Blackhawks Season Preview: Part 1, Introduction

In 2009-2010 the Blackhawks had an outstanding team that went on to win the Stanley Cup. After the celebration, the realization that the Blackhawks could not afford to pay all of those great players set in. They had to let go key players like Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Antti Niemi, Kris Versteeg, and Ben Eager. It was easy to see that the 2010-2011 team would not be as successful as the team from the year before. The Hawks battled through injuries and barely made it into the playoffs thanks to a Dallas Stars loss. The first three games of the playoffs were dead and sleepy, but the next 3 were the Blackhawks that all fans knew and loved. They had a reason to fight and were fighting with all they had. Game 7 was intense. The Canucks scored quickly and held the lead until Jonathan Toews scored a shorthanded goal with 3 minutes left that I think defines who the Blackhawks are. There was a look of determination in his eyes and he knew that he had to step up. He was going to make sure that puck went in no matter what, even if he had to shoot while he was on the ground. It showed the heart of the Blackhawks. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks didn’t win the game. Now the big question is whether or not the Blackhawks can return to glory.

Stan Bowman made a lot of moves this offseason to help the Hawks become a better team. He got rid of Troy Brouwer, Brian Campbell, Tomas Kopecky, and Jake Dowell. Using the freed up cap space, he signed some grit for the fourth line including Jamal Mayers and Dan Carcillo. He also added some defensive depth with O’Donnell, Lepisto, and Montador. He also added the veteran forward Andrew Brunette.

Over the next few days, I’ll be taking a look at each part of the team and then in the last part of this mini series, I will make some predictions.

Offseason Moves

The Blackhawks made a lot of moves this offseason and I decided to talk about them all at once. The July 1st signings were all good in my opinion. Stan Bowman added some maturity to the locker room and added some toughness and grit to the team by adding Dan Carcillo. Granted, he also added penalty minutes to the team by adding Dan Carillo, but if Dave Bolland is healthy all year his badass penalty killing should make that a non-issue. There were other moves besides the initial unrestricted free agent signings that impacted the team.

The first is that Viktor Stalberg was re-signed. I'm not sure how I feel about this. He is a fast and smooth skater, but he doesn't have a great shot and seems to just skate around. I absolutely hated when he was on the top line with Kane and Toews during the playoffs. If he has a good season, I'll be happy about this signing. If he does what I expect him to do, I won't be very happy about this.

The second move is the Hawks re-signing Michael Frolik. Frolik came to the Blackhawks right before the trade deadline when Jack Skille was sent to Florida and the Hawks got Frolik and Alexander Salak who will probably be the backup goalie this year. Frolik started slow with the Blackhawks, but he seemed have the same problems as Skille. He couldn't finish at the net. He had chance after chance and couldn't score. Eventually, he got his first Blackhawks goal and after that he was a pretty good addition to the team. He scored a crucial goal in Game 6 of the playoffs this year and I think he has a lot of potential. I can't wait to see what he does this season.

The third move is the Hawks signing Sami Lepisto. He played for the Coyotes and Blue Jackets last season and was signed to a one year deal by the Blackhawks. From looking at his stats he seems like a good addition to the team. The Hawks have eight good defensemen that will be fighting to fit into the 6 defense positions. Yes, one of those guys is John Scott who probably won't see a lot of ice time this year, but he is still on the roster as a defensemen.

The signing of Lepisto lead to the finally move of the offseason to this point. That move was the decision to not re-sign Chris Campoli. He was acquired from Ottawa for some draft picks before the trade deadline last season. While he was with the Hawks he was a good addition to our defense, but he was going to be asking for too much in Stan Bowman's opinion. Stan decided to let him go and not re-sign him. I don't think this is in any way related to his turnover that lost Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs this year. He was asking for a raise and Bowman didn't want to give it to him.

