Yesterday I gave you my thoughts on Team USA's performance. Today, my random takes on some other Olympic issues:
-With the thoughts and and emotions of yesterday's post a fairly widespread thing right now, how can Commissioner Bettman and his cronies actually be so stupid to consider not having the pros in the Olympics in 2014?!?
First, as we just learned, you never know when you're gonna get an amazing tournament that grabs the nation's attention. Bettman tried to argue that because the Olympics will be in Russia, the games will be at odd hours, people won't watch and therefore won't care. Sure, on some level that's true - viewership will be down.
But that also evidences a very dumb command of how buzz actually works. It's not what people see, it's what people talk about. Think about how many people were talking about the US-Canada prelim match-up (i.e. their first game) - do you really believe all of those people were watching non-medal round hockey on CNBC on a Sunday afternoon?
What actually happened is that the game was amazing, so the diehard fans and media talked all about it, then the masses picked up on the buzz and wanted to be a part. It wasn't just the game itself - people wanted to be part of the energy of the team and the storyline. The games could be played on the moon at 3 AM, but if the US does something noteworthy enough to create buzz, that buzz will spread not much different than if the games were played in primetime in the middle of New York City.
And the thing hockey needs above else, is buzz. Given how dead the sports world always is during February, how the hell can a sport like hockey forfeit it's one chance to get actual national attention? Here's how dumb Bettman is - he used that as an argument AGAINST the Olympics. He claimed that with the Super Bowl over, Baseball not really going yet, and March Madness still off, it was hockey's time to shine. Thus, it was a bit of a hindrance to their ability to draw attention when they have to shut down the NHL season for the Olympics.
WHAT?!? Bettman you ignorant slut. What's going to get hockey more attention:
Option #1 - a couple of weeks of mid-season contests that are part of an 82-game schedule where 16 teams make a four-round playoffs, just the same as every other year
Option #2 - the greatest players competing for their home countries in a two-week event highlighted by essentially eight NHL-All Star teams locked into seven win-or-go-home battles that only occur once every four years
Seriously, Betty? This is even up for discussion?
Second, of all the times to pull out the NHLers, why the hell would you do it when the US team is coming into its own? Miller, fast becoming the top goaltender in the world, is only 29. The rest of the team can't rent cars in most states. The US Juniors just won nationals (in Canada over the Canadians - huge props, by the way... I'm sorry it took me so long to mention it here). Sure, plenty of highly hyped teams fall face-first (see Russia circa 2010) in the Olympics. But plenty don't (see Canada circa 2002, 2010).
You're telling me there'd be anything better for the NHL than having the US team dominate the nation's attention for two weeks in the sports dead zone of February? You don't think the first gold medal since 1980, won by our biggest NHL stars, would have a major impact on the sport's popularity for years to come?
Or that the hype in the lead-up to the tournament wouldn't draw all sorts of attention to the NHL? You don't think after this performance by this American team, that returning the same core of guys to Russia wouldn't be a major story for months ahead of the games? Not a major hockey story, not even a major sports story, but a major news story.
Obviously the players all love playing for their national teams - that was one of the most evident aspects of these games. It didn't matter that they were all knee-deep in the slog of that 100+ game NHL season. Every single team there was made up of guys who wouldn't have traded it for the world. Those two epic battles between the U.S. and Canada proved that.
Ovechkin is so committed he's already said he'll just leave his team in 2014 if NHL players aren't allowed to play - sentiments shared by many other Russian players, who haven't threatened that step, but certainly would be upset if the powers-that-be denied them this chance to play in their home country.
So this call is 100% on the owners to not be short-sighted and dumb as rocks, blowing the only opportunity they have to propel hockey into the national limelight for something positive. Open your eyes, you idiots - do the right thing for the sport, for its fans, and for your own damn pocketbooks.
-So clearly I'm none too happy with the Commissioner and the owners for even considering ending NHL participation in the games. But they are the only ones feeling my wrath these days - all of those anti-Olympic NHL fan whiners can also screw off.
Soccer, a sport with WAY more money, interest, love, death, etc riding on it, manages to play international games all the time. All year long there are qualifiers and friendlies and random tournaments. Every other year all the European countries play in either the Euro or the World Cup, both of which are like March Madness, a Game 7 of the World Series, and the Super Bowl all rolled into one... but going on for a month straight.
Hoops and baseball also have their pros playing internationally. Yes, they don't have to stop their seasons, but is an in-season injury that much worse than a pre-season or off-season one? These people also whine about a compressed schedule - wait, I thought you said you're a fan? So how is having more games more often a bad thing?
I love that the Hawks are playing every other night. Game nights are a highlight of my week - even if I can't watch, it's great to wake up the next day and read about the outcome. So having that more often is bad how? Especially because the "cost" of this is to have even more amazing hockey to follow for two weeks in the form of the Olympics? And not having a pointless, idiotic, worthless all-star break?
Arguing against the Olympics by hockey "fans" and pundits is all nonsense. No true fan and no intelligent pundit actually dislikes seeing games more often, getting treated to an incredible Olympics, and having their sport's profile raised. If you're making these arguments, you're just looking for a reason to bitch or something to fill up air time or column space. And you're a tool.
-So while I don't think much of all these anti-Olympic hockey fans, I actually think even less of anti-Olympic Hawks fans. I saw a bunch of writers and fans whining about how the Hawks had the most to lose in this tournament. How all they wanted was for their fragile little flowers to come home safe and sound.
