Cover of The Hockey News April 1, 2013 edition. From left: Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews. Stars of a special Chicago team in a lockout shortened season.

See Ryan Kennedy's cover story from The Hockey News Archive, pasted in below and in the link: https://archive.thehockeynews.com/issue/217913/873319?t=CHEERS%20TO%20CHI-TOWN

The 2012-13 NHL season didn't get underway until January 2013 because of a lockout by owners that lasted 113 days. After a new collective bargaining agreement was reached on Jan. 6, 2023, the league and team hustled to prepare for an abbreviated 48-game schedule.

The Blackhawks hit the ice on Jan. 19 at Los Angeles, then they posted points in their first 24 games, going 21-0-3 to set a record to start a season. This was a special Chicago team that had sellout crowds at the United Center roaring.

For half of the shortened season, the Blackhawks were untouchable, as The Hockey News cover on April 1, 2013 spells out.

Chicago didn't suffer its first regulation loss until falling 6-2 at Colorado on March 8, then went on to finish the shortened regular-season at 36-7-5 and with a league-leading 77 points. 

The Blackhawks marched to their second of three Stanley Cups in a six-season span (2010, 2013 and 2015), skating past Minnesota, Detroit, L.A. and Boston in the Final. It was the first time two Original Six teams met in the championship since 1979 when Montréal beat the New York Rangers.

Chicago prevailed in the Final, 4 games to 2, winning Game 6 in Boston 3-2. Chicago stunned the Bruins, who led 2-1 in the contest, with goals by Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland 17 seconds apart in the final 1:16 of the third period to take the game and claim the Cup.

Patrick Kane finished with nine goals and 19 points in the postseason to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Patrick Sharp led all players with 10 goals in 23 games, while adding six assists.

Cheers to Chi-Town

By Ryan Kennedy

HARRIS THE SHUTTLEBUS DRIVER is worried, but only in a fun way. Harris is the type of guy who’s already laughing before his story is finished and it’s impossible not to be in a good mood when he’s behind the wheel. “Aw, man,” he says. “If the Hawks win the Cup, people aren’t gonna say it doesn’t count because it was a shortened season, will they?”

It’s a perfect hockey day in Chicago – crispy cold but sunny – and the hometown Hawks are a couple hours away from continuing a point streak to begin the season unlike any other in NHL history. The Columbus Blue Jackets are the victims on this particular night and one night later, the Edmonton Oilers come into the rink and end up on the wrong side of the ledger as well. How did the Blackhawks become so good, after two down seasons? And why are they primed to repeat the glory of 2009-10, when they last hoisted the Stanley Cup? Let’s break it down and give Harris some peace of mind.

THEY’RE WINNING CLOSE GAMES

THOUGH THE CONCEPT OF A JUGGERNAUT brings to mind utter annihilation, Chicago accomplished its early winning streak by being just slightly better on the scoreboard each night. In the first 24 games of the streak, the Blackhawks went 13-0-3 in games decided by one goal. “For us to have a good record in those games is great for us,” says right winger Patrick Kane. “Ever since last year, leading up to the playoffs we played a lot of overtime games and shootouts and we had a bunch of playoff games go into overtime. That’s just the way it’s going to be.”

While the streak was a nice badge for the Hawks to wear, the team’s attention is focused toward playing solid hockey and, ultimately, winning another Cup. Having every opponent gunning for them now will help them prepare for the post-season, as the Hawks found out the night they became the first squad in NHL history to garner points in its first 17 games of the season. Naturally, it was a one-goal affair – this time over the rival Sharks. “The closest you’re going to get to playoffs is that game against San Jose,” Kane says. “That was just a battle. It felt like the playoffs out there.”

With a crop of fresh faces on the squad, those games are important. “It’s definitely great for their experience,” says veteran right winger Marian Hossa. “Tight games, you keep battling and sticking to the game plan. It’s great for young players.”

TWO GOALIES, NO SOFTIES

IF THERE WAS ONE THING THAT DAMNED THE HAWKS last season, it was the soft goal at the wrong time. In a more direct way, it was too many goals at any time. Corey Crawford and Ray Emery finished outside the top 30 in save percentage and goals-against average, while the team’s 170 goals-against 5-on-5 ranked 27th, surrounded by teams such as Columbus and the Islanders. Things had gotten so bad on the otherwise balanced team that a website was created, simply entitled didtheblackhawksgetashutout.com.

