If these are the dog days of the National Hockey League season, the Blackhawks better hope they have a little greyhound in them, because with 38 games remaining after Wednesday night’s 4-1 victory over Edmonton, their stretch run is beginning early.
It shouldn’t have had to be this way, not having the luxury of going through a lull this time of year. But the Hawks dug themselves such a huge hole, every game builds in importance.
And games against Western Conference opponents like Edmonton are especially important.
“It’s a four-point game,” coach Craig Hartsburg said. “From here on in, it seems like a long stretch drive, but it is, because there are so many teams that are equal or in the same position.”
The Hawks currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot with 39 points, which is tied with Vancouver and just one shy of St. Louis and Phoenix. Calgary is No. 9 at 35 and Toronto No. 10 at 34. Colorado, Dallas and Detroit have pulled away a bit at 56, 51 and 47, respectively, and Edmonton is fourth at 42.
“We can’t afford to have those (dog days),” said Hartsburg. “But it also is a time that if we can put something together, maybe we can catch some teams that are going through a lull period.
“We’ve had a lull period the last two months.”
Change game: Hartsburg recently changed up his lines in an effort to spark his club, breaking up the potent 1-2 combination of Tony Amonte and Alexei Zhamnov. The move has been productive, with Zhamnov centering for Eric Daze and Bob Probert, and Amonte’s new line that includes Kevin Miller and Murray Craven having a huge night Wednesday, combining for seven points.
“That line was the difference in the hockey game,” Hartsburg said. “They used their speed and created opportunities.”
For starters . . . Jeff Hackett’s 35-save effort against Edmonton earned him another start Friday at New Jersey.
“As the game wore on, he was a big difference in the game,” Hartsburg said of Hackett, who lost his shutout with just 2:15 remaining when Mats Lindgren scored.
Hackett and the Hawks did end Andrei Kovalenko’s 11-game point-scoring streak. Hackett had the wind knocked out of him in the second period when he got kneed in the head.
“I got a little dozy,” said Hackett.
Dozy?
“I still got it, I guess,” said Hackett, breaking out in a laugh.
Come back soon: There’s something about Edmonton (19-20-4) that brings out the best in them, though. The Hawks are 14-1-2 in the last 17 games against the Oilers, 5-0-1 in the last six in Chicago.
String ends: The Hawks’ run of five straight sellouts at the United Center ended as only 17,500 fans showed up.
