Blackhawks Streak

Blackhawk Down?

Wild looking to end Hawks' streak in Chicago

Patrick Kane seemed unstoppable on Sunday as he tied the game late on and scored the winner in a shootout, as the Chicago Blackhawks overcame the Detroit Red Wings in the Motor City.

Kane has been exceptional this season, but the key success to the Blackhawks point streak has arguably been their depth and consistency all over the ice, and not just the stand out performances of their big-time players.

Pat on the back: Patrick Kane has been one of many Blackhawks hitting form this season

The previous record for consecutive games with at least a point was 16, set by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2006-07 season, but Chicago have reached 22 already this year, and will look to improve further on this as they take on the Minnesota Wild at the United Center tonight.

Despite their seemingly habitual dominance, Hawks fans should approach this clash with caution and not overextend their expectations. In the previous meeting between the two teams, the Blackhawks came up short in a shootout, and Wild coach Mike Yeo explained that his team are relishing the matchup.

'Any athlete, any competitor relishes a challenge and this is a pretty great one. They've got it all going for them right now.'

Yeo did emphasise that his team were not thinking about their victory over Chicago one month ago.

'I don't think [the victory] means a whole lot. This is a new challenge completely.'

Chicago's blistering run has seen them race to a record of 13-0-2 since their shootout loss to Minnesota on 30th January, and this is perhaps just one reason why Yeo's men are right to keep their feet on the ground.

Coaches, managers and players alike have been unquestionably impressed with Chicago's success, and Joel Quenneville's team has received praise from all around the league.

The depth of the team has been a particular focus of many admirers, including Jeremy Roenick, the former Blackhawks forward.

'They feel they have one first line and three second lines, and this wave after wave of consistent, systematic play grinds other teams down. That's what impresses me about the Chicago Blackhawks.'

St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock echoed Roenick.  After suffering a 3-0 home defeat to Chicago, he commented that 'when you see them play, every time you look you see five players in the picture. And when there are five in the picture, that leads to winning hockey.

A huge part of this quality depth in the squad can be found in the Chicago defense. Wild forward Zach Parise alluded to the Blackhawks' 'stingy defense' ahead of tonight's clash, and one of the players stepping up on the defensive side of the puck has been 31 year-old Johnny Oduya.

After acquiring Oduya from the Winnipeg Jets in return for two draft picks, the Swede has solidified the Chicago second line, and his work rate has not gone unnoticed. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock credited Chicago General Manager Stan Bowman with the acquisition.

'You've got to give Stan credit where it's due. He's done a good job of retooling the roster, and the players they have acquired have come of age'.

On the Raydar: Ray Emery has been hugely impressive in net for the Chicago Blackhawks 

Pierre McGuire, analyst at NBC, was similarly impressed.

'Adept pro scouting is definitely something to admire - securing Johnny Oduya for two draft picks is an unbelievable heist'

Oduya, in addition to the trade to secure Viktor Stalberg after the 2010 Stanley Cup win has buffed the depth of the Blackhawks for the 2013 season. The selection of Andrew Shaw with the 139th pick of the 2011 draft has also seen a Blackhawk offense increase in effective production.

Above all, however, the goaltending combination of Corey Crawford and Ray Emery has perhaps been the most important reason for the success of Chicago in their opening streak. Big saves at crucial times have seen the Blackhawks through in a host of invariably close contests, and this has come as a complete surprise according to TSN analyst Aaron Ward.

'Coming into the season, doubts were raised over the standard of the goaltending, but this year you've got Ray Emery and Corey Crawford and they're playing lights out.'

The 28 year-old Crawford leads the league with a 1.41 goals against average in combination with his 10-0-3 record. Whether he or Emery get the start tonight, the goaltenders show no sign of letting up, and Chicago will further be boosted by the probable return of Dave Bolland after his upper-body injury.

Wild (11-8-2) @ Blackhawks (19-0-3) 
7pm EST

Blackhawks - Blue Jackets

Toews Company, Sea's a Crowd...

Chicago's first line sinks Blue Jackets in OT, extend point streak to 21

Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook combined in overtime on Friday night to help the Chicago Blackhawks over the line against the injury-ridden Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center.

Chicago, currently enjoying a streak of 21 games without a loss in regulation, were up against a Columbus outfit with the fewest total points in the league this season. With these division rivals occupying opposite ends of the league standings, it would seem on paper to have been an unquestionable mismatch, and indeed there was minimal concern over the likelihood of the Blackhawks record-breaking streak ending any time soon.

However, it was in the first minute that the Blue Jackets silenced the Chicago home crowd, as Vinny Prospal  capitalised on a rebound to shoot past Ray Emery and give the travelling Columbus side a 1-0 lead.

Viktor Stalberg tied the game with 3:51 left in the first after a rebound came lose from Brandon Saad's shot on the powerplay. Stalberg continued his excellent record against Columbus (11 goals and 2 assists in 15 games) after fighting his way through a scrum in front of Steve Mason's net.

It was the Blue Jackets who wrestled back the authority however, as Artem Anisimov restored their lead mid-way through the second period. His shot deflected off the left skate of Chicago's Daniel Carcillo before beating Emery in net.

The Blackhawks began to dig deep and soon showed how they have managed to keep producing results in increasingly tight contests. Hawks winger Patrick Sharp cut down the left before releasing a sharp-angle backhand shot which beat Mason after striking the Columbus goaltender's blocker.

All over: Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook wheels away to the delight of the home crowd after netting the winner in overtime.

Within a minute, a 2-on-1 break involving Stalberg and Bryan Bickell gave Chicago the go-ahead goal, as the latter fired a wrist shot into the top right hand corner of the net. 

Chicago have a record of 12-0-3 in games decided by a single goal, and this contest looked to maintain this pattern of consistency. However, Ryan Johansen scored for the Blue Jackets with 7:37 left in the third to break his 37 game goal drought and take the game to overtime.

The winning goal was something of a masterpiece, as captain Jonathan Toews was released down the left wing. Powering past his opposing defenseman, he shaped to shoot before throwing the puck across the goal for Seabrook to fire into an open net. 

Scorer of the Hawks' third goal, Bryan Bickell, mentioned the determination keeping the team going. 

'We were down early in this game. It shows the character in this dressing room to come back. We're just having a blast right now'.

'They had us on our heels a couple of times, but it was good to see Brent get on the rush and pop the OT winner'.

Ray Emery was the less busy of the two goaltenders, as the hawks toppled the Blue Jackets for the second time in a week, after a 1-0 victory the previous Sunday.

For Chicago, Friday's victory meant a tenth straight win over Columbus, dating back to February 18th 2011.