I've recently returned from a trip to Chicago, where I had the privilege of seeing the Chicago BlackHawks twice.

They're officially the most confounding team to me now. They lost when I wanted them to win (Dec. 7 vs. Phoenix) and won whjen I wanted them to lose (Dec. 10 vs. Edmonton).

But look at them now! Since the coaching change, when Denis Savard took over, they've picked up a big majority of the possible points, losing in overtime or shootout when they do.

Here's what I like about the BlackHawks.

1) Respect for tradition and history. It's all over the United Center (oops, I wanted to say Chicago Stadium). There are displays around the arena, shows on the scoreboard, and three Stanley Cup banners overhead. OK, the newest one is from 1961. But I love the live organ (with Frank) and the cheesy-60's version of "Here Come the Hawks."

2) Martin Havlat. He didn't play Thursday and the team looked awful. He played Sunday and they looked strong, solid and hard to beat.

3) The defense. They do the job. They may have had too much pressure on them before Savard took over, but they have it together now.

4) Tuomo Ruutu. I've added him to my fantasy teams. He got the winning goal on the 17th of this month. I think we'll hear from him for a long time to come.