Grosse Pointe Woods – When Henrik Zetterberg came into the NHL in 2002, Chicago was not the outstanding organization it is today.
From the 1997-98 season to 2007-08, the Blackhawks made the playoffs just once.
But the Blackhawks Jerseys of this era have won three of the past six Stanley Cups. And with 85 points, tied for second-most in the NHL going into Saturday’s games, Chicago seems poised to make another Cup run.
“First couple of years when I played there, it was really quiet,” Zetterberg said of the United Center, and he knows it’ll be anything but quiet Sunday when the Red Wings play there. “Not much was going on except our fans (cheering). Then it really took a quick turn.
“Their fans are really loud, and now it’s one of the loudest arenas in the league.”
The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings 5-2 Wednesday at Joe Louis Arena and what was interesting about that game was the amount of Blackhawks fans at JLA.
A roster full of exciting stars and prolonged success definitely builds a fan base. And all of that gets maximized at the United Center, where the Blackhawks have one of the better home-ice advantages in the NHL.
Still, road teams enjoy the atmosphere, too.
“It’s a great, fun place to play,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “All of us look forward to going to fun places to play and this is certainly one of the more fun places to play in the league.”
What would make this trip to Chicago even more enjoyable for the Red Wings would be a victory. They need one with the Eastern Conference playoff race tightening around them and a busy and difficult schedule ahead.
