Few teams can match up with balanced Hawks
DENVER - The Blackhawks' ultimate goal is to be one of the NHL's elite teams.
At least one scout believes they are getting there quickly.
"When you can win games by 5 or 6 goals, like they do, those are freebies," the scout said. "That's what Detroit does. When you've got to win games 3-2 all the time, it's tough on a team. The Hawks have great cohesion."
In this stretch that has seen them win 11 of 13 games since late November, the Hawks have shown they can beat teams in a variety of ways.
While 6 of those victories have been by 3 goals or more, there are 5 others by 2 goals or fewer.
"Sometimes we're not going to score 6, so we have do what we did in December and win some 2-1 or 3-1 hockey games," goalie Cristobal Huet said. "We can do that too because our defense is strong enough to do that."
The Hawks' speed and skill is right there with any club in the NHL, but don't sell the other aspects of their game short.
The Hawks were seventh in the league defensively before shutting out the Coyotes 6-0 on Tuesday, and they'll fight you in a back alley as well if that's what it takes to win.
"People underestimate the toughness of this team," said Hawks general manager Dale Tallon. "They're like a pack of dogs. They come running and stick up for each other."
It's certainly one of the more balanced Hawks teams in recent memory.
Coach Joel Quenneville is getting contributions from everywhere, as evidenced in the win over Phoenix. Fourth-liners Adam Burish and Colin Fraser scored in the first period to set the tone for the rest of the night.
The Hawks had five different goal scorers for the second straight game, with 12 players getting at least 1 point.
Andrew Ladd might have been the best of the Hawks' forwards at both ends of the ice, and he didn't have a point. But Ladd did have 6 of the Hawks' 41 shots on goal.
"The balance has been awesome, and that's a big reason why we've been successful," Burish said. "There's not one or two lines scoring or three or four guys scoring like we've seen here in the past. Now it's been demonstrated that you can throw anybody out there and they have the ability to score."
Quenneville continues to roll four lines over the boards without hesitation and without losing game momentum.
"All our lines are contributing," he said. "We're getting production from a lot of areas, the defensive part of the offense as well. It's been good knowing that the rotation of the four lines has been effective and we're all getting some scoring."
Quenneville has pushed all the right buttons when it comes to his line combinations. Moving Martin Havlat to the third line with Dave Bolland and Ladd marked a critical moment in the team taking off on this tear.
The move gave the third line a game-breaker in Havlat to complement Jonathan Toews and Kris Versteeg on the first line and Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane on the second line.
"It's tough for other teams," Burish said. "You can see it at times; they don't know what matchup to put out there. Who do you put out there against Sharpie, and then you have to come back with Bolland and Havlat. Who are you going to play against them?
"The balance is impressive on this team, and come down the stretch into the playoff push teams are going to have a tough time matching up."
Tonight's faceoff
Blackhawks vs. Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center, 8 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet; Radio: WGN 720-AM
At a glance: The Avs are banged up and have lost three of their last four. Sidelined are Joe Sakic (hand), Paul Stastny (broken arm), Ian Laperriere (back) and Adam Foote (triceps), The Hawks lead the season series 2-0 and are 3-for-7 on the power play.
Next: Nashville Predators at the Sommet Center, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
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