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With the Olympic break over and only a month left in the NHL’s regular season we are heading into the most exciting time of year for hockey fans. Over the next month fans will be treated to hockey at its finest as desperate teams embroiled in tight playoff races battle with an intensity that has been sorely lacking through the first three-quarters of the season. As has been the case every year since the salary cap system was put into place both the Western and Eastern conferences are a logjam, and standings are shuffling on a nightly basis as often the pair of points earned from a victory is enough for a team to leapfrog two, three or four opponents.
As tight as the race is in the middle of the pack there are a few teams that have managed to separate themselves from the pack. In the few weeks leading up to the playoffs I will be doing a feature on the teams I deem to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Now, to be fair, with the parity in the NHL these days any team that qualifies for the post-season has a decent shot at capturing glory. A hot goalie is all that is needed to tip the scales in a tight playoff series, and there is never a shortage of upsets in any given playoff year. That’s what makes playoff hockey so exciting. If the teams that look better on paper won all the time the sport would get very boring very quickly (basketball anyone?). Still when trying to pick favorites those paper comparisons are all the prognosticators have to work with. I, like my fellow pundits, have no crystal ball with which to pick the winners, so I will simply go with the teams with the best odds.
The first team I have decided to feature has enjoyed a quick turnaround over the past few seasons. Finishing in the basement of NHL standings has its advantages, most notably in the form of high draft picks. A few high picks that wind up living up to their potential can reverse a franchise’s fortune in a big hurry and that has been exactly what happened to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago Blackhawks
One of the original six franchises the Chicago Blackhawks have a proud history and have boasted such NHL legends as Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito and Stan Mikita. However, long-suffering fans of the Hawks have been forced to endure a longer Stanley Cup drought than original six brethren the Toronto Maple Leafs. 1992's Stanley Cup finals run provided something for fans to cheer about, but that excitement was quickly snuffed out as Mario Lemieux's Pittsburgh Penguins swept the Hawks 4-0 in the finals, and Chicago has been unable to get back for another shot at the cup.
Not only have they not enjoyed much playoff success since 1992, many of those years the lowly Hawks failed to qualify for the postseason altogether. Attendance dwindled, and interest in the franchise waned with fans turning their attention to Michael Jordan's powerful Chicago Bulls, the Bears, the White Sox and even the Cubs who have endured a far longer drought than the Blackhawks.
However, unlike franchises like the New York Rangers and the aforementioned Toronto Maple Leafs, who in recent years have made a habit of mortgaging the future in an effort to bandage the present, the Blackhawks' management exercised patience, holding on to the high draft picks gained from their woeful finishes and building their team from the ground up. That philosophy paid off as today they boast some of the game's best young talent, including players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook just to name a few.
Patrick Kane has quickly established himself as one of the slickest forwards in the game, and despite his relatively diminutive size he has been able to use his speed, stickhandling ability, vision and hockey sense to become a huge offensive threat.
Young captain Jonathan Toews has shown a poise and a maturity belying his tender years. Known for his incredible focus, determination, and his ability to deliver clutch performances in key moments, Toews has elicited favorable comparisons to NHL legends like Bryan Trottier, Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic. When Steve Yzerman named Jonathan Toews to the Canadian Olympic mens hockey squad more than a few eyebrows were raised around the country at his inclusion. Toews wasted no time in validating Yzerman's selection and went on to lead Team Canada in points, scoring a key goal in the gold medal game against Team USA and was named the tournament's top forward. Not bad for a 22 year old.
Behind Toews and Kane the Blackhawks have no shortage of secondary scoring with superstar Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd all capable of lighting the lamp on a regular basis.
On the blueline two more Team Canada Olympians lead the way. Duncan Keith leads the NHL in points from the back end, and partner Brent Seabrook has been an absolute rock on the defensive side of the puck, and is certainly no slouch when it comes to offensive creativity either. The Blackhawks' embarrassment of riches at the D position is clearly illustrated by the fact that $7+ million man Brian Campbell can't even crack the top pair on the team.
The only question mark for this powerful team is at the goaltending position - not exactly the position you want to have a question mark heading into the toughest tournament in professional sports. Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi have been inconsistent all season long, and watching the team play in front of them you get the sense that the players really don't have confidence that either goaltender is capable of turning in that clutch performance that will be so crucial come playoff time.
One of the biggest surprises on the recent trade deadline day was the Blackhawks failure to acquire a goaltender, and should the Hawks flame out early this post-season you can bet there will be plenty of second guessing from media, fans, players and management alike over the club's inability to swing a deal for a bona fide number one tender.
Despite the fact that the Hawks clearly have issues in goal they are still my pick to come out of the Western conference. With their blend of speed, skill, grit, confidence, leadership and youthful enthusiasm it is hard to imagine this team losing to anyone in the Western Conference in a 7 game series. However, they will need either Huet or Niemi to be at least steadily good if they are going to advance further than they did a season ago when they bowed out to the Detroit Red Wings in the semi-finals.
