Chicago Blackhawks, NHL 3 Stars: Hartman Finding His Game
Another week is in the books, and the Chicago Blackhawks still find themselves on top of the Western Conference — or tied there, anyway
The Chicago Blackhawks pulled off two victories on home ice this week against the Nashville Predators and the Detroit Red Wings, but the 6-0 shutout loss to the red-hot Capitals sure sucked the life right out of Chicago and its four-game winning streak.
It was reported that players were pretty upset with the effort in the loss, so we can only hope that this provides a spark as the Blackhawks will face another tough test in the Minnesota Wild, who tied the Blackhawks for the top spot in the Western Conference by winning Saturday.
After a somewhat successful week for the Blackhawks, it’s nice to look back and reflect on those who helped lead the team in the right direction. After a horrible outing in the nation’s capital, it’s best to take a look at the positives in hopes to wash that game down! Here’s who made our list for the Blackhawks, along with those leading the way for other teams around the league.
(All players were chosen prior to Sunday, Jan. 15, 2016)
Chicago Blackhawks’ 3 Stars
Third star: Tanner Kero
Since Kero’s promotion from the Rockford IceHogs, the 24-year-old has made his presence known.
Although Kero isn’t the flashiest player by any means, he has stayed rather consistent in the Blackhawks’ bottom six, and has certainly earned some trust from coach Joel Quenneville. We all know that’s easier said than done, so he must be doing something right.
Kero grabs the third star this week due to his recent emergence on the scoring list. Kero had a helper in the 5-2 victory over Nashville along with his first goal of the year (second in his NHL career) in a win over Detroit this week.
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What makes Kero’s success so valuable is that he is such a small cap hit for the ‘Hawks. Chicago will be scavenging for cheap contributions once again as salary cap continues to be troublesome for the Blackhawks. We shall see if his recent emergence is only a sample of what is to come.
Second star: Patrick Kane
It’s a continuous scenario seeing the reigning MVP Patrick Kane on this list. Although Kaner isn’t scoring at as high of a level as the previous season, the ‘Hawks superstar is in a three-way tie for second place in points scored league-wide.
With 45 points (12 goals 33 assists), Kane continues to impress with his playmaking abilities.
Kaner failed to light the lamp this week but still managed to add four assists to his point total. What would truly be impressive is Kane repeating as the Hart Trophy recipient. It’s certainly not out of the question as he continues to produce at a high level.
First star: Ryan Hartman
At the beginning of the year, it was assumed that Ryan Hartman would be taking place of the departed Andrew Shaw for the Chicago Blackhawks’ new agitator. What we’ve got instead is an absolute upgrade at a fraction of the price!
Hartman recorded his first-ever hat trick against the Predators in quite a strange fashion with two goals being empty-netters. Regardless, the young forward stole first-star honors this week with three goals and two assists to help extend what was a four-game win streak at the time.
We can only hope Hartzy can continue his current stride of success as the ‘Hawks are striving for their fourth cup in eight years.
Eastern Conference 3 Stars
Third star: Ben Bishop
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been absolutely plagued with injuries this season. Goaltender Ben Bishop was among these players injured, and after a nine-game absence, Bishop is back.
This is huge for Tampa Bay as the new year has been a disaster for backup goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy with his 0-5 record in net.
Bishop gets the third star for the 24-save victory in his return to the crease for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning need a miracle if they hope to return to the playoffs, and Bishop’s return certainly helps.
Second star: Braden Holtby
The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is looking to recapture the league’s No. 1 goaltender honors this year and looks to be on the right track. Holtby’s Capitals are currently riding an eight-game win streak and the tasks at hand sure haven’t been easy.
This week alone, Holtby and the Capitals defeated Montreal, Pittsburgh and Chicago, all of which are teams on top or near the top of their respective divisions. Holtby managed to allow a grand total of three goals throughout the entire week (or four if you’re a salty Blackhawks fan like myself).
First star: Alex Ovechkin
Staying in Washington for our first-star award, Ovie has reached a milestone during his team’s recent success. Ovechkin has been considered by many to be the greatest goal scorer since the “Great One” himself, Wayne Gretzky. This week against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ovie scored to reach 1,000 career points.
Ovechkin, the six-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner, Hart Trophy winner, Art Ross Trophy winner and Lester B. Pearson Award winner, has seemingly accomplished everything in his career except winning the Stanly Cup. Could this be the year?
Western Conference 3 Stars
Third star: Connor McDavid
The sophomore has been stellar all season long and continues to prove his worth every week. This week, the Oilers captain added four more helpers to add to his league lead in points (50) and assists (36). With a five-point lead in points, the 20-year-old is looking to win the first Art Ross Trophy of his promising, young career.
Second star: Devan Dubnyk
The Minnesota Wild have relied so heavily upon Devan Dubnyk in what has been a highly successful start to the year. Dubnyk leads all goaltenders with a 1.77 GAA, a .940 save percentage, and ranks second in wins with 22. This week, Minnesota’s netminder allowed only two goals, but the highlight was an impressive 20-save victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
First star: Brent Burns
When it comes to offensive defensemen in the NHL, Brent Burns is the cream of the crop. Not only does Burns rank third in points (44), but he leads the entire NHL in shots with 166. Pretty impressive for a defenseman!
This week alone, Brent Burns chipped in two goals and three assists. Also an impressive statistic in these two games was Burns’ TOI of 29:33 in a victory over Edmonton and 26:49 in a loss to the Flames. It’s fair to say, Burns is a true workhorse!
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