After Two Heartbreaking Losses, Is Now the Time for Drastic Measures?

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

Ever since the Olympic break, things seemed to have been going wrong for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Whether it’s blowing leads during games (notably second period meltdowns against Detroit and New York), or exhibiting poor effort on defense in others, the Hawks seem to be misfiring on a lot of cylinders as of late.

Their record of 3-3-1 since the break may not scream “horrible play” to casual observers, but the product that they have put onto the ice during these seven games hasn’t exactly been one that’s filling the fanbase with hope going into the stretch run.

As it stands now, the Hawks are down one of their primary offensive weapons (Brian Campbell), and are stuck with two goalies who don’t have a playoff win between them. With the heartbreaking losses piling up quicker than Joel Quenneville can comb his mustache, some creative thinking is going to be needed to bust the Hawks out of their doldrums.

Keith and Seabrook, with Jonathan Toews

Before we begin to get into the specifics of what the Blackhawks can do to extricate themselves from the terrible funk they are in, there is one fact that needs to be stated: this team is going to make the playoffs. In all likelihood, they will be one of the top three seeds in the Western Conference. Whether the team has Campbell or not, or whether or not they even begin to improve their sagging morale, this team is going to possess a high seed in the playoffs.

With this fact in mind, and knowing that the team is going to have to do some shuffling of blue liners to compensate for the loss of Soupy, here is the move that Joel Quenneville needs to consider immediately to shake up the team: break up the line of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

Keith and Seabrook have been playing together for the better part of three years now, and they have enjoyed a great deal of success. Both players are having career years offensively, both have been mentioned in NHL circles as one of the best pairings in the game, and both were selected to represent Team Canada in its gold medal winning effort at the Vancouver Olympics.

The sad fact of the matter as of late, however, is that Seabrook has not been carrying his weight. He has been sloppy on defense, mindless at times on offense, and in general seems to be in a slump of pretty sizable proportions.

One need look no further than to Saturday’s game against the Flyers to see what type of play Seabrook has been bringing to the table lately. It was his pass straight to the stick of Daniel Carcillo that set up Philadelphia’s first goal, and it was his ignorance of the presence of Chris Pronger on a 4-on-2 rush that allowed Pronger to score the game winning goal with two seconds in that contest.

Brent Seabrook (Pam Rodriguez)

Seabrook’s game record has been littered with these kind of errant passes and costly defensive errors, and it has weighed heavily on the Hawks’ fortunes. Since Seabrook had an assist and a +4 against the Boston Bruins in January, he has stumbled with three assists and a negative-4 over his previous 24 games. Seabrook has six games over that stretch where he has had a positive plus-minus: twice against Edmonton, twice against Columbus, one against Detroit, and one against Calgary.

Outside of the latter two teams, the other two teams aren’t exactly the cream of the crop. It isn’t a stretch to see that Seabrook has been a bit of a defensive liability for this squad, and his performance alone could potentially merit a demotion in the defensive ranks of this team.

A more abstract effect of Seabrook’s poor play has been the toll it has surely taken on Duncan Keith. Yes, Duncan is being mentioned as a favorite for the Norris Trophy this season, but with Campbell’s injury, a lot more of the offensive burden is going to rest on the shoulders of #2. With the added power play responsibility that is sure to come with Brian’s absence, Keith is going to need a solid defenseman to help in him regular strength situations, and Seabrook certainly hasn’t fit that bill as of late.

There are several arguments against making this move, however. The most obvious one is the chemistry angle. It is perfectly legitimate to worry about whether breaking up two guys who have almost exclusively been together the past few seasons will have a detrimental effect on either player, but there are some other angles to consider.

If Seabrook were to be demoted, Keith would likely still remain the catalyst for the top line and Seabs would find himself in the number two slot. This would undoubtedly ease a lot of the pressure that the hyper-competitive Seabrook puts onto himself, and could allow him to more easily rectify the issues that are plaguing his game.

Duncan Keith (Pam Rodriguez)

Even if the pressure of being on the top pairing isn’t what’s causing these failures, the mistakes Seabrook has been making could possibly be the result of nothing more than sheer complacency. After all, how many of us have felt like we’re just going through the motions at work, and our performance suffers because of it? Being demoted could potentially spur Seabrook to examine himself closer, and to fix the issues he is struggling with.

Another argument that holds some merit is that, due to his competitive nature, a demotion could hurt Seabrook’s confidence to a degree that he continues to play poorly. To counter this assertion, one need look no further than to the Olympics. Mike Babcock cut Seabrook’s minutes dramatically when he saw that Brent wasn’t getting the job done on defense, and it lit a fire under Seabrook’s rear end. He played out of his mind the final few games of the tournament, and was a tremendous asset to Canada’s chances.

One more issue that the separation could present would be the image it would portray to the rest of the league. “Are the Blackhawks really hitting the panic button while they sit in second in the West” is the question that would surely float throughout the minds of pundits and opposing teams alike if the Hawks were to make wholesale changes on the defensive side of the puck.

To quote Woody from the classic film “Toy Story”, “this is the perfect time to panic!”

It may not exactly be panicking per se, but if the Hawks were to break up their top pairing, there would be some significant upside to doing it sooner rather than later. With a good chunk of games left before postseason play begins in the middle of April, now is an opportune time to plant some changes and see if they take root. Tinkering with some time left before the playoffs would be a smart move by coach Quenneville, and if it all blows up in Q’s face, then he has time to put the pieces back together before the march to the Cup begins in earnest.

In addition, making this change now would benefit Chicago in another way too. The team is about to embark on a three game road trip, and if there’s a good time to make changes that have a possibility of failure, it’s when you aren’t face to face with 22,000 of your fiercest critics. For as passionate as Chicago sports fans are, they like to boo quite a bit. A team with sagging confidence surely does not need its own fans booing its efforts, and if the changes don’t work, Chicago can simply revert back to the original pairings before returning to town next Tuesday.