Habs Get Crucial Win Over Hawks, But Don’t Gain Any Breathing Room
March 31st, 2009 admin Posted in Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens No Comments »
The Montreal Canadiens are starting to get hot at exactly the right time. After a dismal month that saw them slip down the Eastern Conference standings until they were hanging on tenuously to the 8th and final playoff spot, Montreal now has points in 4 consecutive games following a convincing 4-1 victory tonight over the high-powered Chicago Blackhawks.
The game was actually much tighter than the 4-1 score indicated, but Montreal goaltender Carey Price, who has been lambasted by Montreal media in recent weeks for his poor play, looked poised and confident in net, making several key saves to allow his teammates to build a 3-0 lead after two periods of play. A Patrick Sharp shop that found its way through a screen late in the 3rd period was the only chink in Price's armor. A confident Price is great news for the Habs, whose woes over the past month or so can be blamed almost solely on their shaky goaltending.
The win was huge for the Habs, but the night didn't go as perfectly as it could have for Montreal. The Florida Panthers came into play tonight trailing the Canadiens by just a single point for 8th in the conference. The Habs hoped that their bitter rivals from Ottawa could de-claw the Cats tonight, but their wish was not granted. The Panthers also turned in a clutch performance, posting a convincing 5-2 wins over the red hot Senators.
With less than two weeks left in the season the race between these two teams will be a compelling one to watch. The race is Montreal's to win or lose. Not only do they have a single point lead, but they also have a game in hand on the Panthers, and also would get the nod if the two teams finished tied in the standings on the basis of one more win. However, savvy Habs fans won't start popping the champagne corks just yet. As up and down as this team has been this season, fans are unlikely to stop holding their collective breath and start celebrating (or crying) until the final buzzer has sounded in game 82.
Detroit Red Wings Still The Team To Beat In 2009
December 31st, 2008 admin Posted in Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Opinion Pieces, San Jose Sharks No Comments »
With 2008 officially coming to a close tonight, it is time to start looking forward to 2009, and time again for all the prognosticators to pull out their crystal balls and make their predictions on the sport of hockey, and which players and teams will be dominating the NHL in the year to come.
Over the first 35 games of the season teams like the red hot San Jose Sharks, the surprising Boston Bruins and the young, exciting Chicago Blackhawks have been grabbing the lion's share of the headlines. San Jose and Boston lead their respective conferences and are deadlocked for the lead league with 60 points. The Chicago Blackhawks, though not quite in that same class as San Jose and Boston to this point in the season, recently came off a 9 game winning streak, and young stars like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have been among the most dominant players in the league this year. All three of these teams have had the media's full attention, and with good reason, as they continue to dominate most of the league.
Overlooked, and all but forgotten in this media frenzy are the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. Being overlooked is not something the Detroit Red Wings are used to, but they are likely basking in the relative anonymity, enjoying the relief from the constant pressure that goes along with being the defending champs.
There is no reason the Red Wings should be under the radar. They currently sit 3rd in the league with 53 points, and a more than respectable 24-7-5 record. However, they almost seem to be on cruise control right now, going through the motions, and winning consistently enough to stay within striking distance of San Jose. Their record, despite their seemingly sleepy contentment to this point in the season should have their competitors very, very worried.
Yes, their goaltending remains a question mark, and their defense hasn't performed to its usual standards this season, but for my money the Detroit Red Wings are a far better bet to take home the Stanley Cup this year than San Jose, Boston, or Chicago. To find evidence of this you just need to look at their previous games against both Chicago and San Jose. Detroit may be sleepwalking their way through most of the season, but they showed they can wake up and make a statement when faced with a contender to their throne. They demolished San Jose 6-0 the last time the two clubs met, and they poured ice water on the red hot Chicago Blackhawks last night, dominating them in all facets of the game as they stopped the Hawks' 9 game winning streak with a 4-0 victory.
It will be interesting to see how Chicago responds in the Winter Classic Game tomorrow at Wrigley Field. If Detroit dominates them a second time it will be a huge psychological blow to the young Blackhawks, and Detroit will gain an immediate mental advantage should the two eventually clash in this spring's playoffs.
I believe Detroit is putting on a clinic in how to play possum, and when the playoffs roll around in April their unfortunate opponents will find out how good this team still is. With their skill, grit, and unmatched playoff experience the Wings will still be the team to beat come playoff time, no matter how far behind San Jose they may finish in the standings. They are the Stanley Cup champs until someone dethrones them, and if I were a betting man my money would be on the Detroit Red Wings to be hoisting the cup again come June. Yes, San Jose, Boston and Chicago may very well get their turns at Lord Stanley's famous mug, I just don't think it will be this season.