Chicago Blackhawks’ 3 Stars Of Oct. 12-18

The Chicago Blackhawks have had a rougher start to the season than we all would’ve hoped. Fortunately, there are many reasons to be positive for all of us ‘Hawks fans. There are many new faces on this team this year, and it may just take a little longer to sort things out. When they do, the Chicago Blackhawks will be a force to be reckoned with once again.

Before we take a look at our 3 stars, let’s see how the ‘Hawks did last week:

October 14: Chicago Blackhawks 0 at Philadelphia Flyers 3

October 15: Chicago Blackhawks 1 at Washington Capitals 4

October 17: Columbus Blue Jackets 1 at Chicago Blackhawks 4

While not the best week, its still too early to worry about a team with the leadership that the ‘Hawks possess. Having said that, let’s take a look at the three bright spots of the week that was.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Third Star: Corey Crawford

Crawford started in two games this week for the ‘Hawks. He stopped 26 of 29 shots in the loss versus the Flyers, and he stopped 22 of 23 shots in the win versus the Blue Jackets. That gave him a .923 save percentage on the week. Considering his defense completely hung him out to dry versus the Flyers, I don’t see any reason to be dissatisfied with the way Crawford is playing right now. Even the Crow haters might start to see the light if he continues to play at a high level.

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Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Second Star: Marian Hossa

Demi-god Marian Hossa has the potential to be a star every single day of the week. His two-way game is one that is only matched by few in the league. Despite the fact that he only gathered one goal and one assist last week, he continues to prove that age is but a number. He is still making the same defensive plays that we know and love, and as he proved Saturday night, you can never doubt him when he puts the puck on net. He is an incredibly fun player to watch on the ice and continues to entertain.

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

First Star: Artemi Panarin

Even on a down week for the ‘Hawks, Panarin continued to shine. His two assists on the week did not fully speak to the high level of play that Panarin continues to put forth. The puck just continues to find him no matter where he is on the ice, and you can’t help but feel excited when he carries the puck into the offensive zone. He has a great set of hands, and even though he couldn’t convert on a few A+ scoring chances last week, he’s still learning. He is still getting used to the NHL playing style and a smaller rink. Considering both of those obstacles, Panarin has been scary good, and it gives me goosebumps thinking about where he could be towards the end of the season.

Next: NHL Power Rankings Week 3: Oh, Canadiens!

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