Behind the indian head

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The Blackhawks lost again today in overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their record in their last 4 games is 0-3-1. There obviously are not many positives to take away from the Blackhawks season. However one thing can be noted, the Blackhawks have young players on their team, Nick Shmaltz, Alex DeBrincat, and Ryan Hartman all have at least 20 points. Schmaltz has 33 points, while Toews only has 31. The Blackhawks have a team that does not show much signs of improvement, however these young guys can be the answer for the future. Duclair, Shmaltz, Hartmen, Vinnie, Debrincat, and Rutta, all can be the players to help the Blackhawks in a few seasons. They all are making an impact on the team, in a league where teams are built young. The Blackhawks play tomorrow against Detroit, word on Crow is that he hit the gym twice this week. Coach Q says he could be back sometime after the all star break.

The Blackhawks have gone 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, playing mediocre hockey with no real sense of urgency. Sitting 7 points out of a playoff spot, things are looking gloom around the UC. Nothing has worked so far for Chicago. Saad is not producing goals, neither is Toews (Thanks Bowman for trading Panarin for Saad). Our defense has had some high points, with players like Forsling playing well. However Keith and Seabrook were not Keith and Seabrook on the first half of the season. If the Blackhawks plan to do anything in the second half of the season their core guys need to step up. Toews, Saad, Seabrook, and Keith need to play better. Notice, Kane's name was not mentioned in this bunch, why? Well because he is the only reason they have won 22 games, and Crow, but he is most likely out for the season. The Blackhawks are on the way to losing their third straight game while I am writing this. I am questioning what needs to change for this team to compete, obviously everyone feels the pieces are their to succeed but its the coaches job to get these guys going. Pittsburgh was on the way to not making the playoffs in 2016 before Mike Sullivan was hired. Since then they have won 2 Stanley Cups. Coach Q is the Blackhawks coaching staff face. However Ditka was fired from the Bears and he is still their guy. Maybe a coaching change is the answer, maybe not. Time is running out for this Hawks team.

Crow has always been a stand out player for the hawks but especially this year, 16 wins with a 2.27 goals against average this year. Quenneville said Crow may be out for the rest of the season. We hope Corey can get better, not only for this team but for himself. Bryan Bickell supposedly had Virgoir like symptoms back in 2015, and it turned out to be MS. The Blackhawks will miss Crawford badly, but if he needs the season to get better, than that is a price everyone should be willing to pay.

When the new broke that Crow was going to be out for a significant amount of time, Chicago fans all around gasped. Then Jeff Glass came out of no where. Today he made 31 saves in what was his best game in the NHL. Today seemed to be a good day for a lot of the Chicago Blackhawks, Gustav Forsling made some big blocks on the odd man rush, Oesterle blocked some shots, and Rutta scored the game winning goal, his 5th on the season. Chicago has been having trouble finding defensmen over the last few years, these guys are the answer. Anthony Duclair had a not so shabby Blackhawks debut. Duclair was on the ice for both hawks goals tonight, and had a assist. He also showed his speed and skill with a breakaway that fell short of going in the net. However, the most amazing player tonight was David Kampf. Kampf showcased all of his skills on the ice tonight. He had a goal and a assist. At the end of the 2nd period, Winnipeg had the puck at the blue line with 15 seconds left, and Kampf showcased his defensive skills, knocking the puck off of the Winnipeg player and not giving a shot or pass lane for the Jet. Kampf showcased his skill today which will go along way for the Blackhawks coaching staff. Quennevilles team may have itself a third line that can dominate games. Oh yeah and that line is consisting of a 20 year old Debrincat, 22 year old Duclair, and a 23 year old Kempf. Hopefully these guys will be fun to watch for Chicago in years to come. The Blackhawks play the Detroit Redwings on Sunday.

Anthony Duclair plays his first game for the Chicago Blackhawks tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. Here are some stats and things to know about Duclair going into the game. He has 81 points in 190 games played in his career, with 15 points this season. Duclair is 22 years old with a a 1.2 million dollar cap hit. He will be a restricted free agent at the end of this year. Duclair is a left wing, and was drafted by the New York Rangers in the third round. Duclair is scheduled to play on the third line tonight with Debrincat and David Kempf.

