Blackhawks chat: van Riemsdyk impresses
Blackhawks writers Mike Spellman and John Dietz talk a little hockey — a little Blackhawks hockey, that is — in the first of what will be a semiregular fixture.
Let's dive in.
Mike: You did a nice piece recently on rookie Trevor van Riemsdyk, do you find yourself following his progress more than you thought you would?
John: Absolutely. I love watching athletes whom I do stories on, especially dark horses like Trevor who come out of nowhere to not just make a team but then play well to boot.
He's not only impressing Coach Q and his teammates, but you can tell the entire hockey community is really taking notice. All the Hawks announcers have mentioned his solid play over the team's first eight games.
His dad, Frans, was just bursting with pride on the phone when we talked. You can tell how much it means to him to have two sons (Trevor's older brother James is a Maple Leaf) in the NHL. Really enjoyed my conversation with him.
Mike: What has intrigued you so far about this team?
John: Brad Richards has really been a storyline I've been keeping an eye on. He got off to such a nice start in training camp, but it seems like he's not quite found his groove yet.
He had a great chance to score Sunday night against Ottawa and tried to get a bit too cute in front of the net. Hopefully when that first goal goes in, he will play with more decisiveness.
Mike: Is the Ducks game Tuesday night a statement game?
John: Let me just start by saying how excited I am to cover this game, my first of the year. The Ducks are a true Western Conference power with a red-hot goalie in Frederik Andersen (.940 save percentage), a big-time player in center Ryan Getzlaf and the NHL's leading goal scorer in Corey Perry.
The Hawks may not say it publicly, but when a team like Anaheim comes to town, you make sure to bring your “A” game from the outset. Should be a fantastic game.
Mike: OK, your turn to quiz me now.
John: Why don't you start by giving us your thoughts on the Hawks so far this season?
Mike: This is one really good team. If they had everything clicking from the get-go, they easily could be undefeated right now.
I know there will be talk about their power play and why more of their gazillion shots per game aren't going in, but I think in the end it'll just boil down to effort and intensity with these guys because the confidence and talent are absolutely there.
If they can put in a solid 60 every night, they are going to be something.
John: Who has stood out?
Mike: Until he got hurt, I thought Corey Crawford had been the guy. He put the team on his back in the opener in Dallas and never let up.
It's been interesting to see his confidence level growing by bounds every year. And it's not only him, the guys in the room can't say enough about the guy.
With him, Antti Raanta and now perhaps Scott Darling in the mix, the Hawks are pretty deep at the position.
John: Has anybody pleasantly surprised you?
Mike: Um, how about a guy whose name had been rumored to be on the trading block?
I'll go with Johnny Oduya.
The guy is rarely mentioned when the talk turns to Hawks' D-men, but has he ever been solid so far. He's not going to dazzle you offensively, but in his own end, his stick work and positioning have been stellar.