Blackhawks' road trip no circus as Sharp comes into focus
by Chris Kober | Hockeytalk.biz

NOVEMBER 29, 2010 -- Each year, the circus comes to the Windy City and takes over the United Center, sending the Blackhawks on a two-week sojourn.  This season, the 'Hawks closed out their annual circus road trip with back-to-back wins over the Ducks and Kings last weekend, bringing their record on the trip to a respectable 4-2.

It was a good way to end the trip, noted head coach Joel Quenneville, as they met their goal of earning at least four points on each of the Canadian and Californian legs of the six game stretch.

Patrick Kane had a different perspective. “We’ve got to be excited with this trip. We got to go to Vegas,” the 22-year-old forward added, “We got to come to California and we got to play in Canada, so overall you’re three for three.”

Either way the team chooses to look at it, the outing was a success, and much of that success on the ice can be attributed to the play of Patrick Sharp (left).

Sharp has points in seven of his last eight games, including goals in his last four and back-to-back multi-point outings in Anaheim and Los Angeles.

“It’s probably a good play to get it in his hands these days,” said Kane, “’cause he’s on fire.”

With a goal and an assist Saturday night, Sharp leads the team in goals (15) and points (27), ranking him fourth and seventh league-wide, respectively. For a frame of reference, last season he didn’t accumulate 15 goals until January 9.

Sharp also started the season on a torrid pace as he and line mate Marian Hossa combined for 26 points in the team’s first 12 games.

“I’ve had confidence all season long,” Sharp said, “and even when I don’t score I still feel good out there. I don’t think anyone scores every game, but I’m going to try.”

While Sharp may not be the marquee player on the tip of the casual fan’s tongue when discussing the ‘Hawks he is the perfect example of why Chicago is still one of the elite clubs in the league.

"We’ve got to be excited with this trip. We got to go to Vegas." --Patrick Kane

Much has been made of the turnover this summer in Chicago. It is true that nearly thirty percent of the team’s point production from last season has left through trades and free agency, and for the first time in NHL history a Stanley Cup champion has jettisoned both of its goaltenders over the summer due to salary cap concerns. However, the Blackhawks locker room still boasts three Olympic gold medals, a silver medal, the reigning Conn Smythe and Norris Trophy winners and some top level talent in Sharp, Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson to back them up.

The fact that a player of Hossa’s abilities is on the second line should be enough to consider this team a contender for years to come, but the real test is the ability of players like Sharp to raise their level of play when necessary.

The team is in a period of transition, without a doubt.

“It’s a process,” said Sharp. “You’ve got to get better every week and every month. We’ve had a lot of new faces come in, we’re kind of building that chemistry within our locker room and you can kind of see it on the ice with our identity. We’re finding that style of play that makes us successful and with that comes confidence.”

NEED HELP ON THE KILL AND AT HOME

Their confidence may be building, but there are still areas of concern, first and foremost of which is the penalty kill. Chicago’s shorthanded unit currently ranks 25th in the league at a measly 78.6 percent, compared to last year’s 85.3 percent, which was good for fourth best overall at season’s end.

The kill has improved recently, going four for five in each of their last two contests. While 80 percent may not seem like much of an improvement, it is considering in their previous three games their penalty kill rate was only 66.6 percent. The question now becomes can they build on this momentum back in Chicago?

By the end of last season the ‘Hawks had a winning percentage of over .700 at home. So far in this young season that number has dropped to .416.

“We like the way we finished the road trip off for sure,” said defenseman Duncan Keith. “It’s just a matter of keeping it going at home and knowing that … games aren’t going to be any easier just ‘cause were in our building. Taking that mindset into the games is definitely going to help us out.”

PARITY A WAKE UP CALL

Chicago will need that mindset more than ever as the margin for error is almost non-existent with the level of parity that reigns over the NHL, the Western Conference and Central Division in particular.

As of Nov. 27 every team in the West had played at least 20 games, the unofficial quarter pole of the NHL season. After the completion of that night’s games the first place Detroit Red Wings were separated by only three points from the eighth place Colorado Avalanche, and four of the five Central Division teams held down playoff spots.

“It’s tough, to win in this league,” Kane said, “especially in the Western Conference. You see a lot of these games that are one or two goal games and everyone is pretty even so we’re just going to have to find ways to win. If we play like we [are] right now I think we’re going to be in good shape.”

Chicago’s record against Western Conference foes is only slightly above .500 (10-9-2) and their record against their Central Division rivals is a paltry 2-4-1. Improving that number may be the ‘Hawks’ biggest challenge as the Central may in fact be the best division in hockey this season.

As much as the turnover in Chicago’s roster is a sign of the parity the salary cap has brought to the league in recent years, the Central Division’s ultra-competitiveness this season just goes to drive the point home.

In the first season out of the lockout, Detroit and Nashville qualified for the playoffs out of the Central Division, while Columbus, Chicago and St. Louis finished as the bottom three in the West. A mere five years later it is conceivable that four or maybe even all five of those teams could finish in the top eight.

To keep up with that level of parity teams need to grab any points they can while they’re available and the Blackhawks, having played more games than any other team to date would like to use this circus road trip as a springboard for the rest of their season.

“The guys really came together,” Sharp said of the road trip. “I think it was good for our team to get out of Chicago and kind of spend time together. [There are] a lot of new faces and I feel like we’re a better team now than we were two weeks ago.”

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