May 9, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Marian Hossa (81) is congratulated by center Jonathan Toews (19) for scoring a goal against the Minnesota Wild during the first period in game five of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks won the game and the series over the Minnesota Wild, with a 5-1 blowout, as they advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Wild challenged the Hawks to a track meet in the first period, and although they put up a mighty fight, they ultimately lost.  The Hawks pushed back the Wild assault with some masterful Penalty Killing, especially from Michael Frolik, the Blackhawks PK artist.  At 15:39 of the first, Marian Hossa buried a set-up from Jonathan Toews to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead that would last through the end of the first.

The second period was far less evenly matched than the first period.  The Hawks came out flying, as if they wanted to end this series from the drop of the puck to open the second period.  Even though the Wild got on the score board with Torrey Mitchell’s goal, that goal was sandwiched between the offensive onslaught that was the Blackhawks second period.  Three minutes into the second, Marcus Kruger scored his first career playoff goal, on a beautiful wrap-around.  A few minutes later, Marian Hossa added his second goal of the night, and his 3rd of the series overall.  After Hossa’s 2nd goal, that was all Minnesota coach Mike Yeo would tolerate from goaltender Josh Harding, who was not 100% healthy to start the game, as he as pulled in favor of rookie, Darcy Kuemper.  Mitchell’s goal gave the Wild life and hope, but it was short-lived as Andrew Shaw squashed any momentum the Wild had gained, making it 4-1 Hawks, and it would stay that way to the end of the period.

The Hawks did what they had to do in the third period, and then some.  All the Hawks needed to do was keep the Wild at bay, and just ride out the final 20 minutes onto the next round of the post-season.  They did that, and Patrick Sharp added his team-leading 5th goal of the post-season to make it 5-1 Hawks, and that’s how it would be as the Blackhawks went on to win the game, as well as the series.

Notes-

Jonathan Toews tallied his first playoff point of the year with his assist on Marian Hossa’s first goal

Corey Crawford stood on his head all night, and kept the Hawks alive during the first barrage of shots from the Wild.

Bryan Bickell continued his physical play with a bone-crushing hit on Tom Gilbert.

This is the first playoff series win for the Blackhawks since the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Blackhawks have earned some much deserved rest, as they wait to find out who they will face in the second round of the playoffs.

May 7, 2013; Saint Paul, MN, USA; The Chicago Blackhawks celebrate against the Minnesota Wild following game four of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Xcel Energy Center. The Blackhawks defeated the Wild 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight the Chicago Blackhawks have a chance to officially eliminate the Minnesota Wild from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and advance to the next round.  A win tonight, would obviously been in the Blackhawks best interests, but there is a great advantage to winning a playoff series in such a quick fashion.

1.  Injured players get extra time for their wounds to heal.

Dave Bolland and Ray Emery have been unable to suit-up and play for the Hawks thus far in the playoffs.  While it doesn’t seem like Emery would have played anyways, due to the exceptional play from Corey Crawford, coach Quenneville would definitely feel more comfortable having the experienced Emery, who had a fantastic season backing up Crawford, instead of Henrik Karlsson, who only has 26 games of NHL experience.  

As for Bolland, the fact that he has missed all of the first round of the series thus far, is eerily similar to the 2011 playoffs, when he missed the first 3 games of the series against the Vancouver Canucks. All eerie similarities stop there, however.  In that series, the Hawks were down 3 games to none, and Bolland’s return sparked a remarkable, yet ill-fated come-back, where the Hawks lost in overtime of game 7.  This time, the Hawks are very distant from the desperation they felt in that series.  Bolland is one of those players that seemingly comes alive in the post-season, no matter how his regular season was.

The Hawks would very much welcome both players returns, but there is no rush at the moment, and a a few extra days off rather than playing more games against the Wild, would be perfect for the Hawks and both players recoveries.

