Hawks 'best in NHL right now'
This is rare air for the Blackhawks - a seven-game winning streak, the team's longest in 27 years, and an 18-6-7 record that has them sitting with the NHL's elite approaching Christmas.
"That team right now is the best team in the NHL," said Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault following Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Hawks at GM Place. "They've been perfect in December (8-0-1). Their game is real good."
Ya think?
During their winning streak the Hawks have scored 31 goals and allowed just 10. It's a young team, the NHL's youngest, growing up right before everyone's eyes.
"Personally, the growth I've seen in this team since Day One is incredible," defenseman Brian Campbell said. "I think we're playing as a team. It really doesn't matter who's scoring on any given night.
"For me, I'm just kind of sitting back and watching some of the guys at how they're playing late in games and doing the little things. Obviously, the coaching staff has done a great job of teaching us."
Campbell, as one of the prized free agents on the market last summer, chose the Hawks partly because of the potential he saw that now is being realized.
"There's a goal in this room," Campbell said. "I don't know, I haven't been here, but maybe there wasn't a goal before. Everyone just exudes confidence right now. We've been put in situations to succeed and in the right roles."
Center Patrick Sharp has been through the lean times and is enjoying every minute of what's happening.
"We're not getting too far ahead of ourselves, but we're having a lot of fun with this," Sharp said. "It's very exciting right now.
"This is new territory for a lot of the guys in here. Playoffs are our goal, but we're really learning how to win games here starting from the coaching staff down. Guys are banging off the wall right now, so it's probably a good time for a break."
The Hawks don't play again until Friday against Philadelphia at the United Center when they will try to tie the franchise record of 8 straight victories.
"It's always exciting. Winning is fun," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "That's what it's all about.
"Part of the process is how we're going to reflect on it. We still want to get better in proven areas, but it's a fun group to work with and there's a lot of excitement in the room now. We just want to keep it going."
While it's cliché to say winning teams are getting contributions from everyone, that's exactly what is happening with the Hawks, starting with goalies Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet.
The defense that goes seven deep continues to rack up the points and control the tempo of games in its own end, while Quenneville keeps rolling over four lines without losing any offensive momentum.
"There are certain guys that have really come into their own in the roles they've been given to play," Sharp said, not naming names but likely referring to teammates such as Dave Bolland, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Cam Barker and Matt Walker. "It's really helping us win games.
"Often now we'll roll four lines, which is key in the NHL today, and we're getting great goaltending every night. Knock on wood, hopefully we stay healthy and keep this thing going."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Classic countdown: 10 days until faceoff</p> <p class="News">Workers began flooding the ice Sunday ahead of today's first media preview of the Wrigley Field rink.</p> <p class="News">Player benches and the penalty boxes also are nearly completed.</p> <p class="News">Sunday's arctic cold did not slow down the process of building the rink, which should be ready by Tuesday in time for workers to head out of town for their Christmas break. They will return Friday to put the finishing touches on the rink for the Jan. 1 game between the Blackhawks and the Red Wings.</p> <div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=259808">Sharp proving he can score from any position on line <span class="date">[12/21/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>