If you've had enough football for a Saturday evening after the Wrigleyville Classic, or whatever college football you've been watching all afternoon, the Blackhawks will be happy to give you a hockey nightcap beginning at 9 p.m. CST when they take on the Vancouver Canucks on the West Coast in the second game of their six-game "circus trip."
It'll be the Blackhawks' first visit to Vancouver since they eliminated them in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last May. The Canucks were in Chicago on Oct. 20 -- the Hawks beat them 2-1 in a shootout.
The Canucks are coming off an Eastern swing in which they went 2-2-1 and they stand one point ahead of the Blackhawks with 23 points to the Hawks' 22, although the Canucks have played four fewer games than the Blackhawks, who are tied with the Ducks for the most games played in the NHL.
Goalie Marty Turco has had a tough go of things recently, despite his shutout of the Oilers on Wednesday in Edmonton and so coach Joel Quenneville said he might start Corey Crawford in goal tonight. If so, he'll face the Canucks' hot Henrik Sedin, who has piled up eight assists during a four-game points streak. Henrik's twin brother Daniel has scored three goals in those four games.
The game will be televised on CSN Chicago.