NHL Overview, the Chicago Blackhawks
The hockey season only just started. There are ways to go before it starts to become clear where the teams stand. So far though, the names that stand atop of the standings table are the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference and the Chicago Blackhawks
in the Western conference. Overall the Blackhawks are currently leading the NHL.
The defending champions, Chicago Blackhawks have been forced to make drastic changes to their squad due to the Salary Cap making their drive to the Stanley Cup more challenging. But they have risen up to the challenge. Even with 9 players from the cup winning
squad gone, the Blackhawks continue to win games.
The Blackhawks so far have won 5 of their 8 games this season. They opened against the Colorado Avalanches and lost 3-4. Chicago scored a goal in each of the three periods, two off power plays to equalize the score and take it into overtime.
In overtime Paul Stastny scored the winning goal for the Avalanches. It was Stastny’s second goal of the night. Chicago kept calm and didn’t concede too many penalties. Colorado scored in one of the only two power plays that Chicago allowed.
The Hawks were beaten again in their next game by the Detroit Red Wings at home. “We played well in some instances”, Chicago’s Captain, Jonathan Toews said. “But I'm still disappointed we couldn't beat them in our own building”.
Before the season began the popular opinion was that with so much of what made the Blackhawks lost to the Salary Cap, the team wouldn’t be able to make the kind of impression it did last season. After losing both of their first two games it seemed that those
speculations about the Blackhawks demise weren’t entirely unwarranted.
Chicago won its first game against the Buffalo Sabres. The win served to boost their confidence but the Nashville Predators were waiting for the Blackhawks just around the corner. Two days after beating the Sabres, the Predators came knocking at the Hawks
door and served them defeat with a side order of regret.
The Blackhawks scored twice in the first period and maintained a lead for 24 minutes in the game. Nashville equalized in the third period and the length of time that they enjoyed a lead was a total of 27 seconds. The Sabres scored the winning goal in the
final seconds of a power play in the final minute of the game.
Chicago picked up its game after that defeat. They won all four of their remaining games till now. They started with a 5–2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Marian Hossa, who had been making his presence felt every now and then, started to feature more
prominently in Chicago’s line up. Chicago put the heat on Columbus in the first and second periods and scored two goals in each. Patrick Sharp scored twice for Chicago, once when the Blackhawks were shorthanded.
Sharp and Hossa would score again when the Blackhawks played the Sabres for the second time in this season. Sharp scored twice and Hossa once. Dave Bolland scored the equalizer and Sharp’s second goal proved to be the match winner.
Hossa and Sharp were at it again against the Saint Louis Blues. But this time it was Hossa, who shot two pucks into the net instead of Sharp. The Blues took the lead in the second period and made it two nothing by the third. Marian Hossa came through with
two goals to take the game into overtime where Patrick Sharp scored the game winning goal again.
The final Blackhawks game against the Vancouver Canucks looked like a duel between the goal tenders. The forwards shot 69 pucks at the net but only 1 of them evaded each of the two goaltenders. Chicago scored first in the last minute of the first period
and Vancouver equalized in the start of the third.
The game went into overtime but neither side was able to score again. The game was finally settled in a shootout. Mikael Samuelsson missed for the Canucks and the Blackhawks won the game.
Marian Hossa leads the Hawks with 7 goals and 4 assists, followed closely by Tomas Kopecky, who has only one goal but 7 assists and of course Patrick Sharp with 6 goals and 2 assists.
Chicago would go to Saint Louis to face the Blues for the second time in their next game on the 22nd.
Tags: