👋 Happy Halloween!
What’s better than waking up a little later on Sunday just in time for a full slate of games to kick off?
Doing so with an extra hour of sleep in your pocket.
Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before you call it a night on Saturday! You’ve earned it.
O Captain, My Captain
For the first time since entering the league back in 2007, Jonathan Toews has faced off against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Jets 6, Blackhawks 3: Toews tallied an assist on the Jets’ fifth goal of the night. But the story in this one was Winnipeg’s unstoppable top line and Spencer Knight’s uncharacteristically off night.
The Jets’ top line of Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabe Vilardi combined for four of their goals. Knight also let in a couple of bad ricochets that I’m sure he’d like back.
The Blackhawks nearly mounted a massive comeback, cutting the Jets’ lead to 5-3 with 4:57 left in the third, but Connor’s goal two minutes later shut the door on any opportunity.
Despite the loss, Andre Burakovsky’s third period goal was one of the fanciest and most impressive between-the-legs shots you’ll ever see. Burakovsky, situated just in front of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, received a hot pass from Connor Bedard before making a jaw-dropping move that beat Hellebuyck over the shoulder.
Too many Connors, not enough goals for the Blackhawks.
The Captain: Toews, who played 1,204 regular and postseason games and won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, spoke to members of the media in Winnipeg ahead of Thursday night’s game.
Toews on Chicago: “Chicago was my home for a long time, and it’s days like this that you get to kind of stop for a second and reflect, look back. … I’m very thankful for how things went in Chicago; it was definitely a dream.”
Toews added: “The success we had is what everyone in the league is going after, and it’s a really, really hard thing to do. And I think maybe when it happens early in your career, it’s not that you take it for granted, but like I said, you just kind of assume this is normal on some level.”
Toews on the current state of the Blackhawks: “The fans in Chicago are incredible, and it’s nice to see that they have something to cheer for and some great young talent that is really getting the United Center rocking again. So yeah, it’s exciting to see. I think [they have] some pretty good young players that are already showing a lot of confidence and ability out there.”
That was special. I can’t even imagine what January 19th at the United Center will be like when Toews makes his return to Chicago.
It still doesn’t feel right seeing Good Ol’ No. 19 skating around in anything but a Blackhawks sweater, but all things considered, it’s just nice to have a healthy Toews back in the NHL.
I’m sure many have similar stories, but it wasn’t until I got a red Toews shirsey for Christmas from my cousin right before the 2009 Winter Classic that I really started to care about hockey (lay off, I was 10 years old).
Great timing, eh? But Toews and the rest of that dynasty core, plus the dulcet tones of Frank Pellico on the United Center organ, made it so easy to fall in love with the game.
What a legacy.
Practice Report: WR Luther Burden III (concussion), RB Roschon Johnson (back), DE Dominique Robinson (ankle) and RB D’Andre Swift (groin) were absent from Bears practice for the second day in a row on Thursday.
Burden suffered a concussion in the Week 8 loss to the Ravens. Robinson was injured on the opening kickoff of that game when returner Devin Duvernay landed on the defensive end’s leg.
TE Cole Kmet was a limited participant for the second straight day, and receivers DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Olamide Zaccheaus all returned to practice in a limited capacity. Odunze said after Thursday’s practice that he would play on Sunday vs. the Bengals.
CB Tyrique Stevenson was also a full participant after missing last Sunday’s loss with a shoulder injury sustained early in the second half of a Week 7 win against the Saints.
For the Bengals, QB Joe Flacco was limited on Thursday as he recovers from an AC joint injury.
Errors & Omissions: Hand up, I had trouble tracking the columns in the box score last night and misread Nikola Vucevic’s stat line from Wednesday night’s win over the Kings.
Vucevic had 13 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.
Thanks to Matt Peck for pointing that out.
🐻 Hoge & Jahns
12:00 on YouTube
🏀 Bulls vs. Knicks
NBA Cup Group Stage
7:00 on CHSN
📺 CHGO Bulls
Postgame on YouTube
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