Chicago Blackhawks: 10 Questions to Ponder for January Success

The Chicago Blackhawks are definitely rolling in the new year on a high note. A win over your biggest rival and an NHL-leading point total tend to provide a lot to smile about.

The 'Hawks closed out the 2011 portion of the schedule with a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. December's 10-2-1 mark was Chicago's best this season. The 'Hawks took advantage of home cooking, going 7-1-1 to climb to the top spot in the Western Conference with 52 points.

January serves up a second helping of home dates of which to take advantage. Will the Blackhawks be able to match last month's dominance against a step up in competition?

Let's focus on some factors that could loom large for the Blackhawks in the first month of 2012.

1. Can the Blackhawks Continue to Make the Most of Their Schedule?

The schedule remains home-friendly in January. Nine of the 13 games are at the United Center where Chicago is 14-3-3.

The opponents get a little tougher this month, though they begin action on the 2nd with an Edmonton team that has been losers of eight of it's last ten games. The Oilers shellacked the 'Hawks 9-3 in the teams last meeting back on November 19th, however, so it's hard to think the game will be overlooked.

The road schedule is made up of four tough opponents. The Blackhawks travel to Philadelphia on January 5th, then have a 11:30 a.m. start in Detroit on the 14th and a visit to Nashville on the 21st. The month is closed out on January 31th in Vancouver on what will be the start of a nine-game road trip.

The next three weeks will see the 'Hawks play 11 games, though eight of those games take place in Chicago. Taking advantage of some struggling opponents like Colorado (on the 6th), Columbus (10th) and Buffalo (18th) will help keep the 'Hawks in a winter groove.

2. When Will Marcus Kruger Return to the Lineup?

The Blackhawks have given no word on when to expect Kruger to be back on ice since they, in my opinion, sent him out too soon following a concussion. He hasn't skated since Monday in the Columbus game.

He could be back Monday against the Oilers. He could be out for the season. We probably won't know until we see the rookie center back in action.

Aside from Kruger, Chicago seems to be of good health entering the new year The 'Hawks have been pretty fortunate in this area. How well they are able to handle the top players missing time will weigh heavily in the next few months.

3. Where Does Patrick Kane Line Up?

The question we constantly asked of Patrick Sharp last season now can be aimed at Kane. Is he a center or is he a wing?

Kane was back in the middle Friday night in the win against the Red Wings and played well at center over the first few weeks. Still, it seems like coach Joel Quenneville may want Kane on the wing when all is said and done.

Kruger's eventual return will provide answers, as will any players the Blackhawks choose to bring in via call up or trade.

4. Will the Carousel of Top Six Forwards Produce Results?

Joel Quenneville has had a problem filling out the last two spots in his top six.

Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa have been the constants. From there, a lot of candidates have been given looks on the first two lines.

Andrew Brunette, Viktor Stalberg and Daniel Carcillo have been given lengthy auditions on the top six. Michael Frolik and Jeremy Morin have had a cup of coffee up there. With Joel Quenneville's tendancy to scramble his line combinations, don't look for the rotating spots to end.

It's in this area that a lot of fans expect an addition in the coming months.

5. How Will the Rockford Forwards Contribute?

The Blackhawks have utilized talented prospects from their AHL team in Rockford at times this season.

Ben Smith was up for a month with little in the way of production. The same could be said of Jeremy Morin, Brandon Pirri, and the latest call up, Jimmy Hayes.

That's not to say that these players have been bad. They just haven't lit it up offensively.

I would expect that Chicago will continue to move Ice Hogs back and forth on I-90 in the coming weeks as needed. Like Pirri when he filled in for the injured Marcus Kruger, the 'Hawks need to get competent minutes out of their call ups.

6. Can Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook Continue to Pace the Defense?

The 'Hawks defense has come to play in the last two weeks, led by Keith and Seabrook on the top pairing.

The two are approaching the pairing long touted as one of the league's better combinations. Keith and Seabrook have skater ratings of plus-12 and plus-11, respectively.

Seabrook has four points in his last four games, including the game winner Friday. Keith hasn't registered a goal since November 13th but has 12 assists in his last 20 games and leads the blue line in scoring with 22 points.

The defense has picked it up. That improvement needs to continue this month.

7. Can a Steady Partner Be Found for Steve Montador?

The 'Hawks may be in the market for a defenseman to give them more consistency on the third pairing.

Sean O'Donnell and John Scott haven't been able to give Montador a steady partner. Sami Lepisto could be the answer, but the ship seems to have sailed on him getting a chance to contribute.

The answer probably doesn't lie in Rockford or else that card would have been played by now. A steady presence on to play with Montador should help with solidifying what has been an improving defensive unit.

8. Can Both Goalies Remain Effective?

Both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery are coming off of some nice runs in net as we turn the page to 2012.

Emery is coming off a 6-1 performance in his last seven starts. He recently completed a run where he made eight appearances, including a relief effort December 5th. In those games he posted a 1.92 goals against average and a .934 save percentage.

Crawford, after watching his back up play for over two weeks, has come back in fine fashion. He has posted a 3-1-0 record since returning last week against Montreal and sports a 1.52 goals against average and a .952 save percentage in these last four games.

Right now Quenneville is riding the hot hand. It will be interesting to see how much Emery is used this month with back to back games occuring just twice.

9 How Long Before Stan Bowman Makes a Move?

Bowman has the cap space to make a deal and the prospects to sweeten the pot. It's just a matter of time before Chicago's GM pulls the trigger, right?

With the league's best record and the team starting to come together, he may bide his time for a bit longer.

There's no denying that adding a top-six forward or a physical stay-home defender could potentially make the 'Hawks a lock for a deep playoff run. The plan this summer seemed to be to take cap space into the season to make just such a deal.

I just think Bowman's going to make that deal later rather than sooner. He may be waiting to see what develops within the 'Hawks.

If a guy like Stalberg can show his last month or so hasn't been an aberration or Lepisto escapes the team box and begins making a difference. If an injury necessitates a quick move a Rockford skater can make some noise.

Being patient may net the catch that takes Chicago all the way.

10. Will a Red-Hot January Have Us Thinking About a Cup?

Of course it will. Hitting the All-Star break at the top of the NHL would make it hard to discount Chicago's chances.

The Blackhawks are far from playing in peak form. There are a lot of needs to be addressed as we hit the halfway mark of the season.

At the same time, the 'Hawks made a lot of progress over the last month and will continue to evolve. By the end of the month, chances are this roster will be seen in a different light.

There is a month's worth of hockey to be played before February begins with a monster road trip. The next 31 days decides nothing. However, the picture may get a bit clearer after the Blackhawks complete their January tilt.