Start of Something Special (Part II)

Last week here, I had the audacity to believe that a Chicago team was headed to the promised land. Hopefully I picked up a few followers with my post. Or maybe the Hawks continued stellar play since has brought you into my camp.

For the remaining skeptics (probably most of you), follow me through the roster, top to bottom. Then remember that some NHL team will hoist the Cup and ask what are we missing that these other teams have, or that the many champions in the past have had?


Let's start with Captain Serious - Toews is one of the top two-way centers in hockey, as evidenced by his consideration for a spot on Team Canada. Whether he's ultimately chosen or not doesn't matter - just being a serious option for what is essentially an All-Star team means he's one of the top five or ten centers in the game.

As my brother was saying last week, while Hawks fans (myself included) didn't make a huge deal of it at the time, getting Hossa may turn out to be one of the more impressive feats this talented front office has pulled off. Everyone was thrown by how unexpected it was while also being bummed to have lost Havlat, who really played well last year. But the reality is that Hossa is long been one of the premier wingers in hockey, again in the top five or ten in the game. As he plays himself back into mid-season form, we're starting to see what an impact player he really is.

And then there's Kane, a player who regularly does things that have players, commentators, and fans gushing over his capabilities. Already a frontline playmaker, the most encouraging thing about Kane is that he's gotten obviously better each season. Not just in what he can do, but in how he approaches the game. As good as Kane was last season, he took it to a whole new level in the playoffs. And I believe that has only juiced his confidence, which has allowed him to come back this year and has been even better and more complete. His recent late game heroics are no surprise - Kane clearly is now combining maturity and a belief that he can do anything with his already impressive set of natural gifts.

Right there you've got a Big 3 as good as any in hockey. They've got the complete set of offensive gifts, they can play on both ends (I've even noticed Kane doing more defensively, making him less of a zero in the Hawks' zone), and they're physical (Toews and Hossa both can work the boards or camp in front of the net with the best of them). Proof of how good they are is the way their ice time together becomes a defacto power play for the Hawks. If I were in JQ's shoes, I'm not sure whether or not I'd play them together - I can see clearly the arguments for balancing your lines. But there is something appealing about completely dominating the puck every third shift that would make me strongly consider it.


Regardless of how JQ uses them, those three are as good or better than any you'll find in hockey. And what makes them all the more impressive is that the Hawks round out their Top 6 forwards as good as any you'll find in hockey. That's why JQ can even consider running out The Big 3 together - because he knows he'll still have a very potent second line for his opponents to deal with.

While it was a big loss to not see the 23-year old Bolland continue to develop his all-around game, the reality is that what he showed last year established him as a legit two-way second line center. If he can get back and up to full speed by the playoffs (and early reports seem to suggest that will be the case), the Hawks will be fully loaded at center for the first time since they ran out Roenick, Nichols, Savard, and Sutter in the 95 playoffs.

In Sharp, the Hawks have a guy who can consistently score 30+ goals. Because the other players have more hype to them, Sharp's skills and accomplishments have been glossed over - but regularly scoring 30 marks you as a frontline NHL scorer. Throw in his great speed and plus defensive abilities and he's complete enough to be a 1st liner on most teams.

Similarly, while he's still raw and prone to mental mistakes, Versteeg's playmaking skills are rare and uber-valuable, and when you consider that he's not afraid to play scrappy and is also a plus defender, again you've got a guy capable of being a top liner on a lot of teams. All told, that's a heck of a Top 6 group of forwards - size, playmaking, grit, defense, and scoring from multiple sources.


As the Devil fans have long known and we've quickly learned, Madden is about as good of a defensive center as you'll find. He's learned in the role, has the talent to get it done, and executes to perfection. And come the playoffs, Madden will be even more vital, regularly skating against the other team's top line, taking key face-offs, and killing off penalties.

