Catch all of Steve Konroyd's analysis tonight as CSN's coverage of Blackhawks-Stars begins at 7:00 p.m. with Blackhawks Pregame Live.
1. Beware the "Old Stars", theyre the "New Stars": Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney are the second- and fourth-oldest players in the NHL but still lead their team in points. Whitney always plays well against the Hawks.
2. Transition is the name of the game: Against the St. Louis Blues, the Hawks had five odd man rushes in the first 10 minutes of the game. Each one ended up in a great scoring chance for the Blackhawks. Good defense leads to offense, and thats where the transition game starts.
3. P.K. is better than O.K.: This year the Hawks have just allowed one goal while being shorthanded, good for third in the NHL. Im a firm believer in your penalty kill being a reflection of your team defense, and so far so good for Chicago. You have to keep this area of your game strong -- last year the Hawks finished with the fourth-worst penalty kill percentage in the entire NHL.