Hawks Weekly Update 2/26: Chelios has number retired, Hawks, Kane returns to the UC

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Weekly Update

It's been a quiet news week, which we'll take, right?

Lukas Reichel has spent his first week down in Rockford, let's check in, shall we? In 4 games played, Reichel has posted 2 points, both assists. In his first game back with Rockford, he was on the 3rd line. Not sure if he was moved up at all in the 3 other games. Let's hope he starts things going in Rockford. I'll be keeping tabs on him.

Zach Sanford was placed on waivers on Feb. 20, he cleared the next day and is till with the Hawks.

Of course, the biggest news of the week came on Sunday when the Red Wings were in town. I go over the game in detail down below. Christ Chelios had his number retired and he gave an awesome speech. Patrick Kane visited the United Center for the first time since he was traded last year. It was a very nostalgic night, to say the least.

Game Recaps

2/19 Hawks @ Hurricanes - Hawks Lose 3-6
Recap can be found here.

2/21 Hawks vs Flyers - Hawks Lose 3-1
Recap can be found here.

2.23 Hawks vs Jets - Hawks Lose 3-2 OT
No recap, charts below.

2/25 Hawks vs Red Wings - Hawks Lose 3-2 OT

This game was on Hawks fans calendars going back to when it was announced that this would be the game Chris Chelios would have his number retired. Interest increased when Patrick Kane signed with the Red Wings, making it not only the first time we get to see Kane play against the Hawks, but also his first time playing in the UC since he was traded.

What a hell of night.

Chris Chelios' speech was awesome. He made sure he reminded the hockey world that he was and is a Chicago guy first and foremost. For those that don't remember, he was booed when he spoke as a Hawk Ambassader back in 2010. The Red Wings rivalry was very much still a thing back then.

Then the game started.

The first goal would come near the end of the 1st Period when Daniel Sprong shot the puck while falling.

In the second period, around the 16:40 mark, MacKenzie Entwhistle would tie it, 1-1. Kevin Korchinski would intercept a bad pass (if you can call it that) and pass it to Reese Johnson who would shoot into James Reimer. Entwhistle was there to collect the loose rebound and score.

The next goal would come on the games only powerplay. Nick Foligno would deflect a Connor Bedard shot to make it 2-1.

The first two periods were good for the Hawks, a 48.84 Corsi and a 52.94 Corsi for the first and second periods. They were playing hard, but things kind of changed halfway in the third, the end of which would give the Hawks a 37.5 Corsi.

The Hawks had the lead for most of the third. However, the Red Wings seemed to have woken up and turned on the pressure. Petr Mrazek made a lot of big saves to hold things for the Hawks. That is, until Alex DeBrincat scored a goal to tie it with a little under 5 min to go.Two octopi splattered on the ice, which was followed by more "DETROIT SUCKS" chants.

The UC's atmosphere was buzzing.

Unfortunately, fate does not favor the Hawks. Unlike Patrick Kane's last game as a Blackhawk in the UC, he finished things off to win it 3-2 for the Red Wings.

What an incredibly weird thing to see.

Week Ahead

It's a light schedule this week with only 2 games.

The Hawks will play the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. The Avs will be the harder of the two opponents this week, even though they are 3-5-3 in their last 10. The Avs still hold the number 3 spot in the Central with 75 points. Even though they are kind of going through a bit of a slump, this is still the Avs.

The other team is the Columbus Blue Jackets. They are last in the East and are going through some internal problems of their own. Even though this is the team to beat on paper, we all know that the Hawks will have a hard time beating the Jackets and somehow pull a win over the Avs.

Predicting the Hawks beat Colorado and lose a close one to the Blue Jackets.

• vs Avalanche 2/29 @ 8:00pm CT
• vs Blue Jackets 3/2 @ 7:00pm CT

Sick Bay

• Taylor Hall – Knee/Out for season
• Andreas Athanasiou – Lower body/week-to-week
• Connor Murphy - Lower Body/day-to-day
• Nikita Zaitsev - Knee/unkown
• Lukas Philp – Undisclosed/unknown

Let's Go Hawks!