May 20, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard (35) makes a save as Chicago Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw (65) looks for a rebound in the second period in game three of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

This very well could be the Chicago Blackhawks final game until next season, if this series continues trending in the direction that it has been, the last 3 games.  The Detroit Red Wings are on a roll, and have the President’s Trophy winners on the brink of elimination.

The Blackhawks will have to solve Jimmy Howard tonight, or it’s all over.  The series started off with the Hawks having no trouble getting pucks past Howard, but since the Game 1 blowout, the Hawks have only scored 2 goals in the previous 2 games.  Part of the Blackhawks problem, has been in the insufficient Power Play, that has come to the point of it being hard to find any advantage the Hawks gain from the man-advantage.  If the Hawks are able to get the Power Play rolling, somehow, this game would be very winnable, and the series would not be much of a stretch as well.  Also, getting the stars(or anyone in an indian head sweater). such as Jonathan Toews on the scoring sheet would go a long ways.

As perviously mentioned, Jimmy Howard has been the Red Wings’ biggest difference maker this series, but let’s not forget the shutdown ability of Detroit’s top-forwards Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk.  Zetterberg has been assigned with the task of shutting down Jonathan Toews, this series, and he has done a marvelous job.  Datsyuk, the multi-Selke Award winner, has kept up his trademark ways by keeping the Hawks top forwards off of the score-sheet, leaving the rest of the scoring up to the Hawks great depth of players.  The Hawks depth has then been unable to figure out Jimmy Howard.  With the Wings’ top forward mainly concerned with keeping the Hawks top forwards out of the back of the net, that has left the clutch goals up for grabs, and have fallen to the least likely of players, such as Jakub Kindl, Gustav Nyquist, and Brendan Smith.  

As the series heads back to Chicago, and knowing what we know about the talent levels of each team respectively, it’s hard to see this series ending with the Blackhawks being eliminated at home in 5 games, but stranger things have happened.  Detroit has shown that they are still an elite unit after all these years.  It should be a great game!

Hawks and Wings will battle for the 801st time in the teams’ history as they fight for a chance to win the cup. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Game #2- Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks

Game Time- 12:00pm Central

TV- CBC, NBC, RDS

Radio- 97.9Fm

Series Review: The Blackhawks and the Wings will be meeting for game two this afternoon for another skill laden affair.  Hawks won the opener 4-1 after dominating the Wings in the second and third period.  Howard looked solid for the Wings, but the Wings offense couldn’t help him out.  Crow made some big saves when he had to, which were few and far between.

Preview:  The Wings really need a win in today’s game, and going down 2-0 isn’t an option for them.  Babcock has had ample time to come up with a strategy to slow down the Hawks, so we could start to see some line changes.  The one thing you have to give Babcock credit for is his ability to adjust his team’s strategy from game to game.  Another thing to look out for is Abdelkader possibly looking for some revenge on Rozsival as I’m sure that crosscheck to the head didn’t sit well with the Wings.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see Shaw get ran a few times as well since the Wings must have figured out that he is more than willing to take a dumb penalty.  Detroit knows that stealing a win in the UC is vital, and they will need to take advantage of any situation that they can to get this win.

On the Hawks side of things, the Stalberg drama sideshow continues, and hopefully it’s not being a distraction to the team.  Chicago will definitely be focused on staying disciplined, and there is no doubt in my mind that Q talked to Shaw about his frequency in the box.  The Hawks know that the Wings are struggling in the third, so we should expect to see some extra pressure in period three.  Crawford has been rock solid down the stretch.  He’s leading everyone in the playoffs that played five or more games with a .950 SV% and a 1.27 GAA.  While Crow is pulling his weight in the crease, Sharp is having a great playoff run with six goals and three assists.  Along with Sharp, Hossa is in full on beast mode with four goals and three assists.  The Hawks will be looking to build off of an overall solid game one, and you can expect more of the same, but hopefully with fewer penalties.

Random Blackhawks Fact: Hossa is ranked 5^th among active players for points in the playoffs with 104, and 9^th in GWG with 8.

Prediction:  Wings are going to come out hard but Hawks come away with a 4-2 victory.

What’s your game 2 prediction?

