Blackhawks mailbag: Is team peaking too soon?
With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, I thought it would be a good time to do a smorgasbord column that does a little bit of everything.
First on the menu: A couple of reader questions.
Q: The Hawks are on fire right now. Do you think it's too early to start peaking?
A: This query, quite obviously, was submitted before the Hawks were shellacked by the Oilers at Rogers Place on Monday. Let's be clear about one thing, though: The Hawks are far from peaking and far from on fire.
Their impressive 13-5-2 record is a product of sensational goaltending by Corey Crawford combined with cupfuls of late-game scoring that's saved their bacon on many occasions. They fattened up on a heavy home schedule that featured many middle-of-the-road teams, but also looked quite solid in picking up 3 of 4 points against Washington and Montreal right before the circus trip began.
As for this road trip, it has been anything but impressive with the Hawks getting shut out twice and having to come from behind for their 2 wins.
The good news is the young players are gaining confidence and Jonathan Toews still hasn't found his scoring touch.
Trust me: There's plenty of room for improvement and plenty of time for this team to truly start peaking.
Q: How long can Marian Hossa keep this up and will he have anything left for the playoffs?
A: There's no doubt that Hossa's resurgence is the story of the season so far.
The 37-year-old looks completely revitalized after a long summer that he desperately needed. Hossa, remember, has played an almost incomprehensible 146 playoff games since the 2007-08 season. Six times in those nine years his team either went to the Stanley Cup Final or the conference finals.
Hossa obviously isn't going to keep up his 45-goal pace, but it wouldn't be a shock to see him finish with 28-30 if he stays healthy. My guess is he'll have plenty left for the playoffs, too, because he knows how to manage his body and coach Joel Quenneville also gives Hossa more days off than any other player.
Red-hot Hinostroza:
The most impressive player the last two games has been Vinnie Hinostroza. After scoring his first NHL goal and adding 2 assists in the Hawks' 4-3 comeback win over Vancouver, it looks like the weight of the world has been lifted off the rookie's shoulders.
The Bartlett native was by far the most noticeable player Monday in that 5-0 drubbing in Edmonton, showing off his speed and awareness all night. The move he put on D-man Oscar Klefbom to set up a Grade-A scoring chance with 6:10 to go in the second period was a sight to see.
Hinostroza's eye-opening play means the Hawks are going to have a tough decision to make soon because Trevor van Riemsdyk is about ready to return from injury. If no one else gets hurt, the Hawks could waive a player or assign someone to Rockford. If the waived player clears, he would then go to Rockford.
Twitter polls:
If you're not following me on Twitter @johndietzdh, you're missing out on some fun polls.
Last week, after Marian Hossa scored his 11th goal, I asked how many you think he'll finish with.
The results out of 244 votes:
• 18 or less: 2%
• 19-24: 33%
• 25-29: 46%
• 30 or more: 19%
Right now there's a poll running that asks followers to guess how many points the Blackhawks will finish with this season. Follow me and chime in.
I'll post the results Thursday.