Weekly Blackhawks Recap

Weekly record (Sat. to Fri.): 4-0-0

Overall: 5-1-1

As you may or may not know I happen to be a pretty big hockey fan

so I'll be giving weekly updates on how the best team in the Western

Conference is doing. This week the Blackhawks dominated with an

unbeaten record in four games, managing to put up a couple of very

impressive performances along the way:

Saturday against the Avalanche:

After a couple of high scoring periods this game was tied 3-3 heading

into the 3rd period... and then overtime... and then a shootout. And

apparently they had a hard time deciding it then too because it took

a full NINE rounds for the Blackhawk's Andrew Ladd (who had a goal

previously in the game) to finish this one. This would not be the last

crazy game the Hawks would play this week.

-(NOTE: the Avalanche are 5-1-1, so chalk this up as a quality win

two weeks into the season.)

Monday against the Flames:

You thought a nine round shootout was crazy? In case you failed to

hear about it, Calgary went up 5-0 in the first period. The Blackhawks,

behind strong performances from the two Patricks,Sharp and Kane,

the Blackhawks came back to win it in overtime, 6-5. Kudos to the

whole team on this one, with the notable exception of Cristobal Huet

who has failed to impress so far this year.

Wednesday against Edmonton and Thursday at Nashville:

A couple of easy games here, though the Oilers tried to come back

late it was the Blackhawks game the whole way, and Nashville is...

well... Nashville. The Nashville game is notable as being the first game

this season in which Huet hasn't given up multiple goals (of course he

only had to make 12 saves).

Analysis:

Great week for Chicago, obviously, they went 4-0-0. Nothing too

surprising with Sharp and Kane leading the way in points, with

strong play from Toews, Byfuglien, and Campbell standing out so

far too. The most impressive part about this 5-1-1 start is that the

Hawks are without Marian Hossa, their big free agent acquisition,

and that they have done it with some less than stellar play from

their big acquisition from 2 years ago, goalie Cristobal Huet. The

game against Nashville will hopefully point to better things from him,

mainly because the rest of the team is so clearly championship

caliber. With the Red Wings showing strong signs of age (They are

at 3-3-0) the Blackhawks look like the team to beat in the West.