Chicago Blackhawks Of Present May Be As Good As It Gets This Season

1 of 2

CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 12: Head coach Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks gives instructions to his team against the Winnipeg Jets at the United Center on January 12, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

The bye week for the Chicago Blackhawks gives me time to reflect on their season. For some reason, I keep thinking of the movie “As Good As It Gets.”

Stick with me — this will tie back in to the Chicago Blackhawks.

This movie develops three flawed characters who form an unlikely trio. Melvin Udall is a hateful man with obsessive-compulsive disorder who ironically is a prolific romance novelist. His neuroses make it impossible for him to form or sustain any type of meaningful relationship. One of his daily rituals is to have breakfast at the same restaurant and at the same table, where he uses his own plastic utensils because he has a fear of germs.

Carol Connelly, the only waitress who will put up with Melvin and his abusive and neurotic antics at the restaurant, is struggling as a single mother to support her ill son. And Simon Bishop is an artist and Melvin’s neighbor. Simon was severely beaten in a homophobic attack and cannot care for his dog nor paint due to his injuries. And because he cannot physically engage in the activity he loves, he loses hope.

As the story develops, the three characters are thrust upon each other in awkward situations. Carol becomes the muse who brings Melvin out of his selfish behaviors and inspires Simon to begin painting again. But even when Carol forces Melvin to pay her a compliment, the compliment is about himself. One of the greatest lines in the movie is delivered by Melvin in which he confesses to Carol, “You make me want to be a better man.”

And that brings us to our Blackhawks.

Flawed characters

More from Editorials

Much has been written here at Blackhawk Up about the Blackhawks’ struggles with consistency. Kirk Bennett reviewed how the team has not met preseason expectations. Aaron Goldschmidt looked at the team’s identity crisis. Matt Morrow tackled the subject of inconsistency head on in his article.

Reaction on social media has been critical all season. Yes, this is a flawed team. And the loss of MVP goalie Corey Crawford is exposing the flaws that have plagued this team since last season.

There are so many possible comparisons to Melvin and Simon on this team. Like Simon, some are injured and cannot perform up to their abilities. But the ones to worry about are those who are like Melvin. They continue to behave selfishly yet expect good outcomes.

On paper, this is a talented team. The core has won at a prolific level, just as Melvin spits out novel after novel. This team continues to go through its rituals of poor offensive and defensive structure, and expects to be served wins on a platter.

So the question is, do they simply feel they deserve to repeat or do they want to compete? If they still have The Will To Win, then why aren’t they showing it? If they no longer have that desire within themselves, then …

CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 10: Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks senior vice president and general manager, speaks to the media in between periods of the game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild at the United Center on January 10, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Who’s the muse?

General manager Stan Bowman

In the movie, Simon’s agent coerces Melvin to take care of Simon’s dog while the owner is in the hospital. By forcing this caretaker role, he forces Melvin to develop a relationship with a dog he hates. And as a result, Melvin must also develop a relationship with Simon.

Bowman is like the agent in that he decides who will be the participants in the ‘Hawks’ production on ice. He assumes that productive relationships will ensue.

On social media, many have been calling for Bowman to either fire coach Joel Quenneville or pull the trigger on various trade proposals. But Bowman has already made several moves coming into this season, so he has already played a significant role.

Yes, Bowman will have to decide if he wants to tweak the roster further, but it is up to the coaching staff to get the most out of the cast of characters they’ve been given.

Coach Joel Quenneville

Live Feed class=inline-text id=inline-text-8

Da Windy City

Chicago Blackhawks: DeBrincat and Kane are magical in OT Da Windy City

2 new Chicago Blackhawks players to be thankful for in 2021 Da Windy City

Chicago Blackhawks: Calgary was a tough way to end the trip Da Windy City

Chicago Blackhawks: 1 player to keep an eye on in Calgary Da Windy City

Chicago Blackhawks: Marc-Andre Fleury saves the day in win Da Windy City

There is no doubt that Coach Q is one of the greatest NHL coaches of all time. His ability to see the game in four dimensions is what separates him from the rest. But just as it is ironic that Melvin writes romance novels while being a hater, Coach Q loves winning more than anyone else yet is perceived to stifle young players which is detrimental to winning.

And just as Melvin eventually becomes sentimentally attached to the dog he originally hated, Coach Q must learn to embrace all the athletes Bowman has thrust upon him.

We’ve seen the history of players driven out of town as they never get into Coach Q’s good graces, only to excel with their next teams. What we don’t want to see is what happened to Darryl Sutter.

His successful run in Los Angeles came to an end as he failed to adapt to the speed game. Under a new coach, the Kings are once again a force in the Western Conference. What we want to see is what’s happening with Gerard Gallant.

This coach has embraced his players and has told them to go out, make mistakes while playing hard and have fun playing hockey. The Vegas Golden Knights are a revelation. They are the NHL’s muse.

The Blackhawks may have more talent than the Golden Knights, but they don’t even come close to them in terms of intensity. But the coaches only draw up the Xs and Os. So where Coach Q needs to be the team’s muse by being the tolerant soul that Carol was for Melvin and Simon, there needs to be a muse who inspires intensity in the players. Which brings us to …

Captain Jonathan Toews

Just as Melvin goes to breakfast every morning at the same restaurant and sits at the same table, we keep hearing the same words from Toews. We hear how the Blackhawks have got to get better. We hear how they’ve got to play hard for 60 minutes. And we hear how they need to get to the net.

But what we are getting are just plastic utensils. Melvin would direct this misogynistic quote at Toews, “People who speak in metaphors ought to shampoo my crotch.”

At some point in time, the captain is going to have to confront this team head on and challenge it to play with fire. Winning hockey games is so much more sexy than living like rock stars. The lavish lifestyle the Blackhawks organization bestows on them is not an entitlement. The players are treated like champions with the expectation that they play like champions.

Like Melvin, they can’t mistreat every waitress and expect to be served breakfast with a smile. They can’t just wear the crested sweaters and expect to be champions. They’ve got to commit to hustle the same way the Vegas boys do each and every night. Those guys take the wounds of Simon as the chip on their shoulders and take it out on their opponents.

Jeff Glass?

If Jeff Glass is this team’s muse, then this team truly is in trouble. Without a doubt, this 32-year-old rookie’s enthusiasm is contagious. But he is a very ordinary goalie.

Enthusiasm will only carry you so far, and so far his performances are hit or miss. With a team that plays when it feels like playing, the ‘Hawks need outstanding goaltending. But the outstanding Crawford is down and out with no timetable for a return.

The ghost of Andrew Shaw?

Collective muse

So here we go. The players Bowman has assembled all need to find their own inner muse. There is a lot of talent to carry this team in a better direction from what we’ve seen for 45 games.

There are leaders on this team who need to make each other accountable for their actions. Each player needs to be able to look at the player next to him and say, “You make me want to be a better man”.

Next: Blackhawks' Hot & Not Sees Kane On Rare Downer

This offering may be a silly comparison to some silly characters in a movie, but once again, look at the Vegas Golden Knights and wonder if what’s happening there could happen in Chicago. That is as good as it gets.

Home / Editorials