When everything is on the line Jonathan Toews doesn’t blink. The Hawks captain won a faceoff in overtime, captured the puck and headed to the net. Toews didn’t hesitate and ripped a high shot just inside the post and over Mike Smith’s right shoulder. It was a true goal scorer’s type of goal as there was only the smallest part of net open, but for Toews it wasn’t a problem.

The Blackhawks came out and played a very good opening period but couldn’t sustain the same type of effort in the middle frame. The Hawks defensemen were trying to get involved in the offense and were being aggressive to join the rush. That’s a fine strategy as long as the Hawk defenders use their best judgment when to commit to a play in the offensive zone.

Unfortunately, with the play in front of him, Niklas Hjalmarsson moved in along the board as all three Hawks forwards were below the faceoff circles. The Coyotes got the puck before Sami Lepisto could gain control and they had a three on one scoring attempt. Phoenix forward Gilbert Brulet made no mistake and beat Corey Crawford with a slap shot from the faceoff circle to give the Coyotes an early second period 1-0 lead.

After getting the lead the Coyotes had the Hawks on the ropes and if not for some strong play from Crawford the series could have ended in the desert. The defensive zone coverage was spotty and players were standing still watching the puck, but the Hawks regained their poise. Both goaltenders played very good games, but it was Crawford who had more to prove and he did.

Joel Quenneville is in all out desperation mode, as he should be, and is looking for any edge possible. The Hawks bench boss used line combinations that were seldom if ever seen in the regular season.

Quenneville was looking to key off of players who have been doing well. So Bryan Bickell skated with Toews and Viktor Stalberg. The line generated scoring chances but Stalberg had a careless game and was whistled four times for minor penalties. Fortunately the Chicago penalty killers, led by Dave Bolland and Michael Frolik who both had strong games, didn’t allow a Coyote goal in four power play attempts. Brendan Morrison stayed in the Hawks lineup and skated on the checking line with Bolland and Stalberg.

Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp were teamed with rookie Brandon Saad but the trio didn’t do much in the way of generating offense. Sharp has not been the offensive force the Hawks have needed. Kane had another poor game, following a subpar performance in Game 4. Kane doesn’t usually follow one bad game with another but he did on Saturday.

Give the Coyotes credit as they have frustrated the Hawks best players, especially Kane, and have made them work hard for scoring chances. The Hawks still haven’t been able to generate many rebounds on Smith although they did have more traffic around the net.

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It was looking like the hockey gods abandoned the Blackhawks for the second consecutive game. The Hawks had to battle the well-coached Coyotes and couldn’t seem to get any favorable bounces. Also, as in Game 1, the men in stripes had a poor outing and a suspect decision led to a power play goal for Phoenix. There will be more to come on NHL officiating and its inconsistencies.

Saturday night’s encounter had some similarities to Game 1.

The Hawks took a lot of shots but didn’t have a great amount of top quality scoring chances against Mike Smith. The Coyotes were successful in forcing some turnovers and at times the Hawks had trouble getting out of their own zone. Once again the Coyotes did a fine job of keeping the best Hawk players off the scoresheet. Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews combined for only one goal.

What was not the same is the Blackhawks depth made the difference and Crawford definitely outplayed Smith. Bryan Bickell recorded two goals, including the game winner. Viktor Stalberg skated much of the game with Dave Bolland and Bickell and those three formed the Hawks best line. The trio combined for 13 of the Hawks 50 shots on goal. Bolland and Stalberg were each credited with assists.

In Game 2, the Blackhawks were more physical and head Coach Joel Quenneville was back to normal. Coach Q. was flip-flopping players trying to find the most effective line combination. In the end, the main reason the Hawks succeeded was they paid better attention to details and more players were committed to working hard. The Hawks have the deeper squad on paper but it only matters if everyone is on the same page and comes to play with a complete effort.

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The Coyotes were outplayed badly in the opening 15 minutes Thursday night but when all was said and done, they put forth the more complete effort. The Blackhawks were beaten 3-2 in overtime, in a game that was theirs for the taking.

It would be understandable after watching Thursday night’s contest to come away with the impression the Coyotes are a team the Hawks should handle. They aren’t very flashy, although they have some young players who are highly skilled. What matters most to their head coach Dave Tippett is that his club takes care of the details and finds a way to win close games, which is exactly what happened.

The really disappointing fact about the Blackhawks losing Game 1 was they were in the contest although they didn’t play nearly as well as they could. Phoenix was the better club for the majority of the night, but mostly because not enough Blackhawks showed up with an effective full-time effort. Joel Quenneville commented the same in his postgame interview.

Quenneville didn’t mention any names but he probably was thinking Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Johnny Oduya, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Sean O’Donnell and the entire fourth line were of little help. In the case of Hossa, Sharp, and Oduya, their performances could be categorized as simply bad. There were other players like Patrick Kane, Viktor Stalberg and Bryan Bickell who weren’t as good as they can be. A spotty team performance won’t normally be good enough when playing the hard-working Coyotes.

Tippett, in his postgame remarks, complimented his team for finding a way to win without leading goal scorer Radim Vrbata. The winger was injured early in the opening period. It has been speculated Vrbata may have suffered a concussion coming on an Andrew Shaw check. Losing Vrbata after playing only 30 seconds could have been a deciding factor. On a club that doesn’t score much, Vrbata had 35 markers, 11 more than the next highest Coyote. There hasn’t been any official word on Vrbata’s injury status other than to list him as day to day.

The Blackhawks didn’t take care of the details. It appeared poor shift changes caused the Hawks problems on the first two Coyote tallies. Unfortunately, some old Blackhawks bad habits of turning the puck over in their own zone happened too often. Then the follow up was to get mesmerized by the puck and chase the Coyotes, which also happened often.

Although the Hawks had 45 shots on goal, there wasn’t enough traffic in front of Smith. The game-tying goal by Brent Seabrook was off a goal mouth battle but the same effort wasn’t there most of the night. Throughout the middle frame and in much of the third period the Coyotes outworked the Blackhawks.

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The Blackhawks will fail if they get outworked and can’t stay disciplined. The Coyotes will look to frustrate them and capitalize on mistakes. Chicago won’t be able to play jail break hockey and disregard defensive responsibilities, that won’t work. The Coyotes want to turn the Hawks into a group of individuals who play perimeter hockey. As has been apparent this season, if executed, that plan can make the Hawks look bad. What will be necessary is to stay patient, manage the puck and avoid getting frustrated. If as a group the Blackhawks can play effective hockey it won’t be a question of if they win the series but rather how long it will take.

