The Chicago Blackhawks have been playing some great hockey lately. Throughout the past week, the Hawks have squared off against opponents like Minnesota, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Calgary.
With wins over Minnesota and Winnipeg, the Hawks have improved their worth in the Central Division standings.
Although any points earned are crucial points, wins and points earned from beating teams in the Central Division are even more imperative.
Two weeks ago the on October 26th, the Hawks fell in a 5-3 loss to Minnesota. Not only did the score hurt, but also the points the Wild gained from were crucial for them to improve their spot in the Central’s standings.
Even with the 5-1 win against the Wild on October 28th, the Wild trail the Blackhawks in by just 3 points. Each team has played 15 games so far and the only separation between the two is a Blackhawks’ regulation win and an overtime loss giving them 3 points.
This is how close Minnesota is to the Hawks in the Standings.
The Colorado Avalanche still lead the Division with 24 points in just 13 games. Although the Avs have encountered some bumps in the road so far this season with injuries suffered from players like forward Alex Tanguay and starting goalie Semyon Varlamov turning himself in on charges of kidnapping and assault, the Avs are still finding ways to win.
They only have one loss so far this season, and even the number in the loss column is bound to change, I still do not foresee the Avalanche dropping too low out of the standings in the Central Division.
Aside from Minny and Colorado, there still remains an opponent that is lurking just beneath the 3rd place spot in the Central.
The St.Louis Blues still remain a legitimate threat to any team in the Central Division.
The Blues have a record of 8-2-2 and 18 points in just 12 games. They have the potential to gain entry into the top 3 if they gain points in their next few games.
They also have the potential to stay within the top 3 spots if they keep doing so!
Blackhawks News
Coach Q has been switching up the lines lately for the Blackhawks. We have been seeing more and more of some players, while others have been out of the lineup. Recently, forward Brad Mills has seen the ice in the past few games. Mills is a 30 year-old forward that was recently acquired off of Free Agency on October 25th.
He has played in 3 of the last 4 games since being signed as a Blackhawk. He has yet to impress me, let alone anyone else.
He has registered 2 shots on goal and a -1 rating. I still do not see a reason for signing Mills, but, like I always say, I trust Stan Bowman and the rest of the Blackhawks’ management with their decisions.
Other players that have been in the lineup recently are youngsters like Ben Smith, who registered a goal against Winnipeg, and Jeremy Morin, who registered 2 assists in his last 5 games since October 26th.
I hope Ben Smith gets more ice time due to his dependability and skill.
He was a +3 against Winnipeg the other night and I think, if he keeps up that sort of offensive pace, he could really help out the Hawks in this tight Central Division race. Jeremy Morin has not really impressed me much this season.
He has yet to score a goal and only has 2 assists in just 5 games.
Hopefully, if he stays in the Hawks’ lineup, he can start scoring and putting up points for the Hawks.
I guess we will have to wait and see if Morin stays up. I think he may be up for another couple games or so, but if he does not produce like Coach Q wants him to produce, I think Morin will go back down to Rockford.
Defenseman Sheldon Brookbank and forward Brandon Pirri have also been playing recently. Although Pirri has only registered 2 assists in his last 5 games, I think he will stay in the lineup for competition at the center position.
Brookbank has done a decent job lately, especially for a defenseman. He has scored a goal and an assist in his last 5 games with a +2 rating. Brookbank is still a liable contender for the sixth defenseman spot on the roster.
Frank’s Three Stars of the Week
1st: Jonathan Toews
2nd: Brandon Bollig
3rd: Marian Hossa
Toews: Captain Serious has been playing very well lately. I often wonder ho many times I am going to write that….Anyway, Toews scored his 3rd career hat-trick on October 29th against Ottawa. Not only did he score his 3 goals, but he also registered an assist giving him 4 points in one night. Despite his amazing performance against Ottawa, he also registered 2 assists in the two games against Minnesota.
With 6 points in the last 5 games, Tazer is leading his team offensively alongside Patrick Kane with 13 points so far this season.
Bollig: You may be asking yourself, why would Frank put Bollig in his Three Stars lineup? Well, have you seen his stats lately?! The enforcer that usually creates a physical presence on the ice has added some skill to his ice-portfolio.
He recently scored his second goal of the season making it the third of his NHL career. In his last 5 games, Bollig has penciled in 1 goal, 2 assists and a +2 rating in his stat book.
Can Brandon Bollig keep producing offensively? I sure hope so. He has continued to prove his worth on the 4th line and hopefully he will continue to do so.
I would like to see him in the lineup every night with his physical presence and now a rare offensive presence as well.
Hossa: Marian Hossa has also been playing well lately. He has 6 points in his last 5 games coming from 2 goals and 4 assists.
Although Hossa is usually known for his goal scoring capabilities, his assists have been helpful in his last 5 games for the Hawks.
I would like to see some more goal scoring out of him in the next upcoming weeks, but as long as he is producing points I am happy! Keep it up Big Hoss!
Frank Markasovic
Sports Editor