Could a Blue Line Shake-up Result in More of This?

Finally, the question has to be asked: what’s the worst way that this could possibly turn out? The experiment could explode in Joel’s face? The Hawks could lose a couple more games against teams that have a realistic shot at beating them anyway? People back home might get a little surly?

The benefits of a strategy like this far outweigh the potential pitfalls. Joel Quenneville has never hesitated when it comes to breaking up lines on his team. He even had the “audacity” to break up Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane for a while, just to see if it would help spark the team. He should approach the possibility of separating Keith and Seabrook from each other the exact same way.

With only 14 games remaining in the 2009-10 regular season, the Blackhawks are at an important crossroads. With many throughout the hockey world insisting that inaction isn’t a bad thing at this point, the Hawks would be well advised to give a hare-brained scheme like this a shot. With a playoff spot a certainty and a top three seed a near lock, the only thing the Blackhawks have to lose by at least giving this a few games trial period is a few more hockey games.

Even if that were to happen, and the team came back home with their losing streak stretched to five games (an unlikely scenario with the offensive talent the team is laden with), all that would need to happen would be to revert to the old alignment. This isn’t rocket science: the time to tinker is now, not in three weeks when the target of the postseason will be a lot closer than it is today.

Listen to reason Joel: give the bromance a break.

Tags: Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Joel Quenneville, Jonathan Toews, Mike Babcock

Blackhawk Down – Campbell Down For The Count

TSN.ca is reporting:

Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Brian Campbell may miss the remainder of the season due to a broken clavicle and ribs suffered when he was driven into the boards from behind by the Washington Capitals’ superstar [Alex Ovechkin] on Sunday.

“[Campbell] is going to be out for a bit,” Quenville said following the game.  “It was a tough hit, a dangerous hit.”

TSN also notes:

The National Hockey League has scheduled a disciplinary hearing with Washington Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin to review his actions in Sunday’s overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

In case you somehow missed the enthralling but disappointing battle between two of the league’s super powers, here’s a video of the malicious hit:

Red Rising’s take on the now infamous hit:

“Ovechkin has always played with reckless abandon, which is an aspect of his game that makes him one of the most exciting players to watch in the game. Shoving a defenseless Campbell head first into the boards is an example of how his style of play put a player’s health in jeopardy. Ovechkin was booted from the game with a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. He should get at least a one-game suspension for this.”

I concur, but with Campbell potentially out for the rest of the season and after Colin Campbell and the NHL’s handling ad miscue on the Matt Cooke on Marc Savard hit, a more severe statement should be made – even if it is one of the game’s best, in Ovechkin, being made an example of. Actually, that will really be sending a statement.

Blackhawk Up offers up an interesting take on losing Campbell:

“I really think the injury to Campbell is more important than some may believe. Kim Johnsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson have 14 games to form a cohesive unit — all this with Johnsson banged up. Brent Sopel and Jordan Hendry are your third pair, with the newly acquired Nick Boynton most likely getting the call-up as the seventh D-man. With Seabrook playing blindfolded for the past month-plus, nothing I just mentioned here blows my skirt up.

In my opinion, the injury to Campbell is much more damning to the ‘Hawks chances than Hossa’s injury every was because of shear timing. Starting with this three-game West Coast swing, we’re going to see the repercussions of losing Campbell.”

Not to be outdone, Second City Hockey weighs in as well:

“So, where does this really come into play?  Well, it depends on who you get in the playoffs.  The Hawks should be able to get past any first round opponent they draw with Campbell or without.  But what if Vancouver is waiting in the 2nd?  Soupy played his best hockey in that same round against that same opponent last year.  He’s our main trap-buster, as he’s better with the puck than Keith.  Or what if it’s Phoenix?  Same problems, less talent but more discipline. ”

For all the latest on Brian Campbell’s status, Ovechkin’s disciplinary hearing and all other latest breaking Blackhawks news, follow us on Twitter @paintitblackhwk

Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Brian Campbell, Chicago Blackhawks, Joel Quenneville, NHL

Sunday’s Three Stars: Capitals Embarrass Blackhawks on United Center Ice

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

On a day that was supposed to showcase two of the NHL’s best teams, and potentially serve as a Stanley Cup Finals preview, there were flashes of ugliness, some really good offensive plays, and an epic collapse by the boys from Chicago.

The game started out with everything going the Blackhawks’ way. They possessed the puck well, dictated the tempo of the game, and scored an early goal when Jonathan Toews snared a beautiful pass from Niklas Hjalmarsson and buried the puck in the back of the net.

The turning point in this game should have been the hit Alex Ovechkin laid on Brian Campbell. He drilled Soup from behind into the boards, knocking Brian out of the contest and getting himself ejected from the game in the first period. Needless to say,this was not a very intelligent move by the Caps’ captain, and his absence certainly seemed to affect his teammates for the next period and a third.

The Blackhawks added two more goals to end the second period up 3-0, and the cruise control button was fully pushed in.

Then, as it as happened often during the Hawks’ recent post-Olympic run, all hell broke loose.

The Capitals scored early in a double-minor high sticking penalty taken by Jordan Hendry, and proceeded to score two goals within 13 seconds of one another right after the expiration of a penalty to Colin Fraser for the same offense. It was a quick turnaround in momentum from a team that certainly seemed like it was down for the count, and the entire reason that Washington came back was because of the Hawks taking their foot off the accelerator.

