The ring of rings

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

Today the Blackhawks received their 2013 championship rings, just 2 days before opening night. Honestly, all I can really say is wow. These things are amazing.

ring-4210015443_slide

To compare the two rings, here is the face of their 2010 Stanley Cup ring:

Personally, I like this year’s ring a bit better. Not that there’s anything wrong with the 2010 ring, it’s just that I like the red rubies on this year’s ring. It’s also pretty cool how they inscribed each opponent and the outcome of each series from the playoffs on the inside of the finger hole. These will be tough to beat.

Blackhawks’ final roster almost set

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

With just three days remaining until the opening puck drop to the 2013-14 season, the Blackhawks still have some key decisions to make regarding their final roster. Currently, Ben Smith, Jeremy Morin, Jimmy Hayes, Brandon Pirri, Joakim Nordstrom, Michael Kostka, and Ryan Stanton are all battling for the remaining three open spots on the Blackhawks’ roster. All seven of those guys are worthy of playing in the NHL, but only three will begin the season in Chicago.

There has been a lot of talk all summer long about who may get the number two center job with the Blackhawks this year. For a quite a while, it was looking like Brandon Pirri would be the guy. However, it is looking more and more like that potentially may not be the case. While he is certainly still a candidate, other guys like Ben Smith, Joakim Nordstrom, and Michael Kostka are proving this preseason that they belong on the opening night roster. If those three were to make the team, then that leaves Brandon Pirri headed back to Rockford (for now at least). It is possible that the Blackhawks may not keep 8 defensemen on the roster like they have right now. They may choose instead to hang on to 3 forwards, which would be a good thing for Pirri.

As training camp came and went and as the preseason has come and (almost) gone, Joakim Nordstrom has really stood out as the possible replacement to Michael Frolik on the fourth line and top penalty-killing unit. Joel Quenneville has commented that Nordstrom has looked really good on the PK with Kruger, and Kruger has voiced the same opinion. Nordstrom has made it clear that he is willing to do whatever it is going to take to make the team, and right now he seems to be doing the right things. His hustle and defensive awareness have apparently really stood out to the coaching staff.

Right now, I would pencil in Ben Smith and Joakim Nordstrom on the opening night roster. The last open spot will most likely go to either Pirri or Kostka, based on how things have played out this preseason. Personally, I would keep Brandon Pirri on the roster. That would mean that someone like Brandon Bollig would have the be a healthy scratch, but I am okay with that. Pirri is a better all-around player than Bollig.

Regardless of what the Hawks’ coaching staff and management decides to do with the remaining three empty spots on the roster, this is going to be a good team. Almost everyone from last year’s team is back, and the rookies who do make the team should fit in just fine. The Blackhawks’ have done a real good job of developing their minor league prospects in recent years, and because of that they have a number of young guys who are more than capable of playing on the NHL team.

This should be another fun season.

NHL jersey rankings

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

With the 2013-14 NHL season slated to begin in less than two months, I thought I’d rank all the NHL jerseys from best to worst. Here we go…

1. Chicago Blackhawks

The reds are often regarded as the best jersey in sports, and the indianhead logo is also considered one of the best in all of sports. These jerseys speak for themselves. I only wish that they’d bring back their alternates from 2010.

2. Boston Bruins

Their logo has hardly changed over time, and their jerseys are one of the most classic in sports. Tough to not like these.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Again, this logo has rarely been changed, and the jerseys are simple, yet great. True classics.

4. New York Rangers

The diagonal lettering on the front of their jerseys has been the Rangers’ signature look forever. I love the stripes going across the front and back sides of the shoulders on their away jerseys. Their third jerseys are one of the best in the NHL.

5. Edmonton Oilers

I was quite happy when they finally dropped their navy blue look and went back to their classic colors from the Gretzky days.

6. Detroit Red Wings

This has to be one of the more recognizable logos in sports. The winged wheel has not really changed at all over time, nor have the jerseys themselves. The arched lettering/font used on the nameplates is truly unique.

