Ten questions to ponder as the Hawks take a break

The Blackhawks reached the Christmas break on quite a high.

After beating the Ottawa Senators, the best team in the Eastern Conference, in overtime on the road Saturday, they knocked off the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Sunday before more than 20,000 at the United Center.

With the NHL returning to Chicago in a big way, here are some answers to 10 questions from Daily Herald editors to entertain Hawks fans during the two-day holiday break.

Q. After covering the team for 20 seasons, is this one of the most enjoyable ones for you?

A. Certainly it's one of the better ones in the last decade. The teams in the early 1990s that featured Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Steve Smith and Ed Belfour were awfully fun to be around, but this group has a special quality. Youth is always refreshing, but these young players are also very good, and coach Denis Savard has created a positive energy in the dressing room.

I liked being around Savard as a player, and I like it even more with him as a coach.

Q. The new boss, Rocky Wirtz, certainly has made a lot of changes. What's the best decision, in your view?

A. Hiring John McDonough away from the Cubs as president, even more so than putting some home games on television. This was an organization in dire need of a marketing and promotions makeover, and McDonough is one of the best in the business. McDonough gets it, and Hawks fans everywhere are going to win because of it.

Q. Of course, there's a lot more to be done before packed crowds regularly return to the United Center -- how long will that take?

A. Not as long as I once thought. Give Hawks fans an exciting and entertaining team with star players to watch and they'll come out. More than 20,000 were at the UC on Sunday for the win over Edmonton, and it was a terrifically entertaining game.

I wouldn't be surprised if by next season the Hawks sell out nearly every night thanks to the combination of a good team and whatever strategy McDonough has for the future.

There are Hawks fans everywhere. All they needed was a reason to come back to the team. Now they have it.

Q. With the young players doing well and the support of Rocky Wirtz, do you see a different atmosphere around Savard and general manager Dale Tallon?

A. No question there is more respect for them and the organization around the NHL. Tallon and Savard have perhaps the best young team in the league, and nothing gains the respect of peers in the NHL better than the ability to assemble a top-end club.

Q. How many pieces, or players, do the Blackhawks need to get to the playoffs and past the first round?

A. Assuming the Hawks eventually get healthy, Tallon would love to find a scoring left wing to play on the first line with Robert Lang and Martin Havlat. There also is a need for another defenseman, unless Savard decides to put Dustin Byfuglien on defense and leave him there.

There could be several excellent scoring wingers available at the trade deadline, scorers headed for unrestricted free agency that teams might look to move. Nashville's J.P. Dumont is one such player.

Q. In 20 years you've seen a few phenoms come and go. You've written a lot about Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane and how special they are -- tell us about the first moment you realized that greatness was possible?

A. When they dominated training-camp scrimmages by making dazzling plays against their grown-men teammates, you knew then Toews and Kane were special. They have been better than anyone could have imagined. They are superstars in waiting.

Q. In one of your columns, you said the Hawks wouldn't get to the playoffs unless goalie Nikolai Khabibulin played much better. Have you seen flashes of greatness return?

A. Nik has been much better. He was sensational in Saturday's overtime win at Ottawa, playing the kind of goal playoff teams must have. He was great in the third period against the Oilers on Sunday, and I was glad to see Savard come right back with him. Rest, schmest -- it's time for Savard to ride his horse because the more Khabibulin plays, the better he seems to play.

Q. The Blackhawks have brought up a few players from Rockford, but they also left some down there. Have you been puzzled by any of these decisions?

A. Not really. Tallon's philosophy is to bring up those players who have played the best at Rockford, which is why we have seen Kris Versteeg and Petri Kontiola promoted ahead of so-called blue-chip prospects such as Jack Skille, Mike Blunden and Troy Brouwer.

Let's hope the days of rushing players up from the minors are over. Cam Barker wasn't ready in September, but after two months of playing at Rockford and dominating games, he was recalled. That's the way to do it.

Q. Does the rest of the NHL know what a talent Byfuglien can be?

A. They do now. The kid has been great as a defenseman or forward. Savard and Tallon think Byfuglien can be a star, but at what position? Me, I think he makes a bigger impact as a defenseman joining the play.

Q. With all the attention on the kids, veteran leadership still is a key ingredient for success, right? Who has shown it.

A. The question should be, who hasn't shown it, but if you are looking for those players who have taken their leadership roles to another level you can start with Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook and Tuomo Ruutu. Their emergence as leaders on and off the ice has taken pressure off Martin Lapointe, Martin Havlat and Robert Lang in the leadership department.

If you are looking for a Hawks MVP as we reach Christmas, Sharp is your man.