Update (10:13 AM): As reader jz was kind enough to point out, Havlat has an ankle injury, not a knee injury and it happened in the 7th game. Dumb mistakes brought on by writing quick a game preview at 5:30 in the morning before work. Sorry about that.
I also neglected to mention another key injury for the Hawks, that of Michal Handzus, who tore his ACL in the 8th game (I think I know now where my mistake on Havlat’s injury came from…), and will be out for the season.
Also, be sure to check out The Hockey Recap’s great game report on the Wings for last night. That site gets better just about every day, and this super-boxscore is my favorite feature. - Matt
Tonight is the first of eight games between the Wings and the ‘Hawks this season. The Wings won the 2005-2006 season series 7-1, with the only loss coming on March 31, 2006 (2-3 OT). The Wings’ wins came Octobter 27th and 29th (5-2, 4-2), November 1st (4-1), December 12th (3-2 OT), March 11th and 12th (6-4, 5-3), and April 13th (7-3).
The Blackhawks have been struggling since losing their top scorer Martin Havlat in the team’s 8th game. They’ve lost four since then and have gone six straight games without a point. They are coming off a short road trip to the East Coast, where they lost to the Islanders and the Flyers.
Besides losing Havlat to a knee injury, the Hawks have lost starting goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to a broken finger. Khabibulin was finally starting to live up to his reputation this season before being injured on October 21st. Brian Boucher, who has been covering for him, is an awful 0-6 with a 4.04 GAA, though that’s likely due to the defense more than anything else.
The Wings are coming off a 3-2 win over the Flames last night and will be looking to extend their win-streak to five. After tonight’s game, the Wings will be done with travel for a little while as they have a three-game homestand from Saturday until next Friday night.
The Freep lists Andreas Lilja and Mathieu Schneider as doubtful tonight, meaning Chris Chelios will be playing, despite the fact that it’s the second of a back-to-back games.
The News says Chris Osgood will be in net for the Wings, which would mean Joey MacDonald will be on the bench rather than Dominik Hasek.
This is a good chance for the Wings to keep the momentum going. A win against a struggling team like the Hawks may not mean much but it will help the team build confidence going into games with tougher opponents. It’s a great chance to work on the special teams, which continue to be very sub par.
Unfortunately, I will be unable to watch the game tonight because I have a test tomorrow and need to study after classes and work. So, no full game report. Sorry!
Havlat’s injury is to his ankle, not knee, and it was in the 7th game. You don’t think Handzus is worth mention?
Boucher has actually played quite well the past couple of games, despite the losses.
“Havlat’s injury is to his ankle, not knee, and it was in the 7th game.”
Sorry about that. I do remember that it was his ankle now that you mention it. Dumb mistake on my part, as with the game number.
Yes, I think Handzus is worth a mention, but I forgot to mention him.