With or without Jonathan Toews the Hawks should not lose a best of seven series to Phoenix. There shouldn’t be any excuses made if they fail to advance even if Toews can’t perform. If the Blackhawks don’t take care of business versus Phoenix, it shouldn’t be viewed as a stumble but more of a flop.

An early exit by the Hawks would highlight a roster with holes which can’t be coached effectively. Another opening round defeat would be a much bigger setback than last year’s loss to Vancouver. It would be a black eye which would stain the franchise and lessen the fan and media buzz that started before the 2010 Stanley Cup victory. In many ways, falling to the Coyotes would be as bad as not qualifying for post-season play at all.

Call me an optimist but the Blackhawks probably still haven’t played their best hockey. They can win versus the Coyotes with the same type of effort as in the last five weeks of the season. If an even better version of the Hawks show up in Phoenix on Thursday night, this series could be a short one. If that were to happen, it would bode well for a long playoff run. First things first, if the Hawks don’t show the Coyotes the respect they deserve, this could become a long battle.

So there isn’t any misunderstanding, I hold the Coyotes in high regard, probably more so than most. Head coach Dave Tippett is one of the best in the game. He probably does a better job of winning consistently by instilling a solid team structure than any other bench boss in the NHL. To say Tippet makes the most out of a little would not be an exaggeration. The Coyotes gain my respect because they play a true team game. That said, if both clubs play near their capabilities the Hawks will advance.

The angst concerning the Blackhawks chances center around the health of Toews and the inconsistency of Corey Crawford.

Toews is one of the best hockey players in the world and if healthy will help the Hawks a great deal. He will also show some rust. Being out for 22 games and coming back at the most stressful time in the season won’t be easy, but Toews at only 70 percent can still make a significant difference.

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Hockey like other professional sports is always a challenge to figure out. Although the Blackhawks have been without Toews, Steve Montador, Duncan Keith and other significant players they have held serve, actually that would be an understatement. Despite being shorthanded, the Hawks have played their best hockey of the season.

So how did the Hawks improve their game without Toews and others?

The most important change for the Hawks over the last six weeks was their mindset.

The players have finally accepted the messages that head coach Joel Quenneville has seemingly preached all season. Maybe it was the stark reality of failure during the nine game losing streak. For the first four months of the season this club seemed to get by, but didn’t necessarily play the correct way. The Hawks would give up bad goals but still be able to outscore opponents.

The emphasis by players was to look for more goals as that’s the solution they knew to get out of trouble. Lessons are often more difficult to learn without failure. Human nature leads us to rely on what has worked in the past and often that is the easiest path to take as well. Staying on the same course, especially considering all the injuries and the suspension to Keith, would have spelled real trouble for the Blackhawks.

There appears to have been a collective realization by the players that unless defensive coverage was made a priority they could miss the playoffs. The Hawks have finally found how to become a team which is hard to play against. When they have the puck they are holding onto it longer by simplifying their game and are more aware in all three zones. The club has become more physical by working harder along the boards. The Hawks for the most part haven’t stayed out on the perimeter. They have battled for pucks and have consistently gone to scoring areas.

No doubt the addition at the trade deadline of defenseman Johnny Oduya by GM Stan Bowman was important. Oduya hasn’t been perfect but considering how much he has been relied on, his performances have been very good. Oduya has expanded his role to helping on special teams and the smooth skating defender has fit in well.

Bowman’s best trade deadline move may have been by subtraction, not addition.

Finally, Bowman and others in management came to the realization having John Scott on the roster was a mistake. The inept Scott wasn’t an effective hockey player but more of a team mascot or security blanket.

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Next article will be out Friday morning.

If things continue to progress and Toews remains symptom free, he could return next week. For now, being able to skate a few laps and flop and roll on the United Center ice is an indication Toews is feeling better.

Many times concussion symptoms can disappear only to return a short time later, so the optimism on Toews should be tempered. Niklas Hjalmarsson is on course to return Friday night from his concussion, but his recovery wasn’t a smooth one and hopefully Toews will continue to progress.

Gone are the days when a player will be pressured to return from a head injury. Unfortunately, some injured players probably don’t take concussions as seriously as they should. No matter what the team or NHL protocol is regarding concussions, and no doubt there is room to improve, the player is ultimately responsible for his own well being.

A player who ignores symptoms, or returns too soon may think he is helping the cause, but the long term consequences could be serious.

Friday night, Ray Emery will be in net as the Rangers are in town.

Emery had three very good outings before stumbling in his last start. In St. Louis, Emery gave up five goals, and although he didn’t get much help, it is curious Joel Quenneville is sticking with him.

Normally when Quenneville suffers a bad loss, he often changes the lineup. When his back-up goal tender has a questionable outing and loses, Coach Q. would go back to his number one goalie for the next game.

Corey Crawford hasn’t been between the pipes since being yanked on Feb. 29 against Toronto. Crawford gave up three goals on 10 shots and Emery came in and played well and has had the net since. Interestingly, when Crawford faced the Rangers in mid-February he surrendered only two goals and the Hawks skated away with two points.

The Rangers are in the midst of road trip and will be playing their fourth game in six days. All things being equal, Friday night would seem like the perfect time to get Crawford back on track.

That might be the case unless Quenneville has already determined Crawford is broken beyond repair for this season.

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In the middle period, the Hawks controlled the puck and outshot the Sharks by a 17-3 margin. They were able to battle back by playing fundamental hockey. It appeared once Marcus Kruger evened the score at two at 9:55 of the second period, the shorthanded Blackhawks could upset the Sharks. That wasn’t the case as San Jose regained the lead late in the second frame and eventually put the Hawks away.

It isn’t easy to search for positives but the Hawks could have folded their tent after the first period. The same could be said after outplaying the Sharks only to fall behind at the end of 40 minutes but that wasn’t the case either. Bryan Bickell was able to tie the score in the opening minutes of the final period but the Hawks were shutout the rest of the way.

Unfortunately there were many negatives to take from the most recent loss.

The Hawks still are getting outmuscled in front of their own net. All season long, Chicago has been short a penalty killing defensive specialist. One who can stand his ground while blocking shots that could play with Niklas Hjalmarsson. Last night, Nick Leddy was used on the penalty kill and was on the ice for all three San Jose power play goals.

Being without the injured Steve Montador and Hjalmarsson made things tougher but the Hawks have played like they are a penalty killing defenseman short all season. Leddy wasn’t up to the challenge and the Hawks penalty killing unit in total was as bad as it has been.