2. A breather for the players logging huge minutes, every night.

You could almost call this the Duncan Keith factor.  Players like Keith, who are often on the ice for nearly 30 minutes per game, would welcome any extra rest to catch their breath for the next series.  This also includes any player that has a bruise or any light injury(that we are unaware of) that could be a hindrance, or turn into something worse.  These such injurys would have a little extra time to heal, and that could go a long ways for the Blackhawks playoff success.

3.  A little extra rest gives the Blackhawks a possible jump on their next opponent.

Along with a chance for the Hawks to catch their breath, a little extra time dealing with putting the Wild away, means a little extra time to practice and prepare.  We won’t know who the Hawks next opponent will be until the rest of the Western Conference playoff series wrap-up and the tournament has re-seeded.  The only team that has already advanced to the next round is the San Jose Sharks, who swept the Vancouver Canucks.  The Sharks are doing what the Hawks would like to start doing very soon, which is rest and work out internal kinks.  Until the Hawks know for sure who their next opponent will be, game planning will have to wait, but that doesn’t mean they can’t work on some internal game planning, like the Sharks are doing.  While the Sharks are no doubt catching a breather, they are also practicing, staying game-ready, and working on improving themselves as much as they can in this time of luxury.  We can all agree that the Hawks Powerplay unit is full of kinks.  If the Hawks can defeat the Wild tonight, they will be able to catch that breather, as well as practice and work on their lackluster Powerplay.  Say, the Hawks do in fact defeat the Wild tonight, and use the extra time off to work on fixing their hibernating Powerplay, and let’s say they actually do fix it.  Then, they would have productively used their earned time off to gain an edge over their next opponent.

This is no way, shape or form meant as a way to jinx the Blackhawks and their still on-going series against the Wild.  Nor is this disrespecting the Wild’s slim, but real chances of coming back in this series.  This article is meant to point out the possible huge, hidden opportunity gained with a Hawks win/series victory, tonight.

Chicago Fans Argue On Crow’s Play, And Where Blame Lies In Loss. Image created by Joe Kremel. Picture of Crawford used from espnchicago.com

There is a difference between a bad play and a bad game, but it seems like a lot of fans are having trouble separating the two.  Once again we find Corey Crawford in the spotlight of some controversy, and the fans are firmly planted on either side.  I say Crawford had a fairly strong series so far, but he has let up two soft goals out of six.  Like the Cal Clutterbuck goal in the first game, Crow leaves the short side wide open.  He wasn’t terribly out of position, and it still took a hell of a shot, but he was, in fact, out of position.  That doesn’t mean he played poorly, because he did hold the Hawks afloat during a game in which we were vastly outplayed. 

If we are honest with ourselves as fans, then we know that in a team sport a lot of events make a play, and that shot should have never even made it to Crow.  You can blame Viktor Stalberg for not putting on more pressure, or Johnny Oduya for not keeping both hands on his stick when playing that puck; blame can be given to a lot of people.  The Hawks didn’t seem to respond well at all to the pressure the Wild brought throughout the entire 62:15 of game three.  The team as a whole will need to work better as a single unit to prevent the unnecessary icings and the missed coverage that has been an issue throughout the series.  The PK has been perfect, but the PP remains a sore spot on the Hawks resume.  The Hawks need to keep their game simple.  You can’t always skate your way through the Wild.  They’ll need to stick with the dump and chase and take advantage of their depth.  The Wild are relying heavily on their top line and top D pairing, so the Hawks must grind them down to really make them feel their minutes.  Again, these are elements relating to the team as a whole and not based on any one individual.

No matter who you want to blame for a loss, or more specifically a goal, there are just so many things that happen in each play that it’s nearly impossible to find fault with any one player.  At the same time, we are all human, and it’s natural to point a finger.  Crow let up a softy in overtime.  It’s not personal, but it’s a fact.  That doesn’t take away from the 30 other good saves that he made, and that doesn’t mean he played bad.  Let’s try not to kill each other over what happened in that game.  Instead let’s just enjoy the variety of perspectives among the fans of a game we all love.