7. Vancouver Canucks

Much like the Oilers, the Canucks made a good move in ditching their navy blue look. The green and blue on these jerseys go together really well.

8. Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens’ logo has been pretty consistent throughout time, but their jerseys have changed a bit more frequently. Still, a real classic look.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of their logo, but the jersey as a whole looks good. I’d be in favor of bringing back their old yellow and black look form the Mario Lemieux era.

10. Buffalo Sabres

A couple years ago Buffalo decided to use their original logo and colors again. That was the best decision they have made in a long time, because the jerseys they had before these were horrendous.

11. Los Angeles Kings

I might actually like their whites better than the blacks. The logo isn’t very creative, but the overall look of these jerseys isn’t bad by any means.

12. Minnesota Wild

They wore their green alternates at home in the playoffs this past spring, which make up for their pretty weak away jerseys. The home red unis are pretty nice in my opinion. If they could figure out a way to make their whites more interesting, I’d have the Wild higher on my list.

13. Washington Capitals

In yet another instance of a team bringing back their classic look, the Capitals’ current uniforms are the best they’ve had.

14. St. Louis Blues

These jerseys haven’t changed much over the past decade. The two shades of blue, black, and yellow/gold all go well together. Their alternates are some of the best third jerseys in hockey.

15. New Jersey Devils

The Devils’ jerseys are rather simple and unchanged in a long time. I see no reason for them to change their look anytime soon.

16. New York Islanders

Again, just another example of a team bringing back its classic colors. Even though I have the Islanders in the bottom half of my rankings, these jerseys are much better than what they were wearing just a few years ago.

17. Colorado Avalanche

I don’t like the white/blue trim that cuts down the jersey from the shoulders to the waist. I hate when the “C” or “A” patches are placed over trimming. The logo is a bit weak as well.

18. Winnipeg Jets

I’m not saying that these jerseys are bad by putting them at number 18. The reason they are this low is because they could have been better. When the Jets came back to Winnipeg 2 years ago, they could have modernized their original look instead of creating a whole new logo.

19. Columbus Blue Jackets

I’ve seen enough of this look since the Jackets came into existence just over a decade ago. I really don’t like the red pants/white sweater look.

20. Phoenix Coyotes

The Coyotes have tried multiple times to make their uniforms/logo look better, and this is probably the best look they’ve had. Still, there’s not much to it.

21. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes will be wearing a new uniform set this year, as you can see in the pictures. These new jerseys just look too bland for me. I liked their unis from the past few years better.

22. Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay decided to switch up their jerseys heading into the 2011-12 season, and that slightly strengthened their appearance. They’re still nowhere near the best in the league.

23. Calgary Flames

Here’s another case of me liking their road uniforms better than their home uniforms. I think the Flames should just make their alternates their permanent home uniform.

24. Ottawa Senators

The logo isn’t bad, but the rest of the jersey is pretty weak. It’s time they switch up their look in Ottawa.

25. Florida Panthers

A pretty typical Florida uniform set. Really bright colors that don’t look very well on a sports jersey.

26. Philadelphia Flyers

I’m going to assume I’m in the minority on this one, but I don’t like the Flyers’ uniforms. The different-colored nameplates just look bad, and the stripe going down the sleeves doesn’t look good.

27. Nashville Predators

My first instinct when I saw their home jerseys for the first time was, “Are they serious?” I don’t know why anyone would ever consider making their jerseys yellow like Nashville did. Their whites aren’t bad, however.

28. San Jose Sharks

These are the new jerseys that San Jose will be wearing this year. They’re awful. They look like practice jerseys. Why they decided to ditch their previous look confuses me. Even with those (and the new ones), I don’t understand why their primary logo needs to be present on the jerseys in 3 different spots: the chest and both shoulders. Couldn’t they develop a secondary logo by now?

29. Dallas Stars

This is the third new set of uniforms that we’ll be seeing this season, and I have to ask, what was Dallas thinking? These look like they belong in the AHL or some junior league.