Want proof that Chicago was not only out-manned, but out-hustled in the third period of Sunday’s contest? One need look no further than their shot total for that period: one. One freaking shot for a team that is amongst the NHL’s elite when it comes to peppering opposing goaltenders with shots. This shows two things to me: one, that the Hawks quit trying and were trying to sit on their lead (an obvious no-no against a team like the Capitals), and two that they may not have the stones to finish off games.

This was a frequent occurrence for Chicago last season. Several times during the course of the campaign (including several times against the Red Wings), the Hawks found themselves with leads going into the third period, and were unable to hold on because they started playing too cautiously instead of continuing to attack. This kind of play may be acceptable when you have a lead like you did against the Vancouver Canucks a week ago, but it sure hasn’t worked for them most of the time since the Olympics.

The Hawks had a lead against the Edmonton Oilers that they surrendered in a horrible second period shortly after the break, and the day before that they did the same thing against the New York Islanders.

Let’s not forget about the five goals they coughed up against the Red Wings last Sunday, and you can add this complete failure to the list of wretched episodes for this team in the last two weeks.

For now, the most pressing issue (and one that the Blackhawks will need to address immediately) will be the absence of Brian Campbell. According to various sources, Campbell is likely done for the rest of the season because of the injuries suffered from the hit by Alex Ovechkin. ESPN.com reported that he had suffered a broken clavicle and several broken ribs, and this late in the season, a broken collarbone isn’t going to heal properly in time for him to contribute like he is being paid to do.

The other issue is going to be their attitude towards the end of games. After blowing leads each of the last two days, Chicago is in need of a serious attitude adjustment. Whether this comes from shuffling lines (PIB will have more on this tomorrow) or from some other sort of motivational tool, Joel Quenneville needs to do something to spark his floundering team.

This is not the time of year to be caught flat-footed with the kind of inconsistent and unintelligent play that has plagued the Hawks in recent games, and if they don’t do something to quickly reverse their fortunes, they could be ripe for a first-round upset come playoff time.

We’ll save some ammunition for tomorrow’s piece on the state of the team, but for now, here are the Three Stars:

Third Star: The Washington Capitals

Lost in all the vitriol this piece has had about the lack of effort by the Blackhawks was the stellar play by the Capitals during the third period of Sunday’s game.

If the Blackhawks had lost Jonathan Toews for the rest of the game and been down 3-0, there is little to no chance that they would have come back and won. The simple truth is that teams get dispirited when their best player is knocked out of the game, no matter what the reason. It would have been perfectly understandable if Washington had just counted their losses and moved on to the next game on the slate.

The fact that they didn’t, and that they were able to come all the way back is a testament not only to their depth, but the coaching job that former Blackhawk Bruce Boudreau (he played seven games in his career with the team) has done with this squad.

Second Star: Jonathan Toews (2 G)

Normally, a two goal effort by Captain Serious would have warranted First Star honors, but here’s the painful truth: a team is only as motivated and talented as their captain, and by that criteria the Hawks’ loss was a failure for Toews as well.

Leaving your effort in the locker room in a game of this magnitude is not acceptable, no matter what the score was, and the letdown is on all of the players, especially the one wearing the “C”.

First Star: Nicklas Backstrom (2 G, 1 A)

His stat-line says it all. He took the team that Ovechkin dropped off his shoulders and put it onto his own. He played with an intensity that no one on the Hawks could muster a challenge to, and he was the catalyst behind a very solid victory for the Capitals.

Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell, Bruce Boudreau, Chicago Blackhawks, Colin Fraser, Joel Quenneville, Jonathan Toews, Jordan Hendry, Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals

Saturday’s Three Stars: Seabrook, Defense Stink Up Philly As Hawks Fall to Flyers

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

It was like a bad dream, watching the final tally occur in Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon.

Blackhawks fans across Chicago sat in stunned silence in front of their televisions, feeling about as helpless as the Hawks players who were on the ice when the goal was scored.

On a 4-on-2 break at the very end of the third period, the Flyers came charging at the net, and Claude Giroux nailed Chris Pronger with a picture perfect pass that found its way past Cristobal Huet as Philly defeated the Blackhawks 3-2 in a rare Saturday matinee contest.

The goal was a damper on what was actually a very solid day for Huet. He played well for the entire game, moving well and following the puck better than he has in weeks. He made 31 saves in the contest, but it wasn’t enough to top Philadelphia netminder Michael Leighton’s 39 save effort.

A lot of people will point to Cristobal’s flailing attempt to stop the game winning shot by Pronger as proof that he cannot sustain his composure in crunch time, but any team that leaves its goalie hanging out to dry on plays like that is going to struggle to win games, and Chicago is no exception. Huet did the best he could against a continuous onslaught by the Flyers all day, but in the end he was done in by a defense that was picked apart on a couple of foolish plays.

Brent Seabrook was the biggest goat amongst a pasture full of putrid defensive players on Saturday. It was his horrible clearing attempt that led to Simon Gagne’s goal in the third period. He blindly attempted to pass the puck to Jonathan Toews, and the dish was immediately picked off by Daniel Carcillo, who ended up getting the assist on Gagne’s tally.

Then, as the third period wound down, Seabrook was back with Duncan Keith staring down the barrel at a 4-on-2 break for Philly, and he over-committed to the rush and left Chris Pronger wide open. It was a bad defensive play, and one that Seabrook would normally make, but it was a painful reminder that even the best d-men can have an off moment or two.

With that, here are Saturday’s Three Stars:

Third Star: Cristobal Huet

Granted, Huet was not the second coming of Tony Esposito during the game, but with Philadelphia coming at him from every conceivable angle, the Frenchman hung in there and kept Chicago in the game. As the announcers astutely pointed out, the Flyers were deflecting shots left and right, and Huet was following them with a casual precision that really turned some heads in the city.

