Chicago Blackhawks defying the odds ... and the experts

Nobody is ever going to confuse Jeremy Colliton for Lou Brown, the gruff, contract-peeing fictional manager from the movie “Major League”.

But just as Brown did before his hapless Cleveland Indians took the field on Opening Day, Colliton also stood in front of his Blackhawks on the first day of training camp to deliver a message about the upcoming season.

If Colliton is a sports-movie buff, he easily could have stolen Brown's speech and said:

“I'm not much for giving inspirational addresses, but I'd just like to point out that every newspaper in the country has picked us to finish last. The local press seems to think that we'd save everyone the time and trouble if we just went out and shot ourselves.

“Me, I'm for wasting sports writers' time. So I figured we ought to hang around for a while and see if we can give 'em all a nice big (crud)burger to eat!”

Colliton's speech wasn't quite as graphic, of course.

“He said people are doubting us, so let's surprise them,” recalled forward Andrew Shaw. “We're going to be the underdog, so make sure we come out fighting. And we have.”

Amen to that.

Now to actually believe the 6-4-4 Blackhawks are a playoff team would be quite a stretch.

Still, it's difficult to argue with the results. Taking 3 out of 4 points against Carolina and following that up with a sweep at Dallas is awfully impressive.

The Hawks are beginning to somewhat resemble the 2018 Vegas Golden Knights, the expansion squad that came together and shocked the NHL with a season for the ages.

Emphasis here on somewhat.

I'm not about to suggest the Hawks are going to win the Central Division and reach the Stanley Cup Final. But this 6-1-3 run they're on isn't a fluke. They're outworking teams, making the most of their opportunities and winning games in a variety of ways.

“That's the key. You've got to find a way to win,” said goalie Kevin Lankinen, who ranks sixth in save percentage at .933. “At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if it's 6-4 or 2-1. ... Some nights might be the ‘D' core doing a really good job and (others) it might be the power play stepping up and scoring three or four goals.

“That's just part of the team effort.”

Said Colliton: “We've got a nice mix of guys. Young players who are doing everything they can to make their mark in the league and earn a spot, and (are) earning ice time. We've got some veteran guys who have been through it and know what it takes to win.”

So far, it's been the perfect mix, with nearly everyone contributing every night.

To wit:

• After patiently working his way up the ladder, Lankinen arrived in Chicago with the belief that he is a No. 1 goalie. He has made that clear in interviews and even clearer on the ice where he sports a 5-1-3 record.

• Alex DeBrincat has become a more complete player and has seemingly put his disappointing 2019-20 campaign behind him.

• Brandon Hagel seems like he's been shot out of a cannon every time he jumps over the boards.

• Mattias Janmark said he expected to come in and compete for more of an offensive role. He's done exactly that, scoring 5 goals already.

• Nicolas Beaudin, who GM Stan Bowman said is the most improved player from last year, has looked awfully comfortable of late — especially in the offensive zone.

• Ian Mitchell and Lucas Carlsson are making slow but steady strides.

• Dominik Kubalik, while hardly perfect, has been a deadly weapon on the power play.

• With Jonathan Toews out, the Hawks have asked for more out of Dylan Strome — and he has been more than up to the task.

• Rookie forwards Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev have been up and down, but the fact that they've combined for 9 goals is a great sign for the future.

• Andrew Shaw is having fun, keeping things loose and helping to get the most out of his younger teammates. Same goes for Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. And, apparently, even the injured Brent Seabrook, who hasn't been afraid to poke his nose into the dressing room to lighten the mood.

“Everything starts with the leaders of this team,” Lankinen said after the Hawks' 2-1 OT victory over Dallas on Tuesday. “The way they handle the team and take care of the younger guys, it's huge. ...

“Just had a really good discussion with Duncs about just being a pro and how he handles himself off the ice so he can contribute every single night. Those things are big, you know. You can't really read those from a book.

“When you've got that leadership group that is doing a really good job, that's kind of what brings the team together.”

Only time will tell if they can keep it up all season.

But the culture Colliton is building is what is most important. It's one he built in Sweden and in Rockford.

And it's one that is taking root in Chicago.

Watching guys buy into playing selfless hockey and seeing it translate into results is what impresses Colliton most. Because he expects that one day — maybe much sooner than most of us believed possible — the Hawks will be among the league's elite teams again.

And when that happens, it's this kind of attitude that should yield some unbelievable results.

“Ultimately, it's about the group understanding we have to play this way to have success,” Colliton said. “(When) we get to the point where we're considered an elite team every year, this mentality needs to stay. This is how we're going to win consistently and be a team that's always in the mix.

“We're on that path.”

Experts be damned.