Good test for the Hawks

vs.

Tomorrow at noon central on Comcast Sportsnet, the Chicago Blackhawks travel to Boston for a Saturday matinee against the Bruins.

Both teams are almost certainly playoff bound.

The Blackhawks (36-17-9) have been firmly entrenced in fourth in the Western Conference for the majority of the season and are looking at home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

The Bruins (42-14-9) are atop the Eastern Conference with 93 points on the season (one point behind league leaders San Jose and Detroit).

This is high quality, playoff-esk hockey and should be a good road test for the young Hawks as the postseason nears.

What trades will affect my playoff picks?

In an earlier post (Feb. 3), I wrote about the mess at the bottom of the Western Conference. At that time, five teams (Dallas, Minnesota, Edmonton, Columbus, and Phoenix) were tied for the final three playoff spots. Vacuver was one point back of these teams, in 11th place. Over a month has passed since that post, and not a lot has changed in the playoff race.

Seeds six through eight are Columbus (70 pts.), Edmonton (68 pts.), and Nashville (68 pts.). Anaheim (68 pts.), Dallas (67 pts.), and Minnesota (65 pts.) are on the outside looking in, in spots nine through 11 respectively. Vancuver has played well and is holding down (for now) the fifth seed with 74 points.

On Feb. 3 I wrote that come playoff time, seeds six through eight, in no particular order, would be held by Dallas, Edmonton, and Minnesota (I also wrote "the Canucks are cooked," and decided to "cast off," Columbus. My bad. But at least I got Phoenix's absence from the postseason correct.).

The trade deadline was yesterday, and as I was reading through "winners and losers" articles regarding trades teams made, I wondered if any trades had been made that might help make my picks become a reality. Lets take a look.

Well, the Stars were on fire when I picked them to make the playoffs. They had won four straight (the next day it became five straight). They also dropped trouble-maker Sean Avery (now a NY Ranger). But since Feb. 5 they have gone 6-8, and before beating the Sharks on March 3 had dropped five straight. They are riddled by injuries and didn't make any moves at the trade deadline. Unless they get the ship turned around quickly, they will not be making the playoffs. This pick does not look promising right now.

After the trade deadline, Edmonton should be a better team offensively. They picked up Patrick O' Sullivan (14 goals, 23 assists, 31 points in 62 games played) from L.A. and Ales Kotalik (13 G, 19 A, 52 GP) from Buffalo. They sent Erik Cole back to Carolina though, although most feel the loss won't mean much. Burnside and Lebrunn picked them as "trade deadline winners." Sounds good to me. I think this pick stays good.

Minnesota's outstanding goalie Niklas Backstrom, who's name had popped up more than once in "will they or won't they" trade talk, was resigned. So he's staying put in Minnesota. They still have no offense though (28th in scoring), and they did nothing to address this at the trade deadline. Star right winger Marian Gaborik is scheduled to come back from an injury sometime soon, but will he be able to help haul Minnesota out of 11th place and into the top eight? Hopefully he does, or else this pick is doomed as well.

So at the moment, it looks as though I'm slated to get one of my three picks right. Not only that, but two teams (Vancuver and Columbus) I said wouldn't even be a factor are looking better than ever and are actually ahead in points, if only by a couple.

Both those teams made moves at the trade deadline that should only widen the gap between them and teams struggling to get into playoff contention.

Stay tuned, as the race for the Stanley Cup, like the weather, will really began to heat up over the next month.

Post trade-deadline report and what it means for the Blackhawks

The trade deadline came at 3 p.m. and the Blackhawks waited until the final minutes to make a move.

In what was described as a "fruitful day," by GM Dale Tallon, the Blackhawks dealt defensemen James Wisniewski and center Petri Kontiola to the Anaheim Ducks for veteran center Samuel Pahlsson, minor league defensemen Logan Stephenson, and a conditional draft pick.

Pahlsson won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007 and fills the need at center for the Blackhawks. Hopefully he'll be able to help on the powerplay and win more faceoffs (he ranks in the top 20 in faceoff wins).

I like this move. Wisniewski, although a good defensemen, is coming off an ACL injury and hasn't played much at all (2 goals and 11 assists in 31 games played).

Pahlsson brings a veteran presence to the youngest locker room in the league. His experience in the playoffs and knowledge of what it takes to win a Cup will be crucial for the rest of the team come the postseason.

Pahlsson has been sidelined since Jan. 31 with mononucleosis. Tallon addressed this, saying that he is ready to come back in a week or two, and that the rest will only beneift the team during the last stretch of the season.

Video press conference coverage can be found here.

Trade Deadline @ 3 p.m. tomorrow

3 p.m. tomorrow is the NHL trade deadline. Rosters will be set and the final push for the playoffs will begin.

In late January, prior to a stretch of eight straight road games, Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon said that his decision to make roster moves would be based on the success of the road trip.

The "stretch" had the Blackhawks playing on the road in 13 of 15 games, going 10-5 in that span. So now the question becomes...do they make a move?