Bruins And Rangers Look To Square Off After Both Teams Won Their Game 7 To Advance. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ivins-USA TODAY Sports

THU MAY 16, 2013   @ Boston   7:30   RDS, TSN, NBCSN

SUN May 19, 2013   @ Boston   3:00   RDS, TSN, NBC

TUE MAY 21, 2013   @ New York   7:30   RDS, TSN, NBCSN

THU May 23, 2013   @ New York   7:00   RDS, TSN, CNBC

The Summary: The Bruins went 28-14-6 this season with 62 points, and the Rangers are 26-18-4 with 56 points.  Both teams had to win a game seven to advance, but each team won their game in dramatically different fashions.  Boston pulled off a miracle come back within the final 10 minutes of the game to tie it up and then win it in overtime.  The Rangers found their offensive touch and came away with a clean 5-0 win over the Capitals. Boston has Lucic and Krejci creating some great offense, but Seguin and Peverly have struggled.  The Rangers offense has been fairly well spread with Brassard leading the campaign, but the Rangers are relying heavily on Lundqvist to pull out wins.  Neither team is playing to their full potential, and both have slumping players that could potentially swing the series their way if they can get going.

The Season: The Rangers won two of three meetings over the regular season, but Boston got a point in both losses leaving both teams with four out of six points.  Each team scored nine goals, and both goalies were nearly identical with Lundqvist edging out Rask with a .911 SV% over Rask’s .909 SV%.  Lucic, Horton, and Marchand each had two goals in the series.  The Rangers had Gaborik put up three goals, but no one else put up more than a goal for the Rangers.  The main issue for the Rangers is the obvious fact that Gaborik is no longer there, and to make matters worse, no one has the scoring touch right now.  Both goalies played fairly average games in the series, so it will be interesting to see which team can kick it into the next gear.

The Reality: This matchup is a close one.  Each team is having some glaring problems, and it most likely will come down to which team can get their slumping players back into form.  The Bruins seemed to have found that extra something in the comeback win which could carry over nicely into the second round. On the other hand, the Rangers have finally been able to find the back of the net.  With Rask and an overall better D pairing, Nash and Richards will need to be contributors if the Rangers want to advance past Boston.

The Prediction: 4-2 Boston with Bergeron building off of his clutch performance in game seven.  It really looked like something clicked for Boston in the second half of the third, and I don’t think they are going to regress after that close call.  Seguin is in the slump category, but he hasn’t been terrible.  He has 29 shots, which is second on the team, and he is due to put one in very soon.  When that happens, Boston will be looking even more dangerous.  It is also worth noting that this could turn into some really hard hitting hockey which tends to favor the Bruins’ style.

The Upset:  Just like most of the season for the Rangers, this will fall heavily on Lundqvist’s shoulders.  He was phenomenal against the Capitals, but even so, he can’t do it alone.  Nash and Richards will need to heat up.  Three points in seven games doesn’t cut it when they were expected to be factors in every game.  Brassard will need to continue with his outstanding playoff performance.  He has been the best player for the Rangers not named Lundqvist.  The Rangers are a very hard working team on both sides of the puck, and they will need to continue that team game if they wish to upset the Bruins.

Feb 13, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Phillips (4) defends his net as Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) looks to shoot the puck during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins had to battle the New York Islanders much harder than most expected, as their series against them went through 6 hard-fought games.  The Ottawa Senators, on the other hand, barely had to battle at all, it seemed, in their series against the Montreal Canadiens.

Series schedule-

Game 1-Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center Tuesday May 14 6:30pm NBCSN

Game 2-Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center Friday May 17 6:30pm NBCSN

Game 3-Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place Sunday  May 19 6:30pm NBCSN

Game 4- Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place Wednesday May 22 6:30 pm NBCSN

Game 5- Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins at Consol Energy Center Friday May 24 6:30pm NBCSN

Game 6-Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place Sunday May 26 TBA CBC

Game 7-Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins at Scotiabank Place Tuesday May 28 TBA CBC

The Penguins:  

 Arguably, there isn’t a team with as much firepower as the Penguins, in the NHL.  Having said that, the Penguins are not invincible.  The Islanders put up a mighty fight, in what was supposed to be a quick and easy series for the Penguins.  Marc-Andre Fleury was the starting goaltender for Pittsburgh going into their series with the Islanders, but by the end of the series, it was Tomas Vokun, as the feature goaltender.  Although there’s a goalie controversy, the Pens’ can light the lamp like no other, with guys like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.  Pittsburgh’s scoring depth is as good as it gets, and will be the reason they win this series, if they do.

