Getting up on gameday between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings has always been exciting.
For me, as a fan, the hey-day of the rivalry was between 2008-2013, culminating in the 2013 Western Conference Semi-final matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Blackhawks looked unbeatable in a seven-game series after ripping through the Minnesota Wild and coming off a historically great, albeit abbreviated, 2013 regular season.
Then they fell 3-1 in the series to Detroit and had to claw their way back into it. I missed Game Five because of my Sister-in-law’s wedding and it has never been harder NOT to check my phone every two minutes for game updates. Michael Frolík’s shootout goal in Game Six will always be an underrated moment in that 2013 Stanley Cup run. Then, of course … Game Seven, at the United Center, in overtime (which it should not have come to that, but whatever), we get Brent Seabrook heroics:
After an off-day Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks made their return to the ice on Thursday, and with it came a bevy of roster moves.
First, after missing all of training camp due to immigration issues, Carl Söderberg joined the team on the ice for his first practice. The 35-year-old was unable to join the team and go through the required seven-day quarantine prior to the start of the season and missed the four-game road trip in Florida:
First look at Carl Soderberg in a practice drill. #Blackhawkspic.twitter.com/pbUwcojTpX
Moving onto the Taxi Squad were forwards Reese Johnson and MacKenzie Entwistle.
• “Obviously not good enough.” Spot on, Connor.
Connor Murphy: If you re going to consistently give up rushes where we re going to be under siege like that, eventually plays are going to happen for them.
• This is going to be a theme this season, as it has been for the past two seasons. Chicago has given up the most shots on goal of any team over the past two years. If they are going to have any success, that cannot be the case again this season. The goaltending is too inexperienced at this point and the team defense has to be better. The Blackhawks are not built to out-score teams this year. It won’t work that way.