With 10 games left, Hawks looking for strong finishing kick
With more postseason experience than anyone on the Blackhawks - 112 games and two Stanley Cups - John Madden knows when it's time to get ready for the playoffs.
And Madden says the time is now.
There are 10 games left on the schedule for the Hawks, the weather is getting warmer, and it's just starting to feel like playoff time.
"Not that I put a number on it and say, 'OK, 10 games left, so time to start going,' but I think every game you've got to pick your pace up and start gearing up for playoff hockey," Madden said Wednesday.
"Maybe some guys need a little bit more rest because they've been playing a lot of games; some guys went to the Olympics - everything is different for every individual. Some guys need to do a little more skating. Whatever it is you've got to ramp it up.
"Basically it comes down to your mental focus. That's the biggest thing right now. We're trying to get everybody on the same page and focus on each game and all the little things we've got to do right."
Most of those little things start with playing good team defense. The Hawks took a positive stride with Tuesday's 2-0 win over Phoenix, but the test now is to keep up with the defensive mind-set starting with Thursday night's game at Columbus.
"We've had some good periods," Madden said. "Out in L.A., we had a complete game and (Tuesday) night I thought we had a pretty game, too.
"We sat back a little bit in the third period to maybe just protect a lead, but you've just got to stay on top of it. You've got to pay attention to everything, depend on each other and let each other know if they're going the wrong way."
The fact that the Hawks were able to successfully protect a lead - thanks largely to goalie Antti Niemi - after not being able to do so on a consistent basis since the Olympic break was perhaps the most important thing to come out of the win over the Coyotes.
"Defensively, Antti helped us a lot, particularly in that third period," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I thought we had good solid first two periods, but not having that confidence we've shown throughout the year and winning games and closing them out is something we can use the win to hopefully be a little more comfortable in the later stages of games."
The Hawks have won two of their last three games, both by shutout, and occupy first place in the Western Conference by 1 point over San Jose and 2 over Phoenix.
The Coyotes have only eight games to play, the Sharks nine and the Hawks 10.
"Teams are starting to sprint here to the end," captain Jonathan Toews said. "We've got to motivate ourselves. We want to finish No. 1 because we worked hard to get to this spot, but more than just that we want to keep improving and prepare as best we can for the playoffs."
It's a long season and even the best teams struggle, but the Hawks see this as a perfect time to right the ship when it matters the most.
"It doesn't matter what teams you look at, whether it's Washington or San Jose, they've all had slips," Madden said. "The team the controls them the most is the one that winds up on top in the regular season. That's the difference."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Blackhawks game day</p>
<p class="News">Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, 6 p.m. Thursday</p>
<p class="News"><b>TV:</b> Comcast SportsNet</p>
<p class="News"><b>Radio:</b> WGN 720-AM</p>
<p class="News"><b>What to watch:</b> The Hawks have 18 goals in their 4 wins over the Blue Jackets and are 5-for-14 on the power play. Rick Nash is back in the Columbus lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury. Jared Boll won't play after hurting his hand in a fight Tuesday at New Jersey.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Season series:</b> Hawks lead 4-0.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Next:</b> Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center, 6 p.m. Sunday</p>