Recently the Hawks have allowed approximately one of three power play chances to succeed. On Friday night, the Sharks were successful at a 50 percent rate. Most times allowing three power play goals signals a loss and that was the case versus San Jose. It’s a trite saying but many believe the best penalty killer has to be a club’s goalie.

Corey Crawford made some big saves, but he is still struggling. Crawford spent about five years in the minors before emerging as the Hawks number one goal keeper last season. He was rewarded with a three year contract and has had an erratic season. Since December, Crawford has given up quite a few soft goals and appears frantic at times.

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It was the first game back from the All-Star break, so there were moments in the opening period where each club appeared out of sync. The Canucks did look more together in the early going, and they should have had the lead after the opening 20 minutes.

With the help of some great goal tending by Corey Crawford, the Hawks were able to settle down. The game was tied at one after the first frame and stayed that way until early in the third period. Crawford made some huge stops and Canucks back-up Cory Schneider was every bit as good. Schneider was even more strongly tested than Crawford.

The Hawks had the better of the play after the first period until the overtime. Crawford and Schneider put on a fantastic show, and in the end, the Canucks found away to convert in overtime for the win. This game was a delight to watch except for some shoddy officiating.

Hawks newcomer Brendan Morrison couldn’t have started off much more slowly, which wasn’t a shock. It’s not as easy as one would think to jump in and play with elite talent. Morrison made more than his share of bad passes and turnovers in the early going. As the game went on, he got a lot better. Morrison’s veteran instincts did shine through as he played close to 19 minutes. Morrison has good hands and visions, but I’m not sure he will keep his spot as the second line center.

Patrick Sharp returned from a 10 game absence and looked as if the play was too fast for him at times. Sharp stayed with it and was on the ice for about 19 minutes with three shots on goal.

Jonathan Toews was back in action also and was not at his best. Toews was credited with five shots and his line did generate quite a few scoring chances. Toews did work hard, but he had an usually difficult night in the faceoff circle.

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Morrison, 36, has often been injured in recent years and his play has fallen off. Maybe Morrison could be considered no more than a spare part or depth player. That said, he may provide some veteran knowhow and improve the Hawks’ lineup.

Striking a deal for Morrison was worthwhile because the cost was low.

The Hawks dealt Rockford Ice Hog defenseman Bryan Connelly, who was recently selected to play in the AHL All-Star game. For whatever reason, Connelly was not in the Hawks plans and he wasn’t going to play on the big club.

Connelly, 25, is a smaller defenseman with offensive ability. Blackhawks management prefers others in their system with the same skillset. Connelly will have a better chance of becoming a NHL player with the trade to the Flames organization.

My guess is Morrison will get an opportunity as the second line pivot. If he does well playing alongside Marian Hossa, Morrison could be a great pick-up. If not, Morrison could find his way onto the third or fourth line and could pitch in on special teams. If Morrison can stay healthy, he will give Joel Quenneville more options.

Morrison returned this season after ACL surgery on his left knee, which he injured in a game against the Blackhawks last March. Morrison was hurt on a clean check by Niklas Hjalmarsson, but according to Morrison, some Hawks players were chiding him while he was helped off the ice.

Morrison mentioned on Friday night the incident is a “dead issue.” Morrison also commented he was ecstatic about coming to Chicago and will fill any role that is asked. Maybe Bowman has added a valuable component to a long playoff run, if he can stay healthy.

The Blackhawks are about to kick off their longest road trip since 1997. The nine-game journey will start in Vancouver on Tuesday night. The trip will not end until February 18 in Columbus. The Hawks will face some difficult opponents but their task might not be as bad as it appears.

The Hawks will return to Chicago after each three-game stretch to break up the trip. The first leg of their journey will be against three Western Canadian teams.

The Hawks will fly back to Chicago after Friday night’s contest in Calgary. They will recharge over the weekend and head to Colorado on Monday. No doubt it will be a challenging stretch, but at least the schedule allows for time to get back home.

On the injury front, word going around is Jonathan Toews will be ready to face the Canucks. That isn’t etched in stone, but official word on Toews could come down later Monday.

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Next article will beout on Wednesday.

The Hawks reclaimed the top spot in the Western Conference as a sense of determination appears to have set in. The Sabres aren’t firing on all cylinders, and if the Blackhawks took them lightly, the results might have been different on Wednesday night. That wasn’t the case, as the Hawks grinded their way to victory and took care of a team they should defeat. Wednesday night belonged to the Blackhawks, and when they turned it on, the Sabres couldn’t keep up.

Once again Hayes and Shaw made their presence felt and contributed to the cause. Each player was credited with a goal and assist, and Shaw recorded four shots on goal along with four hits.

Shaw should have had another assist on an athletic play which led to a Marcus Kruger tap in. The Hawks were denied that score as the referee thought there was a hand pass made by Shaw and waved off the goal. It was the incorrect call, but a hand pass is not something that can be reviewed by the War Room in Toronto. Nonetheless, the Hawks and Shaw stayed determined and prevailed.

Jonathan Toews scored two times on the power play and led all skaters with six shots on goal. As usual, Toews was dominant in the faceoff circle, winning at a 65 percent clip. Following the game, Toews commented on what a difference Hayes and Shaw have made. The Captain remarked that it is a huge difference to have all four lines working and making things happen.

For the first time in a long time, the Hawks have more than Toews standing in front of the net on a power play. The additions of Hayes and Shaw have established more net presence with the man advantage and throughout a game. Both young players have a high enough hockey IQ to find the open ice and get into goal scoring position.

Wednesday night, Shaw stood his ground and scored the first Blackhawk goal. Hayes’ strike came on a beautiful cross-ice pass from Andrew Brunette. Hayes went flying down his wing straight for the net and buried his scoring chance. That was the fourth goal in ten games for Hayes, and afterwards the Hawks never looked back.

Shaw scored his fifth goal in eight games and it appears he isn’t a fluke. Surprisingly, there was another Blackhawk rookie who had an even faster start than Shaw. In 2003 Igor Radulov scored five goals in his first seven games.

Radulov became the definition of a “flash in the pan,” as he scored only eleven points on four goals the following season. He never made it with the Hawks and left to play in Russia during the 2003-2004 campaign. It’s too early to proclaim Shaw will have a long and productive NHL career, but he doesn’t look like Igor Radulov to me.

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Today’s Fox Chicago  article contains an audio link for a SiriusXm interview with Jamie Shalley. We touched upon some trade speculation.

