Their top goaltender is still out,
and a playoff berth remains elusive.
But the Chicago Blackhawks are starting to show signs of life in an
otherwise disappointing season
The Blackhawks (24-19-7) head into tonight's game at Vancouver
(20-24-6) with two straight wins and four consecutive road
victories. In fact, the Blackhawks have won five of their past six
away from the United Center.
That bodes well for coach Joel Quenneville's crew as the Blackhawks
partake in their third of seven road contests in a nine-game span.
But Quenneville knows that the road to the postseason still has
plenty of potholes.
Corey Crawford's return from an upper-body injury, suffered in late
December, remains uncertain after his return to the ice was delayed
for unspecified reasons this week. Meanwhile, the Hawks are four
points out of a Western Conference wild-card spot and miles away
from a top-three spot, which would guarantee a postseason berth, in
the Central Division.
"Everybody's aware of the urgency that's needed and the fact we're
in the position we're in and how we've got to get to a certain
number," Quenneville told reporters recently. "We keep saying we
need to put a run together. That's going to be a great test. ... We
control our destiny here and we haven't put a great run together.
That's what we're looking to find."
The Blackhawks improved their playoff hopes slightly with a 2-1
victory over the Predators in Nashville on Tuesday.
"That was a huge win for us," Quenneville told reporters.
He will be looking for a much better effort than the one the
Blackhawks delivered in Vancouver on Dec. 28, when they bowed 5-2
to the Canucks.
Goaltender Anton Forsberg may get a chance to redeem himself
Thursday for an admittedly poor effort that night. Forsberg made 42
saves in the win over Nashville and has stopped 65 of the last 67
shots that he has faced.
He has been sharing the net with 32-year-old journeyman Jeff Glass,
a former Canadian junior team star who bounced around the minors
and Europe before finally making his NHL debut with Chicago this
season as a result of Crawford's injury.
Glass, a Calgary native, could get the start, considering that he
starred with the Cranbrook, B.C.-based Kootenay Ice during his
junior days, and Quenneville likes to give goalies a chance to play
in their home areas.
But Forsberg is eager to play following his strong effort against
Nashville.
"I always want to play -- simple as that," Forsberg told The
Chicago Tribune. "(Glass) has been playing well, and I have to play
well to get the net. It's a competition, and that's good.
Meanwhile, the highly inconsistent Canucks are looking to build on
their 4-3 overtime victory over Colorado on Tuesday night. The
showing was much better than the one the Canucks provided in a 4-0
loss to Buffalo in their previous ga
"There (are) not a lot of nights this year that I've said that I
didn't like our effort," Vancouver coach Travis Green told
reporters. "But there are the nights where you're not really happy
with your group, and Buffalo was one of those games.
"I liked how our group came out (against Colorado.)"
He will have no complaints if the Canucks compete as hard against
Chicago as they did in late December. That night, the trio of
Thomas Vanek, Sam Gagner and Brock Boeser accounted for Vancouver's
goals.
Vanek scored two goals and added three assists, while Gagner also
scored two goals and provided a helper. Boeser notched a goal and
three assists.
However, the Canucks have not built on that win as they had hoped.
Vancouver has only six wins in its last 22 games, and a lack of
team toughness remains a concern -- especially after Boeser was
cross-checked face-first into the boards last week by Los Angeles
defenseman Trevor Lewis.
General manager Jim Benning is taking steps to address the issue,
confirming Wednesday that he will attempt to re-sign hulking
defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who is slated to become a restricted
free agent this summer, rather than trade him before the deadline.
"He's a physical, stay-at-home defenseman who helps us," Benning
told Sportsnet. "We have other defensemen who are more puck-moving
guys, but we don't have anyone else with Gudbranson's style of
play."
Benning wants players who can protect prospects such as Sweden's
Elias Petterson, Vancouver's top draft choice this year, when they
join the club in the next few seasons.
"We need to have guys on our team who will stand up for them,"
Benning told Sportsnet.
Gudbranson, out recently with back spasms, is not expected to play
tonight.
