Blackhawks vs. Red Wings game thread 2014: It’s finally hockey time

Welcome to the preseason! This is the first Blackhawks game of the season to be broadcast on TV and here at Second City Hockey we’re very excited even if it’s meaningless. Here’s the place to discuss the game and post GIFs and whatever else fancies you.

And just a heads up, we’ll be doing things a little differently for the preseason since, you know, they’re not real games. Think of this as the blog working off its rust as well, since we’ll presumably be trying out some different stuff over the next couple weeks while we settle on the best way to get you what you need.

Anyways, the preseason opener on Tuesday night comes against the Detroit Red Wings, who are already dealing with some injury issues after a season full of them. The game is on CSN+ in the Chicago area, and you can check here to see which channel that is depending on your provider.

There’s already some disappointing news entering the night as young forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Joakim Nordstrom will sit due to lingering injuries, meaning we’ll have to wait even longer to see how those two have progressed after a summer of work. Both guys were competing for NHL spots this fall and the missed time doesn’t help their chances.

Meanwhile, we also know that the fourth line for the game will apparently include Phillip Danault at center with Brandon Mashinter and Cody Bass on the wings. Danault is a long shot to make the team, but the latter two seem to be competing for a possible Bollig-like role that Joel Quenneville is so determined to fill.

We’ll keep updating this as gametime gets closer and more details come in, but for now, 2014-15 Blackhawks hockey is sorta here!