Overall, I like what Bowman has done this offseason and this team looks very good going into the season. I like that he left cap space in case the Blackhawks needed to sign a center sometime during the season if Kruger or Sharp couldn't do the job. It is always good to have a little cap room and Bowman managed to have that and have a pretty good roster going into the season. Great job by Bowman this offseason.

Carbomb

 

Remember that idiot that we all laughed at in the Stanley Cup Finals last year? Yeah, now he's on our team.  At first I was very upset about this trade, and then I tried to look at the positives of signing him. 

Stan Bowman did say before the start of free agency that he would be trying to make the 4th line grittier and more aggressive. Maybe he had his eye on Carcillo the whole time and nobody else knew about it. Carcillo is a gritty and aggressive 4th liner, but he is basically the same thing that Ben Eager was for the Hawks. He will do some good things and will be a reason for teams to be a little scared of the Blackhawks, but will do stupid things and commit stupid penalties. 

I have a feeling that the Blackhawks PIM will sky-rocket this year thanks to a lot of dumb penalties from Carcillo. The Blackhawks already have a shaky penalty kill and that penalty kill shouldn't be out on the ice more than it already is. 

I don't think Carcillo is all bad, but the bad certainly outweighs the good. He might score a few goals and add some toughness to our 4th line. That's what we wanted, but the penalty minutes and just flat out stupid play overshadows whatever good he may do in Chicago this year. 

Draft Picks and Trades

Two more Stanley Cup Champions were traded last week during the draft. Troy Brouwer left for Washington and Brian Campbell left for Florida. Both trades were sad for the fans, but good for the Blackhawks.

Brian Campbell's contract was way too high for the Blackhawks to keep paying. He is very important to the team, but the Blackhawks couldn't keep dragging his salary along. Troy Brouwer was probably going to be leaving Chicago sometime this summer anyway because he would be asking too much for his new contract. The Hawks were smart to get something out of losing him, instead of nothing. Both players will be missed in Chicago, but having them gone will help the Blackhawks fill out a gritty fourth line and maybe grab a second line center.

The Blackhawks ended up drafting 11 players this year. Three guys stood out. Mark McNeill, Phillip Denault, and Andrew Shaw were among the top picks for the Hawks. McNeill is a center that plays well on both ends of the ice. Denault is a passionate winger, and Shaw is a forceful and aggressive center. All three of these picks will someday become great Blackhawks players or be used in a trade at some point. They all have great talent. McNeill is already praised for playing a pro-style which will be helpful as he transitions to the professional level.

Overall, the Blackhawks had a good couple draft days. They made room for free agent signings with the trades and they drafted a few good players that will help the Blackhawks be good in the future.

One Year Ago...

 

One year ago was a day that I loved and a day that I hated. The reason I hated that day was because I didn't get to see Patrick Kane score the overtime goal that won the Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks. 

I missed this all because of a basketball game. My mom forced me to go because I'm the best player on my team and it was an important game. She didn't think that it was an important night, I begged her to let me stay but in the end she forced me to go. I got to see the first two periods of the game. I had to leave for the third period and missed a lot. I did win the basketball game, but in the back of my mind I was wondering if the Blackhawks had won yet. As soon as the game was over I ran to my car and turned on ESPN Radio. They were playing the call and I still don't know if it was live or if they were playing it after the Hawks had already received the cup. The call confused me and I actually didn't think Kane scored. I thought that Leighton gave up the rebound and another Hawks player shot it in. I got home thinking that the Hawks had won, but a little confused. My dad, my brother, and I all cheered for awhile and I was home just in time to watch Jonathan Toews receive the cup. I saw Hossa lift the cup and I felt happy for him because I knew it probably hurt him to lose twice in a row. I watched the celebration in awe and was so happy. 

I didn't get to see the Blackhawks actually win the cup, but I still felt the joy that other Blackhawks fans around the world felt. I will never forget that day. I will regret not seeing that goal live for the rest of my life, but hopefully I get to see a few more cup wins before I die. Those wins in the future will never be the same and I'll never have the same experience that other Blackhawks fans have had, but I am still a die-hard fan who will be cheering for the Blackhawks the rest of my life and I still get chills when I watch Kane score that goal. I can't imagine what I would've done if I was actually watching the game.

