A look at the first 10 games and introducing the HAM
A look at the Blackhawks first 10 games and introducing the "HAM," Hawks Anxiety Meter
Happy Friday.
I was going to save this for Monday, but I figured I’d just launch this post today.
We have a preseason game tonight and preseason ends tomorrow night. The regular season is right there.
I wanted to take a look at the first 10 games in the Hawks schedule and do something a little fun.
The First Ten
I could have looked at the entire month of October, which is 11 games, but I like round numbers.
10 games isn’t the greatest sample size and it won’t tell us a whole lot about this team. They could be great to start and then suck, and vice versa. Just look at the Oilers last year.
That being said, these first 10 games will give us a pulse on things. Things to consider:
These are mostly players who are new to the Blackhawks’ “system”
The Hawks’ “system” is very simple and basic, so adjusting to it isn’t rocket science
The Blackhawks have one of the toughest schedules this season
The Utah Hockey Club is the Coyotes but only a little better. The Hawks should be able to win this one and the only thing they have going against them is the fact that this is a franchise opener. My gut is telling me that this is going to be an OT loss. It just cannot be a blowout.
The Jets are where things can start getting ugly real fast. This is the first of a back-to-back game and with Laurent Broissoit expected to return in the middle of this road trip, who starts in net? The Jets have Connor Hellebuyck, an impressive blueline, and a solid forward core. I think Arvid Soderblom is going to get the start in this one. Loss.
The next night sees the Hawks playing against Edmonton. Petr Mrazek is probably going to start in net for this one. Let’s just put an “L” here already. However, I could see this going the other way where the Hawks somehow manage to beat a team that’s way better than them.
Calgary is not as scary as it used to be. This should be a game that the Hawks can win.
The home opener against San Jose has to be a win. You can’t lose to the Sharks in the United Center. You just can’t.
Buffalo might get to a strong start but the Hawks should be able to handle them. If the Hawks have 2 wins going here, they can try to get some momentum going and get a win. 3 wins in a row is a lot to ask for out of this team. But I think they can do it. W.
Vancouver. I don’t want to give that fanbase the benefit of pumping their tires. This is most likely an L, but the Hawks might be able to get a point in an OT loss.
The Preds got better and also a lot older. I don’t think they’re going to be as good as some think, but they’ll make minced meat of the Blackhawks. L.
Dallas is on the tail end of back-to-back games. They’re going to be a tough team to beat. By now we’re looking at maybe 3 wins. However, if the Hawks haven’t won anything by then, I can see a lot of people freaking out at this point.
Finally, we go to Denver. The Avalanche are who they are. It’s a tough place to play and we’re looking at potentially coming off of back-to-back losses. L.
So, realistically (and anything can happen in the NHL), we are looking at 3-5-2. Not great, but that’s realistic.
I think there are at least 5 guaranteed losses here. And these are losses against vastly superior teams. I won’t hold those losses against Luke, but those wins should also count for something.
Three wins might look low, but let’s be real here. Look at that schedule.
I think we can look at the worry button if the Hawks pull off 1 win.
Is there anything to even worry about?
Bottom-line, no. There isn’t.
But what fun would that be if we just stoically watched hockey?
Let me introduce you to HAM—the Hawks Anxiety Meter.
The HAM is a little chart on how I feel the Hawks are doing. It’s not serious. But I’ll explain how it works below.
This represents the Blackhawks. Players and anything else that impacts the on-ice product. Coaching and personnel management affect this as well.
The IceHogs logo represents how prospect development is going down in Rockford. Obviously, this does not factor in prospects who haven’t even gone pro yet.
Richardson’s chiseled face represents his coaching and job security.
Kyle from Chicago represents anything GM-related. Trades, roster management, prospect development, etc.
The website I’m using for this needs a minimum of 5 pictures. So I’m using MeatWad to represent where I think the Hawks fans are. It’s MeatWad thanks to a certain Twitter user calling content creators meatballs. I thought calling someone a meatball was hilarious.
Each tier is self-explanatory. The Blessed by Hossa tier means a miracle has happened and everything is going great.
With that in mind, here’s how the first 10 games will move things.
10-0-0 = Blessed by Hossa
Anything over 5 wins = Great
5 wins = Good
3-5-2 = As Expected
Losing streaks, losses to bad teams = Concerned
Blowout losses, 1 win = Worry
Injuries to a certain generational talent, zero points in the standings = Panic
Don’t let whatever happens in these last two preseason games ruin your mood.
Out.