Blackhawks In Solid Christmas Position (Again)
With just one game left before the Blackhawks head to the holiday break, Chicago is looking up at only one team in the division race. But the Hawks are used to being at or near the top of their division when the holiday break comes. Since the 2009-10 season, the Blackhawks have been no lower than second place in their division on Christmas Day.
Here is the Blackhawks’ Christmas benchmarks for the last six seasons:
- 2009: 1st place
24-9-3 (51 points), 104 goals for, 77 goals against (+27) - 2010: 2nd place
19-14-3 (41 points), 113 GF, 108 GA (+5) - 2011: 1st place
22-9-4 (48 points), 114 GF, 106 GA (+8) - 2012: lockout
- 2013: 1st place
26-7-6 (58 points), 145 GF, 111 GA (+34) - 2014: 1st place
23-10-2 (48 points), 107 GF, 74 GA (+33) - 2015: 2nd place
20-11-4 (44 points), 96 GF, 83 GA (+13)
The Hawks have been at least plus-20 as a team at Christmas in three of the last six seasons, and were plus-27 and plus-33 in the two seasons in which they won the Stanley Cup.
It’s worth noting as well that, while the goals scored by the Hawks this season are the lowest of the last six seasons, the Hawks are on pace with the two other Cup seasons defensively; this is only the third time in six seasons the Hawks will be under 100 goals allowed at Christmas, with the other two seasons resulting in a championship the following summer.
As we look around the Western Conference this season, the Blackhawks appear to be positioned well in spite of the flaws fans point out regularly. Only two teams – Dallas and Colorado – have scored more goals than the Blackhawks to date, and only two teams – Los Angeles and Minnesota – have allowed fewer goals than the Hawks.
What will the rest of the season bring? Considering their history, the Hawks could be looking at another deep run in the Western Conference playoffs.
Yes, the Hawks are in a good position. But that said this doesn’t have the look and feel of a legitimate Stanley Cup champion roster. In fact this roster is the weakest it has been in the eight years of Quenneville being coach. I continue to be gnawed by our hole at LW, the lack of depth on defense, the marked slowdown of Hossa and the loss of team skating speed.
Yes RTF, the sky is falling.
RTF – Bah Humbug! Not even coal in your stocking for you!
Maybe some soft squishy old mouth guards from the weakest roster in 8 years…
Merry Christmas ya filthy animal!
Some folks are ‘the glass is half empty”, others are “the glass is half full”, just the way the world works. The team plays very much the same as the previous years as we can can really turn it up as evidenced from the last 2 come from behind wins. Kane and Crawford are having banner years and have always made steady progress with the odd setback, but always forward. At times the team is reminiscent of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 teams…very exiting to watch with lots of young stars except this go around being defensively responsible. We could certainly go deep into the playoffs. I think we can handle LA, Blues, Minny ..wee shall see vs. Stars tonight…only real threat I see in the East is Washington, but they are the SJ Sharks of the East, always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
Tonight I hope the team plays a big defensive style and shuts down Seguin and Benn. You have to play these Stars every second for the whole game as they can pile up a bunch of goals real quick when you least expect it. Hopefully our 2 way play will prove superior to their offensive juggernaut. Goaltending will also play a role and that we have in our favour in spades as of late. My Christmas wish would be a multi point night for Kane while we keep Benn and Seguin of the scoresheet, putting more distance on the Art Ross. If Scuderi and Rozy: then may they be a solid wall. This will be a fun game for sure and very interesting in many ways.
RTF – new day, same exact comment. You said the exact same thing last year and look where we ended up. Don’t you get tired of spewing the same repetitive crap? Find something new to say already.
After 1/3 of the Season i am still impress because 30% of the Hawks are at their first year with the Team Hawks still need to adjust and more trade will come before Mars. Probably in febuary we will see another move by the Bowmans…..then IQ will play with the boys and move them around a few dozen time before they notice they played with every players 3-4 times already, then IQ will decide who plays with the team for the Playoff. ….After we see the reaction of those guys and how they will focus on being the new Hawks Warriors….. Love my Hawks…
Go Hawks Go
Hey Mr. Rufus: You omitted — among other tidbits, of which you have numerous — Bickell is a shell of himself, Teavo should be traded he doesn’t fit on the roster, Kero is the heir apparent to Kruger, and Q is to be commended on all decisions he makes because he never makes mistakes.
By the way Mr. Rufus, what about Morin?
I see the hapless Ducks are playing the sliding Rangers tonight in NY. Prediction: the first NHL game where the score is minus 3 to minus 2, whatever that means!
Could be a high scoring affair for us tonight if the coaches let ’em go. Dallas certainly will. Anyone remember that 12-9 game at the old stadium vs. Gretzky and the Oilers in the mid-eighties? That was kind of nutty, but the eighties were fun.
re-Rufus. I do not believe a word of that Florida shit.
“In fact this roster is the weakest it has been in the eight years of Quenneville being coach.” Sounds like the comment of someone who started watching the team in 2013… Because I would take this roster over the one that was “highlighted” by Jordan Hendry, John Scott, Ryan Johnson, Jassen Cullimore, Fernando Pisani, Jake Dowell, Nick Boynton and Jack Skille in 2010-11 ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.
Patrick Kane has 50 points.
Patrick Kane has scored or been involved with over half of the goals the Hawks have scored.
Holy crap.
21 goals is 22% of 96 Goals. There were 85 players in the league last year who scored 21 goals or more over the entire season.
Well said Tab.
I have said before and will say again……The Cap has been kind to the Hawks BECAUSE the Bowman’s are the best Cap managers in hockey. It may take a year or two for another Cup, but it is what it is and makes the game intense and exciting.
My biggest gripe so far the year: Hossa out, Mashinter in….holy crap
They’ve always been in a relaxing playoff position because of the poor pacific division. It’s all a big experiment until the playoffs start.
The most interesting thing is that the Hawks aren’t inferior in points to the other 3 Conference finalists from a year ago. Their equal with Rangers, much superior to the Ducks and Bolts.
Their start of the season has been an A start of the season. I give the leadership among the players the credit for being in such a position in the face of the roster turnover, the Kane situation, Keith’s injury, Cup winning letdown risk, That’s all player leadership.
DumDum – yes player leadership has played a big part in everything the Hawks have overcome this year, and they have the best player leadership in the league, but don’t discount what Q has done behind the bench.
Just read the nhl app preview for the game tonight. Although Shaw is expected to play, this was a quote from the write-up:
Blackhawks right wing Andrew Shaw was not on the ice for morning skate Tuesday. Defenseman David Runblad filled in on the second line alongside left wing Teuvo Teravainen and center Jonathan Toews.”
Looks like Q has been reading this blog again.
JEG – Q is a beast, but this time I think the players/leaders went into meeting mode from Day 1 in order to blank distractions and focus.
One could say that the amount of distractions helped…they saw the risk and tackled them right away instead of when they happen as it might happen in ‘normal’ years.
Shaw received 1 game suspension and is out tonight
Oh boy, that’s not good. We were expecting a suspension though.
A Hawks loss and a Blues win against Boston, puts them in 3rd in the Central… Sorry Tab.
Big Earl…..where did you take the news about Shaw ?
I see him on the ice ….euhhhh
Yo Tab,.,.,we did,nt win shit 2010-2011
Sharp looking great tonight ,.,.,how,s our new guys doing?
I’m feeling pretty encouraged by the play of Rasmussen and Danault. Both playing center. If they keep improving it’ll be huge.