The Senators:

The Senators practically had the opposite kind of first round the Penguins did.  Ottawa was a 7th seed, matched up against the #2 seeded Canadiens.  You would have never known it, by watching the action on the ice.  The Senators physically bullied and outmatched the Canadiens to a 4 game sweeping upset.  The Sens scoring depth is far from a strength.  The top 6 is lead by veteran, Daniel Alfredsson, who will be counted on to provide most of the scoring, as well as be a leader to the young makeup of the Ottawa forwards.  The Senators’ defensive core, with it’s physical style, plus the offensive blue-line production from Erik Karlsson is their biggest strength, especially when combined with the goaltending of Craig Anderson.  

Prediction:

A almost perfect matchup, when considering each teams weakness and strengths make for an interesting yin/yang matchup.  The Senators will put a lot of pressure on the Penguins scoring core, but in the end, the elite scoring depth from the Penguins is unparalleled and should prove to be too much for the Senators potent defensive game, when it’s all said and done.

Pittsburgh wins the series in 7 games.

What is your prediction?

Nabby Will Need To Stand Tall To Give The Islanders A Fighting Chance Agaisnt A Deep Penguins Team. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Gm1 Wed, May 1 – 7:30 pm ROOT SPORTS

Gm2 Fri, May 3 – 7:00 pm ROOT SPORTS

Gm3 Sun, May 5 – 12:00 pm NBC

Gm4 Tues, May 7 – 7:00 pm   ROOT SPORTS

The Summary: The Penguins are 36-12-0 with 72 points and the Islanders are 24-17-7 with 55 points. These two teams will be heading into the first round of the playoffs as the first and eighth seeds respectively.  The Penguins have been the team to beat in the Eastern conference, and they have led the league in scoring throughout the season. With big name stars like Malkin, Crosby, and Neal, it’s hard not to expect high scoring games.  Islanders have quietly put together a nice run this season despite all the Brooklyn drama that was surrounding the team.  John Tavares has led this team to where they are and is probably one of biggest names you never really get to hear much about.  This series should be a fast paced affair, and you can expect some great offensive play from both teams.

The Season: The Penguins won four of the five games against the Islanders, including a 6-1 rout and a 2-0 shutout.  Surprisingly, Crosby and Malkin didn’t score a single goal, but Crosby did rack up nine assists in those five games.  Kunitz ended up with eight points, while Neal and Dupuis put up six points each.  The Islanders’ Moulson led the team with four points, Boyes with three, and Tavares and Grabner each put up two points.  Both teams did a fairly good job of keeping the big names from scoring, but with the depth of the Penguins, the Islanders had to play a near flawless game.

The Reality: The Penguins have way too much star power for the islanders to handle.  Even with Crosby out, the Penguins have a lot of names that any team would want.  Their late additions of Iginla and Morrow have only padded their depth, and with Crosby trying to return as soon as possible, the Islanders will have their hands full.  One of the things the Islanders have going for them right now is Nabokov playing out of his mind.  Last year, Hawks fans saw what happened when you run into a hot goalie, and that can be extremely frustrating, even for the most talented of teams. Nabokov can’t win it himself; Tavares will have to lead the way offensively, and everyone will need to be playing defense if they want to pull out an upset.

The Prediction: 4-1 Penguins with Neal being a dominant force.  Again, the Pens just have so much fire power in their lineup that even if the Islanders can keep up in the first two periods of a game, the Pens will just wear them out in the third.  Also tack on that Fleury has had a decent second half of the season and has looked more like the Fleury of old which only makes things more difficult for the Islanders.

The Upset: If Nabokov gets scorching hot, and Tavares plays out of his mind, AND Fluery forgets how to goalie, AND the Pens are completely over confident…. Then I can see the Islanders winning this series. The Islanders will have to play a perfect team game for a win, and as much as I love an underdog, this is extremely unlikely.