With Antti Niemi ready to make his case to be the number one goaltender on Sunday afternoon against the Washington Capitals, Huet will don the baseball cap once again, and wonder if his best shot at a quality resume building win may have evaded him.

Second Star: Troy Brouwer

PIB has always made sure to recognize the accomplishments of Mr. Brouwer, and Saturday’s game was another solid mark on his ledger.

Brouwer assisted on both Chicago goals, including a power play tally in the third period. He has been known this season for stepping up when his team has the man-advantage, and with only 14 minutes of ice time, he certainly made the most of it.

First Star: Kris Versteeg

Could this finally have been the game that’s going to get a hot streak going for Kris Versteeg?

In the midst of what can only be described as an up-and-down campaign, Versteeg had a very solid game on Saturday afternoon. He scored a goal in the third period, and played solid defense throughout as well.

What Versteeg lacks for in size he makes up for in intelligent stick-handling and body positioning, and he made several plays during the contest that helped out his teammates.

His ice awareness seems to have improved recently as well, which has led to him skating faster, has him handling the puck better, and improved his confidence dramatically. If he can simply get the puck to find the back of the net more often, he will have come full circle, and could be a sneaky good asset come April.

Second Star: Troy Brouwer

First Star: Kris Versteeg

Tags: Cristobal Huet, kris versteeg, Troy Brouwer

Shots From The Slot – Blackhawks Versus Capitals

Co-conspirator Christopher Ralph

“Shots From The Slot” scans Hawks hockey cyberspace for all the latest and greatest articles.

Okay – so we have a mild downer before the mega showdown on Sunday; a possible Stanley Cup preview between the ‘Hawks and Caps.

*Pronger scores with with 2.1 measly seconds left to lift Flyers past the ‘Hawks. (Chris Kuc)

“Kris Versteeg and Marian Hossa scored in the third for the Hawks. Cristobal Huet suffered the loss in goal despite a strong effort for much of the game.

The Flyers had tied the game with 2:04 left in the third period when Scott Hartnell corralled a Kimo Timonen pass near the blue line and beat Huet’s stick side for his first goal since Jan. 30.”

*Tim Sassone doesn’t blame Cristobal Huet for the loss. (Between The Circles)

Cheer up fans. Tomorrow is a new day.

Now it’s time to literally Paint It Blackhawks with two brilliant artists painting it Blackhawk!

*1. Guy paints Blackhawks logo in minutes. (WGN)

*2. Chicago Blackhawks Logo; Time-Lapse Painting

Let’s get primed for tomorrow’s highly anticipated tilt between the super talented powers. This one will be obviously watched closed by the hockey world.

*Niemi will get the nod against the Capitals. (Chi Sun-Times)

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said he is “absolutely” monitoring Niemi’s mental state as the rookie battles for more playing time.

“I don’t think that the distraction of getting a little bit more responsibility has changed him at all,” Quenneville said. “The best way to measure that is to see how he is playing in the net. You’re not going to get that read because he is pretty consistent in his mannerisms or how he approaches games.

“We are getting to see a little more out of him now and you get a better read as you go along. We like what we see and, for a young kid in the net, it’s been a good year for him.”

*Blackhawks Team Report (Yahoo Sports)

*Capitals Team Report (Yahoo Sports)

*Battle of the elite – great breakdown (NHL.com)

“Big story: NBC’s Game of the Week is a possible look ahead to the Stanley Cup Final — however, both teams have some questions in net that must be answered if they are to win their respective conferences in the playoffs. Namely, do you go with experience or youth? The Capitals must decide between Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov, while the Blackhawks have to pick from the tandem of Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi.”

*Player To Watch – Capitals: We all know Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and Green. PIB’s pick for Capitals key player is Tomas Fleischmann. With Keith & Seabrook focused on shutting down the big name guys, Fleischmann may be the one to sneak up and be a difference maker.

* Player To Watch – Blackhawks: Of course, all eyes will be on our Olympic super heroes plus Niemi will be under the microscope. However, just edging out Niklas Hjalmarsson for my key player for the ‘Hawks is Dave Bolland.

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*In case you missed it, a quick look back at the 3-2 nice victory over the Kings this past week, highlighting Adam Burish’s immediate contributions. (Fifth Feather)

*Jeffrey Bartl makes an appearance on Fox News debating Blackhawks anthem tradition! (Blackhawks Up)

*Speaking of media appearances, my co-conspirator Jim Neveau recently appeared on WCWP, a radio station out of Long Island University to preview the Blackhawks/Islanders tilt. Great guys there and appreciate them having us on!

*While PIB tracks Future Blackhawks, The Hockey Writers have also taken a quick glimpse: Youth Revolution: A peek inside the Blackhawks’ talent cupboard. (THW)

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*Never too early to look at the NHL Entry Draft. Here’s an early 2010 Mock Draft I did in a sortable table format. (The Hockey Writers)

*Must see Olympic themed videos: “While the two videos I’m about to highlight are geared towards Canadians, I think even my American friends will enjoy and appreciate the message each presents.” (THW)

*Follow Paint It Blackhawks on Twitter for all the latest breaking Blackhawks news. (Twitter)

Tags: Adam Burish, antti niemi, Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks, Cristobal Huet, Dave Bolland, Duncan Keith, NHL, niklas hjalmarsson, Patrick Kane, Washington Capitals

Did Joel Quenneville Make a Mistake Benching Huet?

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

The last time Blackhawks fans saw Cristobal Huet, he was skating to the bench with his tail between his legs after giving up four goals on 17 shots against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon.

The boos cascaded down on him, as they have more than once during this season, and you got the feeling that the winds of change had once again blown through the United Center. Swept away was the Frenchman, and brought in to replace him was the young Finn Antti Niemi. It was a scene all too familiar, and this time it rang with a tone of finality that hadn’t been sounded in the other instances.

