January 11, 2007 - FALL FROM GRACE -
As the Blackhawks enter the final stretch of the season they are yet again trapped in the middle of the pack of the unfriendly confines in the Western Conference.
Despite unpredictable success all season long, a recent winless streak has the Hawks currently wrapped up in a 3-way tie for 4th place in the west. The once explosive offense and stingy defense have been mediocre at best, which isn't good enough in this conference. Teams are starting to get really hot and the Hawks are quickly falling off the radar. Coach Savard credits his teams recent performance to complacency and lack of passion. "Our leaders aren't being our leaders and we're relying far too much on some of the youth which just isn't ready to carry a team on their backs".
He hopes the recent waiver acquistion of Sergei Zubov will help bolster the powerplay and add some leadership for the playoffs. This is Zubov's second stint with the Hawks and is excited to be back with the direction the team is going. "I have tough year but feel happiness to be back in Chicago! I want to help the team be good again and win many games. I will work my best to win at any cost".
Some bright spots for the Hawks are the solid play of some of the youngsters on the team. Last years first round pick Derek Brassard is leading all rookies in scoring and has solidified his spot as the #1 centre. The Hawks actually have 3 of the top 10 in rookie scoring. 1st line sniper Colby Armstrong was leading the league all year in goals until recently when Spezza took over. Spezza has played 6 more games though and Armstrong is only 2 back of the lead for the scoring title. He also leads the league in PP goals which should improve with the recent acquistion of Zubov.
The Hawks remain to be a team to watch in the playoffs. If they catch fire again and get back to their winning ways they will be a force in the post season. It should be interesting to see how the matchups shape up and who will play who but don't count out these young inexperienced Blackhawks yet. Their best hockey of the season might be yet to come!
The Blackhawk Reporter
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