When you logged on, it generally said ‘No’ in huge letters over a blurry photo of Crawford. The joke ended Feb. 10, 2013, when Crawford and the Hawks blanked Nashville 3-0, ending a run of 630 days between donuts. Crawford again barred the door, on the Blue Jackets, two weeks later. The site still said ‘No,’ but at least it was followed by “but do you care?”

Even when the Blackhawks were the class of the league, en route to winning the Cup in 2010, goaltending was a debate point. Back then, it was rookie Antti Niemi usurping Cristobal Huet. Now it’s a battery of Crawford and Emery, but at least it’s a joint effort instead of a controversy. “We feed off each other,” Emery says. “When it’s my turn in net I like to contribute, but we like working together. It’s a good environment.”

PATRICK KANE

THE LAST TIME KANE HAD A season this good, it ended with him skating the length of the ice screaming, trying to convince goaltender Niemi they had, indeed, won the Cup. The first overall pick in the 2007 draft racked up 30 goals and 88 points in 82 games with that magical 2009-10 edition of the Blackhawks, adding another 28 points in 20 post-season games.

The uber-skilled Buffalo native is on an even better offensive pace during this campaign, leading Chicago in scoring and putting up top-10 numbers league-wide. For a player who has made his name in the NHL with his blinding skill, you’d think he would have been focused on something else this summer. But Kane often made the trek across the border to St. Catharines, Ont. to work with skills coach Darryl Belfry, where the duo would work on new ways for Kane to terrorize netminders. “He’s got a great mind for the game,” Kane says of Belfry. “It’s a pleasure working with a guy like that and some of the things he helped me with have really translated into my game.”

One key was making sure the Blackhawks star wasn’t overthinking things. Kane had developed a tendency to make plays with low percentage rates of success, often forcing the pass when he could have used his magic hands to create plays for himself. Now, Kane has put his mitts back to good use, dazzling in the offensive zone and skating to the net with the puck.

He’ll still bust out the occasional, no-look, backhand pass, but he does so when that’s the play to be made. Players of a lesser caliber would get benched when said saucers failed to reach the intended target, but Kane possesses the brio to attempt and complete those skill plays.

THE UNITED CENTER IS INDEED A MADHOUSE

AT FIRST, IT SEEMS LIKE ANY OTHER RINK. But as the house lights go down and anthem singer Jim Cornelison takes to the microphone, the United Center is transformed into a raging, swelling cauldron of emotion (the presence of U.S. military veterans alongside Cornelison doesn’t hurt).

Even a Sunday evening tilt against Columbus sounds like a playoff game and heaven help the visitors when the Blackhawks score. That’s when Chelsea Dagger, the team’s goal anthem – and Vancouver’s personal A Clockwork Orange trigger – blasts out through the building, where pretty much all in attendance stand and sing along, bringing to mind the delightful anarchy of The Muppet Show’s opening credits. While the old Chicago Stadium is in the pantheon of all-time great sports buildings, the United Center has quickly earned a place among the modern era’s best.

It’s not technically the biggest arena in the NHL based on capacity, but the Madhouse on Madison has packed in more fans than any other rink in the past few years thanks to a standing-room only section and stuffed suites and boxes that push the average attendance to more than 21,500 people, several hundred more than in Montreal. And the UC just seems bigger. It looks taller and perhaps a little steeper than most other NHL rinks, putting those legions of fans right on top of the action. In three of the past four seasons, Chicago has lost fewer than 10 games in regulation at home. Considering it had no regulation losses as of early March, that mark is likely to hold up again in 2013.

21,580

CROWDED HOUSE

Chicago leads the NHL in average attendance at 21,580 (109 percent of capacity).

