Today will mark the start of the annual “circus trip,” and perhaps a proving ground for what may lay ahead for the Chicago Blackhawks. As the Blackhawks travel to Edmonton to face the Oilers for the third time, they have it in their minds to be a different team.
This season has been anything but uneventful, as the Blackhawks are in unfamiliar territory after just ending a four-game home losing streak. Two of those losses coming at the skates of the Oilers and really exposed a serious flaw in the Blackhawks: A lack of urgency.
While the Oilers have beaten the Blackhawks twice recently, they are currently in a slump of their own, seeing as these are the only two wins in the past eight games. Having lost his last three appearances, it appears that the only team Nikolai Khabibulin can beat is his former team.
In the past two years the notable road trip has been a proven success and has served as a mid-season jolt to the team. In 2008, the Blackhawks compiled a 3-2-1 record en route to a 10-1-1 December.
Last season, they compiled a 4-1-1 record that included a blowout, special teams victory in San Jose. ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Kyle Wahlgren
Chicago Blackhawks’ 2010 Circus Trip: Proving Ground
November 17th, 2010 by Kyle Wahlgren Leave a reply »
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