WGN Sports: March 2010 Archives

* The Coyotes beat the Stars, 3-2, in a shootout on Sunday and have now won nine straight games overall, tying the franchise record set by the Winnipeg Jets (March 8-27, 1985).
* Chicago lost its last game, 5-4, in a shootout with Phoenix on Saturday and is now 1-2-2 in the last five skates overall. Despite both teams having 97 points, the Blackhawks currently hold the advantage over the Coyotes with two games in hand. 
* Phoenix has won all three games with Chicago in 2009-10 after the Blackhawks swept four from the Coyotes last season. Phoenix is the only Western Conference team that Chicago has not defeated this season.
* Patrick Kane snapped an 8-game goalless streak when he lit the lamp Saturday in Phoenix. Kane has scored at least one point in 12 of his last 14 games (5g, 14a during span).
* Phoenix has 20 different skaters with at least one game-winning goal in 2009-10 - most of any team in the league.
* Including each of its last three victories, Phoenix has won eight straight and 12 of 16 shootouts in 2009-10. The Coyotes' 12 shootout victories are most in the NHL this season.

*In their last ten meetings, the Hawks and Ducks are 5-5. They have each scored 23 goals. The Hawks have won 268 faceoffs, the Ducks 267.

*The Hawks road power play has scored at a 24.8% clip, 4th best in the NHL. Since the Olympics, the Ducks penalty kill is 70.4%, 28th in the NHL.

*The Hawks have ten players with ten or more goals, tops in the NHL.

*Brian Campbell's consecutive game streak will end tonight at 387. It was the third-longest streak in the league behind Jay Bouwmeester of Calgary (411) and Henrik Sedin of Vancouver (405).

* The Oilers dropped a 4-3 decision in Nashville last night and have now lost two straight and six of seven games overall. Edmonton is just 1-12-0 in its last 13 road games, getting outscored by a combined 51-17 in those contests.
* Chicago dropped a 5-3 decision to the Islanders in New York last night and had its 4-game winning streak snapped in the process. The last time the Blackhawks lost a game in regulation when scoring 3+ goals was December 29 to Dallas and they are now 35-3-3 in 2009-10 when lighting the lamp at least three times.
* The Blackhawks have beaten the Oilers all three times the two clubs have met in 2009-10, scoring at least four times in each contest. Dating to the beginning of last season, Chicago is 6-0-1 vs. Edmonton overall.
* Jonathan Toews has a team-high six points (3g, 3a) against the Oilers this season after tallying just two points (both assists) in his first seven career skates vs. Edmonton.
* Theo Peckham scored his first career NHL point last night with an assist on Gilbert Brule's goal in the second period. Peckham is the fifth different Edmonton rookie to score his first NHL point in 2009-10.
* The Blackhawks are 11-1-2 in the second of back-to-back games this season - best in the NHL. Edmonton is 1-5-1 in the second of back-to-backs in 2009-10 - worst in the league.

* The Islanders have won five consecutive games against the Blackhawks, outscoring Chicago 25-9 over the stretch.

* The Blackhawks headed into the Olympic break with four consecutive victories, with each of the last three coming via a shootout.

* The Islanders headed into the break scoring a power-play goal in just one of their last nine games (2-7-0).

* The Blackhawks have now won at least 40 games in three consecutive seasons for the first time since a 5-season run of 40+ wins from 1969-70 to 1973-74.

* Patrick Kane, coming off an impressive showing in the Olympics for the United States, has already tied his career-high of 25 goals scored (last season). He entered the Olympic break with a 4-game point scoring streak.

* Blake Comeau headed into the Olympic break with back-to-back multi-point games for the first time in his career.