Next Year

The way the Blackhawks went out this year was a little unsettling. The first half of the series against Vancouver was terrible. They didn't play with any heart in the first three games and therefore had a tough task ahead of themselves. They needed to win four games in a row. That is a lot when the pressure of winning is on you each time. They were able to dominate in game 4 and game 5. Game 6 was a tough battle, but they came out on top in overtime. Game 7 was just too much for them to handle. They were behind from the very beginning and it took them almost the whole game to come back. Thankfully, Jonathan Toews somehow managed to get a shorthanded goal while laying on the ice. The game was taken to overtime and the Blackhawks put good pressure on, but one mistake led to Alex Burrows open in front of Corey Crawford and he netted the game-winner. 

I am a firm believer in the fact that if the Blackhawks had won that game they would be playing in the Stanley Cup Finals right now. They are the only team that put up any fight against the Canucks. The Blackhawks would have beat the Predators and then the Sharks and would be playing the Bruins right now. They could do what no team since 1998 has done and repeat. They didn't win that game, though. They lost and they are sitting at home right now. That might sound like a bad thing, but in reality it is a great thing. 

The Blackhawks did lose a lot of talent and great players in the offseason last year, but they still had a very talented team coming into this year. Injuries and heartless play at the beginning of the year is what hurt the Blackhawks. Fans should not be saying "What if" and "We could've" the fact is, the Blackhawks lost in the playoffs and they are out. All of this happened for a reason. The Blackhawks didn't get as much rest as they should and as much as they need last year because they went all the way and won the cup. They are getting much needed rest this year and will come back stronger next year. Losing in the first round is incredibly helpful to the Blackhawks. They are getting rest physically and mentally now. They will come back stronger next year and contend for the cup. 

The talent that the Hawks have coming back this season is very impressive. Corey Crawford is coming back and I personally believe that he will keep getting better and have games like he did in the playoffs. Duncan Keith had an off year, but with the help of being able to rest and with the pressure of being the Norris winner off his back he will have a better year. Jonathan Toews keeps getting better and will likely have a great year and still be a great leader for the team. Patrick Kane has disappointed a few fans, but I think he will get better in the offseason and have a great season. Patrick Sharp was the big story at the beginning of the year last year with his crazy goal scoring. I think he will score a lot, but not as much. Marian Hossa had a good season, but had a few injuries. Hopefully, he stays injury free and has another good year. Ben Smith showed a lot of promise in the playoffs this year and will likely start to play with the Blackhawks at the beginning of the season. He is a hard-worker and very hockey smart, so I think he will be a great player in the future. 

There are so many other players that will get better this offseason. It is easy to see that the Blackhawks will be one of the top contenders for the cup this coming season. They have everything it takes to win it all. This might be their year to get it done again. 

Crawford Locked in for 3 Years, thats Crawesome

Turco was supposed to be the guy this year. When he couldn't get that done, Corey Crawford came in and showed the Blackhawks that they had a gem they didn't even know about.

I have to admit that I wasn't sure if Crawford would be a good goalie. I was afraid that using two goalies would kill both of them, because they wouldn't have confidence in themselves. Luckily, Turco handled this whole situation like a veteran should and became Corey's best friend on the team. The pictures of Turco mentoring and talking to Crawford after wins and losses were amazing. The leadership shown by Turco this year will be missed.

In the playoffs, Corey played even better than he did in the regular season. The first three games were a little shaky, but most of the goals were not his fault. He got into his rhythm starting in game 4 and in game 5 got a shutout in Vancouver. What happened in game 6 to force OT was not his fault and we got the win. His best game was game 7. He stopped so many great shots. The Blackhawks needed to win that game for him, because he played so well. He stopped everything. The OT goal was a breakaway and a great shot. There was nothing Corey could do. If he had made that stop, I would have married him.