Toews and crew cant expect another 8-1 victore. A hot stars team will be looking for vengeance against an equally hot, but tired, Hawks team. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Game #42 - Chicago Blackhawks (32-5-4) at Dallas Stars (21-17-3)

TV-TSN,NBCSN,CSN-CH

Radio-WGN

Game Time-7:00 Central

Season Series – The Blackhawks have won the first two games in the series. Hawks won 3-2 on Jan 24^th and decimated the Stars 8-1 on March 16^th.

Preview- Dallas is currently fighting for 8^th with the Red Wings, and they are coming off a five game winning streak. Four of their last five opponents have been playoff teams, including the Ducks, which shows that despite our last game against them, they aren’t to be taken lightly.  The Hawks are also on a five game win streak, but tonight will be the second half of a back to back set of games.  The Stars are without their starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen who is dealing with a minor lower body injury.  We will be seeing backup Richard Bachman in net.  In his last three games he has averaged a .966 SV% and a 1.50 GAA.  In Dallas’s win streak, Alex Chaisson has five goals, and Ray Whitney and Eric Nystrom each put up three goals. For the Hawks, both goalies have been playing phenomenal, and the scoring can come from any line.  In the Hawks winning streak, Bryan Bickell has scored two game winning goals, with Toews and Hossa being huge factors on both ends of the ice.  The Hawks will need to keep playing their strong team game, especially with Sharp back out with an upper body injury.

Prediction: Hawks will play a bit of a sluggish game, but the depth of the team will shine with a 3-2 victory over a desperate Dallas team.  The Hawks raw star power and depth has given them the edge all year and should help keep everyone well rested in the remaining games.

Jan. 20, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; NHL referee Marc Joannette (25) drops the puck for a face off between Phoenix Coyotes center Boyd Gordon (15) and Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) to start the game at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Game #11- Chicago Blackhawks(8-0-2, 18 points) Vs. Phoenix Coyotes(4-4-2, 10 points) 

Game time- 8:00 PM Central Time

TV- CSN-CH

Radio- WGN 720 AM

Season Series- 1/20/13,  CHI 6 PHX 4

Preview- The Chicago Blackhawks look to continue their succesful road trip, as well as their obnoxiously succesful early season, as they head to the desert to take on the Phoenix Coyotes.  This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams, the Blackhawks won the first meeting on January 20th, which as also in Phoenix, by a score of 6-4.  Tonight however, adds another wrinkle of interest as it will be the first time the Blackhawks are facing Raffi Torres since his well-documented hit that ended with Marian Hossa leaving the game on a stretcher, during the first round of last year’s Western Conference playoffs.

The Coyotes should be well-rested, having been off since Monday, and finally starting to carry some momentum with them as they have won two games in a row, after having an up and down start to the season.  Phoenix is lead by long-time veteran and captain, Shane Doan, who is off to a bit a slow start this season, but always makes his presence known.  The Coyotes’ leading scorer thus far this season is former Hawk, Radim Vrbata, who is coming off of his best offensive season of his career last season.  Young defenseman, Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to impress and put up good offensive numbers from the blueline.

The Coyotes’ success is largely dependent on goaltender Mike Smith, who the Hawks got the best of in their 6-4 victory in the second game of the season.  Smith was off to a rough start to the season, and even missed a bit of time due to injury.  Since coming back from injury, Smith has started to play like the Mike Smith of old.

The Blackhawks continue their 6-game road trip, and will look to continue their wildly successful start to the season tonight.  This will be the 5th game of the 6-game road trip, in which the Hawks are 2-0-2, good for 6 points.  Brandon Saad has played extremely well for the Hawks on the top line along with Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa.  Saad scored his first career NHL goal in the last game against San Jose, let’s see if he can get in an offensive groove and start putting up points on a regular-basis.  Patrick Kane continues to pile up points this season, after a 2 goal night in San Jose on Tuesday.

Ray Emery will be getting the start in net tonight in relief of Corey Crawford, for the Blackhawks.  Emery faced the Coyotes in the only other meeting between the two teams this season.  In that game Emery looked shaky, but still ended up securing the win.  In Emery’s most recent start, against the Calgary Flames, he showed no shakiness at all, instead turning in a career-best 45 save performance against the Flames.