Going along with Madden, the Hawks have a trio of gritty role players who bring size, defense, toughness, and energy, while also capable of capitalizing on the talents of more skilled linemates. Not only will these guys be key in joining Madden to shut down the other team's top line, but come the grind-it-out play of the post-season, they'll also be necessary to allowing your Top 6 guys to utilize their talents. Given that this makes 10 skaters for three lines, the Hawks have an enviable bit of depth to use in a possible trade, to cover for any injuries, or even to improve an already strong 4th line.

Ladd, no longer skating with playmakers Havlat and Bolland, has seen his numbers fall a bit this year, but his on-ice contributions remain just as important. The fact that he's never posted a negative plus-minus with the Hawks really tells you it all. Brouwer has really stepped up, totally fulfilling the role of guy who does the little things that aren't noticed. I'll definitely eat crow here - Brouwer is a valuable role player and JQ was right to commit so much PT to him last year. Finally, Buff remains an enigma, a guy capable of disappearing for shifts, periods, or even games at a time. However, he's also fully capable of impressing you with speed, hands, his shot, and of course his physical play. You can't win in the playoffs without the work of lunch pail types back-boning the skilled play of your stars, and the Hawks have as good of a group of such as is out there.

Rounding out the forwards, the Hawks have a very deep and capable 4th line group who will give you the desired energy and toughness, but also do it with plus defense and a rare bit of speed and offensive skill. And that's an advantage. The fourth line will skate a good 6-8 minutes a game - given how close every playoff contest is, the difference in a win or loss can easily be a slight edge in these 4th liners. And that's an edge the Hawks will often have.

Like Bolland, the hope is that Burish can return in time to get back to full speed by the playoffs, and so far that seems to be his timetable. Again, in the gritty play of the post-season, having a pest like Burish is a must. Burish is exceptionally skilled at getting under the other team's skin, but it's even more impressive that he can kill penalties so well while also providing some speed and offensive skill - both often lacking on a 4th line.

Eager is similar in that he fills the role of the Hawks' heavyweight, but does so with offensive and skating skills that are above that of most 4th liners. It's a real testament to the kind of player that he is that come the playoffs, when fighting all but disappears, Eager remains a key player on the Hawks 4th line.

Kopecky has definitely struggled in his transition to the Hawks, but he's a guy who played a role on the last two Cup Finals teams for the Wings (including one winner), so he can definitely get it done. He's got solid size and can play either center or wing, which makes him a valuable flex piece. The hope is that Kopecky will figure it out before long, as his playoff experience would be helpful to a team with only last year's run on its resume.

It's been nice to see Frasier improve his game in so many areas. He'll never be anything of an impact player, but he's getting closer to being a plus in the face-off circle and he's done a very solid job over the last two seasons killing penalties for JQ. I've also been impressed by how Frasier has stepped up into the fighters role for the Hawks with Burish out, Eager concussed, and Wisniewski long since departed. Frasier ended up the odd man out during last year's run and could do so again, but he's definitely getting closer to the point that he could be counted on for solid depth.

In Bickell, I think the Hawks have found themselves another capable role player. I'm not sure if he has any special skills to make him much of an impact guy, but he seems very capable of playing a grinder role. For this year, that might not be necessary, as the Hawks already have a glut of such players. But with the "Great Salary Cull" coming, the Hawks are going to have to replace expensive role players like Buff with cheaper options. Hence, I'm very encouraged that Bickell will be a nice contributor next season.


On the blueline, you've got a pair of defenders who are so good that they could end up a pairing for Team Canada in the Olympics. Again, whether it happens or not is moot - the fact that it's a legit consideration tells you that few, if any, pairings in all of hockey are as good as these guys. And what's most amazing about Keith and Seabrook is that they're also real assets on offense, with Keith regularly leading rushes and Seabrook bringin a heck of a heavy shot from the point. The combination of speed, size, toughness, skill, and defensive awareness make for a really nasty defensive combo that might just be the heart and soul of the Hawks.

Arguably the Hawks biggest step forward from last year has been the establishment of Hjalmarsson as a legit Top 4 stay-at-home defenseman. And the proof is in the play of Campbell. While wrongly hammered for his performance last year (due to unrealistic expectations of uninformed fans), Campbell's game was missing something for a guy believed to be a frontline NHL blueliner.

