After their annual six-game road trip, the Blackhawks will return to the United Center to face off against their Western Conference opponents, the Phoenix Coyotes, on Tuesday night.
Tuesday’s tilt comes just two days after the Hawks concluded their Circus Trip with a win over the Los Angeles Kings, finishing with a 3-3 record. Two of the three losses may have not come against the teams that many might have expected, but we know plenty more about this Hawks team after the trip.
We learned that the Blackhawks are better than the Vancouver Canucks. You might not have known it in their first meeting this season, but the Hawks appear that they are back to their ownership of the Canucks. They played a smart game and controlled most of the 60 minutes in their 5-1 victory in Vancouver.
The following two games presented an absolute disaster in Alberta, as the Hawks were trounced by both Calgary and Edmonton by a combined count of 14-4. Even those two losses presented a learning opportunity for the Hawks.
The importance of Brent Seabrook came to the forefront, as Duncan Keith was flat awful in the two losses. The Blackhawks just couldn’t find their game, as both the Flames and Oilers were able to stop their own losing streaks with dominant wins over Chicago.
However, the California swing showed us what this team is really made of. We now know that the Blackhawks are capable of losing a game without it turning it into a complete disaster. As disappointing as the loss in San Jose was, it was still a solid effort from the team that helped pick them up at least a little bit after consecutive disasters.
The final pair of games on the trip were easily the best of the trip, along with the Vancouver game, and demonstrated that the Blackhawks are capable of beating anyone in the league if they play up to the way they’re capable of.
While we did learn that a 60 minute effort will usually mean a win for the Hawks against any team in the NHL, that shouldn’t really come as a shock. It’s a given.
The defense is obviously still an issue. The team missed Seabrook when he was out and Keith’s struggles were magnified when he was gone. It didn’t help that Niklas Hjalmarsson continues to contribute absolutely nothing and Steve Montador cooled off after a hot stretch before the trip.
Bryan Bickell also continues to play his way into Joel Quenneville‘s doghouse. Stuck in an apparent sophomore slump, Bickell doesn’t have a single point in November and was a healthy scratch when the team called up Ben Smith. As trade rumors begin to start swirling, don’t be surprised to see Bickell’s name mentioned.
It’s also becoming more and more likely that the Hawks could pull the trigger on some type of deal for a physical forward, in the mold of a Shane Doan type. Something is lacking on the forward units, and a physical guy that can also contribute on the offense is likely it.
Nonetheless, the stars have come to play every night this season. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp demonstrated it on Saturday, with five points from Toews and a hat trick from Sharp. But that also includes Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane. Toews is tied for sixth in the league in points this season, while all three of Sharp, Hossa, and Kane fall into the top 22.
A 3-3 road trip might not be what was expected, especially given who two of those losses came against, but there are plenty of positives to pull from it. Either way, the team and the fans are likely very excited for them to return to the United Center on Tuesday, to square off against Phoenix.
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The Blackhawks are better than the Canucks?! Because they won one game? Albeit by a 5-1 score, but we beat you in our first matchup of the season 5-0… I’m guessing you got your journalism degree the same place you learned your math skills. You guys barely made the playoffs last year, went out first round and aren’t likely to do any better this year depending on when you have to meet the Canucks… Give your head a shake bud
I love when someone attacks someone else’s education over a simple statement. Look at what the Hawks have done to the Canucks over the past few years. And even last year, with an exhausted Hawks team that was average, at best, they still pushed the Canucks to the brink after a 3-0 deficit. You can’t say that there’s no validity in that statement. It didn’t say they win every single game they’ve ever played against Vancouver. But they generally perform very well against your squad, and absolutely own your now backup goaltender.
Also that first result was 6-2 Vancouver in a game that the Hawks got caught up in the hype of.