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Viktor Stalberg has owned Columbus this season, and his good fortune continued against them on Tuesday night. Stalberg recorded his first NHL hat trick and Marian Hossa got back on track with a solid plus three performance.

Stalberg is starting to have a nose for the puck and a scoring touch. Offensively, he is going to the correct spots and working hard. On the defensive side of the puck, Stalberg still has lessons to learn. If he can keep his focus in all three zones, Stalberg could have a nice career.

Forward Ben Smith was called up and played well as he recorded his second tally of the season. His buddies from the Rockford Ice Hogs, Kevin Hayes and Andrew Shaw, each had slightly over 18 minutes of ice time. Joel Quenneville has shown a lot of confidence in Shaw and he used him on the penalty kill against the Jackets. Both Hayes and Shaw continue to fit in nicely.

Steve Montador took 19 minutes in penalties during the first period. Montador got an instigator penalty, two extra minutes for fighting with a visor, a five minute fighting major and a 10 minute misconduct.

That meant the Blackhawks had to kill off some penalties, which led to a lot of ice time for Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. To the Hawks credit, although outshot 11-5 in the first frame, the Blue Jackets were held scoreless. The Hawks then scored twice in the middle period and never relinquished the lead.

The Blue Jackets peppered Corey Crawford with 34 shots and he came up with some big saves. Crawford gave the Hawks a chance to win, but he didn’t look too comfortable doing so. Crawford is still having trouble absorbing shots. He is struggling with rebounds but hasn’t received the best support from his defenders.

Nick Leddy looks shaky in his own zone and has been caught off guard by opposing players near the net. Leddy’s playing time was down Tuesday night to only 15:02. He finished a minus two on the game and is a cumulative minus nine over his last four outings.

The stress of playing big minutes appears to have caught up with Leddy.

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The officiating didn’t help, but that isn’t a good excuse as the Blackhawks still squandered a two-goal cushion on home ice. In the end, the Hawks didn’t capitalize on power play opportunities and were exploited near their net by the crafty Red Wings.

As the Blackhawks stumble past the halfway point of the season, there are concerns and that which need to be recognized and fixed.

This past summer, GM Stan Bowman had additional salary cap space because of the Brian Campbell trade. Bowman realized the Hawks needed more know-how and went out and signed a group of experienced NHL players. Bowman remarked the Hawks had to be tougher to play against. Supposedly the additions would add more grit and experience. On the surface, that seemed to be so.

It is impossible for each player to be 100 percent dialed in for every regular season game. The better teams have enough overall talent to survive and play at a high level consistently. There will still be low points and struggles, but if everyone is on the same page with strong efforts, talent should prevail.

This is a different kind of Hawks team than the one that won the Stanley Cup. Trying to play the same style of a fast transition game might not work as well. My take is Bowman wanted to not only provide needed experience, he also sought to make the Hawks more like the tough and gritty Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins.

Unfortunately, despite the fact the Hawks have accumulated 53 points in 42 games, Bowman’s plan may have been misguided.

The Blackhawks haven’t proven they have the necessary players to pull off a physical forecheck and also play a quick transition game effectively. They can at times, but performances have been up and down. It seems like the Hawks are caught between trying to be tough and physical while still relying on quickness and skill.

As it is, there are simply too many wasted rosters spots. Now, due to increased injuries, the Blackhawks are counting on young prospects to step into full time NHL roles. Almost every top team needs some unexpected contributions from young players with friendly salary cap hits. The Hawks are banking on players which weren’t on the radar to quickly help this year and become significant contributors.

Maybe Jimmy Hayes, Andrew Shaw and Dylan Olsen will be able to play well enough to become full-time Blackhawks this season. Maybe the addition of some young blood will help soften the mistakes made this past summer.

The Blackhawks were supposedly built to make a strong run at the Stanley Cup. The sham of believing four shifts by John Scott, or the scattered, infrequent performances by Sean O’Donnell and Sami Lepsito, are effective additions to the defense must end now.

Believing Nick Leddy or Steve Montador can make a transition game sizzle like Campbell must stop. Thinking the heavy, hard minutes Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson are burdened with will have no ill effect is ridiculous.

Believing Hawks forwards are losing puck battles and playing so poorly defensively because they don’t care enough is also a straw man fallacy. Fatigue is a big factor, as well as some square pegs forced into round holes that lead to poor efforts and a lack of consistency.

The Blackhawks have enough high-end talent to make them a dangerous team. They are led by Jonathan Toews, who brings a supreme effort on almost every shift. On the surface, with the added experience, it appears they should comfortably qualify for the playoffs. The biggest concern is a rash of injuries and fatigue to top players who are counted on to shoulder the majority of the load. The end goal for this club shouldn’t be to only qualify for the post season.

Currently the Hawks are in a rough patch.

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Next article will be posted on Wednesday.

Thursday night, the problem was the performance from veteran Blackhawks players, as some put forth a part-time effort. When the final horn sounded in Philadelphia, the better team won, as the Flyers edged the Blackhawks 5-4.

In some ways the score was flattering to the Hawks. Except for the beginning of the opening period and stretches in the third frame, the Flyers controlled most of the action. The shots on goal stat rang true as the Hawks were outshot 46-34.

The best performances of the night came from the recent additions to the Hawks’ roster.

It was another nice game by winger Jimmy Hayes, who scored on a pretty tip-in off a great pass from Jamal Mayers. For most of the contest, the Frolik-Mayers-Hayes combo was the best line for the Blackhawks. That’s a troubling statement, because if the fourth line is your best line, some high-priced talent isn’t doing much.

Rookie winger Andrew Shaw had a nice debut. Shaw got the worse of it in a staged fight in the early moments of the contest. He showed up and came away with some stitches, but wasn’t seriously hurt. In the second period, Shaw bagged his first NHL goal on a slick move. Shaw was credited with four shots on goal and four hits. He did a very good job for a 20-year-old in his first NHL game.

Recent call-up Dylan Olsen had a solid performance on defense. He was credited with three shots and three blocks while playing 9:48. Olsen didn’t look out of place.

Those who were not expected to be solid contributors were and others who were counted on fell short of expectations.

Ray Emery wasn’t bad in goal, but he had issues with rebound control and trouble moving from side to side. Ilya Bryzgalov had a similar night; both goaltenders should have saved a couple of shots that beat them.

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The link below is for a Sirius/XM Radio interview with Jamie Shalley on Jan. 5.

