December 15, 2008 Blackhawks are "Growin' Up" "I took
monthlong vacations in the stratosphere
And you know it's really hard to hold your breath.
I swear I lost everything I ever loved or feared
I was the Cosmic Kid in full costume dress" -- Bruce Springsteen, "Growin' up"
[CHICAGO, IL] -- Normally, I try to
stay more current than thirty-five year-old rock songs, but it seemed
that the Boss had the most accurate way to describe what's going on
with the West Side Hockey club. They are growing up before our very
eyes, playing with cosmic enthusiasm that has taken them to a
different level in the NHL stratosphere.
When the Hawks returned home for their Circus Trip to start December,
Joel Quenneville challenged his team to separate from the muddled mass
and become the primary challenger to San Jose and Detroit in the
Western Conference. The Hawks responded by scoring 14 goals over a
stretch of 100 minutes of hockey and taking seven of the next eight
possible points.
But the story isn't really in the numbers, it's in the play that led
to those numbers. The Hawks found their way out of a deep, defensive
hole against Anaheim. They carried the play against the Wings in
Detroit in a way few teams have been able to for several years. (Sure,
they've stolen games from the Wings, but in this game they were by far
the superior team, even though they lost in the shootout). Then they
came home and thoroughly blasted Phoenix, before finding a way to win
in a different style -- a defensive struggle over Ottawa.
Two things have occurred to allow the Hawks to experience this growth.
The first is that the other young stars are starting to catch up to
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Not in ability, mind you, but in
commitment and confidence. So Dave Bolland scores two game-winning
goals. So Andrew Ladd chips in seven points in a two-night stretch. So
Troy Brouwer is the best player on the ice in a Hawks' win. These are
excellent signs of accelerated improvement.
The other is that Quenneville has coached these players to that level.
You can witness the structure in their backcheck. You can see the
design in their neutral zone defense that allows them to protect a
lead.
The end result is that the Hawks are bucking conventional wisdom,
which had them being 2-3 years away from being a Stanley Cup
Contender. In the space of two weeks, I think they've improved from no
chance to dark horse. They are still behind San Jose and Detroit in
the west, but they are rapidly becoming the closest contender. and the
most dangerous challenger.
There will still be occasional lulls. Nights when they lose to
Columbus. A game where they get a bad bounce in St. Louis. Perhaps
even a week where they play OK but can't get a W. This happens for all
teams, even good ones. But the team has picked up the pace in every
sense of the phrase, and oh what fun it is to ride the one-horse open
sleigh that is the Hawks' season so far.
NOTES NOTES NOTES
*In a similar vein, watch for the Blackhawks to start making
appearances for national audiences in non-traditional hockey venues.
Some of that will be to promote the upcoming Winter Classic, but some
of it is about the Hawks national appeal. Sports Illustrated's
National Football writer Peter King interviewed Patrick Sharp
recently. Sharp says he thinks the interview will run in King's
must-read internet column "Monday Morning Quarterback", though we
should note that King does work on NBC for "Football Night in America"
(NBC, of course, will televise the Winter Classic". King is a big New
Jersey Devils' fan but Sharp reports that they mostly talked football.
*I don't know the in's and out's of what makes a good commercial. I
only know what I like. And me likey the commercial spots for the
Winter Classic very much. My colleague at the Chicago Sun-Times, the
business columnist Lewis Lazare, critiques these things for a living
and mostly disagrees with me on this debate. But I think it builds up
the anticipation for one game the same way players anticipate coming
on the ice for all their games. And the undertrack of Harry Caray
singing the anthem is a brilliant tie-in to the venue. Look, I want to
watch anyway, but I think it would make me watch if I wasn't
interested.
*An even better commercial runs on the jumbotron in-game. It's a
continuation of the "one goal" campaign. Brian Campbell, who scored a
goal for the Sabres in last year's Classic in Buffalo, skate to the
microphone and says, "My goal? To unfold one of these at Wrigley Field
on New Year's Day". And he unfolds a "W" flag, then skates away. No
one is singing "Go Hawks Go". At least not yet.
*Very interesting to watch the Ottawa Senators last week. Their talent
seems mismatched for Craig Hartsburg -- they seem to be a mostly
offensive-oriented team adapting to a defensive-mided coach. As a
result, guys like Antoine Vermette and Nick Foligno and others really
seem to be struggling to find ways to contribute. They may struggle
for a while in the win column, until they can get the right personnel.
But the clubhouse problems that ripped this team apart a season ago
seem to be gone. They look like a close bunch. The Sens may not get it
all together in time to make the playoffs, but I'd be a very scared
top seed if they sneak in at the end.
*As James Wisniewski comes back to the Blackhawks, watch for the
redesign of the website for his Wizwear clothing line. The site is at
wizwear43.com. A portion of all proceeds goes towards the USO.
*And finally, much gratitude to those of you who have supported
Chicago Blackhawks Charities by purchasing our children's book, "The
Magic Uniform". A special thanks to my own network, to Dan Roan at WGN
and to Mark Giangreco at ABC-7 for their stories on the book. The
response has far exceeded my expectations and has already raised tens
of thousands of dollars for the causes. If you bring copies to our
pre-game set next to the Cuervo Cantina at the United Center, I'll do
my best to sign them for you.
Josh
Mora,
a Columnist with TheFourthPeriod.com, is an Anchor and
Blackhawks Reporter with Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.
