What better way to start the annual Circus Trip than by obliterating the two crappiest teams in the Western Conference! The Blackhawks will get a chance to do just that when they take on the Flames at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome.

I know the venue was built for the Olympics, but who designed that ass-hammer anyhow? Just looking at that thing gives me hemorrhoids.

I would imagine the cold November snows in Alberta got a little warmer for the Blackhawks on Wednesday night, after they finally gave the Edmonton Oilers the treatment they should have gotten when they visited the United Center earlier this season. A hat-trick for Captain Serious, Patrick Sharp broke his scoreless drought, and Marty Turco earned his first shutout as a Blackhawk. And there was much rejoicing.

Now it’s on to Calgary to hopefully douse an equally dismal Flames squad, prevented from occupying the Western Conference basement by none other than the Oilers, minus center Olli Jokinen. Roly Poly Olli decided to bury the shaft of his stick in Wojtek Wolski’s neck, and the league told him to enjoy some press box popcorn for three games. So for the next week, the only place he won’t live up to expectations is in the bedroom.

Former Blackhawk draft pick Rene Bourque leads the offensive charge for the Flames, with 9 goals and 15 points in as many games. Long-time captain Jarome Iginla is choosing to lead from the rear, being owner of a team-worst -7 rating.

But the real news in Calgary is the arrival of two new Flames, one of whom is familiar to Blackhawks fans. Defensive linebacker Anton Babchuk brings his howitzer slap shot — and its pathetic accuracy — to a Calgary squad rather lacking in firepower. His -4 rating suggests that firepower is about all he’s good for: part of the reason Chicago sent him packing.

On the Blackhawks’ side, far be it from Coach Joel Quenneville to fix something that isn’t broken. Expect the same lines as were on the ice for the Edmonton game, and Marty Turco gets the start again. All is right with the world once more, as Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa lead the ‘Hawks in scoring (in that order), though we still have a little work to do in the +/- department. And Duncan Keith is even showing signs of not sucking.

I’m a big enough man to admit when I’m wrong, and in winger Viktor Stalberg it appears that I may have been off the mark. He’s my “player to watch” tonight, as he is gaining confidence (along with speed) each time I see him. Against Edmonton he had only 2 shots on goal and tallied no points, but his assignment to the Toews/Kane line works very well for his skill set. I expect we’ll start to see the 20-goal scorer we hoped we traded for very soon.

Game time is 8:30pm Chicago time: Canadian viewers can see the game on TSN, Chicago locals will find it on Comcast SportsNet as usual. Broadcast radio is WGN AM-720, and XM subscribers turn the dial to channel 206.

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