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The Blackhawks deserved the victory as they held the Red Wings’ skill players in check. This was a big win for Chicago beyond the rivalry factor. The Hawks were able to play faster than the Wings which exploited Detroit’s defense. Red Wing defenders were caught hooking and holding. Unfortunately the Hawks could not capitalize on power play chances or this game wouldn’t have been so close.

Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews each had a goal and were the two best skaters on the ice. On the Detroit side of the ledger Pavel Datsyuk didn’t have a shot on goal. The Wings other big gun, Henrik Zetterberg was also held scoreless. Zetterberg had only one shot and finished the night a minus two.

It wasn’t only Chicago star players which helped defeat Detroit as others contributed to the victory.

Daniel Carcillo returned to action with four hits, a fight and a nice assist. In his first NHL game, right winger Jimmy Hayes made his presence felt. The 6’6”- 220 lb. Hayes had four hits in the first period.

Carcillo and Hayes set the tone as the Hawks recorded 13 hits in the opening frame. Hayes was credited with two shots on goal and hit the post with his first attempt on Jimmy Howard. With the help of Hayes, the fourth line outplayed their Detroit counterparts.

Goal tenders Corey Crawford and Howard both had very good performances. Crawford was a little more fortunate as the Red Wings hit iron on more than one occasion. In total he was also a little sharper than Howard.

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Next article will be posted on Tuesday.

In the opening period, the Wild battled but couldn’t find their skating legs. The night before, Minnesota played a hard-fought match and had to travel home from Winnipeg. It was also their first game back after a five-game road trip, so it wasn’t surprising the Blackhawks would have the upper hand early.

The Wild were able to weather the storm in the opening frame despite being outshot 11-2. The Blackhawks stayed determined and solved Niklas Backstrom twice in the opening 11 minutes of the middle stanza. The Wild wouldn’t go away quietly, though, as both teams headed into the third period tied at two.

In the third period, the team captains took their turn to dent the twine. Jonathan Toews gave the Hawks the lead on a beautiful individual effort at 6:54. Then, with slightly less than five minutes remaining, a Mikko Koivu shot deflected off of Nick Leddy and beat Ray Emery.

The game remained tied through overtime as both teams had chances to score. The Wild and the Hawks had three shots each in extra time. Minnesota recorded 28 shots after the opening frame to be outshot only 31-30.

In the shootout, Toews put a nice shot past Backstrom to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. Emery played another solid game, stopping both Minnesota shooters, and the stage was set for Patrick Kane to win the game.

Kane left those in attendance in awe as he sped over the blue line and pulled up almost to a stop. No player can handle the puck as close to their body better than Kane. The Blackhawk winger made many head fakes and jukes within a few feet of Backstrom. When the very patient Kane got Backstrom to bite hard on a move he held the puck and shot it into a wide open net.

Kane’s goal was the best I have seen in a shootout because it wasn’t a trick shot. He didn’t fully stop and turn away from the net, which shouldn’t be allowed. Kane kept heading toward the goal but was able to slow down to almost a stop and wait Backstrom out while stick handling. Not many players have the skill to make that play.

The Hawks earned a hard fought point against a strong opponent. The Blackhawks showed they can play well against a tight checking team and were also good defensively for most of the game. Emery continues to impress and Corey Crawford may not got back into action this weekend.

The Blackhawks return to the United Center to face Anaheim on Friday.

The Ducks have not done much better since Bruce Boudreau took over behind the bench. Since the coaching change the Ducks are 2-3-1. That type of record is not nearly good enough for the Anaheim to have a sniff at the playoffs. Even so, the Ducks did beat the Coyotes on Wednesday night.

As has been the case for much of the season the Hawks win, but don’t make it easy. The next two games are a good opportunity to pick up two victories.

This time of the season there are more distractions, especially while playing at home. Sharp focus will be the key issue for the Hawks as they take on the Ducks and then face the Calgary Flames on Sunday.

Al’s Shots

John Scott’s presence on the ice probably cost the Hawks one point last night. Maybe it won’t matter concerning point totals for the season and playoff seedings. Then again, it could make a big difference in the highly competitive Western Conference.

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1. The team is not as good as their record: When injuries hit and the schedule gets more difficult the Hawks will slide in the standings.

2. The Hawks are focused on trying to get through the season to gain a top four seeding in the playoffs: The core of the team will find a way to do enough so there is no danger of missing the playoffs. Once in the post season, they will intensify their efforts for a Stanley Cup run.

3. The Blackhawks are one of the five best teams in the NHL: With a tweak or two to the roster they will be a true Cup contender when the playoffs begin.

There is some truth in each of the scenarios.

As things take shape this season, option three makes more sense, although the Blackhawks don’t wow me with consistently strong efforts. In the big picture, they have as much high-end talent as any club. The Hawks also have younger players who benefit from the experience and confidence of already winning the grand prize. That is a big advantage over most others.

The second option is believed by some who have played in the NHL. The thinking is the Hawks are able to pace themselves to have enough gas in the tank to make a deep playoff run. The strategy seems dangerous, but the season is long and grueling. Players don’t get up equally for every opponent, and the Hawks, as a group, appear to measure their efforts.

The first scenario rings true in some ways too. The next six weeks will be telling as the opponents get more difficult. The advantage for the Hawks is there are many home games through the end of January. For now, the Blackhawks deserve the benefit of the doubt, as they are a top club until proven otherwise.

The Blackhawks will be in Minnesota Wednesday to face the Wild. The Wild, largely not expected to make the playoffs at the beginning of the season, have been a surprise and currently sit atop the NHL with 43 points, three more than the Hawks.

One game doesn’t decide superiority, and this will be a battle of opposites. The Hawks like to run and gun while the Wild play things close to the vest. The Wild would like to score more, but they have been successful anyway. The Hawks would like to give up fewer goals, but so far they keep winning.

Minnesota has been successful under rookie head coach Mike Yeo by working hard in all three zones. The Wild employ a solid defensive structure with strong goal keeping. They don’t count on skating up and down the ice outscoring an opponent. The Wild rely on outworking the competition and normally winning low-scoring games.

The Wild are led by the talented and underrated Mikko Koivu, who has 27 points. His total is five fewer then the Hawks’ leading scorer, Jonathan Toews, who has played one less game. The next top scorer for Minnesota is newcomer Dany Heatley who has nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points. Heatley is the leading goal scorer on the Wild and his nine tallies is eight less than Blackhawks goal leader Toews, who has 17 markers. The Wilds notorious pest, Cal Clutterbuck, leads the NHL with four shorthanded goals.

