Dec. 02--Kings coach Darryl Sutter has been known to spew some hyperbole after difficult losses such as the one the Blackhawks hung on his team over the weekend.
So while Sutter's comments after the Hawks beat the Kings 4-1 on Saturday night to conclude a grueling six-game road trip should be taken with a grain of salt, his statement that the Hawks "are the best team in the league and that's clear through the first two months of the year" isn't exactly off-base.
While they certainly weren't at their best throughout October and early November, the Hawks are hitting on all cylinders and sent a message to the rest of the NHL -- and themselves -- that they belong in the upper echelon in the league after a wildly successful circus trip during which they captured 10 of a possible 12 points.
"We got off to an ordinary start and we could see the team trending in the right direction, and this is a sign that, 'Hey, we're coming,'" Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "When we play the right way we're a dangerous team."
Eight of the Hawks' last 10 opponents have found that to be the case, and those coming up on the schedule -- including the rival Blues on Wednesday night at the United Center -- are about to encounter a team that is brimming with confidence.
"Things just came together for us on this trip," goaltender Corey Crawford said. "We were battling hard and playing together as a team. It seemed like everyone knew what the other guy was going to do with or without the puck. We're all on the same page."
The Hawks outscored opponents 23-12 on the trip and often dominated play against some of the best teams in the Western Conference.
"They were all really tough opponents and we ended up finding the way we wanted to play for all 60 minutes a lot of the trip," winger Kris Versteeg said. "You have to try to prove it every day. It's not about just going and showing in a two- or three-game span, it's about trying to do it every day. That's what the best teams do."
Added defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson: "It's great for the confidence. I think we'd been, maybe not questioning ourselves, but we were struggling at the start and it made us think. Now a lot of players are starting to play really good hockey. We just have to keep bringing the confidence."
It's important to note that the Hawks have excelled despite not having last season's top scorer, Patrick Sharp, in the lineup for the last 11 games because of a right knee injury. Also, during the trip they received little goal-scoring from the top line of Jonathan Toews centering for Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad. At even strength, only Toews scored (twice during a 7-1 blowout of the Oilers on Nov. 22). Toews and Hossa each had power-play goals and Saad capped the scoring against the Kings with an empty-netter, but it was the second line of Versteeg and Patrick Kane flanking center Brad Richards that did the most damage.
"That (No. 1) line always plays the right way," Quenneville said of Toews, Hossa and Saad. "They draw a lot of the coverage and ... matchups where it might create a little bit of space in other areas. That's what makes you a good team; whether they're scoring or not, they're doing the right things and playing the right way."
Said Versteeg: "It's great to have depth. Every line can contribute."
That makes things a bit easier on Crawford, who was the Hawks' most valuable player of the road trip as he started all six games and stopped 143 of 154 shots.
"He's been great all year," Quenneville said. "This was a special trip for him, game in and game out with two back-to-backs. He gave us a chance every night (and) was rock solid."
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Twitter @ChrisKuc
