What could have been another blown lead by the Blackhawks last Sunday turned out to be an exciting overtime win that could prove to be more helpful than just the two points the Hawks earned as a result.
As of Monday, the Hawks sit at 9-9-2, hovering around .500. Nothing to be proud of really, but while there are many odds going against the Hawks in the early-going there might be time for optimism in the future.
Let me first state that the Hawks are looking mediocre compared to other teams in the Western Conference. Detroit, Vancouver, and Los Angeles continue to play some great hockey, and it doesn’t look that will end anytime soon this season.
The Hawks have still played five more games than any other team in their division, which is sure going to hurt them once the schedules even out. Â They do have the six-game “circus” road trip ahead of them and against some very tough teams, including Vancouver and L.A. In all honesty it looks like the Hawks will face some more setbacks before some positive light shines on them.
But there is still that overtime win against the Ducks Sunday. The game shouldn’t have gone into overtime, but since the Hawks won that’s besides the point.
The point is that the Hawks gave their fans something to be proud and happy about in Chicago for the first time in over three weeks, the last time the Hawks won at home. If anything that game gives the Hawks momentum for that six-game road trip.
If there’s more room for optimism, it lies in Viktor Stalberg and his possible emergence as a key player in this year’s Hawk team.
Stalberg has six goals and a spot on the top line, giving him more confidence as he’s ever had in his NHL career. Stalberg scored the game-winner on Sunday and, as of late, has shown great poise and skill on the ice. He has found his niche in the first line and should continue to prosper there.
Now all of this should be taken with a grain  of salt. It’s a little too early to say the Hawks are going to bounce back after this win. The same things were there on Sunday-another blown lead that led to a close and one-goal game. The struggles of Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson continue, leaving the defensive core in mostly shambles.
But maybe, just maybe things are turning around for the Hawks, or maybe it’s just the optimistic side of me rambling.
About Tyler Juranovich