30. Anaheim Ducks

Easily the worst jerseys in hockey. I’ve hated these since day one. Their third jersey should become their new home jersey, and they should design a white one based off of that look.

Predators trying to “Keep the Red Out”

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

The Nashville Predators announced last week that they have placed restrictions on tickets to Predators home games against the Blackhawks. In an attempt to lessen the amount of Chicago fans that attend Predators – Blackhawks games in Nashville, the Predators are not allowing any fans, Predators or Hawks fans, to purchase single-game tickets to these games. If anyone wants to see the Predators take on the Blackhawks in Nashville, they must also purchase tickets to at least one other Predators home game. This plan has been named “Keep the Red Out” by the Predators.

I believe there are a few ways of viewing this move by the Predators organization.

First, this will in fact most likely lessen the amount of Blackhawks fans that attend games in Nashville. Unless someone is truly a die-hard hockey fan, the only people buying tickets to an additional Predators home game will be actual Preds fans. I don’t think any Chicagoans want to be purchasing tickets to a Predators game that doesn’t involve the Blackhawks.

Second, if you’re a Blackhawks fan like me, you might feel a bit proud of this whole ordeal. The fact that Hawks fans have made an opposing NHL team adopt a plan like this is pretty impressive. We should be proud of ourselves for how well we represent the Blackhawks on the road.

Third, and from a casual fan’s perspective, this plan almost seems like it will hurt the city of Nashville when it’s all said and done. If you’re familiar with how many people from Chicago flock to Nashville when the Blackhawks or Bears are in town, then you have an idea as to how much additional revenue Chicago fans provide for the local hotels, restaurants, and bars. By trying to keep Blackhawks/Chicago fans out of Nashville, the Predators are in fact hurting the local economy. Obviously the economic affects of this plan over an an entire year won’t be much at all, but those affects will be noticed when the Hawks are in town and not as many of their fans are.

If you were planning on traveling to Nashville this season to see the Blackhawks take on the Predators, there are still ways of getting single-game tickets. Websites like StubHub, for example, will still be selling single-game tickets to these game. The only downside of using the secondary market to buy tickets is that they will probably be more expensive than their face value. Personally, 90% of the sports tickets I buy are from StubHub anyways, and I’m sure I’m not the only one like that.

My prediction is that a large number of Blackhawks fans will still migrate to Nashville when the Hawks are in town. Because of the increasing popularity of the secondary ticket market, I feel that plenty of Blackhawks fans will still find their way into Bridgestone Arena. I hope I am right, because I would love nothing more than to see this Predators’ plan fail.

Blackhawks trade Bolland, Frolik; Sign Bickell

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

Just 6 days after the Blackhawks fourth line scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, two of the three players on that line have been traded. Today, Stan Bowman sent Dave Bolland to the Maple Leafs in exchange for the 51st and 117th picks in today’s draft, as well as a 4th round pick in next year’s draft. He also traded Michael Frolik to the Winnipeg Jets for the 74th and 134th picks in today’s draft. While these moves are definitely disappointing for Hawks fans, they are smart moves. On the bright side, it was just announced that Bryan Bickell signed a 4-year, $16 million contract with the Blackhawks.

Okay, so a lot to digest here. Let’s start with the trades.

By moving Bolland and Frolik, the Blackhawks gained about $5 million in cap space for next season, increasing their total cap space to over $13 million according to CapGeek.com. With the signing of Bickell for a reported $4 million per year, that cap space now drops to around $9 million for next season. Obviously, people are going to be upset seeing the names Bolland and Frolik being traded. However, you need to look at the numbers in this trade.

Bolland and Frolik were a combined $5 million cap hit next season, which is an awful lot of money to be spending on 2 fourth line players. The Hawks knew that in order to sign someone like Bryan Bickell, they needed to free up some cap space. Trading Bolland did just that, and the Hawks wasted no time in extending Bickell. By trading Frolik, the Blackhawks have gained even more cap space to re-sign a guy like Nick Leddy. There have been talks of the Hawks trading Leddy, but I now doubt that will happen. Leddy is due to become a RFA this summer if the Hawks do not extend his contract.

