Emma: Blackhawks Can Be Counted On Come Playoff Time
By Chris Emma-
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two straight losses hit the Blackhawks recently. Bad losses, too.
Chicago got outworked and shoved around by the physical Winnipeg Jets last Friday, then surrendered a six-pack to the Dallas Stars two evenings later. The intimidating home ice of United Center was friendly to the visitors.
In response to the pair of unimpressive defeats, Blackhawks players met on Monday. They shut the door and opened up. To no surprise, captain Jonathan Toews was in charge.
"It just shows the character and leadership our team has," Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw said. "We moved forward from that."
Yes, they did.
The Blackhawks responded with a rout of the lowly Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday, when they slid six pucks past Mike Smith. Then last night, they overcame blowing a 2-0 lead and earned an overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
To the All-Star break the Blackhawks go with 62 points under their belt, tied for third in the Western Conference. They finished 5-5 in their last 10 games, which was the reason for frustration, but such problems seem silly when looking at the big picture.
Such stretches of struggles simply happen during the course of an 82-game season. In Chicago, these are addressed with an eyebrow raised, because these are the Blackhawks, after all. It's a team that's expected to win the Stanley Cup each season.
The Blackhawks' leadership — with names like Toews, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook — takes it seriously, too. But while some question coach Joel Quenneville or worry about the line pairings, the players simply go about their business and work to get it right in the next game.
"We have a lot of experience and a lot of games to look back on," Kane said. "We've gotten ourselves out of this before. I don't think we were really worried."
Added Keith: "We know the way we can play. We believe in ourselves."
Looking at reality, the Blackhawks were never really in trouble. This was a skid, nothing more. The fact is this team is sitting in solid position for another run to win Lord Stanley's prize.
Toews is putting up his usual numbers, with 14 goals and 28 assists. He's second to Kane, whose 51 points are third in the NHL at the break. He's quietly having a career year. Marian Hossa has shown no signs of a decline, even at 36 years old, while the 22-year-old Brandon Saad has become a staple on Chicago's top line.
Better yet, Brad Richards has finally given Chicago what it has longed for, a productive second-line center. The resurrection of Kris Versteeg's career was the story of the early season, and his return from a broken hand will only boost the Blackhawks.
Making the Blackhawks even stronger is the emergence of top prospect Teuvo Teravainen, who is showing flashes of that potential. He's another dynamic weapon who can create offense. Chicago's third line is comparable to many teams' top three.
"He's been great — great player, a lot of skill, he's going to make plays, he's going to score big goals," Shaw said of Teravainen.
And Teravainen is still a developmental player, far down the Blackhawks' biggest priorities for right now. This is a lineup loaded with talent, experienced players from championship backgrounds poised for another run.
Five losses in eight games was no reason to panic, the same way a two-game winning streak was nothing to celebrate. These are the Blackhawks, a group of top-tier players led by a Hall of Fame coach that will be competing for the Stanley Cup.
If Chicago falls short of a deep playoff run, then there's reason for a team meeting.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.