Thread: 2012/2013 Chicago Blackhawks Thread

Blackhawks release 2013 schedule - Chicago Blackhawks Blog - ESPN Chicago

Blackhawks release 2013 schedule

The Chicago Blackhawks released their 2013 48-game regular-season schedule on Saturday night, and it's highlighted by 10 of their first 12 games being on the road.

The Blackhawks will open their season in Los Angeles against the defending NHL champion Kings at 2 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 19. Their home opener will come against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, Jan. 22. The will close the regular season in St. Louis on April 27.

The Blackhawks will play 10 road games from their season opener to Feb. 10 due to scheduling conflicts with the United Center. They will travel to face the Kings (Jan. 19), Phoenix Coyotes (Jan. 20), Dallas Stars (Jan. 24), Columbus Blue Jackets (Jan. 26), Minnesota Wild (Jan. 30), Vancouver Canucks (Jan. 1), Calgary Flames (Feb. 2), San Jose Sharks (Feb. 5), Coyotes (Feb. 7) and Nashville Predators (Feb.10).

The Blackhawks will make up a bulk of their home games when they host seven consecutive games at the United Center from Feb. 12-Feb. 25. The homestand will equal the longest in franchise history, which was set in the 1926-27 season and matched in 1951-52 and 1969-70. Their schedule also includes a four-game road trip in March and two three-game homestands.

The Blackhawks will play 18 games against Central Division opponents. They will play the Red Wings four times (two home, two away), the Blue Jackets four times (two home, two away), the Predators five times (three home, two away) and the Blues five times (two home, three away).

The Blackhawks will play back-to-back games 12 times. They have seven games in January, 13 games in February, 14 games in March and 14 games in April. All 48 games will be against Western Conference opponents.

Chicago Hot Button Topic of the week - Chicago - ESPN Chicago

Are the Blackhawks contenders for the Stanley Cup?

Core, Q give Hawks Cup aspirations

By Scott Powers
ESPNChicago.com

The 2009-10 season isn't that long ago.

Unless, of course, you're talking to a Chicago Blackhawks fan. In that case, it seems like an eternity since the calendar read June of 2010 and the Blackhawks were raising the Stanley Cup.
Hopes of creating a hockey dynasty in Chicago were deterred with first-round playoff exits in 2011 and 2012. With those defeats, many are down on the Blackhawks again in 2013.
But the reality is 2010 isn't that long ago, and the Blackhawks aren't that far from being atop the NHL again.
Let's start with the fact the Blackhawks return their core pieces. Plenty can be expected from the likes of Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. Toews and Hossa are healthy and refreshed. Kane is primed for a big year after playing in Europe during the lockout. Sharp, Keith and Seabrook will be their usual selves.
But those aren't the only players back. Of the 26 players on the Blackhawks' roster at the beginning of training camp, 23 played for the Blackhawks last season. The Hawks have a definite advantage in a shortened season where chemistry and familiarity matter.
Depth will also be a factor in the compact season, and that's another strength of the Hawks. Daniel Carcillo was lost for the season in January and is healthy again. Viktor Stalberg should be given even more of an offensive role this season. Dave Bolland and Andrew Shaw will have expanded roles. The Hawks are deeper at defenseman with the additions of Sheldon Brookbank and Michal Rozsival. They have plenty of youngsters such as Marcus Kruger and Brandon Saad who are ready to take that next step.
Two of the Hawks' major downfalls last season were their power play and penalty kill. Those are areas that can change year to year with some luck of the puck, but they're also areas of focus for Hawks coach Joel Quenneville this season. They're bound to improve.
Consistent goaltending also troubled the Hawks last season. Corey Crawford had some good and some bad last season, but his upside is still high. After enduring somewhat of a sophomore slump, Crawford is ready to move forward again.
In the end, 2013 may just feel like 2010 for Blackhawks fans.

Too much to fix to call contenders

By Jesse Rogers
ESPNChicago.com

Contenders? Maybe. Serious contenders? Not just yet. The Chicago Blackhawks may have fit that description a year or two ago but not anymore.

