"Center" of attention. (Scott Strazzante, Chicago Tribune)

It’s not like me to be so happy about a victory over a team that would probably finish second in a suburban men’s league, but there was a lot of good going on tonight. The fact I’m building up this solid effort (from the eight-minute mark on, anyway) is because it’s the third game of the season, and things seem to be clicking in places we may not have expected.

Thursday night’s 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets wasn’t perfect by any means, though what transpired for the better part of the contest was the Blackhawks simply flattening an outmatched team and ruining the return of Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien.

Ray Emery wasn’t fantastic, and he looked, well, like a guy who is just getting over the flu at times. Both first-period goals were re-directed by Jim Slater, and they likely would’ve gotten past most goaltenders. The third? Well, that’s where he slipped up a bit, but as I’ve stated before, there’s a reason a backup is a backup.

The one time he came out of the net and tried to pass the puck up ice to get he play started, he gave Byfuglien a gift which he nearly buried. This prompted my fellow season-ticket holder Neil to say of Emery, “He was just tryin’ to help a brotha out.” Wait, help a brotha … Ohhhh, I get it. They’re both African-Americans. I understand now. I’ll laugh.

Jonathan Toews committed a hometown turnover which led the first goal, and the amount of in-zone turnovers where beyond counting, though Winnipeg luckily had its share of those issues as well.

I’ll get more into what I felt was impressive in Boxing, but I have to say I came away very happy with the play of Dan Carcillo. CarBomb was all over the ice tonight, and in no way did I feel he was out of control. He made solid passes which nearly led to goals, and I think his all-out play and style fit well with the finesse of Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa on that line.

Carcillo’s assist game came on a play where he won the puck off the board and fed it to Hossa, who bulldozed through a check to find an open Kaner, who fired it in on a one-timer. If that line continues scoring goals in that style, Carcillo is going to end up being a great pick up and a great match with those two.

Onto Boxing we go. Click the separate images to enlarge…

Follow Cheer The Anthem on Twitter @CheerTheAnthem and on Facebook
Download Cheer The Anthem’s Android app for immediate alerts to new posts