Hawks had plenty of highs, and a few lows
The Blackhawks' record-setting 2009-10 season was not without its ups and downs.
It was a six-month journey that began with two games in Finland and ended with the Hawks falling 1 point short of capturing the Western Conference despite establishing franchise record for wins (52), points (112) and road victories (23).
While there were some off-ice distractions, here's a look back on the on-ice performance as the Hawks open the first round of the NHL Playoffs against Nashville:
The goodbull; Playing the Calgary Flames on Oct. 12 at the United Center, the Hawks fell behind 5-0 less than 12 minutes into the first period only to rally to win 6-5 in overtime on Brent Seabrook's goal.The win tied an NHL record for biggest comeback and set a team mark.bull; The Hawks began an eight-game winning streak on Nov. 9, with a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles at the United Center. It started a 23-5-1 stretch during which the Hawks took 47 out of a possible 58 points and showed why they again were going to be one of the best teams in the NHL.bull; In a Nov. 22 game at GM Place in Vancouver, first-year goalie Antti Niemi got the start against a very good Canucks team and posted a 1-0 shutout.The 30-save performance provided the first glimpse of Niemi as a potential difference-maker in goal. It took him into March to do it, but Niemi eventually seized the No. 1 job and finished with a record of 26-7-4.bull; Prized free agent Marian Hossa made his long-awaited debut following off-season shoulder surgery Nov. 25 at San Jose and scored 2 goals in a dominating 7-2 win over the Sharks that might have the most impressive of the season for the Hawks.Hossa would go on to score 24 goals and 51 points in just 57 games.bull; Niklas Hjalmarsson's rapid development into a dependable, big-minute defenseman was a key to the season from start to finish. Hjalmarsson gained coach Joel Quenneville's trust to the point where his ability to play 20 solid minutes a night took a lot of pressure off Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.The badbull; Adam Burish tore the ACL in his knee during the second preseason game at Minnesota and would miss the first 65 games of the regular season. The Hawks missed the agitating Burish over the course of a long season.bull; The worst loss of the season took place Jan. 9 at the Excel Energy Center in Minnesota when the Hawks saw a comfortable 5-1 third period lead evaporate and turn into a 6-5 loss in a shootout.bull; In a span of five days starting March 13, the Hawks lost defensemen Kim Johnsson, Brian Campbell and Brent Seabrook to injuries - Campbell and Seabrook were the victims of reckless hits.Campbell suffered a broken collarbone and fractured rib March 14 after Washington's Alex Ovechkin shoved him from behind into the boards. Campbell still hasn't returned.Seabrook wound up missing only two games after he had his head rammed into the glass by James Wisniewski during the March 17 game in Anaheim.bull; Hawks fans began to reach for the panic button when the club struggled badly in March, losing eight of 11 games from March 13 through March 30. The Hawks were able to get the ship back on course and finished the season on a 6-0-1 run heading into the playoffs.bull; Cristobal Huet's fall from No. 1 goalie to being buried on the bench behind Antti Niemi was a gradual thing. Huet's play began to slip badly prior to the Olympic break, but the low point came on March 25 in Columbus when he allowed 7 goals on 27 shots in an 8-3 loss. Huet hasn't played since that night.