Chicago - As soon as I think it is time to jump head first onto the Blackhawks band wagon, they quickly change my mind. After some better outings and improved defensive play, it appeared the Hawks were headed toward consistent results. Not so fast, as another inadequate effort showed up Tuesday night against Phoenix.
The Blackhawks returned home from the circus trip to disappoint a crowd of 21,183 by dropping a 4-1 decision. The Coyotes showed it takes more than big contracts and star players to win in the NHL.
The Coyotes were all on the same page. They prove no matter the talent level, a defined system of play is needed. To those on the Hawks bandwagon, don’t give up your seats yet, but it might be a good idea to be aware of the warning signs.
The Hawks have given up 78 goals, more than any other team in the Western Conference except for Columbus. The Blackhawk goal differential now stands at a meager plus two. To make matters worse, the Hawks have a bad habit of falling behind quickly, which makes things more difficult.
The hard-working Coyotes made fewer errors and stayed on plan. Dave Tippett’s crew isn’t star-studded. The Coyotes don’t have a $5 million player on the roster. In fact, Phoenix has one of the lower payrolls, ranking in the bottom 10 of all franchises.
What the Coyotes do have is a very good head coach and players who buy into his message. That translates into a team that plays a solid structure. Phoenix wins close games because they don’t break away from their system and they capitalize on mistakes.
On Tuesday night, the Coyotes dictated the style of play and waited patiently for a mistake. They got their wish in the first period and took a 1-0 lead. The Hawks didn’t send the puck deep into the Phoenix zone and were caught in a bad line change. Corey Crawford didn’t bail out his mates and the Hawks fell behind in the opening period once again.
Often the Phoenix tight-checking style dictates the pace of a game and can cause mistakes to happen. The Hawks were sloppy and not as hungry as the Coyotes. They fell behind 2-0 midway through the second frame.
The Blackhawks were caught deep in the offensive zone and the solid Phoenix transition game led to their second tally. Shane Doan beat Crawford, and at that point, the Coyotes had the Hawks by the throat.
It’s hard to place the blame squarely on Crawford for last night’s loss. A team can’t usually win while scoring only one goal. But Crawford wasn’t very good, and if he doesn’t round back into top form, his spotty play will cost points. For the most part, when Crawford hasn’t been on his game the Hawks' offense hasn’t been good either, but sooner or later that will change.
When the second period ended, it sounded like 2,100 fans were in the United Center, rather than over 21,000. The crowd was silenced, and it would have taken a strong performance by the Hawks in the third period to change the tone.
The opposite happened, as Radim Vrbata got a gift at 1:12 of the final period. Vrbata picked up a loose puck and sent a shot that appeared to deflect off Duncan Keith’s stick and into the net. A not-so-confident Crawford was down early and couldn’t prevent the Coyotes from taking a 3-0 lead.
The Coyotes weren’t done, as Ray Whitney scored to make it 4-0 less than four minutes later. The crowd finally woke up and voiced their displeasure. Joel Quenneville then pulled Crawford in favor of Ray Emery. He may have done so to save Crawford from embarrassment, as the Hawks were not up to the challenge.
Stan Bowman made some curious acquisition this summer and the message was the Hawks were going to be tougher to play against.
All those who have bought into the improved, grittier Blackhawk style, shame on you.
Don’t misunderstand me, I was fooled a bit too, especially concerning the defense. But I don’t see enough of a change, and the Hawks’ defensemen still play a softer game than many teams.
As has been the case on a few occasions the Blackhawks couldn’t change the tone of a game with big hits or a fight. They went away quietly once again, much in the same way they did in another recent lopsided loss versus Edmonton.
Diehard Blackhawk fans can believe what they want; I would rather believe what I see, and so far the Hawks don’t look like a very physical team. In many games, they haven’t been able to sustain a physical forecheck.
Dan Carcillo was back in action and tried to stir the pot with a player who doesn’t fight, Daymond Langkow. But it was way too late to accomplish anything.
It also showed that Carcillo is not beyond being foolish. Or maybe he is trying too hard at the wrong time, as he pushed a second confrontation with Langkow. Carcillo then got whistled for a slashing penalty as the officials were zeroed-in. At least the Coyotes didn’t score on the subsequent power play.
