Beat the Doldrums: Will Olympic Break Help or Hurt the Blackhawks?

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

Can the United States Win it All?

It has been 30 long years since the United States won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. That team, with nothing but some college experience and a lot of grit and determination, beat the vaunted Soviet Union and Finland in the medal round to win their first gold since 1960, and the US hasn’t won since.

After its first 3-0-0 start since the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, the US is dreaming of gold yet again. After snaring the number one seed coming out of pool play, the United States team has the luxury of not having to face Russia, Canada, or Sweden until the gold medal game. Instead, they will play Switzerland in the quartefinals, and their route to the finals seems extremely doable.

The question, then, becomes this: can the United States win their first gold medal since the Miracle Boys of 1980?

There really is no reason to believe that they can’t do it, but it’s still going to be extremely difficult. Even with the easier road to pave than they would have had if they hadn’t upset Canada on Sunday night, the target on the Americans’ back is even bigger now. When they play the Swiss tomorrow afternoon, Jonas Hiller and his mates will be looking to make a statement to the world that they belong with the big boys.

Ryan Miller, even for all of his amazing saves against Canada, will still have to remain on top of his game, and that’s not an easy proposition for a player who has had two consecutive days off in a tournament of this magnitude.

The United States can win the gold, but it will be anything but easy.

Still in shock that Ovechkin hit Jagr that flush. To think, Jagr is still contemplating a return to the NHL next season even after getting drilled like that. It would be great to see him back in the league though.

Will Olympic Break Help or Hurt the Blackhawks?

In an interesting article in the Chicago Tribune,  the Blackhawks representing their countries were asked what they thought about the Olympics increasing their exhaustion level at a late point in the season.

“I feel fine”, Keith told the Tribune. “The coaches are pretty good. If I need a day off (with Chicago) I’ll get a day off. It’s just a matter of sticking with it. Sometimes you can be tired but there’s no excuse. You just find a way to battle through that.”

Jonathan Toews said “for us, we’re still in the groove. We’ve been on the ice every day kind of like we normally would. It’s just a few more games.”

Patrick Kane added “I’m a pretty young guy. I don’t have to worry about that too much.”

All of the talk before the tournament was how it was the last one that is guaranteed to feature NHL players, and that the NHL isn’t thrilled about the prospect of having to stop its season for two weeks so players can participate in the Olympics.

The calls for an end to participation grew even louder as NBC elected to show the USA vs. Canada game on MSNBC instead of the flagship, a move universally panned by critics as an undermining of the NHL brand.

All the drama and in-fighting aside, the question at hand is a simple one: despite what the stars are saying, is the Olympic break going to hurt the Blackhawks?

The answer to this question isn’t a simple one to come to. The issue of momentum is a definite concern, and probably one of the strongest arguments that there will be a letdown by Chicago coming out of it. With a five game point streak going into the break, the Hawks had plenty of momentum. Now, after not having played since last Sunday, 14 of the Chicago regulars have been dormant, and six of them are playing games in the pressure cooker of the Olympics.

Besides momentum, there is also the issue of fatigue. Yes, the players don’t seem to be letting it bother them, but when you consider that a lot of other teams don’t have as many Olympians as Chicago does, they’ll be a lot more rested than the Blackhawks. With a condensed schedule and rest at a premium, and four months of hockey looming for whichever teams become Cup finalists, fatigue will definitely be a factor for teams with lots of players on Olympic rosters.

Overall, the Olympics have been good for the profile of not only the Blackhawks but also the profile of the sport as a whole, but the fatigue may make it all for naught if the Hawks come out of the gate sluggishly.

Finally, To Wrap Up, A Little Mikita Magic

Tags: Alex Ovechkin, Chicago Blackhawks, Duncan Keith, Jaromir Jagr, Joel Quenneville, Jonas Hiller, Jonathan Toews, Miracle on Ice, Patrick Kane, Ryan Miller, Team Canada, Team USA