Round One: Red Wings Vs. Blackhawks Preview

Game Preview: Red Wings @ Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks (3-2-2), will take on the Detroit Red Wings (4-1-1) at 7:30pm CDT at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, October 25^th.

The Blackhawks are coming off a huge win against the previously undefeated Oilers at the UC on Wednesday night. In the 3-0 victory, Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook, and Aaron Johnson notched goals, and Nikolai Khabibulin stopped all 23 shots that he faced. They also managed to run their record at home to 3-0-1, and also notched their 5^th points under new coach Joel Quenneville.

“I think the whole team worked well”, said Khabibulin after the game. “Edmonton is a fast team, and we outskated them tonight. Overall, I think it was one of the best games of the year for us”.

“It’s nice to see a guy who was off for an extended period to come back with a great response”, Quenneville said about his goalie. With Khabibulin and Huet splitting time in goal, the Hawks feel as though they are in a position to win every night.

“Every night, we have a number one goalie in there”, Patrick Sharp said. “It seems like it doesn’t matter who’s in the net”.

Coming off of this big victory, the Hawks head into their first skate against the hated Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are off to another hot start, notching points in 5 of their first 6 games.

The Blackhawks had a good deal of success against the Wings last year, winning 5 of the 8 meetings between the two rivals. That success, however, did not translate into a playoff berth, something that the Hawks are striving for this season.

Players to Watch:

Kris Versteeg, LW #32

Versteeg has started out the season on a hot streak, garnering 7 points in the team’s first 7 games. His first full year in the NHL, Versteeg is looking to continue the success that young players have had in the red Hawks jerseys in recent months.

He is tied for 13^th in the NHL in assists (6), and is looking to reverse his fortunes against Detroit. In 2 games, he has 0 points and a –2 +/-.

Ty Conklin, G #35

Conklin has big shoes to fill after the departure of Dominic Hasek, and thus far this season he has delivered, going 2-0 and possessing a save percentage of .923. In his career, he is 50-32-4 in the NHL, and at 32 years old, is probably being given his last chance to make a lasting impact in the NHL.

Today’s Four Feathers Fact

The jersey that the Blackhawks will reportedly wear in the Winter Classic, known informally as the “Barber Pole Jersey”, was worn by the team during the 1940’s and was last worn by the team in the 1993-1994 season, in a game against the Red Wings, the final season played at the old Chicago Stadium.

 

Last Meeting:

The Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 4-1 in Detroit on the final day of the 2007-2008NHL season. Nicklas Lindstrom scored twice in the Wing victory.