Chicago (8-4-1) at Phoenix (9-6-0)

  • Game info: 9:00 pm EST Thu Nov 5, 2009
  • TV: CSNC, FSAZ

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO, STATS Writer Nov 5, 1:54 am EST

Preview | Box Score | Recap | Highlights
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The Central Division-leading Chicago Blackhawks have dominated the Phoenix Coyotes recently, and the possible return of captain Jonathan Toews(notes) might help them continue that success.

Toews is expected to be a game-time decision Thursday night when the Blackhawks look to beat the Coyotes for a seventh consecutive time.

Chicago (8-4-1) has won six in a row - including all four meetings last season - against the Coyotes (9-6-0), outscoring them 23-5.

Getting their captain back in the lineup would provide the Blackhawks with a lift after the All-Star center missed four games with concussion-like symptoms stemming from a hit hard by Vancouver’s Willie Mitchell(notes) in the third period of a 3-2 loss on Oct. 21.

Toews practiced Wednesday, but isn’t sure if he’ll be available until just before the start of Thursday’s contest.

“It’s still to be determined, but I felt great (Wednesday),” Toews said. “Hopefully, it keeps progressing like it has in the past week or so. We’ll see how it goes (Thursday) night.

“Coach just wants to make sure that everything is good before I get in there and put myself to the test. Obviously, the game is much different than practice.”

Toews, who was nominated for the 2008 Calder Trophy won by teammate Patrick Kane(notes), had a goal and three assists in his last four games after managing one assist in the first five contests of the season. The slow start comes after he led Chicago with 34 goals while adding 35 assists - both career highs - in 2008-09.

Toews has four goals and five assists in six games against Phoenix.

The Blackhawks have been good without Toews, going 3-1-0 after beating Montreal 3-2 on Friday as Patrick Sharp(notes) scored the winner with 3:10 to play.

“We just wanted to keep moving forward,” Sharp said. “Without trying to sound cocky or arrogant, we knew we were going to win.”

Sharp’s goal against the Canadiens snapped a personal six-game drought after he started the season with five goals in six games. The right wing’s 11 points rank him second on the team, one back of Kane.

Sharp has also been a big part of the Blackhawks’ success against the Coyotes, tallying three goals and an assist in the last four meetings.

Phoenix has stumbled of late, dropping consecutive games after winning seven of the previous nine. The Coyotes lost again Wednesday, falling 4-1 at Colorado.

“It was a pretty lackluster effort on our part for the better part of two periods,” said defenseman Ed Jovanovski(notes), who scored his team-leading fifth goal of the season against the Avalanche after notching nine during all of 2008-09.

If the Coyotes are going to avoid a season-high third straight loss and halt their slide against Chicago, they could use a strong performance from goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov(notes), who will likely start after posting 25 saves Wednesday.

Bryzgalov is 0-4-2 with a 3.68 goals-against average in his last seven games - six starts - versus the Blackhawks. He struggled in his last start against them, making 21 saves in a 7-1 loss Dec. 7.

Updated Nov 5, 1:54 am EST
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Team Comparison

Team G W L OTL Pts Standings GF GA Road/Home
Chicago 25 16 6 3 35 1st, Central 78 56 6-4-2 Road
Phoenix 26 14 11 1 29 4th, Pacific 65 63 8-5-0 Home

Notes

The Blackhawks rallied from a three-goal deficit only to ultimately lose for the second time this postseason. Chicago trailed Calgary, 4-1, in Game Four of the conference quarterfinals before scoring three straight goals to forge a tie but dropped a 6-4 decision. ... Chicago mayor Richard Daley made a bet with Vancouver counterpart Gregor Robertson that involved food and drink. "This is a young and exciting team and they play with a lot of confidence," Daley said. "Well, I have a lot of confidence in them and to show how confident I am, I'm making a friendly wager on the series with Mayor Gregor Robertson. We've put together a package of Chicago products that includes just about everything anyone needs to enjoy a Hawks win." ... The Blackhawks went 1-for-3 on the power play while holding the Canucks to one goal on seven chances. ... LW Andrew Ladd was the lone Blackhawk not to register a shot on goal.