Patrick Kane looked pretty good with an A on his sweater….. really good. Brent Seabrook looked pretty good from the other side of the ice….. in a box. I’d hate to say that the Blackhawks are on to something by scratching Seabs and giving the A to Kane, but I think that might be the case. Kane had his first 5 point night of his career (that’s really shocking considering Kanes had an all star career at just 29). The blackhawks had there second highest scoring game of the season, the first being the Pittsburgh game to start the season. Shmaltz had 2 goals, Toews scored, Panik had his first goal since way to long, and Sharp scored. The power play was on fire, converting 4 power play chances to power play goals. Everything seemed to go well for the Blackhawks. However it came against a struggling team in Ottawa.

We will see what the Blackhawks can do tonight against the Minnesota Wild. Video recap of the game can be found right here: Game Highlights

Over the course of the last 24 hours Stan Bowman reminded the Chicago Blackhawks organization that he is still around. Bowman sent down John Hayden to the minors and chose to send up Tomas Jurco. Hayden has been a physical prescense on the Blackhawks so far this year, and this will be the first time in his career that he will be in the minors. Over the course of the last few games Hayden has been physical but has not been scoring the way he should be. It was reported the Hayden was sent down to receive more minutes in all situations, he will be back. Jurco has struggled so far on the NHL level, he has 16 goals and 40 points since being drafted in 2011. However he is second on the points chart so far this year in Rockford with 25 points. This will most likely be Jurco's final test, hopefully he can figure things out and Bowman will look like a genius. Bowman made another gutsy move.

It was reported that Cody Franson was sent down to the AHL earlier today. (It was a miracle he cleared waivers). Today it was also announce that Eric Gustafsson has been recalled from the AHL. One of the reasons for this Franson move is that Bowman needed to clear salary cap for Anisimov coming back from injury reserved. Still it comes as a shock as Franson has been a solid defensemen for the Blackhawks, and one of the only shining stars of the power play. Gustafsson will have a chance yet again to play at the NHL level. This may be Bowman highlighting a few trade pieces before the deadline but we shall see.

Quennville also reminded fans who is in charge, and sent a message to the core players by scratching Brent Seabrook. Seabrook has played hockey not worth his 55 million contract that is through 2024. Hopefully something is done, maybe Seabrook wakes up and plays better, or maybe Bowman finds a team that will take him, otherwise, things are not looking good for number 7. The Blackhawks play the Senators tonight on the road, with no sign of when Corey Crawford will return.

In recent weeks, the Blackhawks have not managed to play a complete game. Last night the 'Hawks faced off against the Vegas Golden Knights, with a final score of 5-4 Vegas. However Vegas pulled away on the scoreboard before the Blackhawks manage to do anything. In the first period alone the Blackhawks were outshot 21-10. It was amazing that at the end of the first the 'Hawks were only down 2-1 on the board. Vinnie Hinostroza managed to capitalize on a late minute rush by the Blackhawks to score. The score should have been 3 or 4 to 1 at the end of the first if it was not for the works of Jeff Glass in goal by the Blackhawks. Glass has been relied on a lot in Corey Crawford's appence. Coach Q recently told reporters that "Crow" would be out for the foreseeable future. Little has been said about Crawford's injury, since being pulled after letting in 3 goals on 7 shots against the Devils on December 23. If the Blackhawks want to push for a playoff spot they are going to need Crawford in net. Crawford is not the only piece the Blackhawks need, they need to have their players play for 3 periods all out, not letting up. The 'Hawks play next on Sunday against the Oilers at 2.

Madison Square garden is a electric place to be at, it is historic and very impressive, however when the ‘Hawks faced off against the Rangers on Wednesday night it was anything but impressive. New York never showed up, until maybe the last half of the game. The crowd was dead and did not give any kind of home ice advantage. It was nice to see Sharpie score a goal for the ‘Hawks, he gave a glimpse of his old self, coming up ice and shooting a fast snipe right past “The King”. King Lundquizst kept his team in the game, coming up with some great saves on the Blackhawks at many points during the game. Someone else also showed up to play tonight.

