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Blackhawks Wed Oct 12 2011
Hawks Split Opening Pair With Dallas
The Blackhawks didn't start strong during their game Friday against the Dallas Stars, but they came back with vengeance on Saturday to show they'll be scoring points early this season.
The season opener in Dallas was a clean slate for the team after their "Stanley Cup hangover" season last year and even though goaltender Corey Crawford had a solid start with 31 saves it wasn't enough in a 2-1 loss.
Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen muted the Hawks' offense, stopping 37 of 38 shots on goal. Nick Leddy was the only Hawk to break through with 13.6 seconds left in the game to deny Lehtonen the shutout.
Coach Joel Quenneville produced some line changes due to injuries or suspension but even then the team wasn't running four full lines. We saw Michael Frolik join Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp for a bit, and Patrick Kane did the same towards the end of the game.
Luckily the Hawks had a second chance on Saturday at their home opener to get some retribution. Maybe it was the anger from losing the first game, or the excitement from being back at the United Center with a roaring crowd of 21,674 but the Hawks came through with a 5-2 win.
Dave Bolland scored two goals during his season debut; he missed Friday's game due to an upper-body injury. Andrew Brunette, Toews and Sharp all scored one as well to end the game with the Hawks on top 5-2. The win Saturday ending a four-game losing streak against the Stars.
This is of course the path the Hawks want to continue on this season, their main goal to have a more productive start to the season. Last year their inconsistency and lack of points barely got them into the playoffs.
The Hawks will take on the new/old Winnipeg Jets on Thursday at home, where winger Daniel Carcillo will join the team for the first time. Carcillo, an offseason addition, was suspended the first two games for accosting game officials during a playoff game last season when he was with Philadelphia.