For more Blackhawks conversation follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up or friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk UP

The Hawks Will Need To Match The Wild’s Frantic Home Compete Level To Win Game 4. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Most experts speculated that if the Wild were going to win a game, it would be the first home game, and that’s exactly what happened.  The Hawks seemed a bit unprepared for the relentless fore check and back check that the Wild brought all game long.  Blame could go around the whole team for every single one of the goals, but it’s the leaders who performed just short of their abilities.  With the large impact they have on this team, its crucial that our star players are in top form.  So while you can look at Saad and his -2 +/-, or Crawford letting in a softy in overtime,  sometimes it’s all the little things that happen in between the goals that make all the difference.  Here’s the three vets that need to tighten things up to really help the team out in the next game in Minnesota.

3) Duncan Keith

Keith scored the game tying goal in the third, which was his third point of the playoffs, but he had numerous small problems throughout the game.  There were multiple times he couldn’t keep the puck in at the blue line and a couple of “what was he thinking?” passes throughout the game.  I understand that he didn’t just hand the puck over for an easy goal, but because of his miscues we missed out on numerous extended stays in the Wild zone.  In a game where we need to make the most of our offensive zone time, we expect a bit more from our experienced vets.

2) Jonathan Toews

It feels a bit odd putting Toews on this list, but we are all still waiting for our “Toews moment” to happen.  To give him full credit, the Oduya goal in game three owed a lot to Toews rushing the net, drawing the defender, and partially screening Harding in the process.  Toews has been doing everything right.. except putting up the points.  Toews also only has one takeaway in three games which is a good clip below the 1.17 takeaways per game he was averaging.  As the captain, we need him to go into his bag of tricks and pull out a timely goal in a game where the Hawks are being outworked.  I have a feeling that we will see an angry Captain Serious in game four.

1) Marian Hossa

Hossa is one of those players I tend to blindly defend due to the fact he is my favorite active player, but he struggled in game three.  He makes number one on my list by not being… well, Hossa.  He was mishandling the puck quite a bit, and the passes he usually could coral with ease seemed to just keep getting by him.  Like Toews, he was averaging above one takeaway per game, but has only been credited with one this entire series.  I’ve seen glimpses of the ol’ Hossa brilliance when he’s protecting the puck, but it wasn’t as often as the team needed.

These players are all known leaders to this team, and they need to be the kind of players their teammates lean on when the time is ticking down.  I don’t blame them for the losses, I just know that they can bring more.  So who would you say needs to tighten up their away game? Handzus and his subpar faceoff perecntage? Or maybe Krueger just isn’t pulling his weight offensively? Let us know your list.

May 3, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp (10) shoots the puck against Minnesota Wild center Kyle Brodziak (21) during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Wild 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Sorry ahead of time, for nitpicking the Chicago Blackhawks, who are off to a mighty fast start in the Playoffs, with a quick 2-0 lead in the series over the Minnesota Wild.  While there is very little to complain about with a team being as successful as the Hawks have been thus far, there is one area that needs some work.  The Power Play.

The Blackhawks Power Play has been quite a mystery the past couple of seasons.  In the 2011-2012 season, the Blackhawks were ranked a dismal 26th in Power Play percentage in the NHL.  This season, the Hawks slightly improved to a still disappointing 19th best in Power Play percentage.  The reason the struggles on the man-advantage is such a mystery is because the Hawks boast arguably the best roster of offensive fire-power in the NHL.  A Power Play that features guys like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Patrick Sharp sounds about as good as can be, on paper.  For some reason, the results have been disappointing in recent years.

Now, in the two games played in the series against the Wild, the Hawks are 1 for 7 on the Power Play thus far.  Yes, this is an extremely small sample size, but the fact that the Power Play isn’t a colossal advantage to the Hawks, is rather irritating.  Of course, in game 2 it wasn’t even needed, but the Hawks still went 0 for 4 on the man-advantage.  Marian Hossa’s goal in game one was in fact a Power Play goal, but it came at the end of a poorly executed Power Play for the Hawks.  I know, results are all that matter, but this anomaly of Power Play mediocrity became ridiculous a long time ago.  What could and should be a tremendous advantage for the Hawks is in actuality a dud of a weapon that could possibly turn itself into an Achilles heel for the Hawks.