The Blackhawks would be wise not to get caught up in the hoopla over the return of Raffi Torres.  If the Hawks play smart, and stick to their game(a little help from the powerplay wouldn’t hurt either) they should be able to get two points.

Apr 5, 2012; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding (37) makes a save on Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (88)during the shootout at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Blackhawks 2-1 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Game #7- Chicago Blackhawks(6-0-0, 12pts) Vs.  Minnesota Wild(3-2-1, 7pts)

Game time- 7:00 PM CT

TV- NBCSN

Radio: WGN 720AM

Preview- The Chicago Blackhawks open their 6-game road trip tonight, at Xcel Energy Center against the new and improved Minnesota Wild.  This road trip will serve as a great test for the still unbeaten Blackhawks, who at 6-0, have set a new franchise record for best start to a season.  This game will also serve as a great test for the Wild, as they are trying to gain some footing, and a win over the Western Conference’s hottest team would do them wonders.

The Minnesota Wild are off to a bit of a modest start to the 2013 season, especially considering all their blockbuster moves they made during the off-season.  This past off-season, the Wild signed free-agent left winger, Zach Parise and free-agent defensemen, Ryan Suter to big-time contracts.  Parise and Suter were considered by many to be the top free-agents in the off-season, and Minnesota got not only one, but both of them!  Along with returning veterans Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatly, Devin Setoguchi, and Jared Spurgeon, the Wild looked ready to be a playoff contender, and make some noise in the highly competitive Western Conference.

However, the Wild are not off to a fast start by any means(especially compared to the Blackhawks).  It is still very early though, and this team will likely be in contention for a playoff spot come April.  If not, there will be a lot of disappointed people in the lad of a thousand lakes.  Last night, the Wild defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, even though they squandered a 2-goal lead.  The victory helped the Wild to avoid losing their fourth straight game, leaves them with a 3-2-1 record and 7 points.  With the Hawks coming into town, and having played a tight;ly contested game, just last night, tonights game will be no easy task for the Wild.   Parise is off to a hot start with 9 points in 6 games, while Suter is still adjusting to life without former blueline partner with the Nasheville Predators, Shea Weber.  Expect him to turn it around as the Wild should make the playoffs this season.

The Blackhawks got much needed and much deserved rest with no game action on Monday and Tuesday.  The Hawks are begining a 6-game road trip in Minnesota tonight, and look to take advantage of the fact that this will be the Wild’s second game in two nights.  The red-hot Blackhawks will have NHL second-star of the week, Corey Crawford in net against Minnesota.  Crawford deserves a lot of credit for the Hawks ridiculous winning ways so far this season, with his 1.78 Goals Against Average, and his .933% Save Percentage.

The Blackhawks have been equally potent on the offensive side of the ice as well, with Marian Hossa continuing to light the lamp with absurd consistency with 5 goals in 6 games.  Patrick Kane leads the team in points with 9, in six games played.  Where the Hawks are most dangerous is on special teams.  The power-play is producing at a 26.9% rate, and the penalty-kill is stopping opposing teams power-plays at an outstanding 95.6% rate.  If the Hawks continue their excellence on special teams, look for them to make a lot of noise come playoff time.

This game will be an interesting test for both teams, as a win for the Blackhawks will keep their record setting pace on track, and a win for the Wild might mean that they are on track and ready to make their move towards the post season.

Mar 29, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya (27) checks St. Louis Blues center Patrik Berglund (21) during the overtime period at the United Center. The Chicago Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 in the shootout. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

Game # 3 (Home opener)  St. Louis Blues (2-0-0, 4 pts) at Chicago Blackhawks (2-0-0, 4 pts)

TV- CSN

Radio- WGN 720 AM

Time- 7:30 PM Central Time

Preview- This will be the home opener at the United Center for the Blackhawks, as they hope to continue their winning ways as they host their also undefeated division-rivals, the St. Louis Blues.  Last season, the Blackhawks won four out of six games against the Central-Division champion Blues.

The St. Louis Blues, are off to a scorching-hot start to the 2013 season.  In their home opener, they dismantled the Detroit Red Wings by blowing them out to a score of 6-0.