Jonathan Toews scored on a empty net and tallied a beautiful between the legs pass to Vinnie, that gave him an assist on the night. However Toews took two penalties in the game. This Captain Serious’s second straight 2 point night, and who knows what is next for him.

The Blackhawks play on Friday night against the Vegas Golden Knights at home. This will be the first time the ‘Knights play in the Madhouse

Five days ago I asked the question "What's Next?" well over the course of five days that questioned was answered. The Blackhawks are currently on a five game win streak, a streak that is unprecedented for them this season. The Blackhawks have been unable to win 3 in a row up until this current tenure. The last 2 'Hawks games have been against division rivals all close with the Blackhawks in the standings, the 'Hawks dominated. For the first time this season, the Blackhawks played a complete 60 minutes, not once but twice. Two games in a row have been dominant efforts by the team in red. Coach Q, the line changing wizard, has been pulling all sorts of magic, from bringing "The Cat" to the first line, or scratching Panik, some moves have been working for the Blackhawks. Production from Kane has also been a high point for the team over the last few games. Kane has 3 goals in 3 games, and is now 5th in Blackhawks history for goals (299). Kane and Shmaltz have been building chemisty, and points, over the last few weeks now, which proves Stan Bowman's theory that Kane does not need Panarin, whom has a whopping 7 goals thus far this season. All and all the Blackhawks are proving that when they want to turn in it on, they can play hockey, and put up 46 shots on goal in the process. The Blackhawks still have two things to prove, it is time to play consistantly at this level, and work on the power play. The 'Hawks went 0 for 6 on the PP tonight. The Blackhawks managed to win 4 to 1 tonight but in a close game, 6 missed power play goals will cost you a win.

Looking at the schedule it should have been a lock, 3 home games, a day apart between each game, and against 3 of the worst teams in the league. Knowing that information, those games should have been easy victories. Two of the three 'Hawks games were decided in OT. With the other game, being against the Coyotes, decided in the third period. The key pieces are there for the 'Hawks. The 'Hawks top line had a great game tonight, with Saad and Toews scoring. Debrincat also picked up 2 assists. If I was Richard Panik I would be biting my nails in the box. The Blackhawks now turn around to a tough part of their schedule with their next 3 games being against division rivals, 2 of which will be on the road, Winnipeg and Dallas. The 'Hawks concern now is getting 4 lines working at the same time. Recently the energy line has been magnificent for the Blackhawks, Bouma, Wingels, and Hayden have been 3 of the best players wearing the Indian Head as of late. With Debrincat on the top line, things should turn around; they did tonight. Kane needs to be Kane on every shift. Kane can make a difference every pass or shot and make the game what he wants, not just in OT or the Third Period. Crowford has been spectacular all season, if the Blackhawks plan to keep this win streak going, it is going to be on Crow's back. The Blackhawks play the Jets in Winnipeg on Thursday.

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending the Blackhawks game against the Arizona Coyotes. I walked into the United Center expecting to watch a thrilling dominant game by the 'Hawks. To say the least.... I was surprised with what I saw. The first 2 periods were disappointing, I watched the Blackhawks just stick around hanging on to the game with no sense of urgency. They are passing way to much horizontally and need to simplify their entries into the zone. It is hard to watch the same 'Hawks core that won 3 Stanley Cups, struggle to beat one of the worst teams in the standings. I overheard a fan in the same section as me state, "The Blackhawks core is just tired of playing together, something needs to change." To elaborate on that, Kane and Toews have been in the league since 2008. That is almost 10 years of them playing together. I do not believe that Kane and Toews are tired of each other, however they earned their money, what happens next is icing on the cake. Crosby's very own Penguins was having a horrible season back in the 2015-2016 season. It was not till they fired their head coach and hired Mike Sullivan that the Penguins turned around and won 2 Stanley Cups. The 'Hawks are not the Penguins, but they need to find a reason to play. The 'Hawks need something new to reinvent their game. For most of this season, the 3rd period was the scoring period for the 'Hawks. Its time for the Blackhawks to play like every period is the 3rd period. Once again Crowford was the hero of the game. "Crow" was asked about a save after the game during an interview, he needed to be reminded about it. Seems like Crowford is making so many saves to bail out the Blackhawks that he can not remember them all. The Blackhawks play this Tuesday against the Panthers.

