Chicago Blackhawks: High Five’s From This Weekend’s Wins

Feb 8, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues center Steve Ott (9) and Chicago Blackhawks left wing Daniel Carcillo (13) fight during the third period at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

2.  The Carcillo Conundrum. It was actually kinda convenient that the Jets decided to get the inevitable Carcillo fight taken care of right away on Friday night.  Everyone knew it was going to happen, so why not get to it?  It worked out well for Carcillo; he was then able to focus on playing his game without crossing the line.  It wasn’t easy.  Everybody was picking on Daniel Carcillo during this contest.

Sunday against the Blues, Carcillo had a fight and an assist.  It was the perfect game for him!  He had 10:33 minutes of ice time, and although he didn’t draw any penalties, he also didn’t commit any to give the opposition a power play.

My husband is convinced Carcillo is being put to the test by the Blackhawks coaching staff.  Can he play the right way?  Can he still have that edge without committing stupid penalties that cost the team?  Can he instead draw penalties to help the team?  Can he provide that spark and energy and make the opposition think twice about making that big hit?

It’s not easy for Carcillo, simply because of who he is.  He’s a repeat offender.  The referees are always watching him.  It can be argued that Carcillo is much more likely to get the penalty, or to get the penalty that is deemed illegal before many other players.   So he has to find that balance of being aggressive and physical within the boundaries that are subjectively set by others.  Can he do it?  We shall see if Carcillo gets suspended, benched, or remains in the lineup.

1.  When Crawford speaks…people should listen. If you ever want a nice, concise wrap up of a game, all you have to do is listen to Corey Crawford’s post- game interview.  When I first started listening to his interviews, I said to myself, “Come on, this guy is such a pud!  He’s so serious and mopey!”  But once I started to get used to his deadpan style, I realized he usually gives a pretty good assessment of the game.  Corey seems to have a good pulse on the mindset of the team, and he doesn’t beat around the bush; he simply tells it like it is.

This is what Crawford had to say about the game versus the Winnipeg Jets.  “Pretty physical team…Throughout the whole game it was tough.  There wasn’t much room out there.  We didn’t try to force anything, we stuck with it.  It was a big one.”

Here’s Crow’s take on the St. Louis Blues tilt.  “They came off a tough loss so we knew they were going to be ready.  Our start was important; we got the start we wanted…It was just a hard fought game all the way through… Another big win for us in a tight game against a really good team.   The guys were pretty happy with that, but we have another game tomorrow.”

The Chicago Blackhawks have made it through the Ice Show road trip and can now look forward to 8! home games at the United Center.  Hopefully they can capitalize on these last two wins, and carry it over to more success on this upcoming home stand.  Stay tuned to Blackhawk Up; the next contest is tonight against the Arizona Coyotes!

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