With Niemi slotted to get the start on Wednesday night, in what will undoubtedly be another opportunity for one of the goalies to grab the reins and lead the Hawks’ playoff chickens to roost, the ultimate question becomes what to do with the high-priced Huet. Do you just let him ride the pine, send him down to Rockford, or keep interchanging him with Niemi?

Huet and Niemi (Pam Rodriguez/PIB)

It is a complicated issue that Joel Quenneville is going to have to deal with, and there are only a limited number of games left in the season in which to do it.

One sportswriter, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune, weighed in with an interesting thought on whether or not the Hawks should bench Cristobal:

Quenneville planned to discuss the Huet vs. Niemi decision with his staff, but with 17 games until the postseason, what choice does he have? If you agree that part of goaltending is psychological, consider the boost Huet would get from having his coach reinforce the team’s support by starting him against the Kings. Bench Huet now, you may lose him later — when the Hawks still may need him.

With the decision already made to start Niemi tomorrow night, Haugh’s thoughts on the Huet matter strike an interesting chord. Could Joel Quenneville have just wounded Huet beyond repair for the rest of the year, and maybe for the rest of his tenure with the Blackhawks? Do the Hawks have any use for a goaltender who would be that fragile of mind that he would take a demotion so negatively that he would never recover? Is the decision to go with Antti the correct one in the first place?

Tackling the issue of Quenneville damaging Huet, there might very well be some truth to that thought. Cristobal hasn’t exactly shown a propensity of bouncing back quickly from adversity. During the Detroit game on Sunday, it was almost as though he quit trying when the Wings scored two quick goals, and his movement was noticeably slower for the rest of his time in the game.

With his body language serving as a Webster’s Dictionary definition of “defeatist attitude”, Joel Quenneville probably came to the conclusion that Huet is fairly useless at this point. After all, no matter how talented the team is in front of their goalie, they feed off of whatever vibe he puts out onto the ice. Antti Niemi usually puts out a vibe that nothing gets him down, and that is an admirable trait.

Yes, he does get upset about allowing goals, but then again, who doesn’t in this league? He shakes it off in as much time as it takes him to take a swig of his Gatorade bottle, and then that’s the end of it. Huet, on the other hand, seems to let the stench of a goal against linger in the air for a long period of time, and it’s usually during those stretches that he sees goal after goal find the back of the net. This in turn makes him even more mopey, and bad things continue to happen.

So, knowing that Huet is going to succumb to self-loathing each time he lets in a goal he knows he should have stopped, then why coddle him? Why continue to give him opportunities, only to watch him self-destruct and take the SS Blackhawks down with him?

The only rational justification for starting Huet tonight against the Kings would have been Haugh’s argument that it could have done wonders for him psychologically. The boost that Cristobal would have gotten from being turned to even after a bad outing could have been a powerful motivation tool, and he could have ridden that wave all the way to the postseason.

Instead, Huet once again finds himself on the bench, and Quenneville once again finds himself with a high-priced mistake rocking a baseball cap on his bench. Is this the right decision for the Blackhawks and their playoff aspirations, or is giving the keys back to Niemi a decision pointed to in later years as a reason why this team blew it? Only time will tell.

Tags: antti niemi, Cristobal Huet, David Haugh, Joel Quenneville

Sunday’s Three Stars: Ladd Scores Three, But Hawks Fall to Red Wings

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

There was little doubt that Sunday’s contest between the Red Wings and the Blackhawks would have a playoff air to it. After all, the Wings are fighting tooth and nail just to get to the postseason, and the Blackhawks are battling it out with San Jose for the number one seed in the Western Conference.

Early on, it was all Blackhawks, as they scored twice in the first period and went into the intermission with a 2-0 lead. All systems seemed go for the team as Huet was darting around the crease, centering everything up, and in general looking like a man on a mission.

During the second period, however, everything went to hell in a hand basket for the Blackhawks. A Patrick Kane goal was disallowed because of a dubious (if not completely blown) goaltender interference call on Dustin Byfuglien, and that seemed to shift the mojo permanently. Detroit scored two quick goals through screens in front of Huet, and five minutes later Jason Williams and Valtteri Filppula scored back-to-back to run Huet and give the Wings a lead.

Andrew Ladd (Pam Rodriguez/PIB)

Then, in the “things go from bad to worse” special, Pavel Datsyuk got a breakaway and scored with two seconds left to send the Wings into the dressing room with a 5-2 lead.

The Blackhawks did come out quickly in the third period, with Andrew Ladd scoring his second goal of the game just two minutes into the frame. After some tedious see-saw battles, Ladd scored again with eight minutes left in the game to secure his first career hat trick, and the deficit was cut to one. No matter how hard Chicago tried, however, they could not get that last goal by Jimmy Howard, and it ended with Detroit on top 5-4.

After taking 300 words to wrap up what happened during the game, here are four more to sum it up neatly: “The Defense Blew It”.

Cristobal Huet did absolutely zero bailing out of his teammates during this game, and for that he should be rightly criticized. He stopped moving effectively after the first period, and it seemed as though he was playing on track spikes instead of skates. His stuck to the blue paint play in the second period effectively doomed the Blackhawks, and the fans who booed Huet certainly had every right to do so.

The real culprit in all of this, however, was the Blackhawks porous defense. Letting Detroit players set up shop unimpeded in front of the net led to the first two Red Wings goals, and poor play led to the other three. There seemed to be no urgency whatsoever on the part of the Hawks’ blue liners, and Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brian Campbell made two particularly atrocious plays that led to goals for Detroit.