Holy cow you morons couldn't be more wrong! The Hawks had the absolute most to gain in these games! Of the contenders (Hawks, Was, SJ, NJ, Pit, Van, and Det - come on, those guys always have to be considered), only the Caps and Canucks are anywhere near as inexperienced as the Hawks. And of those teams, only the Sharks and maybe the Canucks will face playoff pressure and expectations as high as the Hawks will.
So what more could you ask for than taking five of the six players most crucial to the Hawks hoisting the Cup (the 6th being whomever is in goal - more on that hopefully later this week) and putting them in the most pressure-filled, expectation-laden series of games they will ever experience? Especially when four of those five - all but Hossa - have never experienced anything even close to that?
You don't think that Kane, Toews, Keith, and Seabrook aren't far, FAR better off to handle the pressure of a Cup run now that they've not only experienced but thrived in a Gold medal run? Kane, Toews, and Keith played some of the biggest roles on their national teams, did so admirably, and now are coming back to the Hawks with the confidence and experience to do it all over again in April and May.
Throw in Seabrook getting the confidence of solidly hanging with the best of the best, Hossa getting a handful more big games to shake off his post-injury rust, and Kopecky getting a nice run away from the struggles of this season to rediscover his game, and the Hawks are coming out of the Olympics all Aces.
Oh, but these young 20-something year old kids are so tired. Sure, Keith and Seabrook looked bad (relative to expectations) for the last month or so before the Games. But how much of that was physical and how much was mental? Isn't it possible getting away from the drag of the NHL season and getting the immeasurable jolt of winning the Gold at home will return them to the Hawks rejuvenated mentally?
On top of that, there is plenty of time to rest those two and everyone else - the Hawks are all but locked into the #2 seed in the conference. Sure they'd like the #1 and they could really screw up and fall to #3, but odds are they'll have plenty of games down the stretch where Coach Q can dial back the minutes of his workhorses.
Whether the Olympics happened this year or not, the key to keeping Keith and Seabrook and everyone fresh is locking into a spot early enough to make April the time to get back your legs. So if you're worried about the youngest, deepest, and most high-energy team in the NHL somehow being tired for the playoffs, focus your concerns on the Hawks taking care of business in March and Coach Q having the foresight to alleviate the demands on his top players.
Well, that's about it for me on the Olympics - from here on out it's all Hawks. I've got a bunch of thoughts rumbling around upstairs, a bunch of half-written posts floating around somewhere. With the trade deadline tomorrow, I'm sure I'll weigh in on the look of the Hawks moving forward. From there, we'll debate how best to handle all the extra skaters (assuming they're all still around), what to do about the goalie spot (assuming the Hawks don't make a trade), and how much fun it'll be if the Red Wings don't make the playoffs (I'm not holding my breath).
Monday, March 1, 2010
U-S-A! U-S-A!
Tomorrow - my random thoughts on the Olympic tournament, but today - an ode to the boys in red, white, and blue:
I've never been this pumped about US Hockey before. The 1996 World Cup victory over Canada was sweet, but the event didn't have the big hype and analysis beforehand, so the main excitement came after the fact, in the stunning and awesome realization that the American hockey players could hang with any in the world.
The 2002 Silver Medal run was cool, but we ended with a home ice loss to the damn Canadians, so it left a bitter aftertaste. Also, it was clear this was the end of an era, as that incredible core of skaters wouldn't be making much of a mark on the international level again.
Because I was born in 1979, I wasn't lucky enough to experience the 1980 team, still the greatest sports story of all time. Side note - if you ever have a chance to actually watch a broadcast of that game, DO SO! It doesn't matter that you know how it'll end, it's still one of the most tense and exciting games you'll ever see. I watched a chopped version on ESPN Classic, missing random chunks of 5 or 7 minutes here or there (seriously ESPN Classic - is the programming schedule really that in-demand you can't afford to give it a full play?!?) and still found it to be one of the best sporting events I've ever seen. That's no exaggeration - an incomplete viewing of a game I knew the ultimate outcome of and still was up there with the most thrilling things I've ever seen. I can't fathom what it was like to watch at the time.
But within my hockey fan lifetime, no U.S. Hockey feeling compares what I'm going though right now. Yeah, we lost yesterday. And yeah, I'm pretty damn pissed and upset about how we lost (more on that later). But holy balls am I pumped about the brand of hockey I saw the Americans play the last two weeks. And holy balls am I proud of what those kids did.
Now being proud of a team is generally reserved for parents or coaches. It sounds pretty odd to think of yourself as being proud of one of your pro teams. But that's the beauty of international sports - it's the rare situation it's completely justified to be proud of the team you're a fan of.
This U.S. hockey team was the perfect example of why. These kids faced the most established, most talented, most complete hockey team in the world, only to out-work, out-gut, and out-execute them. They won when no one believed in them and then again when all eyes were on them. They won in blow-outs and nail-biters. And in one short week, they went from a team that was lucky to steal a win from a dominant Canadian team to having Canada be lucky to steal a game from them because of a brainless rule (again, I'll get to that).
And what was the major motivation for these kids on Team USA? Obviously it wasn't money or personal accolades - there are no contracts to be earned, no awards given out. It wasn't for the team or some special camaraderie - these guys first skated together exactly 14 days ago. It wasn't for pride or bragging rights - they faced little expectations and had already exceeded them, and you don't show that kind of amazing heart just to have something to talk smack about.
Nope, what drove these kids was that they were Americans, that they were damn proud of that, and that they were thus going to give every single ounce of what they had to make all of us, their fellow Americans at home living and dying with every rush up the ice, damn proud of the hockey we watched them play out there.
