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The Blackhawks passed another big test yesterday afternoon, with a 4-1 victory over the Ducks at the Honda Center.Tthey are now 4-1 on the annual Circus Trip, heading into a game tonight against the Kings.
It was a dominant performance by the Hawks. You can twist it a couple of ways: tempering it with the knowledge that the Ducks were missing two of their better defensemen, or amplifying it by pointing out that were it not for Duck goalie Fredrik Andersen's heroics, the game easily could have been 7-1.
The bottom line is this though, the style of play that kept the Ducks pinned in their end most of the night has been evident over the last 5-6 Chicago outings. The Hawks are getting pucks deep, aggressively forechecking, pinching to maintain zone pressure at the right times, and holding and moving the puck as well as ever.
The penalty kill is the best in the league.
And when he is seeing shots, Corey Crawford is clearly at the top of his game.
To my eye, there are a few keys:
First, Brad Richards is gelling with Patrick Kane and a rejuvenated Kris Versteeg to give the Hawks a potent second line, or as someone pointed out on my message thread yesterday, a 1B line. This is the kind of potency that gives Joel Quenneville options another coaches fits, trying to match up.
Second, Joakim Nordstrom is starting to become Michal Frolik 2.0. It was Frolik who, along with C Marcus Kruger, made the Hawks' 4th line a "3B"—often thrown out against opponents' top lines, as they were yesterday in Anaheim, with huge success. Again, this gives Quenneville a huge matchup advantage, and allows him to play three "scoring" lines.
Hawk defensemen are making quick and long outlet passes and the transition game is absolutely stretching opponents and stressing their defense.
Sound familiar? It should—this was what made the Hawks the best team in hockey two seasons ago. And all this without Patrick Sharp, one of the team's better forwards.
But this gets put to a more severe test tonight against what was the best team in hockey last year, the LA Kings.
Chicago Blackhawks at Los Angeles Kings 9PM Central/7 Pacific
THE BUZZ
This game doesn't need any buildup. A couple of questions for the Hawks: are they fatigued at the end of a road trip and tieback end of a back-yo-back against two very good teams? And is Marian Hossa's back any worse for wear after a late Corey Perry cross-check yesterday?
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Chicago
Saad Toews Hossa Versteeg Richards kane Bickell Shaw Carcillo Nordstrom Kruger Smith
Keith Seabrook Oduya Hjalmarsson Clendening Rozsival
Crawford (unconfirmed)
LA
Gaborik Kopitar Toffoli Pearson Carter Lewis Brown Stoll Williams Clifford Richards King
Muzzin Doughty McNabb Greene Regehr McBain
Quick
Recap tomorrow,
JJ