The “midway point” of the NHL season could not have come sooner for the Chicago Blackhawks, who looked very much worn down as a unit Tuesday in a 5-0 thrashing against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blackhawks have played the league’s heaviest schedule thus far with 53 games before the All-Star break, which officially gets underway Thursday. Couple that with the Blackhawks’ best players coming off a Stanley Cup run, and the break will certainly be appreciated by all in an Indian Head.
(Of course, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have to go to the All-Star Game, so hopefully they can still find time for rest.