As is evident, the Wild won’t wow anyone with offense, but they have two top goal keepers. Niklas Backstrom and the injured Josh Harding have strong .932 save percentages. Backstrom saw action Tuesday night as the Wild traveled to Winnipeg and lost 2-1. Backstrom might play again Wednesday, but if not, Matt Hackett will be between the pipes due to the injury to Harding.

Hackett is the nephew of former Blackhawk goalie tender Jeff Hackett. The youngster has done well in two games this season — boasting a perfect record. Hackett has recorded a .974 save percentage with a 1.01 GAA.

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Next article will be posted tomorrow morning.

The Blackhawks did do a fine job of silencing the best players on San Jose. Once again Sunday night’s match wasn’t an illustration of a consistent effort from the Hawks. As has been the case most of the time, the Blackhawks don’t need to be dialed in every period to win.

Are the Blackhawks dancing with danger? Maybe, but for now, embrace the fact they have enough talent to win without playing a complete game.

Style points don’t matter, only points in the Western Conference standings do. In the end, the Sharks probably felt the same way the Blackhawks did after losing the first meeting of the season. San Jose probably deserved a better fate, but give the Hawks credit as they find ways to win. They also showed they can score dirty goals, as none of the tallies from either team were pretty plays.

The Hawks surged in the final period to force overtime. Then, new father Patrick Sharp became the hero once again. Sharp scored the winning marker in overtime for the second consecutive game. Sharp and linemate Marian Hossa are developing some nice chemistry.

Former Blackhawk goal tender Antti Niemi always seems to play well against his old team. Niemi was the main reason the Sharks won the first meeting in San Jose a few weeks ago. Sunday night, Niemi was very good but his performance would take a back seat to the Hawks’ Ray Emery.

To secure the victory, Sharp won a battle with Shark defenseman Brent Burns and trickled in the game winner behind Niemi. Burns didn’t have his best game and was caught playing on the wrong side of a determined Sharp. As a result, the Hawks recorded another home ice victory and the Sharks skated away stunned.

Emery kept his club in the game during the opening 40 minutes as the Sharks held a 2-1 lead. The Hawks couldn’t get anything to click. They appeared a step slower than the Sharks and were losing puck battles. The Hawks couldn’t play at quick pace nor sustain an attack.

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Next article will be posted on Thursday.

After dropping a game last Tuesday to Phoenix on home ice, one would think the Hawks would have been more focused. That wasn’t the case as in a comedy of errors and poor effort, the Coyotes took a 2-0 lead after the opening frame. Phoenix then scored their third goal early in the middle stanza on a text book screen. Corey Crawford was yanked, Ray Emery came in and the Hawks got going.

Last week the Coyotes kept to their system and smothered any comeback attempt from the Blackhawks. This time, after getting a three-goal lead, the Coyotes got away from what makes them successful.

Although Phoenix usually plays a strong, tight checking structure, hockey players can’t always stick to their script. The Coyotes stopped checking and started to trade chances with the Blackhawks. More often than not, playing a wide open game will spell trouble for Phoenix.

Led by Jonathan Toews, the Hawks entertained the sellout crowd with some fast-paced action. Toews scored two times, and his running mate Patrick Kane added another goal to tie the game at 13:57 of the second period. The Coyotes lost control and were fortunate not to lose the game.

Marian Hossa missed a great scoring chance while shorthanded, otherwise the Hawks would have won in regulation. Although being outplayed for the majority of the contest, the Coyotes kept the Hawks off the board. The game stayed knotted up through overtime, and the Hawks couldn’t score in the shootout.

Although this was a different twist, the end result was still another loss on home ice to Phoenix. The Hawks have faced the Coyotes three times this season, with the visiting team always coming away victorious.

There is reason to believe as a group the Blackhawks aren’t as concerned as they should be about bad starts. The Hawks are 9-0-1 when scoring first, which should be a resounding message the first goal is all important, but maybe their 7-8-3 record after giving up the first score might allow them to be too comfortable with a poor start.

In some ways the Hawks could be a victim of their own success.

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That’s a fine accomplishment as no other club has more wins than the Blackhawks. Maybe in time bad habits and sporadic efforts will catch up with them. But for now, the Hawks have enough talent and a high enough compete level to get by in most games.

With victories over the Islanders and Blues this weekend, Blackhawk fans learned two things. The Hawks can play down to the level of competition and still win, although not look good doing so. Also, when their best players show up and they get good goal keeping the Hawks are difficult to beat.

On Friday night the New York Islanders must have felt like they were in a playoff game. The Islanders probably won’t play in front of another crowd this season of over 21,000 and they made the most of the opportunity. In fact the Islanders outplayed the Blackhawks for the majority of the game. They almost picked up their third road win of the season in Chicago but did so the following night in Dallas.

After 27 games played the Blackhawks have accumulated 35 points. That’s one fewer then than the league leading Pittsburgh Penguins. The Hawks don’t always look good winning. They often can get by without putting forth a complete effort. But no matter how they are viewed the Hawks have won 16 games in regulation.

That’s a fine accomplishment as no other club has more wins than the Blackhawks. Maybe in time bad habits and sporadic efforts will catch up with them. But for now, the Hawks have enough talent and a high enough compete level to get by in most games.

With victories over the Islanders and Blues this weekend, Blackhawk fans learned two things. The Hawks can play down to the level of competition and still win, although not look good doing so. Also, when their best players show up and they get good goal keeping the Hawks are difficult to beat.

On Friday night the New York Islanders must have felt like they were in a playoff game. The Islanders probably won’t play in front of another crowd this season of over 21,000 and they made the most of the opportunity. In fact the Islanders outplayed the Blackhawks for the majority of the game. They almost picked up their third road win of the season in Chicago but did so the following night in Dallas.

The Hawks were accommodating hosts as their only strong effort came in the second frame when they outshot the Isles 15-2. Chicago dominated New York after falling behind in the first period 2-1, after another slow start.

The Hawks tallied two goals and scored late in the second stanza to take a 3-2 lead. Most in the building thought the Hawks would seize further control in the third period and skate away with an easy win. What followed was one the poorest periods of Blackhawk hockey at the United Center in a very long time.

The islanders scored twice to even the score after regulation. In the third period, the Hawks were outshot at one point 23-3, the frame ended with the Islanders holding a 23-7 shot advantage. Sometimes shots on goal can be a misleading stat but in this case the Islanders were the superior club.

With the game tied the Islanders dominated the overtime period but Corey Crawford stemmed the tide. Crawford also was a perfect 3-3 in saves for the shootout. That enabled the Hawks to come away with an ugly 5-4 shootout victory.

he Hawks were accommodating hosts as their only strong effort came in the second frame when they outshot the Isles 15-2. Chicago dominated New York after falling behind in the first period 2-1, after another slow start.