While no one should be anywhere near any sort of panic-button, obviously.  This is an area that really should improve.  While it is a small sample size in the midst of great success so far, it is one of the only areas of concern for the Blackhawks.  Minnesota’s Penalty Kill unit was ranked 15th during the regular season, so they are beatable, and the Hawks should be beating them on the man-advantage more than they have so far.  By beating them, I mean: generating quality scoring chances, fluid passing, and NO puck chasing.  It can happen, and it should.

Right now though, the Hawks are up 2 games to none on the Wild, and that’s all that really matters.

May 3, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding (37) makes a save in front of Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) during the first period in game two of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks lead the series with the Minnesota Wild 2-0, which is exactly what most people would have expected at this point in the playoffs. But getting there has been much more challenging than anticipated thanks in a large part to backup goaltender Josh Harding.

Starting Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom played in 44 regular season games but was injured during warm ups minutes before Game One began. Backup goalie Harding stepped in for the first time since January after playing in only 4 of 48 games last season with the Wild. Harding had taken a leave of absence while adjusting to medication for multiple sclerosis, a neurological disease which affects muscle movement among other symptoms. In Game One, Harding made 35 saves on 37 shots with .946 SV%  and 43 saves on 47 shots with a .915 SV% in Game Two. His stellar first performance showed exactly how he is dealing with his situation personally and professionally.

One of the greatest things about sports is the courage on display in seemingly down-and-out situations. The perseverance of injured players can inspire fans, teammates, and opponents. Harding’s opponents in round one of playoffs are no exception and responded to his and his teammates’ performance in the first two games of the series.

While giving interviews between game 1 and 2, several Blackhawks players commented on Harding’s situation and performance. Captain Jonathan Toews acknowledged that Harding doesn’t want sympathy from fans, teammates, and especially opponents, so he doesn’t give him that. Toews shows his respect for Harding by crediting the goaltender’s strong performance to hard work and taking responsibility on his shoulders when his team needed him. Patrick Sharp admires Harding calling him an inspiration to persevere through his own injuries.

Corey Crawford especially appreciated how Harding came in as a player in an unexpected situation, coming into the game cold and setting the tone for his teammates. The Wild rallied around him and together helped frustrate the Blackhawks offensively making them battle for everything. That’s a mark of a good goaltender, no matter what.

Others, like Andrew Shaw and Joel Quenneville, agreed with Crawford that Harding’s strong performance shifted their attention very quickly from admiration to the task at hand. They talked strategy for beating a solid goalie without even mentioning Harding’s condition, because at the end of the day, they need to put pucks in the net no matter who’s there. That task proved challenging, especially in Game One.

In short, the Blackhawks are treating Harding like any other top goaltender. Some see his story as inspirational, but when it comes to the game, they know he’s dangerous and how his team responds to him is dangerous. The Blackhawks have to work just as hard as they would against any other top goaltender in the league, and that’s probably the most inspiring thing about it all.

What are some of your favorite hockey perseverance stories?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

Finally!  Some hockey with some real meaning and with something seriously at stake!  Fans of the Chicago Blackhawks have been spoiled worse than a little kid visiting their grandparents for a weekend.  The Hawks have lead the league from the first game of the season all the way to the last.  In the playoffs however, anything can happen, and for the first time in a while, a legitimate sense of urgency has returned.

That sense of urgency is felt all around Blackhawks nation, and is significantly amplified while in attendance of a playoff game!

It must be said that watching a hockey game at on television is completely different than watching one in live-action at the stadium.  On television, you have the luxury of commentators analysis and a viewpoint that’s always zeroed in on the action.  That’s cute and all, but there is a gigantic abstract, unquantifiable element that hockey seen on television cannot capture.  This element completely overtakes you, when you’re in attendance, and it completely absorbs you in a playoff game.   Live-action hockey is felt, as well as seen.