Fans will point to the negated goal in the second period and say “that’s the difference in the game right there. That one goal would have meant at least a tie instead of a one goal loss”, but that is a naive way of looking at the proceedings. Yes, the game would have been 3-0 if that goal had counted, but the Hawks still would have had to play defense against a Detroit team that was out for blood. The fact of the matter is that it was the Hawks’ defense and goaltending, not a rogue official with a dumb moment, that cost Chicago the hockey game.

With that, here are Sunday’s Three Stars:

Zeroed Star: NBC

Huet and Niemi: Can They Actually Win a Cup? (Pam Rodriguez/PIB)

Two massive beefs with the coverage on NBC during this hockey game: one was the incessant usage of Olympic images. Yes, we get that Canada won the gold medal in their home nation, blah blah blah. The fact of the matter is that the Olympics are over, it’s NHL season again, and the network really comes across as trying to capitalize on massive viewership, instead of what they were trying to convey: that hockey can be exciting.

The other problem was that during the second intermission, the two talking head bozos in the studio were discussing which teams benefited the most from the trade deadline, and all they mentioned were the Penguins and Capitals. The fact of the matter is this: if the Penguins would have gotten cash considerations for a draft pick, NBC would have picked them as one of the trade deadline winners. The Capitals did have a great trade deadline, but a team that NBC completely overlooked was the Phoenix Coyotes.

I guess picking up a good power play point-man (Mathieu Schneider), a solid defenseman (Derek Morris), a gritty forward with a penchant for scoring some key goals (Lee Stempniak), and a guy who could benefit greatly from a change of scenery (Wojtek Wolski), and doing it all for about $900,000 in extra salary, isn’t worth mentioning on the Caps/Pens Television Network.

Third Star: The Blackhawks Centers

Jonathan Toews and John Madden may get a lot of accolades whenever they score a big goal on offense or make a solid fore-checking play, but one area where their significance cannot be overstated is in their ability to win face-offs.

During the third period, the Blackhawks went through a stretch where they won eight straight draws against Detroit. As any hockey fan will tell you, if you are trying to come back in a hockey game, winning face-offs is a key component to your hopes. After all, it was Madden’s won face-off that set up Duncan Keith’s shot from the point that Andrew Ladd deflected into the net, so without those guys winning those draws, this game wouldn’t have been nearly this close.

Jonathan Toews (Pam Rodriguez/PIB)

Second Star: Kim Johnsson

Ever since he was acquired from the Minnesota Wild, Johnsson has been a bit of a handyman for the Blackhawks. He plays whatever minutes he needs to, in whatever situation is required at the time, and does so with no flair but a lot of effectiveness.

Today, Johnsson was all over the ice, contributing on power play, penalty kill, and even strength alike. He also had the primary assist on Andrew Ladd’s goal at the beginning of the third period that set the tone of “we are NOT quitting”.

Overall, it was a very solid game by Johnsson, and he has been, albeit very quietly, a good acquisition by this club.

First Star: Andrew Ladd

What other guy should have gotten first star today? Ladd was all over the ice during this contest, laying out players, disrupting shots, and scoring goals.

His first career hat trick could have come under better circumstances (i.e., a win), but with his performance in the last several games, Andrew Ladd may be proving once and for all that the Hawks’ trade of Tuomo Ruutu to Carolina for his services may have been one fo the top five moves that Dale Tallon made as General Manager of the Chicago Blackhawks.

His size, goal scoring touch, and ability to get up and down the ice quickly have made him an indispensable asset for this team, and his contributions will continue to be magnified as this team goes down the stretch run toward the playoffs.

Tags: Andrew Ladd, Chicago Blackhawks, Cristobal Huet, Derek Morris, detroit red wings, Duncan Keith, Dustin Byfuglien, Jason Williams, Jimmy Howard, Joel Quenneville, John Madden, Jonathan Toews, Kim Johnsson, Lee Stempniak, Mathieu Schneider, NBC, Patrick Kane, Pavel Datsyuk, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Valtteri Filppula, Wojtek Wolski

Friday’s Three Stars: Five Goal First Stanza Keys Big Hawks Win

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

All of the talk going into the final meeting of the season between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks was about two topics: one, the intense rivalry going on between Andrew Ladd and Ryan Kesler, and the other was the Hawks seeming inability to score against the Canucks.

Both issues were resolved rather quickly, as Ladd and Kesler got into a brief bit of fisticuffs mere seconds into the game, and the Blackhawks demolished any hopes of a Vancouver victory with a five goal outburst in the first period.

Cristobal Huet

Andrew Ladd, Duncan Keith, Troy Brouwer, Kris Versteeg, and Jordan Hendry all scored for the Blackhawks in the first period, and Marian Hossa added a tally later on as the Hawks destroyed the Canucks 6-3 in front of a raucous crowd at the United Center.

The Blackhawks had a bit of a scare in the second period when Alex Burrows scored a goal two minutes into the frame, and Ben Eager took a quick penalty off the next face-off and put the Canucks on the power play. Chicago managed to kill the penalty off, and they were able to stifle the ‘Nucks offense for the rest of the contest for the most part.

Since PIB complained at length about the dumb things that Dustin Byfuglien and Mr. Eager did in their last contest against Edmonton (even going so far as to repeat a joke about Eager needing to go suit shopping when Adam Burish comes back), we’ll let Eager be this time, but without further adieu, here were tonight’s Three Stars:

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Toews

Captain Serious had two assists in the game, marking his fourth consecutive game in which he has had multiple points. No wonder Mike Babcock fell in love with him during the Olympics.

Co-Third Stars: Cristobal Huet/Niklas Hjalmarsson

It was impossible to decide between these two players for Third Star honors, so we simply decided to give it to both of them.

Cristobal Huet, even though he gave up three goals on 23 shots, was impenetrable when his team needed him the most: on the penalty kill. His two huge pad saves, brilliant glove save, and even a couple of other solid stops on the two-man Vancouver advantage in the first period were a huge momentum boost for his squad. His performance on the Hawks’ penalty kill in the second period when momentum really could have shifted in the Canucks’ favor was excellent as well.