The Hawks tallied two goals and scored late in the second stanza to take a 3-2 lead. Most in the building thought the Hawks would seize further control in the third period and skate away with an easy win. What followed was one the poorest periods of Blackhawk hockey at the United Center in a very long time.

The islanders scored twice to even the score after regulation. In the third period, the Hawks were outshot at one point 23-3, the frame ended with the Islanders holding a 23-7 shot advantage. Sometimes shots on goal can be a misleading stat but in this case the Islanders were the superior club.

With the game tied the Islanders dominated the overtime period but Corey Crawford stemmed the tide. Crawford also was a perfect 3-3 in saves for the shootout. That enabled the Hawks to come away with an ugly 5-4 shootout victory.

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The islanders scored twice to even the score after regulation. In the third period, the Hawks were outshot at one point 23-3, the frame ended with the Islanders holding a 23-7 shot advantage. Sometimes shots on goal can be a misleading stat but in this case the Islanders were the superior club.

With the game tied the Islanders dominated the overtime period but Corey Crawford stemmed the tide. Crawford also was a perfect 3-3 in saves for the shootout. That enabled the Hawks to come away with an ugly 5-4 shootout victory.

Led by a five point performance from Toews as well as a Patrick Sharp hat trick the Hawks avoided their fourth consecutive defeat. The Anaheim Ducks had every opportunity to win only their second game in the month of November. But in the end, the resolve of Toews and Sharp led the Hawks to a come from behind 6-5 victory.

The Hawks didn’t quit after falling behind 2-0 in the opening minutes. They could have went away quietly but rather showed the necessary determination to outlast the bewildered Ducks.

It is an understatement to say Toews leads by example.

The Hawks’ captain won his individual battles, and scored two goals. While trailing 4-2 to open the third period the Hawks needed a big lift. No problem for Toews, as he scored twice.

Sharp opened the scoring in the first frame when things were looking bleak and stayed involved throughout. He added two more tallies in the final frame to pace the Hawks to a much needed win.

The Blackhawks were coming off an improved performance in San Jose even though they lost their third straight and were shutout. Although the Hawks couldn’t solve Antti Niemi they did control the majority of play. It wasn’t a picture perfect effort but it should have given the Hawks some confidence going into Anaheim.

Unfortunately, once again the Blackhawks were not as ready to compete as their opponent.

The Hawks appear to take a win versus a struggling team for granted. The lesson which already should have been learned is to respect everyone. No club should be taken lightly, especially those like Anaheim, who are in desperation mode.

The Ducks swarmed the Hawks and hit them all over the ice during the opening five minutes. Anaheim gave a perfect illustration of team which would be tough to play against. They can play a physical game while employing a strong forecheck.

The issue for the Anaheim is they have only one true scoring line. Besides not being a balanced club, their defense is young and the Ducks goal tending has been spotty. If Anaheim doesn’t quickly turn things around they will be out of the playoff race.

The Hawks should have been more prepared for a stiff challenge. Being over confident shouldn’t have been an issue. The Hawks were riding a three game losing streak and have struggled for the past few weeks.

Flaws have surfaced, and it appeared Joel Quenneville’s message fell on deaf ears once again. The Hawks’ bench boss is still searching for correct line combinations and his team makes things more difficult when they start poorly.

Friday, the line combos were as scattered as ever. The only thing which was certain is whoever was on the ice with Toews was going to be most effective. The captain doesn’t hesitate to do the dirty work. He was in the Ducks’ goal crease area seemingly all game.

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The Blackhawks fought fatigue as well and stayed determined. They kept it simple and played a north-south game. The Hawks swarmed Oiler goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and made it difficult for him to operate. Khabibulin had been on quite a run, so putting five goals by him was an accomplishment.

Coming into Sunday night’s contest, Khabibulin allowed a meager 12 goals in 10 games. As a team, the Oilers had been very stingy in the opening period, allowing only six goals in 16 contests. On Sunday the Hawks struck three times in the first stanza, so the Blackhawks bucked a couple of trends with a strong start to set the tone for a winning effort.

Corey Crawford was reliable. He was strongly tested only a few times and was able to keep the lead for his teammates. For the most part, the Oilers attack was kept under wraps.

Jonathan Toews paced the Hawks’ with a game-high seven shots on goal. As usual, Toews’ determination was noticeable. He now leads the team with nine goals. Toews is skating strongly and driving to the net. The Hawks captain scored the first goal and also potted the game winner.

Normally Toews is a slow starter, but he has compiled 15 points in 18 games to begin this campaign. This could be the start of a really big year, as Toews normally gets better as the season progresses.

Toews isn’t the only Blackhawk off to a flying start. Marian Hossa had another strong outing, notching two assists. He leads the Hawks with a plus 13 rating and is second in goals with eight.

Patrick Kane also contributed to the winning cause with two helpers. Kane could be on his way to a career year as he is averaging slightly over one point per game. Kane has played in all 18 matches and is credited with 19 points.

Patrick Sharp has not been as consistent as he would like, but his stats are still impressive. Sharp was credited with two assists and now has 17 points. Sharp missed training camp, but he now appears to be rounding into form.

All four of the Hawks top skill players could have sparkling years, if they can stay healthy.

Newcomer Steve Montador has become quite a power play specialist. Montador became part of the Hawks’ second power play unit three games ago, as a forward stationed in the slot area. Against the Oilers, Montador scored his second power play marker.

Before his power play score, Montador lit the lamp with a beautiful goal on a slick individual effort. That tally gave the Hawks an early two-goal cushion.

Duncan Keith has started to hit the net with regularity. Keith scored his second goal in two games. Ever since Keith has been reunited with Brent Seabrook, his play has improved offensively as well as defensively.

The reuniting of Keith and Seabrook has also helped Nick Leddy. Since teaming with Niklas Hjalmarsson, Leddy is skating confidently and moving the puck up the ice on a regular basis. Sunday night, Leddy led all players with 27:20 of ice time and recorded two assists. Leddy had his most complete game of the season against the Oilers.

Unfortunately, not all of the news from Sunday night’s game was good.

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Joel Quenneville should breathe a sigh of relief as the Hawks power play clicked three times. In total, the effort was vastly better and Corey Crawford had a decent outing as well.

The Hawks were able to generate speed and a lot of shots by defensemen moving the puck up ice. The Hawks led early and stayed focused. The Blackhawks controlled the majority of play until they pulled in their horns in the third period.

