Emma: Reconstructed Blackhawks Roster Boasts Plenty Of Promise
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The horn sounded, the red light flashed and Chelsea Dagger blared. Jonathan Toews had come through in the clutch again.
The Chicago Blackhawks, now 5-3-0, beat their Stanley Cup Final foes from Tampa Bay in a 1-0 overtime victory on Saturday night in a fast-paced, tight-checking game that was ended 17 seconds into three-on-three action by none other than The Captain. The United Center rejoiced, cheering and singing away. It's a rite of passage, whether it's hockey in October or June.
Saturday brought the same sounds of the organ, the same Chelsea Dagger playing, the same 300-level fan taunting the Red Wings. This is familiar Blackhawks hockey. But there's one big difference. OK, make that a few differences. This roster is loaded with new names and faces. Due to the salary-cap conundrum, general manager Stan Bowman was forced to rework his championship team.
"We're starting to come together as a group," Blackhawks winger Ryan Garbutt said.
In beating the Lightning, the new-look Blackhawks brought what's to be expected -- flashes of brilliance mixed with budding cohesiveness to be expected from a team molding itself all over again.
Chicago still has Corey Crawford's stellar presence in net, a top line led by Toews and Marian Hossa, the skill of Patrick Kane and workmanlike defensive efforts of Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson -- adding competence to a Duncan Keith-less unit. The team has the same star power in place, aside from the dearly departed Blue Jacket, Brandon Saad.
Most importantly, the Blackhawks still have Joel Quenneville, one of the greatest bench bosses in NHL history. His puck possession priority is what has paced Chicago to three Stanley Cup titles in six years.
"Playing for Joel, I don't think that identity changes," Toews said. "That personnel is a little different. Year to year, we're confident that we're going to be one of the most skilled team in the league. We're going to play smart hockey. It's fun to see that we're getting going early."
Bowman added key pieces to the roster, complementing the star power of Toews, Kane, Hossa and more. In Artem Anisimov, the Blackhawks finally found their answer for long-term stability in a second-line center. Artemi Panarin, just 23, seems to be a star in the making. Viktor Tikhonov seems to work well in the "lottery" slot with Chicago's top line. And Garbutt is the penalty-killing presence needed on this roster. These are all newcomers added to the fold.
Young defensemen Trevor van Riemsdyk and Viktor Svederg seem to be improving each game, making Crawford's 21-save shutout relatively easy, even against the electric Lightning attack. This marked two consecutive shutouts of Tampa Bay for Crawford, though the one in Game 6 of the Cup Final was a little bit more important.
"It was like déjà vu all over again -- come here and can't find the back of the net," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
These Blackhawks, like teams of the past several years, thrive with possession, disciplined defensive play and delivering with clutch goals.
Gone are Saad, Brad Richards, Antoine Vermette, Johnny Oduya, Kris Versteeg and more, but the Blackhawks' newcomers are coming together for a team showing comfort. What they need is more time to grow and struggle, earn big wins and endure tough losses, then become more cohesive in Quenneville's style of play.
At times early in this season, the Blackhawks will look sloppy, sluggish and off their game. It's part of the growing process. Of course, this team has proved that the long regular season offers little meaning in comparison to the postseason. As long as Chicago's roster can mesh, this team will be in pretty position for the playoffs.
"Early on, these are the types of wins we need to grind out," Toews said. "It will give out team some confidence that we can beat good, skilled teams."
In a Stanley Cup rematch, the new-look Blackhawks showed their promise, even with plenty to build on. While much has changed, this team's success should prove to be much the same.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
