[Bad Czech Pun]

Last 10 -- Blackhawks 8-1-1; Sharks 6-3-1

Season series -- The Hawks lead the season series 1-0 after closing out their recent homestand with a 4-3 overtime win against the Sharks on Nov. 15. Brent Seabrook's game-winning goal 41 seconds into extra time capped Chicago's comeback from a 3-1 deficit.

Big story -- San Jose is hot, but the Hawks are even hotter. As they enter the second week of their "Circus Trip," the Blackhawks, who will also have Marian Hossa for the first time, are riding a seven-game winning streak that includes a three-game sweep through Western Canada.

Team Scope

Blackhawks -- There aren't many better times to be a Blackhawk. Chicago is in the midst of its biggest test of the season, six games in Western Canada and California, and so far the Hawks are passing with flying colors. Chicago swept through the first half of its six-game sojourn by winning at Calgary (7-1), Edmonton (5-2) and Vancouver (1-0) in a four-day span. The biggest challenge so far will come against the Sharks, who currently have the top record in the League. But having beaten San Jose 10 days ago, the Hawks certainly won't want for confidence.

But perhaps most important for Chicago is the expected season debut of the off-season's biggest catch -- Hossa. After inking a 12-year, $62.8 million contract in July, Hossa had shoulder surgery that has kept him on the sidelines. With Hossa in the lineup, Chicago's offense -- already sixth in the League in goals per game -- is likely to be even more dangerous.

Sharks -- The Sharks may not have won their last seven games -- their current winning streak is only two -- but with a League-leading 36 points, San Jose is firmly on track for a repeat as the Presidents' Trophy winner. Second-year coach Todd McLellan has put his top three scorers on the same line for the past two games, and the results have been astounding. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and newcomer Dany Heatley have combined for 6 goals and 7 assists in that stretch, including Heatley's second hat trick of the season on Friday.

"Good players make each other better, and that's what's going on right now," Thornton said. "The scary part is that I think we can get better."

At the other end of the ice, Evgeni Nabokov has been sharp between the pipes. Nabokov hasn't lost in regulation in more than a month, going 9-0-3 with a 1.71 goals against average in his last 12 starts.

Who's hot -- Lost in the production of San Jose's top line has been the improvement of left wing Ryane Clowe. The Newfoundland native has scored in two straight games and tallied 13 points in his last 12 games. Chicago's Jonathan Toews has six points over his last four games, while Kris Versteeg scored three times in the first three games of the Hawks' road trip.

Injury report -- With Hossa's debut, the only missing pieces for the Hawks are Adam Burish, who has yet to play this year after knee surgery, and Dave Bolland, who is out following back surgery. San Jose is without Rob Blake and Devin Setoguchi, who are both on IR, while Brad Staubitz and Jody Shelley are listed as questionable.

Stat pack -- Hossa picked the right opponent for his debut as a Hawk. The highly sought-after sniper scored 40 goals and tallied 31 assists in 74 games with Detroit last season -- and seven of those points came in the Wings' four games against San Jose.

Puck drop -- For a regular-season game, it doesn't get much better than this. Wednesday night's matchup at the Tank will pit two of the NHL's best offenses and two of its hottest goaltenders -- Chicago's Cristobal Huet has matched Nabokov with a torrid stretch of his own, registering a 1.81 GAA in his last six starts -- against one another. With arguably the two best teams in the West, and possibly the League going toe-to-toe in San Jose, the potential playoff preview gives the Sharks a chance to firmly establish themselves atop the standings, while the Hawks will have an eye towards taking their first two games with San Jose and making a play for the conference's top seed.

[Bad Czech Pun]

Oh wow, there are RSVPs for this game. One of them's me because I'm going! It'll be my first of the season. Sooo excited.

GO SHARKS!

[06Stang]

Wish I could get some feedback on trying to go to my first game.

Anyway, GO SHARKS!!! Don't take it to OT. Win it in the 2nd!

[Teal Town USA]

payback time baby! hossa...YOU SUCK!

i hope torrey, seto, blake will be back soon. at least 1 or two for this game.

[sharkfanatic17]

OK Douglas. Make this Hossa's first and last game of the season.