To put the Blackhawks victory into context, the dismal performance by the Blue Jackets has to be mentioned. The struggles for Columbus began with sub-par goal keeping.

For whatever reason there are times a player suddenly loses his ability to perform at a high level.

In 2008-2009, Columbus goal tender Steve Mason won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year. Mason then signed a two year, $5.8 million contract extension in September of 2009. The Blue Jackets appeared to have found their franchise goalie for the future.

In the following season Mason was only average, and now he looks broken. The Blue Jackets are guilty of having suspect defensive coverage and have given up more goals than any other club. But Mason looks like a shadow of the goalie he was in his rookie year. In many games, Mason hasn’t given his club a chance to win, as was the case Thursday night.

Mason looks like his confidence has eroded to the point he might not recover. That would be a shame, as he is only 23 years old.

The Blue Jackets had a long four day break since suffering an embarrassing loss this past weekend. They should have been charged up and ready to battle, but instead they began the contest looking unprepared. Their best player, Rick Nash, was mostly invisible in the opening period.

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blackhawkswin@comcast.net

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served!

The Hawks were dominant in the opening minutes of the first frame. The Ducks couldn’t prevent the Hawks from pressing the pace as they appeared a step quicker. As the period wore on, the Anaheim defensive scheme began to take hold. The Hawks weren’t able to move through the neutral zone with ease. Rather, the Ducks stifled the Hawks and kept them out on the perimeter.

Early in the second period while on a power play, Ducks’ captain Ryan Getzlaf received a nifty pass from linemate Corey Perry. The talented Getzlaf made no mistake and hoisted a shot past Corey Crawford.

Geztlaf got inside position on defenseman Sean O’Donnell and Crawford didn’t have a chance. O’Donnell had a rough night, and with back-to-back games this weekend, Sami Lepisto may get a long awaited start.

The Ducks proceeded to put the United Center crowd of 21,247 to sleep for almost the next 10 minutes. Then it was show-time for Patrick Kane.

As Kane carried the puck into the Ducks’ zone, he wheeled around and did a Denis Savard like spin-o-rama. Anaheim players were fixated on Kane, which left Marian Hossa open near the net. Kane’s amazing pass went perfectly to Hossa for an easy tap-in past Jonas Hiller.

Although Kane did finish on a high note, like many teammates, he didn’t have a perfect game. About six minutes after Kane dazzled the crowd, he was victimized for a Teemu Selanne score.

Kane was the last man back and made an ill advised pass attempt to Duncan Keith. The Ducks were changing lines and caught Kane off guard to intercept his pass. The ageless Selanne had Crawford all to himself and made it look easy as the Ducks took a 2-1 lead. Kane will probably be more careful in the future when he is the last man back.

The Hawks couldn’t string passes together as the Ducks controlled play throughout the middle frame. As the contest seemed slanted toward the Anaheim side, the third period began and the Blackhawks persevered.

The Hawks killed off a delay of game penalty and afterward Joel Quenneville put the old band back together. Quenneville reunited Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Kane for a shift and his timing was perfect. To continue reading click here.

In the opening frame, it looked as if Colorado would handle the class hike and build upon their five-game winning streak, but the Blackhawks’ experience and know-how won out in the end.

Shortly after Joe Sacco was appointed the Colorado Avalanche head coach in 2009, he professed his admiration for the Blackhawks. The observant Sacco was ahead of the curve and saw the Hawks were a team gearing up for a Stanley Cup run. Joel Quenneville had a young, talented, fast club, and Sacco wanted his team to play like the Hawks.

In the opening 30 minutes, it looked like the Avalanche were the 2009-2010 Blackhawks. They played at high tempo, the defensemen were involved in the offense and they were getting top goal tending. The Avalanche pushed the pace and had the Blackhawks chasing them, even though Jonathan Toews swarmed the Avs net and provided his team a one-goal lead heading into the second frame.

Sacco had his charges pick up where they left off as the second period progressed. If not for the strong performance by Corey Crawford, the Hawks could have been down by a couple of goals. Crawford isn’t the highlight reel goal tender some prefer, but he has been rock solid and once again gave the Hawks the opportunity to win.

No substitute for experience and confidence

Around the 10 minute mark of the middle period, the Hawks shook off the remaining dust of the Arizona desert and went to work. The Hawks showed the will of a past Cup winner and controlled play. The Avs were tough, but the Hawks were the best team and prevailed. They pressed on and found a way to beat a very good Semyon Varlamov.

The Blackhawks kept their one goal advantage until 15:27 of the second period, when a fluke goal evaded Crawford. Somehow the puck fluttered and found its way to the shaft of Colorado defenseman Ryan O’Byrne stick and deflected past Crawford. It was a lucky goal, and in the later stages of the final period the Hawks benefitted from some good fortune too.

With less than nine minutes remaining, defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson was the last man back and lost an edge and fell. He had the puck and was in a vulnerable position, so he gloved it and threw it out of the Hawks’ zone. Hammer should have been whistled for closing his hand on the puck, but the hockey gods evened things up and the Hawks avoided a third period penalty.

Hawks take charge

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Hawks’ netminder Corey Crawford was sneaky good. Although Phoenix had only nine shots through two periods, many were very good scoring opportunities. To help the Hawks cause, the Coyotes missed the net on a few occasions when they should have dented the twine.

Marian Hossa returned from sick bay none the worse for wear. Hossa gave the Blackhawks an opening period lead and played well. After that, the more determined Blackhawks didn’t allow the Coyotes to capture any momentum.

Nevertheless, the Hawks did leave the door open for the Coyotes, as they held only a one goal advantage through 20 minutes. At that time, it felt like Chicago should have had a bigger lead based on their edge in play. The score was tied by Phoenix in the opening minutes of the second frame.

In the second period, the Hawks wouldn’t be denied. After Taylor Pyatt evened the score, Jonathan Toews notched his second goal of the season less than three minutes later.

Phoenix came back to tie the score aided by a Duncan Keith blowout and subsequent giveaway. Ray Whitney launched an accurate shot past Crawford and it appeared the Coyotes had found new life. But less than a minute later, Jamal Mayers redirected a Keith shot from the point to put the Hawks on top for good.

Aided by a one-sided retaliation penalty called on Hossa for slashing at the end of the second period, the Coyotes began the final stanza on the power play. The Hawks killed off the penalty and a few seconds later, Patrick Sharp was whistled for tripping. At this point the Blackhawks, were clinging to only a one-goal advantage.

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