A very nice win vs. the Wild puts the Hawks at their first 5-game winning streak of the year. It also has created a (tiny) bit of separation in the Central Division, where the Hawks now sit 4th overall.
Don't look now, but this team is finally starting to look like they have found their stride and have looked dominant at times lately. It's really impressive as well, considering more "new" guys in Oesterle, Kempny and Hinostroza have entered into the lineup in the last 3-5 games.
Overall, the 4 lines are rolling. They are playing with a lot of speed and cohesion through the neutral zone and using their creativity in the o-zone.
The balance up front has been great. I heard the Hawks were happy with Hinostroza at centre and I think that line was one that really needed to get going. What better way to do that than putting childhood friends together, paired with a savvy vet in Sharp. It's been working well.
Kempny looked average tonight and finished with just 14+ minutes. He is a work in progress still, but the skills he possesses are evident, he just needs ice-time. Me thinks though, if Rutta and Franson are healthy enough to play, he may get pushed again.
Oesterle's 19+ mins were 3rd on the backend, and although he had some shaky moments, his pass to Kane was a thing of beauty, and his work on the 2nd PP unit was solid.
The powerplay, even though they didn't score, looked a lot better. They were 0/6 but ran a lot of the play against a top 5 PK team. They need to keep it up and find a way to put a few in the back of the net.
I mentioned in the last blog that the Hawks management really wants this younger crew of players to get comfortable and produce on consistent levels as the season goes on. It will be vital to this team if these guys can create and finish plays to help with a balanced attack and become a dangerous opponent for anyone come April 2018.
Kevin Dinnen said in the pre-3rd-period interview with Pat and Steve that "Ulf and Donny" (Samuelsson and Granato) have done a great job with the younger players and the scratches. They were referring to Kempny and Oesterle sitting out for so many games, then being able to step in and help out at the highest level.
These moves to hire both coaches were forced upon Quenneville by Stan. I know everyone has their feelings (good and bad) towards both of these key off-ice figures in Chicago, but I feel like Stan did the right thing with these underrated additions this off-season.
Ulf Samuelsson had success working with young players in the AHL and Don Granato in NCAA. Stan Bowman knew that fostering a new wave of "stars" with this aging core was extremely important and addressed it in a nice way which will hopeful help these Hawks out long-term.
The Hawks can enjoy some time off to wrap a few presents and hang out with their family and friends before they head out to Dallas (Thursday) and New Jersey (Saturday) to close out their schedule before the holiday break.
On a side note, my wife and I are expecting the birth of our 2nd child anytime now, so if I go dark, you'll know why. I'll keep you guys posted.
Wish me luck.
JL
-- ICYMI:
* Rockford lost their rematch to the San Antonio Rampage 4-1 yesterday. Broken record time; Andreas Martinsen scored the lone goal again. They get back to work at home next weekend with games on Friday (Chicago) and Saturday (Grand Rapids).
* Credit the Hawks coaching staff for helping Brent Seabrook find his game. He’s done a 180 since his minutes were limited on the bottom pairing for a while there. He led ALL Hawks players with 24+ minutes last night, which even surprised me.
#7’s play has been really solid lately and the fact that his TOI was monitored earlier in the year leads me to believe it was a combination of confidence and a minor injury.
* Tuesday is the NHL Trade Freeze. All is quiet right now on the Hawks’ front (winning changes a lot).
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