Jan. 11--The Blackhawks began the second half of their regular season on the wrong foot Friday night with a 5-2 road loss to the last-place Oilers. But with 56 points, the Hawks are hot on the heels of the Predators, who lead the Central Division and Western Conference with 60 points. Before we move forward, we look back at the first half of the season and see how the Hawks grade out.
Forwards
Bryan Bickell -- B-: Coming on as of late but too often lets confidence issues affect his game.
Daniel Carcillo -- B: Has fit in well, maintaining discipline while also playing the agitator role.
Marian Hossa -- B: Remains a dominant two-way player but has struggled to score.
Patrick Kane -- A: The Hawks' first-half MVP has been money in key situations and is having his finest season.
Marcus Kruger -- A-: Quietly goes about his business of playing shutdown defense and anchoring Hawks' penalty kill.
Joakim Nordstrom -- C: Isn't afraid to lay a big hit and plays well defensively but he needs to chip in more on offense.
Brad Richards -- B: Started slow while adjusting to new teammates and system but has found ways to keep up in Western Conference.
Brandon Saad -- B+: Has been adept at taking the puck to the net and is developing into one of the NHL's premier power forwards.
Patrick Sharp -- B: Knee injury that sidelined him 14 games disrupted winger's season but he is showing signs of turning it on.
Andrew Shaw -- C: Scrappy only goes so far as forward needs to have a bigger impact in front of the net.
Ben Smith -- B: Underrated fourth-liner is strong defensively and can help on offense.
Teuvo Teravainen -- Incomplete: Heralded rookie is only three games into his NHL season so we'll see how much of an impact he will have down the stretch.
Jonathan Toews -- A: The captain just does everything right -- on and off the ice.
Kris Versteeg -- A: When healthy, has been the Hawks' biggest -- and most pleasant -- surprise this season.
Defensemen
Tim Erixon -- C: Has had limited opportunities since coming over from Blue Jackets in trade for Jeremy Morin.
Niklas Hjalmarsson -- A: Fearless shot blocker flies under the radar but is an integral part of arguably the NHL's top defensive squad.
Duncan Keith -- A: Tireless veteran continues to maintain the level of play that has earned him two Norris trophies.
Johnny Oduya -- C: In likely his final season with Hawks, veteran has taken a step back from usual steady play.
Michal Rozsival -- C-: Can move the puck on offense but lack of foot speed showing in the transition game.
David Rundblad -- C: Is starting to assert himself after looking tentative in the early stages of the season.
Brent Seabrook -- A: Increased offensive production and strong defensive effort have added up to best season of career.
Trevor van Riemsdyk -- B: Currently on the long-term injured list with a knee injury, rookie showed poise and skill in 18 games before going down.
Goaltenders
Corey Crawford -- A: Was among NHL's best goalies before off-ice injury and is working to get back to that level.
Antti Raanta -- B+: Sported a sparkling .944 save percentage at the break while spelling Crawford.
COACH
Joel Quenneville -- B: Constant line changes made it difficult for team to find a groove early, but remains steadying influence and solid tactician behind the bench.
ckuc@tribpub.com
Twitter @ChrisKuc