Going into the off season the most important thing to do was to sign Crawford. They took care of this right away and now we have him for 3 more years. I predict at least one Stanley Cup team led by Crawford and Toews in those three years.

Crawford, Leddy, Smith, and Kruger were all super-rookies this year. Crawford is locked in for 3 years now. Leddy is here for awhile. Smith will be her for a long time, because there is no way Bowman gets rid of him. Kruger is not certain, but I think he will stay. I like the way the Blackhawks are going in the next three years. Smith has the same qualities as Toews and Kane on the ice and I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the second line with Hossa all year.

Crawford is a very important part of this team and will get better in the future. He did have flaws this season and even in the post-season, but he is young and will get better. He will get used to playing in the NHL and will become our franchise goalie. I don't think his play with the Blackhawks will end in 3 years either. If he plays well, which I expect him to, Bowman will be sure to keep him. I love Crawford and I feel so bad for doubting him in the beginning. It is obvious now that he is a great goalie and will help the Blackhawks win a lot more games than they did this year. 

Hawkey brings tears, smiles, and memories. The tears dry, the smiles fade, but the memories last forever.

Yes, I stole that quote. I felt it was extremely fitting for Game 7 and for Blackhawks hockey in general.

This is going to be half looking back and half looking forward, so be prepared for whiplash.

The Future
There are two major players that have contracts expiring this year, or next year that need to be signed. The first is Corey Crawford. In my opinion, not signing Niemi was not good last year but did lead us to Crawford who is a much better goalie. We can't let Crawford pass by and go to some other team. Bowman himself said that signing Corey Crawford as soon as possible is a must.

The exact quote was this:  "He's a top priority for us," Bowman said Thursday in his end-of-season address to media. "He's earned the right to be a No. 1 goalie for us and our team loves playing in front of him. He has the right demeanor and right approach. He loves to be in Chicago. He's clearly a priority for us. It's nice to know going into next year we are going to have some stability in goal."
(taken from Jesse Rodgers (@ESPNChiHawks) on ESPNChicago.com)

I totally agree with what he said, Crawford is a must. We don't have the same cap problems as we did last year and choosing to keep him should be easy. He doesn't seem like a guy who will ask for much, and whatever he asks for he honestly probably deserves. Last year, Niemi was good in the playoffs but not that great in the regular season. Crawford was good in the regular season, and great in the playoffs. Keeping Crawford is number one on the list of things to do for the Hawks.

The second thing is that they need to keep Sharp. His contract expires next year, but signing him now will just make it an easier and smoother transition. Sharp has already expressed that he would be willing to sign now, but he can't because he can't be offered anything until July 1st. He is a leader and part of the core group of guys on this team. Losing him would deeply hurt our team, who looks like they have a good chance at the cup next year. I love how much he wants to be on this team and help them win the cup again sometime in the near future. He is a big part of our team's core of players/leaders.

The Sharp and Crawford situations are really the only things that we have to deal with. It will be a calm summer with very little heartbreak over losing certain players. The Blackhawks could actually end up signing a few players over the summer. The thought of having a bigger player who can lay on hits who isn't terrible at everything else like John Scott is, sounds like a good idea. I like the thought; if we can get a big guy who can actually play hockey without too many dumb penalties and turnovers I think we should sign him. Not only to play the Canucks, but because we need an enforcer on our team.

The Past
I waited as long as I could to let my heart fix itself before I wrote about what happened in that game. The way it ended was so heartbreaking that I didn't have any words when it first happened. I immediately put my head in my unwashed "lucky" cup winning shirt and shed a tear and just sat there speechless.

I think I have gotten over the hurt enough to comment on what happened throughout the game. The biggest thing that I noticed was that Alex Burrows single-handily beat us. He scored the first goal, he got the penalty shot which Crawford had a huge save on, he scored that final goal. I know that the other players contributed, obviously, but it seemed like every time the Blackhawks turned around he was doing something to help the Canucks win.

