Blackhawks Show True Grit In Win Against the Stars

On Friday night in Chicago, the Blackhawks managed to pepper the goal with shots, much like they did on Monday night against Minnesota. The difference tonight, however, was the traffic in front of the net. The Hawks netted 5 goals in a monster 5-2 win over the Stars at the UC.

            The win pushes the Blackhawks record to 4-0-2 on home ice this season, and demonstrated the versatility and depth that the team possesses this season.

            Four players scored their first goals of the season tonight. Cam Barker, Brett Sopel, and Dustin Byfuglien all found their shots lodged in the back of the net, and Andrew Ladd, a player who I predicted could break out of his scoring slump against Dallas, indeed scored his first goal of the season to once again prove that I have the magic touch in predicting Blackhawk glory.

            Okay, here’s my prediction for the Columbus game tomorrow night: Jonathan Toews will end his goalless streak and light the lamp not once, but twice against the Blue Jackets. Let it be done.

            Now that I’m done with self-congratulating, we can get to some hardcore analysis. Probably the most important number of the game is seven. That is the number of power plays that the Stars had, and they scored on exactly zero of those opportunities. Coming into the game, they had a 17.8% success rate on the power play, and the Blackhawks penalty-killing unit lived up to its top 5 in the league reputation.

            Another important note to make about the game tonight is that the Blackhawks got two more goals from their defensemen. Now, normally I’m happier with defensemen when they have excellent +/-, but I will also take guys who are willing to take the puck to the net and cause a ruckus. Brett Sopel and Cam Barker both had goals, and both were absolute beauties. Byfuglien, a former defenseman, also had a goal.

            Enough cannot be said about the performance in goal turned in by Nikolai Khabibulin. He stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced, but more importantly his motions looked fluid and effortless, even under a relentless first period assault by the Stars. With Cristobal Huet struggling in net early in the season, the play of Khabibulin has kept the Hawks in plenty of games. The strength of the Blackhawks at goalie has become a shining beacon of what’s right with the team, with Nietti and Crawford waiting in the wings for their chance.

            Finally, the only real downside to the night was a couple of the penalties that the Hawks took during the game. Brett Sopel and Brent Seabrook, two players with a  penchant for committing dumb penalties, both managed to get penalties for delay of game for hitting the puck over the glass. Normally, one of those penalties is enough to send a discipline-preaching coach over the edge, but to have two in the same game is just crazy. Quenneville probably needed a couple of Aleve after this, but a win is probably enough of a healer.

            The Blackhawks played more physical hockey tonight, which was a welcome sight. They attacked the net, had a bunch of shorthanded opportunities, and they once again proved that they are willing to stop at nothing to defend home ice. Patrick Kane also demonstrated the form that he displayed last year as the team’s leading points scorer, which is a welcome sight. With 5 of their next 6 games at the United Center, the Hawks need to pick up a bunch of points to take with them on their long and arduous road trip to the West Coast toward the end of November.

Blackhawks @ Blue Jackets at 6pm CDT on WGN-TV.