During last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, Phoenix Coyotes' player Raffi Torres made an illegal hit on Chicago's Marian Hossa that left him injured. Torres was forced to serve a nine game suspension that was lifted when the two teams faced off on Thursday night. The Blackhawks exacted some revenge with a 6-2 destruction of Phoenix in their own building.
Chicago's Jamal Mayers threw down the gloves and fought Torres for nearly two minutes early in the game and the Blackhawks followed suit by putting on one of their most dominant performances of the early season. After 20 minutes the score read 4-0 Chicago with two of the tallies coming from Patrick Kane. "You couldn't have asked for a better first period ... it was a fun period of hockey," Kane said. "[Sharp] is a little snake-bit in the goal department. But I can say over the past couple of years, it kills me to say it, but he has become a better passer as time has gone on."
In the second period the 'Hawks scored another two and held a 6-1 stranglehold on the match through 40. This time Captain Jonathan Toews and Brad Bickell did the damage for Chicago.
Phoenix Coach Dave Tippett was not happy with the effort and noted that "This is a good slap in the face right here." He added "We just went out here and got kicked. And if we don't recognize that, then we've got bigger problems than we think."
The win was the second for Chicago over the Coyotes; they defeated Phoenix on Jan. 20 by the score of 6-4.