Last night was a "Wild" game… First, the Blackhawks Organ-I-zation provided an awesome tribute to Big Hoss playing his 1,000th NHL game. Then the pucked dropped and the game started in sloppy fashion. And with a sloppy start, Shawzam turned the puck over at the Blackhawks blue line which led to the Wild netting the opener. Then the Blackhawks awoke and the dam broke. Or rather, the "Manchild" (Brandon saad) as he is referred to by Tazer set the tone. Saad would tie the game up on his second whack at a backhander on a goalmouth scramble. Forty-four seconds later, Bicks would put the Blackhawks ahead with a lead they wouldn’t look back and the Wild Team saying, "oh $hit!". The onslaught continued as General Saad would then find both Bicks and Hossa about 90 seconds apart to give the Hawks a 4-1 lead and send Minnesota netminder Backstrom to the bench at the period’s end. Later in the game, there were some scary moments as the beloved Blackhawks spent most of the 3rd period playing the 1-2-2 trap. I hate that damn trap and just wished the Blackhawks would have continued to play the game as they finished the 1st and 2nd periods. By playing the trap, allowed the Wild to get back into the game on Ryan Suter’s first goal as a member of the Wild (how much are they paying him?) and then Kyle Brodziak outworked the entire Blackhawks fourth line and Keith and Seab pairing to make it a one goal deficit. But no worries, Superman wouldn’t stand for that kind of bull$hit as put the team on his cape and put the game out of reach 61 seconds later with a goal high on the glove side. So now the Mighty have 43 of 46 points leaving me speechless.

Tonight the Avs come to the Madhouse after losing 2-1 in Detroit last night to start a home-n- home series. I am not going to say much other than I expect the Blackhawks to come away with two more points tonight. One last point, from now until Sunday, the Hawks will play the Avs Friday in Colorado and the Oilers on Sunday at the Madhouse, two of the very few teams that can keep up with the Blackhawks speed. If the Blackhawks sit back as they did late in the game last night playing that 1-2-2 trap and doing so with a one goal lead, any one of these opponents will surely spell the end of streak.

Below are the NHL Rankings of the two teams:

Avs 8-9-4 20pts:

Goals for: 2.38 (24)

Goals against: 2.90 (19)

PP%: 12.3 (29)

PK%: 77.8 (24)

Blackhawks 20-0-3 43pts:

Goals for: 3.13 (4)

Goals against : 1.78 (1)

PP%: 17.2 (14)

PK%: 88.8 (3)

Did you know:

1) The Blackhawks went 1-2-1 against Colorado last season

2) Coach Q served as an assistant coach on Colorado's 1996 Stanley Cup Championship Team

3) Duncan Keith led the Blackhawks with five points (5A) in four games vs. Colorado last season

4) With their efforts to date this season, Bicks and Stalberg are going to receive significant pay increases, it’s just probably not going to be here

Tonight's expected Hawks lineup

Offense:

Saad Tazer Hossa

Sharpie Rat Kaner

Bicks Shaw Stalberg

Carbomb Krugs Frolik

Defense:

Seabs Keith

Hammer O-do-ya

Rozsival Leddy

Netminder:

The Razor

GO HAWKS!