So hell yeah I'll tell you I'm proud of these guys - they've more than earned that from me. I'm proud of a team that found a way to beat a pesky Swiss squad to open the tournament on the right note. I'm proud of a team who used a blow-out against Norway to build up some confidence. I'm proud of a team that showed no fear against the Canadians, who responded to every Canadian goal with another of their own, and who didn't let being out-gunned and out-played keep them from believing they still could win.
I'm proud of how they handled the pressure of being the number one seed and talk of the tournament by again dispatching a scrappy Swiss team. I'm proud of how they came out guns blazing against a highly-accomplished Finnish squad in a do-or-die game and didn't let off the gas until the game was in-hand.
And most of all, I'm proud of how they played the Canadians last night. Unlike the first game, it wasn't obvious who the clear-cut superior team was. The Canadians had the better players, but the Americans played better. They won the free puck battles, they played stellar positional defense, and they were constantly working together as a unit.
But what made me most proud was that they got down but never gave up, not even a little. At about the midway point of the game, Canada was up 2-0, and while not skating circles around the U.S. by any means, were clearly the better team. But from that point on, the U.S. took it to the Canadians. Didn't matter that the Canadians were hanging back in a suffocating trap - the U.S. hustled and fought and kept creating chances. And despite having to sell out everything forward, the U.S. wasn't getting beat back the other way, even against an entire Canadian roster of guys capable of doing just that.
They got that first goal in the second period to keep the game tight, keep the pressure on the Canadians. As then as the seconds and minutes ticked off in the third, as the chances for that tying goal kept slipping away, they just kept battling. Dump it in, dig after it, pay the price on every rush. Work along the boards with physicality and intelligent positioning. Keep the sticks and legs going when forechecking in the Canadian zone to cause turnovers and increase chances. Move the puck, find open teammates, put shots on goal, crash the net, and don't ever give up on a play.
And then it all paid off. On that tying goal, pretty much every single thing the U.S. team had been busting their butt to do, everything that allowed them to hang as equals with the greatest in the world, all of that came into play. That dramatic tying goal in the waning seconds of the game - it only happened because of about 10 to 20 different small and big things that the U.S. skaters did on that shift. The same 10 to 20 different small and big things they had been fighting to do all game long, all tournament long.
I couldn't be prouder. They played Canada to a 2-2 tie in 60 minutes of incredible hockey. They didn't simply hang with them, catch some lucky breaks or get some incredible goaltending. They showed that out there on the ice, their team was as good as the Canadian team. Sure Canada had more pure talent. But the U.S. had more grit and hustle, and better utilized their advantages as a team.
Would winning in the 4x4 or a shoot-out have been more fun? Of course, but it wouldn't have made me prouder. The fact was that the U.S. game was built strictly for normal hockey. A 20-minute 4x4 period? No bastardization of the sport could have favored the Canadians more. It took away the grind, the physical battles against the boards. It took away a lot of the teamwork, the positioning, the hustle.
The worst part? The U.S. had all the momentum. If this game goes into a normal 5x5 overtime, the U.S. has the edge. Not only mentally, but in the game's execution. The Canadians had gotten completely away from their game, trying to hang on to their lead through a trap. Everyone knows how hard it is to then flip a switch and get back to an aggressive style of play. On top of that, all the pressure was on the Canadians, not only as home ice favorites to win gold in their national pasttime, but now also because of the 2-0 lead they had let slip away.
On the other side, the U.S. had all the confidence in the world. They knew their brand of hockey worked. They had their backs against the wall but now had fought back to where they could taste victory. They knew that Canada had thrown the full weight of their immense talents completely into shutting down the Americans and still could not do so.
So there was no pride lost in how the Americans lost. They had accomplished something no one could have predicted - entering that overtime, had it been a 5x5 set-up, they would have been even money, if not holding a slight edge, against the mighty Canadians.
So I'm a little bummed that these kids and us fans didn't get a fair chance at the dream ending. I'm bitter at whomever sits on the Olympic hockey rules committee and didn't think through the fact that a 4x4 overtime would be an unnecessarily poor way to conclude a great game. I get they can't play 5x5 forever - that's why you have the necessary evil of the shoot-out. But if you're gonna play another 20 minutes, why the hell not play it as the game was intended? As it had been fought to a dramatic stalemate after the previous 60 minutes? You're already committing to 20 minutes of extra time - why completely change the way the game is played in order to decide the victor?
But as frustrating as that is, it will pass. Instead I'll just be left with the memory of two great weeks of rooting for a bunch of my fellow Americans, mostly young kids, almost all having yet to make their mark on the game. The appreciation of a group of guys born and raised here, who gave every single ounce of themselves on the ice, and did it all to make people like me proud. And the resulting pride I felt in the way they used endless hustle, unceasing physicality, and incredible teamwork to prove themselves the on-ice equals of one of the greatest collections of hockey talent ever.
(check in tomorrow for more of my thoughts on the Olympic tourney)
I've never been this pumped about US Hockey before. The 1996 World Cup victory over Canada was sweet, but the event didn't have the big hype and analysis beforehand, so the main excitement came after the fact, in the stunning and awesome realization that the American hockey players could hang with any in the world.
The 2002 Silver Medal run was cool, but we ended with a home ice loss to the damn Canadians, so it left a bitter aftertaste. Also, it was clear this was the end of an era, as that incredible core of skaters wouldn't be making much of a mark on the international level again.
Because I was born in 1979, I wasn't lucky enough to experience the 1980 team, still the greatest sports story of all time. Side note - if you ever have a chance to actually watch a broadcast of that game, DO SO! It doesn't matter that you know how it'll end, it's still one of the most tense and exciting games you'll ever see. I watched a chopped version on ESPN Classic, missing random chunks of 5 or 7 minutes here or there (seriously ESPN Classic - is the programming schedule really that in-demand you can't afford to give it a full play?!?) and still found it to be one of the best sporting events I've ever seen. That's no exaggeration - an incomplete viewing of a game I knew the ultimate outcome of and still was up there with the most thrilling things I've ever seen. I can't fathom what it was like to watch at the time.
