining him only as a goon or energy guy is short-selling the kid.
As it is, Eager is stuck to the 4th line unless injuries hit (which, given how raw he still is, might not be a bad thing), and instead massive underachievers Buff and Brouwer will be slotted into the final scoring line opening. The two do provide some size and toughness, which playmakers always like to have around (especially tiny ones like Kaner), but neither has the hockey skills necessary to really thrive alongside these two young playmakers. I'd probably throw Buff out there and hope that he's motivated - when that happens, he handles the puck better, fights along the boards better, and starts to become a real offensive threat.
Bolland, Havlat, & Ladd. These guys have skated together all year and done a great job at it (they all have +/- over 18, +65 in all). Obviously the line is driven by Havlat's all-around impressive skillset, but Bolland and Ladd have shown that they're also skilled players who bring important tools to the table. Both are hard workers who just seem to know how to be in the right place and make the right play. And the fact that these guys all are highly effective checking forwards is a bonus few teams get out of a top scoring line.
Pahlsson, Sharp, & Versteeg. This is an impressive checking line, both in that all three are fine defensive players and that it packs some real offensive punch. Pahlsson is merely capable offensively, but that's all Sharp and Versteeg need as a compliment, as Versteeg's playmaking and Sharp's sniper skills make these guys a real two-way threat. Combined with the Bolland line and the 4th liners, the Hawks are rolling three of four strong defensive lines - you need that sort of defensive depth come the post-season.
Frasier, Burrish, & Eager. As I said, I would have had Eager playing up on the top line all year so that he was capable of handling the responsibility, leaving either Buff or Brouwer back on this line. Personally I think Brouwer brings nothing to the table at all (as evidenced by his middling 10 goals and 16 assists, despite playing all year with some of the best playmakers in hockey). I'd probably have slotted Buff in here, figuring that playing on the energy line would inspire him to bring the intensity that occassionally makes him a good player.
Instead, Eager will be down on the 4th line, where this unit has done a great job all sesaon, in large part because these guys are the rare combination of hard-working, hard-nosed types who know their role, but who also are athletic and have true hockey talent. They've got some speed, some ability to score, and they handle the puck better than most 4th lines. There have been a ton of shifts where I was surprised to realize that it was this very line that had kept the puck working in the offensive end for a minute straight.
Keith & Seabrook. Honestly, I can't say I'm as confident about my defensive pairings as I am my lines, but this is my best shot. Obviously these two will skate together, and I think they should. You need that one dominant pairing that you can throw out there against their top line, as these guys are it in spades.
Campbell & Hjalmarsson. I'd want to seperate Campbell and Barker, as they bring the most offensively, and both are a bit mistake prone defensively. This pairing wouldn't be much of a physical presence, but at least you'd have your most veteran defender coupled with your most green one. And Nik is definitely gonna be playing conservatively with an eye on defense, allowing Campbell to push more offensively.
Barker & Walker. Barker makes a lot of mistakes, while Walker, as a stay-at-home type, could help erase those. Also, this would allow me to roll the defenders so that Campbell-Hjalmarsson match up against a more athletic line while Barker-Walker (who both list over 6'3", 220) can handle the more physical line.
Khabi. I think Huet can be a good goalie, and I think next year when he's the man he'll do a fine job. But it's clear that Khabi has found his zone and is rearing to go on the big stage. With his final contract as motivation and the thrill of being back in the postseason, Khabi should bring everything he's got.
And in the Reader Request Department, my brother brought up these five good points, all of which I'll steal and build upon:
-"We need to get Havlat signed; he is the Hawks best player. "
I'd still say Keith is their most valuable player, but I could go along with Havlat being their best (as in most talented) - he's by far the most complete forward they have on the team. All signs were pointing to an imminent extension, but there's been no news since the deadline on that. It's possible the Hawks and Havlat don't want to take their focus off of the ice at this crucial juncture, but I'd still feel a lot better knowing that Havlat was gonna be in Chicago for the next 3-5 years.
-"Campbell is starting to look like a bust, with very few points and a lot of minus games lately - and he doesn't seem like the kind of player who makes his name in the playoffs either."
