Between the Circles

Maybe Denis Savard wasn't the right coach to take the Hawks to the playoffs and beyond. We'll never know that now. But for them to fire Savard four games into the season after letting him go through the off-season and training camp is a move right out of the Bill Wirtz school for not how to run a franchise.
If Rocky Wirtz (wasn't he supposed to be different?), John McDonough, Dale Tallon and Scotty Bowman had any concerns about Savard's ability to coach, why didn't they have the guts to make the decision to change coaches before training camp? Now the organization appears to be a mess again.
Heck, just last Friday McDonough went on the Score with Hanley and Mulligan and said the Hawks were "very, very happy with Denis Savard as head coach."
Guess things change in a week.

Not much news for tonight's game. Khabibulin starts in goal, as expected, and Craig Adams is a healthy scratch with Ben Eager returning to the lineup.
Eager skates on the fourth line with Adam Burish and Colin Fraser.
The other lines:
Byfuglien-Sharp-Kane
Versteeg-Toews-Havlat
Ladd-Bolland-Skille
Keith and Seabrook are paired on defense again.

It's only three games, but if the Blackhawks don't watch out this can all of a sudden snowball into something ugly.
Wednesday's game against Phoenix can't be a must-win already, can it? Well, let's put it this way: If the Hawks don't win they are 0-4 going to St. Louis on Saturday to face a Blues team that has shown it can score goals. Then it's a stretch of five games against Vancouver, Edmonton, Detroit, Minnesota and Dallas.
The Hawks could be staring at a heap of trouble.
There wasn't a whole lot to like in Monday's home opening 3-2 loss to Nashville in a shootout. Havlat played his best game, but too many of his teammates weren't crisp. Huet was OK, but he was beaten twice in two tries in the shootout. A turnover by Kane led to Nashville's second goal.

Cristobal Huet starts in goal tonight against Nashville with Denis Savard saying after the morning skate that he might continue to alternate Huet and Khabibulin for the time being.
"Why not?" Savvy said. "Probably for a little bit, I might alternate, I don't know that. But tonight, to me, it's the right call to do. I felt it's (Huet's) turn to come out in front of his new fans and go from there."
As for the 0-for-8 power play, Martin Havlat will come off the first unit on the left side, to be replaced by the right-handed shooting Dustin Byfuglien.
"It's got nothing to do with Marty," Savvy said. "It's just his (left-handed) stick on that side of the ice, he's not a threat. We feel we have a lot more success with Buff in that position.

Wonder if Dale's phone rang at all Sunday with some Khabibulin interest after the way Nik played in Washington. Nik was very good, even with the soft Ovechkin first goal...
By the way, how good is Ovechkin? He's on his way to being one of the best players ever and has maybe the best personality in the NHL. Just a total package. If you gave me a choice between Sidney Crosby and Ovechkin, give me Alex the Great. Even bought an Ovechkin t-shirt for my son at the Verizon Center...
The power play is 0-for-8, but I think it's going to be fine. I think. If it's not after the addition of Campbell to go with Kane, Toews and Havlat, then it's coaching. Assistant coach John Torchetti runs the power play...

WASHINGTON - Nikolai Khabibulin gets the start tonight against the Capitals.
"We're going to give him his shot here," Savvy said. "We know he's a great goalie. We'll give him an opportunity tonight and see how it goes."
Evidently Savvy didn't feel Huet facing his former teammates was enough ot a factor to start him.
"Habby needs to get in a game, too," Savvy said. "I have plenty of confidence he'll step in and play well. It's his chance."
Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson has sore ribs and won't face the Caps. He is day-to-day, according to the Hawks. Matt Walker makes his debut on defense.

NEW YORK - Rookie defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson suffered what Savvy called an "upper body" injury in the first period of Friday's 4-2 loss to the Rangers and will be evaluated on Saturday.
If Hjalmarsson can't play Saturday in Washington, Matt Walker would make his debut.
It will be interesting to see what happens if Hjalmarsson's injury is long term, perhaps a shoulder. Would Dale try to find a way to bring Cam Barker back from Rockford even though the Hawks are only about $1.5 million under the NHL salary cap with Barker having a $2.8 million cap hit?

The second period was all Rangers, who used their size and muscle to go ahead 3-1 after a 1-1 first.
The Rangers were hitting and the Hawks got sloppy in the second. Keith, Skille and Bolland each had the puck on their stick before Voros scored at 5:15 to make it 2-1. Sopel and Keith didn't look good on Dubinsky's goal at 15:36.
It's way early, but against a big team from the Eastern Conference such as the Rangers, the Hawks look small. Rangers have five forwards 6-3 or bigger. Hawks have only Byfuglien.

Not a bad first period. Hawks outshot 10-8 but had better chances and it's 1-1. Kane goal from Campbell, who lugged the puck all the way up the ice to set it up.
Soft goal by Huet? Maybe. Easy rebound, but Skille missed his check on Redden for the goal.
Sharp had two great chances he couldn't convert and Bolland missed the net from a sweet spot.
Bad tripping penalty by Fraser gives the Rangers a PP to start the second.
Keith and Seabrook were back together on defense after just eight minutes. Campbell with Hjalmarsson.

NEW YORK - Savvy said a few minutes ago after the morning skate at the Garden that Cristobal Huet would start Friday's opener against the Rangers.
Savard went with Huet based on his strong preseason and the fact Nikolai Khabibulin didn't play in any exhibition games.
As for Saturday in Washington, Savvy left it open.
"It's going to be day-by-day thing and that's how we're going to do it," he said.

Lines for tonight (no surprises)
Ladd-Toews-Havlat
Byfuglien-Sharp-Kane
Versteeg-Bolland-Skille
Burish-Fraser-Adams

Defense
Keith-Campbell
Hjalmarsson-Seabrook
Hendry-Sopel