So, now what do the Blackhawks do with their remaining $9 million?

They could do a number of things. My best guess is that they are going to re-sign Nick Leddy, and maybe even Ray Emery. They will also do what they did last year and sign some role players and depth players. I am not so sure that they will make a big splash by signing someone like Briere or any other big name, although that is not out of the question. It is no secret that they need a true number 2 center, and with their now high cap space, they could acquire a decent center.

Brandon Pirri

One thing is for sure, however. Guys like Ben Smith and Brandon Pirri are going to get their fair shot at becoming impact players on the Blackhawks next season. Ben Smith will most likely be on one of the Hawks’ bottom 2 lines to start the season, and Pirri could even find himself as the second line center. Personally, I don’t think it is a good idea to put a rookie into that much important number 2 center position. I believe that going out and acquiring a good, veteran second line center would be the better option.

A lot can happen now with the Blackhawks. They have a ton of money to spend, even after signing Bickell. The question now is whether or not they will spend all of that money, and if they do, how will it be spent? On role players, or on a big name or two? Either way, Stan Bowman has really been working hard here the last 24 hours, and I am confident he’ll make the right decisions moving forward.

CHAMPIONS

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

After nearly 2 months of grinding out every second of every shift, sacrificing blood, sweat, and broken bones, the Blackhawks can once again call themselves Stanley Cup champions. It is only fitting that they would clinch the Cup with one of the most dramatic endings to a game in Stanley Cup history. This team was presented with challenge after challenge over the course of this postseason, and they came out on top each time.

Think about everything that the Blackhawks had to overcome in these playoffs to win the Cup. They were down 3-1 in their series with Detroit and battled back to win the series in a crazy 7th game. They were without Duncan Keith in Game 4 in L.A. and found a way to win without him. In Game 1 against Boston, they were down 3-1 in the third period and scored 2 goals to tie the game before winning it in triple overtime. Even in Game 6, the Blackhawks found themselves down 2-1 with less than 2 minutes to go, and somehow scored 2 goals in 17 seconds to tie and win the game, and the Cup.

All year long, the Blackhawks have proven people wrong. I’ll be the first to admit that I did not think this team was built to win a Stanley Cup. So many times I have criticized Stan Bowman for not doing more at the trade deadline. So many times I have stated that the Blackhawks “are too small” and “not physical enough” to win the Stanley Cup. I was wrong. This team had too much heart to lose. Regardless of what challenge was thrown their way, they found a way to overcome it. Whether it was a major deficit in a series, or a relentless physical pounding from Boston, the Blackhawks battled through it all and can now call themselves champions.

This team plays like its captain. Jonathan Toews is the most competitive player in hockey if you ask me. He does anything he can to will his team to victory. Maybe the best example of this was when he scored short handed from his knees to tie Game 7 against Vancouver in 2011 with about 2 minutes left in regulation. He never gave up on the play and wasn’t going to be denied. Last night, he displayed this same effort in the final seconds of the game.

With Boston trying to get the puck into the offensive zone, Jonathan Toews was all over the ice making plays on the puck. As the final seconds ticked away, it was Toews who was sprawled out on the ice clearing the puck back into Boston’s own end. Watch it here:

Aside from Toews’ efforts in Game 6, Duncan Keith was all over the ice as well. He played maybe his best game of the playoffs, and it paid off.

I said coming into Game 6 that the bottom two lines for Chicago are what would win them the game, and I was right. It was the fourth line for the Blackhawks that got the winning goal with 58 seconds left in regulation. Johnny Oduya’s shot made its way to the net, and Dave Bolland knocked in the rebound for the game-winner.

While Game 6 started out in Boston’s favor, it was Corey Crawford and the Blackhawks’ penalty kill that kept them in this game. Crawford came up with number of huge saves, and the PK unit was 4-4 in killing off penalties.

