Avalanche at Blackhawks Game Day

The Chicago Blackhawks (4-1-1) and Colorado Avalanche (5-2-0) will face off Saturday night at United Center in the second game of a home and home.  The Hawks defeated Colorado 3-1 in Denver on Thursday night.  Hawks goalie Corey Crawford and Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov both played spectacular and are expected to be in net tonight.  The Blackhawks (2-0-1) at home will look to continue to pile up October points that eluded them a year ago as their Stanley Cup title defense sputtered early and left them fighting until the last day of the season for a spot in the playoffs.  Chicago has accumulated 9 of 12 possible points so far.  The Hawks come into the game as the 2^nd ranked penalty killing team in the league.  They will need to stay out of the box and the PK will need to stay sharp against the number one ranked Colorado Avalanche power play unit.  The Avalanche come into the game riding a 5 game road winning streak.  Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa scored for the Hawks in Thursday’s win.  Ryan O’Byrne scored the loan Avalanche goal.  The Hawks look to improve on their 1-0-0 record in the season series against an Avalanche team that took 3 out of 4 from the Hawks a season ago. 

Prior to the game the Hawks will unveil two new statues outside of United Center to honor Hawks legends Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita.  Stan Mikita is the Hawks all-time leader in points with 1,467 and assists with 926.  Mikita helped lead Chicago to the 1961 Stanley Cup.  Mikita added 59 goals, 91 assists, and 150 points in his Hawks playoff career.  Bobby Hull the “Golden Jet” is the Hawks all-time leader in goals scoring 610 goals and was also a member of the Hawks 1961 Cup winning team.  Hull netted 62 goals, added 67 assists, and tallied 129 playoff points.  The pair have been named Blackhawks Ambassadors over the last few years and both have their Indian Head Sweaters hanging from the United Center rafters.  Both are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.  The statues will be located on the northeast plaza outside of the United Center near Madison Street.