yave1964 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 My take on the 2013-14 Chicago Blackhawks. World Champions. Patrick Kane came into his own. Shaw and Bickel established as big nasty players. Crawford finally established himself and proved the doubters (me) wrong. Chicago won the championship last season with a balanced attack, going on a crazy winning streak to start the year and ever looking back. Unlike last time when they blew up the team due to cap hell, only a few small pieces, Stallberg, Bolland and Emery have left, the rest of the team returns with more kids pushing for playing time. Forwards are led by the best captain in the game today, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, along with veterans Hossa and Sharp on the wing. Veteran Michal Handzus came over before the deadline for his faceoff skills, and kids Kruger, Shaw, Bickel and youngest of all and extremely talented Brandon Saad rounds out an obscenely talented top nine. A bunch of NHL ready or near ready kids pushing for playing time make this a team that nobody wants to play. Then you have the defense. Seabrook and Keith represent the best top pairing in the league. Nick Leddy has a great first pass and fantastic ice awareness, Hjalmarsson is rugged, and Johny Oduya and Michael Rozsival are as good a third pair as any in the game. Emery was amazing but has moved on to the Flyers. Crawford won a cup last year, I have never thought much of him but he played a Chris Osgood role last year, good enough to not lose and let the team win the games. In the post season he stole a few games that the team was shaky in and deserves credit for that. The safety net of Ray Emery is gone and Crawford is still not a favorite of mine but if he looks shaky the club has the cap room and the prospects to deal to acquire a goaltender if needed. A mini Dynasty of sorts, two cups in four years. Another cup this season and you can remove the mini from the equation. This is a deep deadly team that can beat you so many ways, returning almost everyone with talented kids pushing everywhere. And I haven't even mentioned Joel Quennville. Quennville has done a great job wherever he has been, honing his skills first with the Blues, then the Avalanche before coming to Chicago. His career record is:660-389-74 Wow. He is sixth ALL TIME in wins, and will move into third place by the end of the year behind only immortals Scotty Bowman and Al Arbour. Underrated but as good o an X and O coach in the game today. Stan Bowman like his hall of fame father is a wonderful judge of talent. A great team that with steady no nonsense captain Toews who forces you to check you ego at the door. I pick the Blackhawks to repeat in the West and face the Senators in the finals. My hat is off to the best organization in the game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 One might also mention former Vermont Catamount Patrick Sharp who led all goal scorers in last year's playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 One might also mention former Vermont Catamount Patrick Sharp who led all goal scorers in last year's playoffs. :)/>yeah they are so loaded that Hossa and Sharp got a passing mention. Sharp has averaged 29 goals a year in the past six seasons (not counting strike shortened season) one of the most underrated players in the game. How did the Hawks get him again? lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalnut3133 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Wow, yave, that was an excellent write-up! A better job than the sports columnist could have done..haha! You've almost got me convinced to place them as my 1st or 2nd fave team! You reminded me of the unbelievable amount of star power on this team with so many underrated players...I actually came to really like & respect Seabrook & Sharp while watching them & the Bruins go at it in the final...which really surprised me, as they're 1 of our biggest nemesis' just behind Boston! I think the extraction of Byfuglien the goon helped sway my thinking though, I couldn't stand him. They became more a team of talent, skill & speed, rather than the old goon squad to me, which made them so much more fun to watch. I was sorta okay on Crawford until he acted like an arrogant idiot in the hometown celebrations. Just classless. One of the few goalies I don't like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 yeah they are so loaded that Hossa and Sharp got a passing mention. Sharp has averaged 29 goals a year in the past six seasons (not counting strike shortened season) one of the most underrated players in the game. How did the Hawks get him again? lolFlyers were in desperate need of a AHL winger.Braintrust figured Sharp would never amount to more than a depth forward.Good call. Again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 @radoran "Good call. Again" At least we can pin this debacle on Clarke. One of his final parting gifts as acting GM. He's still an exec, still gives input...so his opinion still carrys weight, which is not a good thing. I don't totally think Clarke was a horrid GM, but when he missed, he seemed to miss LARGE, like this fiasco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.