Chicago Blackhawks' Reasons For Inconsistent Play This Season
Jan 6, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) congratulates goalie Scott Darling (33) following the third period at the United Center. Chicago won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Having reached the midway point of the season, the Chicago Blackhawks lead the Western Conference with 57 points, but they are definitely still a work in progress
It can be frustrating to watch the Chicago Blackhawks in January and February. It may seem like they aren’t putting their best foot forward. They might not seem very motivated, and many times fans become frustrated that the coaching staff isn’t playing the optimal lineup.
Here is a quote taken from an article recently written by The Fifth Feather of Faxes From Uncle Dale:
“So what happens before and shortly after the holidays is we see a lot of teams (like the Blackhawks) take their foot off the pedal and maybe not play with that extra attention to detail. Whether it’s a game where the coach experiments with the line matchups or where a team isn’t playing as tight defensively as they were at the beginning of the season, there are a multitude of ways teams cannot look as sharp as they did early in the season.
Of course, on the other hand you have teams like Columbus and the Minnesota Wild who can run off ungodly winning streaks during this time as they take advantage of those teams tinkering with their lineup, strategy, etc. The plus side is they gain a ton of points; the down side is everyone in the league who matters now knows their gameplan as the season winds down.”
This got me to thinking. There are a number of things that factor into the ’Hawks not looking their best right now. I’d like to take a look at a few of them.
Jan 6, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) and Carolina Hurricanes center Derek Ryan (33) fight for a face off during the first period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Injuries and the Chicago Blackhawks
This is the most obvious and the easiest reason to discuss. The Chicago Blackhawks have been hit hard with the injury bug this season.
To name the most substantial losses, they have been without Trevor van Riemsdyk for 20 games, Corey Crawford for 10 games, Jonathan Toews for nine, Marian Hossa for five and Artem Anisimov for four games. They are currently without the services of Marcus Kruger, who is slated to be out up to three weeks.
Having gained a lot of points at the beginning of the season has allowed the ’Hawks to have the luxury of being patient with players when they have injury issues.
When Toews was out, he openly admitted that he would have been playing if it were the playoffs. But it wasn’t the playoffs, so Toews took the time he needed to make sure he was 100 percent.
When players are out, other players are asked to step up. As we all know, this year there are more youngsters on the roster than in past years. Coach Joel Quenneville has been forced to trust them and give them opportunities they might not always be ready for.
The bad news is mistakes are made. The good news is these guys are learning and growing from these mistakes. Which leads me to my next point.
Jan 5, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Ryan Hartman (38) celebrates his goal against the Buffalo Sabres with center Tanner Kero (67) and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4) during the first period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Experimentation by the coaching staff and the Chicago Blackhawks
Coach Quenneville is NOT playing his optimal lineup right now. For example, Jordin Tootoo is just a place-filler while Q figures things out. He’s a pawn. He won’t be on the ice come playoff time.
But he’s useful now. Because it gives Q a chance to try out all the youngsters in different positions. To see where they fit best. This is when he can test their strengths and weaknesses, and figure out chemistry.
I would expect Nick Schmaltz or Tyler Motte to be a part of a playoff run before Tootoo. Both have been sent back to Rockford for seasoning. There they will benefit from more playing time, and can gain more confidence. Tootoo will not.
Right now, Vinnie Hinostroza has been playing on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. Perhaps this will work out, perhaps it won’t. But if Hinne eventually slots down into a bottom-six role, his time on the top line will only help him to be more dangerous in his new position.
We’ve already seen this happen with Ryan Hartman. He’s looked phenomenal on the third line the last few games after spending time on the top six.
The same can be said on the defensive side. Gustav Forsling was re-assigned to the Rockford IceHogs. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he was called up again at some point in the second half of the ’Hawks’ season.
In the meantime, TVR looks good some nights and horrible others. Michal Kempny is arguably one of the most consistent defensemen on the team. Yet he gets scratched a lot, or his ice time is limited. Brent Seabrook and Brian Campbell are both struggling right now.
As fans, it’s fun to try to predict how the D pairings will evolve. How they eventually turn out is anyone’s guess. I’m pretty sure even Coach Q doesn’t know right now. But he’s doing his best to figure it out. Much to all our frustration. Here’s some suggested pairings that have been floating around Twitter lately.
No. Keith-Seabs, Campbell-Hjammer, Kempny-TVR. Just try it Q https://t.co/pNcYNNGX2v
— Blackhawk Up (@Blackhawk_Up) January 7, 2017
@SatchelPrice @Blackhawk_Up Seabrook has played best with Kempny. Keep rolling 2-4, 7-6, 51-57
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) January 8, 2017
Next: Trade Deadline And Goaltending
Jan 6, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling (33) deflects the puck with his glove during the third period against the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center. Chicago won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
The trade deadline and the Chicago Blackhawks
This year’s trade deadline is on February 28th. I’m sure general manager Stan Bowman is busy trying to find a way to bolster this team for another playoff run. He probably won’t make a big splash; he’s hinted that he thinks most of the pieces are in place with the existing roster.
More from Blackhawk Up
But I would expect him to acquire at least another forward. Perhaps it will be someone to fill that elusive top-line left wing spot. Or someone to help give the bottom-six more depth, or more of a scoring punch.
And then whoever does come in will have to deal with Quenneville’s experimentation while he decides where they fit in best. Just ask Antoine Vermette or Dale Weise about it. It must be rather frustrating to play for this coaching staff. But in many cases, it’s worth it.
Goaltending and the Chicago Blackhawks
I’d like to take a moment to discuss this since strong goaltending has been key to the Chicago Blackhawks’ success this season.
Corey Crawford is your No. 1 goalie; there’s no doubt about that. But if he falters, or gets hurt, we are incredibly lucky to have Scott Darling as the backup for the Chicago Blackhawks. Here’s a quote from Scott Powers of The Athletic where Darling discusses being a backup.
“Obviously it’s fun to be the starter. You’re the guy. You get to play every game. You don’t get super-hard practice every day, which is nice too. But at the end of the day I’m thrilled to be the backup for the Chicago Blackhawks. You’re never going to hear me complain and I’m just happy to get games when I can.”
It’s pretty hard not to love this guy! But I think we all need to face the cold, hard facts. This is probably the last year Crow and Darls will both wear the Indian Head sweater. At the end of the season, one of them will have to go. So let’s enjoy them while we can, shall we?
It’s easy to see why the Chicago Blackhawks might not look their best in January and February. They are in a constant state of flux. But there is always that “Ah ha!” moment when Coach Q ices the ideal lineup. It’s usually during the first series of the playoffs.
And then we, as fans, curse him and say, “Why wasn’t he doing that all along?!” Well, he’s the second-winningest coach in the NHL for a reason. This is what he does. He never plays his cards right away.
Have patience, my friends. The best is yet to come.