I mentioned it as a possibility a few times last year, but the Hammer has gone and proven it beyond a doubt this year - all Campbell needed to be that top tier defender was a reliable stay-at-home partner. Plus-minus of the Campbell-HJ pairing? An absurd +27. With both at +13 or better, they lead all Hawks defenders. Throw in 30 points and over 43 minutes a game, and you're looking at a #2 pairing as good as any hockey, absolutely.

Finally, in Barker the Hawks have as good of a #5 defenseman as you'll find out there. The power play specialist was second only to Kane in PP points last year and this year he's already got three PP goals - good for third on the team. Sure Barker's prone to some defensive mistakes and isn't very fleet of foot. But to have that kind of offensive threat out of a non-Top 4 guy is a real asset.

The only thing missing with Barker is what was missing with Campbell - a good stay-at-home defender, preferably with a bit of speed, to bring the best out of him. Unfortunately, he's stuck with a mediocre stay-at-home defender who's slow as mud in Sopel. To me, this is all that's missing from the Hawks' championship puzzle. With such a special team at hand, the Hawks need to take the risk on their future and part with whatever pieces are necessary to acquire a legit stay-at-home type with the speed to capably cover for Barker.

Because while decent enough, Sopel leaves a lot to be desired. He's not facing the top lines from the other team, yet still is the only blueliners whose plus/minus hovers around Even. Just watching Sopel, especially on a team with this much speed, it's clear how slow and lumbering he is. He, like Barker, is also prone to mistakes handling the puck.

However, while I've ridden Sopel hard, he's not as terrible as I first thought. The Hawks can survive with him, as he knows his role and does everything he can to fill it. This is especially true on the penalty kill, where Sopel has been serviceable, which is what you need out of your 6th defender. But the Hawks can definitely improve here - in fact, this may be the only realistic place on the team the Hawks could do so. The idea of another plus defender pairing with Barker to alleviate some of the pressure on the Top 4 while also improving our PK unit has me salivating over our Cup chances.

So get out there and start working the phones - some non-playoff team has to value youngsters more than their veteran defensive defenseman. Find them and make the deal. I don't care if we're risking a bit of our future - this team has a rare chance to win it all, so do everything you can to give yourself the best chance.


And then you've got the goaltenders, probably the biggest factor in determining if we're really dealing with a special hockey team. As a back-up, Niemi has proven himself, in limited action, at least capable of sharing enough of the load to keep the Frenchman fresh. And that's important, because Huet has never been a guy to play 60+ games like some workhorses. With the expectation of another two months of hockey after the regular season (again, something Huet's never done), the Hawks need their back-up goalie to be someone JQ can turn to regularly, especially in this compressed Olympic season. Niemi has shown he is fully capable of lightening Huet's load.

But can he be more, as some are suggesting? Should the Hawks turn over the reigns to this kid who's posted an incredible 4 SHOs and a 1-goal game in only 11 outings? It's intriguing, especially in the NHL, where young goalies often come out of nowhere to carry their teams. But the reality is that Niemi is completely unproven - maybe the book will get out on him. Maybe he's not a guy who can handle the post-season pressure. Or maybe he's injury-prone. The fact is we're still a long way from confidently relying on Niemi as anything more than a stellar back-up, which is all we need him to be right now.

So what about the guy he's backing up, Huet? Honestly, I don't know. He didn't deserve the heat he got at the start of this season. Again, uninformed fans expected too much and were being unrealistic about the decision to turn the reigns over to Huet and let Khabi go. What I found most hysterical is that the fans ripping Huet and calling for Khabi were the EXACT SAME ones who were always ripping Khabi when he was here. Let's not forget that Khabi was put on waivers and went unclaimed before last season, and no one was surprised or bothered by this.

The reality is that Khabi was too injury-prone to rely on, as he showed by going down in in the middle of the Wings series last year (and missing time already this year). Also, Huet is not someone to question in the regular season. He's got a goals against average title on his resume, along with a number of other sterling regular seasons to his credit. Doubting whether he could carry the Hawks to the playoffs just showed a lack of knowledge of the man's abilities.

