Busy day at work today, so this’ll have to be brief (Update: okay, I lied about the brief part. I type faster than I give myself credit for, apparently.):

For Chicago, there’s no bigger game than tonight’s. After the light spanking they received at the hands of the Wings Sunday, they need to respond with enough defiance to avoid another one. If they do that, we have a series. Another underwhelming performance, however, and they’ll be in trouble and in a hole they do not want to be in. For them, key to this game will be:

Forechecking. The Ducks showed that an aggressive forecheck can disrupt the Wings’ game. The Hawks have to dig deep and find the energy to hound the Detroit defense. More rationale for this here. They have the speed to do it and if Quenneville’s smart, that’s part of his strategy.

Kane and Toews. The Fifth Feather’s John said Sunday their ice time in Game 1 wasn’t unusual (see also his latest), but it’s time Quenneville started upping their minutes. You use your best weapons this time of year, and you use them a lot. If they’re as great as we’re told they are (and I buy most of the hype), they can handle it.

Discipline. They showed an interest in descending into thuggery at certain points in the game, and given the Wings’ dominance of them 5-on-5, going down a man or two seems suicidal. It’s not a guarantee that the Wings’ power play would make them pay, but it’s not a risk worth taking. Stay out of the box, and play the game clean.

Although a few guys didn’t skate yesterday, the party line was that they’re all in tonight. We’ll find out throughout the day (or just before the puck drop) whether or not that’s true, but I’ll assume it is.

For the Wings, it’s important that they elevate their play beyond what they achieved in Game 1. They can’t afford to let Chicago in this. Key to their game will be:

Establishing puck possession early. The Hawks are sure to come out hard again, and this time they’re likely to be more dangerous than they were early in Game 1. The Wings need to get their passing under control in the first minutes and carry that through the rest of the game.

Special Teams. If the Hawks go to the box, the Wings need to make them pay. That simple. If the Wings go to the box, they need to kill off the penalty. And for the full two minutes, not just 1:50.

Best Players. It’s time those guns came online in the team batteries. Defensive play is great, and needs to continue, but goals and assists are also important. Secondary and tertiary scoring is carrying the load now, but our depth doesn’t mean a whole lot if our top guns are taking the role of checkers in terms of offensive production.

No lineup changes expected tonight, though Leino skated with the team rather than the Griffins, which means he’s an option for Babcock.

I’m pumped for this one. This seems a little distasteful after the Burish incident, but the Wings need to put the skate to the throat tonight. No letting the punks get uppity.