Hawk Talk: The Ugly Truth

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

By Brett Ballantini
CSNChicago.com

Its a good lesson.

Thats how Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville described his teams unfathomable, fall-from-ahead, 6-5 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild three months ago. With the Blackhawks slipping to 15-12-4 since that fateful Jan. 9 night in Minnesota, its clear that whatever lesson that horrific game taught, it wasnt soaked up by the Hometown Heroes.

So lets take a minute out of the current free-fall and compare that Blackhawks team, all blustery and confident and healthy and full of promise, to the current incarnation.

If you are a fan more fascinated with the agony of defeat than the thrill of victory, dig back into the archives for the promise-filled look at that Jan. 9 game or an assessment of the current club written just a few days ago, and thus shorting them just a couple of losses.

For the rest of you less-hearty souls, heres the side-by-side.

Blackhawks Before and After
on 1-9-10
on 3-31-10
Wins3146Losses1022Last 10 Games
8-2-03-5-2Points6599Points Percentage
.739.660NHL Ranks
Simple Rating System
1.27 (1st)
.660 (fourth)
Power Plays
.207 (T-seventh)
.183 (T-14th)
Penalty Kills
.868 (second)
.846 (fifth)
Faceoffs.532 (third)
.524 (second)
Penalty Minutes
12.4 (14th)
11.4 (seventh)
Team Leaders
GoalsPatrick Kane (19)
Patrick Kane (28)
AssistsDuncan Keith (32)
Duncan Keith (54)
PointsPatrick Kane (50)
Patrick Kane (82)
Plus-MinusBrent Seabrook (22)
Sharp, Hossa (21)
Penalty Minutes
Ben Eager (79)
Ben Eager (116)
ShotsPatrick Sharp (146)
Patrick Sharp (248)
Shooting Percentage
Troy Brouwer (.186)
Troy Brouwer (.184)
Ice Time
Duncan Keith (26:32)
Duncan Keith (26:44)
Central Division Lead
105Western Conference Seed
12Projected Quarterfinals Opponent
L.A. Kings
L.A. Kings
InjuriesDave Bolland
Brian Campbell
Adam Burish
Kim Johnsson
Top Line
Toews-Kane-BrouwerToews-Sharp-HossaSecond Line
Sharp-Hossa-LaddVersteeg-Byfuglien-Brouwer
Third Line
Madden-Versteeg-Byfuglien
Bolland-Ladd-BrouwerFourth Line
Fraser-Kopecky-EagerMadden-Burish-Eager

Other facts about the Jan. 9 loss that dont really fit above:

Cristobal Huet had won three of his last four games vs. the Wild, with a sparkling 1.26 goals-against average. In Chicagos first two wins of the season vs. Minnesota, he allowed just one goal.
The Blackhawks entered play Jan. 9 with power-play goals in eight of their previous nine games.
Minnesota out-hit the Blackhawks 46-12 on Jan. 9, Cal Clutterbuck leading the way with nine.
With the win, the Wild became the first NHL team to earn at least a point when trailing by four goals entering the third since the Philadelphia Flyers did so on Dec. 11, 2008.
It was the first time the Wild had ever won a game in which they were four goals down.

Brett Ballantini isCSNChicago.com's Blackhawks Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnikon Twitter for up-to-the-minute Hawksinformation.

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