But within my hockey fan lifetime, no U.S. Hockey feeling compares what I'm going though right now. Yeah, we lost yesterday. And yeah, I'm pretty damn pissed and upset about how we lost (more on that later). But holy balls am I pumped about the brand of hockey I saw the Americans play the last two weeks. And holy balls am I proud of what those kids did.
Now being proud of a team is generally reserved for parents or coaches. It sounds pretty odd to think of yourself as being proud of one of your pro teams. But that's the beauty of international sports - it's the rare situation it's completely justified to be proud of the team you're a fan of.
This U.S. hockey team was the perfect example of why. These kids faced the most established, most talented, most complete hockey team in the world, only to out-work, out-gut, and out-execute them. They won when no one believed in them and then again when all eyes were on them. They won in blow-outs and nail-biters. And in one short week, they went from a team that was lucky to steal a win from a dominant Canadian team to having Canada be lucky to steal a game from them because of a brainless rule (again, I'll get to that).
And what was the major motivation for these kids on Team USA? Obviously it wasn't money or personal accolades - there are no contracts to be earned, no awards given out. It wasn't for the team or some special camaraderie - these guys first skated together exactly 14 days ago. It wasn't for pride or bragging rights - they faced little expectations and had already exceeded them, and you don't show that kind of amazing heart just to have something to talk smack about.
Nope, what drove these kids was that they were Americans, that they were damn proud of that, and that they were thus going to give every single ounce of what they had to make all of us, their fellow Americans at home living and dying with every rush up the ice, damn proud of the hockey we watched them play out there.
So hell yeah I'll tell you I'm proud of these guys - they've more than earned that from me. I'm proud of a team that found a way to beat a pesky Swiss squad to open the tournament on the right note. I'm proud of a team who used a blow-out against Norway to build up some confidence. I'm proud of a team that showed no fear against the Canadians, who responded to every Canadian goal with another of their own, and who didn't let being out-gunned and out-played keep them from believing they still could win.
I'm proud of how they handled the pressure of being the number one seed and talk of the tournament by again dispatching a scrappy Swiss team. I'm proud of how they came out guns blazing against a highly-accomplished Finnish squad in a do-or-die game and didn't let off the gas until the game was in-hand.
And most of all, I'm proud of how they played the Canadians last night. Unlike the first game, it wasn't obvious who the clear-cut superior team was. The Canadians had the better players, but the Americans played better. They won the free puck battles, they played stellar positional defense, and they were constantly working together as a unit.
But what made me most proud was that they got down but never gave up, not even a little. At about the midway point of the game, Canada was up 2-0, and while not skating circles around the U.S. by any means, were clearly the better team. But from that point on, the U.S. took it to the Canadians. Didn't matter that the Canadians were hanging back in a suffocating trap - the U.S. hustled and fought and kept creating chances. And despite having to sell out everything forward, the U.S. wasn't getting beat back the other way, even against an entire Canadian roster of guys capable of doing just that.
They got that first goal in the second period to keep the game tight, keep the pressure on the Canadians. As then as the seconds and minutes ticked off in the third, as the chances for that tying goal kept slipping away, they just kept battling. Dump it in, dig after it, pay the price on every rush. Work along the boards with physicality and intelligent positioning. Keep the sticks and legs going when forechecking in the Canadian zone to cause turnovers and increase chances. Move the puck, find open teammates, put shots on goal, crash the net, and don't ever give up on a play.
And then it all paid off. On that tying goal, pretty much every single thing the U.S. team had been busting their butt to do, everything that allowed them to hang as equals with the greatest in the world, all of that came into play. That dramatic tying goal in the waning seconds of the game - it only happened because of about 10 to 20 different small and big things that the U.S. skaters did on that shift. The same 10 to 20 different small and big things they had been fighting to do all game long, all tournament long.
I couldn't be prouder. They played Canada to a 2-2 tie in 60 minutes of incredible hockey. They didn't simply hang with them, catch some lucky breaks or get some incredible goaltending. They showed that out there on the ice, their team was as good as the Canadian team. Sure Canada had more pure talent. But the U.S. had more grit and hustle, and better utilized their advantages as a team.
Would winning in the 4x4 or a shoot-out have been more fun? Of course, but it wouldn't have made me prouder. The fact was that the U.S. game was built strictly for normal hockey. A 20-minute 4x4 period? No bastardization of the sport could have favored the Canadians more. It took away the grind, the physical battles against the boards. It took away a lot of the teamwork, the positioning, the hustle.
The worst part? The U.S. had all the momentum. If this game goes into a normal 5x5 overtime, the U.S. has the edge. Not only mentally, but in the game's execution. The Canadians had gotten completely away from their game, trying to hang on to their lead through a trap. Everyone knows how hard it is to then flip a switch and get back to an aggressive style of play. On top of that, all the pressure was on the Canadians, not only as home ice favorites to win gold in their national pasttime, but now also because of the 2-0 lead they had let slip away.
On the other side, the U.S. had all the confidence in the world. They knew their brand of hockey worked. They had their backs against the wall but now had fought back to where they could taste victory. They knew that Canada had thrown the full weight of their immense talents completely into shutting down the Americans and still could not do so.
So there was no pride lost in how the Americans lost. They had accomplished something no one could have predicted - entering that overtime, had it been a 5x5 set-up, they would have been even money, if not holding a slight edge, against the mighty Canadians.
