NHL 2011-2012: Looking at the Blackhawks' November Schedule

The Blackhawks will have played one full month of hockey by the start of November. The schedule won't get any easier from there.  The month of November will see them play the hated Canucks a couple of times and this should make for some interesting hockey. If the Blackhawks have a solid October and a good November, they could position themselves for a playoff spot further on down the road.

The following is a look at the Blackhawks' schedule for the month of November. 

November 3—Chicago at Florida

The Blackhawks will kick off the month of November with a trip to Florida to take on the Panthers.  These teams played a total of two times, splitting both games last season.  The Panthers were perpetual bottom dwellers last year and, with little improvement predicted, the Hawks should win this game and begin November on a high note.

November 4th—Chicago at Tampa Bay

The second game of the month will put the Blackhawks against the Lightning in Tampa Bay.  Last season, these two teams played one another twice, with Tampa Bay winning both of those games.  The Lightning had a pretty good season last year and appear primed to be even better in 2011. This could be a tough game for the Blackhawks.

November 6th—Vancouver at Chicago

The hated Canucks will head to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks early on in the month of November.  These two teams met four times last year, with each club winning two games a piece. Each game was a hard fought contest.  The Canucks were the runners up to the Stanley Cup last year and will come out strong, looking to get back to the big game.  If Chicago can beat them here, they will grab an early edge against the Canucks for the season.

This will be a great game and one that the Blackhawks have to win.

November 8th—Chicago at St. Louis

The grand old rivalry renews itself, as the Blackhawks head down to Missouri to take on the St. Louis Blues.  The Blues and Blackhawks met a total of six times last season, and the Blackhawks won that series 4-2.  These games are always good, and it’s important that the Blackhawks try to win every game they can against the Blues in order to keep up in their division.

November 10th—Chicago at Columbus

This will already be the second meeting between these two teams as we head towards the middle of November.  The Hawks and the Blue Jackets played one another six times last season and the Blackhawks gained a 4-2 advantage over them.

The Blue Jackets are expected to be a little bit better, but still have a ways to go in order to become a playoff contender.  The Blackhawks need to beat the Blue Jackets to keep a strong position in the Central division of the Western Conference.

November 11th—Calgary at Chicago

The Flames will head to Chicago for the first time this season.  Last year, these two teams played each other three times and the Blackhawks came out on the losing end of that series, having won just one game.  Calgary is expected to be less than stellar this season, so the Blackhawks  have a good shot at winning this game (and the others) as they keep their eyes on the postseason.

November 13th—Edmonton at Chicago

One of the worst teams in the NHL will travel to Chicago for the first time this season to take on the Blackhawks.  The Oilers and the Blackhawks met four times last season and, despite the fact that the Oilers struggled, they ended up splitting the series two games a piece.

With the Oilers looking like they will have pretty much the same team as they did last year, the Blackhawks need to take advantage of these games and win them.  They split the series last year when they should have won all four games.  Hopefully they can win them all this season.

November 16th—Chicago at Vancouver

The rivalry continues as, for the second time in the month of November, the Canucks and Blackhawks face-off against one another.  The winner of their first game will probably come in and win this game although it’s being played in Vancouver and things can get pretty rough there.

As always, this will be a good game.  Many are predicting that the Canucks are going to represent the West in the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Blackhawks need to beat the Canucks often this season if they want to get themselves back to the big game.

November 18th—Chicago at Calgary

The Flames and the Blackhawks will meet for the second time this month, this time in Calgary, and hopefully the Blackhawks will have set themselves up for a win here.  The Flames are supposedly going to have a down year, so Chicago should try to take advantage of that in this contest.

November 19th—Chicago at Edmonton

These two teams will take on one another yet again this month. Hopefully, the Blackhawks will be able to beat the Oilers and add to a strong November.

November 23rd—Chicago at San Jose

For the first time this season the Blackhawks will travel to San Jose to take on the Sharks.  Last season, these two teams met four times and the Sharks beat the Blackhawks three games to one.  San Jose is expected to be a very good team this year, so the Blackhawks may end up struggling in games against the Sharks.

Will this game end up being a loss?

November 25th—Chicago at Anaheim

The Blackhawks will continue their trip out west with a visit to Anaheim to take on the Ducks.  The Ducks and the Blackhawks played each other four times last year, with each team winning two games.  Those predicting the new NHL season think that the Ducks are going to be a middle of the pack team, which means they should be competitive.

The Blackhawks need to have a successful west coast trip in order to stay ahead in the division and keep up with the Canucks.  They need a win here against the Ducks.

November 26th—Chicago at Los Angeles

Another game on the west coast will feature the Blackhawks taking on the Kings.  The Kings and the ‘Hawks played one another a total of four times last season and the Blackhawks won each of those games.  Los Angeles is expected to be a pretty decent team this year, so they may be able to give the Blackhawks some problems when they get together this season.

The Blackhawks need to kick this series off right with a win and dominate the Kings like they did last year.

November 29th—Phoenix at Chicago

For the second time this season the Coyotes and the Blackhawks will face one another.  Last year, the Blackhawks and Coyotes met four times and the teams split that series.  Prognosticators feel that the Coyotes are going to be sitting towards the bottom of the league this year, so the Blackhawks should be able to win these games and help propel themselves towards the playoffs.