Last night, the Blues hit the road to take on the Nashville Predators, where they won a much tighter contest, a 4-3 come-from-behind shootout victory.   The Blues, known as a stingy defensive team, under head coach Ken Hitchcock’s guidance, managed an impressive 39 shots on goal agaisnt the similarly defensive-minded Predators.  The Blues might have a little bit more of an offensive spark this season, with rookie Right Winger, Vladimir Tarasenko.  Tarasenko might be the coveted sniper that the Blues  so desperately need.  So far this season he has 3 goals and 2 assists(5pts).  Don’t expect him to keep up his amazing shot percentage of 37.5% all season, but Tarasenko along with returning veterans from last season: David Backes, T.J Oshie, Alex Pietrangelo, and several others should make a run for another Central-Division title this season.

Also in last night’s game, coach Hitchcock pulled starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak in the second period for “backup” Brian Elliot.  Last season, the Blues alternated their starting goaltenders with incredible success.  Jaroslav Halak(46 starts last season) and Brian Elliot(36 starts last season) had outstanding GAAs(Goals Against Average) of 1.97 and 1.56, respectively.  The dynamic-duo known as “The Two Headed Monster” had one of the best seasons for a duo of goaltenders that the NHL has seen in a long time.   The Hawks will have to figure out Brian Elliot tonight.  It will be interesting to see the duo fares this season.

The Blackhawks are off to an equally hot start this season, after spoiling the Los Angeles Kings‘ Stanley Cup banner raising ceremony with a 5-2 victory.  The following night, the Hawks came out on top, 6-4,  in a back-and-forth revenge-fest against the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Hawks appear to be firing on all cylinders coming out of the gate with their big stars putting up explosive production thus far.  Marian Hossa appears to be fully recovered(knock-on-wood) from a nasty concussion received in last years post-season.  Hossa, with 4 goals and 1 assist (5pts) is leading the way for the Hawks, along with Patrick Kane (1G, 3A, 4pts), who looks to be in tip-top-shape after a brief stint in Switzerland, during the lockout.  Dave Bolland is also off to a great start as the 2nd line center with 2 goals and an assist(3pts).  You can always count on Jonathan Toews to produce(1G, 1A, 2pts), but his biggest contribution thus far to the 2013 campaign(other than his leadership), has got to be his incredible 61.2% in the Face-Off circle.  Look for Michal Roszival to get the start as the 6th defenseman tonight after a 2 point night against Phoenix.

Corey Crawford will be in the crease for the Hawks tonight.  He played pretty solid against Los Angeles on Saturday, which is really saying something if you look at the overall quality of goaltending across the NHL so far this season.  Crawford will look to continue his bounce-back campaign tonight, and the Blues will be a great test for him.  No better way to build confidence than to shutdown a division rival and division favorite all in the same night!

Prediction- It will be a packed house at the U.C. tonight, the Hawks will have to keep their emotions in check and focus in order to beat a very good St. Louis team.  Hopefully the Hawks can take advantage of the fact that Brian Elliot is unexpectedly playing back-to-back nights; this might be a common occurrence with this season’s schedule.   It should be a good, tightly contested game.  Hawks win 4-3.

Watch out, Kane and Hossa - Car Bomb may not be the protection you were looking for (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

“He is a very valiant trencher-man.” – William Shakespeare

Tonight will mark the first return to the UC since the 2010 Stanley Cup championship run of former Chicago Blackhawks Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien. It also marks the first regular season game of Daniel Carcillo in a Hawks jersey. God help us all.

It’s not that I have anything against the CarBomb. I don’t, and believe he could be a good addition to the 4^th line. But that’s not where he’ll be lining up this evening. Coach Quenneville has been skating Carcillo with Kane and Hossa in practice this week and that is where he’ll start tonight’s game.

When Patrick Kane was moved to 2^nd line center this preseason, it was assumed this would solve multiple issues. Unfortunately, a new one has arisen. Midway through game one, it was obvious that Andrew Brunette couldn’t keep pace. Since then, multiple LW’s have already been plugged into that slot.

To express my dissatisfaction in a Matt McClure of SecondCityHockey.com sort of way, “When (insert 4^th line player here) is on your 2^nd line, your team sucks.” Currently that player is Carcillo. Didn’t we deal with that enough last year? (more…)