Corey Crawford had a good run in goal for the Blackhawks on their last road trip, but had a rough game against the Blues on Tuesday night, although the Hawks won the game with an offensive explosion.
So, coach Joel Quenneville will send Marty Turco out to start in goal tonight, if for no other reason than to keep him fresh. Perhaps this is a season where the Hawks will have two No. 1 goalies; that can only be a positive, because both can stay healthy and ready to go and not rusty if one gets hurt.
This will be Turco's first start since Nov. 24, when he allowed four goals in a loss to the Sharks. Turco has a win over the Canucks at home already this year, when the Blackhawks defeated Vancouver in a shootout 2-1 at the United Center on Oct. 20. The Hawks have won three in a row and six of their last ten and seem primed to make a run back to the top of the NHL standings.
The Blackhawks announced earlier today that they would have a moment of silence before tonight's game in honor of Ron Santo, the Cubs legend and broadcaster who passed away on Thursday. Blackhawks President John McDonough worked for the Cubs and with Santo for many years before coming to the Hawks.
Tonight's game begins at 7:30 p.m. CST and will be televised on CSN Chicago Plus. As the old saying goes, "check local listings."