This Blackhawks team should go down as one of the greatest in NHL history. They started the season by going 24 straight games without a regulation loss, and finished the season by winning the President’s Trophy with a record of 36-7-5. Yes, it was a shortened season, but this team dominated from start to finish like no one has before.

Looking forward, you can’t help but think that this could be the beginning of a dynasty. The Blackhawks already have 2 Cups in the last 4 years, and if their core can stay intact, who knows what they could do down the road.

I can’t wait to find out.

Blackhawks on the verge

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

Tonight is the night that all of us Blackhawks fans have been waiting for since the end of the summer of 2010. Tonight, the Blackhawks could win their 5th Stanley Cup in franchise history with a win against the Bruins in Boston. Winning the fourth game of a playoff series, let a lone the Stanley Cup Final, is always the toughest win to get. For some players, it is hard to stay focused on going out and playing the game while knowing that they could win the Cup with a victory. For others, knowing that they’re just one win away provides even more motivation to go out and play with every ounce of energy and focus that they have. This is the type of player that I believe the Blackhawks are made up of.

A big deal is being made of the theory that the Blackhawks might be distracted by what they could potentially accomplish tonight. I’m not buying into that. While only 8 of the current Blackhawks have won the Cup, this is a group of players that won’t lose their focus. When you are on a team led by players such as Toews, Keith, Sharp, Seabrook, Hossa, and so on, it is hard to lose focus on the task at hand. The leadership on the Blackhawks is incredible, and it is a huge reason as to why this team has been so successful this season. The guys who have been in this situation just so happen to be great role models to the younger, less experienced players on the Hawks. For that reason, I am expecting to see the Blackhawks more focused than they have been all season tonight.

As well as the Blackhawks have played and as much effort as they have given over the course of this postseason and these last 2 games, I am confident that tonight will be their best effort yet. They know the Bruins are going to give their own best possible effort to avoid elimination, so they will have to match Boston and probably play with even more effort than the Bruins.

Jonathan Toews said today that he will for sure be playing tonight, which is a very good thing for the Blackhawks for obvious reasons. Patrice Bergeron, however, is still not quite sure whether or not he’ll be playing tonight. Claude Julien said after the Bruins’ morning skate today (Bergeron did not participate) that Bergeron will take part in the warmups tonight, and he hopes that Bergeron will play. So while it sounds like both players will be on the ice tonight, the status of Patrice Bergeron is a bit more up in the air.

So how do the Blackhawks finish off the Bruins tonight? Well, they need to continue doing what they’ve done over the last 2 games. In Games 4 and 5, the Blackhawks really used their speed to their advantage and were able to create a lot of offensive chances by doing so. The Bruins’ biggest weakness in 5-on-5 play is defending fast teams like the Blackhawks. If the Hawks can come out of the gates and dictate the way this game will be played, they should win. If they sit back and let Boston play their own game, then the Bruins will most likely win. In the end, it all comes down to which side wants it more and brings the best effort.

While guys like Kane and Toews have really stepped up this series, I think that tonight may come down to which ever team gets more production from their bottom lines. The Blackhawks are the deeper team and over the course of this series, they have gotten the better production from their depth players. I see no reason as to why this shouldn’t be the case again tonight, and it could prove to be the difference. Guys like Saad, Shaw, Bolland, Frolik, Stalberg, and Kruger all need to be at the top of their game tonight and continue providing offense for the Blackhawks.

This is going to be the toughest game of the year for the Blackhawks, and they know it. They are going to have to come out as the more desperate team, and they are going to need to play with 110% effort. The Bruins are not going to go away easily. They will fight until the final horn blows, win or lose.

Like I already said, I am very confident in the Blackhawks and I think they will win tonight. They have that cold-blooded, killer instinct in them that all the great teams in history have had. When your captain is Jonathan Toews and you are one win away from hoisting the Stanley Cup, you are going to be prepared and you are going to do everything you can to win that game. That’s just the type of mentality that Toews instills in his teammates. He is the ultimate competitor, and tonight, I’d expect the Blackhawks to be the ultimate competitors.

