Black(hawk) Sabbath: What the Heck Happened on Sunday?

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

Author’s Note: Both Chris and I would like to thank each and every one of you folks who take the time to read and comment on our blog. It is because of people like you that Chris and I are proud to announce that we were awarded “NHL Blog of the Year” on the Fanball Sports Network. It is a tremendous honor for us,  and we are privileged to work with the outstanding bloggers on this network.

Thank you to all the writers on Fanball, and thank you to the fans for making this blog such a fun and fulfilling place to write.

After a stinging shoot-out loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night, the Blackhawks ventured into the United Center on Sunday night to try to close out a 10 game in 16 days run with a victory over the suddenly hot Anaheim Ducks.

Instead of a victory, what they got was a bundle of questions, and a stat line that makes even the most Numerophobic fan take notice.

In the game, the Blackhawks did everything right, skating circles around the Anaheim players and putting tons of pressure on goalie Jonas Hiller. They ended up putting 43 shots on goal in the game, but only one beat Hiller. In the meantime, they only allowed the Ducks 12 measly shots in the contest. This number tied a record not only for the fewest shots Anaheim has ever had in a game, but also tied the record for fewest shots the Blackhawks have ever allowed in a game.

Alas, three of those 12 Anaheim shots found the back of the net, and the Ducks escaped Chicago with a 3-1 victory, leaving in their wake broken and dejected fans and players who could do nothing but shake their heads.

Corey Perry told nhl.com after the game that “Hillsie stole the game for us”, and his description couldn’t have been more apt. Blackhawks headmaster Joel Quenneville complimented Hiller on his ability to absorb shots and not allow rebounds, and seemed to say that it was just an off night.

The question, one that is rattling around in the brains of Hawks fans, is this: with two straight gut-wrenching defeats, and an eight game road trip that will see the team play for 15 straight days on the road, are the Hawks in trouble?

It would certainly be easy to flip the panic switch. Blowing a four goal lead and managing to lose while giving up only 12 shots may seem like a pretty steep hill to climb, but in reality, there were positives (as well as a few negatives) that need to be looked at for a fuller picture of the proceedings.

Against the Ducks, there were quite a few positives. One notable one was the play of defensemen Brian Campbell and Brent Sopel. Campbell skated really well in his 27:36 of ice time, and even though he was a minus-1 on the game, he still played very solid defense to go along with his offensive efforts.

Sopel was a man possessed at times during the game, combining some stellar D with one notable sequence in the 2nd period where he blocked a shot from the point, limped around noticeably, and took another shot right to the body before the Hawks could clear the puck. Sopel didn’t miss a shift after that, and his efforts were warmly received by the nearly 22,000 fans in attendance.

More kudos have to go to Jonathan Toews and Dustin Byfuglien, who were both disciplined enough to not allow the advances of Ryan Getzlaf to get to them. They both maintained their composure, and it was a sight to see that even in a game where the proceedings were mind numbingly frustrating, they could still remain cool.

The final positive that really needs to be addressed is the absence of Marian Hossa. While it may seem like an odd thing to be praising, the Hawks still managed to move the puck around effectively and get outstanding scoring chances even without #81 in the lineup. Granted, they did show good offensive prowess when he missed the first quarter of the season, but the fact that they aren’t fully reliant on him now is still a good sign.

The main negative of the game was the play of Duncan Keith. Everyone is entitled to a bad night, but his poor effort to clear a puck from the front of the net led to the first goal of the game for the Ducks.

His other miscue was his careless back pass toward his blue line while the Hawks had an empty net. The puck was intercepted, and Teemu Selanne took a feed and netted the dagger for the Ducks.

It is uncharacteristic for Keith to have a bad game, and even with his goal and 2nd Star honors on the night, he still was one of the main culprits in the defeat.

Our buddy Forklift from the outstanding Blackhawks blog Hockee Night had a comment related to goalie Antti Niemi, who had a bit of a rough night, allowing two goals on the Ducks’ first four shots:

Antti Niemi. 2 goals on 11 shots. Neither of which he even got a piece of. Granted, the Hawks’ defense left him hanging out to dry on both goals, but he was brutal. If anything, he should thank the Hawks for keeping the puck at the other end of the ice all night, because this could have been a real Lions/Christians night otherwise.

Don’t think there is a better way to put that, and thanks to Forklift for providing that blurb from his recap of the contest.

Ultimately, the real test for the Hawks will be the game coming out of this three day weekend of sorts for them. Columbus is coming to the United Center red hot, and it will be the last home game the Hawks will have until February 3rd.

Will the team bounce back and soothe the fears of the masses with a strong showing Thursday night? It will be interesting to find out, and it will be an important start to what will be an arduous trek for this team.

Tags: Brent Sopel, Brian Campbell, Corey Perry, Duncan Keith, Dustin Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews, Ryan Getzlaf