I've been a big Campbell defender, trying to explain to everyone that quarterbacking offensive defensemen do more than what simply shows up on the score sheet. Campbell drives the offense in a way that no other Hawk defenseman can, not Keith, not Barker. However, from Feb 27th to Mar 29th (a 15-game stretch), Campbell was a -12 - that's pretty damning evidence, given this was when the team needed him most.
Still, I think Campbell will end up a good signing. Very few players can work the power play or lead rushes like Campbell can. That has to be respected, and would be sorely missed if Campbell wasn't around. But I think my brother hits the key point - how will Campbell perform in the post-season? So far he's posted 4 G and 16 A in 47 playoff games. That's not terrible - scoring is at a premium, so clicking at a 7 G, 28 A full-season pace on the backend is pretty respectable. But Campbell also has to avoid the defensive lapses that plagued him in that -12 stretch he posted. As I said, it'll be defense that wins in the playoffs, so Campbell needs to be his offensive creating self while also avoiding mistakes and using his speed to erase mistakes.
-"Hjalmarrson looks good."
Given that Nik has had the misfortune of playing in 10 losses in his 17 games (a lot of them bad losses), his 0 +/- isn't too bad. And JQ had trusted him more and more lately on the penalty kill, a unit that has showed improvement of late after a mid-season swoon. Defenders are hard to judge and I think it's clear the Hawks would have benefitted from adding another veteran blueliner, but it's possible Nik is a part of the future, so getting him these crunch time and playoff game experience should really help his development (remember, he was around for a lot of stretch run last year as well). He's only 21 and stands 6'3" (I didn't believe it - he looks real short out there, but I checked about 5 sites and they all had him either 6'2" or 6'3"), so there's room for growth, both literally and figuratively. If he can add some more bulk to his hard-working frame, I think he could be a solid player in years to come.
-"Getting Sharp back really helped reinvigorate the offense."
Absolutely concur - I always tend to be optimistic when a guy goes down, focusing on all of the other good players left standing in assuming we'll overcome it without much problem. But the fact is that Sharp is a uniquely skilled goal scorer who plays very well defensively (he's been getting some PK minutes lately, which has been a real boon to the unit). Plus he's a veteran leader, which you need down the stretch. I'm glad he's back, and hope that the decision to sit him last game after his opening period collision with the goalie was one of extreme caution, and not something to worry about (tho I don't get how JQ would have felt confident enough in this race to sit one of his better players unless he had to).
-"So far, Pahlson has been unimpressive."
Up until the point when my brother wrote this, he was right. But you gotta cut Sammy some slack - he's recovering from freakin Mono. Since then, Pahlson has logged 20 minutes of 0 +/- hockey in that disaster against Vancouver, then pointed in three straight before logging near 20 minutes again in the Columbus OT win. It looks like Sammy's finally got his legs underneath him and is in place to be a real asset come the playoffs.
-"Pat Foley is awesome."
Wow do I agree. The Pride of Glenview elevates the Hawks experience to a level no other announcer could ever provide. A few related broadcasting thoughts:
1. I like Eddie O - he's a Hawk (1st pick, 3rd overall in 1984, started and ended his career with the Hawks), he's a Chicago kid (born and raised in Palos Heights), and he's both played and coached in the NHL. I can't tell if I enjoy that midway through the third period of each broadcast, Eddie and Pat always totally lose it on some dorky joke, or find it awkward. Either way, Eddie's a solid partner.
2. I really like the Hawks radio guys - John Wiederman (I'll admit, I had to look up his name - and I don't feel bad, that's a terrible broadcasting name) and Troy Murray do a real nice job. Wiederman I especially enjoy, mainly because he sounds like a poor man's Foley (that's a high compliment). My ear is just so tuned to Foley's voice, hearing any other call the Hawks is brutal. But Wiederman really sounds similar, without being a cheesy impression or anything. He merely was lucky enough to naturally sound just like the greatest voice in hockey.
3. I met Pat Foley last year at a bar after one of the Hawks heritage nights. He couldn't have been nicer, taking the time to talk for a while with my buddy and me, and clearly being flattered by how much we appreciated him.
Really, Pat Foley is awesome.
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