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.
