If you’re reading this, you know the Hawks are about to begin their annual “Circus Trip” tonight when they face off against the Phoenix Coyotes. It seems like a lot of writers/fans are placing an enormous importance on this 6-game road trip. Is it important? Well, of course. Six games is a good chunk of games. Will it make or break the season? No. Definitely No. Of course, if the Hawks lay a giant goose egg and come home from the trip with six straight losses, that’s going to hurt. But let’s be realistic, that’s just not going to happen.
During last year’s trip, the Hawks went a very respectable 2-2-2; nabbing 6 out of a possible 12 points. If the Hawks can match that same point total on this year’s road trip, I will easily consider it a successful road trip.
The more important thing Hawk fans should be worried about is how this team holds up physically in the middle of this demanding NHL season. After November last year, the Hawks sat at a comfortable 14-9-2, but then the injuries started to show up. Havlat, after already missing many games, went down again with another injury as did James Wisniewski and Jason Williams. The biggest injury came January 1st when Jonathan Toews sprained his knee and missed the next 16 games, where the Hawks posted a 5-9-2 record without him. During the months of December and Januray, the Hawks went a combined 9-15-2, thus dropping them below .500 before heading into February.
The key for Hawk fans during this stretch where the Hawks are away from the UC is to put things in perspective. If the Hawks go out tonight and lose on the road to Coyotes, don’t go running for the message boards to complain that Player X and Goalie Y sucked and the season is over. Instead, set your sights on the number 6. If the Hawks get 6 points or better on this trip, consider it a success. If they come up short, be a little concerned, but do not panic.
I’m not usually one for predictions…well, because there are way too many factors that can go into a game’s outcome (and maybe I’m not historically very good), but here are mine for the Circus Trip:
@Phoenix: W
@Dallas: W
@Toronto: L
@San Jose: OTL
@Anaheim: L
@LA Kings: W
If the Hawks can stay relatively healthy over the course of the season, they’ll be fine. They’re still the 2nd youngest team in the NHL and Q has only been behind the bench a little over a month. They’re still going to have their ups and downs, because a team like this, like it or not, has the tendency to be streaky. So get ready to ride the wave the next couple of months and watch this young Hawk team grow into its own.
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