January 2012 Archives

* These teams meet for the first time since splitting two games in November, when each club won on enemy ice. The Canucks are 22-8-0-2 versus Chicago since January 2003.

* The Blackhawks have played 15 of their past 19 games at home, and Chicago hasn't posted a road victory since beating Minnesota, 4-3, on December 14. The Blackhawks are 0-3-1 away from home since then.

* Seven of Vancouver's last eight games have been decided by a single goal, with the Canucks going 5-2-1 overall since January 7.

* Dave Bolland scored Chicago's only goal in the Blackhawks' 3-1 loss to Nashville last Tuesday. His seven goals and 11 points in January each represent the highest monthly totals of his career.

* Marian Hossa enters the season's second half riding the league's longest active scoring streak, at nine games. It's his longest since October 2008, and four shy of his career high (13 games in November 2002).

* When Daniel Sedin scored the game's first goal last Tuesday, in Vancouver's final game before the All-Star break, it marked his 15^th point of the season on initial scores, the highest total in the NHL.

* These teams have split their two meetings so far this season with each club winning once on its own home ice. The Predators have lost each of their last three trips to Chicago.

* The Blackhawks have outscored their opponents 23-10 during their current five-game home winning streak. Chicago owns the third-best faceoff win percentage in hockey this season (52.1%).  

* Nashville has won 11 of its last 13 games and has outscored its opponents 12-3 during its current three-game winning streak.

* Patric Hornqvist has lit the lamp in each of his last two games and has three goals and one assist in his two games against the Blackhawks this season.

* Marian Hossa has collected at least one point in 18 of his last 21 games and has 10 points (3g, 7a) during his current eight-game point streak. Hossa has three goals and three assists in his last three games against Nashville.

* Pekka Rinne has a 1.38 GAA during his franchise-record eight-game winning streak. Rinne has lost each of his two career road starts against the Blackhawks.

* The Blackhawks have won four of their last six games against the Panthers, including three shutouts of Florida.

* Chicago is 16-2-2 (.850) when scoring the first goal, tied for third-best in the NHL, while the Panthers are 14-1-5 when scoring first, fifth in the league.

* Chicago has won its last four games at home, scoring 20 goals over that span. The Blackhawks are 18-5-4 (.741) at home this season, third-best in the NHL.

* Florida has lost its last seven road games, with four coming in overtime. The Panthers have 10 overtime and shootout losses this season, tied for most in the NHL.

* Jonathan Toews has scored four goals in his last three games and has seven points in his last five games. Toews is tied for fifth in the NHL in goals at home (13) this season.

* Tomas Kopecky will be playing in his second game against the Blackhawks since changing teams. Kopecky has tallied a point in four of his last five games and has 19 points total this season.

 

* The Sabres lost, 5-0, in Detroit on Monday and have now been outscored 36-12 during their current 9-game road losing streak. Buffalo has been shut out three times on the road in 2011-12 - tied for most of any Eastern Conference club.

* Chicago defeated San Jose, 4-3, on Sunday and has now taken at least one point from five consecutive games overall (3-0-2 record). With a victory over the Sabres, the Blackhawks will jump from No. 5 to No. 1 in the Western Conference standings.
* The Blackhawks beat the Sabres twice last season (both 4-3 wins) and have won three of their last four tilts vs. Buffalo overall. These two clubs have split their last 25 meetings, each winning 12 of those games and tying once.
* Jonathan Toews had a goal and a helper in Sunday's win, giving him five points (2g, 3a) during his current 4-game scoring streak. Toews has 24 goals in 2011-12 - most of any Western Conference skater.

* Including tonight's matchup with Buffalo, three of the Blackhawks' four games before the All-Star break will be played at the United Center. Following the break, Chicago will play nine straight away from home
* The Blackhawks have scored 59 second-period goals in 2011-12 - most of any team in the league. However, they have allowed 60 goals in the second period this season - also the most of any team in the league.

* The Blackhawks have won three straight and seven of their last nine games against Minnesota, including a 4-3 shootout win in the first matchup between the clubs this season.

* Chicago snapped its four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over Columbus on Tuesday. The Blackhawks have collected at least one point in 19 of their 24 home games this season (15-5-4). 
* Minnesota has just two wins in its last 13 games overall and have lost each of its last seven away from home. The Wild's last road victory came on December 10 against the Coyotes.

* Dany Heatley has four goals and three assists in his last eight games overall, including three goals in his last four road contests. Heatley has five points (3g, 2a) in his last four trips to Chicago.

