Everything about tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars pointed against the Chicago Blackhawks. They traveled to Texas this morning and did not hold a morning skate. They are without their top two offensive players, their best defensive forward, and started their backup goaltender. On paper, they should have been blown out of the building.
But they don’t play the games on paper; they play them on the ice. The Blackhawks played a simple yet effective team game, got some scoring from their veteran leaders, and got numerous big saves by Arvid Soderblom. There was a little bit of luck, too, as the Stars hit five posts and Mikko Rantanen fumbled his shootout attempt.