It’s funny how when an offense is stifled by another club, all of the top players on the losing team seem to disappear at once. That’s what can happen when top talent faces a solid team.
With less than four minutes left, Marian Hossa recorded his first shot on goal. At that point, Jonathan Toews was credited with only one shot as well. Patrick Kane was neutralized for the most part. I don’t remember seeing a lot from Patrick Sharp until he scored at 19:17 to break up Mike Smith’s shutout.
The Hawks will have three days at home to regroup before they face a club that has no fear. The rebuilding process continues on Long Island as the young, brash New York Islanders skate into the UC on Friday.
One would think the Hawks would practice Wednesday, but they won’t. Quenneville really doesn’t have much choice but to give his troops a day off. Beginning Friday, the Hawks will play three games in four days.
The Islanders are still a work in progress and have won only two road games this season. They are a loose bunch that can play with some physical energy. The Islanders are riding a two-game win streak, defeating the Devils and Sabres.
The Islanders have scored a meager 43 goals in 22 games, but at this point the Blackhawks can’t afford to take them lightly. Another home loss will rattle even the staunchest fans.
On Saturday, the Hawks will face the much improved Blues in St. Louis. On Tuesday, the Blues won their fourth straight road game by defeating Washington.
St. Louis will conclude their three-game road trip in Colorado on Friday night. It remains to be seen if the red hot Brain Elliott will be between the pipes to face the Hawks. Elliott has won his last six starts. The Blues have caught fire since Ken Hitchcock was named as their head coach.
It’s possible Jaroslav Halak will be in goal, looking for his second victory over the Hawks this season. Halak shut out the Blackhawks 3-0 on Nov. 8, Hitchcock’s first game as head coach. Since then, the pesky Blues have lost only one game in regulation.
Those on the Blackhawk bandwagon should buckle up. With more shoddy efforts the ride could stay very bumpy.
Al’s Shots
Two head coaches bit the dust this week, but Randy Carlyle was not one of them.
The Bobby Ryan trade rumors persist. Maybe the Ducks are looking to shed the big contract of Ryan.
The Hawks could use a Duck defenseman. Francois Beauchemin will be a UFA this summer. He s a hefty $3.8 million cap hit, but the Hawks have the space. Beauchemin plays with a physical edge and could likely be dealt before the trade deadline.
The Blackhawks returned home from the circus trip to disappoint a crowd of 21,183 by dropping a 4-1 decision. The Coyotes showed it takes more than big contracts and star players to win in the NHL.
The Coyotes were all on the same page. They prove no matter the talent level, a defined system of play is needed. To those on the Hawks bandwagon, don’t give up your seats yet, but it might be a good idea to be aware of the warning signs.
The Hawks have given up 78 goals, more than any other team in the Western Conference except for Columbus. The Blackhawk goal differential now stands at a meager plus two. To make matters worse, the Hawks have a bad habit of falling behind quickly, which makes things more difficult.
The hard-working Coyotes made fewer errors and stayed on plan. Dave Tippett’s crew isn’t star-studded. The Coyotes don’t have a $5 million player on the roster. In fact, Phoenix has one of the lower payrolls, ranking in the bottom 10 of all franchises.
What the Coyotes do have is a very good head coach and players who buy into his message. That translates into a team that plays a solid structure. Phoenix wins close games because they don’t break away from their system and they capitalize on mistakes.
On Tuesday night, the Coyotes dictated the style of play and waited patiently for a mistake. They got their wish in the first period and took a 1-0 lead. The Hawks didn’t send the puck deep into the Phoenix zone and were caught in a bad line change. Corey Crawford didn’t bail out his mates and the Hawks fell behind in the opening period once again.
Often the Phoenix tight-checking style dictates the pace of a game and can cause mistakes to happen. The Hawks were sloppy and not as hungry as the Coyotes. They fell behind 2-0 midway through the second frame.
The Blackhawks were caught deep in the offensive zone and the solid Phoenix transition game led to their second tally. Shane Doan beat Crawford, and at that point, the Coyotes had the Hawks by the throat.
It’s hard to place the blame squarely on Crawford for last night’s loss. A team can’t usually win while scoring only one goal. But Crawford wasn’t very good, and if he doesn’t round back into top form, his spotty play will cost points. For the most part, when Crawford hasn’t been on his game the Hawks' offense hasn’t been good either, but sooner or later that will change.