Now they are in the "prove it to me first" category, and until they show they can be a special team -- as they did in 2010 -- then they're just like any other decent collection of players vying to get to the next level.
There are too many big things to fix from a year ago, and with very little roster turnover it has to happen from within. The power play, penalty kill and goaltending all need vast improvement. Those are no small tasks -- they're integral to winning.
In addition to that, the Hawks were simply not committed to playing good defense last season. They gave up 2.82 goals per game, second worst among playoff teams and 22nd overall in the league. So add that to the list of things that need improvement.
The good news is the Hawks probably do have the talent and coaching to get the job done. Joel Quenneville is a Stanley Cup-winning coach but needs to crack the whip a little more, even to his star players. They need to respond, remembering what it takes to win it all.
The leadership of the team, considered so strong when the Hawks won the Cup just two seasons ago, has come into question. Otherwise, a league-worst nine-game losing skid last season may have been stopped earlier. Quenneville needs to reassert himself as the true leader, and of course captain Jonathan Toews can make a big difference in this area as well.
There are too many question marks to call the Blackhawks serious contenders, but there is enough talent to change that notion over the next few months.

Hawks up 2-0 on the Cup defending Kings. Tallies by Hossa and Kane and just past the halfway point in the first frame.

Welcome back NHL, you're damn lucky you made it back before the NFL season finished

Chicago Blackhawks beat Los Angeles Kings 5-2 in season opener - chicagotribune.com

Blackhawks rout Kings in season opener

LOS ANGELES — The Kings owned the moments before the drop of the puck on the 2013 season as they received their Stanley Cup championship rings and watched as a banner was raised to the rafters of the Staples Center commemorating their '12 title.
The Blackhawks owned pretty much every moment thereafter as they throttled the Kings 5-2 Saturday in front of an initially jubilant and then stunned crowd of 18,545.
Marian Hossa had two goals and an assist, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each had a goal and an assist and Michael Frolik also scored as the Hawks spoiled the Kings' party.

It was Kane's early goal with the Hawks holding a two-man advantage that helped ease some concerns from last season, including an anemic power play and some inconsistent play from goaltender Corey Crawford. When Kane stepped into a one-timer after a pass from Hossa and rifled it past Jonathan Quick from a low angle, the Hawks had their first power-play goal and Crawford had a lead with which he could work. Not long after, the Hawks had a three-goal cushion on scores by Hossa and Frolik and ended the first period in complete control.
"That's a huge part of the game when you get a five-on-three early," Kane said. "We had a couple of chances when we could have scored but it didn't work in our favor, and then (we had) nice motion and got a goal."
It was a huge boost to a power-play unit that finished tied for 25th last season with a 15.2 percent success rate.
"We have to get a little chemistry and move it around a little bit," Kane said. "It's a good start. Hopefully, it will come better than last year. With the focus we have on it this year and how important it's going to be, it's definitely something we need to improve, and I think we will throughout the year."
When Toews scored early in the second to stake Crawford to a four-goal lead, the goalie took advantage. He allowed only scores to Rob Scuderi when screened and to Jordan Nolan while he was down on the ice after a scramble.
"That's the best start you can ask for, for a first game like that," Crawford said. "All around everyone battled hard and it was just a solid game. I was seeing the puck really well and was focused. On scrambles I felt like I was following the puck well and moving side to side."
The Hawks also got off to a nice start on the penalty kill — another problematic area in '11-12 — by blanking the Kings on all five of their opportunities with a man advantage.
"All areas of our game were pretty solid," coach Joel Quenneville said. "And our special teams were definitely better than we saw last year."
Added Kane: "You have to be happy with the way everyone played. That's probably the perfect game teamwise to start the year."

Originally Posted by vmx12

5 against Quick. 6 Against Smith. Not to mention Hossa has more goals than some teams do. I'd say the Hawks offense is running on all cylinders.

Indeed, now we just need some better goaltending and defense. We give up to many goals imo and did it last year aswell, if I recall right we didn't had a shotout last season and that could very well be the case in this season too.
But a great start on the season really, let's have a 12 winning streak on road this season instead of the otherway around.
Here comes the Hawks!

ah too bad we don't play each other this year. Original six matchups are always fun.

and Bergevin gets his first win as GM against the lowly panthers. huzzah.