Can Blackhawks Rebound from Devastating Weekend?
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports
It was a rough weekend for the Chicago Blackhawks – one the NHL’s top 3 teams. The Blackhawks blew a 2-1 lead to the Flyers in Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon, allowing the Flyers to score 2 goals for the win in the final 2+ minutes of regulation. Back in Chicago on Sunday, it looked like the Blackhawks had put the disappointing loss behind them quickly as they raced out to a 3-0 lead of the Washington Capitals after 2 periods of play. But another late collapse – a 3-goal 3rd period for the Capitals – gave the Capitals a chance to win in overtime. And that they did as Nicklas Backstrom’s 2nd goal of the game (his 28th goal on the season) 3 minutes into the extra frame gave the Capitals the big road win.
In addition to the back-to-back agonizing defeats, the Hawks also learned that they would be without key defenseman Brent Seabrook for at least 7-8 weeks after he suffered a broken clavicle and broken ribs at the hands of a cheap shove by Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin was kicked out of the game for the game misconduct and was ultimately suspended 2 games by the league for the cheap shot – the 2nd time that the NHL has suspended Ovechkin for 2 games this season. Seabrook will be sorely missed by the Blackhawks during this final stretch to the season. Seabrook had notched 23 points on the year with 20 assists and he also had a +/- of 18.
The Blackhawks are still 44-18-6 overall with 94 points. They still only trail the San Jose Sharks (who themselves have hit a rough 4-5-1 stretch) by 2 points for the best record in the Western Conference. But the trend is not going in the right direction for the Hawks who begin a “big” 3-game west coast road trip tonight against the Ducks in Anaheim. The Hawks play the Kings the following night in Los Angeles and then they travel to Phoenix to take on the Coyote on Saturday night. The Ducks always play the Hawks well in Anaheim despite their poor record. The Kings have 40 wins and 85 points and are still competing to try to improve their playoff position in the west. The Coyotes are perhaps the biggest surprise in the NHL this season with 43 wins and 91 points. They are currently positioned 4th in the West, but have more points than the Vancouver Canucks who have the 3rd seed in the west because they are a division winner.
Taking 2 out of 3 games on this trip won’t be easy, but I have a feeling that that is exactly what the Blackhawks accomplish. Coach Joel Quinneville always seems to find a way to get through to his team when the hit a rocky road, and this road trip won’t be any different. He has opted to go with Antti Niemi in the opener tonight in Anaheim because he is a more consistent goaltender and more likely to give the team the best chance to win a “winnable” game. If Niemi plays well, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Quinneville play the hot hand the following night against the Kings. The Blackhawks boast 4 players with at least 57 points – Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews – plus they have Marian Hossa who has racked up 40 points in just 43 games played. So look for the Hawks to apply the pressure big time in each of the 3 games. The Hawks “always” out-shoot their opponents, and this trend will continue to happen in each of the games.
I’m predicting 2 wins for the Blackhawks on the road trip and a renewed confidence as they return to Chicago next week to take on Phoenix at the United Center on Tuesday night.