Blackhawks take crucial Game 4

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

It was a must-win game for the Blackhawks, and they stepped up to the challenge and won Game 4 by a final of 6-5 in overtime against the Bruins. For me at least, that was about as uncomfortable as I have felt while watching the Blackhawks play this year. It felt like no lead was safe, and in fact that’s just how it was. Every time the Blackhawks scored, the Bruins had an answer. Twice the Hawks had 2-goal leads of 3-1 and 4-2, but they couldn’t hang on to either of them. I feel like if they would have played 5 more minutes of overtime after Seabrook scored, the Bruins would have tied the game. That’s just the way things were going.

Many people were saying that the Blackhawks wouldn’t win this series unless Jonathan Toews found the back of the net. Well, he scored his second goal of the postseason in Game 4 and played one of his best games yet during these playoffs. Patrick Kane, who had been held scoreless since Game 5 against L.A., also scored in Game 4. I don’t think it is any coincidence that Kane and Toews both scored after being reunited on the top line. Those two simply have a chemistry between them that is at times unparalleled by any other duo in the league.

As for the lines last night as a whole, I think it’s safe to say that Quenneville will be sticking with them from here on out. The Blackhawks scored 6 goals last night, which is impressive, but they did it against arguably the league’s best defensive team, which is even more impressive. At the same time, however, the Bruins did score 5 goals against the Blackhawks, who are not a bad defensive team in any way, shape, or form.

Corey Crawford is being blasted today by many people from sports radio show hosts, to TV analysts, to NHL writers. Some people, and they are ignorant people, are even suggesting that Joel Quenneville should bench Crawford for Game 5 in place of Ray Emery. I love how so many people are over-reactionary. Corey Crawford had a bad game. He’s not perfect. In fact, he’s probably the main reason as to why the Blackhawks are this far into the playoffs. Name one other game this postseason in which you can confidently say Crawford played bad. Name one Blackhawks’ loss this postseason that you can blame on Crawford. My guess is you can’t. The guy had a bad game. That stuff happens. And you know what? The Blackhawks still won Game 4. It’s not like he gave up 5 goals and the Hawks lost 5-1. If you are going to blast Crawford, then you should blast Tuukka Rask as well.

All anyone has been talking about since Game 2 of this series ended is how Tuukka Rask is the hands down Conn Smythe winner if the Bruins win this series. Sure, he’s played good, but he hasn’t done anything that we’ve never seen before. Part of the reason why his numbers were good through the first 3 games of this series is because the Blackhawks were terrible offensively in games 2 and 3. Rask gave up 6 goals in Game 4 and the Bruins lost the game (on home ice). Why isn’t that getting more attention than it is?

Moving forward, the Blackhawks do need to be a lot better defensively. There were too many instances in Game 4 where they didn’t clear the puck when they should have, when they didn’t have anyone boxing out in front of Crawford, and when they allowed Boston’s point-men to have open looks at the net (for example, Johnny Boychuk’s goal). Crawford did give up a few bad goals, there’s no denying that, but the Hawks’ defense also hung him out to dry on a couple of those.

One thing that has me a little worried right now is the Blackhawks’ penalty kill. This was possibly their biggest strength during the regular season and first 3 rounds of the playoffs, but now it looks like a weakness. The Bruins already have 4 power play goals through the first 4 games of this series, and the Blackhawks don’t seem to have an answer. While I’d like to think that the PK will turn itself around and that the Bruins’ season-long bad PP will return, part of me thinks that the Bruins found a weakness in the Hawks’ penalty kill and that they’re exploiting it. One solution for the Blackhawks is to stop taking penalties.