[SharkieFan]

Originally Posted by sharkfanatic17

OK Douglas. Make this Hossa's first and last game of the season.

Agreed. GO SHARKS!!!!

[SharkieFan]

1,000 on each category. C'mon Sharks give me an Early Birthday Present tonight.

[Daryl 5]

Blackhawks are definitely playing well but I think are boys are gonna pull this one for the W.

[TheSandman]

This game is certainly being hyped by every media outlet as a can't miss. Good thing I and another CB'er who I'm rather fond of have tickets. Boo ya.

[SJSCoast2Coast]

Originally Posted by TheSandman

This game is certainly being hyped by every media outlet as a can't miss. Good thing I and another CB'er who I'm rather fond of have tickets. Boo ya.

(he's talking about me)

[chomper]

I've read that Danny Boyle isn't skating tonight; or at least..he hasn't be skating since the Anaheim game. Can anyone confirm this for me?

[Kniff]

Zalewski, Ferriero and Callahan up for tonights game, so Boyle might not be playing... unless another Dman is out.

[Bad Czech Pun]

Originally Posted by Kniff

Zalewski, Ferriero and Callahan up for tonights game, so Boyle might not be playing... unless another Dman is out.

If I were more clever, I'd have come up with a "who's getting called up today" game by now. Also, Boyle will be in tonight according to Pollak.

Dan Boyle will be in the lineup tonight when the Sharks take on the Blackhawks despite missing the past two days of practice, “maintenance” time after a shot struck him in the skate Saturday night.

“Too big of a game,” he said of the matchup of the Western Conference’s two top teams. “Can’t miss that.”

Boyle finished the game against the Ducks, but — like a similar, only more serious injury earlier this season to Joe Pavelski in Anaheim — the problem comes once the skate comes off.

“For two days, it was not good,” Boyle said. “But I’ve got about 48 hours of therapy under my belt and the adrenaline tonight I think will kick in and help out a lot.”
Boyle credited the training staff with getting him ready for the fact he doesn’t expect to be missing any games.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks/...ant-miss-that/

[Teal Town USA]

i hate comcast so much. the last few games, i've had to wait till the sorry kings game is over to get HD. sometimes have to record two channels because i dont want to miss any action or miss HD feeds. the CSN Plus is in SD and looks like crap. i've sent comcrap letters and never get responses.

anyone else w/ DishNW have this problem? my proposal to Comcrap

Comcast SportsNet San Jose - Sharks games in HD, Sharkbyte, Classic Sharks games, SHARKS, SHARKS, SHARKS! (if the niners move there, which i hope they don't, they can have niners and sharks games on)

no Kings, Warriors, Giants, A's, or Guthy Renker!

[Wordlifetn97]

ill be there tonite!

[Bad Czech Pun]

Originally Posted by Teal Town USA

i hate comcast so much. the last few games, i've had to wait till the sorry kings game is over to get HD. sometimes have to record two channels because i dont want to miss any action or miss HD feeds. the CSN Plus is in SD and looks like crap. i've sent comcrap letters and never get responses.

Hm...you know, I thought this was going to be an issue but I didn't bother to figure out how many games it affects. Some providers do carry an HD feed of Plus, though (DTV for example).

[sjsharx22]

Sharks FTW!

[SharkieFan]

I will have to watch the game on ATDHE.net since everyone else is going to watch the Main TV tonight and there is another TV in the kitchen area but does not get Comcast Sports NEt. SO I will have to watch it online. Sucks for me but I will more than likely be participating in this GDT tonight to help boost up the GDT Totals. Go

[AussiesharksFan]

is it just me or are the GDT's getting quieter?
I remember a couple of seasons ago the average GDT would have 700-800 posts and more than 30 pages, now we seem to be lucky to get to 10 pages.
I know i am not around as much anymore, new job doesn't allow me as much time to check in as i used to. But i do read each one when i get back to my room after work and many of the old regulars seem to have gone awall.
Hopefully the board will pick up again as the season kicks on, maybe it's time for a new membership drive.
Anyways i better get back to work myself, hopefully i can check in during the game, its a lunch time game for me so i can at least check in for 30 mins anyway.
In for 1k for the win and the over so go get em sharks....

[SHARK4X4]

I'll be there tonight!

GO SHARKS