Emma: Red-Hot Blackhawks Have Stanley Cup Formula
By Chris Emma—
CHICAGO (CBS) – For all his boisterous bench mannerisms, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville speaks to reporters in the softest of tones. The three-time champion coach doesn't need to do much talking. What more needs to be said?
Once again, the Blackhawks are clicking as the calendar has turned to a new year. Quenneville's teams have made gradual growth an art form through their run of three Stanley Cup celebrations in six seasons. This is what they do. After winning their fifth straight game Wednesday, a 3-1 win over the Penguins at the United Center, Quenneville said his team has "momentum," one of his favorite buzzwords.
Oh, it's more than that.
Forced with their most dramatic roster rebuild around the core in this era, the Blackhawks have gone from wildly inconsistent to the hottest team in hockey. They made Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and their skilled Penguins look ready to beg for mercy. Chicago did what it does and dominated puck possession, keeping the defensive zone tidy and coming through with timely goals.
With the win, Chicago now owns the second-best record in the Western Conference, 54 points accumulated with a 25-13-4 record. Really, the Blackhawks' progress can't be considered a surprise. Past history would suggest that it's expected.
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman -- the architect of two Cup winners -- lost Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, Brad Richards, Antoine Vermette and more from last year's title team. He replaced them with Artem Anisimov, Artemi Panarin and a slew of rising prospects making an impact.
"It's something every team has to deal with," said winger Patrick Kane, the NHL's leader in points. "Maybe us a little bit more than other teams, because we have to make moves, trades, different things like that. But that's what happens when you have success in the salary cap era."
On the ice, the Blackhawks play a sound puck-possession game that's a trademark of their coach. Bowman has kept together the core of Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Corey Crawford, each of whom collects a handsome paycheck. The price to pay is change from season to season.
NHL teams in this salary cap era aren't supposed to see success with such a formula. The secret around that is terrific scouting, which is why Bowman is the best in hockey at what he does. He locked in a second-line center in Anisimov and the Calder Trophy clubhouse leader in Panarin, building around the star power with a sound supporting cast.
Moves of a Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Antti Niemi, Sharp and Saad through the years were inevitable, because the cap prevents from keeping so many big-money players. It's supposed to keep a team from hoisting the Cup three times in six years.
"Guys are going to go elsewhere to get their money," Kane said. "For us, so be it. We have a certain number of guys that have been here a long time that try to push the envelope and get guys to buy into the system. And then, at the same time, the young guys have to come in and fill the need of players that have left. I think we're trending in the right direction."
Kane's right. The Blackhawks put on a clinic Wednesday night before a national broadcast.
Right from the opening faceoff, the Blackhawks controlled the puck. Each offensive possession seemed to last minutes at a time, and the Penguins' time in front of goalie Scott Darling was kept to a minimum. Had it not been for a beautiful blast by Malkin, the Blackhawks would've earned a clean shutout. Their defensive play warranted such a result.
It takes time for any team to grow as the season progresses, but the Blackhawks have this way of perfecting this process. No matter how many newcomers are on the roster, the players buy into Quenneville's demands and show gradual improvement as the season goes on. Bowman's there to make moves before the trade deadline and find ways to maximize his team. Come playoff time, the Blackhawks are in position for a Cup run.
This Blackhawks team is no exception, clicking with the turn of the calendar.
"We've kind of been headed in the right direction since the start of the season," Kane said. "But we won't want to be satisfied. We want to keep getting better."
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