May 1, 12:36 am EDT

Phoenix finished the season 36-39-7. The Coyotes' 79 points were four less than last season's output, but 12 more than the total produced in 2006-07. ... Phoenix beat the Anaheim Ducks for the second time in six meetings and the first time since October 12, the second game of the season. ... Captain RW Shane Doan earned the team MVP Award, the Coyotes' Leading Scorer Award, the Three-Star Award and the Beth Champie Memorial Award.

Apr 12, 12:32 am EDT
NHL

11 Comments

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  1. neirBOn
    11. Posted by neirBOn Sat Nov 7 3:25am EST

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    Hockeychick, then can you explain the hemorhaging of money that has been rampant in the last 10 years? I am not saying the 'Yotes are a bad team. I am just saying that if a city cannot afford a team, they should leave. Columbus is having the same problem. Nashville is having the same problem. Both of the Florida franchises are having the same problem. No team in California is hemorhaging money the way these 5 teams are. Phoenix, Columbus, Nashville, Tampa Bay and Florida are all losing a ton and Bettman is going to say that the NHL needs to buy them and keep them where they are. In all fairness, they probably were good places 5-10 years ago, but now. Not so much. With the lockout and the loss of all contracts with ESPN and ABC, the NHL is failing. To save the league, these teams need to move to more financially stable venues or be eliminated.

    The team itself is amazing. They might be contenders this year but if they win the cup and no one will keep buy them and actually keep them there with a massively red bottom line, you might as well just kiss the franchise good bye. You will have your parade through downtown Phoenix/Glendale and then the next parade will be the trucks picking up the team and all supporting personel to another city.
  2. HockeyChick
    10. Posted by HockeyChick Fri Nov 6 7:58pm EST

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    We have that fan base what part of that did you not understand.. the summer totally screwed us.. it's not going to happen over night.. if you feel like they need more teams in canada then take teams from states that have more then one.. Florida.. New York.. California.. I say canada can have the Lightning Islander and Kings.. I could care less about those teams.. The panters eh.. maybe.. they could still strike something up.. the rangers are awesome.. the Sharks are awesome.. The Ducks are awesome.. they just need to find their game again... Coyotes are part of those good group of teams.. give the guys a break.. it's gonna be the year.. we've had the great fan base before I don't see why we can't have that agin.. It will happen.. give it a chance.. you'd want the same thing if it was your team in the coyotes situation.. GO YOTES!!!!!!!!!
  3. neirBOn
    9. Posted by neirBOn Fri Nov 6 7:04pm EST

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    at Johnba.juice and Hockeychick, I am from Los Angeles and I still think Bettman is a cancer on the NHL. I would like to see more teams north of the border. They have a "Built-in" fanbase. I think it is a mistake to use the money that could be better spent getting hockey back on to national "non-ppv" television to bail a team out of bankruptcy. They should have let Balsille buy the 'yotes, move them up north where they would be thriving.

    I have nothing but respect for the Coyotes trying to stay in Arizona, but if a team can't afford to be somewhere it should fold or relocate. I am sorry. They have a very solid team this year and I would like to see them get far, but it is all up to the fans to actually attend a game and support their team win or lose to keep them there. Look west to Los Angeles and you will see what I mean. They may have been losing money but not at the rate the Jets/Coyotes have been for the last 15 years. If a business had been hemorhaging money they way they have, they would have folded 10 years ago. And the Staples Center/Great Western Forum has had a steady stream of fans going to all the games, Win or Lose, for more than a decade.