Andrew Ladd (Pam Rodriguez/PIB)

If tonight was an audition for the role of starting keeper, Huet may have re-earned the role on those two penalty kills alone.

As for Hjalmarsson, he played his usual brand of solid defense, but his best play of the night was when he displayed some really soft hands when he feathered a pass to the goal crease and allowed Troy Brouwer to bang home a goal. The pass will not be replayed on highlight shows, but it was the kind of feed that hockey purists love to see.

Second Star: Andrew Ladd

What more can you say? Ladd got into a fight with a guy who had been talking trash about him, and then he scored the first goal of the game when he put a puck toward the net and Roberto Luongo knocked it in with the butt end of his stick.

Ladd’s intensity in the early part of the contest set the tone for the rest of the game, and really propelled the Hawks to victory in this game.

First Star: Jordan Hendry

Hendry has been the forgotten man all season for the Blackhawks. He can play forward if he needs to, and he is just as comfortable filling in on the blue line for Chicago.

Tonight, Jordan had his moment. Not only did he score on a beautiful break into the offensive zone with Jonathan Toews, but he also nabbed an assist on Andrew Ladd’s goal at the beginning of the game.

His goal in particular was something to savor. The way he handled the puck on the deke, and then flipped it over Luongo’s shoulder so effortlessly made you wonder for a split second if it was a different Hawk doing the shooting. Needless to say, he certainly earned his paycheck in this game, and illustrated why he might be one of the most important role players on the squad.

Tags: Adam Burish, Alex Burrows, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Chicago Blackhawks, Cristobal Huet, Duncan Keith, Dustin Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews, Jordan Hendry, kris versteeg, Mike Babcock, niklas hjalmarsson, Ryan Kesler, Troy Brouwer, Vancouver Canucks

Wednesday’s Three Stars: Oilers Put Up a Fight, but Hawks Demolish Edmonton

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

On a night that they out-shot their opposition 47-14, you would think that there would be plenty of praise to be heaped upon the Blackhawks.

Their 5-2 victory, however, didn’t come as easily as one would come to expect when playing the worst team in the NHL. They fought tooth and nail to a 2-2 draw after two periods, and it was only in the third period that the Hawks finally outlasted the Oilers and put the game away with three goals.

Marian Hossa, Dave Bolland, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Dustin Byfuglien, and Jonathan Toews picked up the tallies for the Blackhawks in the victory.

Niklas Hjalmarsson (Pam Rodriguez/PIB)

There were two main story lines that emerged in the contest, and none of them had to do with the final score.

One such story line was the complete lack of discipline that a couple of Blackhawks players displayed during the game. One offender was Dustin Byfuglien, who took a quick shot at Edmonton goalie Devan Dubnyk, and promptly caused all of the Edmonton players around the net to start trying to throw down with the 6-foot-3 Byfuglien.

Observers have complained that Big Buff doesn’t use his size often enough to his advantage, but it is in situations like this that he doesn’t use his brain often enough. If you’ll recall, it was Byfuglien taking a shot at a goalie who covered the puck that incited the line brawl last season against the Vancouver Canucks.

Needless to say, there is no earthly reason why Byfuglien needs to hit the goalie’s glove with his stick after the puck is already covered up, and it’s this kind of undisciplined play that leads to penalties, and penalties during the playoffs are magnified even more. If Dustin can’t keep his wits about him, then he could end up costing his team some games.

In the third period, Ben Eager took a stupid roughing penalty, much in the same vein as Byfuglien’s. With Adam Burish coming back soon from his ACL injury, Eager might want to look for some suits to wear up in the press box, because Joel Quenneville will not tolerate foolish play (thanks to Forklift from the Hawks blog “Hockee Night” for the suits joke).

Even with the dumb plays like these two players, the Hawks still had a pretty easy time defeating the Oilers on home ice. The road is going to get a lot harder, as they will take on the Canucks on Friday night and the Red Wings on Sunday morning.

And with that, here are the Hawks’ Three Stars:

Third Stars: Brian Pochmara, Kelly Sutherland, Lyle Seitz, and Mark Shewchyk

Dustin Byfuglien (Pam Rodriguez/PIB)

If anybody tried like crazy to have an impact on the game in the second period, it was the entire officiating staff.

Not only did the referees fail to call Edmonton’s first goal a goal (the zebra behind the net raised his arms up like he was calling a field goal), but they also missed a blatant slashing call on Edmonton’s second goal. Gilbert Brule took his stick like Paul Bunyan with an axe and broke Niklas Hjalmarsson’s stick and dished the puck off to a teammate for a goal.

After blowing calls on both Edmonton goals, they even had the audacity to break up a potential fight between Ben Eager and Zach Sortini in the third period. The fans at the United Center booed heartily, and with good reason: after two weeks of Olympic hockey (i.e. no fights), the refs took away a spectacle for the fans before it could even get underway.

Needless to say, the entire officiating crew for the game tonight looked like they were fresh out of remedial refereeing school, and it made the game extremely difficult to watch during the middle stages.

Second Star: Marian Hossa

There are rarely players who can make a goal and an assist feel so ho-hum, but Marian Hossa just happens to be one of those athletes.

On a night that many of his teammates didn’t pick up the intensity until the third period, the Slovakian Olympian played a fast-paced, up and down the ice with cruel intentions type of game, and he was the driving catalyst behind the team’s entire offensive attack in the second period.

Toews has to settle for a pic instead of 1st Star (Pam Rodriguez/PIB)

His feed to Dave Bolland in front of the Edmonton net was a thing of beauty, calculated perfectly to be just out of reach of Dubnyk’s stick and right onto the tape of Bolland for his first goal since coming off of back surgery.