My favorite part of that game was the Toews goal. Not only because he is one of my favorite players and I had been waiting for him to score the whole series, but also because I called it. The Canucks went on the power play and there was only about five minutes left. I tweeted that with Toews and Hossa out there a shorthanded goal should be coming and we will silence the stupid Vancouver fans. Then, Toews had the puck Hossa set up. Hossa shoots it and the puck flies back and Toews jumps off the ice and smacks the puck in the net. I was so elated with joy that I was jumping up and down and screaming.

That goal forced overtime, and the sad part that I am not even ready to talk about came next. Bad turnover that lead to an easy shot to make. There is nothing Crawford could have done. If he would have saved that, I would have gone to Vancouver and hugged him that night.

Switching gears, the real part of the past that I want to talk about it way back. In the beginning of the season, the Blackhawks did not play well and seemed to be slower than the year before. They could have blamed it on the trades that needed to be made, but they were just playing bad. They needed to snap out of the funk they were in from winning the cup and play good hockey. I'm one of those people that is thoroughly convinced that if the Hawks would have played better in the early part of the season, we would not be in this situation and should still be in the playoffs. I know that you can't go back now, but the Hawks need to learn that the beginning of the season is just as important as the rest of the season.

The beginning of the playoffs was also not good for the Hawks. They needed to win at least one of the first three games. Being in a win or go home situation every night can be taxing on a player. I'm not saying that it got to them, because I don't think it did, but that is not a situation you want to be in. In the last four games, the Blackhawks showed that they could play with the Canucks. They needed to play with that same intensity from the start. I feel like I'm repeating myself now, because the Hawks have a problem with getting off to a good start. I would like to see them realize this and learn from that.

The best way they can send a good message to me as a fan is to start the season with a lot of wins and good hockey when they lose. I will know that they realized that starts are killing them, and that they have a chance to go deep in the playoffs if that happens.

NOTHING BETTER

This game was so many different things to me. It was frustrating, agonizing, heartbreaking, painful, and most of all it was AMAZING. It's going to be hard to write this whole thing without keyboard smashing at least 20 times, but I will do my best.

Game Overview

1st Period- The beginning of the game sent the worst message to me. I went into this game knowing that if Vancouver got a lead and stuck with it for awhile, the Blackhawks' season would be over. The Canucks scored right out of the gate, and I immediately knew this game was going to be close and I would probably die before the end of the game. The Hawks got into their rhythm a little better and started playing good hockey. The one line that has been performing well lately got the first goal for the Hawks. Bolland hit a Canuck extremely hard causing choas and a Bickell goal. The Canucks ended up scoring in the final minute of the period and we went into the locker room trailing.

2nd Period- The Hawks came out well in the second period, but could not catch a break. They ended up getting a 5-3 for about 1:30 and could not score off of it. They didn't pass the puck well all night on the power play and didn't score any power play goals. Later in the period, there was some sweet puck sharing and the puck was passed to an open Bolland who shot it right into the net.

3rd Period- Right out of the gate in the third period, the Canucks scored again. It had me shaking my head and wanting the game to be over and next season to start. Then I said to myself, okay, there is still a ton of time to score a goal. Each minute that passed made the tension worse and pushed my heart past the point of heart attack. Finally, Frolik was on a breakaway and the moment I saw him fall I was screaming, "PENALTY SHOT! PENALTY SHOT" He got one. I was begging God to let him make it just so the Hawks could live another day. He pulled a simple, but sick move and scored. He also injured Schneider in the process, perhaps changing the whole game. The replay of his shot made me want to be in a gay marriage with him, not even kidding. He got the puck up so nicely and clean AND injured their goalie. The Hawks had a chance to seal the deal, but they would NOT shoot the puck and so to overtime we went.

