"Put The Cup Down!" Blackhawks Begin Defense Tonight
By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 7, 2010 3:00PM
After a whirlwind summer that saw the Blackhawks drag the Stanley Cup to all corners of the globe, as high as the Canadian Rockies to whatever bar Patrick Kane was creeping at the time, Cold Steel on Ice gets back to the business of defending the Cup tonight, opening the regular season on the road against the Colorado Avalanche.
The bigger story, after the Stanley Cup afterglow, will be how the new faces on the team will mesh with the established core that won the Cup. Hawks GM Stan Bowman had to make some tough but necessary decisions geared toward salary cap relief while ensuring that the Hawks will be a force in years to come. That core will be centered on Kane and Hawks captain Jonathan Toews, a Goofus and Gallant for the early 21st Century. Toews has more than earned his "Captain Serious" nickname and the comparisons to greats like former Detroit red Wing Steve Yzerman (although "Captain Serious" makes him sound more like a villain). Kane is one of the top three puckhandlers and skaters in the NHL, and his ability to drink like a champion off the ice has earned him a new legion of fans (and, one assumes, hookups).
On paper, it appears that Bowman has done a solid job in replenishing the Hawks farm system by trading players like Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, Brent Sopel and allowing Antii Niemi to walk after arbitration. New additions like Jack Skille, Fernando Pisani and Nick Leddy will be called upon to sacrifice their individual talents for the team's puck possession and shot blocking game. Goalie Marty Turco, signed after Niemi left, brings veteran stability and masterful puck passing skills that look like they mesh well with coach Joel Quenneville's puck possession game. With Turco's puck handling skills and the Hawks killer team speed, there could be a lot of transition goals scored this season.
Two other players to watch early this season are Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. Hossa, who missed the early part of last season recovering from shoulder surgery, looks like a new man on the ice while Kopecky looks to build on his breakout Stanley Cup finals performance.
The blue lines will be tested while Brian Campbell is out at least the first four weeks of the season with a strained knee. But the tandem of Brent Seabrook and Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith are a formidable combo.