THE KIDS ARE CONTRIBUTING

EVEN THOUGH THE BLACKHAWKS’ renewal came as a result of a rebuild started a decade ago, the fountain of youth continues to gush in the Windy City. Chicago ranks ninth in THN’s 2013 edition of Future Watch thanks to 21-and-unders Nick Leddy, Andrew Shaw and Brandon Saad. All three are contributing to this year’s installment of the squad, bringing different skill sets and attributes. “They’re learning as they go, but they’ve come in and done a great job,” says veteran left winger Daniel Carcillo. “Brandon has scored some big goals, ‘Shawzy’ provides a lot of energy and Leddy is a good stable D-man who can skate the puck like no one else. It’s nice that they’ve been able to come in and give everyone else a bit of a kick in the ass.”

And don’t forget center Marcus Kruger, who at 22 years old is still a youngster himself. Though the underrated Swede isn’t big, he can dish out a solid body-check and has enough skill that he’s been flanked by the double-Patrick attack of Kane and Sharp on the team’s second line.

Saad, on the other hand, is dangerous because, with his 6-foot-1, 202-pound frame, he can shrug off hits when he has the puck and just keep trucking along to the net. Those qualities earned him time on the top line with Hossa and Jonathan Toews.

But when it comes to instant folk heroes, no one can touch Shaw. A heart-and-soul grinder who plays bigger than his 5-foot-10, 180-pound measurements indicate, Shaw was passed over in his first two years of eligibility before the Hawks scooped him up late in the 2011 draft. He had just come off a spectacular run in the Ontario League, helping Owen Sound to the league title before leading the Memorial Cup in scoring (and the Attack didn’t even play in the final).

After half a season with Rockford in the American League, Shaw got the call-up to Chicago, where his rough play and seven points in his first 10 games set off a love affair with the locals and the Twitter meme #Shawfacts, wherein the fan favorite was prescribed super-powers usually reserved for Chuck Norris (sample: “Charlie Sheen has tiger blood? Tigers have Shaw blood”). “It takes the pressure off the guys who are expected to score every night,” Toews says of the youth brigade. “It makes our team that much more dangerous and difficult to play against.”

As for Leddy, he was playing high school hockey in Minnesota just four years ago. But the offensive skills were always obvious in the young blueliner and his 34 assists last season represented a 10-fold increase from his rookie campaign. Also going up? His ice time. Leddy played more than 22 minutes a night as a sophomore after logging just 14 as a rookie. “We saw last year what they were capable of when they’re given the opportunity,” Quenneville says of his young brood. “They’ve earned it when they’ve been given more ice time.”

THEY’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE

EVEN IN AN ERA WHERE THE DYNASTY is dead and the cap can be a killer, Chicago has maintained a decent semblance of continuity. There was a purge based on salary cap constraints after the 2010 Cup win, but at least eight players – all key members – remain from that high watermark season.

As such, the Blackhawks don’t panic on the ice. Down a goal versus archrival Detroit with a little more than two minutes to go? No problem; there’s Kane with the power play equalizer followed by the shootout winner. Through 24 games, the Blackhawks trailed 13 times after one period and still didn’t lose a single contest in regulation. “We’ve got a lot of talent and there’s no substitute for that,” Emery says. “But we’ve paid attention to detail in all aspects of our game: penalty killing, blocking shots, making safe plays…and any time you do that you’re going to have success.”

DUNCAN WON’T DROP DEAD THIS YEAR

BY THE TIME HE WAS FINISHED LIFTING THE CUP over his head in 2010, Duncan Keith looked like a boxcar hobo. His hair was a mess, beard in full bloom, teeth making only occasional appearances. But could you blame him? Not only had the sterling defenseman played all 104 Hawks regular season and playoff contests, he also suited up for seven Olympic games, winning gold with Canada. Add a Norris Trophy to the pile and that’s one successful season, but also an exhausting one. Not only did Keith grind through another full 82-game schedule in 2010-11, his average ice time actually increased slightly. The end result was Keith scored half as many goals year-over-year and saw his point total drop from a Norris-winning 69 to a pedestrian 45. Last season brought similar results.

But the Hawks have bolstered their blueline once again and Keith in particular is reaping the rewards. With fewer than 24 minutes of average ice time through 23 games, Keith is 27th in the NHL. Long-time partner Brent Seabrook is also down about a minute per game, logging a reasonable 23:11. The Hawks are spreading the shifts around better, with Leddy playing the least out of the top six at 16:04 per game (his 22 minutes per game last season was too much for the youngster).