The Hawks anthem singer, Jim Cornielison, is well-known for his stirring rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, before the puck-drop of Hawks home games.  The crowd goes crazy, and you know the story.  This night, game one of the first playoff series of the tournament for Lord Stanley’s Cup, was different.  The noise from the crowd was absolutely deafening.  There was enough energy flowing through the United Center to power the rest of Chicago.  The urgency of something at stake for the Blackhawks was back, and combined with the nearing possibility of the return of the Stanley Cup to the Windy City was enough to send the crowd into pandemonium.

During the game, the feeling of frustration from every bad pass, every missed opportunity, every stupid penalty from the Hawks, and the lone Minnesota Wild goal was transferred directly to the crowd, as every groan was in total unison.   During the first intermission, as the Hawks trailed the Wild 1-0, there was an eerie silence around the United Center.  It was almost hard to believe that this was the same place where the Star-Spangled Banner of epic proportions took place, less than an hour earlier.  I suppose sustaining that much energy through the whole night ma have eventually caused the ice to melt, so the intermissions work as a time to exhale and recharge for the next period.

As the second period was underway, the energy was building it’s way back up t where it was, when Marian Hossa, evened the game at 1-1, resulting in the crowd eruption and the blaring of Chelsea Dagger, the radioactive pulse of the crowd had returned, as well as some optimism.

The energy for the rest of the game caused every fan in attendance to plant themselves at the very edge of their seat, as the tension of knowing the just how big the ramifications of the next goal would be.  As the tensions pulsated through the crowd, it was reaching it’s breaking point as the game was headed to nearing it’s second overtime.  In retrospect this tension was a wonderful way for me to forget about the horrors of me having to wake up and prepare for school in matter of hours.  This throbbing tension amongst the collective 22,000+ people in attendance was relieved in the form of an explosion of positive endorphins, as Bryan Bickell  gave the Hawks the win and a 1-0 series lead over the Wild.  It wouldn’t have surprised me if every collection of glass in the U.C shattered at that very moment.

While it’s easy to say how great live playoff hockey is, it will always be an ill-fated attempt to convey precisely what it’s like to be there. The only way to actually understand this article, would be to attend a playoff game personally, and only then will you get what I’m talking about.  It’s an unsharable, yet unbelievable experience.

Let’s Go Hawks!!!

Hossa Powers Through The Wild, Hopefully The Team Will Follow. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks took game one from the Minnesota Wild in overtime, and what a game it was.  Despite the excitement, there was some cause for concern.  The Hawks started sluggish and a little out of sync.  The tape to tape passing wasn’t there which lead to some odd man rushes, and the Hawks ended up scrambling in their own end quite a bit during the first.  We saw some improvement in the second and then a fairly dominate game in the third.  The one thing that was a big negative was Crow’s first goal, but was it all bad?

• The Bad:  Crow reminded everyone of why he had so many doubters at the beginning of the season.  That first goal should never have gone in; it shouldn’t have been considered a threat.  It was a potential confidence killer, not just for Crow, but for the team as a whole.

• The Good:  I’d rather have the soft goal come in the first period and not in overtime. That gave Crawford ample time to recover, and he did exactly that. He made some very nice saves for the remainder of the game, including a ridiculous blocker save.  The team seemed to react in a positive matter, and they eventually tied the game on the Power Play.

Now about that power play.  Yes, we did score, but let’s be honest, there were a few shorthanded attempts that raised some concern.  So what can we take from the power play you ask? Well…

• The Bad:  The Power play went one for three, which isn’t too bad, but it did give the Wild some unneeded confidence.  They seemed to have watched a few tapes of how teams make our boys seem clueless on the PP and did their best to cause some heart attack moments.  This could have been disastrous long term in the series if Crow gives up a shorty…
• The Good: But hey!!! He didn’t.  It possibly helped Crawford re-solidify is confidence.  We tied up the game with a hell of a pass from Kane to Hossa.  The PP is starting to click in the last few games of the season, it’s still not great… but any time we can add a threat to our offense I’ll take it.

The one other thing I noticed that could be viewed in two ways was Patrick Sharp.  I’m glad he’s back, and I really hope he stays back.  His speed and shot are both huge threats for any opposing team, and he usually is quite sound defensively.  There were a few things that I noticed.