So I'm a little bummed that these kids and us fans didn't get a fair chance at the dream ending. I'm bitter at whomever sits on the Olympic hockey rules committee and didn't think through the fact that a 4x4 overtime would be an unnecessarily poor way to conclude a great game. I get they can't play 5x5 forever - that's why you have the necessary evil of the shoot-out. But if you're gonna play another 20 minutes, why the hell not play it as the game was intended? As it had been fought to a dramatic stalemate after the previous 60 minutes? You're already committing to 20 minutes of extra time - why completely change the way the game is played in order to decide the victor?
But as frustrating as that is, it will pass. Instead I'll just be left with the memory of two great weeks of rooting for a bunch of my fellow Americans, mostly young kids, almost all having yet to make their mark on the game. The appreciation of a group of guys born and raised here, who gave every single ounce of themselves on the ice, and did it all to make people like me proud. And the resulting pride I felt in the way they used endless hustle, unceasing physicality, and incredible teamwork to prove themselves the on-ice equals of one of the greatest collections of hockey talent ever.
(check in tomorrow for more of my thoughts on the Olympic tourney)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Kovalchuk Rumors
Well, it's starting - the annual in-season hockey trade rumor period. Granted this is a bit early for any big moves, but you're gonna start to see smaller trades happen. Then things will take a funny route, as the Olympic Break falls right in front of the March 3rd trade deadline. That will give the front offices plenty of time to talk trade, but it also will take the focus of the hockey media away from whippin up trade rumors.
What's jump-started my attention today is a note I first read about on SecondCityHockey.com, which is fast becoming my favorite Hawks site. It's the guys who publish the Committed Indian, the deserving follow-up to the Blue Line, and they have a great mix of insight, comedy, and volume.
Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuck is one of the best players in hockey, no question. A regular 40-50 goal guy, he's won a Rocket Richard Trophy (given to the NHL's top goal-scorer) and every year is in the hunt. He plays every game (hasn't had fewer than 78 since becoming a regular his 2nd season), gets a good number of assists (35-45), and at 6-1, 225, is a physical presence.
Take a second to check out his career numbers here to really understand how awesome this guy is:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/stats?playerId=1175
The Russian is only 26 years old, yet already has 322 career goals and - here's the key - he's set to become a free agent after this season. Kovalchuk supposedly is eyeing the $9M+ annually that Ovechkin got from the Caps. Such a big number is clearly giving the Thrashers pause, especially because they only have made the playoffs with Kovalchuck one time in his 7 year career, and are on the bubble again this season.
So as it stands, supposedly the Thrashers are going to make a decision in the next few days about what direction to go with Kovalchuck. At that time, it's possible a carnival-like trade sweepstakes could begin as Kovalchuk is definitely one of the most impactful rental players to hit the market in years.
And guess who is in the best position to get him? Your very own Blackhawks. With a surplus of proven young talent signed to reasonable but ample contracts and a win-now attitude, the Hawks are the perfect dance partners for Atlanta. So much so that the reports of a possible Kovalchuk market included the Hawks name specifically as a prime trade partner.
Now granted, even best-case scenario has this as a total long shot. Kovalchuk may not leave the Thrashers, he'll be tough to get if he does, and it's not clear the Hawks front office sees him as a good fit (a buddy of mine swears he's got inside info that they absolutely will not add Kovalchuk). But it's both fun and informative to consider the possibility, so let's give it a go.
Think about the current roster - the Hawks have 10 forwards who should be skating on one of the Top 3 lines - Toews, Bolland, and Madden up the middle, and Hossa, Kane, Sharp, Versteeg, Buff, Brouwer, and Ladd on the wings. That means the Hawks can afford to part with a pair of forwards for Kovalchuk and not create any holes in their gameday lineup.
The Hawks also have a 23-year old Barker who has rare and valuable offensive gifts buried on their third defensive pairing, managing a mere 13 minutes a game. Given the solid play Hendry has shown on the blueline this year and the heavy minutes the Top 4 defenders get, Barker seems an extravagance, especially given his occasional defensive lapses.
A quick look over the Hawks roster also shows that a number of the Hawks expendable trade pieces make enough money to combine to balance out Kovalchuk's cap number this year.
On top of all that, the Hawks have a pair of very good reasons to go for broke this year. Most importantly, they have a great shot to win the Cup for the first time since 1961 - they need and want to do everything they can to take advantage of this opportunity. The other issue is that come this off-season, the Hawks will be forced to parts ways with a number of their pricey players, thanks to the Toews/Kane/Keith extensions and the likely Seabrook extension next year. If a lot of these guys have no future in Chicago anyway, why not sell them now?
All that adds up to a Hawks team that has the motivation to upgrade now (for the Cup run), the expendable talent (more strong young players than they can give ice time to), the right contracts (productive players who can be combined for a similar cap hit as Kovalchuk), and the impending salary cap situation (which makes the departure of all these talented young players palatable) to put up the king's ransom a Kovalchuk deal will require.
Again, all of this is still at the very early rumor stage. As I said, the Thrashers haven't even decided if they want to deal Kovalchuk. And if they do, you'd better believe that every team in hockey will be competing with the Hawks. Obviously many don't make sense, but there will still be a large handful of teams that will make a legitimate effort. It's just that the Hawks seem to be in as good of a position as anyone to make it happen.
So would I want it to happen? Well, depends on the pieces. I can easily deal with losing Barker and Buff. Both are talented, but with the Great Salary Cull of 2010 coming, those two guys can't hope to be Hawks much longer, given their $3M salaries and their inability to be Top 6 or Top 4 guys.