If the rest of the team could take the lead from this offensive stalwart, they would be a lot better off.

First Star: Niklas Hjalmarsson

Sorry Captain Serious, but just because you got a goal and an assist on your bobblehead night doesn’t automatically win you First Star honors.

Instead, we’ll go ahead and honor the Hawks defenseman who not only was robbed of a slashing penalty when his stick was broken in his hands, but turned around and scored what ended up being the game winning goal at the very beginning of the third period.

Going by his coach’s philosophy of “putting pucks on net ends up turning out good”, Hjalmarsson set up on the blue line and fired a rocket of a slapshot toward the goal. With Toews running a screen on Dubnyk, the puck went right into the net, and Nik had his second goal of the year.

The goal itself obviously was great for giving Chicago the lead, but it also demoralized Edmonton completely. Instead of being tied and playing to preserve it, Nik scoring only 20 seconds into the period and completely knocked the Oilers out of the game.

It certainly had to have been a great feeling for him, and he did his small part to help the team win.

The Hawks will next take to the ice on Friday night at the United Center when they take on the Vancouver Canucks. Puck drop is at 7:30pm CST.

Tags: Adam Burish, Ben Eager, Chicago Blackhawks, Dave Bolland, detroit red wings, Dustin Byfuglien, Edmonton Oilers, Joel Quenneville, Jonathan Toews, marian hossa, niklas hjalmarsson, Vancouver Canucks

Shots From The Slot – Trade Deadline Edition

Co-conspirator Christopher Ralph

“Shots From The Slot” scans Hawks hockey cyberspace for all the latest and greatest articles.

*Last night I played the role of GM Stan Bowman in Being Stan Bowman, contemplating 10 possible actions the Blackhawks could take.  In the end, making no moves was deemed the bes course of action by myself and the real Stan Bowman. (PIB)

“1. The best damn move I might make – head out to West End sports pub tomorrow afternoon, sit back, relax, have a few cold ones and watch my Blackhawks hammer the Oilers. No more moves might just be the best move I could make Being Stan Bowman.”

Tomas Vokoun and/or Dan Hamhuis might’ve been nice, but price likely too high.

*Puck Daddy gives us a grade of “B” even with no last minute deals (Yahoo Sports)

“Everyone will overreact to the fact that they didn’t improve their blue line or between the pipes, but it says here they didn’t need to; partially because their goaltending is better than given credit, but also because doing anything with Cristobal Huet(notes) and his contract is problematic. Defenseman Nick Boynton(notes) was signed for minor league depth. The Blackhawks pretty much stand pat. GRADE: B”

*Tim Sassone reports: Bowman: we like our team (Between The Circles)

Stan Bowman has not wavered in his belief goaltenders Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi can lead the team to the Stanley Cup.

But actions spoke louder than words on Wednesday as the Blackhawks general manager let the trade deadline pass without acquiring the goaltender some believed the Hawks needed to go all the way.

Now it’s up to Huet and Niemi to prove Bowman’s faith in them is well placed.

*Unless you’re the Detroit Red Wings, “in the NHL believe Stanley Cups can’t be won without top-flight goaltending.

With the last chance for teams to shore up that position, the clubs that seemed by many to most be in need of an upgrade in net — Philadelphia, Washington and Chicago — either focused their efforts in other areas or were unsuccessful in their attempts at an upgrade.

Also, a number of high-profile goaltenders expected to be on the move — Florida’s Tomas Vokoun, Dallas’ Marty Turco, Nashville’s Dan Ellis, Montreal’s Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price, and the Islanders’ Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson — all stayed put.” (NHL.com)

- Sounds like son Stan has been talking a lot with dad Scotty Bowman!

*What you see is what you get Blackhawks fans…(Jesse Rogers)

* John Jaeckel: “No deal.” (HockeyBuzz)

A certain amount of guesswork here, but I did hear from a good source that the Hawks were trying unsuccessfully to make something happen this afternoon “possibly” involving a goaltender.

I’m not letting the Blackhawks off the hook here. At the same time, a little perspective is perhaps a good thing. Before the “Huet being traded” rumor first broke on ESPN Radio 1000, the prevailing wisdom was that the Hawks’ best hope for their current goaltending situation was to improve their defense.

* Great to see the six Olympian Blackhawks honoured tonight (ESPN)

Western Conference Contenders:

*Nothing really scary from any of the main contenders in the West. Sharks did even less the Blackhawks. The Avs may have gotten worse. The Wings did next to nothing, but are now healthy. I’m not really sure what Darryl Sutter and the Flames are up to anymore. The Kings picking up Jeff Halpern was a nice depth move. The Predators did well to keep Hamhuis and picked up Dustin Boyd for a song. Some thought the Canucks would make a big splash, but nothing major here.

*Check out the detailed Trade Deadline Diary! (RotoTimes)

*In a Shocking Development, the Big Trade Deadline Winners are the Coyotes! (Icy Coyotes)

On what was a very quiet day for the rest of the NHL, the Coyotes ended up being right up there with the Capitals in terms of who improved their team the most. By bringing in Wolski to bolster the offense, Schneider to spark the power play, Stempniak to bring a little “truculence” to the proceedings, and bringing Morris back into the fold, the Coyotes served notice to the rest of the NHL that even though they are still the butt of lots of jokes, they are deadly serious about winning this season.

*Follow Paint It Blackhawks on Twitter for all the latest breaking Blackhawks news. (Twitter)

Tags: antti niemi, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Cristobal Huet, detroit red wings, ESPN, kris versteeg, NHL, Olympics, Puck Daddy, stan bowman, Team Canada, Tomas Vokoun, Trade Deadline