Hoge: Hossa At Top Of His Game
By Adam Hoge--
Throughout all of training camp, Marian Hossa's coaches and teammates raved about how healthy and explosive he was.
In sports, we're used to coach-speak, but in this case, the always positive preseason talk was spot on.
"He's got everything going for him," head coach Joel Quenneville said after Tuesday's practice. "He's got speed, he's got skill, he's got size, he's got strength. He's really got good vision and he competes on both sides of the puck. He's always been an elite top player and I think he's at that place right now."
Hossa now leads the NHL in points (11) and goals (7) and has come through in clutch times as the Blackhawks have gotten off to a somewhat rocky 4-2-1 start that has featured a number of deficits and come-from-behind wins.
The Blackhawks trailed 2-0 late in the third period Monday against the Blues, but Hossa scored two goals in the final minutes and Patrick Sharp added the game-winner in overtime as they stole an improbable win over St. Louis.
It's really not a secret why Hossa is playing so much better this year: He's finally healthy.
"It definitely helps when you are 100 percent healthy," Hossa said Tuesday.
The winger added that he always expects to play at this level.
Better starts
While the comeback wins have led to a three-game winning streak, Quenneville would still like his team to get off to better starts and avoid trailing in games.
"Maybe we can gain momentum by finding ways to win, which is a good trait to have," Quenneville said. "Maybe we can be a little more predictable in our game and hopefully we can get leads and build off the leads."
Notes
- Marty Turco will get the start in net again Wednesday against Vancouver.
- After scratching Jack Skille and Viktor Stalberg in recent games, Quenneville said Tuesday "every game is different" and indicated the healthy scratches will continue to change.
Listen to Joel Quenneville's session with the media Tuesday:
