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| photo from espn.go.com |
The difference between this game and last might have been Corey Crawford. Last game, he let in a couple of early goals, and he lost his focus, ended up surrendering three on thirteen shots and getting pulled for the first time this season. This game, he let in two goals that he maybe should have had, and then he locked it down for the next fifty minutes, saving twenty three of twenty five shots for a .920% save percentage. It's a nice bounce back from last Saturday's game against Columbus, or the all-around mess against Winnipeg, and is the fifteenth of twenty one games this season where he's allowed two goals or fewer. The Blackhawks are getting Vezina worthy hockey from Crawford so far this season. All that remains is whether he can keep it up for the next forty six games.
Patrick Kane took possession of sixth place in the NHL in points last night, with a goal, an assist, and an obligatory empty netter with six seconds left in the game. He continues his offensive onslaught against any goalie that happens to be in his way, and he's on pace for 88 points this season, matching his career high from the 2009-2010 season. In twenty four wins this season, he has thirty four points. In twelve losses, he has five. The best way for the Blackhawks to win games? Get Patrick Kane the puck, because it seems like nothing can go wrong, as long as he's scoring, or setting up his linemates.
Brent Seabrook might have played his best game this season last night, contributing offensively with what would end up being the game winning goal on the power play (which scored twice last night, and bumped them up to 14th in the league, with twenty five power play goals in 134 attempts), and having a stellar defensive game, complete with a highlight reel play against a hustling Matt Duchene on a breakaway. With the salary cap looming next season, Seabrook knows he has to play his absolute best to keep his space in Chicago, otherwise he might find himself traded, and he's doing an outright phenomenal job to show everyone he deserves to stay where he is.
The power play was good last night, but the penalty kill is reaching record breaking highs, sitting at 91%, almost three whole percentage points higher than second place. Only eight teams have scored a power play goal on the Blackhawks this season, and only one team has done it more than once. this is what saw them so deep into the Playoffs last year, killing all but four of forty six attempts in the first two rounds, before falling to the Kings with six power play goals in nineteen attempts. The Blackhawks' penalty kill is their key to success, regular season or playoffs, and if they can keep this up, they're on pace for allowing only twenty one power play goals in eighty two games.
My Three Stars of the Game
3. Jonathan Toews. His two assists give him thirty one points on the season, good for second on the Blackhawks and 22nd in the league. Like it should be, the offensive charge for this team is being led by their stars, Kane and Toews, and neither of them are showing any inclination to slow down.
2. Brent Seabrook. Brent Seabrook scored his seventh goal of the season last night. His career high is nine, and he has forty six games in which to score those two goals, and match it. Easy, if he keeps playing like he is.
1. Patrick Kane. It kind of feels like Kane is playing every game like he's aiming for first star. With his third three-point game in five games, Kane also has ten points in those five games, and last night was his fifth three point game of the season, and his eleventh multipoint game. And the best part is that it doesn't feel like he's done stepping it up yet. There's a whole other level to Patrick Kane's game, he's just waiting for the right moment.
Next game: December 30th, vs. Predators.
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