• The Bad:  He looked a little lost occasionally, and we saw that at least two to three times in his zone enteries. Or should I say lack thereof?  The first really odd play at the blue line was when he just stopped right before the blue line and didn’t seem to know what to do; he had Kane and I believe Handzus up with him, but just stood there and kind of puck handled.  He could have dumped it in, or skated it in, or possibly passed it back if he really had to. He just didn’t.  He also wasn’t reading the enteries when he didn’t have the puck.
• The Good:  If offsides is my biggest complaint then Sharp is doing fine.  Its expected for him to need some time to get back into the flow.  He was moving very well all night and had a few nice opportunities.  He had four hits, five shots, and was a handy 50% at the dot. Not a bad way to start the playoffs, and we know that Sharp can be deadly as the games go on.

With one game down, we got a taste of what the series is going to be like.  The Wild are not going to let the Hawks have any space in the neutral zone or at the blue line.  This will be a dump and chase series.  With every negative of the first game came a positive right along with it, so in theory the Hawks can only get better as the series rolls on.  One last thing, Suter played 41 minutes out of necessity.  Expect the Hawks to start having slightly easier zone entries and third periods as the games go by.  So what were some other negatives that might also be positives?

Apr 9, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery (30) makes a save on Minnesota Wild forward Jason Pominville (29) and forward Kyle Brodziak (21) during the third period at the Xcel Energy Center. The Blackhawks defeated the Wild 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

In most exciting game of the season so far, two pieces to the Chicago Blackhawks puzzle will be out of place against the Minnesota Wild. Dave Bolland and Ray Emery will both be out with lower body injuries as the first game of the Wild/Blackhawks series gets underway. Bolland has missed the last several games with a lower body injury and has played in 35 of 48 games this season. He’s listed as “day to day” but will hopefully rest and drink plenty of rat juice (that’s what I’m calling it) to amp himself up as the great agitator in playoffs.

Emery left midway through the first period of Wednesday’s game in Edmonton and has not been back since. He’s listed as “day to day”, and Blackhawks fans could use him warming the bench for his team soon just for added peace of mind. Henrik Karlsson will backup Corey Crawford in net for the time being, so all of that “goalie controversy” talk was fun while it lasted, but, c’mon, Crawford’s the man. Joel Quenneville didn’t really have to make a choice after all.

Do you think these injuries will make much of an impact in the first game? What about in the series?

For more updates and conversation, follow us on Twitter @Blackhawk_Up and friend us on Facebook at Blackhawk Up.

One Goal: Defeat the Dark Side for the Cup.     Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Hawks answered the question of “who is the best team this regular season?” against Edmonton on Wednesday night when they secured the President’s Trophy.  Now the more important questions need to be answered: what do the Hawks need to do to survive the first round and make it through the playoffs?

10) Can the Hawks handle a potentially desperate Wild team in a best of seven series?

The Wild struggled in April winning only 36% of their games and dropping to the eighth seed.  The Hawks took five out of a possible six points this season, but most games against the Wild tend to be one goal affairs.  The Wild have a solid team game, and they like to hit.  They have the potential to wear the Hawks down.  Chicago will need to be prepared for a very physical contest during the first few games. The Wild have a lot to prove, and they’ll want to show that they are a serious contender.

9) Can the Hawks tame Suter and Parise?

In the three games these teams met up, Parise didn’t factor into any of the goals scored, and Suter only had an impact on the power play.  The scoring has been completely spread out for the Wild; not one player has scored more than one goal in the entire series against the Hawks.  The Hawks will have to remember to not overplay any one shooter and stay well positioned because the Wild have shown us their scoring depth and ability.

8) Will the Hawks underestimate their opponent?

It doesn’t matter if the Hawks are at the top and the Wild are at the bottom because these two teams seem to frustrate each other.  The Hawks have developed a stigma of playing down to their opponents, and there is no room for that at this point in the year.  The Wild gave the Hawks their first shootout loss and have shown that they can play with the high flying Blackhawks.  While I can’t see the Hawks holding back in the postseason, sometimes old habits die hard.

