Hawks at the break.
January 25th, 2008 by FrankThe youthful Chicago Blackhawks have definetly had a turnaround season and are getting the fans to come back, and even some of the home games are on TV! The youth movement consisting of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Cam Barker, Brent Seabrook, and Duncan Keith to name a few has sparked the Hawks into contention. A place where they haven’t been for quite sometime, and a place they hopefully can stay for years to come.
Patrick Sharp and Martin Havlat (when healthy) have also done their part in the Hawks revival this season. Sharp has been a pleasant, surprise performer this season with his consistent play and leading the league in short handed goals. The Hawks probably had no idea how good he was going to be when they made the trade with the Flyers last year, but obviously he’s made them take notice and I hope that he continues his strong play for years to come.
After 50 games the Hawks have 50 points and are 6 points out of the 8th playoff spot in the heavily competitive Western Conference. It is going to be an uphill battle, one the Hawks have to wonder after last nights performance against Columbus if they are capable of sustaining.
Coach Denis Savard who has done a very good job with this club, was furious after last night’s one goal shutout loss to the Bluejackets on home ice. He accused his team of not fighting for pucks, didn’t want it bad enough, and had a lousy power power play. They picked a pretty bad time for this type of game because now instead of potentially enjoying the all-star break, they will have this loss to ponder for the next few days. And we all know that the best thing after a game like that is to get back at it as soon as possible, but instead they’ll have some time to think it over.
It actually could work out to their advantage though. Some players I am sure can use the rest. Patrick Kane has cooled off, and could use a bit of a refresher, and should come back rejuvinated and ready for the playoff run. Khabibulin played very well last night, and if he’s back on track, and Lalime is able to stay sharp, then goaltending won’t be an issue.
Getting Toews back in a few weeks will certainly be a big help. I don’t think the Hawks realized how big a loss that was going to be, but it has hurt. Marty LaPointe and Brent Sopel will play important roles as well, so getting them healthy again is a priority.
Injuries effect every team, but injuries on a youthful club can sometimes be overwhelming and hopefully the veteran influence that the Hawks have can help them overcome that aspect of the game.
The Hawks start a 7 game road trip after the break which will make or break the season at this point. I’m thinking that out of a possible 14 points the Hawks need at least 10 to stay in the race keeping pace with their competition. After that the majority of their games are at home which is certainly going to help, but they must first have a successful road trip.
Enjoy the break, heal the injuries, get some rest, and let’s come back and fight for a playoff spot. Nothing would make me happier than seeing the Hawks playing in April.
Thanks for reading.
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