    Good luck Phoenix
  4. HockeyChick
    8. Posted by HockeyChick Fri Nov 6 6:05pm EST

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    Wow.. Post #2 is an upset Hawks Fan? then again maybe your a discruntled canadian who didn't get their 7th team? anyway... 1st off.. This is the the coyotes 'real selves' we are a new and improved team so get used to it.. 2nd... The Coyotes don't suck.. they are a solid young fast team so how can you say they suck? This is a new season.. a new season comes with more opportunities to be better.. The coyotes are a perfect example of that as is Colorado.. We have plenty of fans and opening night earlier in October was a display we indeed have a fan base.. regardless if they cut ticket prices or not.. there here.. we just have to continue what we're doing and we'll be great.. I see us somewhere in the top 8 at the end of the season ready to take our playoff run! Go Yotes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
  5. Gildo
    7. Posted by Gildo Fri Nov 6 12:19pm EST

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    13 points this early in the year is actually pretty good... 28 points woul put him above the top players in the league, which he is not... He will be a solid contiributor his entire career, but I haven't seen enough at this point to put him up there with ovie, malkin, crosby, thornton, all of whom make way more per year than he does.. You know he is paid under a million right now correct? I'd say thats pretty good production considering there are 4-8 million dollar players that will get half the points of a kane or toews. There is more to the game than stats as well... I'm a coyotes fan but that post ir absolutely idiotic... #2, you should go move to Russia and enjoy the KHL if Bettman is so bad and you can't give props to a team that was projected to "suck" but has already knocked off the two conference champions and is one of only 7 teams to reach ten wins thus far in the season... I'm not making any bold predictions, but this team looks far better than they have the past 5 years and will make teams work every night. That Colorado game was 2-1, and the score only blew up to 4-1 because of two empty netters. Scores don't tell a full story...
  6. bluemoon
    6. Posted by bluemoon Fri Nov 6 11:34am EST

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    This is the problem the leading score cheapskates patrick 20cent kane has only 13 cent, oops im mean 13 points you pay him millions to score just 13 point, he not that good to be pay that kind of money , he suck ,he float around the ice, trade him , with the money you pay him he should have at least 28 points by now! bench him or trade him or demote to ther third line to gety him going,trading him is better he not the face of black hawks, he float to much
  7. <i>johnba.juice</i>
    5. Posted by johnba.juice Fri Nov 6 6:00am EST

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    @2.

    Ah, your just taking up the Predictions about Phoenix and Colorado finishing as the two worst teams.

    And since your putting down Bettman I'm guessing you're from Canada and you wanted this team to be in Canada, but the Ballsack got owned a bit didn't he?

    Never judge a team at the beginning of the season. You'll most likely bite your tongue at the end.
  8. neirBOn
    4. Posted by neirBOn Fri Nov 6 1:55am EST

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    I don't hate the yotes, but i must admit. they played really good today. I didn't watch the game but the score says a lot.

    It is a shame that if a team scores more than 2 goals against them that they don't how to stop them anymore.
    6-3 win the first game of the season, but the next 4 times they did they got owned. 3-5(LA), 2-5(NYR), 3-5(LA), 1-4(COL). They need to work on that. They are a good team. D needs to be worked on though.

    Good luck, Phoenix
  9. Paul S
    3. Posted by Paul S Fri Nov 6 12:39am EST

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    Hawks got their whooped!! Yotes rule!!! Suck it haters!!
  10. generaljesus
    2. Posted by generaljesus Fri Nov 6 12:10am EST

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    the coyotes suck. i cant wait until they turn into their real selves and finish in the bottom of the league again. at least they don't have any fans to worry about upsetting. id swear but it would only get deleted.
    so when you read this, insert 10 F-bombs at least. as well as a few generally insulting things about phoenix and a bit of this or that about gary bettman. i want to punch him in his little weasel face.

    um i guess that is basically it.
  11. Pigface
    1. Posted by Pigface Thu Nov 5 11:44pm EST

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    It had to be one of those games. Ouch. Next time.
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