The Detroit Red Wings sure looked different than when they lost 3-0 in back to back games against Chicago, earlier in the season. Chicago got out to a 2-0 lead today at Joe Louis Arena, but it took a crazy shootout win to defeat the division rival.
Yet, in the end, winning a game is exactly what they did. It took a goal-scoring extravaganza to beat Columbus yesterday, and these wins are just the start of what should be a crazy 8-game road trip.
Chicago is 21-5-1 at home this year, but the road games are beginning to come in bunches for the NHL's best team. The Hawks will be in a race with San Jose, all season, for the top spot in the Western Conference. They lead the Sharks by just two points, but have a double-digit lead against everybody else in the West.
This road trip is certainly the toughest part of the schedule, and with the Olympic break coming up in mid-February, it is crucial to win as many games as possible going into that break.
This weekend brought a pair of wild wins, and the offense has now scored the most goals in the NHL. They have needed every one of them lately, since the goaltenders have struggled a bit. It was the other way around earlier in the season, and Chicago has still allowed the fewest goals in the Western Conference. Good teams pick each other up, and Chicago is doing that.
Still, these two wins show that life will not be easy for the young Hawks. There is a target on their backs as each team is looking up to Chicago in the standings. Opponents will play physical against guys like Patrick Kane, but a good coach like Joel Quenneville and a mix of veterans should keep the team focused.
The final 2.5 months of the season should be exciting, just like the first 3.5 months have been.
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