What the Blackhawks Need to Fix

          Two years ago, the Chicago Blackhawks resuscitated the flat-lined hockey heart in the Windy City by winning the Stanley Cup. Decade after decade of terrible seasons and being blacked out on local TV were finally a thing of the past and Lord Stanley was coming home. But after that glorious run for the Cup, the Blackhawks made some serious changes, changes that arguably removed the pieces to the success of Chicago’s post-season and Hawks fans were left to wonder what the front office was doing.

            Now, two years removed from winning the Cup, it seems as though the fans worries were right on the mark. Chicago hasn’t seen past the first round of the playoffs since then, their physical play is non-existent and it already feels like our Championship was just a lucky year, not a reflection of the amount of talent and passion it took to win. I understand that financial adjustments need to be made and those adjustments might require removing some players from your roster but cutting Antti Niemi and Dustin Byfuglien were possibly the worst “adjustments” that Chicago could have made in order to leave room to improve on their already impressive achievements.

            With that being said, what needs to get fixed if the Chicago Blackhawks want to bring the Stanley Cup back to the Windy City again? A lot of people will have a lot of different arguments. Some will say our goaltending, others will argue that we need a physical defenseman and the rest will say it’s more of a combination of things that need to be changed. Whatever the case may be, I’m in the combination boat and the following are what I think are areas of improvement.

            If the Blackhawks, Coyotes series was any indication, my first concern is goaltending. Corey Crawford is a good goalie, he has been brilliant at points during the season, but he has also been terrifying to watch at times this season. Case in point, in the two overtime games in Chicago during the playoffs. Crawford let in two soft goals that put the Blackhawks up against a wall. While the Hawks were shooting the puck at Mike Smith who seldom let one in, watching the puck get played in Chicago’s zone was unsettling because I didn’t know when Phoenix was going to score. It wasn’t just during the playoffs that Crawford’s abilities were questioned. There were many times in which Ray Emery replaced him in the regular season because of his inconsistencies and there was some serious debate as to whether or not Crawford should be the starting goalie for Chicago in the playoffs. Such questions do not bode well for a goalie and his confidence let alone for the fans that were already upset the Blackhawks got rid of Antti Niemi. For Chicago to make it past the first round, I really think they need a new goalie that Crawford can learn from and gain some confidence.

            Another aspect of the Hawks that needs to change is their lack of big, physical defensemen. There is a problem with a defensive line when the coaching staff relies on two of the six to endure the brunt of the ice time. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook averaged nearly 30 minutes on the ice during the series. In other words those two spent half of the entire hockey game on the ice. Now, those two are by far the best defensemen Chicago have but those two cannot be relied on to protect Crawford all the time and therefore we need more defensive players to share the load. Nick Leddy, Johnny Oduya, Niklas Hjalmarsson and the rest of the defensemen were invisible and unproductive (minus Leddy’s late goal in Game 5). In fact, I was furious with Nick Leddy’s production the whole series because he turned the puck over; he wasn’t physical and was more useful warming the bench than playing on the ice. Defensemen are an integral part in preventing goals and if a team only has two that can be depended on to do so then that is a sign a team needs more.

            The last ingredient that I think will put the Blackhawks back on the right track is a bruiser. We had one earlier in John Scott but much to the dismay of the fans, he was traded to New York. Then Brandon Bolig came into the picture and made a strong case for being that guy, however he seems to enjoy getting kicked out of games more than playing in them so his status as a bruiser is questionable. I liked what Dustin Byfuglien did as a bruiser and as an enforcer. He upset goalies by standing in front of them, he was integral in the success of Chicago’s Cup run. I’ll be happy if Bolig can fill that void because he’s been proven in the short time he’s played here. But if not, then we really need a guy that can be that guy.

            I LOVE our offense, the youth and talent that the offensive side of the puck has makes us a threat for years to come, much like the Detroit Red Wings were for decades. Toews, Kane, Sharp, Shaw, Stalberg, everybody is quick, agile and determined. The fact that we have some young players who have already won a Cup is special because they understand how much it takes to win and that experience helps their peers stay calm.

            The Blackhawks have what it takes there is no doubt about that. However, they really do need to make some adjustments. What made them successful in 2010 is gone and in order to get back to that level they need to fix the issues at hand. Now, some might have a different opinion on what needs to get repaired and what we as fans think is most likely not what the front office thinks but it’s important that they realize something is missing from that 2010 group.  I know Lord Stanley will come back to Chicago in the near future, but not if the Hawks play the way they played against Phoenix this season.