It's hard to believe that halfway through the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings are just now meeting for the first of six times tonight when the Hawks host the Wings at the United Center.
Over the last ten games, statistically speaking, the Blackhawks and Red Wings share virtually identical stats all around. Both teams have played very well of late. Chicago sports a 7-2-1 record in their last ten, while Detroit shares similar success with a 7-3 record through ten games. Chicago is tied with Vancouver for the NHL lead in the standings with 50 points, while Detroit sits not far behind Chicago with 47.
Click here to read my full preview of tonight's game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings -
http://thecheckingline.co...-red-wings-begins-tonight
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"Pavel Datsyuk: He's effective at pretty much every inch of the ice and is the "Jonathan Toews" of Detroit (as close as anyone can attempt to be, anyway)."Really? I mean, I love Jonathan Toews. He's a fantastic player. But you should really reverse that. Datsyuk has higher points per game, better /- per game played, and is better defensively. Datsyuk is the best two-way player in the game, bar none. Toews is great, Datsyuk is better.
Not saying you're wrong, but there is a physicality that J Toews brings with his finesse that I'm not sure Datsyuk can match. I've certainly seen Datsyuk play with grit and tenacity, but I'm willing to claim that Jonathan Toews is one of, if not the most complete player in the NHL. It's a tough call. And of course, I'm certainly willing to admit I'm totally biased.