I could even throw in a Ladd or Brouwer - I like those guys, but the Hawks are probably gonna have to give up a number of players to get Kovalchuk, and Ladd and Brouwer are the only two forwards who are young, have cheap contracts, and have real value. Again, with 10 forwards for 9 spots, it only makes sense that this deal would involve a 2-for-1 on forwards. Ladd especially makes sense, as he's up for a bump in salary this off-season as a restricted free agent.
But if we're talking Sharp or Versteeg, it gives me pause. Sharp has consistently shown himself a guy capable of doing a little bit of everything - he's good on offense, on defense, can play on the power play or kill penalties, can skate at center or wing, and is a real leader of this squad. Plus, he's a proven high-end player, as his stats with the Hawks have repeatedly shown.
As for Versteeg, his stock is down a bit right now as he goes through a bit of a scoring slump while at the same time upping his level of mental mistakes. Lately, you don't notice Versteeg as much as you used to, unless he's turning the puck over with an ill-advised pass or a reckless attempt to skate it into the offensive zone.
But the simple reality is that last year Versteeg was deemed one of the three best rookies to enter the NHL. He brings speed and play-making, two valuable commodities, and does so with grit and a strong defensive game. At only 23, Versteeg is already a respectable Top 6 forward and could soon develop into a strong one.
Other than those names, I don't see any other NHL-level trade options for the Hawks. Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith, and Seabrook are untouchable. They aren't going to part with Bolland or Madden, as they don't have the center depth, nor HJ, as he's young, cheap, and good at what he does. Campbell's contract is untradeable, Burish is going to be an unrestricted free agent, and Kopecky, Eager, Frasier, and Hendry don't really bring a lot of value.
And while I'd love to believe Atlanta sees the value in Sopel, that's a pipe dream - he's older, mildly expensive, and not that good. Who knows, maybe they're hurting on D and think $2.3M is reasonable for a veteran defender next year, but that seems like wishful thinking.
Ideally, the Hawks are able to convince the Thrashers of the rare value of a 6-3, 245 lb 24-year old who can score 20 goals and has surprisingly good speed. And the rare value of a 23-year old blueliner with size, a good shot, the ability to play the point, and very good puck-carrying skills. And the value of a 24-year old grinder with good size, 20-goal capabilities, a cheap contract, and under club control for the next few seasons. That'd be the pitch for Buff, Barker, and Ladd/Brouwer.
I can't say I know enough about hockey value to say if that'd be enough. When dealing a player like Kovalchuk, even as a rental, you'd think Atlanta would demand a blue chipper to base the deal around. But it's possible a big young power forward like Buff or a puck-moving defenseman like Barker does have that blue-chipper value, and that the combination of three proven NHLers under 25 is something they can't add anywhere else. That seems likely - remember, Buff, Barker, and Ladd/Brouwer were all key pieces to a very good Hawks team this year and last. It'd make sense they'd be a real nice upgrade to a mediocre club like the Thrashers.
At the cost of only those players, I'd do this deal in a heartbeat. Kovalchuk is just nasty and a Top 6 featuring Toews, Kane, Hossa, Kovalchuk, Sharp and Bolland would be unreal to watch. How would you possibly match-up against all that talent? Think about if the Hawks included Ladd instead of Brouwer and then kept the Toews-Kane-Brouwer line together. A second line with Bolland-Hossa-Kovalchuk? Hossa and Kovalchuk skated for a number of productive years together in Atlanta, so they know each other's games. And a third line with Madden-Sharp-Versteeg. That's your third line?!?
Now if I've got to include Sharp or Versteeg, I'm still probably gonna do it. My thought for next year was to keep both those guys around and try to save money on Barker, Buff, Sopel, and Kopecky. Depending on how things shake out, I might even deal Huet this off-season and turn the keys over to Niemi (that's getting ahead of ourselves - Niemi still needs to prove it for a lot longer and Huet needs to do well enough in the post-season to re-establish his value, while not doing so well that it becomes stupid to deal him away).
But if losing Sharp or Versteeg is what will get me Kovalchuk for a run this year, so be it. The Hawks still would have the guns necessary next season to be a Cup contender. They've done a great job developing young talent, so why not believe they could develop a few more guys to replace either Sharp or Versteeg. Or get creative out in free agency? NHLers have shown that they like to play for the better teams, even taking a less deal to get it done (see Hossa going to Detroit on a one-year contract last off-season).
Basically, when you've got a shot at someone as nasty good as Kovalchuk (arguably he'd become the best player on an already stacked Hawks team), you can afford to lose the valuable but not game-changing pieces like Versteeg, Sharp, Barker, Buff, Ladd, and/or Brouwer. Especially if you're in a place like the Hawks are now.
So even if this is all a long shot, it does make clear that we've got to expect anything come the trade deadline in March. After the way the Hawks have played, the front office knows this team has an amazing shot at the Cup and you know they want it as bad as we do. Given our situation as laid out above, the Hawks have the pieces to make pretty much any kind of move.
While that move almost certainly won't involve goaltenders (no one better than Huet is available and Niemi is playing as good as any #2 you'll find), anything else is possible:
Neidermayer in Anaheim? Why not - the Hawks could really use his unmatched experience, power play skills, and plus defensive work, and again, have the big assets needed to get him.
Other, lesser-named defenders? Makes perfect sense, as Sopel seems the weakest link on the current roster and Barker might be more valuable as a trade piece than 5th defender.
A centerman? A must-have if Bolland's back proves unreliable down the stretch.
A frontline scorer? Like with Kovalchuk, sometimes you can't afford to pass on a guy, even if it's not a glaring need.
