For the first time this season, the Hawks have won back-to-back games as they took down the St. Louis Blues by a score of 3 to 1. This was a good team win, as there was a lot of production from the guys not named Connor Bedard. Nikita Zaitsev picked up his first multi-point game of the season by recording two assists; Jason Dickinson scored his seventh goal over the last 10 games; and there were a few firsts on the night. Anthony Beauvillier picked up his first goal in the Indian Head sweater, Alex Vlasic picked up his first goal of the season, and Louis Crevier picked up an assist, making it his first career point. What an awesome story it has been for Crevier, going undrafted in his first year of eligibility, then going in the 7th round in his second year, and in just 3 years, climbing his way up the depth chart to make his NHL debut. It's always nice to have those feel-good stories, and it really helps you get excited for the future, as there is yet another possible option in the system that could be a factor going forward. It is always good to have options on D, especially ones that are coming in at 6 feet 8 inches.
Petr Mrazek’s impressive season continues, getting his second straight start after shutting out the Ducks on Thursday. He was able to turn away 38 of the 39 shots the Blues threw at him. He has now stopped 75 of the last 76 shots he’s faced, and that’s good enough for a.987 save percentage over the last two games. I am not sure what the plan is for the next season or so, but I truly think there should be a long look at signing Mrazek to a short-term contract if he is willing to extend his stay in Chicago. This team has options, but at the moment they still might not be ready to make the jump to the NHL, and that’s ok. If this team is going to do this rebuild right, one of the biggest factors is not rushing in-house goaltending to the main roster. With that in mind, Mrazek could be a good option to help take this team from point a to point b while Commesso and possibly even Gajan continue to develop into the guys of the future. Am I convinced this is going to be a possibility? Not entirely, but hey, there are for sure worse options out there, and if Mrazek is willing to stay, why not?
The Hawks are back at it tonight against the Washington Capitals. The Caps are having a better season than I believe most people had predicted, as it seemed like they were stuck in limbo in what was projected to be a very good Metro division. They sit 4th in the Metro with a 13-8-3 record and are coming off a big win last night as they shut out the New York Rangers 4-0. They are playing 500 hockey as of late, going 5-4-1 over their last ten games. They have been getting their production from the usual suspects: Tom Wilson (9-6-15), Alex Ovechkin (5-10-15), John Carlson (1-14-15), and Dylan Strome (10-3-13). It's always a joy to watch the Great Eight play, and with him knocking on history’s door, he’s always a player to keep an eye on.
Project Line-Up
Arvid Söderblom will start in goal tonight vs. Washington. No lineup changes. #Blackhawks
This one is simple and simple; the only change we are going to see is Arvid Soderblom between the pipes. His last game was one of his better performances of late, stopping 27 of 30 shots against the Predators. However, once the shootout started, he failed to make a single save, giving the Preds a 4-3 victory. He is having a very strange season, sporting a 2-8-1 record, but his two wins have come against the Maple Leafs. Hopefully, he can come up big tonight and help keep this winning streak alive.
That’s going to be it from me; puck drop is at 6 p.m. central time. As always, let's go Hawks!
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