When the second period ended, it sounded like 2,100 fans were in the United Center, rather than over 21,000. The crowd was silenced, and it would have taken a strong performance by the Hawks in the third period to change the tone.
The opposite happened, as Radim Vrbata got a gift at 1:12 of the final period. Vrbata picked up a loose puck and sent a shot that appeared to deflect off Duncan Keith’s stick and into the net. A not-so-confident Crawford was down early and couldn’t prevent the Coyotes from taking a 3-0 lead.
The Coyotes weren’t done, as Ray Whitney scored to make it 4-0 less than four minutes later. The crowd finally woke up and voiced their displeasure. Joel Quenneville then pulled Crawford in favor of Ray Emery. He may have done so to save Crawford from embarrassment, as the Hawks were not up to the challenge.
Stan Bowman made some curious acquisition this summer and the message was the Hawks were going to be tougher to play against.
All those who have bought into the improved, grittier Blackhawk style, shame on you.
Don’t misunderstand me, I was fooled a bit too, especially concerning the defense. But I don’t see enough of a change, and the Hawks’ defensemen still play a softer game than many teams.
As has been the case on a few occasions the Blackhawks couldn’t change the tone of a game with big hits or a fight. They went away quietly once again, much in the same way they did in another recent lopsided loss versus Edmonton.
Diehard Blackhawk fans can believe what they want; I would rather believe what I see, and so far the Hawks don’t look like a very physical team. In many games, they haven’t been able to sustain a physical forecheck.
Dan Carcillo was back in action and tried to stir the pot with a player who doesn’t fight, Daymond Langkow. But it was way too late to accomplish anything.
It also showed that Carcillo is not beyond being foolish. Or maybe he is trying too hard at the wrong time, as he pushed a second confrontation with Langkow. Carcillo then got whistled for a slashing penalty as the officials were zeroed-in. At least the Coyotes didn’t score on the subsequent power play.
It’s funny how when an offense is stifled by another club, all of the top players on the losing team seem to disappear at once. That’s what can happen when top talent faces a solid team.
With less than four minutes left, Marian Hossa recorded his first shot on goal. At that point, Jonathan Toews was credited with only one shot as well. Patrick Kane was neutralized for the most part. I don’t remember seeing a lot from Patrick Sharp until he scored at 19:17 to break up Mike Smith’s shutout.
The Hawks will have three days at home to regroup before they face a club that has no fear. The rebuilding process continues on Long Island as the young, brash New York Islanders skate into the UC on Friday.
One would think the Hawks would practice Wednesday, but they won’t. Quenneville really doesn’t have much choice but to give his troops a day off. Beginning Friday, the Hawks will play three games in four days.
The Islanders are still a work in progress and have won only two road games this season. They are a loose bunch that can play with some physical energy. The Islanders are riding a two-game win streak, defeating the Devils and Sabres.
The Islanders have scored a meager 43 goals in 22 games, but at this point the Blackhawks can’t afford to take them lightly. Another home loss will rattle even the staunchest fans.
On Saturday, the Hawks will face the much improved Blues in St. Louis. On Tuesday, the Blues won their fourth straight road game by defeating Washington.
St. Louis will conclude their three-game road trip in Colorado on Friday night. It remains to be seen if the red hot Brain Elliott will be between the pipes to face the Hawks. Elliott has won his last six starts. The Blues have caught fire since Ken Hitchcock was named as their head coach.
It’s possible Jaroslav Halak will be in goal, looking for his second victory over the Hawks this season. Halak shut out the Blackhawks 3-0 on Nov. 8, Hitchcock’s first game as head coach. Since then, the pesky Blues have lost only one game in regulation.
Those on the Blackhawk bandwagon should buckle up. With more shoddy efforts the ride could stay very bumpy.
Al’s Shots
Two head coaches bit the dust this week, but Randy Carlyle was not one of them.
The Bobby Ryan trade rumors persist. Maybe the Ducks are looking to shed the big contract of Ryan.
The Hawks could use a Duck defenseman. Francois Beauchemin will be a UFA this summer. He s a hefty $3.8 million cap hit, but the Hawks have the space. Beauchemin plays with a physical edge and could likely be dealt before the trade deadline.
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