head coach: Craig Hartsburg

roster: C - Alexei Zhamnov, Jeff Shantz, Steve Dubinsky, Todd White. LW - Bob Probert, Ethan Moreau, Eric Daze, Dan Cleary, James Black, Jean-Yves Leroux. RW - Tony Amonte, Sergei Krivokrasov, Jim Cummins, Craig Mills. D - Chris Chelios, Gary Suter, Eric Weinrich, Keith Carney, Michal Sykora, Tuomas Gronman, Trent Yawney. G - Jeff Hackett, Chris Terreri, Kirk Daubenspeck.

injuries: Jeff Hackett, g (sprained right ankle, indefinite).

transactions: Recalled Kirk Daubenspeck, g, from Indianapolis (IHL).

standings:

GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   HOME      ROAD
 2   0   2   0     0    4    9  0-0-0     0-2-0

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
10/1 at Phoenix   L 6-2
10/4 at San Jose  L 3-2

team news:

by Dan Glovier, Chicago Correspondent

* Let's see, troubles scoring, lack of power-play proficiency, and no second-line center. Yep, the Hawks are exactly where they left off last year! They've scored two goals in their two games, thusly not eclipsing that elusive three-goal barrier they had an awfully hard time doing last year.

In two games, they are 2-18 on the power play. Doh!

Suggestion: Get J.F. Sauve out of retirement. That cat used to rock and roll on the power play for Quebec!

* Jeff Hackett sprained his ankle in the San Jose game trying to make a diving, rolling (in the pike position) save on the Marko Sturm goal. They're not sure how long he's out, but now we'll get to see how Chris Terreri handles a bit of a workload.

* Chris Chelios may already be trying to do too much. At times last year, Chris didn't look like Mr. Norris. It usually had something to do with the fact that he had been playing 37 minutes a night for three out of the last five nights. But early on in the season getting victimized on basic plays? Couple this with an off-season quote he made about getting more involved in the offense, and I think he may be trying to shoulder too much of the load. Once again, this goes back to the fact that they do not have a legitimate number two center who could put up some points and distribute the puck so that others (Daze, Moreau, etc.) might also contribute.

* Speaking of Ethan Moreau, they experimented with him at center (wow, it's a "WE NEED A FREAKIN' CENTER!!!!!" theme, isn't it?) in their first game against Phoenix, and that didn't work out too well. They moved him back to left wing for the San Jose game, and he tipped home a goal (on a brilliant feed by Chelios) and played really well.

This would be a positive. Let's take a moment and bask in the glory that is a positive.

* First-round pick Daniel Cleary made the big team because of his strong training camp performance. In his first NHL game he was put on the left side with Zhamnov and Amonte.

And he looked every bit an 18-year old playing in his first game.

But that's to be expected. What wasn't expected was when coach Hartsburg benched him for game two of the season against San Jose.

If you're going to have the kid up in the bigs, play him. Let him make those rookie mistakes. If you're not committed to him 100 percent, occasional ugliness and all, send him to the IHL where he'll play all kinds of shifts and he can develop whatever it is he's lacking.

In the game that Cleary sat, James Black skated with Amonte and Zhamnov.

* The Hawks have their own version of the famed New Jersey Crash Line in place. Jean-Yves Leroux, Steve Dubinsky, and Craig Mills are playing good dump-and-kill hockey. So far they've provided a spark whenever they've been on the ice. With all of the early season penalties, their shifts have been minimal, but this is looking like it might be a serviceable line for the Hawks.

* The Hawks have a huge stockpile of defensemen, and as teams slowly figure out who can or can not play, look for the Hawks to deal one or two of them (either straight up or part of a package) to get some help at center. This idea not only makes sense, but when Bob Murray signed free agent defenseman (and ex-Hawk) Trent Yawney, you know he has to have something in mind for a defenseman or two.

* Those Brett Hull rumors seem to be only that: rumors. They keep popping up, but neither side is admitting anything, and don't you think something would have been done if something was in the works?

RECENT LINES

Offense
James Black/Alexei Zhamnov/Tony Amonte
Ethan Moreau/Jeff Shantz/Eric Daze
Bob Probert/Todd White/Sergei Krivokrasov
Jean-Yves Leroux/Steve Dubinsky/Craig Mills

Defense
Keith Carney/Chris Chelios
Eric Weinrich/Gary Suter
Michal Sykora/Trent Yawney

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