Five concerns Blackhawks must answer
Joel Quenneville likes the makeup of the 2011-12 Blackhawks, but what's the coach supposed to say?
“When we get everybody healthy we'll have the needs we like on all lines,” Quenneville said. “All lines will have function and a purpose. It might be we have the look of two nice scoring lines, you have a nice checking line that has a lot of upside offensively and you have a (fourth) line with some abrasiveness and some sandpaper.
“We like the defense and (Corey Crawford) is coming off a great year.”
That tidy summation by Quenneville makes it sound all good, but even the best teams have issues going into a new season and the Hawks are no different.
1. Center
There were three wingers playing center at practice on Tuesday, but neither Quenneville nor general manager Stan Bowman see their roster being thin at this key position after Jonathan Toews, and assuming Dave Bolland's back is healthy.
“I'm very comfortable at that position,” Bowman said. “We have a lot of guys capable of playing that position.”
Being capable of playing center is one thing. Playing the position well at both ends is another. Just ask Patrick Sharp.
“The way Joel's system is, everyone has to be accountable, but usually it's that centerman, the guy down low back in his own zone taking faceoffs and patrolling the middle of the ice,” Sharp said.
All-star right wing Patrick Kane starts the season centering the second line with all eyes on him to see if he can handle it defensively. Jamal Mayers, normally a wing, will center the fourth line.
“Patrick has played center most of his life until a couple years ago,” Bowman said. “He's such a smart player and that's the one thing you have to do to play center.”
2. The defense
The Hawks lost critical speed and puck movement by trading Brian Campbell. Now can Nicklas Hjalmarsson take his game to another level? Can Nick Leddy handle the big minutes he's going to get in Campbell's place? How will newcomers Steve Montador, Sean O'Donnell and Sami Lepisto adjust to Quenneville's demanding puck possession system that starts with the defensemen?
“You don't have Soupy back there, but I think we're still capable of moving the puck,” Quenneville said.
“The core is young, it's good, it's mobile, it's big,” O'Donnell said. “They move the puck well, and with this set of forwards you want to make sure all your defensemen can move the puck up to them. It's an exciting defense to be part of.”
3. The mix
There are 10 players on the opening-night roster who didn't finish the playoffs with the Blackhawks last season: Andrew Brunette, Brandon Saad, Mayers, Daniel Carcillo, Rostislav Olesz, O'Donnell, Lepisto, Montador, Brandon Pirri and Ray Emery.
Will there be a need for an adjustment period for everyone to mesh?
“Exactly what is chemistry — making nice plays?” Duncan Keith said. “I think we have a good group of guys in here.”
“With the additions, it's going to make us deeper and a little more experienced and hungrier with the energy and physical players we got,” Jonathan Toews said. “There's no excuse for our team. We have the guys we need in different roles, and now it's up to us to go out there and put it all together.”
4. Penalty killing
The Hawks were 25th in the league last season and especially dreadful at home with penalty killing.
“We want to make sure our power play is as consistent as it was last year and our penalty killing can improve,” Quenneville said. “We had some bouts in games last season where it really went south on us, and being consistent in that area is where we'll really place an emphasis. We have a few more guys we brought in that can possibly be helpful on the PK.”
5. The schedule
A bad start killed the Hawks last season, particularly at home, forcing them to chase in the standings until the final day of the regular season.
They play seven of their first 11 games at the United Center and 29 of 51 through January. They must take advantage of home ice unlike in 2010-11, when they dropped 17 games at the UC.
“We want to make sure we prioritize our start and that's going to be our focus,” Quenneville said.
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