Stop Me If You've Heard This Before...The Blackhawks Look Like A Playoff Team
You guys know me well enough by now. I am an emotional roller coaster when it comes to the Blackhawks but I am always going to believe they can put it together deep down because I am an optimist by nature. Things looked scary after the first three games. Nylander is a ghost, Crawford looked just okay, the defense was a complete mess, and the Hawks started 0-3 with a pretty stacked schedule of opponents coming to town. The season could get away from the Hawks if they didn’t put it together quickly. Well last night they put it fucking together. Last night they looked like a competent NHL team against the undefeated Edmonton Oilers and the best player in the NHL, Connor McDavid. They looked like a team that if they play the right way can make the playoffs. They looked like a team the entire city should get behind. They looked fucking dangerous.
–Brandon Saad has been given endless amounts of shit since he’s been back. Some of that is his fault, but most of it is on Stan Bowman. It’s is not Brandon Saad’s fault that Panarin was traded for Brandon Saad. It’s not Brandon Saad’s fault that he’s not as good as Marian Hossa. Almost nobody is. Brandon Saad can control his own work rate though and he has been an absolute animal this year. He has been the Blackhawks best and most consistent forward through four games. He could’ve looked guys like Caggiula, Nylander, and even Andrew Shaw getting top 6 minutes and opportunities and he could’ve pouted. He did the opposite. He has taken this third line checking role and has been a force of nature on it. Forechecking, back-checking, taking away pucks and space and still creating chances for himself and teammates. He’s been the perfect forward and that line has some serious juice. They all work. I am not a big David Kampf guy just because he has almost zero offensive ability. He too has been great in this 3rd line checking role. He won his draws last night and the Saad-Kampf-Kubalik line took on McDavid all night and got the better of the matchup. If they can play that role all year then it really really frees up Toews offensively. Kampf can be Kruger 2.0.
–The Hawks also seem to have their defense starting to be sorted out too. Keith-Murphy works as a pairing. It didn’t really work when Murphy first came to Chicago in 2017, but that pair seems to have some life and they took on the shutdown pair role. Gustafsson, who as you probably know by now…is not my favorite, played with de Haan and that was easily Gustafsson’s best game so far this year. He defended the lines well. Used his feet to take away space and started the offense by finding outlets and moving the puck up ice. de Haan seems like the perfect guy to play with Gustafsson because he is so reliable and predictable. He can be that stabilizing force that allows Gustafsson to play with confidence and be himself. That is the Hawks top 4. It’s not the best in the league. But it’s ours and I think they can win consistently if they compete the way they did last night. We aren’t going to talk about Maatta and Seabrook because this is a positivie vibes only blog.
–Andrew Fucking Shaw. Let’s play that hit again
This is the guy that Joel Quenneville called “irreplaceable” heading into the summer where Shaw was eventually traded to Montreal. He was right. The Blackhawks have been missing the Andrew Shaw element since he left. The hit and the phsyicality is great, but he does a million little things over the course of the game that are infectious. He goes to the net, he forechecks hard, he backchecks hard, he hits, he mucks things up after the whistle. Andrew Shaw can wrestle momentum back in the Blackhawks favor all by himself just by being himself. His hit in the 2nd period was a driving force. It ratcheted up the entire feel of the game. The Blackhawks dominated the second period from that moment on and it was beautiful to watch. Caggiula started hitting, Smith started hitting, guys were engaged in the game, the Hawks were winning a ton of 50/50 pucks. Every team needs that and the Hawks finally have it again.
–Corey Crawford is the #1. I don’t know how it’ll shake out with him and Lehner this year, but when the Hawks need a W the guy I want in net is Corey Crawford. Crawford has played 3 of 4 so far and he looked like his old self too. Amazing how good he can look with a competent defensive effort in front of him. Goaltending is going to be a huge part of the drive back to the playoffs. It is for every team, but especially for the Hawks who still have an average or below average defense.
–Nylander was even okay last night. His best game as a Blackhawk too. Only one terrible turnover that I can remember. Had a few hustle plays and got the game winner. Ice time was limited, but it should be. If he works hard maybe the 4th line is where he is best suited. Less responsibility, but a chance to pop when it matters and get favorable matchups. Nylander probably doesn’t fit the way Stan Bowman envisioned when he traded Jokiharju for him over the summer, but this was a step in the right direction for Nylander.
The schedule is daunting, but there are point to be had while the Blackhawks are playing at home. Edmonton aren’t one of the best teams in the league, but the Blackhawks did shut down one of the best players in the league with a total team effort. That is what it’s going to take. They’re going to have to out-work teams this year to make the playoffs. If that work rate is up then Toews, Kane, and Debrincat will do enough special things to make this season fun and interesting. To bring back pride in the Blackhawks. To make the team dangerous. I can’t wait. Columbus on the 18th. Two more points on the board.