Blackhawks Look to Start California Swing Off With Win vs. Sharks

The Chicago Blackhawks will be kicking off the second half of their circus trip on Wednesday night when they take on the San Jose Sharks, and when they do, the team will be hoping that history repeats itself for one of their best players.

After all, it was on this day six years ago that winger Marian Hossa made his Blackhawks debut against these very Sharks in the very same building the team will play in on Wednesday night. That game was a great one for Hossa and the Hawks, as the forward scored two goals and racked up four shots on goal in a 7-2 victory over San Jose.

That game obviously has no bearing on the current season, but it’s still a neat coincidence as the team finds itself in need of Hossa’s scoring touch. The team has been relying on their second line for scoring punch throughout the season, but with that group starting to slow down just a bit, it will be imperative for players like Hossa and Jonathan Toews to step up their offensive output.

The Blackhawks will also need their goaltending to improve in a big way. Corey Crawford hasn’t looked like himself in recent games, giving up 15 goals and stopping less than 90 percent of the shots he’s faced in his last five outings. Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks was particularly bad, as he surrendered five goals on just 19 shots in the Hawks’ 6-3 loss to cap off the Canadian portion of their current road trip.

The puck will drop at 9 p.m. at the SAP Center, with game coverage on Comcast Sportsnet.

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