SALON

Wednesday, Feb 27, 2013 10:00 PM UTC

Blackhawks rolling after tweaks from year ago

By

Topics: From the Wires,

Blackhawks rolling after tweaks from year agoChicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa, of Slovakia, celebrates along the boards with fans after scoring the winning goal during overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, in Chicago. The Blackhawks won 3-2. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)(Credit: AP)

CHICAGO (AP) — While the streak goes on and the Chicago Blackhawks pile up points, the same words are repeated over and over.

It’s about improving each game, they say, and how you finish the season. Trying to win every night is another common refrain.

The uniformity of the message is a testament to the mindset of the streaking Blackhawks, but it’s also a vote of confidence for the gruff conductor of the best start in NHL history. While a balanced attack and two hot goaltenders get all the credit, coach Joel Quenneville’s focus on Chicago’s most glaring problems from last season has played a key role in the Blackhawks’ record-breaking run.

“It’s nice having some familiarity back behind the bench,” forward Patrick Sharp said. “He knows how to push buttons and motivate. I feel like the team that returned from last year had a head start knowing what Q demands of us, how he wants us to play. It all goes hand in hand.”

Chicago began the lockout-shortened season with a 5-2 win at the Stanley Cup champion Kings on Jan. 19. Then came a 6-4 victory at Phoenix the following night, and the Blackhawks just kept collecting points like squirrels hoarding acorns for another brutal Chicago winter.

They set the NHL record for a season-opening points streak when they beat San Jose 2-1 on Friday night to make it 17 in a row. Two more victories later, and the Blackhawks are at 19 heading into Thursday night’s game at rival St. Louis.

“We were hoping to get off to a good start,” Quenneville said. “We looked at our schedule. We had a brutal schedule, when we play 10 out of 12 on the road. So we’re thinking hopefully we can put ourselves in a position when we come home we’d be in a decent spot. But we didn’t see this happening, for sure.”

It seems as if everyone on the roster has stepped up at one point or another during the 16-0-3 opening.

Patrick Kane is among the league leaders with 10 goals and 14 assists. Goalie Corey Crawford has a terrific 1.50 goals-against average, and backup Ray Emery has won each of his eight starts. Defensemen Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brent Seabrook are near the top of the NHL in blocked shots.

“If you told us this at the start of the season, it would blow our socks off,” Sharp said. “I don’t think anyone anticipated this. But as the season’s gone on, it’s just come to the rink and prepare to play.”

This run actually dates to last season in more ways than one. The Blackhawks have earned at least one point in 25 consecutive games overall, the third-longest point streak in NHL history.

It’s the turnaround in a couple of Chicago’s biggest weaknesses from last year ago that has fueled the confidence.

“I think the areas that we talked about going into the season were things that we had to improve upon I think are much better,” Quenneville said. “Our penalty-killing for sure. Our goals-against average was, we had hit a different note last year as far as the quantity of goals we were giving up, the type of goals we were giving up. I think we’ve shored up our defensive zone coverage, that’s helped us. Our power play is more effective.”

The Blackhawks struggled on special teams for most of last season, and it hurt them in close games. They converted just 15.2 percent of their power-play opportunities, which was 26th in the 30-team NHL, and killed off 78.1 percent of their opponents’ chances, good for 27th in the league.

A year later, special teams are special once again. Chicago is up to an 18.2-percent conversion rate on the power play and the penalty kill is a lofty 88.7 percent, second in the NHL behind Boston.

It’s a big swing, and a major reason behind the Blackhawks’ 10-0-3 record in one-goal games.

“Whether it’s a big save, whether it’s the special teams on a given night, usually everybody plays the score and the clock, and finding ways to win is important in our league,” Quenneville said.

The 54-year-old former defenseman has been finding ways to win for a long time. He directed the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup title in his second season with the team in 2010 and is the active leader with 640 victories as an NHL coach.

His resume adds to his credibility in the locker room, but Quenneville himself is focused on the next win for the Blackhawks. And they’ve picked up a bunch of them so far this year.

“I think that’s the approach where we still want to look to improve and get better as we go along here,” Quenneville said, “and that’s a challenge we face.”

____

Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

By Jay Cohen

More By Jay Cohen.

Next Article

You Might Also Like

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

More Related Stories

Comments

 0 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username ( settings | log out )

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves": Growing up primate

Recommendations