However, Huet has never gotten it done in the playoffs. Not that he's been some post-season failure - his numbers have been respectable enough. Huet's just never really had much for chances, only getting there a few times in his career and never really doing so behind much of a team. So scarily enough, the second oldest member of the team is actually the guy you wonder most about come the post-season.

But while goaltending is the biggest swing factor in any post-season series, it doesn't operate on an island. Even the hottest goaltender needs good defense in front of him and some timely scoring. Similarly, given great defensive support and an offense that keeps immense pressure on the other team, you can have success with just solid goalie play.


In all, I've got faith that the Hawks offense is potent enough that even if they run into a hot goalie, they'll find a way to solve him enough to sneak out a series victory. And even if Huet doesn't carry them, I can see the Hawks winning it all with just reliable play out of Huet behind stellar defense and an onslaught of offense. It would be far from the first time that just a solid goalie was enough to win the Cup. And who knows - Huet has shown himself capable of great things plenty of times - why can't he get hot and carry us to the Cup?

It's obviously impossible to say what will shake out, but Huet is about as capable as any goalie the Hawks are going to find. And in going back over this team - what they've accomplished these past two and a half season, the kind of players they have on their roster - I'm confident that this Hawks squad has more than enough to win it all. Here's hoping you are too - it'll only make the ride that much more enjoyable.

Start of Something Special (Part I)

Two years ago at this time, it was clear that Hawks were at the start of something special. Toews and Kane had both arrived, both had out-paced the hype, and in doing so, shed light on the fact that quietly the Hawks had put together some other key pieces as well. Players like Havlat, Keith, Seabrook, Sharp, Buff, and Wisniewski all were looking like legit NHL caliber players with their whole careers ahead, and a slew of prospects like Barker, Bolland, Versteeg, and HJ were knocking on the door.

But special is a relative term. At that point, special meant bringing the Hawks back into NHL relevancy. Given what had transpired since they parted ways with Roenick following the 1996 season, being relevant to hockey and the city of Chicago was a pretty special accomplishment.


Right now, I'm starting to think that what we're seeing right now is the start of something even more special - a Stanley Cup winner. One of my buddies had an opportunity to shake hands and take pictures with a few of the Hawks players after the Sharks win in San Jose a month ago. He said it was a bit weird, given that he was older that all but Huet and Madden. But I said that if this team did end up winning it all, he wouldn't think it was weird, he'd be pumped to have had a few minutes with one of the legendary teams in Chicago sports history.

Because that's how it works around here - if you win a title, you become a legend. Pretty much any player to be on a roster of a championship team is a well-known celebrity in this town. The most obvious example is the 85 Bears - most fans could even tell you the two Pro Bowl players who didn't even play that year because they held out (Al Harris and Todd Bell)! Run through all those Bulls championships and excepting a few one-year end-of-the-benchers (Joe Kleine, any one?), who wouldn't remember Jud Buechler and Scott Williams? Ask any Sox fan about Timo Perez or Pablo Ozuna and they'll light up with memories from 2005.


Of course there's a lot of season left and of course the playoffs are a season unto themselves. And of course injuries and hot or cold goalie play can change everything. But man, from what I've seen from these Hawks starting two years ago and progressing straight on through to last night, I'm really starting to believe that this team is gonna be legendary. And not "sometime in the next few years" - I mean this season.

Most of you probably just got really skeptical. That's how it works in Chicago - titles are such rare occurrences that we can't help but doubt they'll actually happen. Chicago teams just never are quite dominant enough, never quite able to avoid some pratfall along the way. And thus, even when a lot of signs point to the kind of team that just might be special, we're conditioned to be skeptical, to believe that someone else out there is superior or will catch better breaks.

Maybe it was the liberation of that 2005 Sox title, but I don't think that way anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a bit skeptical, but more in lines of the natural level any intelligent sports fan displays. It takes a lot of talent, a lot of execution, and a lot of luck to win any major title. But every single year in every single sport, some team does it. If the signs seem to suggest it, why shouldn't I truly believe it'll be my team, this year?


