Paint it Blackhawks Presents: Viewer’s Guide to December Part One
December 1st, 2009 | by jneveau |Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator
As the calendar turns from November to December, the Blackhawks are looking ahead to a month that sees them play 15 games in 31 days, with all but five of those coming on home ice in Chicago.
The quality of competition, however, continues to run high for the Hawks, with Eastern Conference powers like the Penguins, Sabres, and Devils lurking on the schedule, as well as several key divisional games against the Red Wings and Blue Jackets.
The Madhouse Will Rock in December
Original Six match-ups are lurking on the slate as well, with the Rangers and Bruins both coming to the United Center during this festive month.
December 1st vs. Columbus 7:00pm CST (Versus)
The Word: Hossa
Not only will this contest mark the first home skate for the Blackhawks November 15th, but it will also be the debut of Marian Hossa in a Hawks uniform on home ice. He won’t even be wearing the red Indian head sweater.
Instead, he will be wearing the new Hawks 3rd jersey, which will make its debut during the game as well.
The big question mark that will need to be addressed when the Hawks take the ice will be whether or not they can recover from their offensive slump that they were in the last two games of the Circus Trip. If the beginning of that trip provides any indication to future results, the Blackhawks should be just fine.
Author’s Shameless Self-Plugging: For my Puck Daddy featured piece on the Circus Trip, check out this entry from The Hockey Writers.
Chicago Blackhawks (Jim Neveau/PIB)
December 4th vs. Nashville 7:30pm CST
Word: Python
The first three times that the Blackhawks played the Predators this season, Nashville was playing like a team who had nothing to play for.
They were dormant, residing near the bottom of the division, and weren’t exactly a threat to anybody.
As the old Monty Python movie was titled, “And Now for Something Completely Different”.
The Predators are now 2nd in the division, four points behind the Blackhawks. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games, nearly matching how hot the Hawks have been over that same stretch (8-1-1). They are improving quickly thanks to the stellar play as of late by Pekka Rinne.
December 5th at Pittsburgh 6:30pm CST
The Word: Mirror
When the Hawks skate into Mellon Arena for the final time during regular season play, there will be quite a few inevitable comparisons made.
Can Toews Repeat His Hat Trick Magic Against the Pens? (Pam Rodriguez)
The Penguins, like the Blackhawks, were a team going nowhere, but they got new owners, successful high draft picks, and a rejuvenated fan base. Then, they had some playoff success in 2008, but fell short to the Red Wings. The next year, they went all the way, beating those same Wings en route to the title.
Sound like the Blackhawks? This should be a fantastic game between the top team in the East and one of the top teams in the West.
December 9th vs. New York Rangers 7:30pm CST
Word: Eckhart
The biggest question facing the Rangers this season is which team will show up on any given day. They are about as two-faced as Aaron Eckhart in “The Dark Knight”, and the numbers back up that appearance.
Which team will show up? Will it be the team that has scored 80 goals so far this season (fourth best in conference) or will it be the team that’s given up 84 goals (fourth worst in conference)? Could it be a combination of both?
In any case, the Hawks should be able to step up to the plate and play whichever game they need.
December 11th at Buffalo 6:30pm CST
Word: DE-FENSE
Ryan Miller (Jim Neveau/THW)
The Buffalo Sabres have always been a squad predicated on good defense. It starts with their blue line, but it all ends with their stud goaltender Ryan Miller. He is having another fantastic season, and is the clear cut favorite to be the starting goaltender for Team USA in the Olympics.
The Sabres have also only given up 55 goals this season, 2nd best in the Eastern Conference. They also sport an excellent 8-3-2 record on home ice, and it will be a huge obstacle for the Blackhawks in one of their few stern road tests in December.
December 13th vs. Tampa Bay 6:00pm CST
Word: Free
Free hockey (i.e. overtime) may be good for fans, but it has certainly not been kind to the Tampa Bay Lightning this season.
The Bolts have only seven regulation losses this season. Not terrible considering that they have played 25 games. The issue that they are having is that they also have a horrific EIGHT shootout/overtime losses to go with it.
Yes, you still get a point even if you lose in OT via the NHL’s screwy “reward the loser” system, but the bigger picture indicates that it could be an issue down the line. The Lightning currently find themselves in the 8th playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If they are in a dog-fight to the end for a post-season berth (and with guys like Stamkos and LeCavalier that’s a safe bet), then every point will count, and the eight points that they’ve already left on the ice look to be a huge deal.
Stan Mikita (Pam Rodriguez)
December 16th vs. St. Louis 7:30pm CST
Word: Stosh
Games against divisional rivals are rarely easy, and games against the Blues are no exception.
St. Louis is currently 12th in the Western Conference standings, and they seem to simply be treading water, going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. They don’t allow many goals, but they don’t score much either, sitting dead last in the conference with 62 scored this season. Yes, even the Minnesota Wild have scored more goals than the Blues.
St. Louis will come to the UC on this Wednesday night looking to get a jump-start against the vaunted Hawks, and they will do so on a night that Hawks legend Stan Mikita will be honored with a Heritage Night celebration. They’ll look to spoil that party, but if Chicago can get to Chris Mason early, it might be a long night for the boys from the Gateway to the West.
Part Two of the December Viewer’s Guide will be published on December 17th
Tags: Aaron Eckhart, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, detroit red wings, Jonathan Toews, marian hossa, Mellon Arena, Monty Python, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Miller, Sidney Crosby, St. Louis Blues, Stan Mikita, Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vincent LeCavalier
