If Saturday’s win against Nashville was a reminder that the Central Division still runs through Chicago, then today’s game was a reminder of how long an 82 game season can be. The New Jersey Devils are not a very talented team and because of injuries, also inexperienced. This was not an aesthetically pleasing game to watch for many reasons. In the end, all anyone was really concerned with was the two points and the Hawks got that. No matter how long it took. So let’s move along.
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Game Time: 6:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
Oh Man, Sportswriters Sure Do Love Springsteen: In Lou We Trust
After two weeks on the west coast ended briefly with a layover for two home games, the Hawks now take their traveling carnival out east to visit Uncle Lou’s struggling Devils.
Dancing with the Devil: Blackhawks
Sharp returns: ESPN Chicago
I smell a sitcom: CSN
Loonie tunes: PHT
I have a new dream job: PD
Sens fire MacLean: TSN
The Rockford IceHogs had a week of highs and lows against division opponents. The Hogs turned in an impressive performance in Milwaukee before dropping less than stellar efforts at home against Grand Rapids and Lake Erie, the two bottom teams of the AHL’s Midwest Division.
If Rockford is content to do its best work on the road for the time being, this is a good stretch for them. The IceHogs play their next six games away from the BMO, starting Wednesday night in Milwaukee.
The Hogs are now 16-6-2-1 and lead the Midwest Divison with 35 points. That total also puts Rockford in a tie for the top seed in the Western Conference.
It won’t be news to anyone that I enjoy watching the Hawks win. Well, maybe it is but it’s true. And wins like last night, a wild and frantic last-gasp joint, are cool. Blowouts are cool too. But I think I most enjoy watching the Hawks outclass another team. Maybe it’s because I watched Scum do it to the Hawks for 15 years or whatever and it’s just a relief to be on the other side. But it’s true.
That sort of thing can take different forms. Sometimes it’s a 5-0 shellacking. Or sometimes it’s like tonight, when even on the second of a back-to-back facing a rested team in their building (though you’d hardly call it hostile, would you?) the Hawks just show the Predators why they’re just a little short right now. The scoreline was close, and a bounce here or there and it may have gone to OT. And yet from the start of the 2nd period on, this just felt like the Hawks dangling a treat right in front of the Preds, yet never in reach. Like the Hawks were saying, “We’re not at our best tonight, but we can do enough to carry this one out and there really isn’t much you’re going to do about it.”
And with that, the Hawks are in first for the first time this season’s first week. They may not stay there long with the Preds having a game in hand and not playing again until Tuesday. But whatever. Six is better than five. Get Darryl out here.
Let’s roll it all into one. First…
The headline of this one should probably be that the Hawks have won two games in a row giving up over 40 shots at Antti Raanta. As McClure and I walked out last night we joked that has to be a sign of hockey magic. It’s certainly not the prescribed method to go about things.