Overtime- This was one period where they actually came out from the start and played their game. They were playing good hockey for the first five minutes. Then, the Canucks got their turn. They were in the zone passing and shooting well and Corey came up HUGE. The Blackhawks could not clear the puck and are lucky to have such a great goaltender like Corey. In the last fiveish minutes of the game, the Blackhawks were making a good rush and Hossa shot the puck. The rebound went right to Ben Smith who snuck the puck right under Luongo's pads.

Final Thoughts
Perfection.

Game 6 Preview

The Blackhawks put themselves in a terrible situation. They played terrible the first three games and had no heart in their game. Being down 3-0, they realized that this is their last chance to try to move on. They realized that they are good enough to beat the Canucks. The next two games they dominated. The problem is, one mistake could send them home now because they put themselves into that nasty situation. Now they have to play each minute like it's their last, because it could be. That is a tough way to play for four straight games. If any team can do it, this team can but the road to the next round is not going to be easy. The biggest thing they can do is take it day by day and just figure out a way to win this game in front of some of the best fans in hockey.

Prediction
I don't think Vancouver is too happy about being shutout and blown out by the Blackhawks on their home ice, and will look to do the same to us on our home ice to end the series. The Blackhawks still have the momentum and are looking good, but that can change in an instant. The last two games the Hawks have been doing almost everything right. They have passed well, skated well, shot well, killed penalties well, scored on penalties well and played good defense. There isn't much more you could ask from them. On Thursday, they played fantastic hockey. The problem is, they can't stop now. That game cannot be their climax, because after the climax there is the fall and no Hawks fan wants that to happen. They still have to be rising and hit the climax in game 7. Vancouver will not make it as easy as they did on Thursday, so expect a few goals from them, but I still like the Hawks to force game 7.

Other Game Info
Seabrook is back in the lineup today. He might be taking shorter shifts than normal, but will still play. The fans that say this is a bad thing really make me mad. They think that just because we won two games without Seabrook that we should keep him out. He is a great player and is going to help not hurt our team's chances of winning this game. Yes, he gave the Hawks something to fight for on Tuesday, but the win on Thursday probably did not have much to do with Brent. The Blackhawks are winning games because they care about the playoffs and realize that they are a good team that can go far in the playoffs if they actually play hockey. Brent is only going to add to this want for a win, so if you think the Hawks are going to lose for one reason and that reason is Seabrook you should reconsider.

In other news, Dave Bolland is a badass mother fucker.

Only victory, no defeat

Tuesday night the Blackhawks were in a must win situation, and rose to the occasion and won in a big way. They were missing Brent Seabrook, who got elbowed in the head the game before, and that just made this team want it even more. They scored 7 for Seabrook and headed back to Vancouver to win there.

Win in Vancouver is exactly what they did. Corey Crawford was amazing from the first shot on goal. In the back of my mind, I was thinking he could get a shutout. More and more shots got piled on him, and he was like a brick wall in front of the goal. He ended with the shutout, but that wasn't even the best part of the game.


The best part of this game was the goal scoring from Hossa and Keith. Keith was amazing. He almost had a hat trick and two assists. One of his goals was actually tipped by Kane, therefore giving Kane the goal. Keith was definitely playing for Seabrook in this game and was a huge reason why we won. He played well offensively and defensively. There were people hating on him, saying he isn't as good as he was last year, and so he had an outstanding game on Tuesday and and even better one Thursday. Mariann Hossa was also playing very well, he simply split all the defenders and scored the first goal of the game. That gave him the confidence to be able to score on his breakaway later in the game. The Blackhawks simply dominated the Canucks and played like a the team that fans have been wanting to see all year. This Blackhawks team will be feeding off the United Center crowd tomorrow and I have no doubt they win. Game 7 is going to test who really wants it more, and I think the Blackhawks do.



I originally was going to put the Mariann Hossa song or Duncan Keith song with this post, but then I saw this and got crazy chills.

Best Video Ever

I realize that it's nearing the end of the Blackhawks season, and I make a new blog about the hawks, but I love this team so much and love writing about them. I took a leap and made this, and thanks to the amazing @QueenCrash for designing this whole blog.