Aside from the penalty kill, I am pretty confident looking ahead to Game 5 back in Chicago. This is now a best of 3 series with 2 games being at the United Center where the Hawks have played well all year. In Game 4, the Blackhawks were the clear-cut better team. The only reason that game was close was because A) Crawford had an off night, and B) the Bruins had some lucky bounces. You could also say that the Blackhawks played their worst defensive game of the postseason, and I’d bet they won’t do that again. The Blackhawks controlled much of the puck possession and dominated in shots-on-goal. They played their game instead of letting Boston play their own game. They used their speed to a major advantage, and they’ll need to keep doing so. In Game 5, I hope to see the Blackhawks come out again and play like it’s another Game 7. They need to give everything they’ve got until there is no more hockey left to play.

Like I said before, I am pretty confident right now about the Blackhawks’ chances in this series. They’ve got 2 of the remaining 3 games on their home ice, and they have proven that they can beat Boston. They got their worst defensive effort out of the way, and yet they still won that game. If the Hawks really want to win the Cup, then they need to continue playing like it. When they do that, they are almost unbeatable.

Blackhawks must win Game 4

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

There have only been a couple of times this year when the Blackhawks have faced some major adversity. The first being when they fell into a 3-1 hole against Detroit in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, and the second being right now at this very second. Currently, the Blackhawks trail the Bruins 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final, which probably doesn’t seem like a huge deal to a casual fan. However, I am here to say otherwise. Tonight’s Game 4 is a MUST win for the Blackhawks.

After losing Game 2 at home to the Bruins, the Blackhawks’ main goal heading into Games 3 and 4 in Boston was to win at least one of them. Even though they lost Game 3, they can still achieve their goal by winning tonight.

With a win in tonight’s game, the Blackhawks will even the series up at 2 apiece and regain home-ice advantage in the series heading back home for Game 5. What more could you ask for at this point? If they lose tonight, however, they will go down 3-1 to a Boston team that will almost certainly finish off the Hawks in one of the next 2 games and not let them back into the series, unlike Detroit. That is why this Game 4 is a must win.

Tonight’s game will say a lot about the Blackhawks’ character and what they’re made of. They absolutely need to play all 60 minutes like it is Game 7. They need to give 110% every second of every shift. They need to go all-out and win the board battles, win the foot races to the puck, win the area in front of the crease, and win the battle of desperation. They have done this before against Detroit when they went down in the series 3-1, and they did this in the third period of Game 4 against the Kings, in L.A. If they cannot do these things tonight, they will lose. Boston plays like the best team in the NHL when on their home ice, and therefore you must play a nearly perfect game of hockey to beat them at the TD Garden. They will be going for the “kill” tonight against the Blackhawks, and the only way to stop them is by playing the way I just described a few sentences ago.

Obviously, the Blackhawks know the situation that they’re in, and they know that they have to win tonight. Joel Quenneville stated yesterday, “Very important game tomorrow night. We have to win tomorrow night.” You don’t often hear him say those words. When faced with this type of situation in these playoffs, the Blackhawks have stepped up and answered the bell. Hopefully they can do it again tonight.

LINE CHANGES

With Marian Hossa being absent from the lineup in Game 3, Joel Quenneville put Ben Smith in his spot. This set off a chain reaction of line changes throughout the game, and subsequently the Blackhawks never looked comfortable the whole night. They were playing with guys that they normally wouldn’t (Kruger-Toews-Frolik as an example), and they seemed out of rhythm.

This morning, Marian Hossa missed the team’s morning skate, but Coach Q stated afterwards that Hossa is “fine,” and they expect him to play tonight. That is a very encouraging sign for the Hawks and us fans.

As for the what the lines may look like tonight, here you go:

Bickell-Toews-Kane

Sharp-Handzus-Hossa

Saad-Shaw-Stalberg

Kurger-Bolland-Frolik

These were the line-rushes at today’s morning skate, minus Marian Hossa. Finally, Quenneville has apparently opted to reunite Bickell, Toews, and Kane like he did late in the series against L.A. That line was dominant. The second line of Sharp, Handzus, and Hossa was pretty darn good too. Sharp and Hossa have always had some chemistry, but Hossa and Handzus seem to have generated some as well over recent weeks.