Well, I believe that the Hawks will do it, and they'll do it this year. I see how this Hawks team has dominated this year, all season long. Despite missing loads of good players to injuries, despite missteps from their goaltending. Whether they are at home or on the road, playing in back-to-back games, or most tellingly, facing a scrub team or a fellow Cup contender. Most nights the Hawks are out-shooting their opponents at near a two-to-one rate and controlling every aspect of the game.

Oddly enough, last night's loss probably did as much to convince me of how special this team is as any game I've seen the Hawks play. Remember, the Hawks are in the midst of a brutal stretch of schedule - two each versus heated rivals StL and Det, two against the red hot Preds, one each against Cup contenders Boston, San Jose, and New Jersey, and a road trip to Dallas, somewhere the Hawks have struggled... all in a single two and a half week stretch!

They're also coming off an emotional victory over the Wings (depleted roster or not, a home win against the Wings is always emotional). They're facing a highly talented and accomplished Sharks team out for serious vengeance after the embarrassment the Hawks subjected them to in San Jose. And they're missing their #2 center (Bolland), their top power play blueliner (Barker), one of their top PKers (Burish), and their top scoring 4th liner (Eager), while the Sharks are all but at full strength.

So what happened? The Hawks absolutely dominated the game. The Sharks didn't have a single sustained stretch in the Hawks zone until late in the third, against tired Hawks skaters, on a power play. On the other side, the Hawks peppered the San Jose net with 47 shots... and that only counts the ones that hit the goalie. Probably another 15-20 went flying just by the net on good opportunities.

In my eyes, the Hawks were a few lucky bounces, a timely Huet save, and a non-godlike performance from Nabakov away from absolutely destroying the Sharks for the second time this season. In fact, I thought the Hawks dominated the Sharks more last night than they did in that 7-2 blow victory in San Jose. I was at the UC - the entire game was spent either in the Sharks end or in harmless transition. If you didn't know the score or anything about the teams involved, watching the game for any extended period would have made you believe that the Hawks were a superpower and the Sharks an also-ran.

Well, I don't think the Sharks are an also-ran. I don't think they played bad last night. I really just think that this Hawks team is special. I think they've assembled a powerhouse that's near complete in every facet of the game. I think you've got an amazing mix of talent, grit, and execution. And I think you've got the most important factor in professional sports today - incredible hunger.

Top to bottom, only Madden and Kopecky have ever won a Cup. Only Hossa has ever been recognized as an elite player in the NHL. Every one else is hungry to make their mark, eager to show the absolute best hockey player they can be. And perfectly enough, they all seem to understand that the best way to do accomplish such is to do your part to make the team a winner.


Want numeric proof of how good this team is? Until last night, the Hawks were allowing 2 goals a game. No team since the Original Six Era has ever done that for a full season. So this team, through almost half the schedule, has been as good defensively as any team in a generation.

Now think about that - this is not a "defensive" team. They're not the old Devils trap teams, where the whole system is about defense. They're not a scrappy veteran team needing to sneak out a bunch of 2-1 and 1-0 games. This is one of the more potent offensive groups assembled today, with serious scoring punch on all four lines. They are aggressive offensively, sparked by a blue line group that loads up on assists and completed by a glut of impressive scoring options.

And yet somehow they are on pace to set records defensively. That's because they are just so incredibly talented and they are playing so incredibly well that literally anything is possible - even an offensive juggernaut rewriting the defensive record books.


Still not convinced? Check back in on Monday and I'll run through the Blackhawk roster, breaking down player-by-player exactly why you should shrug off years of Chicago-bred sports cynicism and start to believe in what we've got here. My friends, this team has the look of something special - a rare feat in these parts, but that's all the more reason we've got to enjoy every second of the ride.

Knowing the Numbers - Team Stats

With 29 games down (just over 1/3 of the schedule), it's not a bad time to take a look at some of the key team stats and see how the Hawks stack up so far.