A shut-down defensive wing? Paired with Madden, this would give the Hawks a nasty checking line, which is invaluable come the playoffs.
An injury replacement? If some kind of longterm injury hits a key Hawk player between now and the 3rd of March, the Hawks will have the pieces to find a decent replacement.
So whether it's about Kovalchuk or somebody else, it'll be fun to read and discuss the various rumors out there, as the Hawks are in a prime place to be in the thick of any and all player movement over the next two months. I have no idea what could happen, but I do know that the Hawks front office has proven again and again that they will not wait around for the Cup. The Campbell, Huet, Hossa, Madden, and Pahlsson additions all were relative surprises made because the Hawks saw a chance to make a significant addition and jumped all over it. It wouldn't surprise me to see another before the 3rd of March.
What's jump-started my attention today is a note I first read about on SecondCityHockey.com, which is fast becoming my favorite Hawks site. It's the guys who publish the Committed Indian, the deserving follow-up to the Blue Line, and they have a great mix of insight, comedy, and volume.
Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuck is one of the best players in hockey, no question. A regular 40-50 goal guy, he's won a Rocket Richard Trophy (given to the NHL's top goal-scorer) and every year is in the hunt. He plays every game (hasn't had fewer than 78 since becoming a regular his 2nd season), gets a good number of assists (35-45), and at 6-1, 225, is a physical presence.
Take a second to check out his career numbers here to really understand how awesome this guy is:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/stats?playerId=1175
The Russian is only 26 years old, yet already has 322 career goals and - here's the key - he's set to become a free agent after this season. Kovalchuk supposedly is eyeing the $9M+ annually that Ovechkin got from the Caps. Such a big number is clearly giving the Thrashers pause, especially because they only have made the playoffs with Kovalchuck one time in his 7 year career, and are on the bubble again this season.
So as it stands, supposedly the Thrashers are going to make a decision in the next few days about what direction to go with Kovalchuck. At that time, it's possible a carnival-like trade sweepstakes could begin as Kovalchuk is definitely one of the most impactful rental players to hit the market in years.
And guess who is in the best position to get him? Your very own Blackhawks. With a surplus of proven young talent signed to reasonable but ample contracts and a win-now attitude, the Hawks are the perfect dance partners for Atlanta. So much so that the reports of a possible Kovalchuk market included the Hawks name specifically as a prime trade partner.
Now granted, even best-case scenario has this as a total long shot. Kovalchuk may not leave the Thrashers, he'll be tough to get if he does, and it's not clear the Hawks front office sees him as a good fit (a buddy of mine swears he's got inside info that they absolutely will not add Kovalchuk). But it's both fun and informative to consider the possibility, so let's give it a go.
Think about the current roster - the Hawks have 10 forwards who should be skating on one of the Top 3 lines - Toews, Bolland, and Madden up the middle, and Hossa, Kane, Sharp, Versteeg, Buff, Brouwer, and Ladd on the wings. That means the Hawks can afford to part with a pair of forwards for Kovalchuk and not create any holes in their gameday lineup.
The Hawks also have a 23-year old Barker who has rare and valuable offensive gifts buried on their third defensive pairing, managing a mere 13 minutes a game. Given the solid play Hendry has shown on the blueline this year and the heavy minutes the Top 4 defenders get, Barker seems an extravagance, especially given his occasional defensive lapses.
A quick look over the Hawks roster also shows that a number of the Hawks expendable trade pieces make enough money to combine to balance out Kovalchuk's cap number this year.
On top of all that, the Hawks have a pair of very good reasons to go for broke this year. Most importantly, they have a great shot to win the Cup for the first time since 1961 - they need and want to do everything they can to take advantage of this opportunity. The other issue is that come this off-season, the Hawks will be forced to parts ways with a number of their pricey players, thanks to the Toews/Kane/Keith extensions and the likely Seabrook extension next year. If a lot of these guys have no future in Chicago anyway, why not sell them now?
All that adds up to a Hawks team that has the motivation to upgrade now (for the Cup run), the expendable talent (more strong young players than they can give ice time to), the right contracts (productive players who can be combined for a similar cap hit as Kovalchuk), and the impending salary cap situation (which makes the departure of all these talented young players palatable) to put up the king's ransom a Kovalchuk deal will require.
Again, all of this is still at the very early rumor stage. As I said, the Thrashers haven't even decided if they want to deal Kovalchuk. And if they do, you'd better believe that every team in hockey will be competing with the Hawks. Obviously many don't make sense, but there will still be a large handful of teams that will make a legitimate effort. It's just that the Hawks seem to be in as good of a position as anyone to make it happen.
So would I want it to happen? Well, depends on the pieces. I can easily deal with losing Barker and Buff. Both are talented, but with the Great Salary Cull of 2010 coming, those two guys can't hope to be Hawks much longer, given their $3M salaries and their inability to be Top 6 or Top 4 guys.
I could even throw in a Ladd or Brouwer - I like those guys, but the Hawks are probably gonna have to give up a number of players to get Kovalchuk, and Ladd and Brouwer are the only two forwards who are young, have cheap contracts, and have real value. Again, with 10 forwards for 9 spots, it only makes sense that this deal would involve a 2-for-1 on forwards. Ladd especially makes sense, as he's up for a bump in salary this off-season as a restricted free agent.
But if we're talking Sharp or Versteeg, it gives me pause. Sharp has consistently shown himself a guy capable of doing a little bit of everything - he's good on offense, on defense, can play on the power play or kill penalties, can skate at center or wing, and is a real leader of this squad. Plus, he's a proven high-end player, as his stats with the Hawks have repeatedly shown.
