Blackhawks: The Kings of New York

Tommie Lee
Mar 20, 2015
3 min read

Wow.

THAT’S what a team who wants to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup again looks like on the ice. That’s the intensity they were supposed to display throughout the year and hadn’t been consistent with. Without their biggest talent on the ice, the Blackhawks hosted and then visited the two top teams in the Metropolitan Division, and just rocked ‘em.

Tuesday night at the United Center, the New York Islanders came in needing to gain some points as they chased their neighbors the Rangers. The Isles are no slouch: They’ve been chewing up teams and spitting them out this year. But the Madhouse On Madison was not kind to them, and they were lucky to escape with a single goal in a 4-1 loss that wasn’t nearly as close as it looked. Captain Jonathon Toews had 4 points on the night, with a pair of goals and an assist on the other two which were scored by Marian “Demigod” Hossa. Add their sweater numbers and you have 19 + 81 = 100. That’s the percentage of how obvious it was that Chicago had that game from early in the 1st period. Toews in particular was making Patrick Kane-like moves out there. It was quite a night.

The Blackhawks crowd, which can turn on a goalie like nobody’s business, were chanting Corey Crawford’s name hard during much of the game. The Big 50 was a genius in goal against the Islanders, making those kind of stops that remind us how lucky we are to have him. Crow stopped 38 pucks in all. The Blackhawks Penalty Kill managed to put down a five-minute disadvantage during the game, and on the other side of the coin our Power Play remains…the Power Play. It still needs some work. I mention it every week. We know it needs work. I’m tired of sounding like a broken record about even more than you probably are of reading about it.

After hosting New York’s Islanders, the Blackhawks traveled to the Big Apple the following night to take on New York’s Rangers. It was a tight game, a great game…the sort of hockey where you pay for the whole seat but only use the edge of it (if you sit at all).

The lone goal in the game came in the 3rd period, a beauty from Brad Richards that he had all the time in the world to line up before he tucked it into bed. The assist went to Andrew Desjardins, giving him his first point as a Blackhawk. With the win, Chicago moves within three points of first place in the Central Division. Two weeks ago, having a chance to win it seemed as likely as finding an egg with eyebrows at your local Mejier store. Scott Darling was a genius in goal, and it was his first shutout. If Crawford is having his best season ever, it’s nice to know that when he needs a rest…we have a Scott Darling ready to step in and dominate between the pipes. The Rangers game last night had the intensity of playoff hockey. Chicago-style playoff hockey.

So what’s behind the sudden awakening of the Blackhawks? The team lost the leading points-man in the NHL when Kane hit that wall and messed up his shoulder. Instead of wallowing in their bad luck, the team went on a tear. They’re 8-1-1 since losing Kaner. Who’s stepping up? The guys you would expect: Captain Toews, Marian Hossa, and Corey Crawford. Toews actually started March with five points in five games. The big skid from February is a distant memory now. Also, Nashville was kind enough to derail the Predators Train in a big way and open the door for us, wide. Chicago is stepping through it. With a vengeance.

Patrick Sharp is also waking up a little. He scored twice over the weekend in the game against San Jose, who really didn’t want to be there for a 6-2 loss. Sharpie was scoreless in February and is well below his usual 30+ goals he hits annually, with 12. If he’s saving himself for the stretch…the stretch is now. It’s time to get involved again, and Saturday was a nice start. Let’s see where he goes from there.

Up next: At struggling Dallas on Saturday, then they travel to Raleigh for a Monday skate against the Hurricanes.

Go Hawks!

– T