On pace for about 116 points, the Hawks actually are the top team in the West. However, with 16 home dates in the books to only 13 roadies, that's probably skewed a little high. Still, given all the injuries, the domination at home (12-3-1), and that stellar West Coast swing's effect on the road record (7-4-2), I'd say the Hawks have shown what we all hoped they would - that they're one of the premier teams in the West and a legit Cup contender.


Averaging three goals per game, the Hawks are a Top 10 offense. Given all their firepower, you'd think they'd be a bit higher, especially because their PP% is in the Top 10. One factor keeping them from the truly elite ranks - they've had the 2nd fewest power play opportunities in the entire league. Now that is very odd given how they control the puck and are so offensively dangerous.

Does that mean the refs have something out for the Hawks? I'm never a fan of those kind of theories, as what possible reason could they have for such? If your team has a reputation as being physical, or if you've got a bunch of veteran stars, or are unproven kids, then maybe the refs will be swayed for or against you. But the Hawks are an established team without any negative attitude or style of play - they shouldn't register with the refs one way or the other. Plus, the Hawks are the 4th least penalized team in the league - that kinda eliminates any thought of bias right there.

More likely the lack of penalty chances is a trend that will to some extent reverse itself over time, but also is probably suggestive that the Hawks need to be a bit more aggressive and a bit tougher in their attack. But that does make sense, as the team has essentially been without a top winger and a top centerman nearly the whole year, given the time Hossa, Toews, and Bolland have collectively missed.

Once Hossa is up to full speed and Bolland is returned to form, offense shouldn't be much of a worry. Even as it is now, the Hawks are third in the league in shots per game. As the Hawks return to full strength, they'll have even more shots, draw more penalties, and convert more goals. There's as much offensive talent on this club as probably at any time in history and I think they'll get plenty of goals out of it when all is said and done.


At 2.24 goals against per game, the Hawks are a Top 3 defense. That number is probably the one I'd pay the most attention to, Hawks fans. First off, in hockey, like everywhere else, defense wins championships. Things close down a ton during the playoffs, so being able to keep the puck out of your own net is the key to advancement.

This number is also telling in that a lot of fans had some goalie jitters entering this season, after the previously beleaguered Khabi signed with Edmonton (where he's been nothing special and now is having a very slow time recovering from a back injury - as I've said before, good riddance!). When Huet struggled badly out of the gate, everyone and their sister was all set to put the guy on the first flight back to Charles De Gaulle.

But as I tried to tell you, Huet has always been a strong regular season goalie. He's got a long resume of Top 5 or 10 finishes in GAA and Sv %, including a season in which he lead the league in GAA. So until we hit the playoffs (where Huet hasn't been bad, just has never really been on a team to do much), feel good about this man. And feel good about his back-up, Niemi, who might just be the goalie of the future he was heralded as. And maybe most importantly, feel good about the guys playing in front of them.

This both means the blueliners and the forwards. Because no group in the entire NHL is doing a better job keeping pucks off their goaltenders than the Hawks. In fact, Hawks' goalies see 2.5 fewer shots per game than the 2nd best team in the league. And about 5 or 6 fewer shots than the league average. Those are nasty impressive numbers.

They're even more impressive when combined with the way the offense blisters so many shots of their own - in all, the Hawks have by far the largest shot differential in the league. Now that is a stat that will win you a lot of hockey games, in the regular season and playoffs. Throw in a near Top 5 PK unit that, as stated above, has to kill off some of the least amount of penalties in the league, and you can really start feeling good about how the Hawks have played in their own end.


In all, pretty much every single classic team metric backs up what we've all been seeing for ourselves this season - that the Hawks are a very good hockey team in all facets of the game. And after tonight's tilt in Buffalo, the Hawks will go nearly two-for-one in home games to roadies until they leave on a brutal 8-games-in-15 days trip in mid-January. That's a whole lot of home cooking to fatten up on until then, pushing their numbers even further into the realm of a great hockey team. And with the way the Stadium rocks these days, earning home ice advantage throughout the playoffs is a significant achievement we all should be pulling for.