But in terms of more tangible proof, you can merely look to the end of Chicago’s victory over Columbus in late February. With the Hawks up 1-0 and 30 seconds on the clock, the Blue Jackets called a timeout, before pulling goaltender Steve Mason for an extra attacker. Even with the timeout giving his team a rest, too, Quenneville sent Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson out to do the crucial last-minute defending, not Keith and Seabrook. The second pairing got the job done and the Hawks’ streak continued.

THE FRONT OFFICE IS LOADED

IT HAPPENED SO FAST. ONE SECOND I’M WAITING FOR OILERS COACH RALPH KRUEGER TO ENTER his post-game media scrum, the next thing I know a ninja-quiet figure has put a swim move on me that Lawrence Taylor would applaud. It’s Scotty Bowman, just popping in to say a quick hello to the rookie Edmonton coach. Fortunately in Chicago, having the greatest mind in the history of the game is a regular occurrence, as Bowman is the franchise’s senior advisor of hockey operations. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree with son Stan, the Blackhawks’ GM and the man at the helm of the 2010 Cup champs. One of his best moves as a rookie was swindling the Minnesota Wild, unloading draft bust Cam Barker for Kim Johnsson and a prospect. Johnsson would have little affect on the Hawks due to injury, but the prospect was Leddy, now a mainstay on the Hawks’ blueline.

And while a post-Cup salary cap crunch forced Stan Bowman to part with several great assets, he still maintained the best core in the NHL: Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Keith and Seabrook.

At the draft, Saad was nabbed in the second round (43rd overall in 2011) while Shaw (139th in ’11) and Kruger (149th in ’09) came with selections in the latter half of the pickings. The Kruger find is credited to previous GM Dale Tallon, who also serves as an illustration of how the Hawks have benefitted from off-ice personnel, too. Tallon was fired in 2009 due to a couple of factors, one of which involved a pricey missed deadline for RFA offers, but his mind for hockey quickly landed him the GM job in Florida. Kevin Cheveldayoff runs the Jets now and two of his cornerstones in Winnipeg are former Hawks Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien. Marc Bergevin took over the reins in Montreal and has the team in a worst-to-first scenario. Both GMs were members of the Blackhawks brass during the Cup victory. That’s a pretty decent stable of front office talent coming from one place.

MATH

THERE’S A FIRST TIME for everything, but teams that have begun the season on huge point streaks go on to win the Stanley Cup.

The 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers began their campaign with 12 wins and three ties and ended the season with their second consecutive title. In 1943-44, the Montreal Canadiens had a similar run out of the gate, going 14 games before a loss. They too drank from Lord Stanley’s mug when all was said and done.

Under current rules, where ties have been replaced by overtime/shootout losses, the last big point streak came in 2006-07 when the Anaheim Ducks rang off 16 games without a regulation defeat, then cruised to the Cup in one of the most dominating post-season displays in recent history (having shoo-in Hall of Famers Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne didn’t hurt).

While the Hawks’ streak doesn’t guarantee them a return to glory this summer, they do have history on their side.

THEY CAN KILL YOU WITH DEPTH

THE 2010 EDITION OF THE BLACKHAWKS FEATURED SEVERAL DEPTH PLAYERS WHO WOULD parlay their success in Chicago into bigger roles elsewhere, from Kris Versteeg and Tomas Kopecky to Ladd and Byfuglien. While it’s too early to name unsung heroes before the campaign has even concluded, the 2013 Hawks have a great amount of talent spread throughout the lineup once again. Along with the young kids doing damage, players such as Viktor Stalberg and Michael Frolik have top-six upside, but are making things happens in bottom-six roles. “Over the course of the season, your depth is going to be challenged,” Quenneville says. “We’ve got four lines we’re very happy with.”

And when a key contributor such as shutdown center and agitator Dave Bolland is injured, the system is sound enough not to go down in a heap. That was the case when Chicago last won the Cup and the early returns this season mirror that success. “I feel like the depth is there,” Hossa says. “That’s what we had in 2010 and even though it’s different players, the third and fourth lines are really strong. That’s great going to the end of the season and playoffs and that’s huge for our team. We can use everybody.”