When the 2008-09 NHL season started, it hardly looked like this would be the year the Chicago Blackhawks ended their lengthy postseason drought. The Hawks, whose last playoff appearance came in 2001-02, opened the season 1-2-1, costing head coach Denis Savard his job. Joel Quenneville took over behind the bench, and the team responded immediately, going 9-2-4 in Quenneville’s first 15 games.
Making the playoffs may be a novel concept in Chicago these days, but it’s nothing new to Quenneville, who has guided his clubs to the postseason 10 times in his 12-year coaching career.
Kane and Toews Energize Chicago
Chicago’s hockey renaissance began with the arrival of youngsters Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The dynamic duo energized the Windy City with their skill, speed, and creativity, harkening back to the glory days of Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull, a time when hockey in Chicago was actually exciting.
Oddly enough, Toews and Kane are having somewhat pedestrian seasons, each boasting 66 points through the team’s first 77 games. While they’ve managed to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, neither has exploded into superstardom just yet. Toews leads the team with 32 goals, but his 0.86 points-per-game average is only slightly better than the 0.84 mark from his rookie season. Kane’s 0.88 points-per-game not only matches his sweater number, it’s also exactly what he did as a rookie. The consistency should be applauded, but it’s not exactly the sort of progression most stars make in their second years.
Healthy Havlat Leading Team in Scoring
Martin Havlat has helped his young teammates shoulder the scoring load, which is impressive considering Havlat’s history of shoulder problems. Havlat has somehow managed to avoid injury this year, appearing in 76 games, which is only 15 less than he played during his first two seasons in Chicago combined. When healthy, Havlat remains one of the league’s most talented wingers, and he proved it again by leading the Hawks with 71 points, including 27 goals.
Khabibulin Emerging as Team's Top Goaltender
Chicago’s saving grace has been goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who was expected to be traded before the season even started. General manager Dale Tallon made a big splash over the summer signing free agent Cristobal Huet to a four-year, $22.4-million contract. It seemed a peculiar move, especially considering the 35-year-old Khabibulin was already on the books for more than $6 million.
Yet Tallon decided to keep both netminders, committing more than $11 million in goal, and the unusual ploy paid off. While Huet has been solid, posting 19 wins, Khabibulin has been the clear No. 1, owning a stellar 22-8-6 record to go along with an excellent .919 save percentage.
Chicago will likely face either Vancouver or Calgary in the first round, with home ice up for grabs over the season’s final five games.
Michael Dell - Michael Dell has been the Head Writer and Editor-in-Chief of LCS Hockey (www.lcshockey.com) since 1994. In his spare time he enjoys ...