We will now get to see how Boston will try and handle the duo of Toews and Kane. Kane is much better with Toews as his center because of Toews’ speed, and Kane is a lot more effective with fast line mates than he is with slow ones like Handzus. These line changes should also benefit Bryan Bickell as well, because now a lot more focus will be placed on his two line mates rather than himself.

I am confident that the Blackhawks will play a much better game tonight than they did in Game 3. This team has stepped up when they have needed to all year, and I don’t anticipate anything different tonight.

SCF Game 3 preview

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

Tonight, the Blackhawks and Bruins will play Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final with the series tied at 1 apiece. After winning Game 1 in triple overtime, the Blackhawks dropped Game 2 in just the first overtime. So far, this series has been as advertised: epic. Hopefully the rest of the series will provide us with more great hockey. I would expect nothing other than that.

Because they lost Game 2 on their home ice, it is imperative that the Blackhawks win at least one of the these next two games in Boston. They cannot afford to go down 3-1 again like they did against Detroit. The Bruins are not the Red Wings. Winning in Boston as the visiting team is one of the toughest things to do in the NHL, but the Blackhawks must find a way to get the job done. It’s that simple.

While the Bruins look like they are going to throw their usual lines out on the ice tonight, the Blackhawks have made one change to theirs. Viktor Stalberg is back in the lineup in place of Brandon Bollig on the fourth line. While Bollig provides a physical style of play to the Hawks’ lineup, he isn’t very useful in doing anything else. Stalberg, on the other hand, is one of the fastest skaters in the league and is a constant threat to create odd-man rushes because of that speed. It has been clear over the first two games of this series that the Blackhawks’ biggest advantage over Boston is their speed, so Stalberg has been placed back into the lineup to add to that advantage.

Tonight, the Blackhawks need to keep their foot on the gas pedal if they have a good first period. In Game 2, the Blackhawks outshot the Bruins 19-4 in the first period. They only came away with one goal out of those 19 shots, but they just completely dominated that period. From the start of the second period on, it looked like the Blackhawks were suddenly scared of getting hit and got away from the style of game that they were playing in the first. That led to Boston controlling the puck more often, and eventually 2 Bruins goals that won the game. If they Blackhawks start to control the game at any point tonight, they need to keep the pedal to the metal and ram the puck down Boston’s throats.

The power play for the Blackhawks needs to start scoring. If they aren’t going to score on the power play, then the Hawks need to at least generate some shots on goal and gain the momentum in the game. Their lack of success with the man advantage killed them in Game 2, and almost killed them in Game 1.

When they have the puck in the offensive zone, the Blackhawks need to quit trying to make the “pretty” passes and instead just get the puck to the net. I can’t tell you how many times in Game 2 the Blackhawks passed up open shots and tried forcing passes across the ice that got intercepted. In a series like this, just throw the puck at the net and clean up the rebounds. It’s a lot harder said than done, I understand that, but you can’t keep turning the puck over in the offensive zone by trying to force passes and make cute plays.

I have confidence that at some point soon, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are going to get their games going. Those two have way too much talent to be held scoreless for so long, especially Toews. Honestly, If I were Joel Quenneville, I would place Kane and Toews on the same line again like he did late in the series against L.A. Those two seem to ignite one another when on the same line and they become one of the best duos in the game. If the Hawks are having trouble scoring at any point in this series moving forward, look for Quenneville to place Kane on Toews’ line.

The TD Garden is going to be an extremely tough place to win. It gets extremely loud there, and the Bruins feed off the energy in that building very well. It is easily one of the best home-ice advantages in hockey. Having said that, at the time of Game 4 between the Blackhawks and Kings in L.A., the Staples Center was arguably the best home-ice advantage in the NHL. The Blackhawks won that Game 4 and took control of the series by doing so. They have proven multiple times that they can win in hostile environments, and I expect them to win at least one game in Boston.

Again, look for Joel Quenneville to start the line blender if things aren’t going well tonight. He is one of the best coaches, if not the best, at effectively switching up the lines mid-game.

This should be a good one.

Cue the Dagger

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SCF Game 3 preview

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