Chicago Blackhawks: Wrapping Up The Circus Trip

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Nov 21, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks defensemen Niklas Hjalmarsson (4) and Edmonton Oilers forward Milan Lucic (27) battle along the boards for a loose puck during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports /

Despite recent struggles, the Chicago Blackhawks managed a 3-3-1 record on the Circus Trip.

The final Circus Trip is finally in the books. The Chicago Blackhawks came out just above .500 on this trip, tipping the scales to the positive side by gaining a point with overtime last night in Los Angeles. They only managed to win one of the last four games, but they gained seven of a possible 14 points, and still lead the Central division with an overall record of 14-6-3 and 31 points. Here’s a recap of last week’s games.

Monday, 11/21, At Edmonton Oilers. Loss, 5-0

Another day, another garbage game. The Chicago Blackhawks forgot to show up for this one. The Edmonton Oilers have a ton of speed, and a guy named Connor McDavid who’s pretty good at hockey. The Hawks found themselves down 3-0 at the end of the second period, just like in Vancouver a few nights earlier. But instead of making another magnificent comeback, they let in two more goals, and failed to score themselves.

Teams are starting to figure out that the way to beat the Chicago Blackhawks is to clog up the neutral zone and the Hawks offensive zone with a very active defense. The Hawks are going to have to figure out how to get past this and find ways to score.