7) Will Crawford slay his playoff demons?

I know I’ve written on this before, but I honestly believe that one solid playoff series is all he needs to get his head in the right place.  There is always the possibility that Crow loses his cool and just forgets how to goalie.  The Hawks team is built to prevent that for the most part, and we have seen a number of goal line saves by defensemen this year, so Crow is primed for success. With Emery out with injury, it puts the pressure all on Crow.  He controls his destiny, and Chicago’s.

6) Will the rolling of four lines continue? How effective will it be?

I don’t see why the Hawks would do anything different from what brought them success.  The third line has showed it can score and torment the opposition, and the fourth line is shaping up to be a solid possession line.  No, I don’t see any reason why that would change, especially with how tough the road to the cup can be.

5) Which stars will shine the brightest for the Hawks against Wild?

Well if you look back at the series two names show up most, Marian Hossa and Bryan Bickell.  Hossa has two game winning goals and an assist, and Bickell has two goals and assist.  Not to be overlooked, Toews had a goal and two assists as well; in fact the whole first line was just phenomenal, producing eight points in three games.

4) Can the men of four feathers avoid penalties against a Wild team that can frustrate the Hawks?

I can understand the worry that if we can’t crack their system that we might take some dumb penalties.  They like to hit, and while they aren’t trying to decapitate like the Blues, the controlled element to their hitting can be even more frustrating.  I believe that sustained clean physical play can be just as frustrating as a game of cheap shots, because their just won’t be a whistle to stop the relentless assault.  The Hawks have been a composed team all season, with the occasional snapping, but the Hawks should have the experience to know better.  At least, that’s the theory.

3) We’ve seen some health problems this season; how much should we be concerned by this?

That is one of the bigger question marks for the Hawks.  Sharp and Bolland have been out multiple times due to injury and Hossa will forever be susceptible to head shots.  The league seems to have attempted to send a message that hitting players in the head is frowned upon, but if Hossa is heating up, there’s always a fourth liner that is expendable.  Generally, the Wild won’t employ the cheap shot, but you can expect Clutterbuck to legally demolish our stars any chance he can get.  Injuries can be a concern no matter the opponent.

2) How much stronger will our blue line be this year?

Everyone is back to top form this year.  Keith has been dependable all year, Hjalmarsson is playing the best hockey of his career, Seabs is back to being Seabrook, and Leddy has found his game on the third pairing.  Where the questions start coming up is when you look at Oduya.  Oduya struggled badly against the coyotes last year, and teams have picked up on that.  At least once a game he seems to be pressured into a no look wild pass that leads to a golden opportunity for the opposing team.  The other two potential problems are Roszival and Brookbank.  Roszival has shown his ability to play both ends of the ice, but he is slow and a bit, shall we say, seasoned.  We have seen him get left in the dust, and that can be a huge hindrance in the later rounds.  Brookbank was statistically our worst defenseman if you look at plus/minus… but no one really does.  He seems to be exactly what he is, a third pairing defenseman.  Overall our blue line is probably one of the best in the league.  We shouldn’t fret too much, but the potential for failure is ever-present.

1) Can the Hawks turn around their Power Play?

Oh the dreaded power play, the killer of momentum, the pez dispenser of short handed goals.  Okay, so I’m over exaggerating a bit, but it does feel like a power play is more of a negative than it should be.  We saw some minor success in the last five games of the year, but let’s be honest, throughout the whole season, the power play has been our Achilles heal.  The reason this is my biggest concern is that any team can throw a few dirty hits our way with no real punishment.  If we were at 23% success on the power play it’s a deterrent, but we are 16%, and of the teams in the playoffs, we are tied for the most short handed goals against.  This becomes the team’s greatest concern due to how much it leaves us susceptible to cheap shots that can lead to injury.  Furthermore, what is meant to be a punishment for the opposing team can potentially lead to a morale killing shorty against the Hawks.  This is the biggest question the Hawks will have to answer for the postseason.