Man, the Stars suck.  They've got some decent forwards, but their defense is pathetic.  I'm not sure if Sergei Zubov and Daryl Sydor wandered away from their rest home and back onto the ice, but when that pair is playing heavy minutes for your team, it's a problem (unless this is 1998).  While the usual complaint from me is that the Hawks don't have a fighter, I was glad to see them stay out of that shit tonight.  Steve Ott and Sean Avery are a couple of assholes who thrive on turning games into a clusterfuck, and the Hawks thankfully didn't get drawn into playing their game.  Dallas did come out hitting early, but the Blackhawks weathered the storm and were able to regroup and take the game. 

THE GOOD

Kris Versteeg:  Versteeg had a terrific goal on the power play and added two assists.  He's awesome.

Nikolai Khabibulin:  Another great game from Khabi.  The guy is hotter than hell right now, and Quenneville is right to ride him through this streak.  I don't think he can keep it up, but if the Hawks win and it builds Nik's trade value, it's a win/win situation.

Ben Eager:  Eager played well.  There, I said it.  He scored a goal and had an assist, and provided a physical presence.  He also spent his time on a line with Andrew Ladd and Dave Bolland, as Dustin Byfuglien was scratched.

Penalties:  Joel Quenneville's benchings of Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane during Tuesday's game must have struck a chord, as the Hawks took only 3 penalties and gave the Stars only 2 power plays.

THE BAD

Penalty Kill:  Dallas was 1 out of 2, and the penalty killing has been terrible the last few games.  Teams have been able to exploit the Blackhawks defensman down low, and Quenneville's going to need to make some adjustments to that unit.

Marty Turco:  Turco loves to handle the puck, so maybe he should become a forward.  I mean, an .870 save percentage?  That's horrible.

Dustin Byfuglien?:  I had the sound down, so I didn't hear the reason for Byfuglien's scratch, but assuming he was healthy, this can't be what Dale Tallon had in mind when he handed Big Buff $9 million over the next 3 years. 

THE UGLY

Patrick Sharp:  Sharp had two shots at an empty net from inside the Dallas zone and missed both.  Luckily, Patrick Kane was able to seal the deal a short time later.


Not much more to say about this one.  A solid win against a bad team, which should be the norm for this Hawks team.  Next up, an Original 6 matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs