Why the Blackhawks have been so successful
Kimmo Timonen has been around the block quite a few times.
So when the 40-year-old defenseman with 1,211 NHL games and five trips to the Olympic Games on his resume speaks, we'd all do well to listen.
“I've seen a lot of teams, a lot of hockey players, a lot of different systems,” Timonen said Thursday at the United Center, one day after the Hawks tied the Stanley Cup Final vs. Tampa Bay at 2-2 with Game 5 set for Saturday. “I give a lot of credit to these guys.
“I would say the top eight guys who have been here for six, seven years — these guys are so dedicated for this sport, hockey — just taking care of themselves.
“It surprised me. I've never seen that before.”
This is high praise coming from a player who has been in Chicago for just three months.
But he simply sees what we've all seen for seven years — and that's that these Blackhawks want to win in the worst way.
In some ways it's even more apparent in the comments and demeanor of players addressing the media than it is on the ice.
The news conference before Game 7 against Anaheim was one great example. Some reporters were trying to ask questions to elicit laughs, or even smiles, from Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Johnny Oduya and Corey Crawford.
Didn't happen. Each player was as laser-focused as I've ever seen an athlete. It reeked of — in a good way for Hawks fans — “We've got this thing. We're coming out tomorrow on a mission and will not be denied.”
Another big reason these Hawks succeed — in my mind, anyway — is that veterans aren't afraid to be critical of their teammates, even after a victory. A championship mentality is shown not after a tough loss but often after a close victory.
Remember the refreshing, blunt honesty of Niklas Hjalmarsson after the Hawks blew a 3-0 lead to Minnesota in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals?
“It's not just the defensemen's (fault),” he said. “It's a five-man group out there on the ice that can do a better job together.”
And that was after the Hawks won 4-3. They happened to win the next three games.
Then there was Brad Richards on Wednesday night after a heart-stopping 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay. Sure, the Hawks evened the series, but Richards was hardly extolling his team's virtues afterward.
“Yeah, that was probably our worst game in awhile for whatever reason,” he said.
I asked Quenneville and his players if this is the mentality a team with title aspirations needs to have.
“Well, I mean, we're in the winning business,” Quenneville said. “I don't think you should ever be satisfied with the way things go. I think you want to find ways where you can better yourselves, better the situation.
“I think after four games there's been some progress, some areas where we need to improve. We know we have to be better. We're looking to get better as we go into Game 5.”
Bingo. Perfect answer.
Having said all that, this isn't to say the Hawks never crack a smile or joke around during news conferences. There were two perfect examples Thursday:
• First, as three Hawks walked to the interview table, Jonathan Toews noticed there were only name plates in front of his chair and Timonen's. So he deadpanned: “Trevor van Riemsdyk, everybody,” as the rookie defenseman had a seat.
• Then after a couple of questions, Timonen had this gem that had the media rolling: “By the way, where's all the Finnish media? Might be a hangover day, I guess.”
Yes, this team has it all together. It may not always look pretty and they're not always going to play perfect hockey, but with 2 more wins, nobody's going to ask how many games they lost or by how many goals they won.
They're just going to lift another Cup and a city is going to go bonkers once again. It may not happen, but it seems silly to bet against Toews and Co.
“I think it's just going to come down to, as they say, who wants it more, who is going to fight and work for those bounces,” Toews said. “I think both teams are feeling pretty confident it's going to go their way right now.”
If recent history has shown us anything, the odds are decidedly in the Blackhawks' favor.