Some might consider the Blackhawks lucky for getting out of their annual Circus Trip with a .500 record, especially after the disaster that took place in their two games in Alberta.
But overall, the Blackhawks’ play on the trip was solid, and it was again on Saturday as they closed out the trip with a win over the Los Angeles Kings.
The biggest surprise in this one was the fact that Dan Carcillo was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. This came after a poor performance against Anaheim, leaving John Scott to take his place among the forwards. The only reasoning for throwing Scott in is the fact that he had that brutal fight against Kevin Westgarth last year that left Westgarth bloodied.
Nonetheless, even Scott turned in a decent performance as the Hawks took a 2-1 game in LA to win their eighth straight game over the Kings.
Andrew Brunette got the Hawks, who never trailed in the game, on the board first. After a point shot that went wide, Brunette put one past Jonathan Quick on a wraparound.
The only Kings’ goal of the night came on some questionable defense, as no one was able to clear the puck out of the defensive zone, resulting in a Jarret Stoll goal.
Duncan Keith earned his second assist on the night, on the goal that would turn out to be the game winner. Another wide point shot, the puck deflected right back to Jonathan Toews in front of the net, who just needed to tap it in as Quick was completely out of position.
The Hawks maintained control for most of this one, but when they didn’t Corey Crawford stepped up in a big way. Crawford turned in one of his best performances of the year, stoning the Kings on 26 of their 27 shots. He was as confident in the net as we’ve seen him in quite some time, and helped to stave off a late push by the Kings in the last few minutes.
Toews also stayed hot after his five-point night in Anaheim. His goal was his fourth game-winner of the year and his 10th point on the trip.
After the 3-3 trip, the Hawks will return home to the United Center for another tough bout, when they host the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday.
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