Names that have been thrown out there are Stanley Cup winning (injured now) goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, experienced winger Martin Havlat, and I've heard Dustin Byfuglien as well.

Tallon has said before that if he makes a move, it will not be for a costly "rental player." He is focused on the long-term success of the franchise. And I, as a fan who has witnessed chronic mediocrity and dissapointing season after dissapointing season, am fine with this decision.

This youthful bunch is a solid foundation for what could be a dynasty in years to come.

Still though, I crave postseason hockey for the Blackhawks (this is all but a given now), and even then, I still want to see a nice run at the Cup. I know I know I'm getting greedy, but once the ectasty of success hit my lips, I couldn't get enough.

I'm pretty excited to see what happens tomorrow. Will the Blackhawks make a move and fill the need for an above average center? Will they trade the "Bulin Wall?" (I'd be fine with Huet in the playoffs, the man has been on fire lately).

Also, check out #5 in Burnside's "five things" blog from ESPN.com to get an idea of what happens in the league offices on trade-deadline day to make sure everything is on the up and up?

I'd much rather take a W

Jonathan Toews netted his first NHL hat-trick last night, but the Hawks still fell to the Sid Crosby-less Penguins at the United Center.

Toews scored all three goals while the Hawks were on the powerplay.

Earlier in the game, with two goals already to his name, Toews deflected in a shot from the point that went into the goal, and hundreds of red hard-hats (it was Blackhawk hard-hat night) fell to the ice. But the goal was reveresed because apparently, his stick was too high when he touched the puck.

He tallied his actual third goal a few minutes later.

Despite the hat-trick by Toews, the comeback, the lead changes, and the exciting game that took place, there is a more pressing matter on my mind this morning.

This is the first time all season that the Hawks have lost three straight games. Granted, not all three were in regulation (last night's loss came in OT while shorthanded), but still. At this point in the season, this is not what I thought I'd be seeing.

Not only that, but the fashion in which they lost the last two games is alarming. Giving up a 3-1 lead and allowing four goals in the third period to a clearly inferior Nashville team should not happen. Yes, I know it was in the midst of 12 of 14 games on the road, but they were up 3-1.

And the Penguins; this is an Eastern Conference team on the playoff bubble (barely) and without their superstar, Sid Crosby. Especially at home, this should have been a win.

The Hawks have a decent chance to turn things around, with six of their next seven games at home (and only two playoff bound opponents in that stretch).

Does anyone want to buy a bag of hair?

Prior to a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday, 20-year old Blackhawk star Patrick Kane got a haircut.

"To be honest, I didn't want to cut it this short," said Kane. "I told [the hair stylist] to just kind of fade it up. But it's good to change up the look."

The blonde mop-top is gone, but not for good.

"The lady that took it off had me sign a card, and she put all the hair in a bag and said she's going to sell it on eBay."

Check out the full story here.

Youth vs. Experience come playoff time

As the Blackhawks strengthen their grip on the fourth seed in the Western Conference, it's becoming clear that for the first time since 2001-2002, Chicago will see post-season hockey.

At this moment, Chicago is the youngest team in the NHL. That could of course change as roster moves come and go with the March 4 trade deadline, but it won't be too drastic. The Blackhawks will still be a very young team in the playoffs.

How did the younger teams fare in the playoffs last season? And what about those composed of grizzled veterans? Lets take a look.

The Washington Capitals were the sixth youngest team (avg. age 26.98) in the NHL at the end of last season, and the youngest team in the playoffs. They rode 23-year old superstar (and 2007-08 NHL MVP) Alex Ovechkin into the playoffs after posting a 37-17-7 record from Nov. 4 onward. They were the first ever NHL team to make the postseason after being in last place at the halfway point of the season.

In a tough series with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Capitals fell just short. They lost the series 4-3, but won back-to-back elimination games. They lost game seven in double OT. A first round exit for the youngest team in the playoffs.

The next youngest team (avg. age 27.76) in the playoffs (seventh) were the San Jose Sharks. A highly touted second seed with one of the best goalies in the NHL in Evgeni Nabakov; they seemed primed to break their streak of playoff ineptitude and make a run for the Cup. Another surviving a first round scare against the Calgary Flames, the Sharks bowed out in the second.

The jist here, is that young teams do not fare so well in the playoffs. Pittsburgh was the ninth youngest team and made it to the finals, but were thoroughly manhandled by the oldest team in the NHL; the Detroit Red Wings.

In eight out of the 15 playoff matchups, the team with the older average age won.

But I feel the Blackhawks are better than the Sharks and the Caps of the 2008 playoffs. John Buccigross recently wrote, "The Hawks are having an unbelievable season and have a legitimate chance to reach the Stanley Cup finals. (They are that good.) They also could lose in the first round. (They are that young.)"

Personally, I see a second round exit for the Hawks in the playoffs. When it comes down it, especially in the Stanely Cup playoffs, expereince will take you farther than youth.

Hopefully they prove me wrong.