As for Versteeg, his stock is down a bit right now as he goes through a bit of a scoring slump while at the same time upping his level of mental mistakes. Lately, you don't notice Versteeg as much as you used to, unless he's turning the puck over with an ill-advised pass or a reckless attempt to skate it into the offensive zone.
But the simple reality is that last year Versteeg was deemed one of the three best rookies to enter the NHL. He brings speed and play-making, two valuable commodities, and does so with grit and a strong defensive game. At only 23, Versteeg is already a respectable Top 6 forward and could soon develop into a strong one.
Other than those names, I don't see any other NHL-level trade options for the Hawks. Toews, Kane, Hossa, Keith, and Seabrook are untouchable. They aren't going to part with Bolland or Madden, as they don't have the center depth, nor HJ, as he's young, cheap, and good at what he does. Campbell's contract is untradeable, Burish is going to be an unrestricted free agent, and Kopecky, Eager, Frasier, and Hendry don't really bring a lot of value.
And while I'd love to believe Atlanta sees the value in Sopel, that's a pipe dream - he's older, mildly expensive, and not that good. Who knows, maybe they're hurting on D and think $2.3M is reasonable for a veteran defender next year, but that seems like wishful thinking.
Ideally, the Hawks are able to convince the Thrashers of the rare value of a 6-3, 245 lb 24-year old who can score 20 goals and has surprisingly good speed. And the rare value of a 23-year old blueliner with size, a good shot, the ability to play the point, and very good puck-carrying skills. And the value of a 24-year old grinder with good size, 20-goal capabilities, a cheap contract, and under club control for the next few seasons. That'd be the pitch for Buff, Barker, and Ladd/Brouwer.
I can't say I know enough about hockey value to say if that'd be enough. When dealing a player like Kovalchuk, even as a rental, you'd think Atlanta would demand a blue chipper to base the deal around. But it's possible a big young power forward like Buff or a puck-moving defenseman like Barker does have that blue-chipper value, and that the combination of three proven NHLers under 25 is something they can't add anywhere else. That seems likely - remember, Buff, Barker, and Ladd/Brouwer were all key pieces to a very good Hawks team this year and last. It'd make sense they'd be a real nice upgrade to a mediocre club like the Thrashers.
At the cost of only those players, I'd do this deal in a heartbeat. Kovalchuk is just nasty and a Top 6 featuring Toews, Kane, Hossa, Kovalchuk, Sharp and Bolland would be unreal to watch. How would you possibly match-up against all that talent? Think about if the Hawks included Ladd instead of Brouwer and then kept the Toews-Kane-Brouwer line together. A second line with Bolland-Hossa-Kovalchuk? Hossa and Kovalchuk skated for a number of productive years together in Atlanta, so they know each other's games. And a third line with Madden-Sharp-Versteeg. That's your third line?!?
Now if I've got to include Sharp or Versteeg, I'm still probably gonna do it. My thought for next year was to keep both those guys around and try to save money on Barker, Buff, Sopel, and Kopecky. Depending on how things shake out, I might even deal Huet this off-season and turn the keys over to Niemi (that's getting ahead of ourselves - Niemi still needs to prove it for a lot longer and Huet needs to do well enough in the post-season to re-establish his value, while not doing so well that it becomes stupid to deal him away).
But if losing Sharp or Versteeg is what will get me Kovalchuk for a run this year, so be it. The Hawks still would have the guns necessary next season to be a Cup contender. They've done a great job developing young talent, so why not believe they could develop a few more guys to replace either Sharp or Versteeg. Or get creative out in free agency? NHLers have shown that they like to play for the better teams, even taking a less deal to get it done (see Hossa going to Detroit on a one-year contract last off-season).
Basically, when you've got a shot at someone as nasty good as Kovalchuk (arguably he'd become the best player on an already stacked Hawks team), you can afford to lose the valuable but not game-changing pieces like Versteeg, Sharp, Barker, Buff, Ladd, and/or Brouwer. Especially if you're in a place like the Hawks are now.
So even if this is all a long shot, it does make clear that we've got to expect anything come the trade deadline in March. After the way the Hawks have played, the front office knows this team has an amazing shot at the Cup and you know they want it as bad as we do. Given our situation as laid out above, the Hawks have the pieces to make pretty much any kind of move.
While that move almost certainly won't involve goaltenders (no one better than Huet is available and Niemi is playing as good as any #2 you'll find), anything else is possible:
Neidermayer in Anaheim? Why not - the Hawks could really use his unmatched experience, power play skills, and plus defensive work, and again, have the big assets needed to get him.
Other, lesser-named defenders? Makes perfect sense, as Sopel seems the weakest link on the current roster and Barker might be more valuable as a trade piece than 5th defender.
A centerman? A must-have if Bolland's back proves unreliable down the stretch.
A frontline scorer? Like with Kovalchuk, sometimes you can't afford to pass on a guy, even if it's not a glaring need.
A shut-down defensive wing? Paired with Madden, this would give the Hawks a nasty checking line, which is invaluable come the playoffs.
An injury replacement? If some kind of longterm injury hits a key Hawk player between now and the 3rd of March, the Hawks will have the pieces to find a decent replacement.
So whether it's about Kovalchuk or somebody else, it'll be fun to read and discuss the various rumors out there, as the Hawks are in a prime place to be in the thick of any and all player movement over the next two months. I have no idea what could happen, but I do know that the Hawks front office has proven again and again that they will not wait around for the Cup. The Campbell, Huet, Hossa, Madden, and Pahlsson additions all were relative surprises made because the Hawks saw a chance to make a significant addition and jumped all over it. It wouldn't surprise me to see another before the 3rd of March.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
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.
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.
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