* Marian Hossa has 19 assists at home this season, exceeding his home assists totals in each of his past three campaigns. Hossa has two points in each of his last four home games against the Wild.

* The Blackhawks own the second-best faceoff win percentage among Western Conference teams this season at 52.3 percent, while the Wild own the third-best at 52.0 percent.

* The Blackhawks have won all three games versus Columbus this season, stretching their winning streak in the series to four games. Since January 16, 2010, Chicago is 9-0-0 against the Blue Jackets when scoring at least four goals, as opposed to 0-4-0 otherwise.

* By losing at Anaheim on Sunday, 7-4, the Blue Jackets became the only Western Conference team to allow at least seven goals on two occasions this season.

* The Blackhawks have lost four consecutive games (0-3-1) for the first time since dropping five in a row in March 2009. Chicago led in three of the four games, doubling its season total for blown leads (losses only) to six.

* With two points on Sunday, Vinny Prospal has now scored 27 of his 30 points this season when the Blue Jackets have either trailed or been tied. Among skaters with at least 25 total points, that's the highest percentage (90.0) in the NHL.

* Rick Nash recorded his third multi-goal game of the season on Sunday, and the 44^th of his career. No other Blue Jacket has ever produced more than 12 multi-goal games (Geoff Sanderson, R.J. Umberger).

* Marian Hossa had two more assists on Sunday, raising his season total at home to 18, which exceeds his home assists in each of his past three seasons. His 25 total points at home nearly matches his total in 2010-11 (27).

 

* Chicago has won six of its last nine home games against the Avalanche, scoring at least three goals in six of the nine contests.

* With 22 goals this season, Jonathan Toews has scored 20+ goals in each of his first five seasons in the league, becoming only the eighth active player who can claim that feat.

* The Blackhawks are 14-2-1 when scoring the first goal of the game this season, the fourth-best record in the NHL.
* Matt Duchene leads Colorado with 12 goals this year, tied for the second fewest in the league among team leaders.
* The Avalanche are 9-2-0 in their last 11 games, the second-best record in the league since December 13.
* Semyon Varlamov is 6-5-1 on the road in 2011-12, with four of his six road wins coming from a shootout.

 

* The Blackhawks dropped a 3-2 decision to the Oilers on Monday night and have now lost two of their last three games overall. Chicago is 5-1-0 on the road since Thanksgiving.
* Philadelphia lost, 3-2, to the Rangers in the Winter Classic on Monday - its fifth setback in the last seven games overall (2-4-1 record). The Flyers are 10-2-4 in one-goal games this season (3^rd best in the NHL).
* Including the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, Chicago and Philadelphia have faced off vs. each other 10 times since the beginning of 2006-07 and each club has won five of those games. The Blackhawks and Flyers have each scored a total of 33 goals and garnered exactly 108 penalty minutes in those 10 games as well.
* Jonathan Toews lit the lamp Monday - his second straight and fourth time in the last six games he's scored a goal. Toews leads all Western Conference skaters with 22 markers in 2011-12.
* Claude Giroux had a goal vs. the Rangers on Monday and now has at least one point in nine of his last 10 games overall (17 points total in those games). Giroux had 46 points in 2011-12 - tops in the Eastern Conference.
* Philadelphia is 9-2-2 when getting 2+ days off between games in 2011-12 - best in the NHL. Chicago is 10-5-0 in such contests this season - tied for sixth best in the league.

* The Oilers dropped a 4-1 decision to the Islanders on Saturday - their third straight and seventh loss in the last eight games overall. Edmonton is just 3-11-1 since November 26 - worst in the league.
* Chicago defeated Detroit, 3-2, on Friday and finished up December with an overall record of 10-2-1 - best of any team in the league last month. The Blackhawks are 13-0-2 when scoring three or more goals at home this season.
* These clubs have split two games this season, each winning on its home ice. Edmonton beat Chicago, 9-2, the last time the two teams played on November 19 - the most goals allowed by the Blackhawks since a 9-2 loss to the Kings on January 1, 2008. 
* Andy Sutton had a helper on Saturday in his return from an 8-game suspension for a charging incident vs. the Flames on December 7. Sutton has two goals and an assist in 13 career games vs. Chicago.
* Marian Hossa lit the lamp for the 17^th time this season Friday and now has 17 points (8g, 9a) in his last 12 games overall. Hossa has 10 points (4g, 6a) in his last nine skates vs. the Oilers.
* Chicago has just 30 man-games lost due to injury in 2011-12 - fewest in the league.