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“To conquer frustration, one must remain intensely focused on the outcome, not the obstacles.” ~ T. F. Hodge, Author
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks trust in their fourth line.
By Tracey Myers
Trust: it’s not easily earned.
It usually comes from working hard and showing you can do the job. The Blackhawks’ fourth line has done that this season, earning playing time and the trust that the line will do its job when it’s on the ice.
Daniel Carcillo, Marcus Kruger and Ben Smith have made a solid combination, one of the four Blackhawks lines which have been rolling regularly during the team’s successful run this past month. They’ve picked up some points in the process, too. Each has four goals this season – Smith getting his fourth with an empty-net goal in the Blackhawks’ 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
The fourth line isn’t relied on for points, but getting them is a nice perk.
“We like to score, too, don’t get me wrong. It’s always nice to put a couple in. We like to try and do that whenever we can,” Smith said with a laugh. “[But] primarily, it’s playing well, whether it’s a shift after a goal or having a good defensive zone draw and getting the puck out and getting an o-zone draw. It’s whatever you can do, score a goal, block a shot, it’s always nice to do.”
Patrick Kane said the fourth line could be the Blackhawks’ most consistent during this recent stretch.
“Carbomb’s playing as good as I’ve ever seen. It seems Smitty just needed one goal to turn the corner and he’s been playing great. Even before that he was great on the kill, blocking shots and playing well defensively. And Krugs brings the same thing every night,” Kane said. “They’re always consistent, always playing against top lines. They bring a lot to the table.”
Coach Joel Quenneville, when asked about the line’s work the last few weeks, said it’s been effective for longer than that.
“It’s not something that’s new to us. These guys have been doing it for years now,” he said. “Krugs’ line has always been effective for us, whether they get the matchup, whether we put them in our end to take face-offs in a defensive situation. You can tell they’re effective killing penalties; they’re responsible in a lot of ways. Whether it’s trust earned in any game, their consistency has been the most noticeable thing. That’s been in place – I don’t know how many years you want to go back – but almost since day one.”
Kruger and Smith were part of that line last season, so their chemistry has been there for a while. That connection is also there when the two are on the penalty kill, which they’ve done together since their Rockford days. The newest element is Carcillo, who has adapted well. Carcillo, who scored his fourth of the season against the New York Islanders on Saturday night, said Smith and Kruger make it easy for him to do his part.
“They’re aware of were they are on the ice and it’s easy to slip in on the left side,” he said. “They’re so good in the D zone. And coming out of the zone Kruger’s always low and Benny’s always in a good position if something were to happen.
“Even in the offensive zone Benny makes plays and he goes to those hard areas and to the net. Same with Krugs; he has a great shot is a great passer,” Carcillo added. “We all three keep it simple, and when we’re all on the same page like that it’s kind of easy to play.”
The fourth line has been consistent. It’s been reliable in every situation. Trust isn’t easily earned, but this line has earned it.
“That’s what we wants from our line, [for it] to be responsible out there. He wants to put us there whenever we need to get out there and maybe in crucial situations on the defensive side,” Kruger said. “That’s what we’re trying to do, as well taking pride in doing that job and doing it as [well] as we can.”
Bettman on NHL: 'Franchises have never been healthier'.
By Nina Falcone
Gary Bettman is rather thrilled with the way things are going throughout the National Hockey League, and all for good reason.
Between the new Canadian television deal set to kick in next season — which is worth 2.6 times more annually than the previous deal — the expected bump in the salary cap and openness to talks of expansion, the NHL is sitting in a pretty good place.
The commissioner joined the Kap and Haugh Show on Wednesday to talk about the state of the league and gave his take on the upcoming outdoor games.
"The fact of the matter is, over the last two decades, the league, the game, the presence and prominence from our clubs has grown on every measurable platform, whether or not it's TV viewing, attendance, social media or revenues," Bettman said. "The game, our franchises have never been healthier, have never been stronger and have never been more widely followed."
Chicago has been a prime example of just that.
"When you see what's happened in Chicago over the last few years, you see what a great hockey market can do," Bettman continued. "Particularly, when you look at the fantastic job Rocky Wirtz has done since he's been the one responsible for the day-to-day of the club."
That kind of success seen not only with the Blackhawks but around the entire league as a whole has helped expand and grow the sport's popularity from a rise within local in-house leagues to attendance at NHL games.
Part of that interest has grown from the Winter Classic and other outdoor games over the course of the last few seasons. It's brought a new element to the sport, and Bettman expects the league to host between two and four outdoor games per seasons in the years ahead.
"Based on the feedback we get in these games, and how well the fans tell us they love it, my guess is we couldn't do enough of them," he said. "But we have to do them in appropriate balance."