There was a bitter taste in my mouth when I saw the 'Hawks put forward Tanner Kero on waivers today. Kero has been a healthy scratch in Chicago over the last 10 games. 10 games of horrible hockey for the 'Hawks that featured only a few line changes for the Defense and Offense. The Blackhawks are yet to call up a player from the AHL this year, however with Kero most likely heading to Rockford odds are Vinnie Hinostroza will be getting a call up. I would not mind seeing a line of Vinnie, Hayden, and Hartman. The three are young and may just work together. However, the Blackhawks always find a way to surprise, so maybe a trade is on the way, or someone completely different will be called up like Tomas Jurco. Needless to say, it is time for a shake up in Chicago, and with 3 must win games against the 3 worst teams in the NHL the time is now to turm things around.

There seems to be times in the Blackhawks season that it seems like the league is against them. Most notably the ‘Hawks had 5 games last week in a span of 7 days. However if the Blackhawks were going to have a time in the season where they must win it would be right now. Their next 4 games come against the 3 of the worst teams in the NHL, as well as the final Wild Card in the East. There is no reason why the ‘Hawks don’t walk away with a 4-0 or 3-1 record. Obviously the Capitals who the ‘Hawks will play tomorrow night in Washington, will be a tough test. However after that the Blackhawks will play the Sabres, Coyotes, and Panthers all at home with a day in between games. The Blackhawks need these points and the momentum because after that their next 3 games are against division rivals. The ‘Hawks are not the strongest team in their division, and their is a bubble forming for the division leads, it’s time for the ‘Hawks to turn it around and play some hockey.

Vinnie Hinostroza has 22 points through 23 games with the Rockford Icehogs. He currently has one more year on his contract. If the Blackhawks do not call him up soon, there is no chance that Hinostroza sticks around after this year. He will sign with another team. Vinnie has stated in interviews on a few occasions that he believes he is a NHL player. Going into this season there was a lot of hype for him, he spent the off season working with Kane and things really were looking up for him. However because of off season moves and bringing back Patrick Sharp, Vinnie finds himself in the minors. Hinostroza roster spot is owned by Patrick Sharp, for better or worse. In order to call up Vinnie the hawks need to open a roster spot, by calling down a player and risking them being claimed off of waivers. They could possibly trade Hinostroza but that does not seem wise. We will have to see what the 'Hawks do, but one thing is for sure. Hinostroza has to be moved.

In my opinion, there have been a number of Blackhawks that have made an impact on the city and the game over the last 10 seasons. Since Kane and Toews have been in the league, the Blackhawks have made the playoffs every season. They have captured 3 Stanley Cups, 1 President Trophy, 1 Western Conference regular season Championship, and have made it to the conference finals 5 times. There have been many different players to help make the Blackhawks a power house in the NHL. Blackhawks like Bolland, Frolik, Ladd, and Kruger were wonderful depth players that moved on to bigger and better things after their time in Chicago.... particularly a bigger pay check. Guys like that are not going to get there numbers retired. However the core group of 'Hawks could definetly make a case to get retired. The Blackhawks core would have to be Kane, Toews, Seabrook, Keith, Hossa, Sharp, and Hjalmarsson. Now assuming that Hjalmarsson does not return to Chicago, I find it unlikely that his number gets retired. He was an excellent role player, but he was not really the flashy leader of the team. Kane, Toews, and Keith are all locks to get their numbers retired. 3 Stanley cups, each with a Con Smythe, and each a member of the leagues top 100 players all time. These future hall of famers deserve more than just a banner, they deserve a statue. Seabrook and Sharp, although they helped lead the 'Hawks to 3 Stanley Cups I do not see them having enough to get their number retired. The two just do not have enough individual awards. Hossa on the other hand, does not have the individual awards, however he deserves his number retired by this organization. He gave it his all for the Blackhawks, and helped mentor younger players, like Kane and Toews at the time, to make them the veterans they are today. Hossa came to Chicago to win the Stanley Cup, and he should leave with his name in the rafters. Basically the big take away is, there are many fun pregame ceremonies to come down the line, after 3 more Stanley Cups of course.