Almost October and the Hawks were back at the United Center, for the first time since winning game 6 against Vancouver in dramatic fashion. What better way to open it up than with the Red Wings in town? Factor in that the Hawks were finally presenting the equivalent of an NHL lineup, and you have a winning combination. What better way to get the home fans fired up?
The Blackhawks came out blazing in the first half of the opening period, but could only manage one powerplay goal. The Wings came roaring back after getting a 5-on-3 and finished the first with two goals to end the period up 2-1. The second started the same way the first ended. The Hawks looked sloppy in their own zone and gave up yet another pitiful coverage goal. This might have woken them up a bit, because they came back a few minutes later, to get their second powerplay goal of the night, and that's how the second finished. A one goal third period is how the night was going to wrap up. The third period turned ugly with a vicious hit after the Hawks tied it up. The end result was a 4-3 Hawks win, but it was not without a price.
- The line of Hossa and Brunette with Kaner at center looked really hot right out of the gates, as Kane went right up the middle of the ice, and dished to Hoss, who tried to go 5-hole on Conklin. This was just a little preview of what was to come, as the game went on.
- It certainly didn't take long for the powerplay line of Brunette/Tazer/Kaner to score. They pretty much toyed with the Wings for about 45 seconds, and Toews decided it was time to take it to the net, like a boss. Just when everyone was thinking shot, he dropped it to Kaner, who put it 5-hole.
- After surrendering a second awful goal, the Hawks took advantage of their next powerplay chance. Keith fed Seabrook in the high slot for an absolute cannon of a one timer that Conklin had no chance on, nor should he want to. A shot like that could kill a man. Time to buckle down, gents.
- A minute and a half into the third period, Ben Smith got a gift wrapped goal when the puck took an insane bounce off the partition and shot out in front of the net. With Conklin fully into "no mans land", Smith still had to fight the ridiculously obnoxious hook of former Blackhawk, Ryan Johnson. We'll certainly take that one.
- After Smith went down, Tazer drew another silly penalty to end up with a 5-on-3. The Hawks eventually took advantage, as Kaner fed Hoss for a one timer that snuck through Conklin, to finally take the lead.
- If Kaner had just scored on MOST of the great chances he had, he would have EASILY had a hat-trick. He was all over the ice, but clearly a little gassed, at times. The breakaway he had might have been the slowest I've ever seen him skate. Not only that, but he was 67% on faceoffs. Nothing wrong with that, and maybe Quenneville is onto something.
- Sami Lepisto looks like he's going to be the "under the radar" signing of the year, for Stanbo. While he gets as little "foggy" in his own end, while carrying the puck the other way, he's looked very good. Let's hope he learns a little of that defensive stuff from his talented teammates.
- Just when the Hawks were looking really good, the Hawks take two penalties and end up trying to kill a 5-on-3. Crawford and the rest of the PK line were playing very tight and the Hawks got an unfortunate bounce, with the Red Wings Nyquist banking it off Brunnstrom's skate and into the net.
- Shortly after giving up the powerplay goal, Toews decided that chasing a player behind the net was a great idea, and the combination of Seabrook/Hammer got completely mesmerized by the puck. With three players following the puck, Drew Miller slid right into the open area, which was literally the entire front of the net. He took a nice pass from Conner and buried it past Crawford. It was really an awful defensive play from players that should know better. Playing down to their competition?
- Hoss, Rusty, and Bolly on the powerplay is...curious, to say the least. Can we please not see any more of that?
- Things just went from bad to worse after the Hawks failed on a second period powerplay, as Corey Emmerton beat two Hawks behind the net for the puck and unloaded it out in front of the net to Brunnstrom, who had all day to whack away at it. Lepisto and O'Donnell were out there for this one, and, again, I can't say it was a stellar display from two veterans. For the second time in the game a Detroit player was left in front of the Hawks net wide open.
- Ben Smith took a BRUTAL hit to the head from Brendan Smith about halfway through the third. Benny had a break and Brendan came across with a shoulder to Benny's cabeza. Ben Smith went down in a HEAP and was residing somewhere between Mars and Pluto. He's going to miss some time because his egg was seriously scrambled. I've seen certain writers say things like, "What was he suppose to do? Let Smith skate in?". The answer is no. What he could have done is any assortment of other things, like maybe bend his knees and get under Smith, for a clean hit. Instead he had his knees practically locked and threw his shoulder and elbow into Ben's head. It's illegal no matter how you filet it.
- If the Smith news wasn't bad enough, Viktor Stalberg quietly disappeared between the first and second periods, and never returned after sustaining what Q called a knee injury that was "not good". This will change the dynamic of the final cuts pretty significantly, if both players are ruled out for extended time.